PRESIDENTIAL RACE

DES MOINES, Iowa — Ted Cruz, a fiery, conservative Texas senator loathed by his own party's leaders, sweeps to victory in Iowa's Republican caucuses, overcoming billionaire Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders were deadlocked in a tight race. 

ZIKA VIRUS

GENEVA — The World Health Organization declares a global emergency over the explosive spread of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in the Americas, calling it an "extraordinary event" that poses a threat to other parts of the world. By Jamey Keaten and Maria Cheng. 

UNITED STATES-AFGHANISTAN

WASHINGTON — The top American commander in Afghanistan faces skeptical lawmakers amid concerns that worsening security conditions demand a greater number of U.S. forces to ensure the gains made in the war-torn country since 2001 aren't lost. 

UNITED STATES-ISLAMIC STATE

WASHINGTON — There is a "good potential" that more U.S. and coalition forces will be needed to fight the Islamic State group, the top commander of military operations in Iraq and Syria says. .

HAITI-POLITICAL CRISIS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A Haitian opposition alliance is declining to meet with a regional mission that traveled to this troubled Caribbean nation to help mediate a solution to a political crisis that has postponed elections indefinitely. By David McFadden. AP Photo.

OBAMA-CONGRESS

WASHINGTON — Searching for potential compromise, President Barack Obama is bringing the Republicans who run the House and Senate to the White House to try to hash out an agenda for his final year, even as his top legislative priorities appear to be losing steam. By Josh Lederman.

BLACKWATER TRIAL

WASHINGTON — Four former Blackwater security contractors found guilty in a deadly Baghdad shooting appealed their convictions on Monday, saying a key witness against them had changed his testimony after the trial and that prosecutors lacked jurisdiction to even bring the case. 

MISSING AMERICAN-IRAN

WASHINGTON — The FBI has launched a Facebook page in Farsi to solicit tips on the whereabouts of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who went missing in Iran nine years ago. 

PUERTO RICO-ECONOMY

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's government is pushing a bond swap with creditors to help generate revenue as U.S. legislators prepare to debate creation of an oversight authority to help pull the island out of a deepening economic crisis.

INMATES ESCAPE

SANTA ANA, California — Three inmates planned their escape from a California jail for at least six months then abducted a taxi driver and drove to northern California, where two of the fugitives argued about killing him, authorities say. 

UNITED NATIONS-VENEZUELA

UNITED NATIONS — Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations dismisses the possibility of cooperating with U.S. investigations into a billion-dollar bribery schemes that allegedly occurred at the country's state-run oil company while he was in charge.