State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls posted a name change notification May 9:

The State Department published a travel warning for Libya May 9 (here). Such warnings are issued when the Department recommends against travel, except for essential reasons, due to security issues.

The State Department is no longer suspending U.S. entry for immigrants or non-immigrants of “persons who formulate, implement, or benefit from policies that impede Myanmar's (Burma's) transition to democracy" and their immediate family members, State announced May 2. Terminating these entry restrictions, known as the 1996 Visa Ban, is consistent with the administration's approach to "strengthen and encourage further reform while holding Myanmar (Burma) to its commitments on human rights and democratization," according to the State Department. The new policy does not automatically entitle people to visas for U.S. entry. Other restrictions, including the Immigration and Naturalization Act and the 2008 Block Burmese Junta’s Anti-Democratic Efforts, still apply.

The office location for State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will undergo a scheduled power outage, from 6 p.m. on May 4 to 8 p.m. on May 5, EDT. During that time DTrade, EFSe, TRSe, ELLIE and MARY will remain accessible for submissions. But those systems will not receive real-time updates for status checks during the outage. DDTC should be fully operational at the start of business May 6.

The Real Irish Republican Army and its aliases will continue to be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, the State Department said. The circumstances surrounding the last review of RIRA’s terrorist designation, in 2008, have not changed enough to merit lifting the designation, State said.

Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued a name change notification April 30:

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to help modernize Vietnam’s power transmission system, the agency said April 26. The National Power Transmission Corporation of Vietnam, the grant awardee, will use the funds for a technical assistance program to help update the Corporation’s information technology systems, the agency said.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls posted an industry notice on its website on SHA-256 digital certificates April 25. DDTC is working to ensure DTrade is compliant with those certificates by the end of this year. More guidance on SHA-256 digital certificates will be provided by September. If a digital certificate requires renewal before Dec. 30, 2013, "ensure you are purchasing the SHA-1 digital certificate that is compatible with DTRADE2 from your ACES GSA authorized vendor," DDTC said.

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued one name change notice April 24:

State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued updated and revised guidelines for preparing electronic agreements April 24. The guidelines will help in applying International Traffic in Arms Regulations, provide clarity to defense trade policy pertaining to agreements and establish a standard basis for submissions of agreements and related correspondence, according to DDTC. Should changes to the regulations take place, the regulatory changes take precedent, DDTC said. Some of the guideline updates include: