The potency of mangoes — and their — mythical reputation in Pakistan and many other parts of South Asia, was brought home to me last week when, as it does most years, the Pakistani embassy in Brussels held a ‘mango extravaganza’ in a prestigious local hotel whose chef has finessed the art of turning mangoes into pieces of culinary magic.

Hu Yuandong of UNIDO...says the focus of the project is job creation, poverty alleviation and environmental protection. Xiao has made clear that the $3bn investment is not coming from the Chinese government, but rather from various funds "around the world" - even from the Middle East. But it would be difficult not to see this as a smart move by China and an extension of its soft power.

Turkey is a bridge between East and West, the only Muslim member of NATO... It is also a free market success story and a geopolitical “soft power,” an agent of moderation, reconciliation, peace and stability in a volatile region stretching from the Middle East to Afghanistan/Pakistan and from the Mediterranean to the Balkans and the Caucasus.

Yang also touted the benefits of the administration's flexible diplomacy, which he said avoided competition or direct confrontation with the mainland and relied instead on Taiwan's economic and democratic soft power to create opportunities for Taiwan in the international arena.

The BBG, which supervises U.S. government broadcasting to overseas listeners like Radio Martí and Voice of America, wants to position its broadcasters for the future. As we’ve reported, it has been involved in a strategic review of U.S. international broadcasting with the hope of “transforming” it.

Stratford Summer Music Festival starts Monday at Lower Queen's Park with fireworks at dusk and 10th-anniversary music composed by former Stratford Shakespeare Festival music director Bertie Carriere..."It's a perfect example of cultural diplomacy," Miller commented...

The ABC's chief, Mark Scott, has risked scuttling the broadcaster's bid for Australia's $223 million overseas television service...Australia Network is broadcast in Asia and the Pacific region, targeting a middle-class audience in 44 countries as part of an effort to promote Australia.

Ryan Suto...is the President of the Syracuse chapter of the American Constitution Society and recently moderated a panel discussion on the issue of WikiLeaks and the Constitution. He writes on how the US Supreme Court must begin to engage in public diplomacy through its rulings...