Sim Yian Haw, 24, was among 35 chosen to participate in America's foremost training programme in hip hop held at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) from June 1-5. The insurance agent had earlier submitted his dance routine for an online audition as he could not afford the expensive air tickets.

Just back from Burma where Voice of America last week signed a breakthrough agreement with Myanmar State Radio, the Office of Strategy and Development’s Doug Boynton reflects on the change…

On Monday, I reported that the U.S. State Department was signing a $16.5 million agreement with Amazon to provide Kindles, content and service for overseas English language programs.

After agreeing to underwrite a local Pakistan version of the ubiquitous children’s television show, Sesame Street, USAID officials pulled the funding for this project after corruption rumours began to appear in local newspapers.

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton will welcome more than sixty young African leaders to the Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership, a three-week professional development program by the U.S. government...Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine will keynote a reception.

Continuing their blistering critique, diplomats vented that Brasilia was merely interested in currying favour amongst African nations so as to shore up its own bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Brazil...was "more concerned with counting heads for UNSC reform... than in being a champion of Africa's interests, supporting African peacekeeping or augmenting trade."

Lydia Dennett: "One concern is that the origin of the propaganda for foreign audiences might not be known to the domestic recipient. Might this loosening of the ban on propaganda be a slippery slope?"