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.
Is Obama’s Muslim Outreach Working?
For two years, President Obama has labored to improve America's standing in the eyes of the Muslim world. He hasn't gotten anywhere with the governments of Iran, Syria, the Palestinian Authority or perhaps any other Muslim country. But with their publics, Mr. Obama is much better liked than his predecessor, which has yielded more favorable ratings for the U.S. in general.
The rise of India’s pulp fiction
Indian novelists have joined the canon of modern literature, earning critical acclaim and topping bestseller lists in New York and London. Writers like Salman Rushdie and Vikram Seth are known for colorful epics that weave Indian history and culture into personal dramas. Each book is a labor of love, a door-stopping tome.
Although film is on the rise in Africa, music still holds its own
For the younger, more urbanized generation in Africa, film may be the dominant artistic medium, but for the continent's older generations, music remains central to identity.
Palestinian women race car drivers leave gender barriers in the dust
A handful of Palestinian women have taken up race car driving in the West Bank, and although there's been resistance, these women are too good to shut out.
How WikiLeaks Just Set Back Democracy in Zimbabwe
Last year, early on Christmas Eve morning, representatives from the U.S., United Kingdom, Netherlands, and the European Union arrived for a meeting with Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Appointed prime minister earlier that year as part of a power-sharing agreement after the fraud- and violence-ridden 2008 presidential election, Tsvangirai and his political party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), are considered Zimbabwe's greatest hopes for unseating the country's long-time de facto dictator Robert Mugabe and bringing democratic reforms to the country.
The pope’s condom kerfuffle, explained
The Catholic Church didn't really change its stance on condoms. Except that it did. For the past month, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Catholic Church had changed its position on condom use.
Turkey Displays its ‘Soft Power’ Through Key Int’l Posts
Turkey's non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council for two years, which started at the beginning of 2009, may be marked as its most significant international mission in recent years as it came after almost a half-century-long hiatus since it last held the same post.
Japanese cartoon festival to be held in Ha Noi
An array of eight famous Japanese animated films will be screened at the National Cinema Centre on January 12-16. The event is being jointly held by the Japanese Culture Department, the Japanese Cultural Exchange Centre in Viet Nam, the Cinematographic Department and the National Cinema Centre.
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