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.

Al Qaeda’s Boss Is Fed Up With Al Qaeda’s Syrian ‘Affiliate’ ISIS

Al Qaeda has long struggled with controlling its Iraqi offshoot. Now it seems as if Ayman al-Zawahiri has had enough. The level of direct coordination between Al Qaeda's leadership in Pakistan and the group that originally was known as Al Qaeda in Iraq has always been limited - and has appeared pretty much dead since 2006.

Tags: pakistan, non-state actors, syria, terrorism, al qaeda, ayman al-zawahiri, islamic state of iraq and the levant

Dennis Rodman And Sports Diplomacy Gone Awry

He can still dunk like a butterfly, but in the personally tragic case of former basketball pro Dennis Rodman in North Korea, the embrace of Kim Jong Un and his policies sting like a bee. Rodman is the most recent example of sports diplomacy gone awry. With the Sochi Olympics starting, a new cadre of unpredictable athlete diplomats will likely take the stage.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, sports diplomacy, north korea, history, dennis rodman, 2014 sochi winter olympics, basketball diplomacy, , athlete diplomats

8 Lessons Of Nation Branding

In my new book, “Shaping China’s Global Imagination: Branding Nations at the World Expo,” I explore the idea of nation branding—what it is and how it works—through the instructive case of the Shanghai World Expo. Despite the growing interest in how countries promote their national image, the potential and role of branding in a nation’s communication has often been assumed but not demonstrated.

Tags: nation branding, shanghai, jay wang, 2010 world expo

U.S. Agency Says Projects Offer Model for Greater Health Security

According to an article in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released January 30 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pilot projects between CDC and Uganda and CDC and Vietnam have resulted in improvements in disease detection and response that may serve as a model for increasing global health security in the rest of the world.

Tags: indonesia, uganda, , global health security, cdc

Preview: 15 Works From ‘Futbol: The Beautiful Game’ At LACMA

Known as football (or fútbol) around the world, soccer has been considered a legendary sport for years and years, lauded for its style, grace, speed, and extremely dedicated fans. "Fútbol: The Beautiful Game," presented by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, explores the significance and impact of soccer around the world, presenting a visual history of the game through paintings, photography, sculpture, and video works from 30 international artists.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, sports diplomacy, art diplomacy, los angeles, world cup, soccer diplomacy, museums, l.a. county museum of art, futbol

China’s Stadium Diplomacy In Africa

In Maputo, the “Garden for Sculptors” behind the Museu Nacional de Arte on Avenida Ho Chi Minh has become a kind of prison yard for Mozambique’s various Ozymandiases, a semi-public dumping ground where colonial monuments now crumble quietly away. A marble European baroness reclines in thick robes, the grasses growing up around her base.

Tags: china, africa, sports diplomacy, foreign policy, development, economy, infrastructure, stadium diplomacy, mining

Tensions Rise As Protesters Disrupt Thailand’s Elections

The administration of Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has faced protests since October 2013. The protesters claim the administration has bought votes, and these activists have vowed to disrupt polling stations. In a precursor to today's elections, a gun battle broke out in front a Lak Si District officer where anti-government protesters set up an encampment in front of a building holding election ballots.

Tags: asia pacific, thailand, elections, protest, yingluck shinawatra,

Israel Angry About Kerry’s Boycott Remarks

As U.S. mediated Middle East peace talks enter their seventh month, mounting tensions have emerged between Israel and Washington. Israeli officials are furious after Secretary of State John Kerry warned that if peace talks with the Palestinians fail, Israel could face growing international boycotts. Kerry was speaking at a security conference in Munich.

Tags: united states, middle east, israel, palestine, john kerry, conflict, boycott, israeli-palestinian conflict

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