Members of the legendary American basketball team Harlem Globetrotters are traveling September 19-30 as U.S. Department of State Sports Envoys to Estonia and Lithuania. These Sports Envoys are helping to bolster the United States’ cultural and social ties with the government and people of two long-standing partners and strong NATO Allies.

Represented by Anthony “Buckets” Blakes and Crissa “Ace” Jackson, the Harlem Globetrotters are renewing their rich history and partnership with the State Department, serving as Ambassadors of Goodwill, an initiative that dates back to the 1950s. During this visit, the players will showcase their basketball artistry and entertaining humor, while also sharing an important message about bullying prevention and character building with youth through the Globetrotters’ signature programs.

Heading into their 92nd season in 2018, the Globetrotters are a uniquely American phenomenon. They have introduced millions to the sport of basketball, while building mutual understanding in more than 120 countries and territories on six continents.

Since 2003, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has sent more than 250 U.S. athletes to more than 85 countries on Sports Envoy programs.

For press inquiries in the United States, contact ECA-Press@state.gov. Follow the journey of the Harlem Globetrotters on Twitter @Globies and @USEmbTallinn (Estonia) and @USEmbVilnius (Lithuania). To learn more about State Department sports diplomacy, follow the program on Twitter @SportsDiplomacy.

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One hundred women leaders in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields from Africa, the Middle East and South and Central Asia arrived in the United States this week for the U.S. Department of State’s TechWomen 2017 exchange program. Through mentorships with U.S. women leaders in STEM fields, the TechWomen participants will gain access and opportunities needed to strengthen business ties and build stronger professional networks around the world. Upon their return home, participants will encourage more women and girls to pursue careers in science and technology.

The TechWomen participants will spend five weeks collaborating with over 30 U.S. private sector companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley before their program closes in Washington, D.C. Each mentorship group will create a mutually beneficial project related to their expertise, interests and the needs of the host company. Participants will return home to join other program alumnae and select visiting American mentors to implement their action plans and conduct workshops to share their insights with more women and girls.

In San Francisco, media are invited to attend an opening event for the TechWomen at Juniper Networks on September 19, a Pitch Event at Microsoft on October 13, and a Community Celebration at Twitter on October 16. The closing lunch at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on October 20 will also be open to the press. To RSVP to these events and for inquiries, please contact ECA-Press@state.gov. Join the conversations on Twitter at #TechWomen17.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Today, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson released the new U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2020), which reaffirms U.S. support for HIV/AIDS efforts in more than 50 countries, ensuring access to services by all populations, including the most vulnerable and at-risk groups.

The Strategy also outlines plans to accelerate implementation in a subset of 13 high-burden countries that have the potential to achieve HIV/AIDS epidemic control by 2020, working in collaboration with host governments; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund); the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; and other partners.

The latest PEPFAR data show that, largely through the U.S. government’s support, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is coming under control in five of these 13 countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These data also indicate that the previously expanding HIV epidemic in Uganda has now stabilized.

The United States remains the largest bilateral donor to the global HIV/AIDS response, support which is made possible through the goodwill, compassion, and generosity of the American people. Today’s announcements demonstrate the remarkable impact of these investments over the past fourteen years.

For more information, please contact David Haroz at harozd@state.gov, or visit: www.pepfar.gov.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The Department of State has designated Tony-Lee Thulsie and Brandon-Lee Thulsie as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. E.O. 13224 imposes strict sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. These designations seek to deny Tony-Lee Thulsie and Brandon-Lee Thulsie the resources they need to plan and carry out terrorist attacks. Among other consequences, all of Tony-Lee Thulsie and Brandon-Lee Thulsie’s property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

In July 2016, Tony-Lee Thulsie and Brandon-Lee Thulsie were arrested during raids in South Africa for their links to ISIS. At the time of their arrest, the twin brothers had been plotting attacks targeting Jewish individuals and institutions and foreign embassies, including the U.S. Embassy in South Africa. Both Tony-Lee Thulsie and Brandon-Lee Thulsie attempted to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS and recruited others to join the terrorist group. Tony-Lee Thulsie also communicated with individuals linked to ISIS to discuss how to build and obtain explosive devices for the purpose of carrying out attacks.

Today’s designations notify the U.S. public and the international community that Tony-Lee Thulsie and Brandon-Lee Thulsie have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism. Terrorism designations expose and isolate entities and individuals, and deny them access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of U.S. agencies and other governments.

A list of State Department-designated FTOs and SDGTs is available here: https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/index.htm.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono convened the second U.S.-India-Japan ministerial-level trilateral dialogue on September 18 on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The ministers discussed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region underpinned by a resilient, rules-based architecture that enables every nation to prosper. The ministers also affirmed the importance of the freedoms of navigation and overflight and the free flow of lawful commerce in the region and around the globe, including in the South China Sea. The ministers affirmed and applauded the international community’s firm resolve to oppose the DPRK’s unlawful acts, as reflected in UN Security Council Resolution 2375, and called for continuing international action to curtail the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The ministers expressed their commitment to maintaining regular dialogue among their three governments on topics of shared concern and to expand cooperation on regional connectivity, maritime security and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.