Jean-Claude Bader brings showbiz sparkle to regional elections in December, when the Front National hopes to capitalise on refugee crisis. He is the Gallic equivalent of an Elvis impersonator, a dead ringer for the ageing French rocker, Johnny Hallyday.

Today sees the close of the current ‘World’s Fair,’ in Milan, Italy. The six-month-long Expo Milano 2015 showcased tech innovation, especially from Italy, and while much will be written about the cost and legacy of the event, I’d like to argue that the host country made a clever use of this opportunity to show off its startups.

The notes of the sarabande of Bach’s Suite No 2 rise in the cold air, praising God for the “miracle” of the fall of the Berlin Wall, as Mstislav Rostropovich later put it. The photograph is seen around the world. The date is 11 November 1989, and the Russian virtuoso is marching to the beat of history.

Set in lush green lawns of the Swiss embassy, an exhibition featuring the work of 12 Pakistani sculptors was held on Friday. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Satrang Gallery Director Asma Khan said the embassy asked her to put up a show of sculptors for them.

The Pakistan High Commission has started an Urdu Language Training Center in the Sri Lankan capital. The avowed purpose of the venture is to help Lankans who go to Pakistan either for higher studies or to do business, communicate with locals. But it is undeniable that one of the aims of the Center is to counter the spread of Hindi, which is already a hugely popular language in Lanka thanks to Bollywood films and their songs.

Gonzaga University alumna Christi Anne Hofland (’05) is leading an experiment in U.S. international relations at the center of a volatile geopolitical drama. As director of the newly opened America House cultural center here, Hofland combines her passions for cultural diplomacy and people-to-people engagement.

Maya Kravat, whose public relations agency has been helping to organize the event, said that none of the chefs have replied. Kravat said “We’ve worked incredibly hard to pull this off,” expressing that the goal of Round Tables is gastro-diplomacy, she emphasized that the culinary project is a way to showcase national cuisine in order to change public image and perception.

 “The role of translation and international publication cannot be ignored in intercultural relations. However, considering the current favorable air of cultural diplomacy and academic theorizing, translation should be viewed in the field of cultural relations which covers cultural activities and the role played by private institutions,” Culture Minister added.