Amid spiralling Indo-Pak tensions, eminent Urdu poets believe cultural exchange between the two countries and visits of artists must be kept away from the purview of politics. Many Urdu poets expressed this desire on the sidelines of the 'Jashn-e-Bahar Mushaira' here last evening. A galaxy of poets, including Javed Akhtar, recited their poetry at the symposium to a packed house. In its 19th edition, this was the first time the Urdu poetry symposium had no representation from Pakistan.

CultureSummit 2017 Abu Dhabi ended with a commitment to develop a collaborative web-based platform to foster ongoing cross-cultural conversation and the creation of metrics which can more accurately measure cultural impact. [...] have helped build new partnerships which contribute to finding innovative ways of strengthening the role culture and new technologies can play in building societies. 

Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Toraifi opened the first Japanese full orchestra concert in Saudi Arabia on Thursday night here at King Fahad Cultural Center. The concert was organized as part of a Saudi-Japan music exchange program, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information and the Embassy of Japan.

Two giant panda cubs are being prepared for a new life at a zoo in the Netherlands following a long airplane flight from China. [...] For decades, China gifted friendly nations with its national mascot in what was known as "panda diplomacy." The country more recently has loaned pandas to zoos on commercial terms.

An awarding ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to recognise individuals who work or have previously worked in government positions to promote dialogue and understand between different cultures and people. The winners included Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Madeline Albright, former US secretary of state; and Dr Zaki Anwar Nussaibah, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Cultural Advisor at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.

Art is not a luxury, not an adornment of civilization. It is a necessity. It is one of the central purposes of civilization. Artists lead in ways politicians, chief executives, or generals cannot. They enable us to explore the mysterious - deep within us and all around us. They find the universal within the quotidian and in what has never before been imagined - the links that bind us to one another in the most profound ways.

Celebrating 70 years of Nepal-US friendship, a Cultural Mela was held at the Staff College in the Capital on Saturday. [...] Speaking to the Post, Cultural Affairs Officer of US embassy, William Holton, said, "Nepal and the US share a very good bilateral relationship. We have been helping each [other] in various ways through the decades and this event honours that special friendship."