Tag Archives: State Department

“There are many countries in which religious freedom is not available. And we believe that by gathering citizens from around the world – we’ll have over 80 delegations from different countries, 40 plus of my counterparts at the foreign minister level will be in attendance, and religious leaders like yourself – all brought together to highlight the central nature of …

The Korea Daily reports: Seoul’s festival had the theme “Queeround,” signifying that there are LGBT people all around us. According to its organizers, a record number of about 120,000 people took part in the festivities despite the sweltering heat, which reached a high of 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Although the festival was organized by Koreans, there was a …

Reuters reports: Sam Brownback, the U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, complained to the British ambassador in Washington D.C. about the treatment of an English right-wing activist who is in jail for disrupting a trial, according to three sources familiar with the discussion. Brownback raised the case of the activist known as Tommy Robinson in a June meeting with Sir …

A “special alert” from the US embassy in London: Numerous demonstrations are being planned for July 12 to 14, 2018, surrounding the visit of the President of the United States to the United Kingdom. The majority of the demonstrations will be focused in central London on July 13, with other events planned for July 12 and 14. Several of the …

Foreign Policy reports: The U.S. ambassador to Estonia, James D. Melville Jr., a career diplomat and member of the senior foreign service ranks, announced to friends Friday that he was resigning amid a string of controversial comments President Donald Trump made about U.S. allies in Europe. Melville, who has served as a diplomat for 33 years and as ambassador to …

Foreign Policy reports: A senior advisor to the State Department appointed just two months ago has been quietly vetting career diplomats and American employees of international institutions to determine whether they are loyal to President Donald Trump and his political agenda, according to nearly a dozen current and former U.S. officials. Mari Stull, a former food and beverage lobbyist-turned-wine blogger …

The Hill reports: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s top Democrat is asking the State Department’s inspector general to investigate President Trump’s envoy to Germany amid accusations he is inappropriately wading into European politics. In a letter, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) raised questions about Ambassador Richard Grenell’s comments to the right-leaning Bretibart News, in which Grenell said that he hoped to …

Reuters reports: The U.S. State Department on Tuesday defended remarks by the new U.S. ambassador to Germany that drew condemnation from across that country’s political spectrum, saying that U.S. envoys “have a right to express their opinions.” “Don’t we as Americans have the right to free speech?” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in response to questions about U.S. Ambassador …

Agence France-Press reports: Leading politicians of Germany’s left-wing parties on Tuesday called for the US ambassador to be expelled, after the staunch defender of Donald Trump was accused of meddling in domestic politics and aggravating already tense ties. Richard Grenell had taken up his diplomatic posting on May 8, and immediately sparked an uproar when he tweeted on the same …

“An ambassador’s most critical responsibility is to advance our national interests by developing relationships and trust with their host country. They should not meddle in local or regional politics by backing political parties, candidates or causes. If Ambassador Grenell is unwilling to refrain from political statements, he should be recalled immediately. The United States does not accept foreign meddling in …

Via Breitbart: Trumpian U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell has expressed great excitement over the wave of anti-establishment conservatism in Europe, saying he wants to “empower” leaders of the movement. At a sit-down interview at his official residence in Berlin with Breitbart London, Ambassador Grenell said: “There are a lot of conservatives throughout Europe who have contacted me to say …

Just in from the State Department: The United States joins people around the world in celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) Pride Month, and reaffirms its commitment to protecting and defending the human rights of all, including LGBTI persons. In many parts of the world, LGBTI individuals and their supporters continue to face violence, arrest, harassment and intimidation …

The Associated Press reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday the Trump administration will not tolerate Russian interference in the 2018 congressional midterm elections. Pompeo told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the administration will take “appropriate countermeasures” to fight what he called “continued efforts” by Russia to meddle in November’s vote. He did not elaborate on the Russian …

“If our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no long grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom. A responsibility of every American citizen to each other is to preserve and protect our freedom by recognizing what truth is and is …

The Associated Press reports: Patients with gunshot wounds filled wards and hallways in Gaza’s under-equipped and overwhelmed main hospital Tuesday, with dozens still waiting in line for surgery a day after Israeli soldiers shot and killed 59 Palestinians and wounded hundreds in mass protests on the Gaza border. The high casualty toll triggered a diplomatic backlash against Israel and new …

The New York Daily News reports: The opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem turned into a major diplomatic fiasco Monday when Israeli forces killed more than 50 protesters and injured 1200 more in the disputed territory. The Trump administration laid the blame for the violence at the feet of Hamas, the fundamentalist Islamic group, but the international community condemned …

The BBC reports: A small interim embassy will start operating on Monday inside the existing US consulate building in Jerusalem. A larger site will be found later when the rest of the embassy moves from Tel Aviv. The opening ceremony was brought forward to coincide with the state of Israel’s 70th anniversary. President Trump is expected to address those attending …

The Associated Press reports: Thousands of Palestinian protesters converged along the border with Israel on Monday, drawing Israeli fire that killed at least 16 people in the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations and casting a cloud over Israel’s festive inauguration of the new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem. With their anger fueled by the embassy opening, protesters set tires …

Business Insider reports: President Donald Trump will meet Kim Jong Un for his historic summit on North Korea in Singapore on June 12th. Trump announced the date and time in a tweet on Thursday morning. The meeting will be the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader. The specifics of the meeting were finalised by Trump’s …

NPR reports: Three American men who had been held by North Korea touched U.S. soil once again early Thursday, where they were met by President Trump, who has hailed his diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for winning their freedom. The trio — Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim – all held on charges of …