Ten Stops in Five Days, Plus an Air Raid Shelter, for Blinken The secretary of state’s chaotic trip in the Middle East has underscored the scale and complexity of the diplomatic crisis he faces.

Blinken Stresses Support for Israel While Urging Restraint on Gaza Airstrikes During a visit to Tel Aviv, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken promised to help defend the country “as long as America exists.”

Today’s Top News: Secretary Blinken Travels to Mexico, and More Exclusively from New York Times Audio, our new app.

Blinken, Garland and Mayorkas Land in Mexico to Tackle Range of Issues The secretary of state, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas plan to meet with Mexico’s leader and other officials to cement strategy.

Blinken to Visit Mexico as Tensions Rise Over Border, Drug Trafficking The meeting is an opportunity to ease an increasingly tense relationship between two allies, while addressing hot-button issues in the 2024 presidential race in the United States.

Secretary of State Blinken Plays the Guitar to Launch “Music Diplomacy” Initiative A viral video of Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken introduced Americans to the guitar geek hidden within.

Blinken Calls Blockade of Diplomatic Nominees a National Security Risk The secretary of state’s plea came as Republicans, in a practice once considered beyond the pale, were stalling a wide range of President Biden’s nominees.

Blinken Meets China’s Top Diplomat in Latest Bid to Ease Tensions In their second meeting in less than a month, the secretary of state spoke to China’s envoy, Wang Yi, about ‘managing competition’ amid reports of a potential Chinese hack.