Financial Times
Demitri Sevastopulo is the Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times. Her formerly served as its Asia news editor and China correspondent.
PROFILE
Demetri Sevastopulo
Guest
FROM Demetri Sevastopulo
To the Point
VIP treatment for China's President Xi at Mar-a-Lago Donald Trump's campaign was full of tough talk about China. As President, he's talking tougher than ever -- especially about North Korea, which fired another missile yesterday. Tomorrow, at Mar-a-Lago, the President will give China's President Xi Jinping the full VIP treatment. Veteran diplomats say this week's summit is premature. By failing to demand any concessions from President Xi in advance of the meeting, did Trump give up an important advantage?
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American Ship Captain Rescued from Pirates The Captain of the Maersk Alabama is safe after Navy Seal sharp-shooters picked off three pirates who were holding him in the Indian Ocean. Richard Phillips had given himself up to the pirates to save his crew. Friday night, President Obama authorized Navy marksmen to shoot to kill if Phillips' life was in danger. Vice Admiral William Gortney, Head of the US Naval Command, said the decision to abandon negotiations was made only after the on-scene commander observed one of the pirates point an AK-47 at the captain's back. At left: Capt. Richard Phillips (R), stands alongside Cmdr. Frank Castellano, commanding officer of USS Bainbridge, after being rescued by US Naval Forces off the coast of Somalia. Official US Navy photo
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US General Says Iraq Needs More Time US military leaders in Iraq have long warned that President Obama's promise to withdraw in 16 months may be optimistic. A recent interview with London's Financial Times may be the beginning of a public campaign, as Demetri Sevastopulo reports from the Pentagon.
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Who's Watching the Nuclear Arsenal? The Bush Administration is demanding that other countries tighten up on proliferation of nuclear materials and technology. But at the same time, the US is doing a poor job of maintaining its own arsenal of nuclear weapons. Six nuclear missiles were flown across the continental United States by mistake. Nuclear missile nose-cones were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan. After those incidents, the Secretary of the Air Force and its top civilian official were fired by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Now another embarrassment has surfaced: hundreds, perhaps thousands, of nuclear missile components have turned up missing.
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Bush Upbeat on Iraq, Which May Mean Fewer US Troops President Bush flew to Iraq yesterday to assess for himself progress in quelling the insurgency. Next week, the top military commander will report on the success of the surge. It will be a pivotal moment for the Bush presidency, the 2008 election and the entire nation. What will General Petraeus say and how will Bush balance politics and national security? Demetri Sevastopulo, who covers the Pentagon for the Financial Times , is traveling with the President and Defense Secretary Gates .
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To the Point
A New York Times op-ed on climate change sparks uproar The New York Times is embroiled in a public furor over a new columnist, who wrote that scientific uncertainty is reason for debate about climate change. Many conservatives are delighted. Is America's leading liberal newspaper fostering climate denial? This is the latest in our series, "The Emotional States of America."
To the Point
Trump's intelligence disclosures cause chaos On the eve of departure for his first trip overseas, President Trump is embroiled in another controversy. It's about reports that he shared highly classified information with two high-ranking Russians.
To the Point
The free-flowing leaks in the Trump White House President Obama tried to clamp down on leakers, but the Trump Administration is besieged almost as never before. Are the "anonymous sources" partisans or worried professionals? Are they endangering the republic or performing a public service?