KP Oli should realise by now that flirting with Chinese oil diplomacy is not in Nepal’s long term interest either. Our public diplomacy has been even more disastrous. Instead of asking the Indians to #Backoff or cribbing against #IndiablockadesNepal, had the media and civil society collectively pressured government to reach out to the dissenting groups while opening diplomatic channels with New Delhi things would not have deteriorated to this extent.

Have you heard the one about the American ambassador with his own reality show? While we here stateside don’t know much about our diplomat in Denmark, Rufus Gifford, most Danes are on a first-name basis with the affable 41-year-old with leading-man looks, thanks to Jeg er ambassadøren fra Amerika—or The American Ambassador. 

Muslim leaders the world over are condemning the horrific terror attacks that struck Paris Friday night, expressing outrage and shock at an onslaught of shootings and bombings that left at least 120 dead and hundreds wounded. Muslim imams, scholars, commentators, and average Muslims expressed grief and horror using social media. 

When it comes to public diplomacy, China might be better off loosening up and developing a sense of humor about itself. Gone are the days of Hu Jintao’s “smile diplomacy,” which aimed to convince the world that it had nothing to fear from a rising China. 

They are part of Myanmar’s My Friend campaign, started by human rights activists this summer. The organizers want people to post selfies of themselves with friends from different religious or ethnic backgrounds, using the hashtag #myfriend of #friendshiphasnoboundaries.

Jean-Claude Bader brings showbiz sparkle to regional elections in December, when the Front National hopes to capitalise on refugee crisis. He is the Gallic equivalent of an Elvis impersonator, a dead ringer for the ageing French rocker, Johnny Hallyday.

Today sees the close of the current ‘World’s Fair,’ in Milan, Italy. The six-month-long Expo Milano 2015 showcased tech innovation, especially from Italy, and while much will be written about the cost and legacy of the event, I’d like to argue that the host country made a clever use of this opportunity to show off its startups.