China's diplomatic style has evolved since the early 1990s, when its language was far more shrilly anti-American.

ECONOMIST: China

The argument is hard to disprove, or to disentangle from other factors, most notably a broad loss of influence for Europe and Mr Sarkozy's mercurial diplomatic style.

ECONOMIST: France's foreign-policy woes

It might be more accurate to describe the effect of the well-planned and -executed, military-style attack on a diplomatic facility there as the political equivalent of a devastating improvised explosive device on the myth of the unassailability of the Obama record as Commander-in-Chief.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The Real Reason Behind Benghazigate?

Consequently, it was apparent in the actual course of the event that jihadists were engaging in a murderous military-style assault on a U.S. diplomatic mission, not simply demonstrators running amok.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Obama's perfect storms

Yet economic and diplomatic problems aside, the Tokyo election also shows how the style of political campaigning is changing in Japan.

ECONOMIST: Japan

Although UNASUR has served as an effective forum for dialogue and has helped member countries peacefully resolve a number of diplomatic disputes, the group has had less success in building European-style multinational institutions.

FORBES: Can South America Become the New European Union?

Now Mr Lukashenka is embroiled in a diplomatic row with the West that captures with almost allegorical perfection the essential elements of his style and policy.

ECONOMIST: Alexander Lukashenka, Europe’s odd man out | The