There are four official languages in Singapore: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. When the country gained independence in 1965, the government decided to keep English as the main language in order to maximise economic prosperity. Mandarin, however, has always been an important language too.

China's Minister of Culture Cai Wu, who was on a first-ever visit to Taiwan in early September, said cultural exchanges should be immediately stepped up and the two sides should sign a cultural cooperation agreement.

Young Iraqi refugees in Syria are in touch with US kids thanks to a novel idea to bring them together via web chats and video conferences. From there, friendships have blossomed

Under the title 'Resistance in Iranian Cinema' a Week of resistance films kicked off on Sunday at Damascus-based Kindi Cinema. The week is held by Iranian Cultural Chancellery in Damascus in cooperation with the General Organization for Cinema in Syria and the Institution of International Festival for Resistance Films in Iran.

On Saturday, Israeli Jews were among those sipping the signature, honey-colored Palestinian beer. After the years of conflict, the chance to mingle over a beer was a welcome change for some.

The ROC government announced recently it will invest over NT$33 billion (US$1.05 billion) to help develop the cultural and creative industry of Taiwan. The announcement is a sign the government is beginning to take the industry more seriously, something further evidenced when the Cabinet-level Council for Cultural Affairs said it will hold a fair in November to help the nation’s cultural and creative industry break into the mainland Chinese market.

President Ma Ying-jeou attended an event on the morning of September 29 where participants in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' International Youth Ambassador Exchange Program shared their experiences in the program. Besides promoting cultural diplomacy, the president remarked that these individuals represent Taiwan's soft power, extending friendship and compassion to the nation's allies.

Syrian sweets are becoming so popular that they rival Turkish baklava and bring in $60 million in revenue from sales abroad.