"The contemporary Indian dance stage reflects the spirit of globalisation," Kuchipudi dancer Kaushalya Reddy who hosted an international dance festival here early this year told us. Traditional Indian dance even translates world literature...

Welcome to the Ask the Ambassador, in which Eater meets with different diplomats to discuss their eating and drinking preferences and where they can get a taste of home while they serve their mission in New York City.

Nowadays, we call this phenomenon globalization: "the intensification of economic, political, social and cultural relations across borders,"... But make no mistake: the world that Ibn Battuta experienced in his travels nearly 700 years ago was as globalized as the world we live in today.

The Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal 2012, would repeal a 1960 law that established the center for cultural and technical interchange between East and West. U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono said she has asked that language to repeal the law be removed from the bill.

Food diplomacy is growing in popularity. China has been levering its cuisine and chefs as a means of building goodwill in Latin America in what has been dubbed “chopstick diplomacy”, the Asian face of gastrodiplomacy. The most popular foods, like sushi and spaghetti have exploded in popularity...

“At this critical time in our country’s history, hosting an international teen is the best and purest form of public diplomacy the United States has,” Doty said.

Who deserves credit for bringing the Republic of South Sudan into existence as the 193rd country in the United Nations? One strong candidate for acclaim is the phenomenon of celebrity activism led by Hollywood's paramount leading man, George Clooney. As might be expected, there continue to be ripples of outright dismissal of Clooney's efforts from the usual suspects.

State-controlled Belarusian Radio has reportedly banned a popular glasnost-era Soviet song by rebellious rocker Viktor Tsoi. When it was first released in 1986, "Peremen" (Change), was seen as a call to the younger Soviet generation to demand political change, and Soviet authorities tried to restrict it.