On May 1, the modern-day equivalent, the World Expo, will open in Shanghai, China. Given China's rising international profile, the Shanghai Expo seems to be less about inventions and more about geopolitics.

THE Smurfs, the Little Mermaid, Bollywood stars, tenor Andrea Bocelli and the acrobats of Cirque du Soleil are part of a colourful diplomatic offensive to win Chinese hearts at this year's World Expo.

In an attempt to reach to more people in India, British High Commission today launched it's Hindi website hoping that this will bring a transformational change in the relations between both the countries.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) would flag-off the Festival of India in China and France in April, showcasing a variety of art forms from various regions of India.

To counter the tough global economic trend, France on Monday urged India Inc to invest in the world's fifth largest economy. This is also a testimony to the increasing respectability towards Indian entrepreneurs.

Indian students will soon be able to get certificates of international level without going abroad. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is launching its international brand, CBSE-I, on April 1.

How do you account for this contradiction? India is the most popular country among the people of Afghanistan. This is the finding of the Pew survey conducted a few months ago. India has already spent $1.2 billion in humanitarian assistance. Roads, bridges, hospitals and Parliament building are some of the public structures that it has built after the Taliban were thrown out by US-based international forces from Afghanistan in 2001.

If the news reports are true, India’s willingness to talk to the Taliban would represent a seismic shift in strategy for New Delhi and underlines the concern that the Congress-led government has over Pakistan’s influence in any Afghan end game.