Putin slams US surveillance practice

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that phone tapping threatens state sovereignty and manifests utter hypocrisy, citing recent revelations of US spying on Germany. ‘It is not simply an utter hypocrisy in regards to the allies and partners,’ Xinhua quoted Putin as saying.  ‘This is a direct attempt on state sovereignty, and human rights violation.’ In two new cases, an employee of the German Federal Intelligence Service and an official of the defence ministry are under investigation on suspicion of spying for the US. Agencies