Vatican is a small state, spread over just 34 hectares, but no one denies that the Vatican has a great influence on the countries around the world [...] construction of an Indonesian museum in the Vatican is a right step. It will help Indonesia pursue cultural diplomacy in the international arena. 

A Syrian orchestra whose members have fled the country's civil war to different parts of the globe is reuniting in London for a rare concert which they say will show people another side of their country. The Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music, which includes musicians from different perspectives of Syria's war, will perform on June 25 with songwriter and producer Damon Albarn, frontman of the band Blur, and other guest performers.

Dignitaries visiting the new US embassy in Nine Elms, south London, which is due for completion in late 2016, will encounter a commanding, site-specific work that is America incarnate. Los Angeles-based artist Mark Bradford’s work, “The Constitution”, will span 32 canvases and cover the embassy atrium. This gargantuan, patriotic piece will incorporate the entire text of the US Constitution .

This has been a fantastic week for Irish cinema. The achievements of directors, scriptwriters, actors and producers in nabbing seven Oscar nominations is the equivalent of the Irish football team getting to the World Cup final.

In what can only be described as a back-handed compliment, the NYT declared in a recent style article that its neighbour to the north was no longer a "frozen cultural wasteland populated with hopelessly unstylish citizens". The reason for Canada's sudden cultural cachet? The Times mentions film and music idols, fashion designers and YouTubers, but the star of the show seems to be new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

On Monday evening, Facebook FB +1.05% COO Sheryl Sandberg announced in Berlin the launch of a new campaign against extremist speech on the Internet, called Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI). The initiative is supported by the German Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection [...]