Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks are back online in Iran. It’s been four years since the government shut off access to most social media during protests following the 2009 presidential elections. But a new administration, elected in June, has vowed to improve communications in Iran and liberalize access to the internet. President Hassan Rouhani is himself on Twitter.

Tags: iran, twitter, facebook

Egyptians call it the “deep state.” And it was there all along for anyone who wanted to see it throughout the two and a half years since the world watched Egyptians take to the streets in what was so widely viewed as a revolution by the people, for the people.

Tags: egypt, economy, muslim brotherhood, egyptian military, mohammed morsi, abdel fattah al-sisi

For Yuki Ota, who won Olympic silver for fencing in Beijing in 2008 and again in London in 2012, Tokyo’s winning bid for the 2020 Summer Games and Paralympics was like receiving his first gold medal.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, japan, sports diplomacy, city branding, tokyo, international olympics committee, 2020 summer olympics

An influential Communist Party journal on Monday decried online speech critical of the ruling Communist Party and government, comparing internet rumours to denunciation posters during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. “There are some who make use of the open freedom of cyberspace to engage in wanton defamation, attacking the party and the government,” said the journal Qiushi, which means ”seeking truth” in Chinese.

Tags: china, social media, censorship, blogging, mao zedong, cultural revolution

As is always the case, the closer you get to an issue, the more complex it is. Chileans are arguing about how to make their society a more equitable one. Peruvians worry about a pause in the country’s spectacular growth, and public opinion polls show that Peruvians think corruption is the biggest challenge facing the country. The Colombian government is both negotiating with the FARC and dealing with an agrarian sector that feels it has been left out of the boom.

Tags: public opinion, latin america, development, economy, colombia, chile, peru

Mexico saw the highest number of reported kidnappings in the first half of 2013 since at least 1997, according to a national civil society organization, a figure that reflects the increasing diversification of criminal activities in the country. According to a report from the National Citizen Observatory (ONC), there were 757 reports of kidnappings recorded between January and June this year, the highest number for any semester in the time period 1997 to 2013.

Tags: non-state actors, mexico, conflict, criminal organizations, narcotrafficking, kidnapping

A three-day archive exhibition portraying the shared culture of Pakistan and India concluded at the National College of the Arts, Rawalpindi on Saturday. The exhibition, part of a 14-month project titled, “Exchange for Change: Pakistan and India 2012-2013”, involved around 3,500 students from Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Mumbai, Delhi and Chandigarh. Participants from the two nations said their stories are the same and worth sharing with the general public to dispel misconceptions prevalent on both sides of the border.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, india, pakistan, cultural exchange

On the first day of China's annual trade event with Arab states, an expo that aims to bolster natural-energy imports and foster economic relations, some are calling its promotion of a "harmonious" society in the restive Middle East a departure from its traditional policy of non-interference in international politics. Domestically, the term "harmonious society" is often used in political speeches and public-service ads to illustrate Beijing’s vision of an economically sated – and dissidents say, politically obedient – homeland.

Tags: china, middle east, government pd, trade diplomacy, economy, china-arab states expo 2013