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.

Blatter Slams European Media Over Qatar

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter condemned the European media for "attacking" the 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar on Tuesday, days after slamming European countries and companies over the controversial tournament. The veteran Swiss said the media had been unfair to Qatar as he made an impassioned defense of the event to delegates at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) awards in Kuala Lumpur.

Tags: media, europe, qatar, fifa, sepp blatter, 2022 fifa world cup, asian football confederation, criticism

South Africa: Civil Society Warns Of ‘Growing Assault On Democracy’

As South Africa prepares for elections next year, a group of civil society and religious leaders in Cape Town have accused some of the country's political forces - including elements of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) - of launching "a growing assault on democracy".

Tags: africa, south africa, democracy, civil society, desmond tutu, african national congress

Santos Appoints Women As Negotiators In Colombia Peace Talks

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos announced Tuesday that two women will be joining negotiators for the government in ongoing peace talks with the counrty’s largest rebel group the FARC in Havana, Cuba. The two women named were Maria Paulina, a lawyer and human rights advocate, and Nigeria Renteria, currently the High Presidential Adviser on Women’s Equality.

Tags: women, cuba, colombia, peace, conflict, farc, diversity, juan manuel santos

The Vatican’s Journey From Anti-Communism To Anti-Capitalism

Pope Francis is once again shaking things up in the Catholic Church. On Tuesday, he issued his first “apostolic exhortation,” declaring a new enemy for the Catholic Church: modern capitalism. “Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world,” he wrote.

Tags: economy, catholic church, poverty, communism, pope francis, capitalism, vatican city

Russia: Where Has All The Money Gone?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has had a good run over the past few months. Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor, landed on his doorstep, a gift from the PR gods. Agreement on Syria went from no chance to golden opportunity in the course of one afternoon. Forbes dubbed Putin the most powerful man in the world. Yet all these successes obscure a basic fact: Russia is running out of money.

Tags: russia, development, economy, energy, vladimir putin, corruption, money, reforms, capital flight

Korea Is Redefining Its Role In Public Diplomacy

Numerous governments and citizens throughout the world would like to see an effective counterbalance to China in East Asia. Korea, with its commitment to democracy, sophisticated economy, and long-established ties to the United States and other Western countries, is in a strong position to play this role, if it chooses to do so.

Tags: china, united states, soft power, public diplomacy, south korea, philip seib

El Hacker Civico: Civic-Minded Techies Gain Sway With Government In Mexico And Beyond

A handful of young hackers looked up from their laptops when Jorge Soto burst into the upstairs office they shared in an old Mexico City house one morning last spring. Soto wanted to be sure they'd seen the front-page headline then flying across Twitter: Mexico's congress was set to spend 115 million pesos (then US $9.3 million) on a mobile app that would let 500 lawmakers track legislative affairs from their cellphones -- more than a hundred times what such software could cost.

Tags: youth, mexico, digital diplomacy, technology, hacking

World Expo 2020

Four cities are currently in the running to host the 2020 World Expo: Dubai, UAE; Ekaterinburg, Russia; Izmir, Turkey; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. On November 27, the Bureau International des Expositions will have a meeting of its general assembly to determine the winner. Each city came up with their own proposed theme and objectives for the Expo; read on to find out more.

Tags: nation branding, russia, turkey, brazil, united arab emirates, sustainability, 2020 world expo, bureau international des expositions

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