Page 3 - Antony Blinken

Rise of anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi

Observing the recent rise in violence against the Hindus in Bangladesh, American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi urged the Secretary of State Tony Blinken to engage directly with the interim government to end this outbreak of violence, including the targeting of Hindus, and to bring those responsible to justice. In his letter dated August 8, a copy of which was released to the press on Friday, Krishnamoorthi said credible eyewitness reports of the anti-Hindu attacks in the New York Times, Times of India, BBC, and Reuters among other media outlets, demonstrate the scale of the attacks. I am writing to you regarding the fluid situation in Bangladesh and the rise of coordinated anti-Hindu violence in the wake of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation. Now that Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as Chief Adviser for the interim government, it is of utmost urgency that the United States engage with his government for both bringing the violence to an end and the perpetrators to ..

Iran could discard revenge plan against Israel in return for Gaza ceasefire

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US has told both- Israel and Iran that 'no one should escalate this conflict'

Blinken talks to G7 foreign mins for urgent de-escalation in Middle East

The development comes as tensions continue to rise every minute between Israel and Iran, also Lebanon after the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week

US recognises oppn candidate Gonzlez as winner of Venezuela's prez poll

The US government has recognised Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzlez as the winner of the South American country's presidential election, discrediting the results announced by electoral authorities who declared President Nicols Maduro the victor. Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzlez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela's July 28 presidential election, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday. The National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of Sunday's highly anticipated election, but the president's main challenger, Gonzlez, and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have said they obtained more than two-thirds of the tally sheets that each electronic voting machine printed after polls closed. They said the release of the data on those tallies would prove Maduro lost. The announcement from the US government came amid diplomatic effor

Antony Blinken aims to ease tension over US polls on six-nation Asia tour

With large parts of the world in turmoil and deep uncertainty over the future direction of America's global role, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought this week to project an aura of calm normalcy as he traveled through Asia on his first overseas mission since President Joe Biden jolted the 2024 presidential race with his withdrawal. Whether he succeeded or not remains an open question. On a trip to Laos, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia that was punctuated by several potential escalatory developments in the Middle East, an uptick in Russian attacks in Ukraine and overshadowed by persistent fears about China's increasingly aggressive actions, he could not escape questions and comments about domestic U.S. politics. Having embarked on the six-nation tour just days after Biden's decision, Blinken no doubt would have preferred to avoid the issue entirely but came prepared with several stock answers to questions about U.S. leadership from concerned partner

Venezuela's prez election results don't reflect people's will: Blinken

Blinken on Monday said the international community was watching closely and would respond accordingly

Quad meet: EAM Jaishankar holds talks with US Secy Blinken in Tokyo

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held "wide-ranging" talks with his American counterpart Antony Blinken against the backdrop of an unease in India-US ties following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia three weeks back. Both Jaishankar and Blinken are in Tokyo to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of four-nation grouping Quad or Quadrilateral coalition. The talks between the external affairs minister and the US secretary of state also came amid Washington consistently seeking accountability from New Delhi in the case relating to the alleged foiled plot to kill Sikh extremist Gurupatwant Singh Pannun in New York. It is not immediately clear whether Prime Minister Modi's visit to Russia and the murder-for-hire plot figured in the Jaishankar-Blinken talks. In a post on 'X', Jaishankar said he and Blinken had a wide-ranging discussion on regional and global issues. "Great to catch up with @SecBlinken in Tokyo today," he said. "Our bilateral agenda progres

Amid deepening rivalry, US State Secy Blinken meets China's Wang Yi in Laos

US State Secretary met China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Laos

Amid US political chaos, Blinken heads to Asia to bolster Indo-Pacific ties

Ignoring the political chaos surrounding President Joe Biden's decision to end his reelection campaign, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Asia this week on a long-planned eight-day trip aimed at shoring up ties with Indo-Pacific allies and partners but with the priority of assuring them that the United States remains committed to the region. The State Department announced on Monday that Blinken, a longtime close aide to Biden dating from the president's days in the Senate, will travel to Vietnam, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia for a series of international and bilateral meetings. Those will include discussions in Laos with his Chinese counterpart and strategic and security talks in Tokyo and Manila also involving Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. The trip had been scheduled well before Biden's announcement on Sunday that he was withdrawing from the presidential race. State Department officials said there was no discussion of cancelling or postponing

Blinken highlights support for Ukraine in case US backs away under Trump

Ukraine is on its way to being able to "stand on its own feet" militarily, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said, noting that more than 20 other countries have pledged to maintain their own military and financial aid to the country even if the US were to withdraw its support under a different president. Blinken for the first time directly addressed the possibility that former President Donald Trump could win the November election and back away from commitments to Ukraine. The US, under President Joe Biden, has been the most important supporter of Ukraine's more than two-year battle against invading Russian forces. Trump's public comments have varied between criticizing U.S. backing for Ukraine's defense and supporting it, while his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has been a leader of Republican efforts to block what have been billions in US military and financial assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022. Concerns among Ukraine and its supporters that the country could lo

Working to break down silos between Europe, Asia, US, says Blinken

The Joe Biden administration is working to break down the silos between Europe, Asia and the United States, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit here, wherein America's Indo-Pacific partners -- Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand -- have also been invited to participate. In fact, this is the third time in a row that the US has invited its Indo-Pacific partners. It is a reflection of the fact that their theatres of work together are linked. "May be this was crystallised by Ukraine, when Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida of Japan said that what is happening in Europe today could be happening in East Asia tomorrow. "When Russia committed its aggression, its renewed aggression against Ukraine, and Japan stood up, South Korea stood up, Australia, New Zealand, this was a reflection of that recognition that these challenges are linked. And when democracies stand together, whether they are in Europe, Asia or elsewhere, we are going t

Rise in anti-conversion laws, hate speech in India concerning: Blinken

There has been a "concerning increase" in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities in India, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said. In his remarks at the release of the annual State Department report on international religious freedom, Blinken said on Wednesday that at the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious freedom. The report stated that senior US officials continued to raise concerns about religious freedom issues with their Indian counterparts in 2023. "In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities. At the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious freedom," the secretary of state said. Ten of 28 states have laws restricting religious conversions for all faiths. Some of these states also impose ...

Blinken says Netanyahu agrees to ceasefire plan for Israel-Hamas war

Later on Tuesday during a stop in neighboring Jordan, Blinken pledged more than $400 million in US assistance for Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and the broader region

Blinken pushes Israel on postwar Gaza plans as pressure mounts on Hamas

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged top Israeli officials on Monday to accept and implement a plan for postwar Gaza as he pushed for more international pressure on Hamas to agree to a cease-fire proposal newly endorsed by the UN Security Council. On his latest urgent mission to the Middle East his eighth since the Israel-Hamas war began in October Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to push the proposal, which faces new uncertainty following Israel's hostage rescue operation that killed many Palestinians and turmoil in Netanyahu's government. Blinken told Netanyahu that the United States and other world leaders will stand behind the comprehensive proposal outlined by President Biden that would lead to an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian assistance for distribution ...

Blinken back in Mideast as Israel-Hamas ceasefire proposal hangs in balance

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns to the Middle East this week as a proposed Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal hangs in the balance after the dramatic rescue of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza in a major military raid and turmoil in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. With no firm response yet from Hamas to the proposal received 10 days ago, Blinken on Monday will start his eighth diplomatic mission to the region since the conflict began in October. He will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo before travelling to Israel, Jordan and Qatar. While President Joe Biden, Blinken and other US officials have praised the hostage rescue, the operation resulted in the deaths of a large number of Palestinian civilians that may complicate the cease-fire push by emboldening Israel and hardening Hamas' resolve to carry on fighting in the war it initiated with its October 7 attacks in Israel. It's hard to say how Hamas will process this particular ...

Blinken to push Gaza cease-fire proposal in eighth West Asia trip

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will push for a breakthrough on President Joe Biden's cease-fire proposal when he returns to the Middle East next week on his eighth diplomatic mission to the region since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began in October, the State Department said Friday. Blinken, who is currently in France accompanying Biden on a state visit timed to the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion during World War II, will fly from Paris to Cairo on Monday to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other officials before travelling to Israel, Jordan and Qatar, the department said. Blinken will then go to Italy to join Biden at the summit for the Group of Seven advanced economies. In all of his meetings, Blinken will emphasise the importance of Hamas accepting the proposal on the table, which is nearly identical to one Hamas endorsed last month and discuss how the cease-fire proposal would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians, State Department spokesman Matthew ..

Blinken calls top Israeli officials to discuss Gaza ceasefire deal

Blinken commended Israel for the proposal and emphasized that the onus is on Hamas to accept the deal

Blinken pledges $135 mn in US aid to Moldova to counter Russian influence

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday pledged USD 135 million in aid to Moldova for energy security and to counter Russian disinformation as the Western-leaning nation struggles to blunt Moscow's push for influence buoyed by recent successes in its war in neighboring Ukraine. Opening a short visit to eastern Europe with a stop in Chisinau before travelling to the Czech Republic, Blinken announced the assistance at a news conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu. Before Wednesday, the US had provided Moldova with USD 774 million in financial aid since the Ukraine war began in February 2022, USD 300 million of which was earmarked for energy security. Blinken's trip, organised around a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Prague, comes amid concerns that Moldova and the former Soviet republic of Georgia are facing renewed threats from Russia. The trip comes two weeks after Blinken made an unannounced trip to Ukraine to reassure Kyiv of Washington's support in the face of

ICC arrest warrants on Israeli leaders extremely wrongheaded, says Blinken

He added that the administration was looking at "appropriate steps to take" on the prosecutor's decision, without commenting further

Ukrainian troops retreat, Zelenskyy postpones trips amid Russian offensive

Ukrainian forces withdrew from some parts of the country's northeast and battled Russian troops in other areas Wednesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to postpone all his upcoming foreign trips underscored the seriousness of the threat his soldiers face. Against that grim backdrop, visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to reassure Ukraine of continuing American support, announcing a $2 billion arms deal. Most of the money comes from a package approved last month. The top diplomat's trip comes as Russian troops press a new offensive in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. It began last week, marking the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began in 2022 and forcing thousands to flee their homes. In recent weeks, Moscow's forces have also sought to build on gains in the eastern region of Donetsk. Taken together, the developments mean the war has entered a critical stage for Ukraine's depleted army. Ukraine's General Staff reported late .