The biggest box office stars don’t always hail from the US, they come from other places, too. Beyoncé, the internationally famous and quite possibly most talked-about woman in the world, has about 14.7 million Twitter followers. She’s ranked at, roughly, the 119th most popular person on Twitter. Shakira, the Colombian-born pop star, has a whopping 45.2 million Twitter followers. She’s about 18th on the Twitter popularity scale. [...] This is not to say that American movie stars are not popular, it's just that the Hollywood's near monopoly for almost a century is lo longer in effect. 

Rubies, natural gas, pagodas and teak- just a few words of what pops into peoples’ heads when they hear the word “Myanmar.”  Be prepared to add another word to that list; and it’s not one that you would expect. Myanmar coffee has recently traveled to showcase in the London Coffee Festival and the SCA Expo, thanks to U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) who funded a five-year project implemented by Winrock International in the form of the Value Chains for Rural Development.

During the opening ceremony Belarusian Culture Minister Boris Svetlov noted that the center will work to represent and popularize the cultural legacy as well as modern culture and art of Belarus in addition to providing information about the country's public, political, and economic life.

Nepal celebrated Mount Everest Day 2017 in the Sheesh Mahal Hall, Serena Hotel with more than two hundred dignitaries, including members of the diplomatic corps and government. Nepal has been celebrating Mount Everest Day since 2008. Present at the event was Everest Summiteer Nazir Sabir whose documentary was displayed and enjoyed thoroughly by the guests. The documentary showcased the grandeur of the peaks, the challenges faced by the mountaineers and their mighty success.

Bangkok professionals are not strangers to the difficulties created by cultural differences, and the need to navigate cross-cultural relationships effectively is becoming more important than ever. The city’s historic position as a hub for the high-growth ASEAN region, and the fact that many multinational companies, such as Exxon Mobil, Huawei, and Unilever, have set up regional offices in the city, has required professionals here to constantly build and maintain a culturally diverse range of business relationships. 

Cultural diplomacy thrives on the exchange of arts and aesthetic ideas. Research has continued to indicate that this form of diplomacy reveals the social profile of a nation and provides platforms for possibilities in economic cooperation and development. There is no better way to understand a people than to know about their culture. Perhaps, other than France through the Alliance Francaise, China is a classic example of a country that is aggressively promoting its culture in Zambia.
 

The first 100+ days of the Trump Administration have engendered some new approaches to international relations, making this season of populist politics in the United States a confusing new chapter for diplomacy around the world. For public diplomats, it can be difficult to know where we should currently focus our energy and skills, especially amidst looming budget cuts and disruptions in international travel. So where does a young public diplomat even begin? Where will our efforts be most effective as we build our careers?

Visitors of Embassy Chef Challenge can sample authentic cuisines from 35 countries in a single day. One minute they can enjoy salmon ceviche and merquén mussels from Chile, and the next, jollof rice with chicken and fried plantains from Ghana. Adults can taste wines from Bolivia or the iconic gin-based cocktail from Singapore, the Singapore Sling. [...] “It’s a very happy place,” said Red Garcia, the chef representing the Philippines. “Food is like music. We break bread, and we share our culture and values. Everyone brings the best of everything.”