After the incoherent and neglectful public diplomacy efforts of the 2000s, Russia has enthusiastically embraced all things soft power. And now it just can't get enough of it. The latest initiative, reported by the pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia, is a UK-based Positive Russia fund. The non-profit organization, registered in London at the end of June, is tasked with improving Russia's image among the British public.

British PR consultants talk Russia into battling “anti-Russian propaganda” in the UK – and paying them for it

Americans began July celebrating their independence from colonial rule. Less than three weeks later, many are rejoicing at the birth of a royal baby boy. It is one of the great American paradoxes that a country which got rid of the monarchy in 1776 continues to lavish so much attention on the Royal Family. One thing that the Windsors continue to command here is airtime on American television and column inches in the newspapers.

The relaunch of BBC Afrique, the World Service’s French language service for Africa, has increased the hours of transmission and introduced a new more interactive style of presentation. However an Over to You listener says that it also means he no longer hears English language programmes – we hear from BBC Afrique’s editor why the service has changed in response to developments in African radio, and the balance between French and English programmes.

On July 15th a triumvirate of politicians declared their support for Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU). Peter Mandelson, a former Labour Party minister, Ken Clarke, a Conservative Party minister and former chancellor, and Danny Alexander, the Liberal Democrat chief secretary to the Treasury, unveiled the manifesto of “British Influence”, a new campaign group. “Far from leaving Europe, Britain should be leading Europe,” it proclaimed.

Three BBC correspondents based in three of India's largest cities have complained to the corporation's director-general, Tony Hall, about the size of their redundancy offers. Ram Dutt Tripathi, who works in Lucknow, Mohammed Omer Farooq (Hyderabad) and Manikant Thakur (Patna) have asked why they are not entitled to the same pay-off terms as other BBC staff.

Germany’s largest cable operator Kabel Deutschland is make BBC World News available for free to subscribers across major parts of Germany. The channel will now be available in more than 35 million households across Germany. Kabel Deutschland operates cable networks in 13 German federal states and supplies its services to approximately 8.5 million households.

Both my academic and professional careers were hugely influenced by my volunteering experiences. I have always worked with ethnic minority communities, who have often been marginalised from the wider and dominant culture of society. I have actively participated in projects focused on advocating for the rights of women who had no recourse to UK public funds and were experiencing domestic violence. This influenced my decision to apply my knowledge of social work principles, techniques and practices to complex cases and community issues in international development.