Several archaeological sites have been attacked by Islamic State jihadis in Iraq and Syria. […] “I think the growing awareness that hard power will not be enough to defeat violent extremism is gaining ground. We need also soft power,” [Irina] Bokova said. “Culture should be part of our response to violent extremism”.

On the first Friday of each month The Interpreter will publish Digital Diplomacy links instead of the weekly Digital Asia links. As Australian digital diplomacy strives to catch up to the rest of the world, these links will highlight the most creative and effective ways countries are leveraging the internet for foreign policy gain.