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.
Is Indian ‘soft power’ in Afghanistan working?
In the second such strike in as many years, a suicide car-bombing outside the Indian Embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul recently left at least 17 dead (none of them embassy staff) and scores of others wounded. India has long been developing its "soft power" strategy in Afghanistan, sticking to civilian rather than military matters, but attacks on its embassy and the loss of Indian lives may force a change in strategy.
Soap Opera Diplomacy: North Koreans Crave Banned Videos
In recent years, bootlegged South Korean dramas have been flooding into its northern neighbor — part of a recent explosion across Asia in popularity of South Korean TV shows and music known as the "Korea Wave." The nation's films and dramas have become so widespread across North Korea that the regime launched a crackdown this fall.
Pakistan called top foreign policy problem
It's hard to predict the future of Pakistan, given the unstable nature of the region, but the country must not be ignored, experts said Thursday. "Our public diplomacy in this country is in serious disarray," they said. "I think we need to give some serious consideration as to what has to happen."
Can Mrs. Clinton Control CIA In Afghanistan?
There is a reason why her first visit to Pakistan turned into a big firefighting mission. In less than two years, even Pakistan's elite turned suspicious of US intentions. Afghanistan today is a hub for anti-Pakistan activities and a source for the supply of weapons to terrorists in Pakistan.
Turkey’s worrisome approach to Iran, Israel
But worries abound that Turkey is now shifting too far away from Europe and to Muslim despots specifically. After the disputed Iranian election in June, Erdogan and the Turkish president were among the first foreign leaders to call with congratulations for Mr. Ahmadinejad. Earlier this month Turkey disinvited Israel from a joint NATO exercise that it has participated in for years. Israel is a "persecutor," Erdogan explained. The next day it invited Syria to joint military exercises.
Europe’s Obama Fatigue
But if Obama's ratings are slowly falling on the continent, one place where they are already low -- lower than Bush's, certainly -- is in the countries that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dubbed "New Europe." While Bush made Eastern and Central Europe a top priority -- as evidenced by the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic and the push for NATO expansion for Georgia and Ukraine -- his successor is clearly more concerned about relations with Russia, the very country whose influence New Europe is trying to avoid.
Strange Annual Cycle in PD/SC Definition Debates?
A debate has once again re-ignited over the relative meaning of Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication, sparked this time by a keynote by Bruce Gregory at GWU on October 5. It was rejoined by Amb. William Rugh in an email exchange with Bruce, both of whose comments were posted and re-rejoined by Craig Hayden. Reading these posts I got a strange feeling of deja vu. Checking on this, I found that–sure enough–last year at about this same time we were discussing the same issue.
Trade bloc’s unease over Chavez
Venezuela's combative President Hugo Chavez is used to dividing international opinion. But even by his standards, the wrangle over his role in South America's biggest free-trade alliance is pretty impressive. Venezuela officially teamed up with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as a full member of their Mercosur trading bloc in July 2006. Yet more than three years later, its status is still in limbo, as the club's existing members struggle to ratify the newcomer's application.
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