As announced by President Barack Obama and welcomed by Liberian Defense Minister, soldiers from the United States army are expected in the country to provide expertise in the fight against the Ebola virus.  Appearing Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press television program, Obama said U.S. military assets are needed to set up isolation units and equipment and provide security for international health workers.

As we mark International Literacy Day, it is an opportune time to highlight the importance of literacy and the challenges ahead in promoting global literacy. The statics are shocking and reinforce the urgency behind today's significance. According to the World Literacy Foundation, an estimated 67 million children still do not have access to primary school education.

China and at least two Asean members–the Philippines and Vietnam–remain locked in territorial disputes over the South China Sea.  Beijing seeks to allay fears in Asean as it strengthens its economic and military clout in the region. One way to do this, an official said, is for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage in what it calls “e-public diplomacy.”

Authorities haven't given a reason for those moves. But they come as Chinese leaders try to tighten regulation of information circulating via chat apps and on Internet sites. As well, China is seeking to build its own culture of television, movies and animation to counter what it sees as the soft-power influence of the U.S. In a government report released in March, Chinese government planners called on officials to "quicken development of public cultural undertakings including the press and publishing, radio and television, and literature and art as well as the culture industry."

Much of Dorney's reporting about the Pacific has been aimed at an audience in the Pacific, a service Australia provided to foster good will in the region and a sense of community. Now that voice is lost to the airways. Dorney's job is one of dozens axed from the ABC in the wake of the Abbott government's decision to squeeze the broadcaster's budget and cancel the $223 million contract for the overseas television service, Australia Network.

Every year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) publishes their World Press Freedom Index, which ranks every country in the world using the following six criteria: pluralism, media independence, environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and infrastructure. This chart lists the ten best and worst places to be a journalist today. The time-lapse maps below tell a more complicated story.

Recently, there has been a great deal of debate, and no small amount of axe grinding, regarding the mission and the effectiveness of U.S. international broadcasting under the Broadcasting Board of Governors.