Radio Ozodi's Web Access Restored, But Tajik Reporter Remains Banned:  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Abduqayum Qayumove, Radio Ozodi, is back online following an Internet blackout that included its website, Facebook, and several other independent news sites.  Authorities attributed the incident, which began on January 18, to "technical problems," although Asia Plus reported the blackout was coordinated by Tajik authorities.  Read more >>

A State Department-sponsored American Music Abroad folk ensemble wowed audiences in Malaysia, China, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea with its new take on bluegrass and old-time music.  Grammy-award winners Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, and Barbara Lamb played to full house audiences that included students, local musicians, journalists, and government ministers.  Although many of the audiences had never before seen a banjo or heard American folk music, the group's interactive, high-spirited approach had them on their feet.  The group also led master classes for students, jammed with local musicians, and arranged a number of special performances for young children.  The program highlighted American musical traditions and generated a great deal of positive media coverage. 

@america Celebrates Second Anniversary and Highlights American Comics:  U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel kicked off a second anniversary celebration for Embassy Jakarta's high-tech cultural center, @america, that included VIPs and over 600 guests.  The theme of the festival - American comics and graphic novels - included talks by American independent comic book artists Josh Neufeld and Jason Shiga; Indonesian artist Ardian Syaf, who draws for Marvel and DC Comics; and Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of "The 99," a group of Islamic su�perheroes.  EAP Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) Susan Stevenson and IIP Acting Deputy Coordinator Courtney Austrian joined a judging panel for a costume play competition.  The weekend festivities attracted more than 2,800 participants and continued the @america tradition of reinforcing the image of the United States as open, celebratory, and eager to engage in shared traditions. 

Former NBA Coach Tom Newell Continues Sports Diplomacy Success in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands:  After a highly visible and successful week in Majuro, Former National Basketball Association (NBA) Coach Tom Newell visited Kwajalein and Ebeye as part of the State Department's Sports Diplomacy program to conduct local clinics for students, coaches, and referees.  Mr. Newell has traveled to over 40 countries following his NBA career, teaching basketball fundamentals and encouraging kids to apply the skills of discipline and hard work to other aspects of their lives.  Coach Newell has helped the Republic of the Marshall Islands certify Level 2 coaches - the first time in all of Oceania - and establish an active Coaches Association. 

Triple Play:  Educational Advising + American Corners + Alumni: Using an Embassy Baghdad Alumni Small Grant, EducationUSA-trained volunteer student advisor Hassanien Hassan organized the first in a series of outreach sessions encouraging Iraqi students to study in the United States.  Held at Baghdad University's American Corner, Hassanien's event was a triple play in promoting EducationUSA, Alumni Programs, and American Corners. 

IIP and ECA Host Location-based Apps Webinar for #ExchangeAlumni: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), in partnership with the Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP), hosted the fourth digital storytelling webinar for #ExchangeAlumni on January 24.  The discussion focused on the use of location-based mobile applications to keep #ExchangeAlumni connected, expand their international networks, and encourage online and offline collaboration.  Speakers included two former Fulbright scholars: Josephine Dorado of New York City's The New School and Whit Schrader, founder of Pearescope.  Dorado and Schrader explained how to use location-based apps and answered questions from the live online audience of 191 participants representing 40 countries across the globe.

Grenada Exchange Alumni Organize MLK Day of Service: In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, alumni of U.S. Government-sponsored exchange and training programs organized a day-long event in support of the Emergency Shelter for Girls in St. George's.  The effort - a public/private partnership that included Embassy staff, alumni, and local businesses - involved more than 450 hours of service painting a dormitory, bathroom, and recreation room; weeding and landscaping gardens; and sewing custom sheets and pillowcases for the shelter's beds. 

IIP Brings the 57th Presidential Inauguration to the World:  On January 21, IIP streamed live coverage of the Presidential Inauguration, attracting 6,631 viewers from 127 countries.  The Bureau also translated the President's address into Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Persian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese for distribution by posts.  In the lead-up to Inauguration Day more than 90 U.S. Missions from every geopolitical region used IIP-produced social media messages, articles, pamphlets, captioned photos, and transcripts on topics such as the peaceful transition of power.  IIP's Democracy Challenge page garnered 14,000 engagements with a reach of 1,450,000 people.  A recording of the Inauguration is available on the CO.NX portal.

American Spaces Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:  In the lead-up to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, American Spaces around the world held events commemorating his legacy.  The American Corner Kisumu in Kenya collaborated with three organizations and 250 young people from different youth groups to organize a peace march.  The American Corner on the island of Pemba, Tanzania hosted English-language college students to discuss civil rights and screen a documentary on Dr. King.  And, in Russia, Ambassador McFaul engaged an energetic crowd of 130 students, teachers and exchange alumni at the Moscow American Center on the legacy of Dr. King. 

eJournal Explores New Frontiers:  "Science: The New Frontier" examines how the Internet and other technologies are helping to shape the questions pursued by scientists and the ways in which scientists interact and share new knowledge.  The issue, now available online, also highlights remarkable discoveries by younger scientists in understanding the genesis of disease, our place in the universe, and the brain's circuitry.

Embassy Riyadh Launches Virtual Programming:  On January 12, Embassy Riyadh streamed to the CO.NX portal for the first time, providing online participants a new means for engaging with post by chatting from their Facebook or Twitter accounts.  Embassy Riyadh hosted Professor Gregory Gause, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Doha Center, for a discussion in Arabic and English on the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Turkey Roundtable:  The Bureau of Public Affairs, in coordination with Embassy Ankara, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID,) and the State Department's Bureau of Population, Research, and Migration (PRM) facilitated a media roundtable for Ambassador Ford, USAID Assistant Administrator Lindborg, and PRM Assistant Secretary Richard to discuss ongoing U.S. humanitarian assistance to Syria.  Following their visit to the Islahiye refugee camp in Turkey, Ambassador Ford, Assistant Administrator Lindborg and Assistant Secretary Richard announced an additional $10 million in humanitarian assistance that will supply flour to bakeries in Aleppo to provide daily bread for approximately 210,000 Syrian people in need for the next five months.  The roundtable was covered by seven Turkish media outlets as well as National Public Radio and numerous wire services including The Associated Press, American Free Press, Reuters and McLatchy.

Highlighting the U.S.-Mexico Economic Relationship:  The Foreign Press Center hosted Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Jose Fernandez, who spoke about the U.S.-Mexico economic relationship.  This followed his trip to Mexico City from January 22-24 as part of a delegation of Assistant Secretaries from Commerce, Treasury, and Transportation.  A half-dozen Latin journalists attended, including representatives from Colombian TV outlet RCN. 

Journalists Learn About Volunteerism in the United States:  The Foreign Press Center organized a reporting tour in recognition of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, highlighting volunteerism in the United States.  The tour took place at the D.C. Armory, where thousands of volunteers from all over the country were assembling care packages for U.S. service members, wounded warriors, veterans, and first responders.  Journalists interviewed representatives from various volunteer organizations involved in community service as well as volunteers working at the site about their experience volunteering in the United States. 

Afghanistan: A Discussion with Christiane Amanpour:  CNN Foreign Correspondent Christiane Amanpour held a video teleconference with 12 Afghan female journalists to discuss her experiences as a female international correspondent covering Afghanistan.  Prior to the teleconference Amanpour had interviewed Afganistan's President Karzai during his trip to the United States.  She began the discussion by describing her long-time involvement and reporting on Afghanistan, including her groundbreaking interview with the Taliban in 1996.  Her message was simply to keep pushing in the face of adversity and seize the moment and that great success can be achieved.  The women shared their concerns about the future of Afghanistan, post-2014 and beyond. One journalist said that she wasn't afraid of the Taliban, but that she was afraid of jihadis and Islamic fundamentalists because, "they have money and they know the system."  At the end of the discussion, Ms. Amanpour concluded by saying that Afghan women and their plight will always have good friends and supporters in the United States.

Bangladesh:  Conversation with Assistant Secretary Blake Reaches over 7 Million Viewers: January's episode of post's monthly hit talk show, "A Conversation with Bangladesh" reached more than 7 million viewers nationwide on Desh TV.  Assistant Secretary Blake spoke with a panel of young executives and social entrepreneurs about his recent participation in the South Asian Women's Entrepreneurship Symposium, U.S.-Bangladesh relations, and the New Silk Road.  Post added Bangla subtitles to the show to further the program's reach.

India:  Mumbai's Bollywood-Hollywood Inauguration Event Reaches Over 18 Million:  Consul General Peter Haas and Atul Nishar, President of Namaste America, Indo-American Association for Art & Culture, co-hosted an Inaugural Ball in honor of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, on the Consulate lawn.  The ceremony featured a live telecast of the Presidential address from Washington and was attended by over 400 guests including Bollywood film star Rani Mukherjee and Hollywood actor Adam Rodriguez of "CSI: Miami."  The event was widely covered in print and television media and amplified using social media.