Crackdowns on foreign media in North Korea are a continuation of long-standing attempts by the government to suppress interest in foreign cultures.  Studies show that access to foreign media undermines state control on several levels.

Chief Executive of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Lewis Holden led the New Zealand delegation at the second Edinburgh International Culture Summit, held at the Scottish Parliament last week. New Zealand was one of 25 international government delegations brought together with speakers, arts leaders and culture experts from across the world.

At a time when the restive region of Xinjiang has witnessed executions of suspected separatists, knife attacks on train passengers, and clashes between the Chinese government and forces it has identified as Muslim extremists, a film company believes it has the answer — a cartoon princess. With the encouragement of the authorities, a Chinese animation company is turning to a Disney-like character for help in bringing ethnic Uighurs and Han Chinese together.

There are a lot of things that surprise newcomers to anime. Why are the characters’ eyes so big? How come everyone has funky hair colors? What’s up with all the panty shots? A lot of those have simple answers. The giant eyes are an influence from legendary manga artist Osamu Tezuka, who was in turn inspired by classic Disney designs. Anime artwork uses a relatively small number of lines in drawing faces, and a large palette of hair colors is a quick and easy way to differentiate otherwise similar-looking characters.

Thousands of cups of Hong Kong's "silk-stocking" milk tea will be served to visitors at an exhibition in Taiwan showcasing the city's cultural heritage. Intangible cultural heritage will take centre stage at Hong Kong Week 2014 in Taipei, the third annual showcase presented by the Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Cooperation Committee. The October 17 to November 2 exhibition will feature 480 items that best represent the Hong Kong community and provide cultural continuity.

As Skopje 2014 nears completion, it continues to divide Macedonia over its cultural legacy and role in society. “The new area is just about making money – it isn’t anything about culture,” says one older merchant in the Old Bazaar, the heart of the former Ottoman city, dismissing the new development. “That is one thing, this is another.” Mr. Nikoleski disagrees. “Skopje 2014 will be great for Macedonia," he says. "With cheap flights and this new development more and more people will visit here and see our own culture.”

"We know our performances are a fantastic way for people to demonstrate their connections to lead politicians in both countries and to forge relationships at a cultural diplomacy level. We have a five-year vision and we would like some people who want to be part of that journey," she says. Tours are expensive for the company that, with a turnover of A$50 million (about HK$361 million), receives just 16.3 per cent of its funding from state and federal governments. 

A Japanese wrestler-turned-politician hopes his vision of "sports diplomacy" can repair his country's fraught relationship with North Korea, as he prepares to host an extraordinary sporting event in Pyongyang. And Kanji "Antonio" Inoki has form: he helped secure the release of Japanese hostages in Iraq in 1990 after impressing tyrant Saddam Hussein, and more recently used his old bouts with Pakistani wrestlers to foster goodwill between the South Asian country and his own.