The diamond industry is one of the world's most loathsome operations simply because it exploits the most impoverished lands and people for a quick first-world buck. These gems that we're all so used to seeing promoted, especially during the holiday season, are no more than sparkly liabilities when it comes...

North Korea and the US have finally come to an agreement after years of stagnated nuclear talks: the DPRK will disable their nuclear reactor and facilities as well as allow IAEA inspectors to verify and monitor the moratorium. In exchange the US will resume food aid to the...

From the unapologetic fanaticism that is often connected with hallyu (the recent spread of Korean culture around the globe), it is almost as if the K-pop factor just fell onto the South Korean government's lap, eagerly waiting to be used as an instrument for expanding soft power and cultural engagement...

Perez HIlton celebrates his 33rd birthday with the fabulous Blue Ball in Hollywood on Saturday night. Wearing an original 70's inspired jump suit by True Religion, Perez hosted a night of partying and performances. Guests sipped on cocktails by Hpnotiq and were treated to hot shaves by...

The vast continent of Africa is well known by global travelers to host some of the world's most intriguing cultural festivals, whether it's South Africa's "Grahamstown Festival" and "Splashy Fen," Nigeria's "ThisDay Festival," or Mali's epic "Festival in the Desert." All distinct in their own contexts, a local festival is...

When most Westerners think of East Africa, the initial images that come to mind may be of civil war-torn Somalia, starving families in Ethiopia, and exotic safaris in Kenya. These representations can be traced to various elements in our information and communication streams -- such as the last time you...

This Wednesday, Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit the White House for a meeting with state officials that is highly, highly anticipated. The last time he was invited here by a state leader was in 2006, when President Bush offered him a formal lunch (no state dinner, unfortunately -- and...

As news of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's studio demolition, courtesy of Shanghai city authorities, circles the globe and stirs indignation throughout various onlookers (see a previous post from November which prompted a brief Twitter exchange between myself and @aiww), what is important now is to note the artist's...

The coolest event in Los Angeles last night was photographer Brian Bowen Smith's launch for his new book, The Men + Women of Marc Jacobs, a fabulous collection of images with the global Marc Jacobs "family."

For more photos visit Balance of Culture.

Last night Xomad continued their highly anticipated BBM Lounge tastemaker event series in Hollywood, celebrating the release of Pipe Dreams, the premiere album from Glee's Mark Salling. Various Glee cast members, Universal Music executives and young tech-savvy Los Angeles socialites enjoyed a memorable evening of live music, innovative...

In a recent CBS Sunday Morning program on The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton quite rationally asserts, "I think there are certainly times music conveys American values better than a speech." Of course, most people usually expect to hear Secretary Clinton...

The MTV Video Music Awards always brings a ton of excitement to its chosen host city and this year was no exception. With so many different types of events and parties crammed into a mere couple of days, Angelenos -- and all of their out-of-town comrades, of course -- certainly...

Nigeria's image in Western media is a complex combination of exoticism, intrigue and danger. While most people are well acquainted with Nollywood (now the second largest film industry after India's Bollywood), we are often simultaneously inundated with images of another Nigeria that has nothing to do with entertainment. With the...

If you saw the premiere of HBO's Treme this past weekend, you'll probably remember the scene where Albert Lambreaux (played by The Wire's Clarke Peters) stands in front of his friend's porch, donning an extravagantly feathered and beaded Native American-influenced costume. While most people around him are concentrating on getting...

When Romola Nijinsky first introduced American cultural figure Lincoln Kirstein to choreographer George Balanchine following a 1933 Les Ballets performance in London, the widow of famed ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky may have known exactly how significant the meeting of these two artistic forces were. Though Kirstein and Balanchine were both...