December 20, 2015 Travel ban for 'Taliban Five' exchanged for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl nearing end The one-year travel ban is expiring for five senior Taliban leaders, who were exchanged for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl last year, raising the possibility that they can move freely around the world as early as Monday.
December 20, 2015 State Department employee arrested, accused of 'sextortion plot' A State Department employee is accused of hacking into the e-mail accounts of young women, accessing compromising images of them, and blackmailing them.Â
December 20, 2015 State Department plans January 2016 deadline for release of Hillary Clinton emails The State Department is planning to release 55,000 pages of emails stored on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's private e-mail server by January of next year, according to a court filing.
December 20, 2015 State Department reportedly deems mission to rescue Americans in Yemen too risky The State Department has reportedly deemed any mission to rescue U.S. government assets in war-torn Yemen too risky.
December 20, 2015 State Department ready to meet with special committee on Benghazi The State Department said Wednesday that officials are prepared to meet immediately with a special House committee investigating the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. In a letter to the panel's Republican chairman and top Democrat, Assistant Secretary of State Julia Frifield said officials could meet "as soon as today" to schedule interviews with up to 22 potential witnesses who work for the State Department or have knowledge of the attacks.
December 20, 2015 US, Cuba plans embassy openings despite 'profound' conflict on human-rights The top U.S. official conducting talks with the Cuban government in Havana this week offered few details about negotiations over human rights but said both sides are moving forward with re-establishing diplomatic relations.
December 20, 2015 US pulls more personnel from Yemen embassy The State Department said late Thursday that it had reduced the number of American personnel working in Yemen due to the ongoing political instability in that country, which came to a head with the resignation of the country's U.S.-backed president and cabinet.Â
December 20, 2015 US citizens charged with aiding attempted Gambia coup Two men have been charged in the United States with conspiring to help overthrow the government of the small West African nation of Gambia, federal prosecutors said Monday.
December 20, 2015 State Dept. advises US citizens against going to Mali The State Department is warning U.S. citizens against traveling to Mali and is authorizing the voluntary departure of eligible family members and non-emergency personnel from the U.S. Embassy in the African nation's capital.
December 11, 2015 How did Tashfeen Malik pass 'rigorous' US visa screening? Gov't acknowledges vetting obstacles