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.
Australia Reserves 2,200 Places for Syrian Refugees
Australia will reserve more than 2,000 places in its refugee program for Syrians, at the same time as it tries to return Syrians held in offshore detention to the country the immigration minister describes as “in the midst of a terrible conflict”. Syrian refugees will have 2,200 places set aside within the Special Humanitarian Program (SHP), which takes in refugees who can prove they already have a connection to Australia.
Erdoğan Brought Censorship, Chilling Effects on Journalism
Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government has ruled the country since 2002, and there has been widespread controversy over press freedom in the country, with many doubting that such a freedom even exists. As a matter of fact, the US-based watchdog Freedom House's “Freedom of the Press 2014” report has downgraded Turkey from the category of “partly free” to “not free” because of what the institution called “the worsening media freedom situation.”
Britain's Defense Spending Protects the Realm and the Economy
It is easy to think of defence spending as building tanks, but it is also the optical equipment and computer technology that makes them work and which ends up having a commercial economic benefit. It can also fund innovative, scientific and other research, often at universities, that might not otherwise take place. That being said, there is no shortage of global economic innovation now, outside of defence, in areas such as stem cells, robotics, 3D printing or green technology.
Urgent Need for Improved Saudi-Iran Relations
The Middle East is in turmoil and increasingly there is a need for the two regional powers, Iran and Saudi Arabia, to mend their differences in an effort to address urgent regional security matters. There is no denying that the Arab-Persian rivalry and sectarian divide is deep-rooted and will require serious dialogue and engagement to be rectified.
International Broadcasters Reconsider Shortwave
At the height of the Cold War, the BBC World Service, Radio Canada International and the Voice of America used high-power, multilingual broadcasts on the shortwave radio bands (1710 kHz–30 MHz) to blast news and information behind the Soviet Union’s “Iron Curtain.” In turn, Radio Moscow, Radio Havana Cuba and East Germany’s Radio Berlin International pumped their own versions of reality to the world via shortwave.
EU holds Emergency Meeting on Ukraine and Iraq Crises
European Union foreign ministers met in a emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iraq. EU leaders welcomed the resignation of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, saying it paved the way for a potential political solution in that country. The Czech Republic and the Netherlands joined France in agreeing to send military equipment to aid Kurdish forces.
Russia and Australia: Trading Rhetoric and Sanctions
Australia and Russia have been engaging in a war of words over the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. The rhetoric is of course a minor part of the larger ongoing propaganda war over the way in which the crisis in Ukraine is perceived globally. Still, in addition to sanctions, Russia and Australia have continued to trade some particularly pointed remarks in recent weeks.
North Korea to Publish Human Rights Report
North Korea will publish its own report on human rights in the isolated country, state-run media reported earlier this week. A report in the Korean Central News Agency on Monday highlighted the work being done by the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies, an organization created in 1992 “with the objective of promoting human rights studies in the DPRK and coordinating in a unified manner the activities of human rights experts in various fields.”
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