Global powers are on track at a conference today in Brussels to pledge more than $3bn in annual development aid to Afghanistan until 2020 as the war-ravaged country struggles to spur economic growth. [...] The objective is to maintain international support for Afghanistan 

Though the Taliban has relied on technology for over a decade in the name of propaganda and public relations, its relationship with social media has only taken root in the last few years, in parallel with the rise of ISIS. Just as terrorist organizations in the Middle East have made Facebook pages, Telegram channels, and Twitter accounts, the Taliban has expanded the breadth and depth of its outreach to the international community in general and the news media in particular.

Roya Mahboob knew that she wanted to build a career in technology from the first time she set her eyes on a computer in the only internet cafe in Herat, Afghanistan, when she was 16 years old. In 2010, at the age of 23 she became the first tech chief executive in Afghanistan when she founded Afghan Citadel Software (ACS) with the aim of involving more women in her country's growing technology business.

The group will cement their bond today at a ceremony in Council Bluffs formalizing a friendship between Afghanistan’s third-largest city, Herat, and the Bluffs. The two cities will become “sister cities” as part of a decades-old citizen diplomacy program called Sister Cities International. The program pairs up cities from different countries to promote mutual understanding. 

On July 8-9, 2016, some of the world’s most powerful heads of state, as well as their foreign and defense ministers, gathered in Warsaw for the NATO Summit. NATO summits, convened every year or two, represent important public diplomacy opportunities for the Alliance. During these summits, NATO nations and partners meet in order to produce a communiqué, which outlines the Alliance’s priorities and initiatives. 

Despite Ali’s unparalleled accolades as a professional boxer, his most profound legacy is that of a moral leader, peace ambassador, civil rights icon, and global humanitarian, a legacy that emerges from his deep religious beliefs and spiritual convictions. [...] Muhammad Ali’s dedication to global peace, public diplomacy, and philanthropy exemplified his foundational belief in Islam as a religion of peace.