May 21, 2017
A German woman was shot and killed and her Afghan guard beheaded when attackers targeted a guest house for aid workers Saturday night in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to Afghan Interior Ministry acting spokesman Najib Danish. A Finnish woman also staying at the guest house was abducted, Danish said. The German and Finnish nationals were members of the NGO Operation Mercy, according to a statement on the group's website. Read More...
|
Izumi Nakamitsu took office as U.N. undersecretary general and high representative for disarmament affairs — the highest U.N. post dealing with disarmament affairs — on May 1. She is currently the highest-ranking Japanese official at the United Nations. In a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nakamitsu revealed her intention to “quietly” support discussions between member nations on reducing armaments. Read More...
|
Today we celebrate the international day of cultural diversity. Since the very start, cultural diversity has been at the core of the European project. Unity in diversity is the motto of our Union, because Europe has never been just one but many. It is thanks to our cultural diversity and our commitment to dialogue that for the last 60 years we have been able successfully to face new challenges and obstacles, to change and progress. The European Union has an enormous amount to offer to the world in terms of diversity of cultural expressions, thriving artistic creation and creative industry... Read More...
|
The mood in Riyadh was in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building after fresh claims over the President Donald Trump team’s alleged links to Moscow. On his first foreign tour as the US President, Donald Trump joined in a traditional sword dance welcome ceremony ahead of a banquet at the Murabba Palace in Saudi Arabia. Video of the dance shows Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross dancing with swords perched on their shoulders as part of a line of men in traditional Saudi garb, CNN reported. Read More...
|
The Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue celebrated the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, an occasion it described as an opportunity to achieve the goals set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, and move from cultural diversity to cultural pluralism to build sound inter-cultural relations. The 2001 declaration proclaiming 21st May as the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, provides a significant opportunity to achieve UNESCO's Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Read More...
|
The Philippines hopes the European Union revives an offer to provide development grants -- but this time without conditions linked to the country’s human rights record, according to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. “We believe that to help a friend and provide aid it must be without conditions,” Lopez said in an interview late Saturday at a meeting of Asia-Pacific trade ministers in Hanoi, Vietnam. “We would appreciate all aid but we would just request that there be no conditions,” he said. Read More...
|
May 20, 2017
Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has for the first time opened a diplomatic office in Sweden. Dr. Saad Ali Shire, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that "The new diplomatic office will play an important role in connecting Somaliland Diaspora in Sweden and our quest for recognition. It will also shall provide assistance for Somaliland people and information to attract Swedish investors." [...] The opening ceremony also attracted friends of Somaliland, members of Swedish media and Somaliland Diaspora in Sweden. Read More...
|
Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) celebrated the International Museum Day on Thursday, internationally acknowledged on May 18th. The ceremony took place at the Ajman Museum and was attended by a number of Emirati heritage enthusiasts, Government officials as well as museum visitors, consisting of residents and tourists. The celebration included a number of heritage activities where the visitors could experience folk dances such as the Liwa and Ayala dances and samples delicious traditional cuisine. Read More...
|
The first Africa Business Summit of NRI forum Gopio began with a call to diaspora Indians to help develop the economies of their own countries and India, using resources they have built over the decades. The three-day summit in Durban organised by Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (Gopio), a non-profit global movement to fight human rights violation of overseas Indians, has brought together 200 delegates from across the globe. [...] It's known that "Indians at all levels continue to set an example and play a role in uplifting the countries where they find themselves." Read More...
|
Some senators urged the Duterte administration to "think over" its decision to shut out developmental aid from the European Union (EU), considering the fight against poverty and the country's ties with one of its biggest trading partners. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Friday, May 19, that he was "saddened" by the decision, since the EU has been a "reliable trading partner" whose assistance has benefited Filipinos, especially those in poor communities. Read More...
|
Since the beginning of the year, Japan’s official relations with the Korean Peninsula have gone from bad to worse.With South Korea, the past continues to plague the bilateral relationship.[...] Only last month did Tokyo return the Japanese ambassador to Seoul after he was withdrawn in January to protest a comfort women statue in Busan. [...] Yet one option to repair relations with South Korea, and perhaps even make some headway with North Korea, seems obvious if you are in Kansai: Use Japan’s Korean community as an unofficial diplomatic channel of communication. Read More...
|
While most of the focus for the next nine days will be on President Donald Trump as he makes his first international trip as commander in chief, there will be plenty of eyes on first lady Melania Trump, also set to bow on the global stage. [...] Trump's schedule will be packed with many events alongside her husband, but she will also make excursions on her own. If her handful of public events stateside are any indication, Trump could spend time at schools, hospitals, or museums, just like she did before with Queen Rania of Jordan and China's Madam Peng. Read More...
|
May 19, 2017
President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia — the first stop on his first overseas trip, beginning Friday— is designed to solidify its premier partnership with the Muslim world. Over two days hectic schedule, the president will hold bilateral meetings and a summit with the six Persian Gulf states. At a lunch with leaders of more than 50 majority-Muslim countries,Trump will deliver what White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster called “an inspiring, yet direct speech” on his vision for confronting radical ideology, spreading peace and sharing the burdens of achieving both. Read More...
|
Anders Samuelsen, the Danish foreign minister who appointed the first tech ambassador to Silicon Valley, looks for inspiration in Israel and other tech hubs. Samuelsen, 49, who has headed the ministry since November, has made digital and technological development in Denmark one of the key strategic priorities for the nation’s foreign policy. [...] The country also set up an innovation center in Tel Aviv last year, one of seven the Scandinavian nation has opened globally. Read More...
|
The 2017 three-week tour features concerts and cultural exchange activities in Shanghai, Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Seoul, and Hong Kong. 2017 is also the first year of new five-year partnerships with China's National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and the Shanghai Media Group Performing Arts Division. [...] This is the first time a Western orchestra has engaged in people-to-people exchange and outreach activities in Mongolia,made possible by the Department of State and the US Embassy in Ulaanbaatar. Read More...
|
President Emmanuel Macron undertook his first trip as commander-in-chief on Friday when he met troops fighting Islamist militants in Mali. Macron, a newcomer to international diplomacy, put counter-terrorism at the top of his security priorities during the election campaign, vowing to strengthen support for West African allies. "Emmanuel Macron made the commitment during the campaign to immediately go and see troops engaged in the fight against terrorism," said a senior French diplomat. Read More...
|
President Donald Trump congratulated Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on his hard-won peace deal with leftist rebels who terrorized the South American nation for 50 years. But Trump did not explicitly endorse the plan that has divided the Colombia, left gaping questions about future U.S. financial support. [...] During a joint appearance in the East Room, Trump did pledge to continue to work with the Colombian government to target drug trafficking networks and reduce coca cultivation and cocaine production Read More...
|
The two-day OBOR summit, one of the most eagerly anticipated events in China this year, ended on May 15. Party mouthpieces referred to the meeting as a high-level international conference with far-reaching implications for the whole world. [...] If anything, the summit was marked by three things— big fat cheques, thunderous applause and hype surrounding president Xi Jinping’s “achievements”.[...] XI vowed pledged to provide an extra 60 billion yuan in foreign aid for countries along the economic corridor plus 2 billion yuan in emergency food aid. Read More...
|
May 18, 2017
The Duterte administration turned down 250 million euros worth of development aid from the European Union (EU) because it “may be used as the reason for interfering in the internal affairs of the country,” a Cabinet official familiar with the issue said. The high level source, who only agreed to speak under anonymity, told the Inquirer that the move aims to block the EU from questioning how the Philippines adopts and follows the rule of law, including respect for human rights. Read More...
|
When eight-year-old Sita, an orphan from one of the most marginalized sections of Indian society – developed a fever, her condition gradually worsened despite her family’s efforts to treat her. [...] But she was lucky. Correct treatment was administered and she was saved. Ten years ago, this story may have ended differently.[...] Much of the recent legwork has come from an international consortium called Tackling Visceral Leishmaniasis in South Asia and East Africa (KalaCORE), backed by £21.5m of funding from the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID. Read More...
|
Austrians do not know enough about Romania, and creating a country brand is "a challenge," Austrian Ambassador in Bucharest Gerhard Reiweger stated on Wednesday, at the Youth's Perspective on Romania's Public Diplomacy within the EU" event. [...] "The image of a country's economy is part of the global perception. If Austria is perceived only in cultural or tourism terms, it means that we have to work on our image from the economic involvement point of view. It is the same for Romania. How many people even know that you have a growing IT sector where the young generation is so... Read More...
|
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a special envoy of new South Korean President Moon Jae In agreed Thursday to resume "shuttle diplomacy" between the two leaders, according to the envoy. The shuttle diplomacy, which sees the leaders visit each other's countries roughly every year, has been suspended since December 2011 under the administration of then President Lee Myung Bak.The two leaders could hold their first face-to-face talks in July on the margins of a summit of Group of 20 major economies in Germany. Read More...
|
The Sesame synchrotron opened its doors in Jordan this week, allowing scientists who would normally find it difficult to meet because of the troubled relations between their countries, to carry out collaborative research at a local facility.The Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, situated 35 kilometres north of the Jordanian capital Amman, unites Cyprus, Iran, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey – countries usually hostile to each other. The other founding members include Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan. Read More...
|
The first Youth Summit of the Islamic Development Bank Group Annual Meeting brought together youth leaders, influential thinkers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and international development policy experts to discuss critical matters of relevance to youth in IDBG member countries. The delegates at the two-day Youth Summit, begins today, drew attention to the key role of youth in overcoming development issues in areas ranging from education, employment, entrepreneurship, networking to financial inclusion. Read More...
|
May 17, 2017
It is a confusing question: Who is responsible for Egypt’s image? The investment conference in Sharm El-Sheikh created an “attractive atmosphere”, however the Egyptian government did not complete it. The same thing happened with Lionel Messi when he came to Cairo to promote the treatment of Hepatitis C in Egypt. Finally, Pope Francis’ visit to Egypt shed light on Egypt’s efforts in religious tolerance. After the visit, we were very happy and exchanged congratulations, but we did not realize, as usual, that the difficult part would be in the next day. It leads us to the same question: Who is... Read More...
|
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with experts from the Center for Digital Society Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held a joint study on the future of digital diplomacy for Indonesia. More than 30 experts in diplomacy and information communication technology, as well as 100 observers, consultants, academics, and foreign diplomats, participated in the Experts Meeting on Diplomacy, which was held in the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UGM, Wednesday. Read More...
|
South Korea and the US’s tentative agreement to hold a summit in Washington as early as the end of June appears to mean that both sides recognize the need to fill the gap in summit diplomacy, created by the impeachment of former president Park Geun-hye, as soon as possible. At the same time, the Blue House also seems determined to quickly dispel US concerns about South Korea’s new president, Moon Jae-in. Read More...
|
President Trump on Monday expanded the Mexico City Policy that bans funding for abortions outside U.S. borders to include a broader range of international aid programs.The policy applies to approximately $8.8 billion in funds appropriated to the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense. Under previous administrations, the ban was applied on a more limited basis to $60 million in foreign aid programming. Read More...
|
Inquiries from overseas prosecutors to their British counterparts about cyber crime have soared, underscoring the vital role the UK plays for investigators and criminals alike.High quality global journalism requires investment. The number of so-called Mutual Legal Assistance requests from foreign authorities to the UK relating to cyber crime jumped by 12 per cent in 2016, to 1,855, according to Home Office statistics gleaned through a Freedom of Information request. Read More...
|
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-anticipated visit to Israel, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas has played the gift diplomacy. Abbas has presented a mosaic and an artwork to PM Modi with his name written in Arabic, according to Indian Express report. “Invaluable gift of a warm friendhip,” MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay had tweeted. PM Modi’s proposed visit to Israel assumes significance as it would be the first such tour by an Indian Premier. But this gift diplomacy also signals that Palestine wants a plausible closer ties with India. Read More...
|
May 16, 2017
President Trump’s decision to visit the Vatican on his first overseas trip underscores the importance of United States diplomatic relations with the Holy See. History shows that the moral persuasion, or “soft power” diplomacy, of the Holy See is an important resource for successful pursuit of American foreign policy goals. Going forward, the United States and the Holy See should work together on their common objectives of defeating Islamic extremism and promoting human rights. Read More...
|
Public diplomacy has always been an essential part of NATO’s mission. NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) understands that in order to keep our people safe and to protect the values we hold dear – democracy, individual liberty, human rights and the rule of law – we must have the support of the public. Public diplomacy is about making sure that the public understands what NATO is, what it wants to achieve, and how it tries to achieve it. Read More...
|
Do you know something about Luxembourg most people don't? Or maybe you have a specific angle on a well-known Luxembourgish subject, place or activity? If so, then Luxembourg's Economy Ministry is hoping to recruit you as a "guide for one day" as part of its latest nation-branding effort. The guided tours that will be offered through this initiative will start from June 23and can range from local life, night life, shopping, history, Luxembourgish markets, cafés and gastronomy to leisure and sports. Read More...
|
Iran’s Cultural Attaché in Moscow Reza Maleki stressed the need to further promote relations between the Islamic Republic and the Russian Federation, saying enhanced cultural ties between the two nations will pave the ground for closer political relations. “Relations between Iran and Russia should not be confined to the level of the governments,” Maleki said in a meeting about cultural relations and their impact on political ties held at the University of Tehran’s Faculty of World Studies. Read More...
|
Multilingualism and the ability to understand cultures helps in solving global crises such as climate change and military conflicts, said Obama administration official Mohamed Abdel-Kader May 10 as part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies’ Distinguished Speakers Series. Abdel-Kader, an Egyptian-American who speaks fluent Arabic and basic Spanish, said that although learning a foreign language is often considered a luxury, it is in fact a highly marketable skill in the modern job market. Read More...
|
President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday met with his special envoys and emphasized the need to normalize diplomatic affairs. “The new government inherited grave diplomatic and security circumstances, and summit diplomacy has been put on hold for more than six months. Sending the special envoys is the beginning of summit diplomacy,” Moon was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun following the president’s meeting with the envoys. Read More...
|
May 15, 2017
The Trump administration is considering folding the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) into the State Department and making deep cuts to both foreign assistance and diplomacy. These proposals spring from the vaguely articulated principle of “America First” and a belief that the United States spends too much money on foreign assistance and not enough on its own people. This idea is designed to save the taxpayers money and make the country safer. It accomplishes neither. Read More...
|
A trio of Shepparton Ace College students is looking forward to the opportunity of a lifetime after being selected by Westside Circus to be a part of the National Treasures youth exchange program. Telaah Donnelly, Adam Eleftheriou and Kyrone Black will be training under the best acrobats at a week-long youth exchange in Melbourne in November, before travelling to York in the United Kingdom for another exchange experience. The students will also meet young people from Brazil, Sweden and the UK during the program and learn about their cultures. Read More...
|
Mandalay-based reporter Maung Tar took a 10-day trip to China last year. He visited the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square in Beijing, admired Tianjin city and also traipsed through the famous stone forests of Yunnan province. He didn't have to pay a cent. China has launched a charm offensive of late, inviting journalists, teachers, monks and other influential groups to visit the country, to enhance its reputation amid bad press in the region. Read More...
|
India’s and Turkey’s bilateral relations have been marked by cordiality and warmth since the establishment of their diplomatic relationship in 1948. However, the Pakistan factor has overshadowed Indo-Turkey relations during the last several decades. The bilateral ties between Turkey and Pakistan has been tied and strengthened by their historical and religious legacies. Since the emergence of Pakistan as an independent country, bilateral relations between Turkey and Pakistan have been marked by their strategic support to each other in general and during the most difficult times in particular. Read More...
|
A two-year project to bring safe, affordable drinking water to more than 50,000 of the poorest residents in Nairobi, Kenya, has now been inaugurated after successful completion earlier this year. The initiative was co-funded by OFID (the OPEC Fund for International Development), the UK Government’s Department for International Development and Borealis and Borouge through their joint corporate social responsibility programme Water for the World™. Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) was responsible for implementation and project management. Read More...
|
A senior European Union official has urged Myanmar to allow full aid access to the north of Rakhine state, where thousands have fled their homes after a months-long army crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. The area along the country's northwestern border has been under lockdown since October, when the military launched a campaign to hunt down Rohingya militants who staged deadly attacks on police posts. Read More...
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment