Somali pirates have been resilient against efforts to stop them, but a new approach that includes legal measures, controlling financial flows, building regional capacity and more could be the combination that defeats piracy, writes CFR's Michael Lyon Baker.

The new U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement has the potential to measurably spur the economy and reassure a top U.S. ally, but President Obama needs to take firmer steps to boost a flagging trade agenda, write CFR's Edward Alden and Scott Snyder.

The Ghailani verdict focuses renewed attention on the debate over how to detain and prosecute terrorism suspects, which will persist until the Obama administration comes up with a firm policy, says CFR's Matthew Waxman.

As NATO prepares for this weekend's summit, the U.S. should consider removing its nuclear weapons from Europe, as its tactical nuclear umbrella over NATO is no longer vital to European security. Russia also should limit its nuclear arsenal, says CFR's Micah Zenko.

The Obama administration's failure to reach a trade pact with South Korea and craft a strategic agenda for its alliance with Japan bodes ill for bolstering its influence in Asia, writes CFR's Sheila Smith.

The Fed's decision to resume quantitative easing will likely shift the focus of the G20 summit and make it harder to settle currency-policy disputes that could derail recovery of the world economy, writes CFR's Steven Dunaway.

Myanmar's military junta made sure the country's first elections in twenty years will favor the regime, but the polls still offer prospects for independent, civilian voices to emerge, says CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

Venezuela's stepped-up efforts to develop nuclear power and tighten its bonds with Iran require a firm but deft diplomatic response from the Obama administration, write CFR's Joel Hirst and Jonathan Pearl.

The G20 finance ministers' agreement may have helped avert a global currency war. However, by potentially shifting the focus toward reducing external imbalance, there is a risk that policy adjustments needed to deal with imbalances among the major world economies will be neglected, writes CFR's Steven Dunaway.

Nigerian President Jonathan's mishandling of the aftermath of a lethal car-bomb incident could spell heightened regional tensions in the lead-up to elections early next year, says CFR'S John Campbell.

A new round of talks on Sudan this week reflects stepped-up U.S. diplomacy ahead of two high-stakes votes scheduled for January. Success will hinge on sustained effort and a strategy for Darfur, says CFR's Payton Knopf.

The escalating dispute between Beijing and Tokyo about Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain is a challenge for Washington and raises concerns about Chinese maritime activities in the Asia Pacific, says CFR's Sheila Smith.

Pakistan's floods could presage a series of troubling natural disasters of direct concern to U.S. national security interests. Planning for them now is essential, writes CFR's Michael L. Baker.

New tensions in the South China Sea are a growing test to China's relations with the United States and China's Southeast Asian neighbors, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

Concerns about global wheat supplies are sparking fears that price inflation in the wheat market could lead to a food crisis akin to the one in 2008, says CFR's Laurie Garrett.

International donor support for fighting HIV has flat-lined, yet the United States--the world's largest donor--is under fire from the global community, and domestic political support for Obama administration global health funding is flagging, writes CFR's Laurie Garrett.

U.S. talks with the junta in Myanmar have yielded few results, yet planned elections and a looming crisis in some border regions will force the U.S. to play a larger role, and possibly gain leverage with the regime, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

President Obama and Saudi King Abdullah's meeting on June 29 will include difficult conversations about the Middle East, where Saudis want to be convinced that the United States is serious about supporting a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says CFR's Thomas Lippman.

The G20 meetings in Toronto will be marked by competing agendas on global growth and strengthening global financial supervision. This Backgrounder looks at the chief policy concerns of each.

Russia's inaction in response to Kyrgyzstan's ethnic violence reflects a deeper problem with international cooperation, writes CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.