Japan is set to build India's first bullet train, with Tokyo financing the project through an $8 billion loan to New Delhi [...] [The Nikkei said] that the two countries will issue a joint statement about the deal on Saturday during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to India [...]The report comes after Japan failed to win a high-speed train deal in Indonesia earlier this year, losing out to a Chinese proposal.

In most other countries, you might be forgiven for wondering what possible link there might be between an archaeological discovery and the national economy […] In Egypt, however, archaeology and tourism are intimately connected [...] the economy is maintained by the pharaoh's gold standard. Egypt has two great tourism assets: its hundreds of miles of Red Sea beaches and the great monuments from its long history.

China’s top negotiator at the UN summit on climate change practically gushed as he described his country’s relationship with California […] And with a slew of agreements with foreign leaders, Gov. Brown has turned California’s Air Resources Board and Environmental Protection Agency into de facto diplomatic organizations […] “California basically has a foreign policy,” said David Victor, a UC San Diego professor.

Also referred to as “selfie diplomacy,” nation branding through social media is viewed by foreign ministries as a cost-effective means of reaching millions of potential customers. Israel’s Foreign Ministry also continuously uses online platforms to improve Israel’s global image, one often associated with the violation of human rights and ongoing military conflicts.

“Open a Door to Israel” is an exhibit made up of nine giant screens, shaped as doors, which visitors open to learn about different aspects of Israel, including the country’s heritage, music scene, family life, education system and innovation. Audiences are then invited to watch a multimedia show, synchronized with robotic screening technology, which focuses on Israeli creativity.

The sad truth is that a significant number of global philanthropic foundations have investments in the fossil fuel industry, including those where donations to environmental causes and climate change is a significant part of their portfolio… As we move from the UN's Sustainable Development Goals...to the Climate Change Summit in Paris...the deep contradictions in global philanthropy must be acknowledged.

The movie was The Martian, and it had everything we should be promoting: It showed Americans as smart, resourceful, and innovative. It showed us as independent thinkers, but also as selfless team members who worked together when needed... And it showed America as a culturally diverse nation where people with talent could succeed, regardless of their race or religion.

The militaries of many nations harness mass media and pop culture for promotional purposes… Japan is no different. But what makes their military unusual is that the image being projected isn’t one of might or machismo but of cuteness…this kawaii (cute) imagery is...a testament to the deep ambivalence the Japanese retain about both the history and the changing role of their armed forces.