Downing Street accused unnamed figures of interfering in British democracy after JD Vance linked Henry Nowak’s murder to mass migration. The prime minister’s office said Nowak’s family had asked that his death not be used to create division.
Posts tagged as “the US State Department”
The US State Department has approved an emergency sale of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel, worth more than $106 million, circumventing Congress. This is part of a long-standing trend of US arms sales to Israel, and is intended to support Israel's military operations in the southern Gaza Strip. Congress has the opportunity to block the sale, though it is unlikely to do so.
Thousands of foreign nationals, including 16,000 Americans, remain trapped in Sudan as the violence continues to escalate and the US government scrambles to evacuate diplomats and provide assistance to those in need. A travel writer from Massachusetts is among those desperately trying to find a way out of the country, as the US State Department urges all US citizens to leave Sudan as soon as possible.
The US State Department has officially declared Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich wrongfully detained by Russia, empowering the Biden administration to explore avenues such as a prisoner swap to try to secure his release. The Wall Street Journal has called for Gershkovich’s immediate release, saying the espionage charges against him are “absurd” and “unfounded”. It is unclear when he will be released, but the State Department’s designation gives the Biden administration additional resources to secure his freedom.
Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old dual US-Saudi citizen, has been released from prison in Saudi Arabia after being detained for over a year for tweets critical of the government. He is currently in Riyadh under a travel ban, and it is unclear if he will be able to return to the US. Neither Saudi nor US officials have yet to confirm Almadi's release.
The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Maria del Carmen Lopez, a 63-year-old US and Mexican citizen who was kidnapped from her home in Mexico on February 9. The Colima Attorney General's office is working with the FBI on the investigation, and the public is being asked to be aware of any suspicious activity that may be related to the case. The kidnapping is the latest in a series of violent incidents involving Americans in Mexico, prompting the US State Department to issue a travel advisory warning US citizens to exercise increased caution when traveling to Mexico.
Three American tourists and a Mexican woman were tragically killed in an armed kidnapping in Matamoros, Mexico last week. In response, the Gulf Cartel Grupo Escorpiones has issued an apology letter and handed over five of their members to local authorities. The US State Department has also issued a statement condemning the violence and offering its condolences to the families of the victims, while urging US citizens to exercise caution when traveling in Mexico.
In his annual state of the nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of starting the war in Ukraine and announced that Russia is suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty. The US has condemned Putin's speech and is urging Russia to return to the negotiating table and extend the treaty, which is a "cornerstone of strategic stability" between the two nuclear superpowers.