For me, three long-term drivers of relationships between the peoples of the world are access to opportunity, access to information, and access to technology. And of course they are completely intertwined.

Taiwanese expatriates around major U.S. cities and in Paris celebrated Taiwan's Double Ten National Day in advance on Saturday, with events ranging from a procession of Harley-Davidson motorcycles to a fair held in New York.

Hip-hop music is becoming increasingly popular in Saudi Arabia with the rise of young artists who are mainly influenced by American hip-hop culture. To enhance mutual understanding through cultural exchange, the US Embassy held a workshop by two American hip-hop artists Edan and Paten at the US Consulate General here recently. Both have received international attention and critical acclaim.

For many decades a notable exporting powerhouse in manufacturing, South Korea has become a significant cultural exporter in recent years. ''K-Pop'' music enjoys enormous popularity in Asia, as do Korean television dramas. The latter have even found a foothold in places such as Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Eastern Europe.

Until recently, Beijing’s policy in Afghanistan could be characterized as masterful inactivity: It sat on the sidelines of a war that it wanted neither side to win. But the late September visit by security chief Zhou Yongkang, the first by a senior Chinese leader in almost five decades, is the most visible sign that the US 2014 withdrawal date is bringing that spectator status to an end.

The deportation back home of hundreds of Nigerian female pilgrims by the Saudi Arabian authorities is yet another blot on the country’s record of Islamic pilgrimages. That this happened amid official claims of adequate preparations further exposed an incompetent system and dented the morale of the Muslim faithful in the current pilgrimage, perhaps more than at any other time.

Brand new embassies, booming trade in agriculture, precious stones and information technology together with shadowy security deals: Israel is back in Africa. But this time tycoons and generals are leading the charge.

Ever since the 9/11 attacks, American Muslims have been subject to an intense campaign which has questioned their loyalty to the United States. Charges ranged from claiming that they have not been outspoken enough in their condemnation of terrorism to complicity, incitement, and even specious claims of active participation in anti-American activities.