APDS Blogger: Regina Guzmán

President Ma Ying-jeou exhorted Taiwanese students Monday to pursue advanced studies in the United States as a means to broaden their views and build person-to-person relationships.

There are times one could be forgiven for thinking that solving the Palestinian problem would take care of every global challenge from climate change to the flu. But would it? The short answer is no. It matters, but both less and in a different way than people tend to think.

The State Department's public diplomacy professionals in Washington and at U.S. Embassies around the globe are actively pursuing a variety of cultural, education and information programs to showcase respect for diverse cultures, faiths and traditions.

In exactly one week, the countdown clocks in Shanghai will all finally hit zero. This is because this year May Day will also be Opening Day for the 2010 World Expo, an event that has been largely ignored in the United States (at least until very recently)...

A delegation of dignitaries from Shinagawa, Japan, will arrive in Portland today for a five-day celebration of a sister city relationship that began more than 25 years ago. Although Portland has three other sister cities -- Cap Haitien, Haiti; Mytilene, Greece; and Archangel, Russia -- Shinagawa was Portland's first.

The country is at something of a crossroads: A strategic defense review after the election could decide whether it continues to act as a close partner of the United States in military operations abroad or retreats to a lesser role.

Political scientist Zardusht Alizade commented on the situation around the Armenian-Turkish process, as well as the Karabakh problem. "The USA is behaving like a gangster. They behave very arrogantly towards smaller countries..."