U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Algeria this week seeking the country’s support for a West African force to help Mali’s military regain control of the north. And her talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika were dominated by the issue of how to deal with the terrorists and Islamic fundamentalists who took control of more than two-thirds of Mali after a coup toppled the government in Bamako last March.

Whenever DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University hosts a diversity workshop, seminar or speaking session, it draws a capacity crowd. “Usually attendance at our professional development sessions is hit and miss depending on how busy students are,” says Dr. Milena Head, acting director, MBA Programs at DeGroote. “But if diversity is the focus, we know there’s always going to be a full room.”

Tune in to the main television channel of our national broadcaster on many nights of the week and you could be forgiven for thinking that you’re in the home counties of the United Kingdom. Sitting as I am, in the middle of a conference of Asia-Pacific arts centres in Taipei, it is encouraging for me and my Asian counterparts to see that the White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century recognises the value of cultural engagement in a comprehensive approach to our relations in the region.

World leaders, ministers and high-level officials from 54 countries across the Asia-Pacific region will participate in the fifth Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) to discuss aspects to better promote democratic principles and values on Nov. 8-9 in Nusa Dua, Bali.

The Nobel League of diplomat-poets includes Gabriela Mistral, Saint-John Perse, George Seferis, Ivo Andric, Miguel Angel Asturias, Pablo Neruda and Octovio Paz. Latin America has the largest share of Nobel Laureates in this category. What is it that makes some diplomats excel in the fine art of poetry? Diplomacy is usually stereotyped as the fine art of wining and dining and diplomats as the lotus-eaters.

What are your impressions from Azerbaijan and what do you think about future of this country? Azerbaijan made impressive changes since I am back to the country 20 years later. Baku is a rich western city with all high live standards and variety of people.

MP Rovshan Rzayev spoke about the creation and activity of the public organization ‘Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan’, the contribution that people’s diplomacy may have in the resolution of the conflict and shared thoughts about the humanitarian aspects of the conflict.

The Celtic Connection, one of the Scotland’s biggest roots music and arts festival supported by the government Scottish Arts Council, yesterday signed an agreement with the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) to promote exchanges between roots musicians of Rajasthan and the Celtic regions of Britain.