This article comes out of an invitation from WOMEX 2011, the World Music Expo meeting last October in Copenhagen, to address the question: “What are the practicalities, challenges and ethics of world music as cultural diplomacy today? And is it becoming more or less relevant to the sector?”

Now in its 20th year, the Regina-Fujioka Student Exchange Program has offered local students in Grades 7 and 8 the chance to travel to Japan and stay with a host family for 10 days. The program runs in two-year cycles; Regina students host teens from Fujioka one year, experiencing Japan themselves the next.

Bolen recently completed his third summer teaching in American Voices’ Youth Excellence on Stage, or YES Academy. The program has taken him to Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon for two-week intervals to introduce classical piano music and techniques to young pupils from around each country.

Hong Kong's love of Japanese cuisine will help ease tensions over Tokyo's arrest of activists who left from its harbor and landed on one of the disputed Senkaku Islands, fisheries minister Akira Gunji said Thursday at a major food fair in the city. Gunji said the relationship between Hong Kong and Japan will flourish as long as the culinary binds between them stay strong.

The U.S Department of State has withdrawn plans to place a $16.5 million order on Amazon.com for its Kindle Touch devices along with content management and logistics, stating that it intends to conduct additional market research and re-examine its requirements for the program.

First, the other members of the band released a new single online, "Putin Lights Up the Fires." The Guardian newspaper in England compiled clips and stills for an accompanying video, and the song could be a post-sentencing rallying cry for the millions of music fans and free-speech advocates following the case.

Ecuador dragged Britain into an emergency meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States Friday at OAS headquarters in Washington, calling for a foreign ministers' meeting following the British threat to go into the Ecuadoran embassy in London and get Assange, who is wanted for questioning in connection with sexual assault charges in Sweden.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue on Friday spoke highly on Chinese language volunteers' contribution in Cambodia, hailing them as ambassadors of Chinese culture and language in Cambodia. Speaking to the third tranche of Chinese volunteers in China's embassy, Pan said he appreciates the volunteers' contribution in spreading Chinese culture and teaching Chinese language, which enhances the people-to-people exchanges between the two peoples.