Yes, Germans will grumble aboout being on the financial hook for their profligate cousins down south,...But Berlin will ensure that it happens. With great financial responsibility comes even greater power. Merkel now has the opportunity to recreate Europe in Germany's image.

Hosted by Brand South Africa and the Brand Leadership Academy and featuring several high-profile local and international speakers... "Africa is richer than you think, and it is certainly not a 'media dark' continent.."

But Europe is not speaking with one voice, despite appeals from the likes of Javier Solana, the former high representative for European Union foreign policy, who has called for unanimous European support for Palestinian membership.

The cultural days in Sydney had a wonderful resonate with the Australian people as it witnessed the presence of the masses and the elite intellectuals... interested in the heritage, cultural and intellectual aspects of Oman.

By asking for recognition at the U.N. while scrupulously avoiding violence, the Palestinians are, finally, pursuing an intelligent foreign policy that has the prospect of isolating their adversary and bringing international opinion on their side.

Critics may wonder how willing...Turkish leaders are to actually admit to the empire's "not so beautiful parts"... Still, it's noteworthy that the Turkish P.M. sees in the Ottoman past a...soft-power cachet, based presumably on the empire's extraordinary diversity and tolerance of many faiths...

Cosplay – in which participants dress up as fictional, typically sci-fi or manga characters – is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. It’s a potential source of soft power that Japanese policymakers should be keeping a better eye on.

Officials in Beijing are of the opinion that supporting the Palestinian cause is a "valuable public diplomacy tool" which will not only help China improve its standing amongst Muslims, but will, at a minimum, fend off any potential Arab criticism of Beijing's unsympathetic attitude towards Uighurs.