Although 10 days have passed since the sudden involvement of Jordan in the air raids against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, public opinion remains perplexed and absent from the goals and justifications of the international campaign. Most Jordanians are still wondering whether their kingdom is effectively fighting in the war or not.

Opinion polls conducted by the Israeli foreign ministry in France, Germany and Britain indicate that residents of these countries hold Israel and Hamas responsible in equal measure for the death toll in Operation Protective Edge, the Israeli website Ynet reported.

Beijing received more than 540,000 tourists in 26 major scenic areas on Wednesday, also the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, up 33 percent year on year, local authorities announced on Thursday.

French actress Julie Gayet, whose affair with President Francois Hollande made headlines worldwide, opened the Beirut International Film Festival on Wednesday and criticised “fundamentalism” in neighbouring Syria.

On the surface, the turmoil in Hong Kong is caused by Beijing’s decision regarding general elections. In reality, the deep sources of the conflict are not so different from the recent large-scale outbreaks of social tensions in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan.

After surging during a 50-day war with Israel, Hamas' popularity among Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank has fallen back and is now nearly even with support for the more moderate Fatah party, a new poll shows. 

Peking University has formed a research center dedicated to national "soft power," aiming to help the government spread Chinese culture and values abroad.  "Cultural soft power is beginning to offer strong support for the rise of China. The country must enhance its cultural strength in order to dominate the global contest for soft power."

As the Executive leader of a country, it is the leader’s responsibility to keep a nation’s brand strong. As spokesperson for the nation brand, a leader must also ensure that brand perceptions align with brand performance. President Uhuru Kenyatta has done so with grace. He is telling Kenya’s story across the nation, within the region and on the global platform.