ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

February 3, 2015 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include: 

U.S.

WORLD

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

U.S.

U.S. Report On Spending In Afghanistan Classified For First Time (NPR)

The latest quarterly report on U.S. spending in Afghanistan was released on Thursday. Conspicuously missing were figures on how more than $50 billion is being spent on training and equipping Afghan military and police forces. Those figures have been classified for the first time in years of such reporting and the general who ordered keeping them secret says it's to keep enemies from sharpening their attacks. Key senators disagree.

Immigrants see court dates cancelled as Justice Department is overwhelmed with cases (CS Monitor)

Immigrants fighting deportation or seeking green cards have had their court dates cancelled; they've been issued dates in 2019, but officials say those are placeholder dates as new cases take priority.  Some immigration lawyers fear the delay will leave their clients at risk of deportation as evidence becomes dated, witnesses disappear, sponsoring relatives die and dependent children become adults. 

Tossing Out Food In The Trash? In Seattle, You'll Be Fined For That (NPR)

 Seattle is the first city in the nation to fine people for not properly sorting their garbage. The law took effect on Jan. 1 as a bid to keep food out of landfills and encourage composting instead.

Internal Emails Show Al Jazeera English Banning Use of Terms 'Terrorist,' 'Militant,' 'Islamist' (National Review)

Shortly after news broke of a deadly January 27 attack by Islamic terrorists on a hotel in Libya’s capital, Al Jazeera English executive Carlos van Meek shot out an email to his employees… In an email obtained by National Review Online, van Meek warned the network’s journalists against the use of terms including “terrorist,” “militant,” “Islamist” and “jihad.” “One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter,” the Al Jazeera executive wrote.

Homeownership rate dips to lowest level in 20 years (APM Marketplace)

- New statistics from the Commerce Department show that the homeownership rate has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years.

U.S. regulators recall 2.1 million vehicles in new air bag issue (Reuters)

The auto industry’s airbag troubles deepened on Saturday, as federal regulators said three big automakers will recall about 2.1 million older vehicles to fix defects that could cause airbags to deploy when they are not supposed to.

Critics Point Out Weakness Of Visa Waiver Program (NPR)

 Some worry that foreign fighters in Syria could attempt to enter the U.S. They cite the Visa Waiver Program which allows foreign visitors from Europe and elsewhere to enter the U.S. without visas.

WORLD

Mexico tests DNA of babies who survived blast in search for parents (Reuters)

 Plunged into chaos just hours after entering this world, nine babies found alive after a gas blast in a Mexican maternity hospital underwent DNA tests on Friday in a bid to reunite them with their parents.

Mexican opium farmers expand plots to supply US heroin boom  (UT San Diego)

Red and purple blossoms with fat, opium-filled bulbs blanket the remote creek sides and gorges of the Filo Mayor mountains in the southern state of Guerrero.

Russian military to get 50 intercontinental missiles (UT San Diego)

The chief of Russia's General Staff says the military will receive 50 intercontinental ballistic missiles this year, maintaining a high tempo of modernization despite the nation's economic downturn.

U.S. reports 27 more strikes against Islamic State (Reuters)

 The United States and its allies carried out 27 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria since early Friday, the Combined Joint Task Force leading the operation reported on Saturday. /Ten of the 17 strikes in Iraq hit near the oil city of Kirkuk, it said. In Syria, Islamic State targets near the border town of Kobani were attacked in eight of the 10 raids, the statement said.

A guide to the debt standoff between Greece and the eurozone (AP)

 Greece wants a break from the terms of its eurozone bailout loans, saying they're suffocating its economy.

In northern Iraq, Kurds struggle with IS booby traps  (CS Monitor)

 Improved explosive devices, or IEDs, are proving a difficult weapon to overcome for Iraq's Kurds, much as they were for US forces in the country after 2003.

Four Years After Revolution, Libya Slides Into Chaos (NPR)

 Libya was hopeful after Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown, but today Libya is a country torn apart, with two competing governments in two different cities, each with its own parliament and military.

Rights group: Egypt covering up protester deaths (AP)

Rights group Amnesty International on Sunday accused Egyptian authorities of intimidating witnesses and whitewashing evidence to cover up the role of security forces in the killing of more than two dozen people during protests last week..

Lavish freebies from Saudi king to buoy economy, markets (Reuters)

 A lavish payout to public employees ordered by Saudi Arabia's new King Salman will help to sustain the kingdom's consumer boom and reassure financial markets that the government is not slashing expenditure in the face of low oil prices.

Africa agrees to send 7,500 troops to fight Boko Haram (UT San Diego)

African leaders have agreed to send 7,500 troops to fight the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria, an African Union official said Saturday.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.