One by one they came to the microphones, some gingerly, some with great gusto, each with a remarkable story to share. The speakers were members of the Asia Society's Asia 21 young leaders program — rising stars from more than 20 nations, representing a kaleidoscope of professional backgrounds.

There is no shortage of social activity in government, but a new report finds that agencies are becoming increasingly familiar with the benefits of social platforms and discovering uses that further their missions.

The Turkish Red Crescent Society is set to send 625 tons of flour to Syria as part of "Bread&Blanket for Syria," an international campaign aimed at extending humanitarian aid to Syrians forced to leave their homes due to the nearly two-year-old civil war, Turkey's Office of Public Diplomacy said Wednesday.

Transparency in government took a huge step forward on January 3. On that day, President Obama signed into law the Smith–Mundt Modernization Act as an amendment to the 2013 Defense Authorization Bill.

Masterpieces by Rembrandt, Poussin and Velazquez are among a collection of over 40 works from the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg which will travel to Britain for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition at one of this country’s finest historic houses, Houghton in Norfolk.

A Korean wave is sweeping the world. The secretary-general of the United Nations is Korean, the head of the World Bank is a Korean-American. “Gangnam Style,” a song by the Korean rapper Psy, has become the most watched video on YouTube.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that promoting relations with Russia is a priority for Chinese diplomacy as he met with a Russian delegation in Beijing.
Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev that China will continue to push forward a bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Twitter footprint improved in 2012, but it still lags behind other leaders in the region. According to a report released last month by the Digital Policy Council (DPC) that ranked all 123 heads of state with Twitter accounts, Netanyahu jumped three places, from #31 to #28.