In an extraordinary act of culture and courage, a Russian orchestra performed in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra recently liberated from the Islamic State, but Western media mocked the event, notes Gilbert Doctorow.[...] The orchestrated performed a concert of Bach, Shchedrin and Prokofiev in the Roman Amphitheater to celebrate the return of culture to a UNESCO site desecrated by its Islamic State occupiers.

UK immigration strategy is is costing the country its share in the valuable international student market, a new all-party parliamentary group has said. [...] The inaugural meeting heard Canada had overtaken the UK last year as a destination for international undergraduates, while Australia was projected to do so in little over a decade.

Titled “Azerbaijan: Land of Hope, Tolerance and Inspiration,” the booklet contains information about Azerbaijan’s history, rich musical and cultural heritage, long-standing traditions of multiculturalism and interfaith tolerance, economic opportunities, energy strategy and diplomacy, as well as tourism potential.

News reports are filled with stories that make Muslims, and those in religious minorities where they live, feel uneasy. It’s clear that for many, the world has become a fearful place. So when The Star received an email from a Muslim high school exchange student expressing hope and idealism about the state of the world, editors took notice.

Nigeria's vast and rich cultural heritage should be strategically repositioned to partner tourism as its driver to lift the Nigerian economy. Tourism cannot effectively flourish without the cultural components. The desire to position culture and tourism as the lever of Nigeria's economic growth and development rests with the Ministry of Information and Culture as it must plan to mainstream both sectors into a monolithic entity to galvanize national economic development. 

 However, India’s larger objective is to woo its neighbors through soft diplomacy. The Indian government has formulated a grand plan to promote tourism in places which are part of its "Buddhist Circuit." Accordingly, all of the relevant sites will have airports so that visitors will be able to travel between them with relative ease. 

Bangladesh has resorted to public diplomacy in its efforts to narrow down the decades-old “gap in understanding” with its neighbour Myanmar. The relations with the new democratic Myanmar are of strategic importance, as they are the gateway to China and ASEAN economies, besides spelling a potential supply of natural gas. 

At the very private lunch that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had for the visiting Duke and Duchess of Cambridge earlier this month, the cuisine had an “Anglo Indian touch”. This deviation from the tried and tested official menus that generally feature cream of almond soup and insipid north Indian curries and kebabs was certainly welcome. But more interesting was the attempt to reach out to the guests via food.