A Japanese contemporary art exhibition themed ‘Yayoi Kusama- Obsessions’ will be held at the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Hanoi from May 25-July 28 to mark Japan-Vietnam Friendship Year 2013.

As Barack Obama gave a speech defending the US use of drone attacks abroad, Pakistanis talked back on Twitter. On Thursday, the US president addressed criticism of his administration's use of drones in counterterrorism policy and proposed new policy guidelines for strikes.

The trip should consolidate U.S. partnerships not just with these three nations, but send a message that a new form of engagement with the United States is now possible. The days of U.S. hegemony in the Western Hemisphere are over, and a president and vice president no longer travel with a packet of aid.

The Arab Spring was not about creating utopia, nor indeed quick-fix solutions to anything in particular. It was about articulating the massive problems holding the Arab world back, and putting them out to a global audience.

As Obama pointed out in his speech, drones do an incredibly effective job of killing America's adversaries, do not violate the laws of war, and -- a fact he didn't adduce -- enjoy the overwhelming support of the American people. Obama was reacting to public opinion -- but less in the United States than in Pakistan or Yemen. And the fact that this is so tells us a great deal about the changing face or war, and of statecraft.

The government is at fault for its own negative image in the international press because of its policies in the West Bank, former prime minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday. “I think it is inarguable that Israel’s main problem isn’t public diplomacy; it’s first of all a policy problem,” Olmert said. “We won’t be able to convince the world we’re right unless our reality changes.”

"Soccer is one of the passion points for the Caribbean and Hispanic community and the launch of Phoenix Stadium is the perfect centerpiece for Diasporta. When complete, the project will increase access to play and education for Haitian youth, and be a great example of solidarity in the Americas," says Stephen Keppel , Director of Empowerment Initiatives, Univision Network News.

Both parties like to insist that “soft power” matters, that the “war of ideas” is still a critical element in American statecraft, and that “getting the truth out” is important for the success of defending freedom around the world. But if the continuing dysfunctionalism of the BBG is any indication, that can hardly be the case.