Newsletter Archive

In the first direct US assault on Syrian government forces, the US military fired a barrage of missiles into Syria early Friday. President Donald Trump said the action was in retaliation for Tuesday’s chemical weapons attack that killed about 100 civilians. Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, reacted by suspending an airspace safety memorandum with the United States, elevating the risk of a potential clash. This week’s alleged chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, Syria, was the latest outrage in a conflict marked by human rights violations carried out on an industrial scale. As to the official Syrian reaction? First there was panic, followed by bluster.

It could be a while before the defeat of Islamic State on the battlefield translates into overall victory against the terror group. US officials are bracing for what could be a ‘significant lag’ between the time IS is routed from Iraq and Syria, and when the terror group’s brand and loyal operatives finally stop posing a serious global threat.

As it prepares to leave the European Union, Britain is looking to rekindle trade ties with Commonwealth countries. However, the push for new commerce could be complicated by Britain’s colonial past.

In another sign of Cambodia’s diplomatic shift toward Beijing, Phnom Penh has scrapped a long-standing US military aid program, while accepting a $150 million grant from China. The booted US humanitarian program builds schools, maternity wards and works on other rural development projects. VOA reports from Phnom Penh, where the change signals Cambodia’s growing closeness with China.

Terrorist? Hostage taker? Those are the kinds of negative stereotypes an Iranian-American Silicon Valley executive hopes to erase by using technology to track the contributions and accomplishments of Iranian-Americans. The project creates a snapshot of Iranian-Americans in a variety of professions — including doctor, pharmacist, dentist and inventor.

VIDEO: Nilou Motamed has gone where no other Iranian-American has gone before. The 45-year-old is editor-in-chief of Food & Wine, an American lifestyle magazine focusing on the latest trends in travel, food, wine, design and entertaining. The job gives her a unique platform to introduce readers to Iranian food and culture, which she says helped propel her to success.

With President Trump calling for a crackdown on ‘foreign importers that cheat,’ the US Commerce Department has launched a 90-day investigation of countries with large trade surpluses with the United States. Trump is promising a historic reversal in US trade policy, a move that could result in a major change in Asia’s trading relationship with the United States — not to mention the American firms that could take a hit.

President Donald Trump’s North Korea policy is still something of a mystery, even after the administration reportedly concluded its North Korea policy review. Pyongyang conducted another missile test this week, but there is no clarity on how the president will constrain the regime’s nuclear weapons development.