10 things you need to know today: May 23, 2016

Obama lifts the ban on weapons sales to Vietnam, Iraq starts offensive to drive ISIS from Fallujah, and more

Barack Obama shakes hands with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang
(Image credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

1. Obama fully lifts Vietnam arms embargo

President Obama said Monday in Hanoi that the U.S. was fully lifting a half-century old ban on selling weapons to Vietnam. Obama made the announcement during his first visit to the communist country — 41 years after the end of the Vietnam War — saying the historic move "removes a lingering vestige of the Cold War." Activists had urged the U.S. to continue the embargo to pressure Vietnam on human rights. Others said ending it would help Vietnam counter China's push into the contested South China Sea.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.