The Latest Breaking News from US Department of State

US student visas for Indians fall 61% last year, only 22,000 issued, colleges sound alarm

The number of international students coming to the United States fell much more sharply last year than people had realised, according to a new analysis of US Department of State data by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The Times of India · Mar 7

The hidden power of cultural exchanges in countering propaganda and fostering international goodwill

At a time when China is believed to spend about US$8 billion annually sending its ideas and culture around the world, President Donald Trump has proposed to cut by 93% the part of the State Department that does the same thing for the United States.

The Conversation · May 28, 2025

Egyptian MP Rejects US Criticism of Cairo’s Dealing with Damascus

Egyptian MP Mustafa Bakri has rejected the criticism made by the US Department of State over Cairo’s dealing with the Syrian regime, against the backdrop of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s solidarity visit to Damascus. Bakri described the demands by Congress members to impose sanctions on the countries that normalize…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Mar 2, 2023

US State Department Reveals Assad Family’s Net Worth

The US Department of State issued a highly anticipated report to Congress on the estimated net worth and known sources of income of Syrian President Bashar Assad and his family, estimated at between $1-2 billion. The report examines the finances of Bashar Assad and his wife Asma, Bashar’s brother Maher…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 29, 2022

Blinken to visit Israel, West Bank, Morocco and Algeria

Ukraine war, Arab-Israeli normalisation and two-state solution on agenda during secretary of state’s visit, US says.

Al Jazeera · Mar 24, 2022

US State Department: Sending Syrian Fighters to Ukraine an Unjustified Escalation

The United States considered the transfer of foreign fighters to participate in the Russian invasion of Ukraine an “unjustified” escalation, saying that Moscow must instead focus on ending the war. A spokesperson from the US Department of State told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements regarding sending…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Mar 21, 2022