İzmir’s International Fair, the first trade and cultural fair in Turkey, celebrates its 85th anniversary with a revamped face as its opens its doors in Aegean city on Aug. 26. The fair, founded in 1923, aimed to show the international world that the new republic wanted to be part of the Western economic system and an actor in the global economy. Since then, it has been a tool of diplomacy.

Of Brennan’s roughly 200 employees, some 22 are now foreign nationals working here for one-year hitches. [...] Others hail from Turkey, Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Ecuador. They’re here on the Exchange Visitor Program, also called the J-1 visa program, which is administered by the Department of State for foreigners to work or study in the U.S.

South Korean Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok will attend a culture ministers' conference with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts on Jeju Island [...] Entering its eighth edition, the trilateral meeting on Saturday and Sunday will focus on ways to establish an Asian cultural community as a joint project by the three countries in arts, cultural assets, and the culture-related industry.

The culture industry is not only a money-spinner for a country, but is possibly a major sector that boosts the economy. Bùi Hoài Sơn, deputy head of the Việt Nam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), said this, while speaking about the development of the culture industry in Việt Nam in recent years.

TV just like at home – for millions of Chinese viewers in Europe. The new bobbles.tv pay TV platform is going on air today. The service for international communities in Europe is launching with 18 popular Chinese channels. bobbles.tv can be received throughout Europe via satellite and internet. An Indonesian TV package featuring seven channels is launching at the same time as the Chinese service. 

Airbnb, the "official alternative accommodation service" for the Olympic Games, has made a big investment into Rio and it's is already paying off. A city that once lacked enough hotels and is living under Brazil's recession has meant big opportunity for the homesharing marketplace. [...] In preparation for the Olympics, Airbnb has worked in coordination with the organizing committee to encourage people to open up their homes for visitors.

The Italian conductor of the World Youth Orchestra, Damiano Giuranna, has said that music can help the world understand peace and brotherhood much more. “We are the same family, different brothers but really the same family. This is an important result to know that brotherhood will be the winner, not the war between us,” Giuranna told the Tehran Times in an interview held at the Rudaki Hall. 

The Middle East remains of a major geostrategic importance. Global powers found in the recent developments an opportunity to chart their way into the region; sending troops and reinforcements, rebuilding alliances and restoring old relations. Amidst this chaotic environment, a number of regional forces opted to adopt a different approach: soft power.