Blinken to Visit Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hold a news conference following the US-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue talks at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hold a news conference following the US-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue talks at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP)
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Blinken to Visit Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hold a news conference following the US-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue talks at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hold a news conference following the US-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue talks at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal next week, where he will discuss ending the Covid-19 pandemic and battling climate change, his spokesman said Thursday.

Blinken will meet with the president of each country to "advance US-Africa collaboration on shared global priorities," state department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Other topics of conversation on the agenda for the Monday to Saturday trip include revitalizing democracies, advancing peace and security, and a more inclusive global economy, Price said.

Blinken travels first to Nairobi, where he will meet with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and other government officials, and underscore US support for peaceful 2022 elections, AFP reported.

Next, he travels to Abuja, to meet with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and deliver a speech on US-Africa policy.

He will end his trip in Dakar where he will meet with Senegalese President Macky Sall and other officials.



Germany's Scholz Urges Iran to De-escalate after Israeli Strikes

A general view of Tehran after several explosions were heard, in Tehran, Iran, October 26, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A general view of Tehran after several explosions were heard, in Tehran, Iran, October 26, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
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Germany's Scholz Urges Iran to De-escalate after Israeli Strikes

A general view of Tehran after several explosions were heard, in Tehran, Iran, October 26, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A general view of Tehran after several explosions were heard, in Tehran, Iran, October 26, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

German chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Iran to end the cycle of escalation following Israeli strikes on Iranian military sites early on Saturday, saying restraint could pave the way for peace in the Middle East, Reuters reported.

"My message to Iran is clear: We cannot continue with massive reactions of escalation. This must end now," Scholz said in a post on social media platform X.

"This will provide an opportunity for peaceful development in the Middle East," he added.

Israel struck military sites in Iran early on Saturday, but its retaliation for an Iranian attack this month did not appear aimed at the country's most sensitive oil and nuclear targets after urgent calls from allies and neighbors for restraint.