Rappler's latest stories on US Department of State
Trump fires State Dept watchdog said to be probing Pompeo
US President Donald Trump removes State Department Inspector General Steve Linick in his latest abrupt dismissal of an official tasked with monitoring wrongdoing inside a government agency
EJKs still 'chief human rights concern' in PH, says U.S.
The US State Department notes that concerns about police impunity in the Philippines 'increased significantly following the sharp increase in police killings'
U.S. revamps travel warning system, ranks countries
Officials insist the change is to make advice clearer to US travelers, but the travel warning system has long been controversial and often offends foreign capitals
U.S. to cut 755 diplomatic staff in Russia, says Putin
Putin warns of a prolonged gridlock in its ties after the US Congress backed new sanctions against the Kremlin
Tillerson seeks to reassure U.S. diplomats as cuts loom
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tries to reassure a US diplomatic corps rattled by talk of sharp budget cuts under Donald Trump s America First foreign policy
Tillerson to meet allies as NATO races to save talks
The last minute preparations are not typical for NATO which normally has plans in place weeks ahead of time for these highly orchestrated meeting
Trump hits State Department in 'hard power' budget blueprint
3rd UPDATE An alarmed United Nations warn against abrupt funding cuts that would undermine its longer term reform efforts
U.S. military brass urge Trump not to slash diplomacy, aid
State Department funding is critical to keeping America safe CNN quotes the military brass as saying in their letter to congressional leaders two cabinet officials and Trump s national security adviser
Dissident U.S. diplomats defy Trump on travel ban
According to leaked drafts of the memo the US envoys argue that Trump s decision to suspend refugee arrivals and ban visitors from 7 mainly Muslim countries is a betrayal of American values
Tillerson shows readiness to oppose Trump on multiple fronts
Rex Tillerson says he is prepared to diverge from the US president elect on numerous key issues notably nuclear non proliferation climate change and Russia
Trump defends diplomat pick Tillerson against critics
Politicians on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns over ExxonMobil s Rex Tillerson s ties to Russia
Trump picks ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as top diplomat
UPDATED Trump promises Rex Tillerson whose nomination was immediately welcomed by Vladimir Putin s Kremlin has relationships with world leaders that are second to none
ExxonMobil CEO is Trump's top pick for secretary of state – reports
Rex Tillerson 64 is an oil executive with extensive experience in international negotiations and a business relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin
Fake US embassy in Ghana shut down – after 10 years
Fraudsters posing as consular officers operated a fake American embassy in the Ghanaian capital Accra for about a decade and printed counterfeit visas a US official says
Trump mulls diplomat pick, plans victory tour
Donald Trump steps up his contentious search for a secretary of state before he ditches cabinet interviews later this week to lead a victory tour kicking off in the swing state of Ohio
Leila de Lima, Rodrigo Duterte, Donald Trump | Midday wRap
Watch Rappler s midday newscast with Zak Yuson
Trump meets Petraeus in fraught quest for top diplomat
Trump spokesman Jason Miller says the president elect has met a number of well qualified candidates but declines to say how close he may be to a decision on the secretary of state vacancy
US 'concerned' by violent Philippine war on drugs
US State Department: We are concerned by these detentions as well as the extrajudicial killing of individuals suspected to be involved in drug activity in the Philippines
Email scandal returns to dog Clinton presidential bid
UPDATED A public report by the State Department s independent inspector general finds longstanding systemic weaknesses related to electronic records and communications in the office of the secretary
FBI interviews Clinton aides as email probe advances – report
The interviews mark a step forward in the Federal Bureau of Investigation s probe which the officials described as nearing its end
Immunity granted to Clinton staffer who set up server – report
The US Department of Justice granted immunity to Bryan Pagliano who set up the server in 2009 and is now cooperating with the FBI the Washington Post reports
State Department releases last batch of Clinton emails
Federal investigators are still probing whether her home brew set up posed a risk to national security
FBI confirms Clinton email investigation
The news gives fuel to a controversy that the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination has been unable to put behind her
Clinton faces Benghazi 'interrogation'
The Benghazi committee is deeply controversial and in recent weeks GOP lawmakers suggested that the panel serves to help damage Clinton s standing in the presidential race
FBI looking into security of Clinton private email – report
The Justice Department received a referral to probe the storage of the emails last month after an assessment that her private account contained hundreds of potentially classified emails
John Kerry in Egypt on first leg of Middle East tour
Many Gulf states are concerned about Iran s ambitions in the region following the pact with the US and five other world powers – Britain China France Germany and Russia
US human trafficking report notes 'indiscriminate' offloading in PH
Immigration Chief Siegfred Mison admits the matter of offloading – deferred departure – is really a judgment call but adds that the bureau will do its work without fear or favor
US to PH: Punish officials linked to human trafficking
The Philippines remains under the Tier 2 ranking of the US Trafficking in Persons TIP report – it does not fully comply with minimum standards to eliminate trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so
US envoy's attacker charged with pro-North Korea violations
Kim Ki Jong 56 already stands charged with attempted murder for his assault on Ambassador Mark Lippert at a breakfast function in Seoul
Court orders US State Dept to release Clinton emails
In his ruling US District Judge Rudolph Contreras orders the State Department to come up with a schedule for rolling productions of Secretary Clinton s emails by May 26
South Korea indicts US envoy attacker for attempted murder
Kim Ki Jong 55 is charged with attempted murder violence against a foreign envoy and obstruction of duty
Clinton behind political eight ball with email furor
Hillary Clinton is at the center of a political firestorm about her use of a private email account while serving as secretary of state and her attempt to douse the flames left many questions unanswered
Back in political fray, Clinton ends silence on email uproar
UPDATED Clinton insists the private server that she used suffered no security breaches and that she discussed no classified material in the emails
US envoy released from Seoul hospital after knife attack
UPDATE Mark Lippert: I feel pretty darn good all thing considered
South Korea rejects US envoy attacker's denial he intended to kill
South Korean police vow to press on with attempted murder charges against the man who injured US ambassador Mark Lippert in a knife attack
Republicans subpoena Clinton emails
The top US Republican seeking Benghazi documents from Hillary Clinton file a subpoena demanding her emails
US ambassador slashed in bloody Seoul attack
UPDATED The US ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert is slashed on his face and arm in Seoul by a blade wielding assailant opposed to ongoing US Korean military drills
Emails latest knock to Clinton presidential bid
Reports that Clinton used only personal email accounts during her 4 years as secretary of state leaves her exposed to legal challenges and potentially more damaging allegations of evasiveness and political plotting
Hillary Clinton used personal email at US State department – report
Hillary Clinton may have violated US federal record laws when she had no federal government email address during her 4 years at the State Department a New York Times report reveals
US names first envoy for LGBT rights
US Secretary of State Kerry names Randy Berry as the first US special envoy for gay and lesbian rights in a bid to help eradicate discrimination around the world
US establishes policy for exports of armed drones
The policy comes after a two year review amid growing demand from US allies for the new breed of weapons that have played a key role in US military action in Afghanistan Iraq and Yemen
China a likely factor in North Korea cyber prowess – experts
While much of the focus has been on the so called cyber warfare between Washington and Pyongyang many analysts speculate China is a necessary partner in facilitating any attack by the North
Sony to release 'Interview' after hack attack
Sony s U turn is the latest twist to a crisis which has engulfed the studio and The Interview a screwball romp about a fictional plot by two US journalists embarking on a mission to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
Movie world fears for freedom of speech as North Korea parody pulled
Sony s decision to pull The Interview is unsettling in so many ways Good thing they don t publish the Satanic Verses Stephen King wrote on Twitter
Sony cancels 'The Interview' release after threats, Hollywood reacts
Sony announces the decision after the majority of US theater chains say they will not screen the film about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un
Hackers invoke 9/11 in chilling new Sony threat
The threat – downplayed by US authorities – comes as lawyers file a class action suit against the embattled studio over employee data protection
Kerry in Southeast Asia seeking support against ISIS
UPDATED Kerry will press Southeast Asian countries on areas where we believe and hope that the individual countries can do more
Islamic State jihadists behead second US reporter
UPDATED As Iraqi forces keep up their fightback against the jihadists northeast of Baghdad ISIS warns that a British hostage will be next unless London backs off from support for Washington s air campaign in Iraq
US 'disturbed' by Afghan refusal to let reporter leave
New York Times reporter Matthew Rosenberg was called into the Afghan attorney general s office for questioning over a recent story and banned from traveling when he refused to reveal a confidential source
Obama woos Africa with billions of dollars in deals
America s first black president urges African leaders to not let corruption or rebellions sidetrack their gains as he pledges a new partnership at a landmark summit with African leaders
