WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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August 23, 2017 (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.

Five key pieces of Trump’s Afghanistan plan (CNN)

President Donald Trump outlined his plan for the 16-year US war in Afghanistan Monday evening, vowing that the US would find victory while no longer "nation-building."The President declared he would… focus on allowing US forces to target the Taliban and other terrorist groups wherever they were in Afghanistan…The President is giving the Pentagon authority to ramp up troop levels in Afghanistan by several thousand, but Trump declared the US military would not talk specifically about troop levels there.

The reactions to Trump’s Afghanistan strategy (CBS)

Most congressional Republicans are applauding President Trump for the strategy he outlined for Afghanistan and South Asia Monday night while Democrats are blasting him for withholding key details about an increase in troops.

10 sailors missing after U.S. warship collides with tanker (Time)

Ten U.S. sailors are missing after a collision between the USS John S. McCain and a tanker early Monday east of Singapore, the second accident involving a ship from the Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months.

Media lets loose its fury after Trump attack (The Hill)

Members of the media blasted back at President Trump on Wednesday after he railed against the press at a rally and called journalists “dishonest people” who “don’t like our country.” At a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday night, Trump delivered a 30-minute diatribe … Many in the media took the attacks personally. The reaction from CNN’s panel of seven commentators, led by anchor Don Lemon, was ferocious and swift. ...“He’s unhinged,” Lemon said.… “His speech was without thought, it was without reason, it was devoid of facts…” Lemon allowed his panel of strategists and political analysts to openly speculate about Trump’s mental health.

Sheriff: Judge returns fire after being shot outside courthouse (CBS)

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla says courthouse video shows Judge Joseph Bruzzese Jr. firing about five shots at the gunman, who also fired about five shots. The gunman was then killed by a probation officer.  

Bannon’s war: How Trump’s alt-right hero and former White House strategist plotted his revenge  (Newsweek)

Former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon has declared the Trump administration the most divided in history, as reports emerge that he's eyeing the launch of a populist right TV network to rival Fox News.

Virginia police say they didn’t find caches of weapons in Charlottesville (Reason)

Contradicting statements by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, the Virginia State Police say they did not find caches of weapons stashed around Charlottesville in advance of last Saturday's deadly white nationalist rally.

Apple's Tim Cook "disagrees" with DT's take on neo-Nazi violence...pledges 1M to both SPLC & the Anti-Defamation League  (Recode)

In a note to Apple’s employee… Cook announced the company would donate $1 million each to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.  Apple plans to match its employees’ donations to human rights groups — on a 2-for-1 basis — until Sept 30, while setting up a new system in iTunes, its music software, to “offer users an easy way to join us in directly supporting the work of the SPLC,” Cook said.

Trump disbands business council after CEOs quit (Reuters)

President Donald Trump disbanded two high-profile business advisory councils on Wednesday after several chief executives quit in protest over his remarks blaming weekend violence in Virginia not only on white nationalists but also on anti-racism activists who opposed them. A parade of prominent Republicans and U.S. ally Britain also rebuked Trump, leaving him increasingly isolated after his comments on Tuesday about the bloodshed in the college town of Charlottesville further enveloped his seven-month-old presidency in controversy.

So far 16 charities have pulled out of doing their events at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s defense of white supremacists (RawStory)

Standing with a defender of Nazis and white supremacists doesn’t tend to look good when non-profit groups are attempting to raise money from wealthy Floridians.

Joint chiefs denounce racism in stark terms as Trump’s isolation grows (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The nation’s top military officers issued public statements condemning racial bigotry and extremism, a rare foray into domestic politics that indicated deep unease Wednesday in the Pentagon with President Trump's views on race and underscored his growing isolation.

Federal Government Denies a Native American Tribe Millions (NPR)

The federal government is denying a Native American tribe in the Pacific Northwest tens of millions of dollars and have shut down their casino and are taking over tribal health care. That's because the Department of Interior says the tribe improperly disenrolled an extended family of 300 people.

WORLD

Spain hunts for driver in van rampage, says Islamist cell dismantled (Reuters)

Police were searching on Saturday for the driver of a van that killed 13 people when it plowed into a crowd in Barcelona and were trying to determine whether two other suspected Islamist militants linked to the attack had died or were at large. The Spanish government said it considered it had dismantled the cell behind Thursday's Barcelona rampage and an attack early on Friday in the Catalan seaside town of Cambrils.

Barcelona van attackers plotted major bombings, Spanish court hears (Reuters)

 An Islamist militant cell that last week used a van to kill 13 people in Barcelona had planned one or several major bomb attacks, possibly against churches or monuments, one suspect told a court on Tuesday, according to sources close to the investigation.  They said the group was led by an imam who tutored its members….

Muslim divorce law unconstitutional, rules India’s high court (Reuters)

India's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled a controversial Muslim instant divorce law unconstitutional, a landmark victory for Muslim women who had long argued that it violated their right to equality. The law allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering the word "talaq" three times. Muslim women say they have been left destitute …

Following damage caused by economic rise, China tackles ambitious conservation experiment  (CS Monitor)

The government intends to combine three separate regions of Sanjiangyuan to create China’s first national park, setting aside an area the size of Pennsylvania. China is also working to set up a series of other trial national parks around the country.

Panama says to demand visas from Venezuelans, slams Maduro (Reuters)

Panama's government said on Tuesday that from October Venezuelans wishing to enter the country would need a visa, accusing the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of undermining democracy at home and security abroad.

Report: Iran and Russia violated UN weapons sanctions (JPost)

Media and state intelligence agencies revealed how Russia and Iran bypassed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear accord.

UNICEF: Boko Haram's use of child suicide bombers is already four times more than 2016 total (CS Monitor)

The frequency of suicide bomb attacks in northeastern Nigeria has increased in the past few weeks, killing at least 170 people since June 1, according to a Reuters tally.

Inside the Ring: China's $360 million gift to Harvard (Washington Times)

China is providing Harvard University with $360 million that a former military intelligence analyst says appears to be part of an effort to influence one of America's most important educational institutions.


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