ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

May 13, 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:

NATIONAL

• China, India Surpass Mexico As Leading Sources Of New Immigrants To U.S. (NPR)
• Court ruling against NSA practice could reverberate far beyond phone spying (CS Monitor)
• Federal Judge Rejects Warrantless Search of Laptop Seized at Airport (Reason)
• House Approves USA Freedom Act, Extending And Revising The Patriot Act (NPR)
• U.S. House votes to ban most abortions after 20 weeks (Reuters)
• Texas, Arkansas governors declare disasters after deadly tornadoes (Reuters)
• Illinois languishes as lowest ranked state by credit: survey (Reuters) 
• Christians In U.S. On Decline As Number Of 'Nones' Grows, Survey Finds (NPR)
• Puerto Rico orders water-rationing measures amid dry spell (AP)

INTERNATIONAL

• Exclusive: Czechs stopped potential nuclear tech purchase by Iran - sources (Reuters)
• North Korea warns of 'targeted strikes' against South's navy (Reuters)
• Nepal earthquake kills dozens, triggers panic (Reuters)
• 1,600 Rohingya, Bangladeshi migrants reach land while thousands remain at sea (CS Monitor)
• Insulting police online banned by Granby, Que., bylaw (CBS News)
• Israeli general sees common interests with Hamas (Reuters) 
• Venezuela Faces Crime Epidemic (NPR)
• Police torture in China still routine despite reforms: rights group (Reuters)
• Diplomats: Traces of chemical weapons agents found in Syria (AP)

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

NATIONAL

China, India Surpass Mexico As Leading Sources Of New Immigrants To U.S. (NPR)

  According to the Census Bureau'sAmerican Community Survey, 147,000 Chinese arrived in 2013 — the last year for which full data are available. India is second; the source of 129,000 immigrants to the States. Mexico was the country of origin for 125,000 immigrants. Korea, the Philippines and Japan are also leading countries of origin. The data include undocumented immigrants. / The new numbers were presented last week at the Population Association of America conference in San Diego.

Court ruling against NSA practice could reverberate far beyond phone spying (CS Monitor)

The federal court decision Thursday that found it illegal for the National Security Agency to collect massive amounts of phone data may have broader implications when it comes to privacy in the Digital Age..../ In the federal case, attorneys for the US argued that any data – even data that had no relationship to any investigation – was relevant, because the mass of data might be relevant to future investigations. / Circuit Judge Gerard Lynch disagreed. "Relevance does not exist in the abstract; something is ‘relevant’ or not in relation to a particular subject," wrote Judge Lynch.....

Federal Judge Rejects Warrantless Search of Laptop Seized at Airport (Reason)

Should the government be free to search electronic devices at will merely because their owners are entering or leaving the country? A recent decision by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., suggests the answer is no.

House Approves USA Freedom Act, Extending And Revising The Patriot Act (NPR)

The USA Freedom Act would extend many parts of the surveillance legislation while also barring the NSA's massive collection of Americans' phone data. The measure's fate in the Senate is uncertain.

U.S. House votes to ban most abortions after 20 weeks (Reuters)

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Wednesday that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks, a measure strongly opposed by the White House.

Texas, Arkansas governors declare disasters after deadly tornadoes (Reuters)

The governors of Texas and Arkansas declared disasters on Monday in parts of their states hit by tornadoes and floods in a storm series that slammed central states, leaving at least five people dead, injuring more than 50 and reducing buildings to splinters.

Illinois languishes as lowest ranked state by credit: survey (Reuters) 

Illinois has the worst ranking among the U.S. states in terms of credit quality, according to a report by Conning, an investment manager for the insurance industry, as options for the embattled Midwestern state to fix its finances are running out. / The ranking system uses a model that takes into account various metrics, including economic debt to personal income, expenditure burden, unemployment and house prices. / Illinois has the worst-funded pension system of all 50 states. On Friday, the Illinois Supreme Court threw out the state's landmark pension reform, putting the onus on its new governor to find a solution. / That ruling "makes us even more concerned" about the state's ability to achieve long term structural balance, said Paul Mansour, Conning's head of municipal research.

Christians In U.S. On Decline As Number Of 'Nones' Grows, Survey Finds (NPR)

The Pew survey found the number of Americans who describe themselves as Christian dropped almost 8 percentage points, from 78.4 percent in 2007 to 70.6 percent last year. During the same seven-year period, those who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic or "nothing in particular" increased from 16.1 percent to 22.8 percent. / The number of people identifying as Jews, Muslims and Hindus were all up slightly.

Puerto Rico orders water-rationing measures amid dry spell (AP)

Puerto Rico imposed strict water rationing Wednesday that will make daily showers a challenge for tens of thousands of people and force businesses such as restaurants and car washes to brace for a summer expected to be drier than usual.

INTERNATIONAL

Exclusive: Czechs stopped potential nuclear tech purchase by Iran - sources (Reuters)

The Czech Republic blocked an attempted purchase by Iran this year of a large shipment of sensitive technology useable for nuclear enrichment after false documentation raised suspicions, U.N. experts and Western sources said.

North Korea warns of 'targeted strikes' against South's navy (Reuters)

North Korea's military warned on Friday of "unannounced targeted strikes" against South Korea's navy, accusing the South of violating its territorial waters off the peninsula's west coast, the scene of deadly naval clashes in the past.

Nepal earthquake kills dozens, triggers panic (Reuters)

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake killed at least 37 people and spread panic in Nepal on Tuesday, bringing down buildings already weakened by a devastating tremor less than three weeks ago and unleashing landslides in Himalayan valleys near Mount Everest.

1,600 Rohingya, Bangladeshi migrants reach land while thousands remain at sea (CS Monitor)

Hundreds of migrants abandoned at sea by smugglers in Southeast Asia have reached land and relative safety in the past two days. But an estimated 6,000 Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar remain trapped in crowded, wooden boats, migrant officials and activists said. 

Insulting police online banned by Granby, Que., bylaw (CBS News)

Quebec town already has bylaw under which anyone who insults municipal officials could be fined.... //  Offenders could face fines ranging from $100 to as high as $1,000. / Tonight, the town council strengthened that bylaw to include online insults.... / The move comes after town officials discovered a Facebook page called Les policiers zélé de Granby — The Zealous Police of Granby.

Israeli general sees common interests with Hamas (Reuters) 

Israel and Hamas share common interests, and the Palestinian Islamists must stay in power in the Gaza Strip to prevent the enclave descending into chaos, an Israeli general was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Venezuela Faces Crime Epidemic (NPR)

With 16,000 homicides last year, Venezuela became the world's second deadliest country. But even as crime climbs, the number of police battling criminals is falling.

Police torture in China still routine despite reforms: rights group (Reuters)

Six years after China took steps to crack down on torture by police, detainees continue to be beaten, hanged by their wrists and shackled to iron chairs, New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

Diplomats: Traces of chemical weapons agents found in Syria (AP)

Chemical weapons experts have found traces of deadly nerve agents used to make chemical weapons at a site in Syria where the agents were not supposed to be, two diplomats said.