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.

Seven M S University Students Selected for European Union Fellowships

Seven students of M S University (MSU) have been selected for the prestigious European Union-funded Erasmus Mundus Fellowships worth Rs 85 lakh. The fellowship programmes are arranged and managed by the Office of International Affairs at the M S University of Baroda.

Tags: european union, india, south asia, education diplomacy, foreign exchange, Cultural Diplomacy, soft power

US Lawmakers Mull International Broadcasting Changes

A group of U.S. lawmakers is seeking to overhaul the country's international news and programming broadcasts, saying they should be consistent with and supportive of the country's foreign policy objectives.  Royce said Wednesday the reorganization is necessary to bolster U.S. broadcasting in the face of growing competition from Russian, Chinese and other foreign international broadcasters.

Tags: united states, international broadcasting, government pd, russia, china, voice of america, media, foreign policy

Fatal Attraction? Russia's Soft Power in its Neighborhood- Analysis

Much current analysis of Russian influence in its neighbourhood focuses on its use of ‘hard power’ tools. However, analysing Russia’s soft power efforts is no less important for understanding the full nature of Moscow’s power strategy in its neighbourhood.

Tags: russia, soft power, hard power, europe, moscow, joseph nye, smart power

Dubai Ranks As World’s Second Biggest Retail Destination

Dubai retained its position as the second most important international retail destination globally for the third consecutive year – according to a report.  The emirate came closely behind London, which also retained its number one position, according to the 2014 edition of the annual How Global is the Business of Retail report released by real estate consultancy firm CBRE.

Tags: dubai, united arab emirates, middle east, tourism, global retail, public diplomacy, soft power

Turkey's Top Court Rules YouTube Ban is Unconstitutional

Turkey's top court on Thursday ruled that a ban on YouTube is unconstitutional, paving the way to lift the two-month blockade, after the government cut off access to Google Inc. GOOGL +0.02% 's video-sharing website for publishing leaked state secrets just days before critical March elections.

Tags: turkey, social media, new technology, youtube, democracy, human rights, google

Iran's Dubious Digital Revolution

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has taken steps to reach the country's powerful youth constituency since his election in June 2013, using Twitter and talking about the importance of the Internet in an effort to connect. The country has a young, tech-savvy population, more than half of which is under the age of 30, making it an important voice in determining the country's future.  But despite Rouhani's outreach, using the Internet remains difficult in Iran amid government repression.

Tags: digital diplomacy, internet, human rights, iran, hassan rouhani, twitter, social media

Foreign Investors Swooping on Australian Property

An inquiry will begin on Friday into the booming number of foreigners buying up Australia’s houses - with approvals of almost $18 billion last year.  Foreign investors were set to snap up 5091 existing houses nationwide last financial year - up from 647 three years earlier.

Tags: foreign investment, australia, soft power, public diplomacy

Pope's Prayer with Israeli, Palestinian Presidents Slated for June 8

The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will meet with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to pray for peace on June 8.  The pontiff extended the invitation to President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas when he was on his official visit to the Holy Land earlier this week.

Tags: israel, palestine, pope francis, mahmoud abbas, shimon peres, faith diplomacy, conflict

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