Four Indian naval ships scheduled to visit Shanghai on a rare goodwill visit next week, first since 2006, will receive "high-profile" reception, China said today. As External Affairs Minister S M Krishna spoke of the goodwill tour of the naval ships to Shanghai during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jeichi here today, the Chinese Minister told him that a high-profile reception awaited them.

It is the summer of 2012 and America is debating whether to modernize a piece of 1948 legislation on U.S. public diplomacy called the Smith-Mundt Act. At a time when American officials are racing to keep pace with the new communication technologies and trying to “out-communicate” the terrorists, not just other nations, the whole debate is mind-boggling.

Mashable will be in Brazil to host Rio+Social, working with our Social Good Summit partners the United Nations Foundation and the 92nd Street Y. The event will explore how social media and technology can help create sustainable solutions for the future of the planet.

It is the summer of 2012 and America is debating whether to modernize a piece of 1948 legislation on U.S. public diplomacy called the Smith-Mundt Act. At a time when American officials are racing to keep pace with the new communication technologies and trying to “out-communicate” the terrorists, not just other nations, the whole debate is mind-boggling. Ultimately, the debate is about much more than the legislation and speaks volumes about America understanding of communication in a global era. To get up to speed, U.S. public diplomacy needs the U.S. public, and both need a U.S.

The People’s Republic of China’s Government of Guizhou Province and New Zealand’s Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development) have launched an international agricultural exchange programme. The programme recognises that investing in the education of young people is a vital way to boost development in rural areas.

India faces a choice: be a cog in the wheel of the US’ Asia-Pacific strategy or be a wheel by itself with a dynamics of its own. The choice is going to be rather easy for the Indian policymakers to make.

So we are in Istanbul. I am Senior State Department Official on background discussing the ad hoc meeting with colleagues on Syria that the Secretary attended tonight on the margins of the counterterrorism forum tomorrow. The Secretary’s message to the group included three key elements along the lines of what she’s been saying throughout the week.

The decline of Australian public diplomacy capabilities is at a critical point. At its lowest point in years, some have been looking at alternative ways for Australia to engage internationally. The Lowy Institute for International Policy, in particular, has long been lamenting that DFAT does not use digital tools or social media to help promote Australia's foreign policy interests.