EU/US : E-MAIL SPY PROGRAMME WILL STAY WITH OBAMA'S NEW REFORMS.

The changes in US intelligence gathering policies that US President Barack Obama unveiled, on 17 January, are unlikely to placate the data privacy advocates in Europe. The overhaul leaves largely intact the programme that whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed in summer 2013, which gives National Security Agency (NSA) agents access to the e-mails of millions of ordinary EU citizens. This programme is "very valuable," a White House official insisted, while adding that there "has not been any indications of abuse" of it so far by intelligence officials. Obama did offer some morsels to his transatlantic allies. Responding to the disclosures that the NSA bugged German Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone, he promised that in future he would "pick up the phone and call" leaders in such situations. "Unless there is a compelling national security purpose, we...