As Indian athletes get ready to compete in Incheon today few remember how the modern Asian Games themselves were virtually invented by India, how central these Games were for the hopes, aspirations and ideals of Nehruvian India and the role they played in soft power diplomacy in the early years after independence.

While Turkey and Japan celebrate the 90th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, a joint symposium will be held, hosted by three institutions: the Embassy of Japan, Center for Strategic Research (SAM) and Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM). The joint symposium, "Japan and Turkey - Where did we come from? Where are we going?" will be held on Sept. 22 and Sept. 23 at the Ankara Hilton Hotel...

For the next two weeks, organizers of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon are hoping the event will keep plenty of people in the port city, if not draw them from the capital. Incheon, about 25 kilometers west of Seoul and home to three million people, is ready to step out of the shadow of its giant neighbor and make a name for itself by hosting Asia’s biggest sporting event starting Friday.

Libya is in civil war, fundamentalist armies are building a self-declared caliphate across Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan's young democracy is on the verge of paralysis. To these troubles are added a resurgence of tensions with Russia and a relationship with China divided between pledges of cooperation and public recrimination. The concept of order that has underpinned the modern era is in crisis.

A couple of weeks ago you may remember I brought to you the story of 20 international delegates from countries in Asia, Africa and South America who were visiting Central Queensland to see how we manage the social and environmental impact of mining.