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.

Think The French Are Europe’s Most Cultured? Think Again

With a preschooler at home, I don't get out much. I get out to a lot of parks, but art openings or the theater? Unfortunately, never. Still, to be new in Paris, with some of the world's best museums, designer clothes shops, and gallery exhibitions all around me, at least I can partake in a buzzing cultural vibe.

Tags: public opinion, europe, united kingdom, france, culture, sweden,

In Kazakhstan, New Networking Site Groups Users By Tribe

When Kazakhs meet for the first time, two key questions are all it takes to figure each other out: What part of the country are they from? And what horde and tribe are they? The answers immediately establish a person's roots, history, and allegiances -- a holdover of ancient tribal divisions that remain relevant in modern-day Kazakhstan.

Tags: social media, kazakhstan, tribes, rulas.kz, networking

Turkish Deputy PM Bozdag Attends Opening of Turkish School in Cameroon

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ attended the opening of a Turkish school in Cameroon, established by the Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi Foundation, on Saturday. On the second day of his visit to Cameroon, Bozdağ participated in the opening ceremony of the school, which is in the city of Maroua.

Tags: turkey, education diplomacy, academic exchange, cameroon, turkish, aziz mahmut hudayi foundation

Sepp Blatter: Qatar World Cup in 2022 Could Be Shared By Iran and UAE

Sepp Blatter has admitted he is open to the possibility of staging the 2022 World Cup in more than one Gulf nation after revealing several countries had offered to co-host the tournament with Qatar. With a formal decision still to be made over whether it will be staged in the winter, Blatter also indicated that his preference is to start it in November or December rather than January or February.

Tags: nation branding, iran, sports diplomacy, tourism, qatar, united arab emirates, soccer, fifa, sepp blatter, 2022 fifa world cup

US Universities Target Foreign Markets. Can Core Values Survive?

When outspoken economics professor Xia Yeliang was dismissed by Peking University (PKU) last month, 136 faculty members at Wellesley College, an elite all-women's school outside Boston, took it personally. They had reason to believe Professor Xia had been fired for his political opinions. And since Wellesley had recently signed a partnership with PKU, the latest in a flood of US universities to set up bridgeheads in China, they figured that made Xia a colleague of theirs.

Tags: united states, academic exchange, values, higher education

Vietnam’s Disappointing New Constitution

The repercussions of poor governance in Vietnam are such that the system of governance and constitutional structure need to be fundamentally changed. Much discussion has focused on a roadmap leading to participatory democracy, market mechanisms free of socialist guidance, rule of law and civil society. The challenge is great, and any transformation will depend entirely on the political willingness of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). Observers have been waiting to see if anything will change among its elites.

Tags: vietnam, civil society, politics, communism, constitution

L.A. Filipinos Mobilize to Assist Typhoon Victims

As the death toll continues to rise in the aftermath of the powerful typhoon that swept through the Philippines last week, Southern California’s local Filipino community has been mobilizing to assist in relief efforts. A 5K Charity Walk was held in Van Nuys early Sunday to help raise funds for victims of Typhoon Haiyan, officials said. The walk was originally planned to help victims of a 7.1 earthquake that rocked the region last month, said Jovena “Bing” De La Vega, a chief organizer of the event.

Tags: united states, non-state pd, aid diplomacy, philippines, los angeles, charity, typhoon haiyan

Venezuela Releases U.S. Journalist After 2 Days

The Venezuelan authorities on Saturday released an American journalist who had been detained and questioned by military intelligence officials. The journalist, Jim Wyss, is the Andes region bureau chief for The Miami Herald. He was detained Thursday near Venezuela’s western border with Colombia while on a reporting trip. In a telephone interview in Caracas, where he was released, Mr. Wyss said the authorities who had questioned him never explained to him why he had been detained.

Tags: united states, media, journalism, venezuela, censorship, jim wyss, miami herald

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