For Nairobi’s commuters, summer has brought more woes than usual. [...] there has been an almost weekly shutdown as foreign VIPs fly in. [...] an increasing number are from the Middle East, their visits underlining a dramatic twist in the centuries-old battle between foreign powers for influence, trade, resources and military assets in a strategically sensitive part of the world.

Grammy award nominee Demetra George Mustafoglu, Soprano Lenia Kallis, Mezzo soprano Katie Economidou and 10-year-old Peri Bektasoglu, one of Demetra’s students from Kyrenia, will get together for a concert without borders to support the CVAR. Their choice of arias from operas and popular songs will be accompanied by pianist Agni Sacca.

Turkey is a friend of China and a prominent country in the Middle East. [...] Chinese Deputy FM Zhang Ming visited Turkey shortly after the coup attempt, and he exchanged views with Turkish officials on the current situation of Turkey and the region along with bilateral relations between China and Turkey. This demonstrates China's emphasis on Turkish relations and friendship towards the Turkish people.

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.

Organized by the Yunus Emre Institute under the auspices of the Presidency, the seceond Turkish Language Festival will take place on Aug. 27 at the Ülker Sports Arena, which will host 540 students from 46 countries. [...] The event comes at a meaningful time with ongoing conflicts dividing countries all around the world. 

Aug. 26-28, Bhutan will celebrate its seventh Mountain Echoes Literary Festival. The three-day festival is uniquely set against the backdrop of the verdant Himalayas in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. Mountain Echoes is a confluence of art, music, literature and new media, serving as the ideal platform for debate, discussion, and cultural exchange.