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.

Like many Japanese compatriots of his age, Eiji Hattori, 66, turned to volunteer work in his hometown of Kani in Gifu Prefecture after retirement in 2009. But last month, the former drink factory manager jumped on a plane to South Korea, drawn by his newfound interest in an ancient Korean kingdom that was once close with Japan but now is little known beyond its borders.

As Nigeria celebrates 50 years of independence, BBC reporters look at the impact Africa's most populous nation has had on countries around the continent - from its movie industry and peacekeeping efforts to its notoriety for ingenious scams.

College students in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' International Youth Ambassador project shared their cultural exchange experiences Sept. 29 at Taipei County’s Fu Jen Catholic University. The MOFA sent 21 student teams from 13 universities to visit the nation’s allies, where they participated in summer camps with local youth for two to three weeks.

A Gandhi topi, a traditional Nigerian riga robe, a Baluchi turban, Inuit (Eskimo) stone sculptures from northern Canada, Bengal’s “pata chitra” and rare snapshots of historic Delhi are some of the highlights of the collective soft power of Commonwealth arts and culture on display in the capital.