Category: World

  AMBASSADOR KAPLAN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  Maybe we’re coming up on good evening.  We appreciate everyone’s patience and we’re excited to be here.  It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here today.  I’ve had the pleasure for the last three and a half years to be the United States ambassador to the […]

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.  The Secretary and the Prime Minister discussed ongoing tensions in the Middle East.  The Secretary emphasized the importance of continuing to work to reach a […]

Yesterday, the United States designated five individuals and seven entities based in Iran and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including Hong Kong, that have facilitated procurements of critical components for Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs. These individuals and entities assist the U.S-designated Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics […]

Open-water swimming events at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris could be scuppered by the Seine river, where bathing has been prohibited since 1923. Faecal contamination of the Seine, which winds 777 kilometres through northern France, exceeded the bathing quality standard for safe swimming just two days before the men’s and women’s triathlon […]

“The staggering number of men, women, children, doctors, journalists and human rights defenders detained since 7 October, most of them without charge or trial and held in deplorable conditions, along with reports of ill-treatment and torture and violation of due process guarantees, raises serious concerns regarding the arbitrariness and the fundamentally punitive nature of such […]

On May 23, after anti-democratic actions by the Georgian government, I announced a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation between the United States and Georgia.  As a result of that review, the United States is pausing more than $95 million in assistance that directly benefits the Government of Georgia. The Georgian government’s anti-democratic actions and false […]

Parliamentarians in the West African country voted on Monday to reject a bill that sought to overturn a 2015 law against the harmful practice, which involves cutting or removing some or all of the external female genitalia. FGM is mostly carried out on infants and young girls.  It can inflict severe immediate and long-term physical and […]

According to a recent opinion poll taken by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, almost one-third of Ukrainians are now prepared to make territorial concessions to Russia if this brings the Russian war of aggression to a swift end and preserves their country’s independence. But more than half of the population rejects the idea of […]

QUESTION:  Secretary Blinken, thank you very much for sitting down with CNA. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good to be with you. QUESTION:  I want to start with a developing story that we’re following.  A few hours ago Hamas said that its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in Tehran by an Israeli strike, and they’re calling it […]

Beginning in the 15th century, the Renaissance in Europe saw a shift in the continent’s mindset towards greater interest in the world beyond its own borders. In this era, a number of significant maritime expeditions took place, spurred primarily by commercial and political interests, but also by cultural curiosity. These voyages were spearheaded by Spain […]