Washington, April 16 (IANS) The United States has clarified that a possible ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is not part of its negotiations with Iran, even as Washington steps up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions along Israel’s northern border.A senior administration official said the US had “not asked for” a truce in Lebanon and that it was “not part of the peace negotiations with Iran”. However, the official added that President Donald Trump “would welcome the end of hostili…
Latest State Department News & Updates
Washington, April 15 (IANS) The United States convened a rare, high-level direct meeting between Israel and Lebanon. The first such engagement in over three decades set the stage for direct negotiations.Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who hosted the talks at the State Department, called it “a historic opportunity” and said the effort aimed beyond an immediate ceasefire. “This is about bringing a permanent end to 20 or 30 years of Hizballah’s influence in this part of the world,” he sai…
Washington, April 11 (IANS) NASA’s Artemis II astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, completing a historic 10-day mission around the Moon and marking humanity’s return to deep space after more than 50 years.The Orion spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, made a parachute-assisted landing as recovery teams moved in to retrieve…
Washington, April 4 (IANS) US President Donald Trump’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget outlines sweeping cuts to domestic programmes and a broad restructuring of federal agencies, while maintaining funding for core priorities such as security, law enforcement and veterans, according to the official document.The budget proposes “a 10-per cent cut compared to 2026 non-defence levels” as part of an effort to constrain spending and overhaul the Federal Government.It frames the plan as a shift…
Washington, March 30 (IANS) The United States on Monday resumed operations at its embassy in Caracas, reopening its diplomatic presence in Venezuela after years of limited engagement. The State Department said U.S. diplomacy with Venezuela had been handled since March 2019 through the Venezuela Affairs Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.“Today, we are formally resuming operations at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, marking a new chapter in our diplomatic presence in Venezuela,” t…
Seoul, March 28 (IANS) A senior US diplomat will visit South Korea to advance partnerships to support US shipbuilding workforce development and engage in other events as part of a two-nation trip that includes a stop in Japan, the State Department said.From Friday through Thursday, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers will visit Tokyo and Seoul to meet government officials and private-sector leaders to discuss key bilateral and trilateral issues, and reaffirm Washington’s c…
Washington, March 26 (IANS) The United States is now confronting two nuclear peer adversaries — China and Russia — in a rapidly shifting global security landscape, Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno told lawmakers during a high-stakes congressional hearing.DiNanno said the evolving threat environment marks a historic shift, with Washington facing simultaneous nuclear challenges from both Beijing and Moscow, as well as rising risks from smaller nuclear sta…
Washington, March 24 (IANS) India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke over the phone on Monday about the West Asia crisis. They reviewed its impact on the global economy and energy supplies. Both agreed to continue working together. “Had a detailed telecon this evening with US @SecRubio,” Jaishankar said in a post on X. This was the first call between the two leaders after the war in Iran.He said the talks “focused on the West Asi…
Washington, March 23 (IANS) Legal immigration to the United States has dropped sharply in the first eight months of 2025, with India and China among the hardest hit as the Trump administration tightened visa policies, The Washington Post reported.The State Department issued about 250,000 fewer visas from January to August 2025 than during the same period in 2024, according to the report. Overall approvals for permanent resident and temporary visas fell by 11 per cent, based on official data rele…
Washington, March 19 (IANS) US lawmakers sharply disagreed over the State Department’s response to the Middle East conflict, with Democrats saying it failed to protect American citizens and officials insisting the system worked. The hearing came amid high tensions in the region. Lawmakers questioned whether the Department was prepared.Representative Gregory Meeks said the Department was “caught flat-footed.” He criticised delays in travel advisories and evacuation planning. “That is a fa…