ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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September 11, 2014 (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:

U.S.

WORLD

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

 

U.S.

Boehmer backs Obama on Syria rebels, but will GOP follow? (CBS)

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is backing President Obama's request for authorization to train and equip moderate rebels in Syria, telling reporters Thursday, "We ought to give the president what he is asking for."

Obama addresses ISIS: "If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven"

At the same time, the Republican leader is raising questions about the overall strategy the president laid out in an address Wednesday night, in which he said he would expand U.S. airstrikes to Syria in an effort to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) "wherever they exist."

Home Depot confirms security breach following Target data theft (Reuters)

Home Depot Inc confirmed on Monday its payment security systems have been breached, a data theft analysts warn could rival Target Corp's massive breach last year.

Rural hospitals pressured to close as healthcare system changes (Reuters)  

Twenty-four rural hospitals have closed across the country since the start of 2013, double the pace of the previous 20 months.  Now the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, is bringing additional pressure.... Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General recommended the government tighten rules on critical access hospitals to save money. That would likely to cut the number of such facilities by two-thirds.

One third of all Americans are freelancers now (Reason)

Anew report shows some 53 million Americans—or 34 percent of the U.S. workforce—are now working as freelancers in some capacity. "This is more than an economic change," asserts the report, a joint effort from the Freelancer's Union and freelance markeplaces oDesk and eLance. It's also "a cultural and social shift" that will "have major impacts on how Americans conceive of and organize their lives, their communities, and their economic power." 

Aggressive police take hundreds of millions of dollars from motorists not charged with any crime (Washington Post)

After the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the government called on police to become the eyes and ears of homeland security on America’s highways. Local officers, county deputies and state troopers were encouraged to act more aggressively in searching for suspicious people, drugs and other contraband. The departments of Homeland Security and Justice spent millions on police training. The effort succeeded, but it had an impact that has been largely hidden from public view: the spread of an aggressive brand of policing that has spurred the seizure of hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from motorists and others not charged with crimes, a Washington Post investigation found. Thousands of people have been forced to fight legal battles that can last more than a year to get their money back.

Immigration seen as bonanza for slumping global defense industry (Al Jazeera)

Technologies built for wars abroad are repurposed along the US-Mexico boundary and other international frontiers

WORLD

Twitter employees threatened by ISIS affiliated group (SFGate)

A Twitter account associated with ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, issued disturbing threats Monday, calling for the assassination of Twitter employees in San Francisco, according to a number of news outlets.

Iraqi parliament approves new government headed by Haider al-Abadi (Reuters)

Iraq's parliament approved a new government headed by Haider al-Abadi as prime minister on Monday night, in a bid to rescue Iraq from collapse, with sectarianism and Arab-Kurdish tensions on the rise.

Expert: Over 12,000 foreign fighters in Syria (UT San Diego)

More than 12,000 foreigners from 74 countries have gone to fight with rebels in Syria, 60 to 70 percent from other Middle Eastern countries and about 20 to 25 percent from Western nations, a leading expert on terrorism said Monday.

Al Qaeda announces India wing, renews loyalty to Taliban chief (Reuters)

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahri on Wednesday announced the formation of an Indian branch of his militant group he said would spread Islamic rule and "raise the flag of jihad" across the subcontinent.

Arab League issues proclamation on ISIS (CBS)

The Arab League agreed Monday to take urgent measures to combat extremists like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as one of its suicide bombers killed 16 people at a meeting of Sunni tribal fighters and security troops in Iraq.

Somalia's al Shabaab name new leader after U.S. strike, warn of revenge  (Reuters)

The Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab confirmed on Saturday that its leader Ahmed Godane had been killed in a U.S. air strike this week and named a new leader, promising "great distress" to its enemies.

Video from the Icelandic Volcano (Stitch)

UK scrambles to promise more powers if Scots reject independence (Reuters)

The British government is scrambling to respond to a lurch in the opinion polls toward a vote for Scottish independence this month by promising a range of new powers for Scotland if it chooses to stay within the United Kingdom.

China kills nearly 5,000 dogs to control rabies (UT San Diego)

Chinese authorities killed almost 5,000 dogs in one city after blaming five human deaths on rabies, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday.

After Syria and Iraq, Islamic State makes inroads in South Asia (Reuters)

Islamic State pamphlets and flags have appeared in parts of Pakistan and India, alongside signs that the ultra-radical group is inspiring militants even in the strongholds of the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Islamic extremists grab towns in northeast Nigeria (UT San Diego)

Nigeria's Islamic extremists of Boko Haram have seized more towns along Nigeria's northeastern border with Cameroon and are adopting a new strategy of encouraging civilians to stay, witnesses said Sunday, as the militants pursue their new aim to carve out an "Islamic caliphate" under their black and white flag.

Hamas says any international force in Gaza would be considered occupation (JPost)

Statements by Hamas come as response to reports that the Israeli Foreign Ministry had called for international troops in Gaza.

ISIS Militants Killed Up To 770 Captured Iraqi Soldiers: Human Rights Watch  (AP)

Militants from the Islamic State group carried out a mass killing of hundreds of Iraqi soldiers captured when the extremists overran a military base north of Baghdad in June, a leading international watchdog said Wednesday.

Israel shows evidence of rocket fire from Gaza schools (Reuters)

The Israeli military has provided its most detailed assessment yet of the conduct and impact of the Gaza war... Among the evidence laid out by a senior military officer were details of the ranges and number of rockets fired by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, photographs showing how rocket launchers were hidden in graveyards and a school playground, and how tunnels were used to carry out and escape from the site of attacks.

Germany to pay $250 Million to child Holocaust survivors (JPost)

Negotiators knew this would be the last chance for the German government to set this right.

Egypt FM says strained relations with US due to insistence on including Islamists in politics (JPost)

Former Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said that relations with the US remains strained because of Washington’s insistence of allowing Islamists to participate in the political process.

Anti-Jewish incidents at record high in Britain (JPost)

More than 300 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in the UK during July, the highest monthly number since the Community Security Trust started keeping records in 1984.

‘Shariah controlled zone’ in Germany: Group of young Muslims patrolling city streets G (RT)

Police in the German city of Wuppertal are investigating a case of several young men who announced themselves to be 'Sharia police'. The group was 'patrolling' the streets, urging people to refrain from various sorts of activities and entertainment.

 


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