Tomodachi translates to "friendship" and the dinners are traditional events in Japanese culture to promote relations among its citizens and international partners.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday Japan will offer $4 billion in aid for global efforts to improve disaster management over the four years through 2018, including support for building infrastructure in developing countries.

Building local capacity has increasingly become a vital component of humanitarian and development programming. The problem, however, is when different groups have different definitions and expectations of what it should look like in practice — as in the case of Syria.

Long before the U.S. and Cuba mended diplomatic relations, skateboarding brought together the two countries. After studying abroad in Cuba in 2010, Miles Jackson and a group of friends started Cuba Skate, a group that supports and promotes skate culture within Cuba. 

To achieve the goal of meaningful development, progress and modernisation, there is a need for infusing fresh dynamism into Economic diplomacy reflecting the current global, regional realities and compulsions. This would mean not only government to government relationships but crucially, people to people contacts and exchanges.

The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth said it is important to celebrate Singapore’s heritage and culture, adding that the idea of a “distinctive Singaporean culture” is still relatively new and evolving.

China's female acrobatic pilots Yu Xu, Tao Jiali, Sheng Yifei, He Xiaoli have left for Malaysia on Wednesday, March 11, 2015, where they will be performing at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) next week.