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.

The Home Office Anti-Immigration Billboards are Just a Publicity Stunt

The Liberal Democrat president, Tim Farron, has called for the government's new billboards to be shredded. Nigel Farage said it was a nasty campaign with elements of Big Brother. The text on the ads runs: "In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest." It continues: "106 arrests last week in your area*." The asterisk is there to indicate that this is a made-up figure, relating to no particular area, and no particular week.

Tags: government pd, europe, united kingdom, immigration, diaspora, advertising, anti-immigration

Celebrating the London 2012 Olympic Legacy

Marking the anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic Games the Prime Minister’s Legacy Ambassador Sebastian Coe, Olympic gymnast and 2012 medal winner Beth Tweddle, Wheelchair Rugby 2012 Team Captain Steve Brown and Paralympic Equestrian 2012 medal winner Sophie Christiansen share their memories of the Games and talk about the legacy of the Games in Britain and around the world.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, sports diplomacy, united kingdom, london, summer olympics, 2012 summer olympics

Four UAE-Based Indian Journalists Win 12th Chiranthana Media Awards

The 12th yearly ‘Chiranthana-UAE Exchange Media Awards’ were recently given to four Indian journalists working in the UAE’s print, TV and radio media. The four award winners were selected for their contribution to the welfare of the Indian expatriate community in the UAE, by airing their woes and grievances in effective ways that helped the poor and low-income sections of society.

Tags: media, public diplomacy, india, journalism, united arab emirates

Experts say Brazil is Unlikely to be Ready for 2014 World Cup

Although doubts about Brazil’s readiness to host next year’s World Cup have focused on renovations at 12 stadiums, some Brazil trade experts say they are more concerned about travel logistics and whether airports, mass transit systems, hotels and railroads will be up to handling the crush of visitors. “The infrastructure behind the games is what will be complicated for Brazilians and foreign tourists,” said Marcelo Rocha e Silva Zorovich, a Sao Paulo business consultant who is a visiting researcher at the University of Miami.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, nation branding, sports diplomacy, americas, tourism, brazil, development, fifa world cup, soccer, infrastructure

Cultural Assimilation Through Yellow Cards

Researchers from the Catholic Univeristy of Leuven in Belgium looked at data from the English Premier League -- the soccer league with the highest number of international players -- to look at differences in the number of penalties collected by players from different regions of Europe. If you believed the stereotype that southern Europeans were picking up the most penalties... well, yeah you're right.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, europe, sports diplomacy, soccer, southern europe, assimilation

UN Human Rights Office Launches Unprecedented Global Campaign for LGBT Equality

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday launched Free & Equal, an unprecedented global public education campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. At a press conference held in Cape Town, South Africa, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay was joined by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Justice Edwin Cameron of the South African Constitutional Court to announce the year-long project.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, africa, united nations, human rights, lgbt

Latin America’s Top Countries for Women Entrepreneurs

Countries that provide conditions such as ample financial access, training programs, and social services are more likely to cultivate female entrepreneurs, says a new study. The Women’s Entrepreneurial VentureScope—launched by the Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund on July 25—is the first comprehensive assessment to score Latin America’s best and worst environments for women business owners of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Tags: government pd, americas, women, latin america, development, entrepreneurs, inter-american development bank

Young People Use Tech to End Violence Against Women in Nepal

Shrestha and 80 other young techies and civil society representatives came together for the first time to create mobile applications to end gender-based violence as part of a hackathon sponsored by the World Bank. Patriarchy is a deeply rooted problem in Nepal. As someone who grew up there, I know of many instances in which women faced violence and discrimination. One-third of married women have experienced some form of emotional, physical, or sexual violence from their spouse in their marital relationship.

Tags: government pd, new technology, civil society, nepal, world bank, computer

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