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.

Why On Earth Would An Ambassador In Cuba Tweet?

A lot of my diplomatic counterparts in Havana look completely bemused when I talk to them about Twitter or tell them what my last blog was about. That’s not because they don’t know what Twitter or blogging is but because they don’t really see social media as playing a role in their daily diplomacy.

Tags: blogging, cuba, development, digital diplomacy, havana, social media, tim cole, twitter, united kingdom

The Taliban's Unity Of Purpose

Taliban and like-minded jihadis are becoming more united in their determination to impose their brand of sharia on both Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the help of their international mentors under the banner of al-Qaeda.

Tags: afghanistan, history, non-state actors, pakistan, taliban, terrorism

Anger Over New Strip-Search Diplomat Charges

India has expressed anger over the US Justice Department's decision to re-indict one of its diplomats on visa fraud charges and allegations she lied about how much she paid her housekeeper.

Tags: consular diplomacy, devyani khobragade, diplomacy, india, new york, united states

Russian Foreign Policy Reflects Domestic Dysfunction

Vladimir Putin appears well on his way to reclaiming the Crimea for Russia, restoring the peninsula to a status forfeited by Nikita Khrushchev’s Soviet Union in 1954. But this territorial achievement may provide only temporary distraction for Russia’s 140 million people who have seen their quality of life deteriorate dramatically since Putin took power in 1999.

Tags: corruption, crimea, domestic, europe, foreign policy, politics, public opinion, russia, ukraine, vladimir putin

Michelle Obama's China Choice: Public Diplomacy vs. Politics

Public diplomacy matters, but it is no substitute for policy. As First Lady Michelle Obama prepares to travel to China, she should consider weaving some policy into what appears to be almost entirely a week-long public diplomacy push. With her mother and two daughters in tow, the first lady will be visiting educational institutions and historical sites and discussing education in the United States and China.

Tags: barack obama, china, education diplomacy, foreign policy, history, media, michelle obama, politics, public diplomacy, united states

Venezuela Unrest: President Nicolas Maduro Gives Ultimatum To Protesters

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro warned protesters in Caracas on Saturday to clear a square they have made their stronghold, or face eviction by security forces. Plaza Altamira, in upscale east Caracas, has been a focus of anti-government protests and violence during six weeks of unrest around Venezuela that has killed 28 people.

Tags: anti-government, caracas, conflict, nicolas maduro, protest, south america, venezuela

Brazil Targets 1M With Olympic Language Training

Organizers of the Rio 2016 Olympics on Thursday revealed plans to provide language training for more than a million people ahead of the event. Brazil ranks behind many of its counterparts in the language learning stakes, comparative international studies show, and few people speak English outside major cities.

Tags: 2016 Rio Olympics, brazil, education, ef education first, english, language, rio de janeiro, south america, tourism

Virtual Exchanges: We Need Everyone

It’s the smallest and most obvious thing, and yet my life was at stake: I had to learn to look to the right when crossing the street.  That’s my first memory when I think back on the exchange program I attended in the United Kingdom as a junior in college.  Like everyone who takes the big jump into studying abroad, I was immersed in a different culture full of new people, foods, and sounds.

Tags: academic exchange, Cultural Diplomacy, educational and cultural affairs, evan ryan, exchange diplomacy, public diplomacy, united states, virtual exchanges

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