Last month, President Obama released his first National Security Strategy...This National Security Strategy (NSS) goes to great lengths to discuss the complex and intertwined global and governmental environments...However, the imperative of creating understanding and shaping influence at all levels, from individuals to governments, is at best a subtle inclusion throughout and at worse a passing thought.

The Obama administration resisted its allies' calls to condemn Israel's raid on an aid flotilla headed to the Gaza Strip, with senior officials saying they were awaiting an investigation to determine who was responsible for the violence that killed nine civilians aboard one of the ships.

One of Brazil’s most influential weekly magazines with strong penetration in political and business circles, ‘Veja’ has a main article this week calling neighbouring Paraguay the “rich beggar”, a role which the successive Paraguayan governments “have played to success attracting significant international aid and grants”.

Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday he was resigning over his broken campaign promise to move a U.S. Marine base off the southern island of Okinawa. The prime minister faced growing pressure from within his own party to resign ahead of July's upper house elections.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who arrived here [Madrid] Tuesday on a two-day official visit, will discuss bilateral relations between Pakistan and Spain with his counterpart and others.
Prime Minister Gilani who is heading a high-level Pakistani delegation is expected to sign three important agreements with the government of Spain.

Germany now deploys its diplomatic weight in Brussels but it has no vision for a global role, except through the European Union. Germany is still reticent when it comes to the unabashed declaration of national interest.

President Obama, his foreign policy team, and Congress are on the cusp of redefining how the United States approaches foreign assistance. As they undertake their aid reform effort this year, they're promising to get serious about ensuring that American funds are used wisely.