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.
Some Find Indian ‘La Tomatina’ a Rotten Idea
A version of Spain’s famous La Tomatina festival has arrived in the Indian capital city of New Delhi. The festival, which is celebrated every year at the end of August in Buñol, Spain, involves people throwing squashed tomatoes at each other. The tomato festival has however, led to a war of words on Facebook and Twitter between Tomatina enthusiasts and others who question the tastefulness of the event.
The Internet nourished Norway’s killer, but censorship would be folly
Online, you can so easily find the thousand other people who share your perverted views. You then get a vicious spiral of groupthink, reinforcing the worst kind of ideology...totally divorced from everyday humanity. The real challenge is to work out how we can maximise the extraordinary capacity of the internet to open minds – and minimise its now evident tendency to close them.
Israel’s Identity Crisis
Historically, the modern Zionist movement has sought to transform the term “Jewish” into a distinctly national category. But it has not fully succeeded. The debate inside Israel over these issues...prevents Israel from articulating a coherent definition of its own identity, let alone one that is accepted and recognized by the majority of its citizens, most of whom are secular and liberal by any Western standard.
The Revolution Will Be Tweeted
Twitter has become the essential tool for following and understanding the momentous changes sweeping the Arab region. It's surprisingly smart and fast -- if sometimes a little too quick on the draw -- and human where other sources feel impersonal. If there is indeed such a thing as a Twitter revolution in the Middle East, it's the way the tool is transforming how the outside world looks at the region.
Bloomberg, Saudi Prince To Launch News Channel
Financial media giant Bloomberg is reportedly in talks with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud of Saudi Arabia to launch a new Arabic-language business news channel--a move which could shake up foreign media and cause massive headaches for Rupert Murdoch.
Musician will.i.am to Support the 100,000 Strong Initiative Concert in Beijing
As a supporter of the 100,000 Strong Initiative and to highlight the overall importance of educational and cultural ties between the United States and China, will.i.am will direct a concert in Beijing later this year to benefit the Initiative. The Beijing concert will celebrate U.S.-China educational and cultural exchanges and will include performances by will.i.am and other American and Chinese pop stars.
Nigeria Publishes First Chinese-Language Learning Book
The book, a self-study book for beginners to learn the Chinese language, is written by Victoria Arowolo, one of the first African Chinese language instructor in the country who is currently teaching at the Confucius Institute of UNILAG, reported China's Xinhua news agency.
Can water end the Arab-Israeli conflict?
Palestinians insist that the Israeli occupation means that they are consistently denied their water rights which is why they have to live on 50 litres of water a day while Israeli settlers enjoy the luxury of 280 litres. Clearly, water is at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, but commentators are now insisting that shared water problems could help motivate joint action and better co-operation between both sides, which could in turn help end the conflict.
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