April 4, 2018 (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 news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Trump repeats intent to pull troops from Syria, send troops to Mexican border in press conference (CBS)
• ‘No more DACA deal,’ Trump says as he threatens to ‘stop’ NAFTA if Mexico doesn’t better secure border (Washington Post)
• White House asks governors to send National Guard units to borders (Los Angeles Times)
• China fights back against U.S. with plans for its own tariffs (New York Times)
• Live Nation rules music ticketing, some say with threats (New York Times)
• Mystery Stingray devices discovered in Washington (BBC)

WORLD

• Violence in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Los Cabos threaten Mexico's tourism industry (USA Today)
• Saudi crown prince says Israelis have right to their own land (Reuters)
• Britain and Russia lock horns as Moscow cuts diplomats (Reuters)
• Russia says summons diplomats from 23 countries (Reuters)
• Russian rocket tests force partial closing of Baltic Sea, airspace (Reuters)
• Pope Francis delivers pleas for peace in Easter mass (New York Times)
• French government strikes deal to cut lawmakers number by almost a third (Reuters)

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

U.S.

Trump repeats intent to pull troops from Syria, send troops to Mexican border in press conference (CBS)

…Moments earlier Tuesday, Mr. Trump blasted Mexico over the North American Free Trade Agreement, praised Mexico's own immigration laws, and said the U.S. cannot afford to have the "caravans" of people coming through the border. "Until we have the wall," the U.S. military is necessary, Mr Trump said.

'No more DACA deal,' Trump says as he threatens to 'stop' NAFTA if Mexico doesn't better secure border (Washington Post)

President Trump said Sunday that there would be no deal to legalize the status of millions of “dreamers,” undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, and directed congressional Republicans to pass tough new anti-immigration legislation.

White House asks governors to send National Guard units to borders (Los Angeles Times)

The Trump administration is asking border-state governors to send National Guard units to the Southwestern border, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Wednesday.

China fights back against U.S. with plans for its own tariffs (New York Times)

China hit back at the United States on Wednesday with proposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of American soybeans, cars, chemicals and other goods, in a move likely to stoke fears that the countries’ escalating confrontation could become an all-out trade war.

Live Nation rules music ticketing, some say with threats (New York Times)

Now Department of Justice officials are looking into serious accusations about Live Nation’s behavior in the marketplace. They have been reviewing complaints that Live Nation, which manages 500 artists, including U2 and Miley Cyrus, has used its control over concert tours to pressure venues into contracting with its subsidiary, Ticketmaster.

Mystery Stingray devices discovered in Washington (BBC)

It is believed to be the first time the US government has acknowledged the use of rogue spying devices in Washington. 

WORLD

Violence in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Los Cabos threaten Mexico's tourism industry (USA Today)

Tourists taking the ferry from this tourist town to the island of Cozumel now walk down a wharf lined with police, heavily armed soldiers and bomb-sniffing dogs. Those safeguards came after a Feb. 21 explosion ripped through one of the ferries, injuring 24 people, including five Americans. Explosives were later found on another ferry owned by the same company… Numerous reports about crime and tourist tragedies have made recent headlines as the violence plaguing this country erupts in cities popular with foreign visitors.

Saudi crown prince says Israelis have right to their own land (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia's crown prince said Israelis are entitled to live peacefully on their own land in an interview published on Monday in U.S. magazine The Atlantic, another public sign of ties between the two countries appearing to grow closer.

Britain and Russia lock horns as Moscow cuts diplomats (Reuters)

Moscow has told Britain it must cut just over 50 more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia as a standoff deepened over the poisoning of a Russian former spy and his daughter in England, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Russia says summons diplomats from 23 countries (Reuters)

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday it had summoned heads of diplomatic missions from 23 countries in a standoff with the West over the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain.           

Russian rocket tests force partial closing of Baltic Sea, airspace (Reuters)

Russia began testing missiles with live munitions in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, alarming Latvia, a member of NATO, which says the drills have forced it to partly shut down Baltic commercial airspace....The tests are being carried out in Latvia’s exclusive economic zone, officials said, an area of the sea just beyond Latvia’s territorial waters where Latvia has special economic rights, as well as further west in the Baltic Sea. 

Pope Francis delivers pleas for peace in Easter mass (New York Times)

In his message on Sunday, the pope called for peace in a world marked by war and conflict. He cited a need to end the “carnage” in “the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria”; urged “reconciliation” in the Middle East; and pressed for “the fruits of dialogue” to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He also called attention to the “hunger, endemic conflicts and terrorism” suffered by parts of Africa. Francis also touched on the problems in Venezuela…

French government strikes deal to cut lawmakers number by almost a third (Reuters)

 France will cut the number of lawmakers by almost a third and introduce a degree of proportional representation for the next legislative elections, in a major reform aimed at restoring voters’ confidence in a largely discredited political class.