Those criticising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for inviting Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani of Pakistan to the cricket World Cup semi-final in Mohali are missing the wood for the trees. Consider a counter-factual. India and Sri Lanka reach the final of the tournament.

This time ‘cricket diplomacy’ will bring about some long-term and positive changes between the two countries as for the first time an elected representative from Pakistan is visiting India to watch a cricket match.

"The heart of the uprising," "The symbol of a divided nation," "the neo-cons' worst nightmare"... These are just a few of several descriptions from over the last few weeks that have been used to frame Tahrir Square.

The dramatic changes in the Middle East region are leading to a new paradigm for understanding conflict and the pursuit of freedom by people, no matter what their religion or origin. Efforts to build bridges between communities are being propelled by social media, education and entertainment.

The Korea Furniture Museum, which hosted luncheon for spouses of G20 leaders during the G20 Seoul Summit in November, launched an academic program on Tuesday for spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea and expat CEOs to help them discover traditional Korean heritage.

A popular Afghan musician known for drawing huge crowds across Afghanistan is Radio Azadi's "Person of the Year." Farhad Darya was recognized by RFE's Afghan station for his exceptional dedication to promoting music and cultural tolerance throughout the country.

With careful diplomatic scripting, India and Pakistan began talking again this week...Then, unexpectedly, a cricket match intervened, and almost overnight, the scope and possibilities of the dialogue have changed. The national teams of India and Pakistan have both advanced to the semifinal round of the cricket World Cup tournament, now in progress.

Public diplomacy is a field predicated on the communication of culture and values to foreign publics; gastrodiplomacy is the act of winning hearts and minds via stomachs. Gastrodiplomacy uses culinary delights to appeal to the global public’s appetite, and thus helps raise a nation’s brand awareness and reputation.