Escalating friction between Japan and China in the East China Sea is becoming more difficult to contain, fed by political opportunism in both countries, says CFR’s Sheila Smith.

Even before Egyptians cast ballots for a new president this week, they will have engineered a surprising shift in power that reflects impressive strides, writes CFR’s Steven Cook.

With the United States eager to withdraw from Afghanistan and reconciliation with the Taliban considered key to any peace process, Afghan women’s rights are once again in question, writes CFR’s Gayle…

Russia’s toughest economic challenge since the collapse of 1998 could lead it to a less confrontational foreign policy and a loss of international standing, writes CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich.