The capital is primed for a slot on the global cultural tourism map as it opens its doors to unique performances, fusion projects and artists from 18 countries in a mega showcase of arts and culture for 10 days beginning on Dec 3.

Cooking classes are increasingly popular among travelers to Morocco, offering a chance to work with local cooks on delicacies from one of the world's great cuisines, creating delicately spiced tajines, hearty couscous or perfumed date and honey pastries.

The British Museum will help set up the UAE's national museum through the loan of art and assistance with exhibits on falcons and the oil and pearl industries.The Zayed National Museum will receive advice on the training of its Emirati staff and the establishment of its programming from the world famous UK institution.

The first Experimental Media Art Festival in Taiwan (EXIT) will open in Taipei on Thursday featuring a wide range of avant-garde films from Asia and Canada that are rarely exhibited in museum galleries or screened in local film festivals.

But some had grander hopes for the Expo – namely, that it would ‘showcase China’s soft power’... As it happened, the events that swirled around the Expo’s closing weeks showcased something quite else: Why China doesn’t have much soft power and why the West, broadly defined, still has it in spades.

In 1941, celebrated animator Walt Disney went on a diplomatic mission to Latin America. The creator of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck became a good will ambassador. The U.S. had not yet joined its allies in war, but feared growing Nazi and Fascist influence in the Americas.

President Pratibha Patil, who is on a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Wednesday inaugurated the Indian Islamic Centre (IIC) here and said the centre will prove to be a cultural bridge between the two countries.

Launching the Showcase at Parliament this evening, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson says the creation of the Film Showcase will enable overseas posts to share our films with an international audience.