U.S. News and World Report’s 2017 “Best Countries Ranking” was released earlier this month and it hit the United States in the gut. The survey of 21,362 people from 36 countries across the globe ranks the world’s largest countries on a set of 65 attributes ranging from “most business friendly” to “best to visit” to “richest traditions.” America slipped from #4 in the previous ranking to #7 in the current report.

Almilaji had more hope of getting back to his wife. But he understands his new reality as a Syrian trying to study in the United States: “I have to accept being lost between orders and anti-orders.” Suddenly, Canada is looking like a really good option. “Canada is having a moment,” Ted Sargent, vice president-international at the University of Toronto, said last month. “It is a time of opportunity.”

Every year, thousands of tourist flock the region to experience the auspicious Holi and much more reaches there just to embrace austerity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha has chosen Varanasi -- India's spiritual capital to represent the country on the international diplomacy map. The VIP city will play host to G20 financial and economic policy mandarins who will brainstorm on the state of the global economy next week. 

Set for March 25, the game – Kosovo against Iceland – is part of the first round of qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. But it is much more than a simple football match. Sports diplomacy has been the most successful strategy implemented by Kosovo to garner international recognition. It’s been nine years since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, after Kosovo Albanians sought independence during the Yugoslavian wars. 

Thailand got known as a destination, for people with light wallets, raging hormones, or both. It got saddled with being the perpetual bachelor party destination in spite of having a lot to offer in terms of the natural beauty, adventure sports, food and local culture. And now Thailand wants to reboot that perception even as it reaches out to a newer, younger and richer set of travellers. 

In the digital era branding is a form of story telling, where the customers and stakeholders interact and engage with the process actively, experts said yesterday. As recently as three years ago, people used few tools for digital branding and marketing at a daylong seminar styled Branding in Digital Age. Bangladesh Brand Forum organised the seminar [...] The event aimed at inspiring management, brand managers and digital marketing departments to be a part of the digital transition.

Canada is having a rare moment on Broadway — “Come From Away,” a musical written by a married Canadian couple, set in Newfoundland and celebrating Canadian decency, has just opened at the Schoenfeld Theater. The show was already drawing an unusually high number of Canadian ticket-buyers, even before this week, when it hit the apotheosis of Canadianness: The country’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, attended with a group of 600 allies and diplomats.