So, where does the power of the NDB lie? Precisely in its limited, yet politically powerful, BRICS membership. Its lessened economic power is compensated for by its vast soft power, merely by the fact of limiting its membership to the founding BRICS members.

Lebanon and Jordan now have the highest number of refugees worldwide. And with the humanitarian crisis continuing, a leading British think tank on foreign affairs suggests Britain should allow 10,000 Syrian refugees to settle in the UK to enhance Middle East relations — despite Britain's controversial role in its foreign and military interventions in the region.

For Australia, a key focus of its foreign policy should be how to balance its economic ties with China and its cultural ties with the United States; appeasing both without getting in the middle of an ugly tug-o-war that forces Canberra to take sides.

Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power last June, the country has finally tilted toward stability as the new leader focused on promoting both security and reconstruction. This favorable turn of events has opened up a host of possibilities for Egypt to regain its regional stature.

The run up to next year’s election promises to involve more than the usual amount of debate about how America should engage the world. These three candidates – Clinton, Paul and Rubio – represent a stark contrast on that question.

Colourful mechanised lions, the cogwheel logo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet Make in India initiative, welcomed him from every corner of this German town on Sunday and underscored the agenda he would push in a country known the world over for its engineering and economy.