United States federal executive departments

President Donald Trump announced via Twitter that he is not allowing transgender people to serve in the U.S. military, a reversal of former President Obama’s decision last year to let them serve.
In a series of tweets, he said:

Gen. Joseph Dunford testifies during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing to become the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 9, 2015. - Photo: AP

President Vladimir Putin has voiced hope for normalizing Russia-U.S. ties while speaking in a live call-in show with the nation on June 15.

He said Moscow and Washington could cooperate in efforts to prevent the proliferation of mass destruction weapons, including the North Korean nuclear and missile problem.

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and a former U.S. attorney general can work as lawyers for Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab, who is facing criminal charges in the U.S., a judge said June 1. 

The agreement between Bulgaria and the USA on granting access to Bulgaria to American information about high-risk migrants will be signed irrespective of the change in administrations, assured Assistant Secretary for International Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security Alan Bersin who is visiting Bulgaria.

Eric Edelman, one of the former U.S. ambassadors to Ankara, never liked this country. My recollection of him while I was working as a diplomatic reporter in Ankara was that he had this bullying attitude coupled with a condescending look. He did not understand the dynamics of Turkey, and ended up no liking it.

The new US ambassador to Bulgaria, Eric Rubin, arrived in Sofia on Wednesday with his wife Nicole Simmons.

One of his first tasks was to greet the followers of the embassy's Twitter account.

Rubin also appeared in a short video, greeting the Bulgarian people and expressing his desire to work towards a strong and productive partnership between Bulgaria and the United States.

The Senate confirmed on Wednesdy Eric Seth Rubin as the new US ambassador to Bulgaria.

This was announced by the US embassy in Sofia in its Facebook profile.

The hearing of the nominee before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was held on December 2., with US President Barack Obama having appointed Rubin in September.

The director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigations James Comey met the head of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Eduard Hellvig on Tuesday, and subsequently appreciated the partnership with the SRI among the best the FBI has worldwide.

Photo credit: (c) Silviu MATEI / AGERPRES PHOTO

James Comey, Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), will pay a visit to Bulgaria next week, Sofia-based BGNES news outlet reported on Thursday.

According to insiders, Comey is expected to meet with Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov, 24 Chasa daily said.

James Comey was sworn in as the seventh Director of the FBI on 4 September 2013.