Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has become the most dangerous al-Qaeda affiliate and is attempting to exploit the ongoing political unrest in Yemen. This Backgrounder profiles the group and looks at U.S. counterterrorism operations against its members.

Greenhouse gas trading is now a multibillion-dollar international business and is expected to continue to grow, despite uncertainty about a post-2012 international climate regime.

An undervalued Chinese yuan remains a contributing factor to the U.S.-China trade imbalance, but experts warn that labeling China a "currency manipulator" will not rein in mounting U.S. deficits.

Sharia, or Islamic law, is increasingly in the spotlight as its political and economic role expands in the Muslim world and even in the West.

The longstanding U.S.-South Korea alliance, created as a bulwark against a communist North Korea, has expanded to include tighter trade ties and cooperation on global issues from climate change to international development.

The U.S. government designates Iran as the "most active state sponsor of terrorism," which feeds concerns about Iran's growing nuclear program.

In the wake of financial regulatory overhaul, experts continue to differ on the role of the Federal Reserve and its powers.

Ten years after being toppled from power in Kabul, the Taliban remains resilient in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and complicates U.S. efforts to wind down the Afghan war.

Pakistan has emerged as a terrorist sanctuary for some of the world's most violent groups, including al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and homegrown militants, that threaten the stability of Pakistan as well as the region.

Damage to Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has reignited debate over the safety of nuclear power and highlighted questions over aging power plants, safety procedures, and waste disposal.

NCDs such as cancer and heart disease are becoming leading causes of death in the developing world and will be the focus of a September UN meeting. But health experts and others are divided about how much funding should go into a global campaign aimed at preventing NCDs and whether infectious disease programs will suffer as a result.

The World Health Organization has gained prominence for its success in battling diseases such as polio and malaria, but is challenged by an unwieldy mission and strained resources in a landscape of competing organizations.

As world leaders prepare to convene for the sixty-seventh session of the UN General Assembly, they will face renewed calls for UN recognition of Palestine and a redoubling of diplomatic efforts in a volatile Middle East.

A decade after 9/11, U.S. Muslims grapple with their place in American society in the face of concerns about homegrown terrorism and questions by non-Muslims over the threat they might pose.

Interest in natural gas is growing for political, environmental, and economic reasons. But the industry faces challenges to adding pipelines, increasing international LNG trade, and exploiting newly found shale gas reserves.

The global drug industry has fought to prevent developing nations from making low-cost, generic versions of drugs under patent, but the demand for such alternatives is could rise with increasing healthcare costs and growing incidence of chronic disease.

A profile of the international terrorist network that the United States has singled out as the most serious threat to U.S. security.

Western Europe's burgeoning Islamic population continues to spark concerns about Muslim assimilation and a cultural divide.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, now America's most wanted terrorist, took over as the head of al-Qaeda in June 2011 after the killing of erstwhile head Osama bin Laden.

The International Monetary Fund, both criticized and lauded for its efforts to promote financial stability, finds itself again in the forefront of global economic crisis management. This Backgrounder examines the Fund's history and role.