THE Smurfs, the Little Mermaid, Bollywood stars, tenor Andrea Bocelli and the acrobats of Cirque du Soleil are part of a colourful diplomatic offensive to win Chinese hearts at this year's World Expo.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) would flag-off the Festival of India in China and France in April, showcasing a variety of art forms from various regions of India.

To counter the tough global economic trend, France on Monday urged India Inc to invest in the world's fifth largest economy. This is also a testimony to the increasing respectability towards Indian entrepreneurs.

World fairs are a good laboratory for experimenting with architecture and the upcoming expo in China is no exception. Thanks to computer-aided design, pavilions that resemble giant dandelions and baskets are fabulous buildings that 'look like they can't be built.'

While few see any evidence of an actual rivalry between the two sides, it's possible that the combined damage to the relationship caused by the 2003 Iraq War and then the global financial crisis in 2008 has altered the way the major players view each other.

As part of a joint effort between France and Israel to promote scientific research, 15 outstanding young French and Israeli scientists, recipients of prestigious research grants from the European Research Council, were hosted at a Jerusalem conference this week.

Like many great orators President Obama knows how to quote scripture to maximum impact. His Cairo speech included passages from the Holy Koran, which his audience applauded.

Barack Obama soon will make his second overseas trip as President, visiting Egypt, Germany and France. Although Obama differs from his predecessors in many respects, some things are true of any Presidential visit to a foreign country. The people at the White House who plan the trip want to set a theme, they want a memorable speech or public event, and they want good images. There is no reason for Obama’s media advisers to think any differently.

Or is there?