WASHINGTON, DC — The United States is carrying out a routine “review” of its operations in Syria, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) declared on Tuesday in response to the commander-in-chief’s remarks that American troops will soon pull out of the country. Brett McGurk, the envoy from the U.S. Department of State (DOS), stressed that the “review” of operations is not affecting American activities on the ground.“We’re in Syria to fight ISIS. That is our mission, and our mission isn’t over, and we’re going to complete that mission,” he added. McGurk’s comments came during a panel discussion on Iraq and Syria hosted by the U.S. Institute for Peace (USIP) on Tuesday. The moderator asked McGurk to comment on President Trump’s comments at the end of last month that U.S. troops are leaving Syria “very soon,” adding that the United … [Read more...] about Top Envoy: U.S. Military Conducting Routine ‘Review’ in Syria ‘Not Impacting’ Work on the Ground
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VN interested in expanding trade ties with U.S.: PM
Photo: VGP The Government leader made the remark during a reception for a delegation of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) in Ha Noi on March 28. He briefed the guests on the socio-economic achievements Viet Nam attained in 2017, while highly appreciating the contributions made by the US, including its business community, to the success of the Viet Nam APEC Year 2017 and particularly the APEC CEO Summit. The PM asserted that the U.S. business community always plays an important role in the development of bilateral ties as well as the acceleration of Viet Nam’s development goals. He asked USABC and U.S. firms to continue expanding their business operations in Viet Nam, whilst serving as a bridge attracting new U.S. firms to come and do long-term and stable business in the country. Photo: VGP For his part, USABC President Alexander Feldman congratulated Viet Nam on its significant achievements in economic development over … [Read more...] about VN interested in expanding trade ties with U.S.: PM
Trump orders troops to border of U.S. and Mexico
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KGO) -- After days of venting on Twitter about immigration policy and what he calls, "weak" border laws, President Donald Trump signed a memo Wednesday to deploy the National Guard to the U.S. - Mexico border."We're going to be guarding our border with the military," said Trump. RELATED: Impatient for wall, Trump wants U.S. military to secure border"We do hope that the deployment begins immediately," said Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen.Neilsen said troops could be sent to the border as soon as Wednesday night but did not say how many troops, how long they would be there, how much it would cost or where they would actually be deployed."It will be strong. It will be as many as is needed to fill the gaps that we have today," Nielson added.U.S. Representative Mark DeSaulnier from Contra Costa County says Congress needs more information from President Trump. "In and of itself, it's not a bad idea," he said. "We already have troops on the border helping the … [Read more...] about Trump orders troops to border of U.S. and Mexico
Immigrant groups call U.S. Census question on citizenship ‘catastrophic’
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Some fear a new addition to the 2020 U.S. Census could cause Texas to lose out on congressional seats and millions of dollars.This week, the United States Department of Commerce announced it would add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. A decision Damaris Gonzalez isn't feeling good about."I'm afraid for my family, and for my community," Damaris Gonzalez said. "It's going to be causing a lot of bad effects on them."Gonzalez came to the United States illegally as a child.She now works to help other immigrants.While she plans to participate in the census, she's worried about others."This is just another trick for them to keep our communities in fear," Gonzalez said. "Now more of our people in our community will not be filling out the census."She's not alone.National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Texas state director Claudia Ortega-Hogue said this decision came as a shock. "This census question added at the last minute will be … [Read more...] about Immigrant groups call U.S. Census question on citizenship ‘catastrophic’
U.S. tax reforms present challenges
Tax lawyers say recent U.S. tax changes will present challenges for Canadian companies operating south of the border and U.S. subsidiaries operating here. That could be bad news when it comes to Canada’s competitiveness with its largest trading partner, spurring calls for the federal government to review Canada’s overall tax policy.In fact, some business groups have warned that the U.S. tax changes could hurt Canada’s economy more than a NAFTA pullout. Paul Seraganian, New York managing partner at Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, says the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “has changed the cost benefit analysis of investing in the U.S. It means there will be a capital shift at the margins away from Canada and into the U.S.“I think they [the government] will have to consider seriously whether changes to Canada’s own system are needed to try to make it more attractive to bring jobs and capital investment back into Canada,” he says.Scott Semer, a tax … [Read more...] about U.S. tax reforms present challenges