In its first 100 days, the Trump White House has done better than many expected in handling some crises and the strategic signals it projects to the world, says Peter Apps

Evidence suggests Assad was behind this week’s chemical weapons attack. Leaders are saying it is a redline issue but Western powers are at a loss to respond, says Peter Apps

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Peter Apps looks at the complexities of the conflict in Syria and says that while blaming Vladimir Putin is easy, the US and the UK must also take responsibility.

After a week of horrific deaths in Syria, greater US military action may look like an obvious solution but it could only make matters worse, says Peter Apps.

Burkini bans and plans to reintroduce conscription are over-reactions that damage Europe’s way of life and play into the hands of groups like Islamic State, says Peter Apps.

Terror attacks in France, political turmoil as Britain abandons the European Union, and a Trump White House looking possible — Peter Apps asks what else can happen this year.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Campaign leaders are guilty of treating a divided electorate — both their own supporters and those opposing them — with little more than contempt, writes Peter Apps

It’s unlikely that Omar Mateen, who killed 50 people in a nightclub at the weekend, was directly linked to IS. Lack of gun control and mental illness may be factors, says Peter Apps

The ceasefire in Aleppo could prove to be a real turning point in the Syrian conflict, and what happens in the city could be seen as setting the tone for the rest of the country, says Peter Apps

Donald Trump’s rhetoric may be idiosyncratic but he has made the idea of an isolationist America a popular subject for discussion among the Washington mainstream, says Peter Apps

After an attack such as that seen in Belgium, what follows is rather predictable. Trump and right-wing parties will likely reap the rewards, writes Peter Apps

The right-wing billionaire is likely to be the Republican candidate for office, but, should he attain it, he’d be constrained by the constitution, judiciary, and Congress, says Peter Apps

A deal over Syria may be the most positive sign the world could overcome its many growing challenges, writes Peter Apps

The World Health Organization is warning that the zika virus may yet spread across all of the Americas, bringing with it the inability to procreate safely. Peter Apps reports on the crisis