A new poll suggests a majority of Britons associate Islam with extremism and the repression of women, but one London-based Muslim organization has launched a public relations campaign to give the religion a new face.

From Bharatanatyam to Indian cooking to exploring the riot of colour in 'sari' to Bollywood hit '3 Idiots' - the college and its students will experience an enduring India along with expert lectures on its growing economy.

The newly co-operative Tory approach to the EU was on display today when George Osborne, the chancellor, attended his first meeting of EU finance ministers (Ecofin) in Brussels. Osborne said the government would adopt a "new constructive, engaged approach."

In his telephone call to new British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday night, President Obama underscored his commitment to the "special relationship" between the two countries. That was a diplomatic necessity given the long alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom, but the reality might be that the concept has outlived its usefulness.

Joseph Lee, a lecturer at the University of Nottingham Business School, is quite optimistic about the public perception of China. “I think to a certain extent that the British are happy about the economic rise of China. They don’t view that as a threat.”

FIFA's World Cup presents its hosts with, what they believe to be, their biggest ever opportunity to build a stronger country brand. That's a shame because, despite its growing popularity and firm establishment within marketing, the business of "country branding" or "nation branding" is nonsense.

These kinds of diplomatic disasters matter in the real world. They represent the dumbing down of international diplomacy, which is unfortunately pervasive under the current US administration. If an incoming Conservative government wishes to look at how not to conduct themselves on the international stage, they should look no further than the Obama White House.