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.
Taxpayers Slugged $130,000 for Julie Bishop's Koala Diplomacy
Diplomats with these koalafications don't come cheap. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop could barely contain her glee when she was filmed with the furry foursome of Paddle, Chan, Pelita and Idalia at the launch of Singapore Zoo's new koala exhibit last week. But Australian taxpayers might not be so happy to learn that the diplomatic donation – made to mark 50 years of Australia-Singapore relations – cost them $133,100.
On the Field and Online: How the Fight Against ISIS is a Battle On Two Fronts
The fall of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra to the Islamic State this week marked an opportunity for the militant group to push its propaganda forward. [...] The militants’ decision to publicize their victory via social media is typical of the group’s strategy as it strives to use the Internet to push its propaganda forward – and it comes as the Obama administration faces increasing scrutiny of its policies for combating the extremist group on both fronts.
Activists Cross North-South Korea Border
A group of women peace activists, led by American feminist Gloria Steinem, made a rare crossing of one of the world's most militarised borders on Sunday to promote reconciliation between North and South Korea.
Diplomacy: Pulling In Different Directions
As the new government gets started, the main actors in the Mideast diplomatic drama are all pulling in very different directions.
K Shanmugam to Visit New Zealand To Mark 50 Years of Diplomatic Relations
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam’s visit, from May 24 to 26, takes place as both countries mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Japan, South Korea Financial Chiefs Resume Talks Amid Diplomatic Row
Tokyo: Japan and South Korea on Saturday held the first dialogue of their financial chiefs in two and a half years, agreeing to improve economic ties despite diplomatic frictions between the two Asian countries. Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso and his South Korean counterpart Choi Kyung-Hwan held a one-day meeting in Tokyo, the first since November 2012 and since conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in December that year.
Lamps Shine Light On a New Kind of Aid in Burundi
In the hilltop village of Murehe, electricity is an exotic and faraway rumour. Like 97 per cent of the population in Burundi, one of the world’s poorest countries, the villagers here rely on candles and kerosene for a dim and flickering light. [...] What’s even more significant is how the village got its lamps. This wasn’t a traditional charity giveaway – the old-fashioned type of foreign aid. Instead, there was a business plan, technical innovation, a system of income generation with village enterprises and a partnership with a profit-making company.
Habla Español: what’s next for the world’s second language?
Spanish is not just a handy language for World Cup referees. In a 2013 report entitled “Languages for the Future”, the British Council cited Spanish as the most important language to learn. It’s not hard to see why: approximately 470 million people speak Spanish as a native language, 60 million as a second language and 20 million students are studying it as a foreign language.
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