Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced on Wednesday that he would not run for president, ending a period of remarkably public agonizing and clearing away one of the biggest potential obstacles to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s path to the Democratic nomination in 2016.

“Unfortunately, I believe we’re out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination,” Mr. Biden said. “But while I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent.”

Volkswagen said on Thursday that it was investigating whether substantially more vehicles than previously disclosed were equipped with software intended to deceive emissions tests, raising the possibility of even greater damage to the company’s reputation and finances.

The automaker admitted last month that 11 million cars and light commercial vehicles equipped with a diesel motor line known as the EA 189 had the illegal software.

Before sitting down with Mr. Kerry on Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu returned to a familiar theme in blaming Palestinians for the violence. He called on other countries to pressure Mr. Abbas to stop telling “lies” about Israel’s management of the holy site, and he said that the Palestinian leader’s statements were responsible for the violence.

The raid, near the town of Hawija, freed 70 prisoners, including Kurds and more than 20 Iraqi security forces, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to begin testifying Thursday morning before the Republican-controlled Benghazi committee in a hearing that is expected to be highly partisan and last for many hours.

Hillary Rodham Clinton confronted Republican critics on the House Benghazi committee on Thursday with a challenge to “reach for statesmanship” in their long-running inquiry into the 2012 attacks that killed four Americans.