While western media coverage of North Korea's Kim Jong-un is rightly critical, a recent video uploaded to YouTube is making people question the treatment of our own unelected head of state. [...] While it does not exactly offer the perfect comparison in terms of the two regimes, it does arguably highlight an uncomfortable truth about idolisation.

Social media is changing "business as usual" for governments, opening up democratic processes, delivering services both to understand and surveil constituents, managing threats and conducting direct diplomacy. Even so, adoption of social media is slow and uneven, with vast differences both between and within states. As more and more governments move towards e-government, their use of social media will grow. 

The appearances of Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan in her tailored suits and gowns left Britain’s press swooning – describing her as “graceful”, “stunning”, “sophisticated”, “glamorous” and “chic” – during President Xi Jinping’s four-day state visit to the United Kingdom last week […] Peng’s carefully crafted image is a stark contrast to the wives of former Communist leaders.

More than 50 current presidents, prime ministers and monarchs were educated at UK universities, but Britain risks losing international influence if its punitive student visa policy shuts out future leaders, a think tank has said.