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.

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.

The leadership void caused by the illness of Nigerian President Umaru Yar’adua could lead to domestic upheaval and a succession crisis, writes CFR’s John Campbell.

CFR Senior Fellow Michael Levi writes that the financial crisis will affect U.S. near-term efforts to deal with energy security and climate change.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is pushing through a series of laws that will effectively quell legal means to opposition, a move that Washington must challenge, says CFR’s Joel Hirst.