In a first of its kind, al-Shabaab militants took journalists to witness al-Qaida's battle for Somali hearts and minds. It was the first time the group had spoken publicly in Somalia and the first time it had distributed aid. With thousands of destitute people facing an uncertain future, the camps are fertile ground for recruitment by radicals.

...the outcome [Palestine's admittance to UNESCO] has obliged Washington, under U.S. law, to cut its $80 million annual financial contribution to Unesco, weakening an important vehicle of U.S. "soft power" influence through the projects supporting U.S. goals in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Monday's vote to admit Palestine as a full member of Unesco, the U.N. cultural arm, was a sharp reminder of just how limited Washington's influence -- hard, soft and smart -- has become in respect of the Middle East's most intractable conflict.

The success of India's first Formula One Grand Prix stands in striking contrast to last year's Commonwealth Games fiasco...the Buddh International Circuit won high praise from race-car drivers and international media alike...India's ability to attract such international praise exemplifies its growing soft power.

America's objections to the Palestinian move ring hollow across much of the world, and especially the strategically vital Middle East region. Its withholding of UN payments in response is nothing short of a combination of the absurd and the vindictive. As former Senator Tim Wirth has pointed out this will be sapping to America's soft power capacity.

Aid's limited impact on public opinion usually applies even when the aid is specifically focused on winning converts. Aid is likely to be a more effective foreign policy tool when it comes to persuading governments to do things that lack popular support. Creating that popular support in the first place is much harder.

Turkey’s public diplomacy has gained increasing prominence in the news over the past month, even in the weeks prior to the earthquake that hit Eastern Turkey. Changes in the political landscape have resulted in significant changes to Turkey’s international standing in the world. The theme that dominated news from Turkey’s Today’s Zaman throughout the month of October was this Muslim-majority nation with a secular democratic government and a vibrant Islamic culture.