When the argument is made about global power shifting from West to East, it is primarily based on Asia's remarkable economic rise, although China's steady build-up of military and naval capability is also regularly cited. But a new authoritative study suggests that it is not just in hard but also soft power where Asia is fast making gains.

The state's Turkish International Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has launched a rural development program for one of Namibia’s most important ethnic groups, the San people, an official statement said Saturday. The San, also known as the Basarwa or Khwe, have deep roots in Namibia going back some 20,000 years.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in May 2014. [...] His political mandate to foster economic growth has become a tool to reach out to the international community and, simultaneously, to reshape India’s image. His interactions with political leaders from other countries have generally increased global interest in India and gained favourable comment in the foreign press.

India and South Korea on Saturday launched a platform to promote and facilitate investments from the East Asian country.The platform 'Korea Plus' was launched by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her South Korean counterpart Joo Hyunghwan. "It is a special initiative to promote and facilitate Korean Investments in India," the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement.

A group of Chinese delegates are getting a taste of southern Alberta hospitality as they strengthen community ties with Lethbridge. The five-member delegation, accompanied by an interpreter and guide, arrived on Thursday from Anyang City, China, for a two-day visit to foster closer educational, cultural and economic relationships with the city. The delegates include high-ranking municipal and government officials as well as leaders of educational institutions.

To those who study nation branding, this entrepreneurial bent is a strong part of America’s brand, or the image it projects to the world. Peter Hirshberg, CEO of The Re:Imagine Group and a former Apple executive, notes that the U.S. offers an “opportunity promise” to people around the globe, a promise that includes “a deep streak of individual liberty.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has become a leader nobody in the West is eager to host, has decided to steer toward countries with leaders he thinks might understand him: Uganda, Kenya and Somalia. [...] It's become a tradition for Erdogan to begin his foreign travels with much fanfare and overdone public relations campaigns.

The tourist market is getting broader, changing and becoming more competitive. Understandably, nations and cities are constantly battling for their share of the huge tourism revenues to sustain the viability of attractions that bring in tourists and travelers – whether they are pristine beaches, ancient monuments, or natural wonders. To attract more tourists, destinations strive to outdo one another in trying to be different through destination branding.