Its disastrous handling of the Covid-19 pandemic sent the US tumbling from top spot as a soft power to sixth place, while its rival China fell three places to land at No 8, according to a British ranking. While Germany took the crown, the US was the fastest falling country in this year's Global Soft Power Index, published by Brand Finance. It lost more than double China's score in the overall index. In the Covid-19 metric, the US came in at the.
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Will buying India’s BrahMos missiles give the Philippines an edge in South China Sea dispute with Beijing? India’s BrahMos system on display during 2015 rehearsals for Republic Day. Photo: AFP
Manila s planned acquisition of the world s fastest supersonic cruise missiles from India would boost the Philippine armed forces ability to defend coastal areas amid an ongoing dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea, according to analysts.
Jointly developed by India and Russia, the BrahMos PJ-10 can be fired from ships, submarines, aircraft and ground launchers. The missile, which has a range of 290km and flies at three times the speed of sound, was tested several times last year by Indian armed forces at sea and on land.
In the gardens of Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent – where flowers and fashion unite Sissinghurst Castle Garden, in Kent, England. Photo: Getty Images
I first visited Sissinghurst on one of those spring mornings when the sky over England is filled with scudding clouds and the women wear optimistically light dresses that provide little protection from the sharp breeze. It was days after I had finished a tour of Wadi Rum, and the contrast between the pulsating heat of the Jordanian desert and this damp, exuberant greenery felt delightful.
Sissinghurst embodies everything we want an English garden to be. A mixture of wild, overgrown abandon and meticulous planning, it is lovely to look at but also wonderfully evocative of a past era. Its walled white garden, which bursts into bloom each spring with nearly every white flower native to Britain, attracts visitors from around the globe, drawn to its powerful scent as much as to its prettiness.
Nine out of 10 Americans view China as either an enemy or competitor rather than a partner, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The perception of China in the US corresponds with the recent sharp deterioration of relations between the two countries, with a majority of those surveyed in favor of pressuring Beijing on human rights and economic issues. Around 67% of respondents in the survey, released on Thursday, reported feeling "cold".