An aide to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned home from a trip to North Korea on Saturday but declined to shed any light on the reason for his mysterious visit.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye personally apologised Monday for an "unsavoury" incident during her US summit visit that led to the dismissal of her chief spokesman.
Britain's Prince Harry broke hearts in Washington's corridors of power Thursday, showing more interest in landmines than in the excited fans who greeted him at the start of a week-long US visit.
French President Francois Hollande, accompanied by a high-powered business delegation, starts a two-day visit to China Thursday, with trade rather than geopolitics at the top of the agenda.
Malawi has launched a stinging attack on US pop icon Madonna, accusing her of expecting "gratitude" and VIP treatment during a visit last week to her charity work in the southern African country.
Top US military officer General Martin Dempsey will pay a rare visit to China this month as the Pacific powers discuss concern over tensions with North Korea.
Mass muggings and attacks on Chinese tourists in Paris have spawned alarm and warnings of a decline in the number of free-spending visitors from the Asian giant who swarm to France.