Unlike most diplomats who are usually seen in three-piece suits and leather shoes, Wu Sung-lian is helping to further Taiwan's diplomacy with a spatula in hand and a white chef's hat on his head.

This year, the Festival (established in 2007) played host to nearly 2,000 artistes in 27 venues spread over 10 days. “I want to place this Festival as a platform for cultural diplomacy and international tourism,” says Prathibha Prahlad, celebrated dancer and Festival director.

India will set up cultural centres in five more countries to showcase its soft power and acquire a global footprint for its rich diversity, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Saturday.

The dawn of a new calendar year may have begun, but there are few rays of sunshine on the diplomatic horizon, as pressure continues to mount on the Jewish state. In recent weeks, various South American countries have conferred recognition on an independent “Palestine,” in effect prejudging the outcome of any future negotiations.

Two-time Olympic medalist and five-time world champion Michelle Kwan will travel to Singapore January 9-15, 2011 on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Since then, Americans have had little interaction with Cuba and most know little about the Caribbean country or its culture. But a group of seven Cuban musicians is trying to change that - one New England school at a time.

Alena Adamkova, the Executive Director of the International Roerich Memorial Trust, has been decorated with the Russian order of Friendship for her contribution into the development of the Russian-Indian cultural ties. Slovakian Adamkova, who is a specialist in Indian Studies, lived for many years in the USSR and India.

Turkish soap operas have conquered the Balkans reversing Turkey's negative image with the Balkan nations from the time of the Ottoman yoke, according to Austrian paper Der Standard. Turkey's film industry is not only making money from the showing of its soaps in Balkan countries... but it is also helping out the Turkish diplomacy, the newspaper says in an article entitled "Ottoman Television Runs Like Clockwork."