Sailors from Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa, Commander Task Force 76, tenant commands and their families met Soldiers from the 15th Brigade of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) Feb. 8-9, to tour each other’s base and participate in cultural exchange. [...] Ishizuka said this quarterly cultural exchange helps break the ice between the two forces and makes working together easier down the road. 

From the glories of ancient culture to darker shades of contemporary conflict, works by Iraq’s most influential artists are to go on display at a major European event expected to draw at least 500,000 visitors. The National Pavilion of Iraq’s exhibition will be staged at the 57th Venice Biennale in May and feature artefacts spanning six millennia from the Neolithic Age to the Neo-Babylonian period alongside the works of eight modern Iraqi artists.

Marking the 150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation, there will be a series of cultural and educational events in Korea this year, according to the Canadian Embassy in Seoul. The Canadian Confederation refers to the process by which the former British colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were united into one Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867.

A collaboration between the British Council, the UK government and local strategic partners such as Abu Dhabi’s Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA), the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA) and the UAE’s Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, the UK/UAE 2017 Year of Creative Collaboration is a series of events that range from the recent performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End record-breaking musical Cats at Dubai Opera, to scientific conferences on the UAE’s future ­urban development.

The Indonesian Embassy in Moscow will again host the Festival Indonesia this year as part of economic diplomacy efforts to promote superior products and the potential of Indonesia. [...] The Festival Indonesia this year to promote superior products of Indonesia will be enlivened by among other things, business forum, products exhibition, Indonesian arts and cultural performances, and information services on Indonesia.

Washington is saying its farewells to Bao Bao, the beloved giant panda that leaves the Smithsonian’s National Zoo February 21. Next stop: China. The 3-year-old has enthralled Washingtonians — and panda lovers the world over — thanks in large part to the zoo’s “panda cams,” on-site cameras that have captured the panda’s movements ever since her birth in August 2013.

The Buderim-based Buddies Refugee Support Group is again calling for hosts for the Learn English Holiday program, which pairs refugees and Sunshine Coast residents for a week-long exchange. Fergus Fitzgerald of Buddies said he considered the exchange one of the organisation's flagship programs due to its immense benefits to both parties. "For the asylum seekers and refugees, sometimes this is the first time they've stayed in a normal family setting since they've fled their home,” he said.