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.
Pakistan’s “Burka Avenger” Set to Go Global
Pakistan's new cartoon superhero who fights bad guys disguised in a flowing black burka is set to go global, her creator told AFP, with plans afoot to broadcast the show in 60 countries. The Urdu-language animation "Burka Avenger," showing the adventures of a mild-mannered teacher who uses her superpowers to fight local gangsters trying to close down the girls' school where she works, hit Pakistani TV screens last month.
Venezuela to Create Task Force to Fight Border Crime
The Venezuelan government plans to create a new force tasked with patrolling the border with Colombia, which will face an uphill battle if it is to make a dent in crime in a region where criminal groups, corrupt security forces and general lawlessness run rampant. President Nicolas Maduro announced the government will create a Joint Task Force, which will be a "civic-military" initiative bringing together area residents, political actors and security forces with the goal of reinforcing border security.
Media Campaign Gives Libyan Women a Voice
A Libyan non-governmental organization has launched a media campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence, using religious passages that point to the proper treatment of women, Your Middle East reported on Sunday. The Voice of Libyan Women, founded during the 2011 revolution, has launched Project Noor (meaning ‘light’ in Arabic), a public awareness campaign which uses billboards, radio, TV and social media to disseminate messages about women’s security.
North Korea Would Prefer If You (and Chinese Tourists) Don’t Feed or Pet the Children
For the last year, the North Korean government has been trying to convince anyone who'd listen that its tourism industry is booming. With North Korea's long history of fibbing, those reports were a little suspect ... until stories emerged about the country is having the same problem as many popular tourist destinations: dealing with crude Chinese tourists.
War of the Screens: Digital Passes TV as a Time Suck For the 1st Time Ever
Five hours reading the Internet. Four hours watching television. Fourteen minutes with a print magazine. Sound about right? That's what your day looks like, according to a new study on media trends from eMarketer. The survey found that, with the rise of mobile, the U.S. media diet has crossed two thresholds: Americans are spending more time online than with TV and, for the first time ever, they're more time gazing into their phones and tablets than blinking into desktop screens in 2013.
Egyptians Already Hate the Next U.S. Ambassador to Cairo
It's not easy being Robert Ford. The U.S. ambassador to Syria braved attacks on the American embassy in Damascus by pro-Assad mobs, and even risked his life by traveling to the city of Hama and northern Syria. Now, he has reportedly been recommended as the next American envoy in Cairo -- but Egyptians have already organized a campaign against his nomination.
The UK Might Not Be Into Immigrants Right Now, But Its Universities Still Want Their Money
The British higher education system is in the middle of a quiet revolution, tilting relatively quickly towards an American-style market-based approach favored by the current coalition government. The government has laid out plans to cut government funding for universities by 40% by 2014. But that money has to come from somewhere. And it will likely be students. But such tuition caps don’t apply to students from outside the European Union, which is a large part of the reason the UK just unveiled a new strategic effort to attract students from overseas.
Army’s Iftaar Diplomacy in Valley
This Ramzan the Indian army is exploring gastronomical route to win the hearts and minds of the people in the restive Jammu and Kashmir. From Rajouri to Gool and from Kupwara to Tangmarg, the army is throwing Iftaar parties in remotest corners of the state to celebrate Ramzan with the common people. The sub-text of the Iftaar bashes is to uild bridges and improve its image amongst the general public.
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