As it now stands, this law remains harmful to the intellectual and cultural exchange between nations that is crucial to fostering growth, tolerance, and progress. It is particularly vital for those countries with significant cultural and political differences to learn about one another...

Kyodo News has launched a fully redesigned website for its English-language service as part of efforts to strengthen its multilingual and multimedia services... The Kyodo News English-language service covers developments around the globe 24 hours a day, with a particular focus on Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

Syria’s ancient capital is hardly the usual venue for an international band on tour. Partly due to its negative image in the West and partly because it is uncharted territory for foreign musicians, pop-loving Syrians have long been resigned to traveling to neighboring Lebanon or Jordan to watch their favorite international artists. Now that’s changing.

Iraq announced on Tuesday the return of hundreds of looted antiquities that had ended up in the United States...The latest trove reflects not only a history dating from the world’s oldest civilizations but also a more recent and tortured history of war, looting and international smuggling that began under Saddam Hussein, accelerated after the American occupation and continues at archaeological sites to this day.

Mohammed Karimi has come a long way to find himself at the gate of a cattle weighing station in Australia's outback...Karimi, along with six other refugees, are enrolled in a 12-week course at the Warwick campus of TAFE, a nation-wide tertiary educational institute. The students are the second batch to go through the new program, sponsored by Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), which trains them for work in the agricultural industry.

Gastrodiplomacy is more than the promotion of a new taste or dish abroad. It stands for a concerted effort to use cuisine as part of cultural diplomacy. For example, the Thai government in 2002 launched an ambitious programme to put Thailand among the top five exporters of food.

Japan may be on a slow decline as far as being a global economic force, but the "soft power" of its modern entertainment genres, from manga to "anime," has global appeal, especially among young people. Why and how did this entertainment media thrive? How popular is it overseas?

“Taiwan is already well known in the film and television arena for its distinct artistic qualities. This film festival will give viewers an opportunity to experience the rich texture of Taiwan's unique film making style with the aim of sharing its rich cultural heritage, art and history through cinema,” Joy Yen, director information division, TECC, said in a statement.