1. An American Marine patrols the surroundings of the village of Garmsir in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, April 28, 2012

    Iran Denounces US-Afghan Strategic Partnership

    The Iranians see America’s military presence in Afghanistan and the region as part of an effort to encircle them.

  1. Pingdingshan coal railway station in Henan Province, China, January 8, 2003 (Gordon Edgar)

    America’s King Coal Hopes to Reign in China

    Environmental regulations and a boom in natural gas are destroying the oil industry. In China, opportunities await.

  1. Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks in Tempe, Arizona, April 20, 2012 (Gage Skidmore)

    Obama, Romney Tied in Election Swing States

    Ohio and Florida are up for grabs. With several western and industrial states, they will decide who wins November’s election.

  1. Pakistani men unload supplies delivered by a United States Army Chinook helicopter in Matlatan, Pakistan on September 28, 2010 (Sergeant Jason Bushong)

    No Good Ways Out of Afghanistan

    Air and land routes out of the country are either insufficient or troublesome. Leaving Afghanistan is logistically difficult.

  1. President Barack Obama of the United States and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan meet in Kabul, May 1, 2012

    Afghanistan Partnership Leaves Many Doubts

    President Obama and the American people are ready to get out while uncertainties remain about the future of Afghanistan.