The Secretary, by BBC correspondent Kim Ghattas, is a remarkable book. Not only does it provide an insightful record of life on the road with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but also it treats public diplomacy seriously.

From unrealized legislation in Tunisia to the example of the US Federal Communications Commission, a spectrum of international examples of media regulation was presented at a conference titled “Egypt and International Models of Broadcast Regulation and Accountability.” Guest speakers from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States, Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco spoke about how media regulation works in their home countries

"The Gatekeepers," which features candid – and sometimes damning – interviews with all six surviving heads of the Shin Bet security service, caused a stir among Israeli officials, with many of them accusing the film of being anti-Israel and some going so far as to call for a boycott.

Efforts at public diplomacy can still succeed in countries where drone strikes have led to outrage against the United States, said Tara Sonenshine, the State Department's undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, in a talk at the University of Maryland on March 27.

No one's saying, 'Move over, Bretton Woods, Brics is here'. But Brics nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - certainly grabbed eyeballs at their Durban summit by firming up plans for a new development bank to fund infrastructure and a $100 billion contingency reserve arrangement to provide themselves financial succour in times of trouble. The dressing on the side is a business council with great potential to boost trade and investment.

The Pakistani teenager who survived an assassination attempt and inspired a worldwide movement for girls' education will soon become a published author. Malala Yousafzai, 15, says she wants her book, "I Am Malala," to reveal and help children across the world who still struggle to get to school.

The United States flew two Stealth bomber practice runs over South Korea on Thursday, in a second show of force to North Korea after a B52 bomber made a similar run earlier this week amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The United States is deliberately sparring with Al-Qaeda supporters and militants online aiming to shoot down extremist messages and win over hearts and minds, a US official said Wednesday. Seeking out the virtual spaces where "Al-Qaeda and its supporters lurk" is part of America's strategy to combat violent extremism, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine told students at the University of Maryland.