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.
Wales Ponders Independence From Britain
Wales doesn’t get more Welsh than this northern market town. Business and conversations between friends here are conducted not in English but in Welsh, the language spoken by some 80 percent of the local population. For the past 40 years, the town has been a stronghold of Plaid Cymru, the nationalist party whose stated goal is eventual independence.
Why Did This Photo Of A Syrian Refugee Child Go Viral?
A photo of a 4-year-old Syrian refugee in the desert and surrounded by humanitarian workers became a sensation online - as did the media covering it, after many questioned the narrative behind the photo. The picture sparked a storm of articles covering the story of a Syrian child crossing the desert alone.
Hard Lessons In Soft Power
Social media and public diplomacy are spinning a web for worldly Asian states. In this digital age of me, myselfie and I, we all know the power of social media to help us present our best face to the world. From Facebook to Instagram, YouTube to Twitter, we carefully cultivate everything about our lives; broadcasting ourselves, ‘bio-blogging’, ‘photo-shopping’ and massaging the mundane into the profound in a never-ending quest for likes, followers, +’s, pins, retweets and reposts.
Venezuela Expels 3 US Diplomats Amid Anti-Government Protests
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday accused Washington of plotting with anti-government protesters and expelled three US diplomats in retaliation. Maduro's order came on the same day that fugitive opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez re-appeared and called for a mass rally on Tuesday and challenged the government to arrest him at the event.
Norway, Slovenia, and Latvia Are Owning the Sochi Olympics
The overall medal count obscures how these small countries are outperforming their rivals in 2014.Judging by the overall tally at the Sochi Olympics, the Netherlands is currently ahead of all other nations with 17 total medals. The United States and Russia are tied for a close second with 16 medals each.
Good Neighbors
On Feb. 19, President Obama heads to Mexico to meet with President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the North American Leaders' Summit. The three leaders will undoubtedly look back at the last 20 years, recognizing the mostly positive changes that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other cross-border ties have brought to the three nations.
A Big Win For Asia At The Berlinale Fim Festival
Films from Asia are the clear winners at the 2014 Berlinale film festival in the German capital. Chinese thriller “Black Coal, Thin Ice”, scooped the top Golden Bear prize, while Liao Fan, who played the lead role in the film, won the Silver Bear for Best Actor. Told through flashbacks, the story is about a former policeman investigating gruesome murders in 1990s northern China.
Time Magazine Just Made Lots Of Enemies In Mexico
The upcoming issue of Time features Mexico’s president, Enrique Pena Nieto, on its cover. That has made the magazine more than a few new enemies. But it’s the accompanying front-page headline that really clinched the Mexicans’ ire: SAVING MEXICO.
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