Caring for refugees – and their hosts

December 17, 2013 - Daily News Briefing

Beyond the humanitarian concern lies a demographic dilemma.

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Taking clear aim at China’s growing aggressiveness in territorial disputes with its smaller neighbors, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced Monday that the United States will boost maritime security assistance to the countries of Southeast Asia amid rising tensions with Beijing. On his first visit to Vietnam as America’s top diplomat, Kerry pledged an additional $32.5 million for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to protect their territorial waters and navigational freedom in the South China Sea.

Soldiers loyal to a former vice president attempted to overthrow the government of South Sudan, the country’s president said Monday, as sporadic fighting between factions of the military gripped Juba, the capital, in the latest violence to hit the world’s youngest nation.

Two Guantánamo Bay prisoners have been transferred to Saudi Arabia as part of a renewed effort to close the offshore US prison. US officials say the two Saudis have been transferred to the custody of their own government after a security review. Neither man had been charged with a crime. US records show both were suspected members of Al Qaeda and were considered to be at high risk of rejoining the terror group if released.

US workers boosted their productivity from July through September at the fastest pace since the end of 2009, adding to signs of stronger growth. The Labor Department says productivity increased at a 3 percent annual rate in the third quarter. That’s up from an initial estimate of 1.9 percent and much stronger than the 1.8 percent rate from April through June.

A US federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of phone records violates the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches, but put his decision on hold pending a near-certain government appeal. US District Court Judge Richard Leon granted a preliminary injunction sought by plaintiffs Larry Klayman and Charles Strange, concluding they were likely to prevail in their constitutional challenge. Leon ruled Monday that the two men are likely to be able to show that their privacy interests outweigh the government’s interest in collecting the data.

After more than 40 years of study, the US government says it has found no evidence that common antibacterial soaps prevent the spread of germs, and regulators want the makers of Dawn, Dial, and other household staples to prove that their products do not pose health risks to consumers. Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration announced Monday they are revisiting the safety of triclosan, the sanitizing agent found in soap in countless kitchens and bathrooms.

A double car bombing and a shooting killed 34 Shiite Muslims on pilgrimage in Iraq on Monday, the deadliest in a wave of attacks across the country that left at least 65 dead. It was the bloodiest day of violence in nearly two months. Police officials said the worst attack took place in a Baghdad suburb.

Compiled from wire service reports

“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” – Mary Baker Eddy

The Daily News Briefing is published Monday through Friday by The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

Compiled from wire service reports

“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” – Mary Baker Eddy

The Daily News Briefing is published Monday through Friday by The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

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