ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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March 25, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--ECM 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.

White House plan would end NSA collection of Americans’ phone records (Washington Post)

The Obama administration is preparing legislation that would end the National Security Agency’s widespread collection of Americans’ phone data while, officials say, preserving the government’s ability to gain information about terrorists. The legislation, senior officials say, would allow data about phone calls made to and from Americans to be kept with the phone companies. The companies would not be required to hold the data longer than they normally would.

 

High court to test limits of religious liberty in Obamacare case (The Hill)

The high court on Tuesday will hear challenges to ObamaCare’s contentious “birth control mandate,” which requires companies to offer contraceptive services to workers as part of their insurance coverage.  

 

14 dead, 176 missing in Washington landslide (USA Today)

Authorities worry the death toll could rise as the number of people missing has grown.

 

Mountaintops, communities permanently altered in West Virginia (Al Jazeera)

Blasting tops off mountains devastates environment, costs workers jobs in already struggling region

 

WORLD

 

Russia kicked out of G-8 club (The Hill)

The United States and other Western powers on Monday kicked Russia out of their exclusive club, at least temporarily. Western leaders replaced a Group of Eight meeting that Russia was to host in Sochi this June with a Group of Seven meeting in Brussels, effectively suspending Russia’s G-8 membership in the process.

 

India beats the odds, beats polio (CNN)

Rukhsar Khatoon is too young to fully grasp the significance of her life: that she is a last in a country of 1.2 billion people. She has become the greatest symbol of India's valiant -- and successful -- effort to rid itself of a crippling and potentially deadly disease. Rukhsar, 4, is the final documented case of polio in India.

 

Officials: missing plane went down in Indian Ocean (Washington Post)

After 17 days of desperation and doubt over the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, the country’s officials said an analysis of satellite data points to a “heartbreaking” conclusion: Flight 370 met its end in the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean, and none of those aboard survived.

 

Polish See Shades Of 1939 In Russia's Crimea Grab (NPR)

As one of Ukraine's neighbors and a former Soviet satellite state, Poland is deeply affected by Russia's recent annexation of Crimea. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Polish columnist Konstanty Gebert....  "if Mr. Putin gets away with it, no border in Eastern Europe is safe. Whatever the historical arguments he has made for grabbing Crimea, there really isn't the piece of real estate in Eastern Europe that somebody can make a reasonable historical argument for."  

 

If it comes to war with Russia, does Ukraine stand a chance? (BBC The World)  

War is not inevitable in Ukraine, but both sides are busy taking precautions.

 

Moscow signals concern for Russians in Estonia (Reuters)

Russia signaled concern on Wednesday at Estonia's treatment of its large ethnic Russian minority, comparing language policy in the Baltic state with what it said was a call in Ukraine to prevent the use of Russian. Russia has defended its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula by arguing it has the right to protect Russian-speakers outside its borders. … amid the growing Crimea crisis, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - which like Ukraine were all parts of the old Soviet Union - have expressed growing apprehension over Moscow's intentions.

 

Iranians build an American aircraft carrier, sort of (BBC The World)

 US military intelligence officials revealed this week that Iran is building what looks to be a scaled-down, simplified model of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier — complete with its fleet number, 68...

 

Hamas sends threatening text messages to Israelis (JPost)

Messages reportedly sent on order of Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades to coincide with 10-year anniversary of leader's death.  The messages included warnings that Hamas would conquer Israel, fire rockets into Israel and kidnap Israeli civilians, making reference to former IDF soldier Gilad Schalit who was abducted by Hamas terrorists in 2006.

 

NATO says Russia has big force at Ukraine's border, worries over Transdniestria (Reuters)

NATO's top military commander said on Sunday that Russia had a large force on Ukraine's eastern border and said he was worried it could pose a threat to Moldova's mainly Russian-speaking separatist Transdniestria region. 

 

Election observers pull foreign staff out of Afghanistan after hotel attack (Reuters)

Two major foreign election observer and support missions have pulled staff out of Afghanistan after a Taliban attack on a Kabul hotel, observers said on Sunday, in a move which could undermine confidence in the outcome of the crucial vote.  The April 5 vote is less than two weeks away and could mark the country's first democratic transfer of power. Many fear a repeat of the widespread fraud that discredited the poll in 2009 when about 20 percent of votes were thrown out.

 

After two hearings, Egyptian court issues death sentence verdict for 529 people (+video) (CS Monitor)

Today's ruling follows the first mass trial of Muslim Brotherhood supporters. The defendants were convicted of attacking a police station in what was a three day trial.

 


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