President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration ushered in a new era that sought for America to re-engage with the world. Two years later it still stands in stark contrast to eight years of President George W. Bush’s unilateralism and reputation for cowboy diplomacy. But what happens to the spirit of Obama’s foreign policy if Republicans capture control of Congress?

American Ballet Theatre dancers promised pirouettes - not politics - during the troupe's historic visit to Cuba this week, the first by the New York-based company since shortly after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution turned the island into a U.S. nemesis.

What the West needs most is a fresh look at the full range of its capabilities and interests. Only then can its power fulfill its purpose. Seen as a wonder tool, smart power has been embraced as a fresh and benign aspect of power; a definably formulaic mix of soft (cultural) power and hard (military) power.

Delivering invigorating Latin jazz was only part of pianist Chucho Valdés's agenda Saturday night at the Warner Theatre; he also affirmed alliances between various Afro-Cuban idioms and several American jazz legacies.

Co-author: Andras Simonyi

Budapest, Hungary -- In the run-up to the NATO summit Nov. 19 in Lisbon, the transatlantic community must confront not just the burning issues it faces (from Afghanistan to Russia), but the way free nations can and should wield their power for global progress.

A new study by the World Bank’s Jishnu Das and Pomona College’s Tahir Andrabi titled In Aid We Trust: Hearts and Minds and the Pakistan Earthquake of 2005 reiterates that humanitarian aid can win local favour. The study shows that those Pakistanis who interacted with aid workers after the 2005 earthquake retained positive impressions and high levels of trust in westerners four years after that calamity.

When it comes to the United States, Pakistan is an oft-spurned lover. In Islamabad, no discussion about Pakistan-US relations can be complete without a blow-by-blow account of the occasions on which Pakistan, the supple and whimsical bride, has been left at the altar by the American groom...

U.S. Army Alaska and the Indian Army celebrated the opening of the annual joint and bilateral training exercise Yudh Abhyas 2010 during an Oct. 31 ceremony at Buckner Physical Fitness Center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.