It must have seemed like a good idea at the time: greet visitors to the New Zealand capital with a giant white "Wellywood" sign celebrating the country's booming film industry. The fact it was a rip-off of the famous "Hollywood" sign has infuriated residents, who have denounced it as lame and tacky.

Those keen to pinpoint how an essential relationship differs from a special one will be tracking Michelle Obama's wardrobe choices. The First Lady has proved herself to have a talent for projecting a style which illustrates the Obama political message, while showcasing her own personality.

President Obama landed in London on Monday night for a state visit at a time when Britain faces a reckoning over whether it can afford the global reach its allies in Washington have come to expect - an influence bought in large part through its strategic and military alliance with the United States.

President Barack Obama paid a joyful visit Monday to the small Irish village where his great-great-great grandfather once lived and worked as a shoemaker, endearing himself to the Irish populace, and in turn perhaps to millions of Irish-American voters in the United States.

Despite Germany's economic clout, Berlin has failed to place German officials in top jobs at the EU and key organizations such as the IMF. The country's global influence is suffering as a result. A dearth of suitable candidates, domestic politics and Angela Merkel are to blame.

Volkswagen AG (VOW) and the Museum of Modern Art announced a two-year, multimillion-dollar sponsorship in New York today. The collaboration with MoMA is part of the German automaker’s expansion in the U.S. and its push to become the world’s leading carmaker.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak went to Japan's disaster-struck region to express their sympathy to residents and to kick off a new period of cooperation in a region beset with both long-playing historical grievances and recent geopolitical squabbling.

Soft power of soap operas Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi... and a hospital and a road would supposedly transform the country into an Indian state–never mind the fact that Bharat does not have a contiguous border with Afghanistan and never mind the fact that the Afghans (with or without the Taliban) are ferociously Anti-Indian and vociferously Anti-Hindu...