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.

The show is the brainchild of American rodeo promoter Richard Tucker and is considered an important component of the China-U.S. cultural exchange program for 2011. It is being jointly hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China International Friendship Cities Association, the National Stadium, and... Less is Forever More.

Aside from performances by the Philippine All Strar hip-hop, crooner Jed Madela singing Broadway tunes, US Navy fleet band, Baguio residents will also get the chance to participate in interactive games and contests organized by the US embassy.

On Friday the Richard Nixon Foundation commemorated the 40th anniversary of what became known as pingpong diplomacy. The notion that sport could open a country seems outlandish on its face, but pingpong diplomacy is just one of several examples of sport influencing politics. Ultimately...sports' ability to humanize is part of the reason pingpong diplomacy can work.