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.
Colombia Has Most Unequal Cities in Latin America: UN
Colombia, led by its second largest city Medellin, has the most unequal urban areas in Latin America, according to the United Nations. While Latin America as a whole has been making strides to combat inequality, lowering rates of unequal income distribution across the region over the past decade, Colombia has bucked the trend, experiencing a 15 percent increase in inequality in urban areas over the last 20 years.
The Middle East: Still Not Russian
Professors Tom Nichols and John Schindler have responded to my critique of their contention that Russia is now a “peer” to the United States when it comes to influence in the Middle East, and that, indeed, Washington has “outsourced” the management of regional security to Moscow. The dispute is in part over empirical factors, but more broadly it represents a distinct set of normative assumptions and policy prescriptions regarding America’s role in a changing Middle East.
Congressman Ed Royce on U.S. Cyrus Cylinder Tour and Human Rights
At a recent reception in Orange County, Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA/39th) and Manoucher “Fred” Ameri spoke to OCTV’s Executive Producer Alex Bolourchi about the U.S. Cyrus Cylinder Tour and human rights. On loan from the British Museum, the Cyrus Cylinder has been on display since March 2013 in five major museum venues throughout the United States. The cylinder exhibition is currently being displayed at its final stop at the Getty Villa in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles portion of the tour is sponsored by the Farhang Foundation.
Influencing Egypt from the Pitch
American citizen and former United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) soccer coach Bob Bradley took over as the Egyptian Men’s National Team coach in 2011. Since June 2012, Bradley has led the Egyptian team to six straight wins to remain unbeaten in the World Cup qualifying group stage of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). They are now in a final two-game playoff with Ghana for one of the five CAF slots to the 2014 tournament in Brazil. If Egypt wins, it will be their first trip to the World Cup since 1990, and only their third appearance ever.
Unblocking of Facebook ‘Under Review’ In Iran
Yesterday, the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported that Iran’s Communication and Information Technology Minister Mahmoud Vaezi, talking about social-media websites such as Facebook, said, “It has not been planned that these websites will be unblocked, and they will remain in the same condition they were in before.”
EU Exit Would Be Economic Suicide, Warns Nick Clegg
It would be "economic suicide" for Britain to leave the European Union, Nick Clegg has warned. The deputy PM said a new "coalition in the national interest" was needed to make the case for membership, and asked businesses and charities to help. He attacked David Cameron's proposed referendum, calling it a "short-sighted political calculation" which could see the UK "stumble out" of the EU.
In Cuba, Connecting to the Internet Costs Four Times the Average Annual Salary
You might not guess it from your Internet bill, but the United States has some of the cheapest broadband in the world -- right up there with Kazakhstan, India and Bangladesh. That’s one of many surprising, and occasionally puzzling, revelations in a new report from the International Telecommunication Union, which tracks the use, cost and penetration of information networks around the world.
Mass Spying: How the US Stamps Its Supremacy on the Pacific Region
What if China was beating the US as its own super-power game in the Pacific and we didn’t even notice? While Washington distracts itself with shutdown shenanigans and failed attempts to control the situation in the Middle East, president Obama’s “pivot to Asia” looks increasingly shaky. Beijing is quietly filling the gap, signing multi-billion dollar trade deals with Indonesia and calling for a regional infrastructure bank.
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