President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf returned home to Liberia on Wednesday, following a most successful visit to the United States of America, where her activities took her to Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and, of course, the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.

It should not in the least modify admiration for the virtuoso Anna Tanvir, who gloriously sings and plays traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, Madagascar, India and France creating a musical biography.

The term "Cool Japan" was a localized take on the UK's "Cool Britannia" idea of the 1990s. The idea of "Cool Japan" was centered on the country's position as a rising soft power superpower. Soft power is the culture influence countries have, while hard power is the influence from political, military, or economic power.

Recognised by the Chinese as a symbol of world peace, the panda represents the Yin and Yang concept and is also China's longest serving ambassador when presented as a gift to Japan during the Tang Dynasty around 685 AD.

The issue in question was the Chinese government-sponsored Confucius Institutes hosted by American universities. China has 70 such institution in the United States, more than any other country in the world. The U.S., meanwhile, has all of five America Centers in China.

Malaysia says it will receive a pair of baby pandas from China to mark four decades of diplomatic ties...China regularly sends the prized animals abroad as part of "panda diplomacy" to signal strong relations.

China opened its first Confucius Institute in 2004. Many mushroomed since then. By the end of last year, China has set up 358 Confucius Institutes and 500 Confucius Classrooms in 105 countries and regions. In Europe, there are 129 and 104 Confucius Institutes and Classrooms respectively, scattered in 34 countries and regions.

After agreeing to underwrite a local Pakistan version of the ubiquitous children’s television show, Sesame Street, USAID officials pulled the funding for this project after corruption rumours began to appear in local newspapers.