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.
Egypt Moves Closer to Al-Jazeera TV Affiliate Ban
Egypt's interim government called an Al-Jazeera local affiliate that broadcasts in Arabic a national threat Thursday, moving closer to banning its broadcasts beamed from Qatar after the affiliate aired recordings of declarations by fugitive leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Qatar-based television network said four journalists working for its English service were arrested in Cairo.
Colombia Strikes Coca Substitution Deal with Protesters
Colombia's government and protesting coca farmers have reached an initial agreement that could provide a starting point for crop substitution measures being discussed in peace talks with the FARC, but which is unlikely to succeed unless followed by long term solutions.
The Syrian Electronic Army Talks About Tuesday’s Hacks
Hours after US officials declared that the United States may launch missile strikes against the Syrian government, pro-Assad hackers known as the Syrian Electronic Army hijacked the domain name servers of several media companies. The New York Times website was down for several hours, although the company quickly established a backup site to continue their reporting. The DNS of Twitter and Huffington Post UK were also hacked, redirecting users to a server that appeared to be hosted by the SEA.
The Civil War Within Syria’s Civil War
"Quick, run, run," shouts Kurdish commander Roshna Akeed, as she orders two young female fighters to move toward a brick wall that represents the front line between Kurdish forces and al Qaeda-linked militants in this northern Syrian town. Six male Kurdish fighters are already guarding this part of the front. They have removed some of the bricks from the five foot-high wall, and their guns peak through small holes toward the enemy, which is positioned in a hamlet roughly one-third of a mile away.
Washington Watch: Public Diplomacy, Not Threats, Needed
Getting the Israelis and Palestinians to the peace table wasn’t easy, and keeping them there is proving a challenge for a very determined Secretary of State John Kerry. His greatest worry has to be that both sides may be looking for a blame-avoiding excuse to take a walk. That may have been part of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s decision to announce he was calling off the fourth session of secret talks, which was to have been held Monday in Jericho.
U.S. Embassy Staffer Sent Home from Malta After He Tries to Fight a Stranger
A U.S. Embassy staffer in Malta left the country on Wednesday after a video showing him going bonkers on another driver in the middle of a narrow road went viral. The American employee, apparently, confronted a Maltese driver who refused to pull over and let his car through. As traffic built up behind the driver, the American finally backs out of the road. And then, off camera, he continues to yell at the driver as traffic finally moves again.
US Rejects Link Between N. Korea Nuclear Diplomacy, Jailed American
The case of a U.S. citizen jailed in North Korea is a human rights issue that has no connection to long-stalled talks over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons, the State Department said on Wednesday. Robert King, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, is slated to travel to Pyongyang on Friday. The State Department on Tuesday described his trip as a “humanitarian mission” aimed at winning the release of ailing Kenneth Bae, a Christian missionary and tour operator.
Painting of Putin in a Negligee Seized by Russian Police; Artist Flees the Country
Vladimir Putin doesn’t mind posing for shirtless photos — but paint the Russian president in drag, and you’ve apparently gone too far. Russian police seized a portrait depicting Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wearing women’s lingerie from the Museum of Power in St. Petersburg and shut the gallery down. According to the Associated Press, the artist, Konstantin Altunin, has fled the country.
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