The most ambitious attempt yet to reduce soil erosion, increase food security and adapt to climate change is expected to vastly increase the amount of food grown in one of the most drought- and famine-prone areas of the world. 

Real estate tycoon Pan Shiyi and his wife donated $10 million to Yale University on Wednesday, drawing harsh criticism from some commentators and netizens. Many have said: Why not donate to schools in China? (...) Pan's decision is a reflection of China's rising soft power thanks to the more than three decades of fast-paced economic growth.

The majority of great countries have embraced foreign aid as an instrument of “soft power” to achieve their political and economic aims.  Saudi Arabia is no exception to this trend. 

Russian “soft power” aimed at promoting the country’s image abroad is working and President Vladimir Putin is its key element, a report presented by the Center for Political Analysis at TASS on Friday says.

Welcoming international students used to be one of the key ways that Britain developed long-term, soft power relationships to aid trade and wield political influence. (...) A 2011 report by the Home Affairs Select Committee was highly critical of the government’s approach to welcoming international students and expressed concerns that more regulation of visas could have serious unintended consequences.

President Xi Jinping stressed increasing China's "soft power" by promoting exchanges with other cultures, he said in a written instruction to the China International Culture Exchange Center on Wednesday.

The Toronto District School Board’s vote to cancel plans for a Confucius Institute marks the latest setback for China’s language- and culture-based soft-power initiative.