In an attempt to promote the fight against the delegitimization of Israel – especially on college campuses – Alon Kimhi, founder of an independent hasbara organization, started a Facebook page close to half a year ago. The mission was organized in coordination with the World Union of Jewish Students and the South African Union of Jewish Students.

Like all cultural exports, Southeast Asian contemporary art provides Association of Southeast Asian Nation members with a soft power mechanism for expanding international influence. Yet neither ASEAN nor the majority of ASEAN countries demonstrate a serious commitment to advancing their national interests through contemporary art. Singapore represents the clear exception.

Israel opened the traditional baptism site of Jesus to daily visits Tuesday, a move that required the cooperation of Israel’s military and the removal of nearby mines in the West Bank along the border with Jordan. Israel hopes the opening of the site will help draw Christian tourists, who have been coming to Israel in growing numbers in recent years.

By general consensus, if not an absolutely proven fact, Moscow's iconic St. Basil's Cathedral (take a virtual tour), Red Square's famous architectural jewel with its nine swirling, candy cane like multicolored domes, turned 450 today. And Google has marked the occasion with one of those increasingly noticed and prized little honors known as a doodle.

Canadian media mogul Sidney Greenberg has set his sights on using sports as public diplomacy for Israel. Today, he is the financial force behind the Canada-Israel Hockey School in Metulla, which grew from a struggling program at the rink with 30 local participants, to a flourishing after-school program for 300 Druse and Israeli students across the Golan.

Britain’s royals are – for now – here to stay. It is difficult to imagine London without Buckingham Palace, Trooping the Colours, the uniformed sentries, and all the pageantry that attends the royal family. Prince William and his bride, Kate, are without much of the baggage that attends some other members of the reigning court. Perhaps they may add luster to a crown that has become a little tarnished.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) today hosted His Holiness the Dalai Lama at its Washington, DC headquarters. In his address to RFA’s staff, the Dalai Lama spoke about the value of democracy, freedom, and civil law...The Dalai Lama said RFA is “extremely helpful” and lauded its services for their contribution in working to “educate people who have no freedom of information.”

Recent months have seen an avalanche of new lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)-friendly initiatives in Rio: vocational training courses for transvestites, anti-bullying projects aimed at gay and lesbian students and new legislation outlawing discrimination in the city's nightclubs.