Simply put, the document reads too much as a dated conception of message management designed to counter or compete with the actions of other actors like China, Russia, and extremists groups. Aren’t US public diplomacy planners done with the “there’s a media war going on” kind of talk?

The Obama administration will put food security at the heart of its Africa policy, as it seeks to enhance ongoing U.S. efforts on trade, investment and HIV/AIDS on the continent, a top U.S. diplomat said.

The Russians thought that the way forward was to give tech companies some money and put them near a great university. Presto: a new silicon valley. For their part, the American delegation assumed that you could pour in some social networking and create a civil society.

A new report says the United States can advance its interests around the world by investing in a strategic global health policy. It says besides saving lives, a new policy could bolster national security and build new partnerships.

US President Barack Obama's administration has promised to engage more deeply with Pakistan, which has long seen Washington as interested only in securing its military cooperation in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda.

She has asked the State Department to host a conference later this year to share how the Irish American community succeeded in helping bring about peace in Ireland.

How should an architect approach the task of designing a building to represent his home country abroad? What happens if the result -- implicitly or explicitly -- is critical of that country's past, politics or most cherished values?

Actor Gabriel Byrne was appointed to the new position of Cultural Ambassador for Ireland, with the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, making the announcement in Washington on Tuesday. Based in the US since 1987, it’s a role the award-winning actor has been informally carrying out for some years now, promoting Irish culture abroad.