ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

June 19, 2019 (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.

• U.S. blames Iran for “blatant assault” on oil tankers in Gulf of Oman (NBC)
• Feds open door to rate cuts under pressure from Trump (The Hill)
• Trump says he’s draining the swamp as he fills cabinet with ex-lobbyists (CBS)
• Supreme court declines to take up contraceptive mandate case (CNN)
• Federal agency recommends that Kellyanne Conway be removed (Politico)

WORLD

• Drone shooting raises risk of war, exposes Iran divides in Trump team (CNN)
• Staff evacuated as rocket strikes near foreign oil firms in Iraq (Reuters)
• Hong Kong leader apologizes as protesters press demands for her to quit (Reuters)
• As Peru tightens its border, desperate Venezuelans cling to asylum lifeline (Reuters)
• Iran Says It Will Exceed Nuclear Deal's Limit On Uranium 'In 10 Days’ (NPR)
• Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste (Los Angeles Times)
• Egypt's ousted Islamist president Mursi dies after collapsing in court (Reuters)
• At least 161 dead in northeast Congo in apparent ethnic clashes (Reuters)
• China raids North Korean 'Underground Railroad' (Reuters)

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

U.S.

U.S. blames Iran for “blatant assault” on oil tankers in Gulf of Oman (NBC)

The stretch of water separates Oman and the UAE from the Islamic republic. The incident comes amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Feds open door to rate cuts under pressure from Trump (The Hill)

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it would hold interest rates steady for the next month but suggested it could soon cut rates if inflation remains low and global headwinds strain the U.S. economy.

Trump says he’s draining the swamp as he fills cabinet with ex-lobbyists (CBS News)

..."We're draining the swamp," President Trump told his exuberant crowd in Orlando as he launched his reelection campaign Tuesday night, hours after announcing former Raytheon head lobbyist Mark Esper would replace former Boeing lobbyist Patrick Shanahan as acting defense secretary.  Mr. Trump, who pledged to drain the swamp of special interests, has filled his Cabinet with a number of former representatives of special interests.

Supreme court declines to take up contraceptive mandate case (CNN)

The Supreme Court declined on Monday to take up a case brought by the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Roman Catholic religious order for women, challenging lower court opinions that blocked the Trump administration's effort to weaken the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive coverage mandate.

Federal agency recommends that Kellyanne Conway be removed from service (Politico)

The independent federal agency that oversees compliance with the Hatch Act has recommended that President Donald Trump's top aide Kellyanne Conway be removed from her job after she repeatedly used her office for political purposes.

WORLD

Drone shooting raises risk of war, exposes Iran divides in Trump team (CNN)

Iran's downing of a US drone takes the bitter foes one step higher in a cycle of escalation that could soon overwhelm each side's reassurances that they have no desire to tumble into war.

Staff evacuated as rocket strikes near foreign oil firms in Iraq (Reuters)

A rocket hit a site in southern Iraq used by foreign oil companies on Wednesday, including U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil, wounding three people and threatening to further escalate U.S.-Iran tensions in the region.

Hong Kong leader apologizes as protesters press demands for her to quit (Reuters)

 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam apologized on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of black-clad protesters maintained calls for her to resign over her handling of a bill that would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial.

As Peru tightens its border, desperate Venezuelans cling to asylum lifeline (Reuters)

Thousands of Venezuelans crossed into Peru despite a crackdown on migrants without passports or visas meant to stem the flood of immigration from their crisis-stricken nation, as many lacking those documents filed asylum requests instead.

Iran Says It Will Exceed Nuclear Deal's Limit On Uranium 'In 10 Days’ (NPR)

Within days Iran will exceed the limit on its stockpile of uranium under a 2015 nuclear deal, according to a spokesman for the country's atomic energy agency, who also said Tehran would increase uranium enrichment levels in violation of the agreement, "based on the country's needs.” / The remarks come amid increased tension between the U.S. and Iran, particularly after last week's attack on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman that Washington has blamed on Tehran. Iran has denied any involvement.

Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste (Los Angeles Times)

…[It] began to change 18 months ago, when China, the biggest consumer of discarded plastics, banned nearly all waste imports to stop the smuggling of non-recyclable scrap. The trade in plastics quickly rerouted to neighboring Southeast Asian countries.... Now those countries are closing their doors, too.

Egypt's ousted Islamist president Mursi dies after collapsing in court (Reuters)

Reuters - Former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, the first democratically elected head of state in Egypt's modern history, died on Monday aged 67 after collapsing in a Cairo court while on trial on espionage charges, authorities said. 

At least 161 dead in northeast Congo in apparent ethnic clashes (Reuters)

At least 161 people have been killed in a northeastern province of Democratic Republic of Congo in the past week, local officials said on Monday, in an apparent resurgence of ethnic clashes between farming and herding communities.

China raids North Korean 'Underground Railroad' (Reuters)

A string of raids across China has disrupted parts of the informal network of brokers, charities, and middlemen who help people escape from North Korea.