A primer on government funds charged with investing currency reserves for profit.

Amid sluggish growth and high unemployment, the economy has emerged as the central issue of the 2012 presidential campaign, as the candidates debate the role of government in jumpstarting the economy…

U.S.-Vatican relations remain uneven following Joseph Ratzinger’s accession as Pope Benedict XVI, particularly as the Obama administration pursues a more liberal social agenda.

With U.S. economic recovery still slow, trade policy looms as a factor in the congressional midterm races. This Backgrounder explores the consequences for trade based on the outcome of the Democratic…

Experts say Islamic law, or sharia, holds wide appeal for Muslim populations in many countries and is beginning to spread via democratic means, but it is also being used as a tool of Islamic militanc…