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.

Over $200K in NZ Aid Goes To North Korea

New Zealand gave about $NZ215,000 ($206,000) in aid for North Korean humanitarian programs over the past eight years, only halting the yearly fund due to concerns about the rogue state's missile tests. Documents released to the Taxpayer's Union under the Official Information Act have revealed New Zealand provided around $30,000 per year to its embassy in South Korea, with the money then directed to non-government organizations in North Korea.

Tags: foreign aid, non-state pd, government pd, north korea, new zealand, corruption, international NGOs

Zambia-China Cultural Cooperation a Dream

Chinese Minister of Culture Luo Shugang says Zambia-China cultural cooperation stands out as a role model for China-African cooperation. The Chinese minister has also praised the visit of the Zambian tourism Minister Charles Banda, saying that the visit would elevate existing cultural relations between the two countries to a higher level. The Chinese Minister also agreed to the need for the two parties to expedite the process of finalizing the Cultural Agreement and called for more substance to be added to the framework so as to widen the scope of cooperation.

Tags: cultural relations, cross-cultural exchange, china culture center, zambia, china, Cultural Diplomacy

Gulf Diplomatic Crisis: Qatar Says Residents from Other West Asian Countries Are Free To Stay

Qatar has said citizens of the nations that have cut ties with the emirate will be allowed to stay in the country despite measures against its own nationals. A statement carried on state media said Doha would "not take any measures against residents of Qatar who hold the nationalities of countries that severed diplomatic ties or lowered diplomatic representations with the state of Qatar, on the back of hostile and tendentious campaigns against the country".

Tags: government pd, qatar, west africa, diplomatic ties, foreign workers

Africa Day: Morocco Celebrates Its African History and Diplomacy

The Foreign Ministry seized the opportunity to highlight the close ties between Morocco and the continent during the celebration of Africa Day on June 8, and lauded the Kingdom’s policies regarding co-development, sharing of expertise and win-win partnerships in Africa. The celebration of Africa Day was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the theme “Morocco, An Actor for a Collective Emergence in Africa.”

Tags: nation branding, government pd, africa day, international broadcasting, international development, morocco

Ottawa’s Focus On Aid Delivery For Women Is Smart – And Will Save Money

Following the release of the federal budget this spring, many members of Canada’s international development community worried about this country’s long-term commitment to families like the Hernandez’s. hankfully, a practical new framework for Canada’s international assistance, released Friday by Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister for International Development, underscores Canada’s commitment to our sector and provides relief for those troubled by Canada’s stalled aid contribution in the 2017 budget.

Tags: foreign aid, canada, women's empowerment, international development, aid budget, non-state pd

Getting to Know Taiwan's Favorite Fruit Hybrid: The Atemoya

A little bit crab apple, a little bit cherimoya, the ambitious atemoya hopes for soft power prowess and export success. When the atemoya (鳳梨釋迦)  was first exported from Taiwan in 2008, its sales quickly surpassed that of other Taiwanese staples, including mangoes and pineapples.

Tags: taiwan, food diplomacy, gastro diplomacy, soft power, new zealand, nation branding, hong kong, israel

Watch 5 Moments when Classical Music Met Politics

Alan Gilbert has chosen to celebrate the close of his tenure as music director of the New York Philharmonic on a political note, with a program called “A Concert for Unity.” BY inviting musicians from countries including Iran and Israel to join Philharmonic members on the stage on Thursday-Saturday, Mr. Gilbert is clearly trying to steer against the divisive winds coming out of Washington. But he is also interesting himself into a tradition of bridge-building musical events that reach back to the aftermath of World War II. Here are five memorable moments of musical diplomacy: 

Tags: music diplomacy, people-to-people engagement, historical memory, united states, germany, israel, lebanon, iraq, iran

Xi and Modi Take a Break from Security Summit to talk Bollywood

Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi were apparently talking movies, among other things, at a summit in Kazakhstan on Friday. Xi mentioned that he, like millions of Chinese, had enjoyed the hit Bollywood film Dangal. Xi and Modi went on to discuss boosting cultural cooperation between the two countries. [...] Dangal is still screening across China at more than 7,000 cinemas.Its success follows a string of other Bollywood films that have won over Chinese audiences in recent years, including the previous biggest hit, PK, which took in 118 million yuan.

Tags: xi jinping, narendra modi, india, china, kazakhstan, bollywood, film diplomacy, movie diplomacy, Cultural Diplomacy, bilateral relations

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