Bollywood finds mention in WikiLeaks in a confidential cable sent by U.S. diplomats in India suggesting that the appeal of Bollywood stars in Afghanistan could aid international efforts to stabilize the country. Media reports here over the weekend have quoted the March 2007 cable that was a response to a request from Washington for "specific, concrete ideas for opportunities for India to use soft power in helping Afghanistan's reconstruction."

China’s official news agency launches Financial Information Exchange. China’s official Xinhua News Agency Saturday launched its financial information exchange, an information sharing platform in the financial and cultural sectors to promote development of the nation’s capital market.

From Raj Kapoor to Aishwarya Rai, Russia's romance with Bollywood continues. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will keep this old affair burning when he visits the master showman's studio in Mumbai and interact with stars.

Two axioms transcend geography and culture. One, there is no such a thing as a totally free or independent media. Two, all media operate within existing political, cultural and material constraining contexts. This applies to Al Arabiyya, Al Alam or Rotana in the Middle East, as much as it does to Fox, CNN, or the New York Times in the US.

A senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Friday called for the country's educational institutions to strengthen cultivation of international communication capabilities.

The US has been courting India's soft power in the form of Bollywood as part of its plans to help usher in peace in war-torn Afghanistan and also help promote anti-extremism messages among the large Asian diaspora across the globe.

The Taipei International Flora Expo welcomed its two millionth visitor Dec. 15 with a gift of two free flight tickets and a VIP pass for unlimited entry to five of the most popular pavilions. This milestone came much earlier than anticipated and augurs well for the success of this large-scale event in promoting Taiwan abroad.

It is hard to avoid Nigerian films in Africa. Public buses show them, as do many restaurants and hotels. Nollywood, as the business is known, churns out about 50 full-length features a week, making it the world’s second most prolific film industry after India’s Bollywood.