In exactly one week, the countdown clocks in Shanghai will all finally hit zero. This is because this year May Day will also be Opening Day for the 2010 World Expo, an event that has been largely ignored in the United States (at least until very recently)...

A delegation of dignitaries from Shinagawa, Japan, will arrive in Portland today for a five-day celebration of a sister city relationship that began more than 25 years ago. Although Portland has three other sister cities -- Cap Haitien, Haiti; Mytilene, Greece; and Archangel, Russia -- Shinagawa was Portland's first.

The Ottawa-born Rowswell is famous throughout China as a comedian and television commentator and he's one of Canada's secret weapons in its bid to create a buzz at what is almost certainly the largest nation-branding event ever staged.

A cultural tit-for-tat is happening in France as Namaste France picks up steam. It follows hot on the heels of Bonjour India which saw French cultural events highlighted across 18 Indian cities. Now the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Indian Embassy in Paris has even outdone the French.

American country and pop singer/songwriter, Kareem Salama will depart the U.S. for Cairo to begin a seven-country, one-month tour of the Middle East. Salama will be accompanied by three other accomplished musicians: Dan Workman, JJ Worthen and Michael Whitebread.

New Jersey restaurateur Robert Egan barbecues meat for a living, except when he acts as a self-appointed, unofficial conduit between the United States and North Korea.

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has announced that the European Commission will entrust three personalities...to come up with recommendations on how best to speed up the digitisation, online accessibility and preservation of cultural works across Europe.

So far, so good. Indians haven't shown this much enthusiasm for American fast food since McDonald's came to New Delhi and Mumbai more than a decade ago.