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One month after Melissa, Jamaica scrambles to get back to business

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Antony Anderson had been on the job for exactly five months as Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States when his country suffered its worst natural disaster in history. On Oct. 28, Hurricane Melissa—a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph— came ashore at New Hope, about 90 miles west of Kingston, the capital.

Meridian’s 57th ball serves as a hub of diplomacy

For the 57th year, leaders from Embassy Row, Capitol Hill, media, business and other spheres of D.C.  gathered at the historic Meridian House on Oct. 24 for the Meridian Ball, which provides an annual respite from the politics that often divide Washington.

Culture

Embassy of Timor-Leste celebrates ASEAN accession

Last month, the Embassy of Timor-Leste celebrated the nation’s accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). After years of negotiations towards securing its official recognition as the 11th member of the regional bloc, the country’s government announced its pledge towards “peace, prosperity and unity in Southeast Asia” on Oct. 26.

Meridian’s 57th ball serves as a hub of diplomacy

For the 57th year, leaders from Embassy Row, Capitol Hill, media, business and other spheres of D.C.  gathered at the historic Meridian House on Oct. 24 for the Meridian Ball, which provides an annual respite from the politics that often divide Washington.

Diplomat News

One month after Melissa, Jamaica scrambles to get back to business

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Antony Anderson had been on the job for exactly five months as Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States when his country suffered its worst natural disaster in history. On Oct. 28, Hurricane Melissa—a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph— came ashore at New Hope, about 90 miles west of Kingston, the capital.

Women in the Arts museum brings golden age artists into focus

The must-visit new National Museum of Women in the Arts exhibition. “Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, 1600-1750” reinvigorates our understanding of a well-known era, adding new names, artistic practices and stories to the conversation and ultimately upending the art history canon.

Musicians dazzle Bulgarians; Luxembourg gets new monarch

On Oct. 3, the Bulgarian Embassy hosted a dynamic showcase of youth talent by the Washington International Young Artists Music Series (WIYAMS). Partnering with the Bulgarian Music Society, ten musicians performed a variety of classical pieces on piano, violin, vocals and more. 

Astronauts discuss space travel at Slovene Embassy-NASA panel

Sunita Williams and three other NASA crew members of Expedition 72—known for their impromptu nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station—received a warm welcome Sept. 17 by the Embassy of Slovenia and the Space Foundation in Washington DC.

NUSACC names Mauritanian envoy as its 2025 ‘Ambassador of the Year’

Mauritania, one of the least-known of the 22 members of the Arab League, got some long-awaited recognition this week when the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) named Mauritania’s top envoy to the United States, Cissé Mint Cheikh Ould Boide, as its 2025 Ambassador of the Year.

Syrian-born oud player charms DC, from White House to Embassy Row

Born in Syria and raised in Saudi Arabia, local musician Muath Edriss takes his oud seriously. Edriss is a singer, composer and performer. His professional career, in fact his whole life, revolves around the oud—an ancient instrument beloved throughout the Middle East.

Op-ed: The GERD reality: Facts, fairness, and the future of the Nile

On Sept. 9, Ethiopia will officially inaugurate its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). More than just a magnificent feat of engineering. concrete, turbines and flowing water, GERD represents a national ethos, as well as a vision of dignity, self-reliance and equitable utilization of a shared resource. 

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