As expected, most Australian foreign policy specialists agreed with one another that the Australia-U.S. strategic alliance remains a strong one. In fact, they pointed to signs that the partnership has only intensified in recent years, citing the particularly close relations between our countries’ political and military elites as evidence. However, these experts displayed clear demographic divides in how they view the alliance.

Not just development, but protecting those who are most disadvantaged among the poor. Australia announced on Monday that it will be the first country to appoint a new Ambassador for Disability-Inclusive Development, as part of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and International Development Minister Melissa Parke’s efforts to boost efforts for “people with disability in developing countries to have access to the same opportunities as others and an equal say in the decisions that affect their communities.”

The Australian High Commission has given support to Bran Nue Dae, a musical comedy to feature in the Inaugural Accra International Film Festival to share the values of forgiveness and reconciliation with its Ghanaian counterparts. A statement signed by Mr Walter Kudzodzi, Public Affairs Officer at the High Commission, copied to Ghana News Agency on Friday, said: “Bran Nue Dae is a coming-of-age musical comedy that celebrates family, forgiveness and reconciliation, set against the spectacularly beautiful Australian landscape”.

The overall measure of Australians' "warmth" towards China is captured in the Lowy Institute's "thermometer," a gauge measuring how positively people feel towards a range of countries. Last year China was ranked eighth with a warmth of 59 degrees out of a possible 100, just under Malaysia and just above India.

Former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans has lamented the quality of political leadership and warned recent sexist incidents had tarnished the nation's international reputation. In an address discussing the concept of "soft power", Mr Evans said image was important for middle powers such as Australia in conducting international diplomacy and maximising leverage.

It is arguable that foreign aid and to a larger extent development policy, which includes not only Official Development Assistance but also people-to-people links, migration policy, trade policy and peacekeeping is a core part of our regional identity and a core component of our “soft power” in the Asian Century.

The two Narromine residents are part of a 28-person exchange program to all parts of New Zealand. This is a cultural exchange program that has been running for 24 years and the program has been used by several Narromine students during this period. Local Rotarian and mentor for the students, Geoff Smith, said the students would attend school as part of their exchange and they would be exposed to several experiences only available in New Zealand.

The 30 universities would enter student exchange partnerships with overseas colleges, and would conduct more than half of their lectures in English. The government would support another 100 universities to develop “special education programs for practical English”, the newspaper reported.