The world famous Harlem Globetrotters hope to inspire youth during their tour of the UAE. The Harlem Globetrotters, who combine basketball with entertainment, will perform over three days in Dubai and Abu Dhabi... "Nothing means more to us than inspiring the youth around the world to chase their dreams and follow a positive path in life."

AS JULIA GILLARD has proved again, when it comes to the relationship between Australia and the subcontinent, there's no diplomatic tool more powerful than cricket. The Prime Minister was in India last week to talk trade and cultural ties but what hogged the headlines was her announcement that the Indian cricket great, Sachin Tendulkar, would be awarded membership of the Order of Australia.

...the film is more than a string of cute cross-cultural anecdotes. The documentary was shot in 2009, the year President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected amid mass suspicions of fraud. Protests spread throughout the country and were met with brutal force, particularly in Tehran.

Youth hockey players from across the US have arrived in Russia to take part in a trading program between the two nations and meet up with their idols, Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk. ­The Russian stars, who are playing in the KHL during the NHL lockout, are busy both on and off the ice.

Americans love football. So do the British. They are, of course, referring to two very different sports. Thanks to sports diplomacy, though, both sides of the Atlantic are starting to pay a little more attention to what the other side of the pond is watching.

When I hear ‘sports diplomacy’ evoked in conversation I often wince, knowing that 99% of the examples do not live up to the standards of the term. Athletes and coaches who work for a team outside of their country for no purpose other than for a love of the game and personal gain do not always qualify.