From former President George Bush's Freedom Strategy to President Barack Obama's Islamic policy, Washington has pursued a dual approach in the turbulent Mideast: supporting military-based alliances with authoritarian regimes; while urging popular agitation for free and fair elections.

It is not often that an academic concept gains rapid traction in public sphere. After Joseph Nye published a slim volume on “soft power” a few years ago, the idea became the rage in foreign offices and think tanks around the world.

As Arab regimes struggle with demonstrations fueled by Twitter and Al Jazeera, and U.S. diplomats try to understand the impact of WikiLeaks, it is clear that this global information age will require a more sophisticated understanding of how power works in world politics.

China honored its Lunar New Year on February 3, welcoming the Year of the Rabbit...Although traditionally a Chinese holiday, the Lunar New Year is observed all over the world . We wanted to see what it looked like, so we teamed up with Flickr.

In Egypt - as well as Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen and elsewhere - change is unfolding very rapidly. The reactions of the USA, EU, UN, and have positioned the international community well behind the curve. Developments on the ground have outpaced responses by a wide margin.

This is one of those rare, defining moments in world history. In Egypt - as well as Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen and elsewhere - change is unfolding at almost blinding speed. The reactions of the USA, EU, and UN so far have succeeded mainly in positioning the international community well behind the curve, scrambling to catch up. Developments on the ground continue to outpace responses by a wide margin.

New Delhi has pledged $1.3 billion in reconstruction aid to the violence-racked nation since 2001, making it Afghanistan's fifth-largest donor. It has built roads and hospitals, maintained a generous visa policy and educated many of the country's top leaders, including Karzai, who was scheduled to arrive Wednesday for a two-day visit.

On the other hand, however, a number of countries — such as China, India and other emerging powers — have been expanding their influence through fast development in terms of global issues and diplomatic approaches. It is a new era, where every nation is engaged in tough competition with others in respect to their own national interests.