China should consolidate its ties with Russia and Central Asian countries amid simmering territorial disputes with its eastern and southern neighbours, a political adviser says. Xi Jinping, who will become president next week, will make his first visit as head of state to Russia this month.

For an artifact with such an awesome legacy, the Cyrus Cylinder is remarkably unprepossessing. It looks like a small loaf of rye bread from which someone has broken off a chunk. Yet this nine-inch long piece of baked clay inscribed with cuneiform script — which begins a five-city tour of the United States in Washington this week -- has inspired religious and political thinkers from ancient times through the drafters of the US Constitution and the founders of modern-day Israel.

This week the International Council Of Museums' sold-out conference Working Internationally shows how museums are looking out beyond the shores of the British Isles. The big nationals are, of course, doing extensive international work. The V&A tours exhibitions to India, China, Japan and the USA, amongst others.

The Academy Awards’ “Best Picture” tells the story of the rescue of six U.S. diplomats during the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979-80. But, for all that it’s a movie about diplomats, it tells nothing of the men and women who represent the United States abroad, the challenges they face and how prepared – or ill prepared – they are to face those challenges, says Nicholas Kralev, an expert on international affairs and diplomacy and author of a new book, “America’s Other Army: The U.S. Foreign Service and 21st Century Diplomacy."

As interest in study abroad to non-traditional destinations continues to rise, so does the number of students interested in African languages and cultures. Despite the fact that there are somewhere between 1,000 and 2,500 languages spoken on the African continent (UNESCO, 2010), there are relatively limited options for students to focus on language study in Africa. New initiatives and programs designed to attract U.S. students to study in Sub-Saharan African countries focus students’ attention on a small subset of the most widely spoken African languages.

More than 300 people were at the Show Me Center on Thursday night to hear former skating champion Michelle Kwan deliver her thoughts about "Aspiring to Greatness: What it Takes to Win." "I'm curious about her message of what it takes to succeed," said Rui Li, a sophomore at Southeast Missouri State University from Beijing, China, before Kwan's appearance. "I think it will relate to her success as a skater and to what she does now."

Could Rodman's visit achieve the same galvanizing effect? This seems implausible, given the record of the North Korean regime, with its continued testing of missiles and nuclear weapons. The most conceivable outcome is that Rodman will suffer be stigmatized even more than other anti-diplomats; after all, he applauded a regime that runs gulags amid widespread mass hunger, calling its leader "awesome".

Mumbai: American singer-songwriter and pianist Norah Jones performed live for the first time in India here. The Grammy winning daughter of late sitar legend Ravi Shankar gave her maiden performance during ‘A Summer’s Day’ festival in Mumbai.