Into the Hornet's Nest: The United States prepares its troops and its allies for the coming offensive in Kandahar, the Taliban's spiritual home.  (March 17, 2010)

Get Yer Anti-Ballistic Missile Shield Here: Where do sheikhs go shopping? Facing the rising threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, they go to weapons shows like the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, where leaders from Cairo to Riyadh are stocking up. (March 12, 2010)

The Real Hurt Locker: A look at the actual people behind the controversial Oscar-nominated film. (March 5, 2010)

China's Golf Obsession:  Green lawns and sand traps are now replacing ancient villages and tropical forests on Hainan Island, one of China's most pristine spots. Necessary development, or destructive clear-cutting? (Feb. 24, 2010)

The Shooting War: An exclusive collection of work by the world's most acclaimed conflict photographers. (March/April 2010)

Poster Children of the Hermit Kingdom: Foreigners are allowed few glimpses into the reality or mindset of North Korea today. But author B.R. Myers has managed to collect rare slides of North Korean propaganda posters, which illustrate the eerie mythology the government wants its impoverished people to believe. (Feb. 22, 2010) Related story: "North Korea's Race Problem" (March/April 2010)

War Games: From the recruiting game that started it all to the commercial juggernaut that outsold all but the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, here's a snapshot of militainment in action. (Feb. 22, 2010)

Planet War: From the bloody civil wars in Africa to the rag-tag insurgiences in Southeast Asia, 33 conflicts are raging around the world today, and it’s often innocent civilians who suffer the most. (Feb. 22, 2010)

Operation Marjah: Coalition forces are hunting Taliban insurgents in the largest military operation in Afghanistan since the initial U.S. invasion in 2001.  (Feb. 17, 2010)

A Dog's Life in China: In today's China, canines live in every imaginable situation, from the lap of luxury to dire straits. Here are 15 remarkable photographs of country dogs and city dogs, strays and pets, ladies and tramps.  Related story: "Rich Dog, Poor Dog: China's New Class Struggle" (Feb. 12, 2010)

Olympic Outliers: Forget the Jamaican bobsled team. This year, there's a pack of Olympic underdogs from countries that aren't well known for cold-weather sports. (Feb. 10, 2010)

Bricks for Bread and Milk: As New Delhi prepares to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the capital city has been flooded with a new wave of migrant workers -- children. (Feb. 5, 2010)

"I Am So Happy He's Not Dead": Photojournalist Chris Hondros shares the scenes and stories of the two and a half weeks he spent walking the rubble of Port-au-Prince -- visiting morgues and newly dug mass graves, and meeting survivors in crowded makeshift hospitals. (Feb. 3, 2010) 

Afghanistan's Ultimate Sport: What do you call men on horses fighting over a headless goat carcass? Buzkashi -- Afghanistan's national sport, which also just happens to be a powerful metaphor for the country's politics. (Jan. 29, 2010)

My Trip to GTMO: One year into his presidency, Barack Obama still hasn't managed to close the controversial U.S. prison facility at Guantánamo Bay. But its days are clearly numbered. Here's how I'll always remember the place. (Jan. 23, 2010)

After the Fall: From the poorest neighborhoods to the presidential palace, Haiti's man-made landscape, now demolished, will never be the same. (Jan. 19, 2010)

Anarchy in the PRC: Overnight megacities, packed freeways, smoggy skies, and angsty rockers in tight leather pants. Photographer Matthew Niederhauser documents the other side of China's urban boom. (Jan. 15, 2010)

Requiem for Port-au-Prince:  Port-au-Prince before the earthquake, as described by Haitian writers and visitors to the island nation.  (Jan. 14, 2010)

Baby, It's Cold Outside: The new year has greeted many parts of the world with a freezing Arctic blast. Some have endured frustrating transportation delays, while others have been chilling out, enjoying the surrounding winter wonderland. (Jan. 7, 2010)

Daily Life in Yemen: An ancient land that globalization seems to have passed by, Yemen -- where the "underpants bomber" allegedly trained for his failed Christmas Day attack -- is not just about Islamic extremism, choking traffic, and crushing poverty. (Feb. 20, 2009, updated for 2010)

Afghanistan 2009: A Year in Photos: Images from the most-talked about place of 2009. (Dec. 31, 2009)

The Year in Berlusconi Gaffes: Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister of Italy, is his known for his love of the ladies, propensity for offensive comments, and occasional run-ins with the law. Here's 2009, a banner year, in Berlusconi blunder. (Dec. 30, 2009)

There Will Be Blood: The religious and political significance of Ashura. (Dec. 29, 2009)

The Decade's Noughtiest Photos: With the first decade of the 21st century coming to a close, it's time to check out the noughty years in photos. (Dec. 28, 2009)

Edward Burtynsky's Oil: A decade of photographs exploring the impact of oil from the acclaimed Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky. (Oct. 9, 2009)

Planet Slum: Norwegian photojournalist Jonas Bendiksen spent six weeks living in the slums of Nairobi, then Caracus, Mumbai, and Jakarta. His remarkable panoramic images take us inside slum families' lives, revealing the profound human impulse to fashion not only shelter but a home. (Nov. 5, 2009)

Vova and Dima 4eva?: Does Russia's tandem still get along? (Sept. 16, 2009)

A Whale of a Controversy: Japan's dolphin-hunting industry gets skewered in The Cove, a just-released documentary by director Louie Psihoyos. But after this year's setbacks at the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting, dolphins aren't the only marine mammals that are in trouble. (July 31, 2009)

The Least Free Places on Earth: As the United States celebrates its Independence Day, here's a look at some places with nothing to cheer about. The following images are from the bottom 21 countries and territories from Freedom House's Freedom in the World report, with text prepared by the staff of Freedom House. (July 2, 2009)

The Land of No Smiles: Renowned documentary photographer Tomas van Houtryve entered North Korea by posing as a businessman looking to open a chocolate factory. Despite 24-hour surveillance by North Korean minders, he took arresting photographs of Pyongyang and its people—images rarely captured and even more rarely distributed in the West. They show stark glimmers of everyday life in the world’s last gulag. (April 20, 2009)

To Bow or Not to Bow?: A history of American prostration. (Nov. 23, 2009)

Karzai's Cronies: Meet the unsavory characters surrounding the Afghan president and his new government. (Nov. 19, 2009)

What Karadzic Did to Bosnia: Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is on trial, but whatever the outcome, the pain of war will remain. (Nov. 11, 2009)

Falling Like It's 1989: Maybe history didn't end in 1989, but the world would certainly never be the same. From Berlin, to Beijing, to Burma, here are some of the most memorable images from a "year of miracles." Part of an FP series, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. (Nov. 4, 2009)

Oh, the Places He's Been: One year after his election, a look back at Barack Obama's travels to 15 foreign countries. (Nov. 2, 2009)

No Place to Hide: Refugees fleeing the carnage of Mogadishu find new dangers in Somalia's supposedly safer north. (Oct. 28, 2009)

Bolivia's Lithium-Powered Future: What the global battery boom means for the future of South America's poorest country. (Oct. 21, 2009)

A Third Intifada?: Contention over the disputed Al-Aqsa mosque and Temple Mount site have once again unleashed violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Could a third intifada erupt? (Oct. 15, 2009)

Europe's Lactose Intolerance: Dairy farmers in Europe are having a cow over low milk prices and have taken themselves -- and their bovines -- to the streets. (Oct. 6, 2009)

Let the Red Times Roll: Beijing has spared no expense to ensure that the military parade and mass pageant planned for October 1 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China are both spectacular and free from security snafus. (Sept. 29, 2009)

China Turns 60: Thursday, October 1, 2009, marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. While the country gears up to celebrate, FP looks back on six decades in the world's oldest continuously red state. (Sept. 28, 2009)

Revenge of the Rivers: A summer of severe storms has left much of the world underwater. (Sept. 11, 2009)

Back to School with Swine Flu: Students are going back to school in many parts of the world, but this school year, there's something new to worry about in addition to grades and exams: swine flu. (Sept. 2, 2009)

Fasting and Feasting During Ramadan: Muslims everywhere are observing a holy month of fasting and feasts, a time of religious reflection shared with family and friends. (Aug. 28, 2009)

Seeing Red: The Soviet Union was a repressive regime that stifled all forms of creative expression. But author David King discovered a treasure trove of visual relics from the communist era by little-known photographers, designers, and artists. (Aug. 24, 2009)

Voting Day in Afghanistan: Despite the milestone achievement of those Afghans who voted in the recent election, the country still has a long war ahead. (Aug. 20, 2009)

Hillary in Africa: Three weeks after U.S. President Barack Obama visited Africa, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned to the region for a sweeping, 11-day, seven-country tour. What both dignitaries shared, besides rock star-worthy receptions, was a rhetoric urging political reform, extolling good governance, and affirming Africa's "promise." (Aug. 13, 2009)

Afghanistan's Long War: With presidential elections approaching and a wave of U.S. troops who entered last month, Afghanistan has been struggling to establish itself as a stable state. The war that began after the 9/11 terrorist attacks has dragged on, and the only thing certain is that there's still a long road ahead. (Aug. 7, 2009)

The Obamans Abroad: While U.S. President Barack Obama stayed in Washington to work on domestic issues, Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton embarked on separate overseas tours. From Tblisi to Thailand, the two drew large crowds, crossed swords with a few enemies, and made one or two slip-ups as well. (July 24, 2009)

Don't Call It a Surge: A wave of U.S. troops entered Afghanistan this month, but don't dare call it a surge. President Barack Obama's preferred terms are "increase," "reinforcement," and "enabling forces." Meanwhile, July has proven to be the deadliest month for foreign troops in Afghanistan. (July 17, 2009)

Who Are the Uighurs?: What motivates China's restless Muslim minority? (July 9, 2009)

Children at Work: While many children are now enjoying summer holidays from school, others are toiling away in sweatshops. Amid the Great Recession, more parents may be pulling their children out of school and putting them to work to supplement family income. (June 25, 2009)

Portraits of Instability: Haunting images from the world's most fragile states. (June 22, 2009)

Gay Pride, From Zagreb to Shanghai: People around the world are rising up and demanding dignity and equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. And despite a backlash, the LGBT movement marches forward, refusing to go back in the closet. (June 18, 2009)

Ahmadi Bye-Bye in Iran?: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has tarnished his country's international standing, presided over a crumbling economy, and doubted the Holocaust. As Iranians head to the polls June 12, many fed-up voters are chanting, "Ahmadi bye-bye." (June 9, 2009)

Land War: The Battle over Israel's Settlements: As Washington gears up for a showdown over Israel's settlements, settlers are taking matters into their own hands. (June 8, 2009)

The Cars That Are Killing GM: General Motors is on government-provided life support. Here are some of the cars better-suited for the 21st century's fast lane that are picking up speed and sending GM to the junkyard. (June 4, 2009)

Working in Hell for $11 a Day: Working with oozing molten sulfur at a steaming crater lake, the miners of Indonesia's Kawah Ijen volcano endure wheezing lungs and bloodshot eyes to haul heavy slabs of the bright-yellow element, used in everything from cosmetics to gunpowder. (May 28, 2009)

A Day at the Races in Baghdad: Dictatorship, war, looting -- none of it can stop the twice-weekly horse races that are Baghdad's best show in town. (May 21, 2009)

Happy Birthday, Buddha: Swine flu and the Taliban in Pakistan may be worrying many people, but for Buddhists, now is a time of celebration. It's Buddha's birthday. (May 7, 2009)

Pig Panic: Swine flu is spreading across the world. In a globalized society, can a possible pandemic be stopped? (April 28, 2009)

10 Environmental Challenges We've Got to Solve: Climate change and a rapidly growing middle class are putting enormous pressure on the Earth. Unless we innovate ourselves out this dire situation, the planet is in peril. (April 22, 2009)

The World's Biggest Election: What do you call 714 million eligible voters, 5,500 candidates, 1,055 political parties, and 830,000 polling stations? Call it the world's biggest election ever, to be held in India, the world's largest democracy, beginning April 16. (April 15, 2009)

Portraits of Insecurity: A new alliance between Rwandan and Congolese forces may be a rare occasion for optimism, but as Michael J. Kavanagh of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting shows in this exclusive series of portraits, eastern Congo's future is still uncertain. (April 10, 2009)

So You Want to Visit Cuba?: As the United States eases travel restrictions, Cubans are ready to cash in. (April 9, 2009)

A Light in Burma's Darkness: Burma is well-known for the repression of its ruling military junta. Nevertheless, the country’s economy is growing, in large part to due to the drug trade, migration, and foreign investment. (April 1, 2009)

Pakistan's New Homeless: Pakistan has engaged in its own 'war on terror' against Islamist militants in the northwest part of the country. The collateral damage: at least 450,000 Pakistanis forced from their homes. (March 25, 2009)

Baghdad's Back, Six Years After the Invasion: March 20 marks the six-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The war sparked a bloody insurgency, but in Baghdad today, normal life is cautiously reemerging. (March 18, 2009)

Spring Break Gone Wrong?: This time of year, many American college students head to Mexico's beaches for spring break, but a recent State Department travel alert about violence south of the border might be giving some party animals second thoughts. (March 11, 2009)

Jobless in a Land of 1.3 Billion: The economic crisis has been rough for everyone, but especially so for China’s migrant workers. With jobs in the cities vanishing, some are returning home to the countryside. (March 4, 2009)

China's Next Generation: A look at the six men who are vying to shape China's future. (March/April, 2009)

Portrait of a Failed State: Somalia's tattered landscape is a window into the country's troubled past. (March 2009)

Abu Ghraib's Extreme Makeover: In his first address to the joint session of Congress, President Obama said the United States does not torture. Iraq might be trying to send the same message about itself with the recent makeover it gave to the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. (Feb. 25, 2009)

Kosovo Year 1: Kosovo just made it through its first year as a self-declared independent country. People there may be celebrating, but Kosovo's continued poverty shows that independence is no quick fix. (Feb. 18, 2009)

The Financial Crisis That Won't Go Away: From New York and Reykjavik to Dubai and Tokyo, the economic news only seems to get worse. (Feb. 11, 2009)

India's Real-World Slumdogs: With Slumdog Millionaire winning eight Academy Awards, it's easy to view Mumbai's slums as wastelands of filth and misery. But they're actually vibrant business centers filled with scrappy entrepreneurs. If some wealthy elites get their way, though, the slums' days may be numbered. (Feb. 4, 2009)

Daily Life in Yemen: An ancient land that globalization seems to have passed by, Yemen is not just about choking traffic, crushing poverty, and Islamic extremism.

Election Time in Iraq: On Jan. 31, Iraqis will head to the polls for the first time since 2005. If the provincial elections go off without a hitch, it'll be a positive sign that Iraq can hold it together as U.S. and coalition troops begin to depart. (Jan. 29, 2009)

The Inauguration Heard 'Round the World: The inauguration of Barack Obama wasn’t the event of the day just in the United States. It received above-the-fold coverage in countries all over the globe. (Jan. 21, 2009)

Russia Leaves Eastern Europe Out in the Cold: Russian gas monopoly Gazprom was supposed to have restarted the flow of natural gas to Europe via Ukraine Jan. 13. How much is actually getting through is uncertain at this point, but one thing is certain: Eastern Europe has been left in the cold ever since Gazprom ceased gas flows Jan. 7. (Jan. 13, 2009)

On Gaza, Children, and War: The current Israeli offensive into Gaza has taken a heavy toll on everybody, but it's the innocent children on both sides whose suffering is most undeserved -- and most often exploited. (Jan. 9, 2009)

China's 30 Years of Economic Overdrive: Thirty years ago, China set in motion economic reforms that have transformed it into one of the most powerful countries on the planet today. The country may be officially “communist,” but it knows how to play the capitalist game—well. (Dec. 12, 2008)

Mayhem in Mumbai: Drifting in on inflatable boats, 10 young men brought India’s largest city to its knees in a 60-hour siege last month. But, Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, has been quick to get back on its feet and resume business as usual. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Gaza's (Literal) Underground Economy: Since Hamas gained control of Gaza in June 2007, Israel has blockaded the flow of goods into and out of the territory. But when trade is closed aboveground, the economy simply moves underground, in more ways than one. (Nov. 19, 2008)

Cholera in a Time of War: With its bounty of natural resources, it could have been one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Instead, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been plundered and wracked with fighting. And if one rebel leader has his way, the government will be overthrown in this latest outbreak of violence. (Nov. 13, 2008)

For China's Polluting Factories, a Change of Address: Breakneck economic development has turned China into one of the most polluted places on Earth, and the country’s ceramics industry is hardly blame free. In the ceramics capital of Foshan, entire factories that produce everything from glazed sculptures to porcelain tiles have been relocated in an effort to clear the air. (Nov. 5, 2008)

Making Peace, One Trinket at a Time: This autumn, an ancient trade route that crosses the disputed Kashmiri border between India and Pakistan opened for the first time in 61 years. For Kashmir’s famed artisans, at least, it’s a rare sign of hope. (Oct. 31, 2008)

The Baby Bazaar: In FP's November/December issue, E.J. Graff investigates "The Lie We Love" -- an international adoption system plagued with misrepresentations, corruption, and emotion. Follow adoption through several continents and countless families and lives in this accompanying online photo essay. (Oct. 28, 2008)

Cairo's Trash Collectors Down in the Dumps: Cairo’s zabaleen form the backbone of the city’s garbage disposal system. Largely scorned by Egyptian society, the trash scavengers recently lost one woman who had worked tirelessly for their well-being—Sister Emmanuelle, a Belgium-born nun who died Oct. 20 at age 99. (Oct. 22, 2008)

Christians Under Attack in Iraq: Comprising one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, followers of Jesus have lived in Iraq for nearly 2,000 years. But with thousands of families fleeing on a biblical scale since the 2003 U.S. invasion, Iraqi Christians face an uncertain future. (Oct. 16, 2008)