American journalist Douglas McGray's 2002 Foreign Policy essay "Gross National Cool" crystallized for many not only evidence that contemporary Japan had become hip and attractive, but also a nifty phrase to go with it. But that was eight years ago. And like most bits of journalistic shorthand, the phrase "cool Japan" is as convenient as it is vague...

The cross-border spending sprees are one of the most visible effects of a recent rapprochement between Turkey and Syria, part of Ankara's drive to strengthen ties with its eastern neighbours, using trade and cultural links to increase its "soft power" in the Middle East.

Since the fall of Communism, Czechs have been discovering the world through travel and the exploration of new ideas, including spiritual ones. One such exploration is taking the form of a budding Buddhist center, arising from an old farm in the Czech Republic’s southern countryside.

As part of the plan, DCI seeks to "create French influence" through academic and training courses, Rotrubin said. Instilling an appreciation of the language and culture, the company's leaders believe, will confer a competitive advantage for French products, and DCI hopes graduates might later draw up specifications that reflect the French training.

No matter where in the world you live or what sector you are involved in, you have to take into account China's rise. China continues to invest and buy things abroad in its drive to secure access to natural resources in places like Afghanistan and Australia and to exert power.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received Monday US Special Envoy on Science, Bruce Alberts, as Indonesia and the US are eyeing for enhanced cooperation in the field of science and technology.

It’s hard to tell whether Arizona’s reputation at home and abroad is going to be damaged more by enactment on April 23rd of the state’s draconian new immigration law or by the WE cable network’s new reality program “Sunset Days,” a sort of Geriatrics Gone Wild in a Phoenix-area retirement community.

Most of Asia suffered from hubris during the Asian miracle -- but not China. Expo 2010 in Shanghai might be a test of whether China can think outside of the West's intellectual box. It might be a showcase of the charisma of Chinese culture...