A statue of Vladimir Lenin in Odessa, Ukraine, has been refashioned into Darth Vader. A Ukrainian artist, Alexander Milov [...] transformed the statue in response to recent decommunization laws, which require the removal of Communist symbols in Ukraine [...] “I wanted to make a symbol of American pop culture which appears to be more durable than the Soviet ideal,” Mr. Milov told the BBC.

The appearances of Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan in her tailored suits and gowns left Britain’s press swooning – describing her as “graceful”, “stunning”, “sophisticated”, “glamorous” and “chic” – during President Xi Jinping’s four-day state visit to the United Kingdom last week […] Peng’s carefully crafted image is a stark contrast to the wives of former Communist leaders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday in Manchester that he hoped Britain and China would strengthen cooperation and exchanges in the area of sports, including football, according to a statement by the country's foreign ministry.

Kids Euro Festival — the largest children's performing arts festival of its kind in America — returns to the Washington metro area October 24 to November 8, with more than 125 free, family-friendly, European-themed cultural events. 

Frédéric Ramel, a professor of international relations at Sciences Po in Paris, said Russia uses the Red Army Choir to engage in cultural diplomacy and to make foreigners appreciate its culture and its sense of nationalism.

An economic blockade between the U.S. and Cuba didn't prevent jazz from traveling between the countries. But what if the dialogue could flow freely?Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra wanted to find out. [...] He got six composers to envision, in their own ways, the continuation of a musical conversation that Gillespie and Pozo started. 

The "ping-pong diplomacy" was on display again - this time at Beijing's Poly Theater, where players and musicians from both countries gathered on Thursday to perform a show cheering Sino-U.S. exchanges of the early 1970s.