Since his election in October 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been focusing on the re-branding of Canadian soft power and has concentrated on returning to the “international mediator” position it had held at the end of the 20th century. The strides he has made towards this has been reflected in his shuttle diplomacy with governments and organizations across the world.

The administration further relaxed economic restrictions on Cuba Friday, allowing more collaboration on medical research, the approval of Cuban drugs for import and the lifting of monetary limits on cigars and rum imports.The moves make the U.S. openings to Cuba "irreversible," President Barack Obama said in a statement.

There’s never been a US presidential candidate better known to China’s 1.3 billion people than Hillary Clinton. Thanks to more than two decades of high-profile engagement with the country, as first lady, US senator, secretary of state and two-time presidential candidate, Clinton is also a controversial figure in China, with that familiarity generating occasional gusts of contempt.

China and Djibouti have had diplomatic relations since January 8, 1979, but China’s footprint in the small country has only become ubiquitous over the last few years. Since 2012-2013, Beijing has firmly taken roots in Djibouti through numerous multibillion infrastructure projects [...] Beijing gives utmost importance to its relations with Djibouti.

This fall has been marked by numerous “jubilees”: 25th anniversary of restored Baltic States’ independence, re-opening of Nordic-Baltic diplomatic relations and flourishing of public diplomacy. The three Baltic States’ ambassadors in Denmark shared their views with the BC’s international editor on the countries’ present and further steps in streamlining mutual relations.

An inaugural University Dialogue on Nation Branding will be held by Brand South Africa at the University of Pretoria on Wednesday 5 October 2016 from 8am-8pm. It will assess the theoretical discourse around the discipline of nation branding in order to enable South Africa to evaluate how the current efforts to build a cohesive nation brand can be strengthened. 

The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek says that a U.S. delegation comprised of rodeo cowboys, Native American dancers, Peace Corps Volunteers, and an American Indian carpet weaver will participate in the Second World Nomad Games on September 3-8 in Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyzstan.

On 18 August 2016, The ASEAN Committee in Oslo, ACO, jointly organized the event “ASEAN Cultural Night 2016” at Gamle Logan, Oslo. The purpose of the event was to promote and raise awareness about the ASEAN Community as well as each member country to those invited guests representing various sectors in Norway as well as diplomatic corps.