In The News

Extending a Hand, Obama Finds Cold Shoulder Abroad

Mark Landler, Peter Baker June 19, 2013
Following frank meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G8 Summit, US President Barack Obama is finding that some fellow heads of state are dispensing with diplomatic niceties. Even allies are disappointed, and Obama must contend with a notoriously difficult relationship with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, a brutal response to protests by...

NSA Surveillance: The US Is Behaving Like China

Ai Weiwei June 14, 2013
Many are shocked by reports on the scope of the US National Security Agency’s PRISM operation, and comparisons to the monolithic security apparatus in China may not be far off. Both US citizens and foreigners are left wondering about the targets. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who has both lived in the US for 12 years and been in detention in China, expresses surprise and disappointment....

US Snooping Revelations Cause Trouble for Allies

Andrew Osborn June 11, 2013
Exposure of the US National Security Agency’s vast intelligence collection program through the use of internet companies like Google and Facebook is creating headaches for allied governments across the world. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague attempted to assure Britons that privacy laws were respected, while the opposition in Germany expressed displeasure and urged Merkel to demand answers from...