Including the Goa stretch of Sahyadris in the world's natural heritage list will not pull the brakes on any development activity, but place the region on par with other unique sites across the world, say experts.

What will the world look like about two decades from now? In December, the United States National Intelligence Council published its guess: Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds...US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has referred to the Obama administration's foreign policy as being based on "smart power", and argued that we should not talk about "multipolarity", but about "multi-partnerships". Likewise, the NIC report suggests that Americans must learn better how to exercise power with as well as over other states.

As part of their growing competition for influence in Asia, China and India are using the Buddha as weapon: sponsoring conferences, financing religious sites, and displaying relics in countries where the religion is widely adhered to.

Charles Rivkin will be remembered for his attention to neighborhoods traditionally ignored by high-level public officials...The 21st century has seen a shift, with stepped up outreach into minority — especially Muslim — communities. In France, where the policy is carried out by the cinematic Ambassador Rivkin, it has been very well-received in the immigrant suburbs.

I’ll be meeting 12 Burmese basketball players in their teens – six girls, six boys. They’re here because we invited them to visit Washington to see a Washington Wizards game. After that, they’ll go down to Charlotte where they’ll meet with Bobcats General Manager Richard Cho, who happens to be a Burmese American. He’ll invite them to his home and take them to a Bobcats game.

Although China's public diplomacy efforts have run into obstacles over the years, great progress has still been made, international students and Chinese experts said at a recent roundtable in Beijing. Nine University of Southern California (USC) students majoring in public diplomacy also participated in this meeting.

The passage of the Smith-Mundt Modernization act as part of the NDAA removes the restriction on the State Department and Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) banning the broadcast or distribution of materials produced for overseas consumption inside the US.

Numerous pan-Arab rivals sprouted to grab a viewing share with a copycat mix of flashy graphics, daring reportage and sizzling debate. And global media firms such as Bloomberg, News Corporation and CNN have pushed into the Arab market.