Ties between India and Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus region, have been growing rapidly in recent years. The country has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with various institutions, including with IIT-M, Anna University and Ramachandra Medical College, to promote educational links with the country.

The French leader said that migrants were destabilizing Libya and Europe by fueling people-smuggling, which in turn funded terrorism. "The idea is to create hotspots to avoid people taking crazy risks when they are not all eligible for asylum. We'll go to them," he said on Thursday at a naturalization ceremony in the central city of Orléans.

It was the Spring and Autumn period’s diplomatic practice called “fushi yanzhi,” by which one used or quoted poems to express one's intention. Feudal lords of the period even hired officials whose job was to collect poetry to be used for diplomacy.

Fez, Morocco’s cultural and spiritual capital, may have lagged behind Marrakech when it comes to stylish riads and sophisticated restaurants, but a subtle transformation is under way along its medieval alleyways. Ancient buildings are being restored, designers are breathing new life into age-old crafts and chefs are opening exciting restaurants.

Taiwanese eats are a key part of the country's soft power in Asia, and this is never any truer than it is for South Koreans. Tourists from the country are easy to spot in every Carrefour, filling their baskets with local snacks. Chief among them are pineapple cakes, the buttery pastry filled with sweet pineapple-flavored jam that may or may not contain actual pineapple.