The conflict in Syria is less about democratic reforms and more about redistributing power along sectarian and ethnic lines--with troubling regional implications, says expert Vali Nasr.

Nuclear talks with Iran are unlikely to lead to a deal in the short term, but they have had some impact: easing tensions and calming oil markets, says CFR's Richard Falkenrath.

Canada's military is managing its role in Afghanistan against new security concerns in the Arctic, and is looking to increase its capacity in an age when other NATO countries are cutting back on spending, says Canadian Rear Admiral David Gardam.

The weekend massacre near Houla that has galvanized international outrage may spark a stronger Russian stand against the Assad regime, says Syria expert Mona Yacoubian.

Egypt's next president is likely to be a member of the Muslim Brotherhood or a Mubarak-era figure. Either way, U.S. ties are likely to cool, says CFR's Steven A. Cook.

The U.S. financial sector is at risk of eurozone sovereign debt contagion that could potentially undermine the fragile U.S. economic recovery, explains economist Richard H. Clarida.

Talks in Baghdad reflect Iran's new willingness to discuss its nuclear program, but sanctions may not sting enough to make it change course, says expert Hassan Hakimian.

This weekend's G8 summit will be dominated by negotiations over the eurozone sovereign debt crisis and limiting contagion to the global economy, says expert C. Randall Henning.

A brutal crackdown continues, the opposition resists a political solution, and a divided international community offers no new alternatives, says expert Peter Harling.

Greece's political turmoil is spreading fresh economic uncertainty. But it is wrong to assume an automatic exit from the euro or further sovereign debt contagion, says expert Iain Begg.

Benjamin Netanyahu's agreement with the Kadima Party reflects a public more concerned about economic and social issues than whether to strike Iran, says CFR's Robert M. Danin.

New electoral currents in Europe are threatening the German-backed fiscal responsibility pact and sparking fresh fears of debt contagion, says CFR's Sebastian Mallaby.

Targeted killings are up in Yemen and military trials have resumed in Guantanamo. CFR's Matthew Waxman assesses the White House's evolving legal basis for its war on al-Qaeda.

The case of dissident Chen Guangcheng amid high-level talks revealed determination by Beijing and Washington to maintain stable ties, says CFR's Elizabeth C. Economy.

With the U.S.-India relationship in solid shape, India will be watching the U.S. presidential race for how the outcome will affect policies on China, Pakistan, and other issues crucial to Delhi.

Turkey's dramatic changes make it ripe for closer diplomatic and economic collaboration with the United States, says Stephen Hadley, co-chair of a new CFR Task Force Report.

Vladimir Putin's third term as Russia's president could be characterized by greater political competition and middle-class opposition domestically, along with mixed relations with the United States, says CFR expert Stephen Sestanovich.

New questions over the wisdom of unfettered budget cuts are shifting the emphasis of eurozone crisis responses from austerity to growth, says economist Thomas Philippon.

A high-level dialogue occurs against a backdrop of political change and tensions over Chen Guangcheng. CFR's Adam Segal says the relationship has no guiding principle.

Osama bin Laden's killing helped spawn a crisis in Pakistan and left tough al-Qaeda-affiliated movements in the Mideast and Africa, says CFR's Linda Robinson.