The US maintains a military base in southern Syria that limits Iran’s ability to move through Syria’s al-Tanf border crossing, US officials and experts tell VOA. The base was originally set up to train local Syrians to fight Islamic State militants. While the US military is not directly focused on Iran in Syria, it can still indirectly deny Iran a land bridge to the Mediterranean .

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On July 26, 1947, President Harry Truman signs the National Security Act, restructuring US military and intelligence agencies following World War II, creating the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Department of Defense, US Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Council. The following year, on July 26, 1948, President Truman signs an executive order desegregating the US military. (Photo: Chicago Defender newspaper)

Critics say the Trump administration embraces policies that elevate religious libertyover civil rights in order to appeal to the president’s Christian evangelical base. While widely hailed by advocates of religious freedom, the administration’s policies have met with sharp criticism from civil rights organizations.

It turns out that dogs really can be man (and woman’s) best friend.  Pet owners often share stories of their dogs trying to comfort them when they are in distress by coming over to get their attention. And now new research suggests that  dogs really do feel empathy toward their owners.

Vanessa Larco’s mother was a woman ahead of her time. While Silicon Valley’s tech culture is still seen as less than welcoming to women, Larco’s mother was succeeding in the computer science field way back in the 1970s. Lessons her mother taught her are helping the computer science graduate Larco  prosper in the tech capital of the world today.

Boko Haram widows work alongside wives of men killed by Boko Haram membersin a class designed to help all of the women become self-sufficient. Their teacher explains how they can save money and pool it together to form a cooperative. For these women, this class is the answer to helping them transform their lives.

Chinese tourists are invading Europe.  Industry experts predict the Chinese could account for a quarter of all global tourism within the decade. From European villages to the grand capitals of London, Paris and Rome, there has been an explosion in the number of Chinese tourists — the most visible sign of China’s expanding economic presence in Europe, which is both welcomed and feared.