The Arab Spring severely weakened the narrative of Islamist extremists but they are now stirring anti-U.S. sentiments in fragile new democracies, says Mideast expert Ali Soufan.

While a nuclear-armed Iran presents "a terrible outcome strategically," a U.S. or Israeli military attack carries unforeseeable risks, says CFR President Richard Haass.

Climatic conditions across the U.S. farm belt are triggering a rise in global food prices that threatens to fuel political unrest in developing countries, says CFR’s Isobel Coleman.

China’s global investment boom is slowing, which could affect its trading partners. But its economy does not have to be doomed to slow growth, says expert Patrick Chovanec.

A proposed centralized banking supervisor could help stabilize Europe’s struggling banks and increase vital capital flows within the euro area, says expert Domenico Lombardi.