U.S. Secretary of State - The African Mirror

Mar

2024

Gaza marks Ramadan in despair as Blinken holds truce talks in Cairo

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Egypt's president for talks on securing a Gaza ceasefire, as Gaza's Palestinians despaired at observing Ramadan without relatives who had been killed or adequate food for their children. In Gaza, Israel's offensive focused on the Al Shifa hospital, the only partially working medical facility in the north of the Strip, for a fourth day, and local residents said they had seen buildings inside the complex in flames. With hunger spreading in the densely populated enclave, where five months of war have created critical food shortages, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said…

Feb

2024

By The African Mirror

15 killed, 7 injured in multiple-vehicle crash along major Egyptian highway

NEWS

AT least 15 people have been killed and seven others injured in a multiple-vehicle collision in the El Amaraya area of Egypt's Cairo-Alexandria desert road, the Egyptian state news agency said. Security forces and ambulances immediately rushed to the scene of the accident. The injured were transported to the hospital for treatment, MENA quoted local authorities as saying. Traffic officers are working to restore traffic flow, and the cause of the accident is pending further investigation. Road accidents claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt as a result of speeding, poor maintenance of roads, and lax enforcement of traffic…

Feb

2024

By HUMEYRA PAMUK

Blinken to meet Egypt’s Sisi on Gaza hostage deal

NEWS

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Cairo for his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi as the United States works to advance a Gaza truce and hostage deal mediated by the Egyptians and Qataris. The top U.S. diplomat departed Riyadh shortly after sunrise for what is set to be a marathon day visiting Egypt and Qatar before flying to Israel to discuss hostage negotiations, post-war Gaza plans and the prospect of Arab countries and Israel normalizing ties. Blinken's fifth trip to the region since October comes as the United States presses ahead with its retaliatory campaign against…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Chinese spy balloon flies over the United States: Pentagon

WORLD

IDREES ALI and PHIL STEWART A Chinese spy balloon has been flying over the United States for a couple of days, U.S. officials said, in what would be a brazen act just days ahead of a planned trip to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Fighter jets were mobilized, but military leaders advised President Joe Biden against shooting the balloon out of the sky for fear debris could pose a safety threat, advice Biden accepted, U.S. officials said. The United States took "custody" of the balloon when it entered U.S. airspace and had observed it with piloted U.S.…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

Blinken says U.S. will continue to encourage Egypt to take action on human rights

NEWS

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said human rights were a top item on the agenda in talks with Egypt's president and foreign minister during a visit to Cairo. Blinken said the United States would continue to encourage Egypt to take further actions on human rights, including releasing more political prisoners and reforming pre-trial detention. During a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Blinken also said holding elections in Libya this year was the only viable path to a durable solution in the country. Thomson Reuters Foundation

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

US blocks entry to those “undermining Nigerian democracy”

NEWS

THE United States said it is restricting entry to people "believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria" and their family members ahead of that country's elections this year. "Additional persons who undermine the democratic process in Nigeria — including in the lead-up to, during, and following Nigeria’s 2023 elections — may be found ineligible for U.S. visas under this policy," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will step down after serving two four-year terms following a Feb. 25, 2023 ballot. Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, is facing unprecedented insecurity that…