President Barack Obama directed U.S. officials on Thursday to do all they could to support an investigation into what caused a Malaysian jetliner to crash in a Ukraine war zone and pledged support to the affected countries as the probe moves forward.

U.S. President Barack Obama hosted Tuesday an Iftar at the White House in celebration of the Holy Month of Ramadan.  The Iftar, which has become an annual tradition at the White House, gathered diplomats from the Arab and Muslim world. 

The US president leads the pack of world leaders on Twitter, according to a new report, blowing by the competition with an about 43.7 million followers.  Next closest is Pope Francis at 14.1 followers, although the pontiff was named the most influential world leader on Twitter because of how much he's retweeted (10,000 retweets for every tweet.) He also has followers in nine different languages.

White House says aid will help defend Syrian people, stabilize areas under opposition control, facilitate the provision of essential services, counter terrorist threats, and promote conditions for a negotiated settlement.

The World Cup offers something of a free kick for soccer diplomacy, which some observers say U.S. President Barack Obama is failing to capitalize on.  While many nations, from Germany to Russia, are sending their leaders to Brazil to make a diplomatic appearance, Obama is staying home.

A new poll shows military veterans and their families say overwhelmingly that President Obama made the wrong call by trading five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. And a plurality of all Americans agree.