What makes a country the best? Is it leadership? Military might? Economic strength? A rich and deep vein of culture and history? Freedom, a stable government and transparency when it comes to business and the political process? In a word, yes. All of the above contribute to how people perceive what makes one country better than another – and ultimately which one ranks as the best overall.

The Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park will present a weekend of thought-provoking films at the sixth annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival from Jan. 21 to 24. [...] the festival will include five films and a special presentation that focus on the power of film to make a difference. 

President Barack Obama on Sunday heralded the release of Americans held prisoner in Iran and the full implementation of a historic nuclear accord with the Islamic Republic, holding both up as victories for "smart" diplomacy and his pledge to deal directly with enemies of the United States.

Council for Educational Travel, USA is seeking volunteer host families in Laughlin, Needles and communities throughout Arizona to open doors to their homes, their communities and their hearts for international high school exchange students. Students from Europe, South America, and Asia are now being placed in volunteer host families for the 2016-17 academic year.

The prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Iran capped 14 months of secret diplomacy and talks between Washington and Tehran as the U.S. and world powers negotiated the pact to curb Iran's nuclear program, reflecting a thaw in relations between the sworn enemies.

Many articles about Taiwan’s upcoming Jan. 16 presidential election — an election that could have a major effect on the self-governing island’s relationship with China and the United States — rely on the phrase “renegade province” to describe Beijing’s views of Taiwan.

How the growth of China is affecting the global economy continues to be a big wildcard on investors’ minds but how the world’s second largest economy is spreading its “soft power” is an emerging conversation that’s worth taking a closer look as the country’s relationship with Hollywood continues to blossom.