Some of the most renowned professional dancers from around the world will perform and compete with one another from now until Saturday. [...] But VIBE is about more than just dancing. Film makers, diplomats and policy makers from around the world will discuss the role of arts and culture in international diplomacy. 

It had been a "a real coup" for Australia and had probably generated "more than $60 million of free publicity" for the country, he said. And the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade praised Eurovision in its annual report, acknowledging it as a boon for "public diplomacy" that had showcased Australia’s creative talent to 200 million viewers. 

It may sell itself on feathers, wind machines and cheesy songs, but behind the sequins of the Eurovision Song Contest is a complex, carefully managed political game. With more than 40 countries competing, the host city of Vienna, Austria, is presently overflowing with politicians, diplomatic missions…

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry insisted Thursday that the six-power group negotiating with Iran is “not discussing an extension.” “We are negotiating to try and get an agreement. It’s that simple,” he told reporters in Paris before he left for Vienna to join the nuclear talks.