ECM WORLD WATCH: GLOBAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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March 21, 2011 (San Diego) -- ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting 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 global and national news stories include:

 

• Allied forces strike Gadhafi compound; leader’s whereabouts unknown (CNN)
• Fukushima reactors begin to cool down (Times of India)
• Syria protesters torch buildings (Al Jazeera)
• Hamas digging “terror tunnels” along border with Israel (Jewish World Daily)
• Yemen president fires government (BBC)
• Yemen in state of emergency after protest massacre (Reuters)
• Judge blocks Wisconsin anti-union law (Los Angeles Times)
• How close is your home to a nuclear power plant? Put in your zip code to find out (CNN)
• Japan finds more types of radiation-tainted food (Huffington Post)
• Armed men attack Reuters Gaza bureau (Reuters)
• Government claims unlimited discretion to look through your laptop at the border (ACLU)
• In Japan, production of consumer brands popular halted after earthquake (Washington Post)

 

ALLIED FORCES STRIKE GADHAFI COMPOUND; LEADER’S WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN

 

March 21, 2011 (CNN) –The heart of Moammar Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli lay in shambles Monday following bombing by the United States and its allies, prompting a debate about whether the allies were trying to kill the Libyan leader.
U.S. Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said neither Gadhafi nor his residence had been targeted. "We are not going after Gadhafi," he told reporters at the Pentagon. Asked about reports of smoke rising from the area of the Libyan leader's palace, Gortney said, "We are not targeting his residence."

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/21/libya.civil.war/index.html?hp...

 

FUKUSHIMA REACTORS BEGIN TO COOL DOWN

 

March 20, 2011 (Times of India) -- Over 300 Japanese engineers today (March 20) raced against time to salvage the quake hit Fukushima atomic power plant making some progress in their efforts to cool down overheated spent fuel rods but concerns spread over rising radiation levels and food and water contamination.

 

The plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said external power was restored to the No.2 reactor and over 2,400 tons of water were spread into buildings housing No.3 and No.4 reactors, all hit by March 11, 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami, which has left 21,000 dead or missing.

 

http://www.timesnow.tv/Fukushima-reactors-begin-to-cool-down/articleshow/4368295.cms

 


 

SYRIA PROTESTERS TORCH BUILDINGS


One person killed as demonstrations in the southern city of Daraa continue for a third straight day.

March 20, 2011 (Al Jazeera)-Crowds have set fire to the courthouse and other buildings on a third straight day of demonstrations in the southern Syrian city of Daraa.
Residents said one person was killed and scores injured when security forces used live rounds against protesters. Witnesses said dozens were also taken to be treated for tear gas inhalation at the main Omari mosque.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&add...


HAMAS DIGGING “TERROR TUNNELS” ALONG BORDER WITH ISRAEL

 

March 21, 2011 (Jewish World Daily) -- Gaza groups now have missiles that can reach Tel Aviv, and are working on improved communications systems modeled on Hezbollah network.
Facing a possible new conflict against Hamas, concern is growing within the IDF regarding increased efforts by Palestinian terrorist groups to dig tunnels under the border that could be used to infiltrate into Israel and perpetrate attacks.

http://www.worldjewishdaily.com/toolbar.html?4t=extlink&4u=http://www.ny...

 

 

YEMENI PRESIDENT FIRES GOVERNMENT

 

March 20, 2011 (BBC News)-- Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has fired his cabinet amid continuing protests against his rule.
The announcement came after tens of thousands of people turned out at funerals for dozens of protesters shot dead on Friday.
Earlier, Yemen's ambassador to the UN became the latest official to resign in protest at the killings.
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12800887

 

YEMEN IN STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER PROTEST MASSACRE

 

March 18, 2011 (Reuters) -- Gunmen on rooftops shot dead up to 42 protesters at an anti-government rally in Sanaa after Muslim prayers on Friday, enraging the opposition and prompting President Ali Abdullah Saleh to declare a state of emergency.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/18/us-yemen-idUSTRE72H2Z720110318


 

JUDGE BLOCKS WISCONSIN ANTI-UNION LAW


A Wisconsin judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order blocking the new state law that curbs collective bargaining rights for most public employees.
 

 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-pn-0319-wisconsin-union-ruling-20110319,0,450569.story

 

HOW CLOSE IS YOUR HOME TO A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT?

 

Put in your zip code at this CNN site to find out:

http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/nuclear_power_plants_locations/index.html

 

JAPAN FINDS MORE TYPES OF RADIATION TAINTED FOOD

 

March 20, 2011 (Huffington Post)-- At a bustling Tokyo supermarket Sunday, wary shoppers avoided one particular bin of spinach.
 

The produce came from Ibaraki prefecture in the northeast, where radiation was found in spinach grown up to 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. Another bin of spinach – labeled as being from Chiba prefecture, west of Tokyo – was sold out.
 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/20/japan-nuclear-radiation-food_n_838109.html

 

ARMED MEN ATTACK REUTERS GAZA BUREAU

 

March 19, 2011 (Reuters) - Several armed men entered Reuters' office in Gaza on Saturday, threatened employees with guns and took away a video camera, apparently after they spotted a reporter filming a demonstration from the building. The men struck one Reuters journalist on the arm with a metal bar and threatened to throw another out of the window of the high-rise block. The group, which numbered about 10 men, smashed a television set and other equipment before leaving.
 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/19/us-palestinians-gaza-reuters-idUSTRE72I3AV20110319?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FworldNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+International%29

 

GOVERNMENT CLAIMS UNLIMITED DISCRETION TO LOOK THROUGH YOUR LAPTOP AT THE BORDER

 

March 9, 2011 (ACLU)--Last May, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents searched and took Pascal Abidor's laptop and external hard drive when he was returning home to New York City from Montreal, Canada, where he attends graduate school. When his laptop and hard drive were returned to him 11 days later, Abidor discovered agents had opened numerous files, including personal photographs, a transcript of a chat with his girlfriend, copies of email correspondence, class notes, journal articles, tax returns, his graduate school transcript, and his resume.
 

http://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech-technology-and-liberty/government-claims-unlimited-discretion-look-through-your-lap
 

IN JAPAN, PRODUCTION OF CONSUMER BRANDS POPULAR IN U.S. IS HALTED AFTER EARTHQUAKE

March 16, 2011 (Washington Post) -- Only 6.4 percent of U.S. imports come from Japan, but among those products are some of the most well-known consumer brands. Several Japanese manufacturers have shut down factories after last week’s earthquake, with some sustaining damage and others conserving energy. Analysts say consumers are unlikely to see shortages for now, but they cautioned that the disaster’s impact may hinge on how long it takes to bring Japan’s manufacturing sector back to life.
 

Here are the top four categories of imports from Japan, according to U.S. trade data:
 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/in-japan-production-of-consumer-brands-popular-in-us-is-halted-after-earthquake/2011/03/16/AB40cAh_story.html?hpid=z3

 


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