In the five years since the last CPC National Congress, the work of publicity, ideological and cultural officials has helped the country to seek agreements and unite the people against the background of profound changes in the international situation, arduous tasks regarding domestic development and more diverse public opinions, Li said.

The edgy Soft Power artists are part of a contemporary art movement in Saudi Arabia that draws influences from global art and infuses cultural reflections into their authentic artwork, making it internationally competitive.

The Swedish government cut £1.86m (20 million Swedish krona) from the tourism organisation’s budget of £13.04m (140 million Swedish krona), after which it chose to cut one sector, rather than embark on a widespread reorganisation.

Washington, DC - Officials from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and the U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation will hold a “send-off” ceremony today at the U.S. National Arboretum for the first 100 dogwood trees going to Japan as part of the Friendship Blossoms Initiative.

Inaugurated in July 2012, the sprawling grounds of the Quaid-e-Azam Complex cover more than 26 acres of land that once belonged to the British Legation in Kabul. Today it may well be Pakistan’s busiest diplomatic mission. On any week day (from Sunday to Thursday) one is likely to find thousands of Afghans queuing up outside the Pakistan Embassy for a visa.

AS JULIA GILLARD has proved again, when it comes to the relationship between Australia and the subcontinent, there's no diplomatic tool more powerful than cricket. The Prime Minister was in India last week to talk trade and cultural ties but what hogged the headlines was her announcement that the Indian cricket great, Sachin Tendulkar, would be awarded membership of the Order of Australia.

Among the countless street children Jimmy Pham has met over the decades, the one who comes to mind most often is a young girl whose mother slammed her head against a wall 16 years ago. “It’s Uncle Tuan!” he remembers the five-year-old greeting him on the street. The girl’s mother, who was beside her, then suggested beg for money from Pham, a stranger who lately had become a kind of casual benefactor to the local children. When the girl refused to beg, her mother punished her with a beating.