Japan has lost ground to Korea and China in U.S. public perceptions. Here’s what it can do about it.

The Obama administration began its dealings with the Arab world on a hopeful note, as exemplified by the President's 2009 Cairo speech. Since then, despite increased U.S. public diplomacy efforts in the region, American policy has been perceived as hostile, or at least uncaring, toward Arabs.

This is a time of rapid change — and immense opportunity — for the global landscape of development. Aid is no longer the primary source of development funds, as direct investment from the private sector and domestically mobilized resources continue to grow as sources of finance.

The announcement comes amid talks by Washington and Havana to work toward the restoration of diplomatic relations between the former Cold War foes. The Cuban and Cosmos teams conducted their own negotiations in January, during a CONCACAF Under-20 tournament in Jamaica.

U.S. lawmakers have renewed scrutiny of a nearly 30-year-old program that allows people from dozens of countries to travel to the U.S. without the bureaucratic hassle of obtaining a visa.

The home-court detente with the United States on Monday and Tuesday has once again accentuated Cuba's ingrained gradualism, which has been the hallmark of the island country's diplomacy and economic development for years in its pursuit of security and political correctness.

China has voiced its concerns regarding Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment in South Korea, offering Seoul to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) launched by Beijing in 2014.