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.
White House Executive Chef on 'Culinary Diplomacy' and Learning to Cook in the Philippines
At age 21, Cris Comerford dropped out of college in the Philippines to move to the United States with her family. A decade later, she was hired by then-White House Executive Chef Walter Scheib III, and a decade after that, she herself was appointed executive chef by first lady Laura Bush.
India, Mongolia to Promote Scientific, Cultural, People to People Contacts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mongolian counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg on Sunday agreed to promote continued cooperation in the scientific, educational and IT sectors by developing mechanisms for capacity building, collaborative research, technical cooperation, exchange of information and experience sharing.
Making Smart Sanctions Smarter
For proponents of targeted, or “smart,” sanctions, it was unquestionable proof of such punitive financial measures’ effectiveness as a foreign policy tool. They may be right. The unprecedented regime of UN, regional, and national sanctions leveled against Tehran was instrumental in slowing its progress toward nuclear weapons capability and bringing Iran’s leaders to the negotiating table.
TRT’s English-Language Channel Starts Test Broadcast
Turkey's state-run broadcaster TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation) has added an English-language channel to the stations it operates. TRT World, which will offer English news services around the clock, started its test broadcast on Monday after it was inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın Akdoğan.
All Hail Music Diplomacy: B.B. King Departs the Global Stage
Legendary blues guitarist and singer B.B. King died last week. He was a global ambassador for American culture. King performed in Russia, China and Europe, and while in his 80s, he was still playing concerts in Denmark, Germany and France. He was an embodiment of American soft power, expressing the vitality and spirit of a diverse nation.
Is Qatar Shifting from Soft to Hard Power?
After four years of engagement with its critics in a so far failed bid to turn its hosting of the World Cup into a successful soft power tool, Qatar appears to have decided that the region's tendency to intimidate those who don't fall into line may be a more effective strategy, writes James M. Dorsey.
Movie Shot in Mexico City Takes on Trotsky's Assassination
MEXICO CITY (AP) — It's a tale of love, betrayal and history's most famous murder by ice pick. The plot to assassinate Leon Trotsky, the Soviet revolutionary-turned-exiled dissident, in Mexico City in 1940, is at the heart of "El Elegido" ("The Chosen"), an upcoming movie that's set to wrap shooting in this capital in the coming days.
Pope Francis Names Two Palestinian Nuns Saints
Canonization comes just days after the Vatican formalized its de facto recognition of the State of Palestine. Pope Francis named two Palestinian women as saints on Sunday, in a ceremony in Saint Peter's Square just days after the Vatican formalized its de facto recognition of the State of Palestine.
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