In the first three months after the December 2012 incident, foreign female tourist arrivals dropped in India by 35 percent. It hasn't helped that since then, there have been a spate of sexual assault cases involving attacks on Western female tourists, including women from theUnited States, Switzerland, Denmark and Britain. Recently, Great Britain joined a long list of countries to issue travel advisories cautioning their citizens about visiting India.

China's foreign ministry has condemned the behaviour of some Chinese citizens in Africa following its ambassador to Tanzania giving an uncommonly frank newspaper interview in which he decried the "bad habits" of his compatriots. In the interview, Lu Xinsheng said Chinese businessmen smuggle ivory and rhino horns out of the country and flood local markets with counterfeit goods while contractors constantly try to undercut each other, resulting in shoddy infrastructure projects. 

Social cohesion and economic transformation are at the heart of the Arts and Culture Ministry. Briefing media ahead of his Budget Vote Speech on Thursday, Minister Nathi Mthethwa briefly outlined the role of arts, culture and heritage in the economic and social transformation of the country. He said his speech will be rooted in the National Development Plan (NDP), particularly on issues of economic and social transformation.

For months, the United States and the West have been searching for a way to drive a wedge between the Ukrainian separatist rebels and Russia. Even as recently as this week, the main effort has been the use of economic sanctions, which have had little effect. Russia's behavior is vulnerable to pressure, particularly as a result of the tragic downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The politics of embarrassment, not economic sanctions, are the best avenue to achieve our most important goal in Ukraine, a state free from Russian domination.

It seems an impossible mission to achieve economic, social and cultural growth in a country bled dry by drug trafficking guerrillas such as FARC operating in the most productive regions and retaining violent influence in the main cities. But Colombia has been making it happen.

Israelis are the world's second biggest fans of America, with their 84 percent favorable opinion trailing only that of the Filipinos, with 92 percent. When ethnicity is taken into account, Israeli Jews are neck-to-neck with the Filipinos, with a 91 percent favorable opinion. Only 46 percent of Israeli Arabs are favorable to America, however. 

Voters, journalists and just about everyone paying some attention to politics all tend to over-estimate the power of the president. When Barack Obama swept into office in 2008, Americans were dazzled by his promises of change at home and a more judicious mix of strength and humility abroad. Indeed, it was hoped the president would rescue America’s image after eight years of George Bush's brand of ham-fisted, cowboy-booted diplomacy. 

After a month of football in a country where the sport is regarded a religion, we look at how the World Cup has affected the volatile political situation in Brazil and what will happen now that the tournament has come to an end.