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.
A close encounter
Thai and Cambodian authorities were busy preparing and bracing themselves yesterday for what promised to be extremely awkward diplomacy, with Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen set to visit the Ta Muen Thom ruins in Surin.
Why the U.S. Is Back on the Road to Damascus
But news that the embassy is set, for the first time in five years, to have a resident ambassador is a sign that the can't-live-with-'em-can't-live-without-'em U.S.-Syrian relationship is about to enter a new phase. The State Department has presented the credentials of Robert Ford, former U.S. deputy ambassador to Iraq, to the Syrian government for approval as ambassador in Damascus, according to the Syrian government.
Libya Bans YouTube
Libya’s crackdown on YouTube, independent news sites and at least seven opposition websites based abroad is drawing criticism from human rights organizations. The moves, which began last month, have been labeled a “disturbing step away from press freedom” and are being condemned by bloggers and activists alike.
UN, China in Diplomacy to Persuade North Korea
U.N. Special Envoy to North Korea Lynn Pascoe indicated that his upcoming visit to the secretive state will include discussions on the resumption of the stalled six-party denuclearization talks, saying all issues will be on the table.
Suddenly culture is a ‘national priority’
Finally Malta has a cultural policy that is up for discussion, and as Peter Serracino Inglott put it yesterday, it is Malta’s cultural policy, not elephants, that has had the longest gestation period.
French language losing its cachet? Au contraire!
Senior French officials are mounting a rearguard action to defend the use of French at the UN and other international institutions as a language of diplomacy, in the face of the inexorable rise of English.
Party leader outlines tasks for newly accredited ambassadors
Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has asked newly accredited ambassadors to pay special attention to economic and cultural diplomacy, and overseas Vietnamese affairs during their working terms abroad.
India’s limited options in post-US Afghanistan
Bharat (aka India) has been out maneuvered in Afghanistan. The international community has tried Bharat’s way for a decade and it produced negative results for ISAF and NATO. As Joseph Nye says, “Achieving transformational objectives may require a combination of both hard and soft power.”
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