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Following China’s lead, a handful of countries are hoping to dazzle the world by hosting major international sporting events in the next few years. But this is a colossal mistake: Big games are far more likely to highlight an emerging power’s weaknesses than showcase its strengths.

Batman had Robin. Bush has Cheney. And now, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin might inherit a powerful White House role. In this List, FP looks at five other influential sidekicks who are shaping the world.

Iran vs. the United States. Ethiopia vs. Eritrea. Russia vs. Georgia. Here’s a look at how some of the world’s fiercest national rivalries have played out at the Beijing Olympics.

He is one of the world’s foremost scholars of Islam and the Middle East. Bernard Lewis shares his thoughts on Iraq, “Islamofascism,” the roots of terrorism, and the two biggest misperceptions about the Muslim faith.

Whether the next president is named McCain or Obama, he must make clear to Iraqi leaders that the era of unconditional support is over—or risk seeing the recent security gains evaporate faster than a snowflake in a Baghdad summer.

China may yet succeed in building a kinder, gentler autocracy, but its recent legal reforms fall far short of democratic ideals.

Historians and analysts will debate the causes of the recent fighting in the Caucasus for years. But one thing is already clear: It has been a tragic, costly week for Georgia and its people.

Eurasia Group expert Clifford Kupchan speaks to FP about the war in Georgia, Russian intentions in the Caucasus, oil markets, and what the West can do to pay Russia back.

Experts project the international market for medical travel to explode in the coming years as more Americans and others, fed up with high costs and long wait times, seek everything from knee and hip replacements to bypass surgeries. Here’s a look at the five countries best poised to ride the wave.

What might drive a committed Roman Catholic bishop to resign his office after almost 25 years and denounce his church? In the case of Geoffrey Robinson of Sydney, it was the church’s meltdown during the recent sexual abuse scandals. In the September/October issue of FOREIGN POLICY, John Allen says Robinson’s recent book about his ordeal “will keep an important conversation alive.” Now, Robinson discusses his journey from consummate insider to persona non grata.

Think you can tell fake medicines from the real ones? Test your anticounterfeiting skills with our interactive quiz.