Whether to attend the British royal wedding or the beatification of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican? That's one decision the EU's top brass won’t have to make this weekend since the British royal family has simply snubbed all EU politicians when it comes to invitations to the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Day to day we each have our routines and along the way are bombarded by images, messages, and endless information. But what breaks through the information overload and influences us? What captures our attention, our imagination and ultimately lodges itself in our memory?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately on what influences us. Day to day we each have our routines and along the way are bombarded by images, messages, and endless information. But what breaks through the information overload and influences us? What captures our attention, our imagination and ultimately lodges itself in our memory? Maybe I’m paying closer attention to the details of everyday more acutely after reading Joe Nye’s latest book The Future of Power.

Since Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor) gained independence in 2002, the small territory has witnessed an intense competition between the US and China. While Timor-Leste has not been considered as strategically important for either country, both see their presence in the territory as a barometer for their global competition.

Thanking trade counselors for their devoted efforts that have contributed to the growing of the Turkish economy, Erdoğan said these efforts were helping Turkey emerge as a soft power. “Soft power is now ahead of hard power. A country’s influence is no longer measured with its military power but with its economic and diplomatic power.”

India's strength does not lie with its nuclear weapons or its missiles or the size of its armed forces. India real strength lies with the IT, its culture, its civilization and its vibrant democracy. Today, India's soft power is everywhere, in every nook and corner of the world and you see India through its dance, through its music, though its food...

Unique Japan opens a window to rare Japanese cultures, suggesting understanding of Chinese culture is limited there, since, while the classical culture is well-preserved by the Japanese, they tend to know little about modern Chinese culture.