ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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December 18, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

WORLD

Middle East

 Asia

Mexico and South America

Europe.

Africa

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

U.S.

US consumer confidence rebounds, house prices maintain upward trend (Reuters)

 U.S. consumer confidence rose in November after three straight monthly declines, with Americans planning big-ticket purchases like motor vehicles and houses over the next six months even as they continued to fret over higher prices and interest rates.

US Senate Republicans block Ukraine, Israel aid bill over border dispute (Reuters)

An emergency spending bill to provide billions of dollars in new security assistance for Ukraine and Israel was blocked in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday as Republicans pressed their demands for tougher measures to control immigration at the U.S. border with Mexico.

VA halts foreclosures for thousands of veterans about to needlessly lose their homes (NPR)

The Department of Veterans Affairs is halting foreclosures for 6 months for veterans and servicemembers who have VA Loans. The move follows an investigation by NPR that found thousands of veterans who took what's called a COVID forbearance are now at risk of losing their homes through no fault of their own.

Binder with top-secret Russia intelligence missing since end of Trump term, source says  (Reuters)

A binder holding top-secret intelligence that contributed to a U.S. assessment that Russia tried to help throw the 2016 U.S. election to Donald Trump has been missing since the last days of his presidency, a source familiar with the issue said.   The Russia intelligence was included with other documents in a binder that Trump directed the CIA to send to the White House just before he left office so he could declassify materials related to the FBI probe of Russian interference in the 2016 vote, the source said.   The Russia materials included highly classified raw intelligence gathered by the U.S. and NATO allies, fueling fears that the methods used to collect the information could be compromised....

Arizona governor, a Democrat, orders National Guard to the border (Reuters)

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs on Friday ordered National Guard troops to the border with Mexico, saying the U.S. federal government's recent decision to close a legal port of entry in her state "has led to an unmitigated humanitarian crisis."

Texas Supreme Court rules against woman who sought abortion hours after she says she’ll travel out of state (NBC)

... Kate Cox, a mother of two who is around 20 weeks pregnant, found out just after Thanksgiving that her developing fetus has trisomy 18, a fatal diagnosis. Seeking to terminate the pregnancy to protect her health and future fertility, she and her husband sought a court order to block Texas’ abortion bans from applying in her case... A state district judge granted the request Thursday, but then the state Supreme Court temporarily paused the lower court’s order Friday. On Monday evening, the Texas Supreme Court directed the lower court to vacate its order. ... According to her petition, Cox has elevated glucose levels, which put her at high risk for gestational diabetes...Already, Cox has been to the emergency room four times "for pregnancy symptoms including severe cramps, leaking fluid and elevated vital signs," according to her lawyers.

Dozens of Texas businesses back challenge to abortion ban: ‘This is why our economy is taking a hit (The Hill)

Ambiguities in Texas’s abortion ban are making it harder for businesses in the state to recruit, a coalition of businesses argued Thursday. Fifty-one businesses have signed onto an amicus brief filed by in-house counsel at dating site Bumble, which was filed in support of 22 women suing the state over the abortion ban.

Judge rejects Trump immunity claim in federal 2020 election case (Reuters)

Donald Trump does not have immunity from criminal charges for actions he took as president, a U.S. judge ruled on Friday, rejecting his bid to toss out the case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith accusing him of unlawfully trying to overturn his 2020 election loss…. The judge also rejected Trump's argument that the charges violate his free speech rights …. "Whatever immunities a sitting president may enjoy, the United States has only one chief executive at a time, and that position does not confer a lifelong 'get-out-of-jail-free' pass," Chutkan wrote in her ruling.

Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and tireless humanitarian who advocated for mental health issues, dies at 96 (NBC)

Carter devoted herself to several social causes in her public life, including programs that supported health care resources, human rights, social justice and the needs of elderly people.

Police and protesters clash outside Democratic HQ during a demonstration over the Israel-Hamas war(AP)

Police and protesters clashed outside Democratic National Committee headquarters on Wednesday night during a demonstration for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas,

Where the Republican presidential candidates stand on Israel, Ukraine and China  (NPR)

Foreign policy is one of the few areas where there are real differences in strategy among the candidates, particularly between those with more traditional hawkish roots and the rise of more conservative populist candidates.

6 'fake electors' for Trump are indicted in Nevada (NPR)

A Nevada grand jury on Wednesday indicted six individuals who submitted documents falsely attesting that they were the state's official presidential electors and that Donald Trump won Nevada in the 2020 election. / So-called "fake electors" have now faced criminal charges in three swing states: Nevada, Michigan and Georgia. A legal settlement was also announced Wednesday regarding false electors in Wisconsin.

Ex-officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in George Floyd’s killing, was stabbed in prison, AP source says (AP)

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, was stabbed by another inmate and seriously injured Friday at a federal prison in Arizona, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on Supreme Court, dies at 93 (CNBC)

... O’Connor was appointed to the court in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and served nearly a quarter-century, retiring in 2006. She was replaced by Justice Samuel Alito, who in 2022 wrote the majority opinion overturning a federal right to abortion that had been protected for decades by the cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. O’Connor had co-authored the majority opinion in the latter case...

A toddler was taken in a carjacking. VW wanted $150 for GPS coordinates, lawsuit says. (Washington Post)

Volkswagen said it could not provide the SUV’s location because the family’s Car-Net subscription had expired, according to the suit

WORLD

Middle East

Israel tells Arab states it wants buffer zone in post-war Gaza (Reuters)

Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after war ends, Egyptian and regional sources said.

First Hamas fighters raped her. Then they shot her in the head (London Times)

The terrorists were ‘on a mission’ to carry out sexual attacks on October 7. Campaigners have asked why the UN stayed silent. .. There is mounting evidence of widespread rape on October 7. Israeli police have begun their biggest investigation into sexual violence and crimes against women... They have collected thousands of statements, photographs and video clips... including “girls whose pelvises were broken they had been raped so much.”

IDF claims it has discovered ‘biggest Hamas tunnel’ in Gaza(CNN)

The IDF said the tunnel, secured “a few weeks ago” but revealed to the public Sunday, is wide enough to drive a large vehicle through, reaches up to 50 meters underground and is equipped with electricity, ventilation and communication systems.  It does not cross into Israel but ends 400 meters before the now-shut Erez Crossing on the northern Israeli-Gazan border, according to the IDF. Erez was stormed during the October 7 attacks.

Videos show Israeli soldiers in Gaza burning food, vandalizing a shop and ransacking private homes (CNN)

... Asked by CNN about the videos, the Israel Defense Forces did not dispute their veracity, location or that IDF soldiers were involved. It condemned the soldiers’ behavior, which it said does not align with its rules, adding that the perpetrators will be punished.

Renewed concerns for civilians as Israel intensifies southern Gaza assault  (CBS)

Israel is pounding targets in the southern Gaza Strip, intensifying a renewed offensive after a weeklong truce with Hamas and giving rise to renewed concerns about civilian casualties.

Bowen: US sets clearer red lines for Israel as ceasefire ends (BBC)

In the end it was a diplomatic achievement that the ceasefire lasted as long as it did. Now, after a seven-day pause, Israel and Hamas are facing their greatest military and political challenges.

Israel and Hamas complete 2nd day of swaps after tense delay, as Gaza cease-fire holds (AP)

Hamas militants on Saturday released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, from captivity in the Gaza Strip, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage of a four-day cease-fire.

Yemen's Houthi rebels hijack an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea and take 25 crew members hostage 

Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in a crucial Red Sea shipping route Sunday and took its 25 crew members hostage, officials said, raising fears that regional tensions heightened over the Israel-Hamas war were playing out on a new maritime front.  The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel and would continue to target ships in international waters that were linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israel’s campaign against Gaza’s Hamas rulers. 

Asia

What North Korea's shift toward Russia means for its global strategy  (NPR)

…by repaying North Korea's munitions with technical assistance, the two neighbors may have completed the first major transaction of a new phase in relations between the government in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, and Moscow, which some analysts see as part of a major strategic shift in North Korea's foreign relations.

US religious freedom watchdog 'implores' Biden administration to designate India (Reuters)

The U.S. religious freedom watchdog on Friday again called on the Biden administration to designate India as a "country of particular concern" under the U.S. Religious Freedom Act, citing its alleged targeting of religious minorities overseas.  The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal government commission, said "recent efforts by the Indian government to silence activists, journalists, and lawyers abroad pose a serious threat to religious freedom."

 

Mexico and South America

Mexico will give preference to passenger transport on railways -decree

Mexico published a decree on Monday that gives preference to trains transporting passengers over those transporting freight… The government, which has been trying to build out public infrastructure, signaled the move last week, pushed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. He has made passenger train travel a pillar of his transportation and economic policies…. "The mobility of the population will increase from the main cities of Mexico to the northern border (with the United States)."

Argentina's next president Milei must tame inflation, turn around economy (Reuters)

Argentina's libertarian President-elect Javier Milei has won a closely fought election. Now comes the hard part: dealing with economic crises.  Inflation is at 143%, net reserves of foreign currency are deep in the red, savers are ditching the peso, and a recession is looming - if not already here. Four in 10 Argentines live in poverty and a sharp peso devaluation is likely.  Milei…is pledging economic shock therapy such as shutting the central bank and dollarization…

Mexico president says Danish fund to invest $10 bln in Mexico to produce green hydrogen (Reuters)

A Danish fund will invest $10 billion in a development hub in southern Mexico to produce green hydrogen for ships and to replace fossil fuel use, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday.  One of Lopez Obrador's key infrastructure projects is the development of an industrial corridor connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in Mexico's poorer south.

Europe.

Russian Drones Knock Out Power as Kyiv Marks Historic Famine  (Bloomberg)

Russia fired its biggest barrage of loitering munitions to date at Ukraine overnight as Kyiv prepares to commemorate victims of the 1930s famine orchestrated by Soviet leader Josef Stalin to force Ukrainian peasants onto collective farms.

Finland shuts more Russia border points, says asylum inflow must stop (Reiters)

Russia must stop sending asylum seekers across its frontier into Finland in what amounts to a "hybrid attack", Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Friday, after the Nordic nation temporarily shut all border passenger crossings bar one. .. Finland infuriated Russia earlier this year when it joined NATO, ending decades of military non-alignment, due to the war in Ukraine.

Pope Francis authorizes blessings for same-sex couples  (CNN)

Pope Francis formally permitted Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples on Monday, in a significant shift in the church’s approach to LGBTQ+ people. The blessings may be carried out providing they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, nor at the same time as a civil union, according to a Vatican document approved by the pope.

Denmark widens terror investigation that coincides with arrests of alleged Hamas members in Germany  (AP)

Denmark is holding two people in custody and four others are the target of a terrorism investigation, a prosecutor said Friday, in a case that coincided with an arrest in the Netherlands and several in Germany of alleged Hamas members.

Residents of Iceland town evacuated over volcano told it will be months before they can go home  (AP)

People in southwest Iceland remained on edge Saturday, waiting to see whether a volcano rumbling under the Reykjanes Peninsula will erupt. Civil protection authorities said that even if it doesn’t, it’s likely to be months before it is safe for residents evacuated from the danger zone to go home.

More than 230 convicted in Italy's maxi-trial against 'Ndrangheta mafia (Reuters)

A court on Monday convicted more than 230 defendants at the end of one of Italy's largest-ever mafia trials which targeted the 'Ndrangheta crime group in its heartland in the southern region of Calabria.   More than 330 suspected mobsters and their alleged associates, including white collar professionals, had been facing an array of charges...The 'Ndrangheta is considered by prosecutors to be Italy's most powerful mafia group, easily eclipsing the more famous Cosa Nostra gang in Sicily, with its influence extending across Europe and beyond.  

Africa

Arab fighters killed babies, boys and men in war on Sudan tribe, mothers allege  (Reuters)

More than 40 Sudanese mothers from the embattled Masalit tribe detailed how their children, mostly boys, were shot, beaten or knifed to death by fighters in the Arab-dominated RSF paramilitary and allied militias. The tribe’s leader alleges this years’ attacks are part of a campaign to exterminate his people.



 

 


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