As partisan wrangling over the U.S. debt ceiling continues in Washington, fears are mounting that a default could trigger another global economic crisis. This guide offers timely analysis on the global implications of the U.S. debt crisis.

Whatever the outcome of the debt ceiling debate, many analysts expect a downgrade in the U.S. debt rating because of doubts about deficit-reduction plans. The fallout could include higher borrowing costs, a weaker dollar, and market turbulence.

The recent killings in Norway highlight the rise of anti-Muslim, anti-immigration feelings in Europe and the U.S. that could impede tackling other forms of homegrown terrorism, say experts.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged to press Pakistan on terrorism and tried to ease New Delhi's worries over Afghanistan on her visit to India this week. But a deteriorating U.S.-Pakistan relationship decreases Washington's ability to influence Islamabad on terrorism issues, say experts.

As the debt-ceiling deadline looms, political wrangling has escalated, but lawmakers are likely to cobble together an agreement that avoids default.

With the deadline looming for resolving the U.S. debt standoff, concern is rising among international creditors and markets about the largest economy and home of the world's reserve currency.

A crackdown in Hama and Amnesty International's call for reporting Syria's government to the ICC place new focus on the Assad regime's stability, yet international response has been muted.

Heightened cross-border tensions and militant activity underscore the possible risks to the region as the United States prepares for its phased troop pullout from Afghanistan.

Despite the Greek parliament's approval of an austerity package, the country's enormous debt and EU countries' tortured debate over solutions raise concerns among some experts that default is unavoidable.

The International Criminal Court's warrants for the arrest of Libya's Qaddafi stir debate about whether they will facilitate or hinder his demise and about the effectiveness of the ICC itself.

As Syrian dissidents try to end the current violence, there is mounting concern over the consequences of growing unrest in a region already roiling with protest.

A debate over presidential war powers has refocused attention on the scope and purpose of the U.S. military role in Libya and what it means for policy toward other brutal Arab regimes.

U.S.-Pakistan ties are increasingly frayed following a string of high-profile counterterrorism incidents, but experts say U.S. aid to Pakistan should continue and that the security relationship remains vital.

The Syrian regime's intensifying crackdown on protesters has alarmed some countries in the region and stirred international concern, but there is little consensus about how to curb the violence and little appetite for military intervention.

Is U.S. involvement in Afghanistan a mission to build a stable Afghan state or eliminate the al-Qaeda threat? As a decision nears on U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, lawmakers are making new calls for clarity, adding to the debate over the war's endgame.

Even if a U.S. assessment of North Korea's food situation echoes a UN report earlier this year that warned of shortages, debate rages about whether new food aid should be provided to a recalcitrant Pyongyang.

The Obama administration's efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have triggered a surge of analysis, sampled here, on what steps Israelis, Palestinians, and U.S. officials should pursue next.

Following the G8's tough stand on political repression, the weekend saw increased violence in Libya, Syria, and Yemen along with signals of regime weakening. Some experts say the U.S. should take a tougher line with Libya and Syria.

Bad weather and threatened crops in the United States highlight the continuing problem in food prices and place new attention on global food policy.

President Obama has embarked on a flurry of Mideast diplomacy amid mounting questions about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and U.S. policy in the region.