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.

ICANN CEO Sets Off Explosion Of New Internet Names

Starting next week, the Internet is going to look very different -- and ICANN Chief Executive Fadi Chehade is the one who'll get both the credit and the blame. Today, Net addresses end with 22 familiar terms -- .com, .net, and .edu -- called generic top-level domains (GTLDs). But starting Feb. 4, the first of hundreds of new GTLDs will begin arriving -- .ninja, .farm, .shoes, .photography, .bike, .pink, and even .wtf.

Tags: new technology, digital diplomacy, icann, gtlds, fadi chehade, internet corporation for assigned names and numbers

‘Walk of Shame:’ No Flag For Indian Athletes At Winter Olympics

Shiva Keshavan, India’s most prominent Winter Olympics athlete, has no personal coach, funds his training largely with private donations and built his luge sled in his garage. Because India has no luge track, he often trains on wheels, shooting down winding Himalayan roads dodging goats and noisy trucks.

Tags: nation branding, india, nationalism, 2014 sochi winter olympics, flag, independent athletes

Russian Olympics Chief Contradicts IOC Head On Political Statements

The Russian head of the Sochi Olympics, Dmitry Chernyshenko, says he doesn't think athletes should be allowed to express their political views during their news conferences at the Games. His position appears to directly contradict International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who said athletes were permitted to make political statements at press conferences.

Tags: russia, europe, 2014 sochi winter olympics, international olympics committee, thomas bach, dmitry chernyshenko

Egypt Charges 20 Journalists With Conspiracy

Egyptian prosecutors said on Wednesday that they were charging 20 journalists working for the Al Jazeera television network with conspiring with a terrorist group and broadcasting false images of “a civil war that raises alarms about the state’s collapse.” The charges are the latest turn in a widening clampdown on public dissent by the military-backed government that ousted President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood six months ago.

Tags: media, international broadcasting, egypt, al jazeera, journalism, terrorism, censorship, muslim brotherhood

How The Sochi Games Became The Most Geopolitically Charged Olympics

The world is just a few days away from witnessing the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics. This year, the games will be held in the Russian summer resort of Sochi. Sochi, known as a longtime retreat for the Communist elite, will be hosting history’s most expensive Olympics, with a bill of $51 billion.

Tags: russia, europe, vladimir putin, lgbt, geopolitics, sochi, 2014 sochi winter olympics

Indonesia As An Example Of 21st Century Economic Statecraft

In 2013, Indonesia hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leadership meeting. Established in 1989, APEC has 21 member states that are committed to promoting trade and economic cooperation in the region. The summit was overshadowed by the absence of President Obama, who canceled his trip to manage the partial U.S. government shutdown.

Tags: china, united states, foreign policy, indonesia, economy, asia pivot, apec, economic statecraft, anja eifert

2014 Will Be A Tumultuous Year For Sports Diplomacy

The 2014 Winter Olympic games begin in a little less than a month at the time of writing this article. They will be located in Sochi, Russia, which is a tiny Russian resort town on the Black Sea. Also this year, the 2014 World Cup kicks off this June. It will take place across Brazil in a multitude of cities across the country. Both of these events are significant because they are two of the largest (if not the largest) worldwide sport events.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, russia, sports diplomacy, brazil, lgbt, sochi, 2014 sochi winter olympics, 2014 fifa world cup,

Ruhan Jia: Can China’s State-Sponsored Pop Star Win Western Favor?

Psy, the K-pop sensation and king of YouTube views, achieved an uncommon level of success in the West. While he may be the best example of an Asian pop singer breaking through the so-called “bamboo ceiling,” Asian artists face an uphill struggle attracting support from English-speaking fans.

Tags: china, Cultural Diplomacy, music diplomacy, pop music, psy, ruhan jia, communist party of china,

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