A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.
Mangal Shobhajatra Included in UNESCO Cultural Heritage List
Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh, a festival close to the hearts of Bangalis, has been inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was made at the 11th session of the Inter-governmental Committee on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday.
China's StarTimes Launches Digital TV Project in Rural Kenya
Chinese media company StarTimes on Wednesday launched a satellite digital television project in Kenya as part of its long-term agenda to bridge rural-urban information gap in the East African nation. According to StarTimes, the southwestern Kenyan county of Kajiado will pilot the project that has given over 120 households in Saina Village free access to the StarTimes digital television service.
How Cities Took Over the World
History shows that cities have tended to embrace international opportunities in waves and cycles. They rarely break out into global activity by themselves. Cities participate in collective movements or networks to take advantage of new conditions, and often their demise or withdrawal from a global orientation is also experienced jointly with other cities as circumstances change, affecting many at once.
Straight Outta Beijing: Stand Up Comedy is Alive and Booming in China
Do Chinese people like to laugh? Well stand-up comedy in general is a new idea to Chinese culture and expat English language comedy in China is an even bigger novelty given that the Beijing circuit is still in its infancy at around four years old. Currently the scene has two English language stand-up clubs, which hold a combination of three weekly open mics at various bars throughout the city.
Effort to Combat Foreign Propaganda Advances in Congress
Congressional negotiators on Wednesday approved an initiative to track and combat foreign propaganda amid growing concerns that Russian efforts to spread “fake news” and disinformation threaten U.S. national security. The measure, part of the National Defense Authorization Act approved by a conference committee, calls on the State Department to lead governmentwide efforts to identify propaganda and counter its effects. The authorization is for $160 million over two years.
Australian Politicians Settle on Backpacker Tax Compromise
After many months of wrangling between the government and the opposition parties a compromise has been achieved over what has come to be known as the “Backpacker Tax.” Legislation to tax young foreign workers at 15 percent from the first dollar they earn will now pass the Senate. [...] These visas were initially designed as a form of “cultural exchange.”
Canadian Businesses Set to Score in China’s Emerging Hockey Industry
Hockey, the sport that periodically pauses play to allow players to fight, is now helping foster diplomatic and business relations between Canada and China. In its preparations to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, China has asked for Canada’s assistance to help strengthen the country’s hockey culture and its hockey capabilities.
Good Girls Seldom Make Foreign Policy
“Well-behaved women seldom make history” was first the title of an article written in 1975 by historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. [...] When looking at the role of women in the formulation of foreign policy, this phrase can also be relevant. The conclusions of a series of interviews with women who are foreign policy specialists overlap with what Ulrich wrote 40 years ago.
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