It was -3 degrees in Munich over the weekend and, inside the 51st Security Conference, there was an unmistakable cold war chill.  For three days the Bayerischer Hof hotel was a security and diplomatic lockdown as western leaders clashed with Russian counterparts over the way into – and out of – the Ukraine crisis. Delegates arrived in glum agreement over the risks posed by the conflict, and departed after heated disagreements over whether military might or diplomatic skill could save the day.

A well-balanced foreign policy is needed for Thailand in light of competition between major powers, mainly the United States and China, to increase their influence over Southeast Asia, said prominent scholars in international relations.

Echoing President Xi Jinping's call for a new type of Chinese think tank, the general offices of the party Central Committee and the State Council recently announced a plan to develop 50 to 100 "high-end" ones by 2020, which, they said, would compete with America in spreading soft power abroad and help refine policies at home.

The government is trying to get yoga recognized throughout the world as India's cultural property. Since his election last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist and devout yoga practitioner, has persuaded the U.N. to announce an International Day of Yoga and has even appointed a minister of yoga in his cabinet. 

The administration may not be doing her any favors in embracing a national security approach ... that de-emphasizes America's military role, encourages the use of the tools of "soft power," such as diplomacy and social media, and plays up coalition-building over going it alone.

Three major countries that have been a thorn in the side of the United States are going to see diminishing influence over the coming years because of declining oil prices.