ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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June 25, 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:

U.S.

WORLD

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

U.S.

Theft Of Social Security Numbers Is Broader Than You Might Think (NPR)

The hack of federal workers' personal data is the latest theft of Social Security numbers. The government isn't saying how many SSNs have been stolen over time. One expert says it's more than half.

The VA's Broken Promise To Thousands Of Vets Exposed To Mustard Gas (NPR)

When the Pentagon revealed it secretly exposed enlisted men to mustard gas during WWII, VA officials promised disability benefits. But an NPR investigation finds that most were never contacted.

Boston Marathon bomber apologizes to victims, then sentenced to death (CS Monitor)

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev finally spoke in the federal courtroom in Boston where he stood trial earlier this year for his part in the deadly terror attack two years ago. 

US says truck hijacked in Mexico, visas stolen (AP)

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico says a truck carrying visas was hijacked in northern Mexico and the visas stolen.... / Some approved border crossing cards also were stolen.

Puerto Rico governor says declaring bankruptcy was option (AP)

Puerto Rico's governor confirmed Wednesday that his administration recently pursued a proposal to request that the U.S. Congress allow the island's heavily indebted government to declare bankruptcy amid an economic crisis.

After Thousands Of Missions, Air Force To Cut Drone Flights (NPR)

The Air Force plans to reduce drone flights due to a shortage of pilots. 

WORLD

Hungary to fence off border with Serbia to stop migrants (Reuters)

Hungary announced plans on Wednesday to build a four-meter-high fence along its border with Serbia to stem the flow of illegal migrants, a move that triggered a swift rebuke from the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Europe's Migrant Crisis Spreads Ashore As Refugees Enter Bulgaria On Foot (NPR)

Desperate refugees from Syria and other strife-torn nations are surging into Europe not just by sea, but also over land from Turkey. They are straining border guards of Bulgaria, one of the poorest nations in the European Union.

Danish centre-right opposition wins election, PM quits party (Reuters)

Danish voters ousted Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt in an election on Thursdayand handed power to an opposition centre-right alliance including huge gains for a eurosceptic, anti-immigrant party.

Thousands rally against refugees in Slovak capital (UT San Diego)

Thousands of people have rallied in Bratislava against what they call an "Islamization of Europe" and to oppose a European Union plan for member states to share the burden of hosting a surge of asylum-seekers.

Hong Kong vetoes China-backed electoral reform proposal (Reuters)

Hong Kong's legislature on Thursday vetoed a China-vetted electoral reform package that had been criticized by opposition pro-democracy lawmakers and activists as undemocratic, potentially easing the prospect of fresh mass protests.

AP Exclusive: Document outlines big-power nuke help to Iran (UT San Diego)

The United States and other nations negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran are ready to offer high-tech reactors and other state-of-the-art equipment to Tehran if it agrees to crimp programs that can make atomic arms, according to a confidential document obtainedTuesday by The Associated Press. 

Wikileaks: Saudi officials suspect Iran shipped nuclear equipment to Sudan (CS Monitor)

Iran sent nuclear equipment to Sudan, a classified Saudi memo released by WikiLeaks says. There have been no previous reports of Iran sending nuclear equipment to Sudan.  

Chad bans burqas following terrorist attacks (CS Monitor)

Prime Minister Kalzeube Pahimi Deube said burqas – and any other face-obscuring garments – would no longer be allowed in the mostly Muslim country because they provide “camouflage” to terrorists, according to AFP. Monday’s attacks have been attributed to Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, which has used burqas in the past to allow female suicide bombers to conceal explosives.  Mr. Deube said security forces were instructed to “go into markets and seize all the burqas on sale and burn them.”

State of fear: Survivors tell of life under IS rule (AP) 

The "caliphate," declared a year ago, demands obedience. Untold numbers have been killed because they were deemed dangerous to the IS, or insufficiently pious; 5-8 million endure a regime that has swiftly turned their world upside down, extending its control into every corner of life to enforce its own radical interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah.

Israel says it hits Gaza rocket launcher after rocket fired (AP)

The Israeli military says it has carried out an airstrike on a rocket launcher in the Gaza Strip that was used by militants to fire a rocket into Israel. 

Israel arrests Druze suspects in attacks on ambulances (Reuters)

Israel has carried out a "wave of arrests" of Druze Arabs suspected of two attacks, one of them fatal, on ambulances bringing casualties from Syria's civil war to Israeli hospitals, police said on Wednesday.


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