Los Angeles, Jan.7.– Los Angeles County has agreed to conduct a purge of its voting rolls, in a move that could strip perhaps 1.5 million inactive voters from the lists of those eligible to cast ballots.

The county made the deal in a settlement last week with Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest firm, saying that under a recent Supreme Court ruling, it has a duty to remove names of people who appear to have either died, moved from the county or lost interest in voting.

Jan. 2 (DP.net).– China's President Xi Jinping said in a speech commemorating the end of a military campaign against Taiwan 40 years ago, that the self-ruled island “must and will be” reunited with China. Although he briefly referred to a “peaceful reunification,” Xi said his government reserves the right to use “all necessary measures” to bring Taiwan back into its fold — a top priority for Beijing, but a move Taiwanese independence supporters have long feared. The island state has found itself increasingly isolated in the global community as allies drop direct diplomatic relations under Chinese pressure.

China's Xi threatens Taiwan with force but also seeks peaceful 'reunification'  

BEIJING/TAIPEI, Jan. 2 (Reuters).– China reserves the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control but will strive to achieve peaceful “reunification” with the self-ruled island that has a bright future under any future Chinese rule, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.