The Obama administration has a tremendous opportunity to forge a new approach on tobacco that balances U.S. mandates on trade with its obligations to promote public health at home and abroad, writes CFR Fellow Thomas Bollyky

The African Union has achieved some peacekeeping successes but needs to improve coordination with the UN to strengthen African security, writes expert Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari.

President Obama laid out a notable agenda for Africa on his recent visit, refocusing U.S. attention on a continent many critics feel the White House has neglected, says CFR's John Campbell.

President Obama's weeklong visit to three African countries should reinforce trade and political ties and address some sentiments that the continent has been overlooked by the White House, writes CFR's John Campbell.

As human activity intensifies in the Arctic, U.S. interests would be best represented by a reinforced Coast Guard, exercising the role it carries out in other coastal areas, writes CFR Military Fellow Peter Troedsson.

A new virus discovered in Saudi Arabia is raising deep concerns over its lethality. An intellectual property dispute could be impeding efforts to contain it, writes CFR's Laurie Garrett.

A state of emergency in Nigeria's northeast signals that Islamist violence and the government's brutal response have rendered the region ungovernable, says CFR's John Campbell.

Nawaz Sharif appears poised to return as Pakistan's prime minister, which would create new challenges for the country's already fractious politics and add strains to the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, writes CFR's Daniel Markey.

The Internet's growing role in economies and societies also poses new threats. The time has come for states and private partners to set global norms for web conduct, says expert Andrea Renda.

Myanmar's emergence from military rule has also spawned some of the worst ethnic and religious violence in decades and fear of prolonged civil conflict, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

The success of a UN investigation into an alleged chemical weapons attack in Aleppo province last week will depend on a number of factors and could prove inconclusive, says CFR's Gregory Koblentz.

Will Kenya's elections produce a representative government or deepen its democratic decline? CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick offers a prescription for reversing the retreat of emerging states like Kenya.

A comprehensive new study of the world's health status has the potential to dramatically improve how developing countries address surging problems like noncommunicable diseases, writes CFR's Thomas Bollyky.

The president's annual address set the stage for more political wrangling over U.S. fiscal policy at a time when decisiveness is crucial for the economy, writes CFR's Robert Kahn.

The radical Islamist group Boko Haram has contributed to widespread and deadly violence in Nigeria, but the government sercurity services are also at fault, write CFR's John Campbell and Asch Harwood.

Reducing the risk that chemical weapons will be used in Syria, considered a nightmare scenario, requires a comprehensive prevention strategy from the international community, writes CFR's Paul Stares.

A conservative and a progressive appear to offer South Koreans sharply different presidential options, but both are likely to pursue similar foreign policy tracks, says CFR's Scott Snyder.

In a major electoral comeback, Japan's conservatives have won a supermajority in parliament. But the results have stirred anxieties about how they will use their power, says CFR's Sheila Smith.

The UN climate meeting could show progress on outstanding issues from previous rounds, but negotiators are focused on modest steps forward rather than major breakthroughs, says CFR's Michael Levi.

Policymakers must act swiftly post-election to approve a viable fiscal plan or trigger market volatility and severe damage to the U.S. economy, writes CFR's Robert Kahn.