State Department

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State Department Orders Staff Out of South Sudan

After clashes, US advisory warns of the general availability of weapons

(Newser) - The State Department on Sunday ordered nonemergency government personnel to leave South Sudan's capital as tension escalates because of fighting in the north. The travel advisory issued on Sunday stated that fighting was ongoing and that "weapons are readily available to the population." An armed group clashed...

US Shuts Downs Air Monitoring at Embassies, Consulates

Critics say move not only stymies pollution research—it also threatens health of US staffers

(Newser) - For more than 10 years, 80 US embassies and consulates have collected and reported data on air pollution in countries around the world, in some areas serving as the only reliable disseminator of such information. Now, the Trump administration has put the kibosh on that global monitoring program, with the...

John Roberts Rules in Favor of Trump on Foreign Aid Freeze

SCOTUS chief justice overrules federal judge's Wednesday deadline for release of nearly $2B

(Newser) - A federal judge's pause on the foreign aid freeze imposed by the Trump administration has been superseded for now by John Roberts himself. On Wednesday, just ahead of a midnight deadline put in place by US District Judge Amir Ali for the US government to release nearly $2 billion...

Trump's Appointees Put Musk's Power to the Test

Patel, Gabbard among agency leaders telling employees not to justify their roles to Musk

(Newser) - Multiple government agencies run by Trump-appointed leaders have told employees not to respond to an email from Elon Musk , demanding they provide five bullet points explaining the work they got done over the past week. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation," Musk wrote Saturday on...

Change on US Website Reassures Taiwan, Irks China

State Department reference to independence disappears from fact sheet

(Newser) - A statement proclaiming that the US does not support independence for Taiwan has vanished from the State Department's website, an alteration welcomed by the island but not by China. Lin Chia-lung, Taiwan's foreign minister, expressed thanks for what he called "positive, Taiwan-friendly wordings," the BBC reports....

US Email Asks Nonprofits to Halt Clearing Land Mines

Decision follows from new Trump policy, official says in thanking the organizations for their work

(Newser) - The State Department on Saturday asked humanitarian organizations it funds around the world to stop clearing unexploded mines "effective immediately." Karen Chandler, who runs the department's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, said in an email to the nonprofits that the action is in keeping with President...

State Department Freezes Foreign Aid Spending

Order seems to go beyond Trump's and include Ukraine assistance

(Newser) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a "stop-work" order on Friday affecting all existing foreign assistance and all new aid, an action that appeared to go further than President Trump's executive order issued this week and stunned the State Department's staff. The only exceptions are for emergency...

Picks Reported for Secretary of State, Homeland Security

Marco Rubio and Kristi Noem poised to assume key positions; Trump names Waltz for NSA

(Newser) - The Trump administration picks keep trickling in, and unconfirmed reports zero in on two big ones Tuesday morning:
  • Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for secretary of state.
  • South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to head Homeland Security.

US Plans Arms Sales to Taiwan Totaling $2B
US Plans Arms Sales to Taiwan
Oct 26, 2024 1:10 PM CDT

US Plans Arms Sales to Taiwan

$2B delivery includes advanced missile defense, radar systems

(Newser) - The US has approved $2 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, including its first delivery to the self-ruled island of an advanced surface-to-air missile defense system, in a move sure to anger China. Taiwan's presidential office on Saturday thanked the US for greenlighting the potential arms sales. Under the...

Feds Make Passport Renewal Fully Available Online

You can apply 'without having to do anything in person or send anything in the mail'

(Newser) - The State Department says it has taken a big step to make it easier for Americans to renew their passports. Officials say an online program is now fully operational and available to the public. People over 25 who have had a passport before will now be able to renew their...

Family: Unjustly Held American Was Raped in Chinese Prison

Father, brother call attention to case of Chicago woman Dawn Michelle Hunt

(Newser) - Dawn Michelle Hunt thought she'd won a free trip from Chicago to Australia in 2014. Instead, the US woman landed in a Chinese prison for life, narrowly escaping execution. As the New York Times reports, the trip she thought she'd won was part of a drug trafficking scheme....

State Department Has Exciting News on Passport Renewals

Some can now apply online

(Newser) - There's an easier way to renew your passport—online. The State Department has opened a trial run allowing a limited number of people to apply for their updated travel documents with a few clicks, the AP reports. You can't just start anytime—windows will open at midday Eastern...

US Companies Inadvertently Gave $7M to North Korea

American charged in fraud scheme that saw North Koreans pose as remote US workers

(Newser) - Citizens of North Korea are snagging remote jobs with US companies and funneling earnings into their country's missile program, federal authorities said Thursday in announcing fraud charges against a US woman accused of facilitating such a scheme. Christina Chapman, 49, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, is among five people facing...

LGBTQ+ Travelers Get Special Alert From State Department

There's 'increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence' overseas

(Newser) - The State Department renewed a global security warning Friday for Americans overseas, adding to it that LGBTQ people and events in particular face an "increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence." The alert is a standard renewal of travel advice telling Americans to exercise increased caution against possible...

US: Israel May Have Broken International Law

Nothing found calls for stopping arms shipments, State Department says

(Newser) - The State Department told Congress on Friday that although it hasn't found violations that would merit withholding military aid from Israel, it is "reasonable to assess" that the US ally's offensive in Gaza has used US weapons in breaking international law. At the same time, the Biden...

Gaetz Alleges 'Massive Cover-Up' by US Over Niger

GOP lawmaker's report says US soldiers aren't getting meds, mail amid confusing situation abroad

(Newser) - US troops in Niger have told GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz that they're "functionally stranded" in the landlocked West African nation, and a new report by the congressman accuses the Biden administration—specifically the State Department—of engaging in a "massive cover-up," per the Intercept . The hubbub...

Feds on Travel to Jamaica: Reconsider That

State Department raises alert level due to high crime rates

(Newser) - Americans considering getaways to Jamaica should reconsider their plans because of crime rates so high that US government personnel are banned from visiting many areas, the State Department warns in a travel advisory . The department has raised the alert level for the Caribbean island country to a Level 3 "...

US Revisits Sanctions Over Venezuelan Candidacy

Top court blocked opposition leader's presidential run

(Newser) - The US government on Saturday condemned the decision of Venezuela's highest court to block the presidential candidacy of opposition leader María Corina Machado. The Biden administration, however, remained noncommittal about reimposing economic sanctions on Venezuela, which it has threatened to do if the government of President Nicolás...

White House: Sorry, Putin, Alaska Isn't Up for Grabs

Decree signed by Russian president on going after property overseas spurs speculation on 49th state

(Newser) - It's clear that Vladimir Putin has his sights set on absorbing Ukraine back into Russia's fold, but he may also be eyeing a prime piece of property in the US: Alaska. Last week, the Tass news agency reported the Russian president signed a decree that will dole out...

Administration Skirts Congress on Tank Ammunition for Israel

Blinken invokes emergency provision for $106M ammunition deal

(Newser) - The Biden administration is selling 13,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel for its war against Hamas, invoking an emergency provision to avoid waiting for the usual congressional review to be completed. A Defense Department agency announced the $106.5 million deal on Saturday. Congressional committees were informed at...

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