The secrecy around Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s selection of Cathleen P. Black to run the city’s schools highlighted his faith in business leaders and dislike of public debate.

Iraq’s leaders reached a tentative agreement to end an eight-month political impasse and return Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to power.

Starting Thursday, Wal-Mart plans to offer free shipping on its Web site, a move that may create an expectation among consumers and a threat to smaller retailers.

Psychiatry has been revived in China, but mental health remains a medical backwater, desperately short of financing, practitioners and esteem.

Victories for Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert at the Country Music Awards were only some of the signs that Nashville is coming to terms with a new establishment.

President Obama said North Korea faces further isolation unless it gives up nuclear weapons.

As recent lawsuits suggest a long-term risk, doctors and drug makers are debating the use of osteoporosis drugs.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with Egyptian officials, trying to overcome an impasse.

The last undecided Senate race could be weird politics or it could be an indicator of the rise of the independent voter.

Foreign capital in emerging markets has played a crucial role in development, but some are questioning its benefits.