The Obama administration must stay the course in Arab Spring countries and help them thwart rising militancy, even as the deaths of four diplomats grimly highlighted the dangers lurking in the young democracies.
Mystery remained Wednesday over exactly who was behind the anti-Islam film which sparked deadly protests in the Middle East, amid conflicting claims of Jewish or Coptic Christian involvement.
A Swiss radiology lab said on Friday it has received the go-ahead from the widow of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to test his remains for poisoning by polonium, a highly radioactive element.
Oil prices hit two-month highs this week, driven by Federal Reserve stimulus hopes and Middle East unrest, while soyabeans soared to a record high as US supplies were hit by drought.
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Wednesday clashed with President Barack Obama over how serious a security threat Iranian ally Venezuela poses to the US.
The United States on Monday called on Iran to release Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was imprisoned in 2009 and condemned to death for converting from Islam to Christianity.
