Canada is making a bid to take a seat on the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term beginning in 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today. [...] Noting that Canada last had a seat at the UN Security Council in 2000, Trudeau said "it's time for Canada to step up once again."

So, our panda-hugging, Vogue-mugging, 60 Minutes-loving Prime Minister is heading to the White House State dinner, riding on polls so high he can see over top of Donald Trump’s ego. But the opposition keep asking, how much substance will come from all the style?

What do you think of when someone says, “Ireland”? Shamrocks, Guinness, Irish whiskey, castle ruins, and a rousing drinking song. Maybe you think of rain, craggy cliffs and crashing waves, and Riverdance. And, of course, there are the requisite leprechauns and pots o’ gold. One thing is for sure: everyone has a firm mental image of Ireland.

China has a new ally in its campaign to turn itself into a global cultural superpower: Matt Damon. And, behind him, a good chunk of Hollywood as well. Chinese leaders have long sought international cultural influence, aka "soft power," commensurate with the nation's economic might. 

The nation and the world are mourning the loss of former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who died Sunday in California at the age of 94. She will be remembered most as the backstage adviser and fierce protector of Ronald Reagan. [...] As first lady, she made an impact on the public wherever she went.

The wave of huge spending is China's latest step in its bid to become a global soccer power. With the backing of President Xi Jinping, an avowed soccer fan, and no shortage of investment money, the country has the political will and naked ambition to propel soccer into a starring role on the world stage.

While domestically it defines the debate between Apple and the FBI, we should not minimize its relevance, and consequently the outcome of the court battle, on American soft power. Sinologist David Shambaugh does a side-by-side comparison between the United States and China in his book China Goes Global: The Partial Power. 

It’s not an easy time to exude confidence if you’re Britain’s newly appointed ambassador to the United States. But as he sits on a plush couch beneath a towering portrait of Winston Churchill, Sir Kim Darroch, 61, makes a pretty good go at it.