On November 8, Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and President of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), delivered his last major speech to the 18th Party Congress in Beijing.

Over the weekend in Doha, Syrian opposition figures reached an agreement to form a group called the National Coalition for Revolutionary Forces and the Syrian Opposition, amid calls from the United States and European and Gulf countries for a show of greater unity. This is another example of American soft power influence in the region.

Blogs are gradually emerging as mainstream media in India... Niche blogs in the space of culture, technology, and hobbies wield significant clout. ‘Category blogging,’ as I may call it, actually presents an additional engagement opportunity for state-sponsored public diplomacy initiatives.

Foreign journalists covering China's party congress were surprised by the fact that one of their number was called to ask a question. That rarely, if ever, happens. Example: "Please tell us, what policies and plans the Chinese government will be implementing in cooperation with Australia?" Behind this soft question, it emerged, was an example of Chinese soft power.

Valentino’s ateliers in the Eternal City could not be in greater contrast to groups of Kenyan women in an improvised workroom, creating traditional embroidery patterns inherited from Masai ancestors or the intricate crochet work handed down the female tribal chain. But these African women have been organized to create luxury products from designers such as Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood.

With Europe in the midst of an economic crisis, reconsidering its very identity, is there still room for cultural exchange? The ECB's Culture Days bring a bit of color to what seems at times like a bleak political table.