In recent weeks I've written extensively about the nearly $100-million debacle that the US Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo has become. So much false propaganda has been flooding cyberspace, most of it produced by an enormous PR effort...

Not much is known about Korea in Germany. Most Germans know that the country is divided; they might even know what kimchi and taekwondo are but it does not usually go much further. Some young Germans want to know more.

Putting aside their diplomatic rivalry, Japan and China agreed on Monday to hold joint animation and TV drama festivals to promote grassroots cultural exchange... As a first step, each country will hold a festival or a special week next year to introduce the other's screen offerings, such as animation and TV drama series, the official said.

The cultural program for 2011 outlined by the Russian government is really impressive - the "cross" years of culture between Russia, Italy and Spain and a new cycle in humanitarian cooperation with the US.

Ambassador of Bangladesh to USA, at a cultural show at the Bangladeshi Embassy in Washington DC in USA, said that culture could function as a powerful tool to connect people across borders. The event is a part of the Embassy's public diplomacy and outreach program to project Bangladesh's rich culture and heritage to wider audience in the USA.

Compulsory teaching of foreign languages was always unnecessary because we're blessed to have English as the national tongue - the language of business, diplomacy and tourism in almost every corner of the world. Worse, we've taught these languages with too few trained teachers, and in a ludicrously unco-ordinated way.

Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, chaired on Wednesday, the Security Council debate on "Intercultural dialogue for peace and security" at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, in the presence of the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, the accompanying delegation, Lebanon's permanent representative to the UN Nawaf Salam, and the British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Alistair Burt.

In a joint statement released last week, President Barack Obama and President Felipe Calderón announced a new exchange program for high school students designed to promote mutual understanding between the two countries.