The economic cost that Israel is paying for the current wave of terror can be seen in how the malls have emptied out [...] In an interview with Al-Monitor, [Shraga Brosh] calls on the government to include business people in the country’s official public diplomacy campaign overseas, claiming that this tactic already proved itself during the first and second intifadas.

The thesis of a campaign and accompanying report launched this week by 12 international corporations, including Google, American Express, IBM, and LinkedIn […] the “Open for Business” campaign takes a global approach to LGBT rights, arguing that the nearly 80 countries that criminalize, marginalize, or persecute LGBT individuals do so at their economic peril.

The State Department says it’s losing the information war to ISIS—and is tapping HBO, Snapchat, and a screenwriter with deep CIA connections to help turn things around.

With his feel-good tours of Boeing, Microsoft and a local high school complete, Chinese President Xi Jinping departs Washington state Thursday for the other Washington, where tougher discussions on cybersecurity, intellectual property protections and human rights await.

China has been making major efforts to increase its ability to influence other countries without force or coercion. [...] China has emphasized its cultural and economic strengths, but it has paid less attention to the political aspects that can undermine its efforts.

The defence secretary has defended the government’s military strategy and spending, saying that “no country in Europe is playing such a strong global role”. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph he said the UK was “in it for the long term” when it came to Nato and deterring Russia, also hailing British operations against Islamic State (Isis) and humanitarian missions. [...] In his Telegraph article, Fallon highlighted the role of soft power in tackling the causes of instability, while also highlighting areas of military spending, including aircraft carriers and submarines.