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.
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In 1971, artist Chris Burden performed his iconic "Shoot" piece before a dozen friends gathered in the F-Space Gallery in Santa Ana, California. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt while standing in front of a white wall, a friend shot a copper jacket bullet from a .22-long rifle into Burden's upper left arm from a distance of 15 feet. The bullet was intended to merely knick the arm, but it went clean through, sending Burden to the hospital and requiring that he report the "accident" to the police.
Poles Form Facebook Group to Wipe Away Anti-Semitism - Literally
One morning in June, the owners of the African restaurant La Mamma in Warsaw found ugly and offensive graffiti near its entrance. Someone in the Muranow neighborhood, the site of the former Jewish ghetto, apparently did not like the restaurant, which is a meeting place for Nigerian immigrants. To make sure the eatery’s owner got the message, the offender painted a black man hanging from a rope and added the words, “chocolate daddy.”
‘No Chinese Allowed.’ NASA’s Short-Lived Rule
It was the other guy’s fault, no question. That’s pretty much the explanation for why a major science conference scheduled for December came close to being torpedoed. Astronomers from all over the world were planning to gather at NASA’s Ames Research Center, in Mountain View, California, to talk about new results coming from the planet-hunting Kepler mission.
Germany’s Angela Merkel Cries Foul on US Intercepting Her Cell Phone Calls
Germany is paraphrasing Ricky Ricardo today: America's "got some 'splainin' to do." The German Foreign Ministry summoned the American ambassador in Berlin Thursday and told him Germany wants an honest and full explanation of US surveillance operations in Europe.And Chancellor Angela Merkel repeated her concerns that her own mobile phone is being monitored. She told a European summit that "spying among friends" is simply not done, and accused the United States of an unacceptable breach of trust.
Cuba Approves Plan to Merge Dual Currencies
Cuba has approved a plan to gradually eliminate its dual monetary system as part of reforms aimed at improving the country’s economic performance, a communique carried by official media on Tuesday said. “The Council of Ministers has adopted a chronogram of measures that will lead to monetary and exchange unification,” the government statement said, giving few details.
Hey, NSA: Why Latin America?
Earlier this week, Germany’s Der Spiegel reported the latest leak of confidential documents from former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. According to these reports, the NSA monitored former Mexican president Felipe Calderón’s e-mail account and personal communications, gaining insight into Mexico’s political system and internal stability.
China Media Regulator Speaks Out Over Reporter Arrest
China's media regulator has vowed to protect "lawful reporting rights," state media said, in a rare official intervention over press freedom after a journalist was detained by police. Chen Yongzhou, with the New Express tabloid, was held last Friday on "suspicion of damaging business reputation" after he wrote a series of articles on "financial problems" at Zoomlion, a partly state-owned construction machinery manufacturer.
London ‘Unlikely’ To Make 2022 Commonwealth Games Bid
London is set to abandon plans to bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the BBC has learned. Mayor Boris Johnson is said to be worried the event could cost as much as £1bn and that the city could not afford it. He had previously backed the plans. A final decision has not been made, but a source said a bid was "unlikely".
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