Five billion badges were made during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–76). They became part of everyday dress code and were worn as an expression of loyalty to Chairman Mao and the Communist Party of China. Almost every Chinese person wore one, from Premier Zhou Enlai down to the smallest child. These badges, with their striking designs and revolutionary inscriptions, were usually presented as gifts, often to commemorate special occasions.

The game, developed to accompany the museum's recently reinvented interactive gallery Launchpad, has won both 'Best Innovative Site' and overall 'Best of the Web' at Museums and the Web 2008 – the international conference for museums and heritage online in Montreal, Canada. Launchball had already been named 'Best Game' and 'Best in Show' at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.

On the eve of the artist's 80th birthday Tate has announced that it will bring together, for the first time, two of Cy Twombly's great painting series from the 1990s as part of a major exhibition of his work at Tate Modern which opens on 19 June 2008. Comprising two sets of four enormous canvases, Tate will unite The Four Seasons 1994-5 from the Tate Collection and The Four Seasons 1993-4 from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Who Do You Think You Are? WDYTYA? Live now dedicates new areas to military history, where Dan and Peter Snow will host a Battle Theatre exploring the Battle of Amiens and the Battle of Britain. Due to its immense popularity in 2007 the Museum has a bigger stand with more expert curators to help visitors trace their military ancestry.

So far this calendar year, the average daily number of electronic equity trades carried out on the London Stock Exchange and Borsa Italiana has been 1,076,107, an increase of 43 per cent on the first four months of 2007 and a record for the first four months of a year.

The National Army Museum will host a new exhibition exploring the black and asian contribution to the First World War. It will open in October 2008 to mark Black History Month. The exhibition plans to showcase the life of the first black British Army combat officer Walter Tull, and it is hoped will feature unseen objects loaned by his family to illustrate Tull’s remarkable life and legacy.

Critically acclaimed exhibition Helmand: The Soldiers’ Story, open now at the National Army Museum, has been longlisted for the prestigious Art Fund award. Selected, along with nine others, from over 250 entries nationwide, Helmand tells the achievement and the story of the British troops who entered Afghanistan’s Taleban heartland, the Helmand province, in March 2006.

Make the most of the last few days of the Summer Holidays and visit Imperial War Museum North's Family Fun Day for the ideal Bank Holiday day out...

A fully-staged production of The Wizard of Oz will be a major feature of Southbank Centre's programme this summer. Directed by Southbank Centre's Artistic Director, Jude Kelly, this much-loved classic will run from 23 July to 31 August, with a press night on Tuesday 29 July. This is the first time in more than 20 years that a major production of The Wizard of Oz has been staged in London.

The man who took sculpture off the plinth now puts the portrait back on a pedestal - National Portrait Gallery displays Sir Anthony Caro's figurative busts for the first time. Four heads in bronze and steel by Sir Anthony Caro, who is widely regarded as Britain's greatest living sculptor, go on display for the first time this weekend at the National Portrait Gallery.

At the end of Boris Johnson's mayoral acceptance speech (the new mayor of London) he said the following words about starting his new job: "Let's get cracking tomorrow and let's have a drink tonight". Not exactly wise words for someone whose first London Underground promise is to call for alcohol on the Tube to be banned. No more cracking good drinks on the Tube then.

From 11 to 18 May, Southbank Centre devotes a week to the many facets of choral singing and celebrates the human voice – from Beethoven to gospel; Vaughan Williams to jazz; and Welsh male voice choirs to beatboxing. Chorus is for those who love to either participate in or listen to choral music, with some of the finest professional and non-professional choirs from around the UK performing in Southbank Centre's concert halls and public spaces.