A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.
Citgo Giving $1.5 Million to Maryland Charity
Citgo, the Venezuelan-owned oil company, is making a $1.5 million donation to the Silver Spring nonprofit group CASA of Maryland to help fund educational, training and economic development programs for low-income and immigrant workers. The contribution is the latest effort by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to reach out to the poor in the United States in what critics call an attempt to curry favor with low-income Americans and embarrass President Bush.
‘Grandma Vigilantes’ on High Alert
For decades, Beijing has been known to have an army of neighborhood security volunteers, nicknamed "grandma vigilantes". They are often seen with red armbands in residential areas. These volunteers were in place even before the Olympic Games and have become one part of Beijing's Olympic security efforts.
New U.S., Chinese Mega-Embassies Highlight Close Ties
The new U.S. Embassy in the Chinese capital is a sprawling maze of glass and concrete that's the second biggest construction project in the history of the State Department. President Bush himself will inaugurate the complex Friday. Last week, Chinese officials opened their own giant embassy in Washington, which, at 250,000 square feet, is the biggest embassy in the U.S. capital.
Ban Ki-Moon appeals for U.S. to Stay Mexican’s Execution
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to the United States to abide by a ruling of the International Court of Justice and stay the scheduled execution of a Mexican prisoner in Texas. Jose Ernesto Medellin, convicted of the 1993 rape and murder of two teenagers, is among 51 Mexicans on death row and is due to be put to death in Texas on Tuesday in defiance of an ICJ order to halt his execution.
Getting in Shape for Games, China Strengthens Ties With Neighbors
Until recently, the sight of a Japanese warship steaming toward Chinese shores or of a Chinese aircraft swooping low over Taiwan would have provoked alarm across Asia. But when Japan’s navy made its first Chinese port call since World War II and a Chinese charter plane ferried mainland tourists to neighboring Taiwan this summer, they were symbols not of China’s dangerous rivalries, but of the diplomacy that President Hu Jintao has used to defuse them.
U.S. Army Hopes To Keep Native Arabic Speakers
The Army may begin paying a retention bonus of as much as $150,000 to Arabic speaking soldiers in reflection of how critical it has become for the US military to retain native language and cultural know-how in its ranks.
VOA TV Series Exposes Corruption in Iran
The Voice of America (VOA) is examining corruption in Iran in a series of stories based on an Iranian parliamentary report obtained exclusively by the Persian News Network (PNN). The seven-part series, seen by millions of viewers across Iran on PNN's satellite TV channel, details, among other things, how Iranian Government officials accepted bribes from students seeking entry into the competitive university system.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn: The Passing of a Titan
There are important contemporary lessons to be learned from Solzhenitsyn's life and work, which transcend Russia and Communism. These lessons are overdue for today's American diplomacy.
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