South Korea has been actively engaged in a serious re-branding effort. The South Korean government has been worried that the country’s brand has been underperforming in years past...One area that the Korean government has chosen to try to conduct public diplomacy outreach is in the realm of gastrodiplomacy.

There has been plenty of bad news concerning the unimaginative U.S. pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai. But let me for the moment, share a little good news. Indeed, like many who have visited the pavilion, I couldn’t find any “wow” moments. Still, there are noteworthy highlights, especially when viewed from the vantage point of a Chinese visitor.

Miguelín, the giant baby of Spain Pavilion, held a party today to celebrate Children’s Day with the youngest visitors in Expo. For the celebration, Miguelín is wearing a traditional Chinese ‘dudou’, the typical cloth used in China to cuddle the babies.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet has encouraged the William Joiner Centre under the US University of Massachusetts to introduce Vietnam’s culture and literature to the American public to strengthen bilateral friendship.

Spanish artists Afro-Flamenco will join South Africa's finest jazz musicians at the Pale Ya Rona Gauteng Carnival Music Concert. The Spanish Embassy has sponsored Afro-Flamenco's participation in this event, set to take place at Mofolo Park, where Raimundo Amador, Tomasito, Ranki and others will mix their flamenco and jazzy styles with the Soweto Spiritual Singers, violinist Tshepo Mngoma and guitarist Bheki Khoza.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao are mulling the launch of a joint Japan-China toon festival as well as a joint pic and TV drama week.

They were the future of Russian ballet, heirs to centuries of glorious Russian tradition, an elite few who had been chosen from across Russia. Except, that is, for the one from Montana.