In a country where film and television attract some of the largest audiences across the Arab world, the tycoon's foray into the Middle East is widely seen in cultural circles as a ruse to benefit Israel.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has called for the United States to share responsibility in the battle against drug traffickers in the two countries. His comments came on a one-day visit to the border city of Ciudad Juarez, where three people connected to the US consulate were killed on Saturday.

Nine months ago President Barack Obama offered Muslims a "new beginning" with the United States in a speech in Cairo that was the centerpiece of his efforts to restore America's image around the world.

In Russian political circles, Barack Obama's election tended to evoke two different reactions. Many officials were curious to see what new deals he would offer, but others, in the tradition of the Cold War, dismissed him as just the latest mouthpiece of the old American élites.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has dismissed the idea that US-Israeli relations are in crisis amid a row over Jewish settlers in Arab East Jerusalem.

President Barack Obama's visit here next week is a pivotal point in relations between Indonesia and the United States. Indonesia is now also an established democracy, both countries adhere to market economies and both are viewed as important players in the Asia-Pacific region.

This month, the United States and Japan are celebrating more than 50 years of cooperation in agriculture.

The US State Department launched a new website on Monday seeking the opinions of people around the world on global issues and US foreign policy. The site located at state.gov/opinionspace is designed to "foster global conversations on foreign affairs," the State Department said.