The Biden administration, however, said it still opposes ICC efforts to investigate U.S. and Israeli actions.The exterior of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, is seen on March 31, 2021. | Peter Dejong/AP PhotoPresident Joe Biden on Friday lifted sanctions and visa restrictions on officials of the International Criminal Court, reversing another foreign policy move by former President Donald Trump.The Biden administration move will please human rights activists as well as many of America’s allies in Europe, a group Biden is determined to reconnect with in the wake of...…The Biden administration, however, said it still opposes ICC efforts to investigate U.S. and Israeli actions.The exterior of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, is seen on March 31, 2021. | Peter Dejong/AP PhotoPresident Joe Biden on Friday lifted sanctions and visa restrictions on officials of the International Criminal Court, reversing another foreign policy move by former President Donald Trump.The Biden administration move will please human rights activists as well as many of America’s allies in Europe, a group Biden is determined to reconnect with in the wake of...WW…

The Biden administration is working with Canada and Europe to put human rights pressure on Beijing.Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media after a closed-door morning session of US-China talks in Anchorage, Alaska on March 19. | Frederic J. Brown/Pool via APThe United States and its allies in Canada, Britain and the European Union on Monday announced sanctions on several Chinese officials alleged to have links to what U.S. officials say is a genocidal campaign against Uyghur Muslims.The international, coordinated sanctions, first reported by POLITICO, drew condemnation and...…The Biden administration is working with Canada and Europe to put human rights pressure on Beijing.Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media after a closed-door morning session of US-China talks in Anchorage, Alaska on March 19. | Frederic J. Brown/Pool via APThe United States and its allies in Canada, Britain and the European Union on Monday announced sanctions on several Chinese officials alleged to have links to what U.S. officials say is a genocidal campaign against Uyghur Muslims.The international, coordinated sanctions, first reported by POLITICO, drew condemnation and...WW…

A tense diplomatic meeting ends with both sides digging in and courting allies.U.S Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) shakes hand with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People on February 11, 2015 in Beijing, China. | Andy Wong/Getty ImagesThe first showdown is over, and each side came out throwing punches.Now China and the United States will huddle with their partners in hopes of building international support to pressure the other on multiple fronts.Senior officials from the two countries held three sessions in Anchorage, Alaska, on...…A tense diplomatic meeting ends with both sides digging in and courting allies.U.S Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) shakes hand with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People on February 11, 2015 in Beijing, China. | Andy Wong/Getty ImagesThe first showdown is over, and each side came out throwing punches.Now China and the United States will huddle with their partners in hopes of building international support to pressure the other on multiple fronts.Senior officials from the two countries held three sessions in Anchorage, Alaska, on...WW…

It's the first major meeting under the Biden administration, but the two sides can't even agree about what kind of meeting it is.American officials — including, from left, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken — have characterized the meeting as a one-off event where President Joe Biden's administration will confront the Chinese on a range of security and human rights issues. | Andrew Harnik/AP PhotoThe U.S. and China are setting vastly different expectations for their first high-level meeting under the Biden administration, casting a chill on the...…It's the first major meeting under the Biden administration, but the two sides can't even agree about what kind of meeting it is.American officials — including, from left, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken — have characterized the meeting as a one-off event where President Joe Biden's administration will confront the Chinese on a range of security and human rights issues. | Andrew Harnik/AP PhotoThe U.S. and China are setting vastly different expectations for their first high-level meeting under the Biden administration, casting a chill on the...WW…

The proposal says the additional dollars should help Washington compete with China, prepare for pandemics and fight climate change.Sen. Chris Murphy speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. | Greg Nash-Pool/Getty ImagesA handful of Democratic lawmakers are proposing a massive, $12 billion boost in the U.S. international affairs budget, money they say should go toward fighting climate change, preparing for pandemics and competing with China.The initiative follows years of attempts by then-President Donald Trump to slash the budgets of government...…The proposal says the additional dollars should help Washington compete with China, prepare for pandemics and fight climate change.Sen. Chris Murphy speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. | Greg Nash-Pool/Getty ImagesA handful of Democratic lawmakers are proposing a massive, $12 billion boost in the U.S. international affairs budget, money they say should go toward fighting climate change, preparing for pandemics and competing with China.The initiative follows years of attempts by then-President Donald Trump to slash the budgets of government...WW…

Some Republicans want to pull out, but others say there are better ways to highlight Beijing’s human rights abuses.Exile Tibetans in Dharmsala, India, use the Olympic Rings as a prop on Feb. 3, 2021, as they hold a street protest against the holding of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. | Ashwini Bhatia/AP PhotoPresident Joe Biden is under growing pressure from hawkish Republicans to use the 2022 Winter Olympics to punish the Chinese government over its human rights abuses.But even within the GOP, there’s disagreement over how far to push.Some are calling on Biden to outright boycott the...…Some Republicans want to pull out, but others say there are better ways to highlight Beijing’s human rights abuses.Exile Tibetans in Dharmsala, India, use the Olympic Rings as a prop on Feb. 3, 2021, as they hold a street protest against the holding of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. | Ashwini Bhatia/AP PhotoPresident Joe Biden is under growing pressure from hawkish Republicans to use the 2022 Winter Olympics to punish the Chinese government over its human rights abuses.But even within the GOP, there’s disagreement over how far to push.Some are calling on Biden to outright boycott the...WW…

The State Department put visa bans on 76 Saudi nationals. But who they are is a mystery.Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist who contributed writings to The Washington Post. His concerns about growing political repression in Saudi Arabia put him at odds with Crown Prince Mohammed. | AP Photo/Lefteris PitarakisThe Biden administration will not publicly identify any of the 76 Saudis it says it is barring from entering the United States as part of punishing Saudi Arabia over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.The decision, which the State Department says is rooted in privacy laws...…The State Department put visa bans on 76 Saudi nationals. But who they are is a mystery.Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist who contributed writings to The Washington Post. His concerns about growing political repression in Saudi Arabia put him at odds with Crown Prince Mohammed. | AP Photo/Lefteris PitarakisThe Biden administration will not publicly identify any of the 76 Saudis it says it is barring from entering the United States as part of punishing Saudi Arabia over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.The decision, which the State Department says is rooted in privacy laws...WW…

Fritz Berggren’s hundreds of blog posts, videos and podcasts date back several years.The U.S. Department of State is seen on Jan. 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. | Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesA State Department official for several years has been publicly calling for the establishment of Christian nation-states, warning that white people face “elimination” and railing against Jews as well as Black Lives Matter and other social movements.Fritz Berggren, a mid-ranking Foreign Service officer, openly uses his name and image as he espouses these and other controversial views, according to a review of...…Fritz Berggren’s hundreds of blog posts, videos and podcasts date back several years.The U.S. Department of State is seen on Jan. 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. | Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesA State Department official for several years has been publicly calling for the establishment of Christian nation-states, warning that white people face “elimination” and railing against Jews as well as Black Lives Matter and other social movements.Fritz Berggren, a mid-ranking Foreign Service officer, openly uses his name and image as he espouses these and other controversial views, according to a review of...WW…

The new administration says it’s playing a long game with Beijing. Critics say it’s just getting played.Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with then Vice President Joe Biden in Beijing in 2013. | Lintao Zhang, Pool, File/APPresident Joe Biden so far has held calls with about a dozen world leaders, from the president of France to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s strongman. But the head of the world’s No. 2 economy and America’s chief geopolitical rival? Nope.It’s not that Biden has nothing to say to Xi Jinping, the iron-fisted head of China’s communist system. Quite the opposite —...…The new administration says it’s playing a long game with Beijing. Critics say it’s just getting played.Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with then Vice President Joe Biden in Beijing in 2013. | Lintao Zhang, Pool, File/APPresident Joe Biden so far has held calls with about a dozen world leaders, from the president of France to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s strongman. But the head of the world’s No. 2 economy and America’s chief geopolitical rival? Nope.It’s not that Biden has nothing to say to Xi Jinping, the iron-fisted head of China’s communist system. Quite the opposite —...WW…

From booking salon appointments to buying gold nut bowls, Mike Pompeo and his wife, Susan, asked State employees to carry out personal tasks more than 100 times.Mike Pompeo, in an interview with investigators, insisted that the requests were often small and the types of things friends do for friends. | AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, PoolFormer Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules governing the use of taxpayer-funded resources when he and his wife, Susan, asked State Department employees to carry out tasks for their personal benefit more than 100 times, a government watchdog...…From booking salon appointments to buying gold nut bowls, Mike Pompeo and his wife, Susan, asked State employees to carry out personal tasks more than 100 times.Mike Pompeo, in an interview with investigators, insisted that the requests were often small and the types of things friends do for friends. | AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, PoolFormer Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules governing the use of taxpayer-funded resources when he and his wife, Susan, asked State Department employees to carry out tasks for their personal benefit more than 100 times, a government watchdog...WW…