thetorontostar--2020-02-18--UN chief: New virus outbreak is ‘a very dangerous situation’

LAHORE , Pakistan - The U.N. secretary general has told The Associated Press that the virus outbreak that began in China “ is not out of control but it is a very dangerous situation.
” Antonio Guterres said in an interview Tuesday that “ the risks are enormous and we need to be prepared worldwide for that.
” Guterres said a spread of the virus to countries with “ less capacity in their health service ” would require a great deal of international solidarity .
The outbreak has infected more than 73,000 people globally .
It has caused more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19 , referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it .
China reported 1,886 new virus cases and 98 more deaths in its update Tuesday .
A report saying the disease outbreak has caused a mild illness in most people raised optimism among global health authorities .
The U.N. chief was in Pakistan for a conference on 40 years of refugees fleeing neighbouring war-torn Afghanistan .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Virus claims life of hospital director in hard-hit Wuhan

BEIJING - As a mysterious new virus enveloped central China ’ s Wuhan early this year , Liu Zhiming mobilized all the resources of his hospital in the city ’ s Wuchang district to deal with the thousands of sick people arriving daily , threatening to overwhelm the local health care system .
That dedication appears to have cost him his life , with Wuhan ’ s health bureau announcing Tuesday that he became infected and died despite “ all-out “ attempts to save him .
Liu is at least the seventh health worker to die of the COVID-19 disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses who have become sick .
His death comes as authorities are cautiously cheering a reduction in the number of new daily cases and deaths , along with the results of a study showing most people who contracted the virus experienced only mild symptoms .
China on Tuesday reported 1,886 new cases and 98 more deaths .
That raised the number of deaths in mainland China to 1,868 and the total number of confirmed cases to 72,436 .
Japan , meanwhile , announced that 88 more cases of the virus were confirmed aboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Princess , bringing the total to 542 among the 3,700 initially on board .
The outbreak has caused massive disruptions and China may postpone its biggest political meeting of the year to avoid having people travel to Beijing while the virus is still spreading .
One of the automotive industry ’ s biggest events , China ’ s biannual auto show , also is being postponed , and many sports and entertainment events have been delayed or cancelled .
Despite strict rules on use of masks and safety suits , medical workers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the early stage of the outbreak .
In announcing Liu ’ s death , the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said he had taken part in the battle against the virus from the start and had made “ important contributions in the work of fighting and controlling “ the virus .
During that process , “ unfortunately he became infected and passed away at 10:54 Tuesday morning at the age of 51 after all-out efforts to save him failed , ” the commission said .
The Hubei native had graduated from Wuhan University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and went on to a career as a chief physician , neurosurgeon and administrator .
Earlier this month , public outrage was stirred by the death from the virus of Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang , who had been threatened by police after releasing word of an outbreak of an unusual respiratory illness in December before it had spread widely and the city was placed under quarantine .
Wuhan and its surrounding cities in Hubei province have accounted for the vast majority of infections and deaths , prompting the government to enforce a travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country and now includes a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine period for anyone travelling outside their home district .
Two new prefabricated hospitals have been built to deal with the overflow in Wuhan and thousands of medical staff have been brought in from other parts of the country to help .
A study by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention found more than 80 % of the cases studied were mild and the number of new infections seemed to be falling since early this month .
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know if the reported decline would continue , however .
“ Every scenario is still on the table , ” he said at a news conference .
The seeming drop in the number of new cases follows a large spike last week after Hubei province began counting cases by doctors ’ diagnoses without waiting for laboratory test results .
Health authorities there said the change was meant to get patients treated faster .
The Chinese study examined 44,672 cases of the disease that were confirmed in the mainland as of Feb. 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 14 % of them and critical illness in 5 % .
The fatality rate was 2.3 % — 2.8 % for males versus 1.7 % for females .
The death rate is lower than for SARS and MERS , diseases caused by coronaviruses related to the one that causes COVID-19 .
But the new virus ultimately could prove more deadly if it spreads to far more people than the others did .
The COVID-19 cases include relatively few children , and the risk of death rises with age or other health problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere in China .
The study warned that while cases seem to have been declining since Feb. 1 , that could change as people return to work and school after the Lunar New Year holidays , typically the biggest travel period for Chinese travellers .
Beijing and other governments have sought to forestall that by extending the holiday break , encouraging telecommuting and self-quarantines and conducting health checks on travellers .
Travel to and from the worst-hit central China region was associated with the initial cases of COVID-19 confirmed abroad .
But Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases without clear ties to China or previously known patients , raising concern of the virus spreading locally .
The largest number of cases outside China is the 542 among passengers and crew of the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined at a port near Tokyo .
The infections have led to heavy criticism of the decision to quarantine passengers on the vessel .
The U.S. evacuated 328 American passengers , with most of them placed in a 14-day quarantine at military bases in California and Texas .
Thirteen who tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Omaha , Nebraska , and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said any more passengers who show symptoms will be taken to hospitals .
Associated Press writers Maria Cheng in London and Marilynn Marchione , David Pitt , Olga R. Rodriguez and Ken Miller in the U.S. contributed to this report .
This story removes incorrect timing of the Chinese auto show , which alternates yearly between Beijing and Shanghai .
It also corrects that 13 cruise passengers who tested positive for the virus were taken to a hospital in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Nebraska and California .

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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Nissan shareholders furious at Ghosn scandal, dismal results

TOKYO - Nissan shareholders vented their outrage at the Japanese automaker ’ s top management Tuesday for crashing stock prices , zero dividends and quarterly losses after the scandal-ridden departure of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn .
They got up , one by one , at an extraordinary shareholders ’ meeting , demanding that Nissan Motor Co. quickly fix diving car sales , work harder to repair its battered brand and have executives give up their pay .
Ghosn , a superstar executive who had led Nissan for two decades , was arrested in November 2018 .
He was awaiting trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he skipped bail late last year and escaped to Lebanon .
New Chief Executive Makoto Uchida apologized to shareholders for having “ allowed the misconduct ” of Ghosn and promised better governance , transparency and financial results , but pleaded for more time .
He said a turnaround plan will be announced in May , which one shareholder immediately criticized as too late .
“ We are in a disastrous situation , ” Uchida said of the Ghosn scandal .
“ It was shocking , and I denounce it.
” Uchida is among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for vote at the meeting held at a conference centre in Yokohama , near Tokyo , where Nissan is headquartered .
Uchida was tapped in December to replace Hiroto Saikawa , who was Ghosn ’ s successor .
Saikawa tendered his resignation last year after allegations surfaced about his own dubious personal income .
Saikawa ’ s resignation becomes final at the end of the shareholders ’ meeting .
One shareholder asked if Saikawa was giving up his retirement pay .
Another asked why Jean-Dominique Senard , chairman of French alliance partner Renault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen leaving a previous shareholders ’ meeting in a Toyota .
Saikawa did not reply .
Senard apologized and said it was a mistake that had upset him as well .
Global sales of Nissan vehicles have plunged .
Nissan recorded red ink for the quarter through December , the first such quarterly loss in 11 years .
Nissan ’ s prized technology , such as electric vehicles and automated driving , will be featured in planned models , Uchida said .
Also up for approval at the meeting was the appointment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who joined Renault in India in 2006 , and has since worked for the alliance , which also includes smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp .
The appointment of Nissan ’ s production expert Hideyuki Sakamoto and Pierre Fleuriot , a risk management specialist and independent director at Renault , was also up for vote .
Renault owns 44 % of Nissan and so the proposals were certain to pass .
The appointments were welcomed by clapping at the end of the two-and-a-half hour meeting , and the executives took a bow on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting was Nissan ’ s plummeting fortunes , its reputation tarnished over not only the Ghosn scandal but the shaky way it was handled at the company .
Shareholders said they saw confusion in management .
One argued no one would want to buy a car from a company that looked as disorganized as Nissan .
At one point , several shareholders began shouting at each other .
Another shareholder proposed putting a bounty on Ghosn ’ s head so he could be brought back from Lebanon to stand trial .
Japan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ghosn , who has insisted on his innocence , has said he was targeted with trumped up charges because of what he called a conspiracy at Nissan to block a fuller merger with Renault .
Hazim Bahari , equity analyst at CFRA Research , said Nissan ’ s latest quarterly results were worse than expected , with further sales declines expected because of outdated models and its shrinking market share .
“ Profitability outlook is negative from worsening operating leverage , heavy discounting trends from heightened competition , and rising R & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Bahari .
Uchida repeatedly tried to assure shareholders the company was standing up to wrongdoing , leveraging the Renault alliance and working on products to highlight “ intelligent mobility.
” “ I am confident we can achieve all this , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Quarantine on cruise ship in Japan comes under question

TOKYO - An extraordinary two-week quarantine of the Diamond Princess cruise ship ends Wednesday , with thousands of passengers and crew set to disembark over the next several days in the port of Yokohama , near Tokyo .
A growing number of scientists , however , say the the ship served as an incubator for a worrying new virus from China instead of a quarantine facility meant to prevent the worsening of an outbreak that has sickened tens of thousands .
As of Tuesday , 542 cases of the virus have been identified among the 3,711 quarantined passengers and crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most infections outside of China .
The question now is : Why ?
The Japanese government has repeatedly defended the effectiveness of the quarantine .
But some scientists suggest that it may have been less than rigorous .
In a possible sign of lax quarantine protocols , three Japanese health officials who helped in the quarantine checks on the ship were also infected .
“ I suspect people were not as isolated from other people as we would have thought , ” said Dr. Paul Hunter , a professor of medicine at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Japan ’ s health minister , Katsunobu Kato , told reporters Tuesday that all passengers who remained on the cruise ship have had their samples taken and that those who tested negative would start getting off the vessel beginning Wednesday , when their required 14-day quarantine is scheduled to end .
“ They all want to go home as early as possible , and we hope to assist them so that everyone can get home smoothly , ” Kato said .
The process is expected to take until Friday because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obviously the quarantine hasn ’ t worked , and this ship has now become a source of infection , ” said Dr. Nathalie MacDermott , an outbreak expert at King ’ s College London .
She said the exact mechanism of the virus ’ spread was unknown .
“ We need to understand how the quarantine measures on board were implemented , what the air filtration on board is like , how the cabins are connected and how waste products are disposed of , ” MacDermott said .
“ There could also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not familiar with , ” she said , noting the possibility of environmental spread and the importance of “ deep-cleaning ” the entire ship to prevent people from touching contaminated surfaces .
During the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS , a related virus , experts discovered that more than 300 people were infected through a defective sewage system in a Hong Kong housing estate .
MacDermott said it was possible there was a similar issue aboard the Diamond Princess , but that a full investigation was needed .
“ There ’ s no reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been done properly , “ she said .
Some passengers on the Diamond Princess described the ship as a “ floating prison ” but were allowed to walk on the decks every day while wearing a mask and were told to keep their distance from others .
Hunter , the medicine professor , said the continued spread of the virus could be due to compliance problems .
“ It ’ s difficult to enforce a quarantine in a ship environment and I ’ m absolutely sure there were some passengers who think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone tell them what they can and can not do , ” he said .
Hunter said it was “ a huge disappointment ” that the quarantine hadn ’ t curbed the spread of the virus and that it was unfortunate some passengers returning to their home countries would now face a second period of isolation .
“ Given how the virus has continued to spread , we have to presume everyone leaving the ship is potentially infected , and therefore they have to go through another two-week quarantine period , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be reckless.
” Japanese health officials say a 14-day quarantine on the ship is adequate , citing results that all but one of more than 500 Japanese returnees from Wuhan , the epicenter of the virus in China , who initially tested negative were also found to be virus-free at the end of their 14-day quarantine at government facilities .
Those officials also have defended precautions taken on the ship .
About 1,000 crew members were told to wear surgical masks , wash their hands , use disinfectant sprays and stop operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas after Feb. 5 , when the first group of 10 infected people were reported and the official start of the 14-day quarantine was announced .
Dr. Michael Ryan , the chief of emergencies at the World Health Organization , said earlier this month that the agency was working with Japanese officials to help passengers get off the ship as soon as possible .
“ It ’ s really important that there ’ s an appropriate risk management approach being taken here , ” he said last week .
He reminded countries of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of travellers and said they were working to ensure that “ we don ’ t end up with an unfortunate consequence of people having to stay too long in that situation.
” Passengers were instructed to stay in their cabins and not walk around or contact other passengers .
Those in windowless cabins could go out on the deck to take a walk or exercise for about an hour each day .
The two-week quarantine was largely for the passengers , because crew members kept sharing double rooms with their colleagues , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivering food , letters , towels and amenities , and entering passenger cabins for cleaning .
Crew members also cooked their own food and ate in groups in a crew mess hall .
“ Unlike passengers , crew members share their rooms , they share food , and that ’ s why some of them are infected even after the quarantine started , ” Shigeru Omi , a former regional director for the World Health Organization , said at a recent news conference .
Omi said quarantine is one of the measures considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already made its way into local communities across Japan , where untraceable cases have been popping up already , he said .
At this stage , “ the spreading of the virus will be inevitable , and that ’ s why quarantine is out of the question , ” Omi said .
He said the focus now should shift from border control to preventing the spread in local communities .
Other scientists said that passengers should have been removed from the boat from the beginning .
“ Boats are notorious places for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arthur Caplan , a professor of bioethics at the New York University School of Medicine .
“ It ’ s only morally justified to keep people on the boat if there are no other options.
“ Caplan said that a second quarantine was justified , but that officials had done a poor job of explaining from the outset what would happen if their original plan failed .
“ It ’ s never good to lose your civil liberties and your rights of movement , but two more weeks of quarantine is not an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect spread of a disease , ” he said .

Maria Cheng And Mari Yamaguchi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--SC authorities to say how missing girl, neighbour were killed

COLUMBIA , S.C. - Authorities plan to release Tuesday how a 6-year-old girl who disappeared from her front yard was killed , along with details on the death of a neighbour whose body was found moments after the child .
Investigators have said they found a clue to Faye Marie Swetlik ’ s disappearance in the neighbour ’ s trash can Thursday .
Not long after , they found the girl ’ s body in woods that had been carefully searched before and then found the neighbour 30-year-old Coty Scott Taylor dead in his home .
The girl got off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing in her Cayce front yard on Monday .
More than 200 officers searched over three days for the girl , knocking on every door in her neighbourhood and checking every vehicle going in and out .
Cayce Public Safety officers said the girl ’ s death is being investigated as a homicide .
They have not said anything about how Taylor might have died .
The girl ’ s disappearance shocked Cayce , a town of about 13,000 people just west of Columbia .
Several prayer vigils were held while she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A public memorial for Faye will be 7 p.m. Friday at Trinity Baptist Church in Cayce .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Portugal says airline suspension by Venezuela is unjustified

LISBON , Portugal - Venezuela ’ s decision to suspend TAP Air Portugal ’ s flights to Caracas is “ completely unfounded and unjustified , ” Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva said Tuesday .
“ I can ’ t see any kind of justification ” for the 90-day suspension , Santos Silva said .
Venezuelan authorities took the step Monday after TAP last week carried opposition leader Juan Guaidó and his uncle home from an international tour aimed at ousting President Nicolás Maduro .
Guaidó ’ s uncle was arrested upon landing and accused of trying to bring a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portugal ordered an official investigation into that allegation , and Santos Silva said it hasn ’ t finished yet .
The suspension is a “ hostile act ” against Portugal , Santos Silva told national news agency Lusa , in comments published by online newspaper Observador .
Portugal is in a coalition of European and Latin American nations , called the “ International Contact Group , ” that has backed Guaidó against Maduro .
Thousands of Portuguese immigrants live in Venezuela .
Santos Silva said the suspension would also hurt Venezuelans because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few international airlines still serving Caracas , with twice weekly flights .
TAP said in a statement it “ meets all the legal and safety requirements demanded ” by authorities in both Portugal and Venezuela .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Spain searching for 143 missing migrants near Canary Islands

BARCELONA , Spain - Spain on Tuesday was searching for some 143 people missing on five migrant boats en route to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean , according to Spain ’ s maritime rescue service .
A Civil Guard plane was searching for the boats near the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura , off the northwest coast of Africa , the service said .
Authorities were alerted about the missing boats on Monday afternoon .
Helena Maleno , of the human rights group Walking Borders , told The Associated Press the migrants , including women and children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northwest coast of Africa between Friday and Saturday .
Although the total number of sea crossings to Spain decreased by more than 50 % in 2019 , arrivals via the dangerous Atlantic route to the Canary Islands doubled .
According to the International Organization for Migration at least 210 people died on that route last year .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--UN says Libyan rival forces resume talks to save cease-fire

GENEVA - Libya ’ s warring sides resumed Tuesday U.N.-brokered talks aimed at salvaging a fragile cease-fire in the North African country , the U.N. said in Geneva .
The current cease-fire was brokered by Russia and Turkey on Jan. 12 .
It marked the first break in months of fighting for control of the Libyan capital , Tripoli .
But both sides have repeatedly violated the cease-fire .
Oil-rich Libya is split between rival governments , each backed by an array of foreign countries apparently jockeying for influence in order to control Libya ’ s resources .
A U.N.-supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Fayez Sarraj , holds only a shrinking area of western Libya , including the capital .
It ’ s been fending off an offensive since last April by forces loyal to Gen. Khalifa Hifter .
The military commander is allied with a rival government that controls much of Libya ’ s east and south , including key oil fields and export terminals .
The U.N. support mission in Libya said five military representatives from each side have met Tuesday in Geneva , more than a week after they ended their first round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would help end the fighting in Tripoli .
In the previous round of talks , the U.N. mission said there was “ broad consensus ” between the two sides on “ the urgency for Libyans to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity ” of the country , and to “ stop the flow of non-Libyan fighters and send them out of the country.
” Hifter ’ s forces rely on military assistance from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt , as well as France and Russia .
On the other side , Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tripoli-based government .
Powerful tribes loyal to the eastern the commander Hifter have also largely stopped the country ’ s oil production , after they seized last month several large oil export terminals along Libya ’ s eastern coast as well as its southern oil fields .
The country ’ s National Oil Corporation , which dominates Libya ’ s critical oil industry and is based in Tripoli , said losses from the oil closures have reached more than $ 1.6 billion as of Monday .
The daily oil production has since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from about 1.2 million .
It put the daily losses at close to $ 59 million .
Libya has the ninth largest known oil reserves in the world and the biggest oil reserves in Africa .
The corporation reiterated its warning that the blockade is quickly depleting fuel that supplies Libyan power stations .
The Geneva talks come amid intensified diplomacy among world powers seeking to end the conflict that has ravaged Libya for nine years and increasingly drawn in foreign powers .
European Union foreign ministers agreed Monday to launch a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arms embargo around the North African country .
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 , when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi , who was later killed .

Jamey Keaten And Samy Magdy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--UK issues severe flood alerts as storm-swollen rivers surge

LONDON - Residents in central England and Wales braced Tuesday for more flooding as rivers peaked in the wake of a weekend storm that brought up to 6 inches ( 150 mm ) of rain to an already waterlogged region .
Environment agencies in England and Wales on Tuesday declared 10 severe flood warnings , meaning there is an immediate danger to life , for the rivers Severn Trent , Wye and Lugg .
More than 180 less severe flood warnings were also in place .
Storm Dennis — the second major storm of the winter —- blew through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wind gusts of up to 90 mph ( 145 kph ) and heavy rain that flooded roads , railways , homes and businesses .
The fierce weather upended travel plans for thousands of British families trying to get away on the mid-winter school break .
It turned rivers including the Severn and the Wye , which normally meander through picturesque countryside , into raging torrents .
The River Wye reached the highest level ever recorded in the central England town of Hereford .
Dave Throup , a manager in the region for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen things today I would not have believed .
… This is not normal flooding , we are in uncharted territory.
“ The storm has killed at least three people in Britain , including a 55-year-old woman who was swept away by floodwaters in the central English town of Tenbury .
The high seas churned up by the storm left an abandoned cargo ship , the MV Alta , crashed up upon the shores of County Cork , near Ballycotton , southern Ireland .
The storm also left a trail of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including in southwestern Sweden .
In Denmark , 100 people who had been evacuated late Monday due to fears that a levee might collapse began returning home Tuesday .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Indian police open case against Kashmir social media users

NEW DELHI - Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir have registered a case against unidentified internet users who employed virtual private networks , or VPNs , to circumvent a social media ban in the disputed region , police said Tuesday , in an apparent effort to stop their use .
Police said they misused social media “ to propagate a secessionist ideology and promote unlawful activities.
“ “ Hundreds of suspected misusers have been identified and are being probed , ” said Tahir Ashraf , who heads the police cyber division in Srinagar , the region ’ s main city .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seized “ a lot of incriminating material , ” adding that the accused could be charged under the Unlawful Activities ( Prevention ) Act , which also allows the government to designate individuals as “ terrorists.
“ Police officials questioned several users about their social media posts .
However , no formal arrests have been made .
Inspector-General Vijay Kumar appealed to the general public not to use social media via VPNs .
Kashmiris are evading censorship of the internet and social media by using VPNs , which are widely used globally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in January allowed the restive region ’ s 7 million people to access government-approved websites , six months after cutting off the internet entirely .
In August last year , India stripped Kashmir of its semi-autonomy and statehood and imposed a total communications blackout .
Authorities heralded the recent restoration of limited internet access as a step toward normalcy , but are continuing a ban on popular social media platforms such as Facebook , WhatsApp and Twitter .
Police officer Ashraf said “ misuse of social media has caused widespread disinformation and fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would clamp down on general social media users over the ban on use of social media sites .
Since the internet ban was partially lifted on Jan. 25 , some Kashmiris have shared access to banned sites through VPNs and taken to the web to denounce the government ’ s actions in the region .
Critics say the tight internet restrictions are “ far worse censorship than anywhere in the world ” and could spearhead a new level of government control over information allowing it to further restrict freedoms in Kashmir .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no privacy in our lives , ” said Ikram Ahmed , a university student .
“ Now we will have people in jails for mere use of social media.
” The portion of the divided Kashmir region that India controls is one of the most militarized places in the world .
Kashmiri rebels have fought for decades for its independence or unification with Pakistan , which administers the other part of Muslim-majority Kashmir .
Archrivals India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the territory , both claiming it in its entirety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Srinagar contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Carnival revelers poke fun at world leaders in Germany

MAINZ , Germany - A victorious British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a grim looking Queen Elizabeth II standing behind him , a bare-chested Russian President Vladimir Putin holding a remote control to steer Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan atop a tank , and a triumphant U.S. President Donald Trump playing the harp like Roman Emperor Nero .
All of these controversial leaders have come together at for a provocative tryst at the traditional Mainz carnival celebrations in western Germany .
The Mainzer Carnival Association presented the colorful , oversized figures for a first glimpse Tuesday before they will entertain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week on Shrove Monday during the traditional street parade in the western city .
Mainz , Cologne and Duesseldorf , the three big cities along the Rhine River , are all famous for their politically provocative floats .
During Carnival , dubbed the “ fifth season of the year ” before the start of Christian season of Lent , the common people are traditionally allowed to make fun of those in power .
The famous street parades , which will travel for kilometres ( miles ) through the cities , will include not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of brass bands , dancing groups and “ Carnivalists ” throwing tons of candy to revelers in the streets .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--German ex-environment minister seeks to lead Merkel’s party

BERLIN - A former German environment minister on Tuesday became the first prominent figure to officially declare his candidacy for the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel ’ s centre-right party .
Norbert Roettgen , the 54-year-old chairman of the German parliament ’ s foreign affairs committee , announced his unexpected decision in Berlin .
His chances are at best uncertain against the three potential candidates who so far have drawn the most attention : former parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz , state governor Armin Laschet and Health Minister Jens Spahn .
The current leader of Merkel ’ s Christian Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Spahn to win the job in late 2018 .
Still , she struggled to impose her authority .
She announced last week that she wouldn ’ t enter the race to be Germany ’ s next chancellor and would also give up the CDU leadership , but would remain defence minister .
Merkel , who has led Germany since 2005 , has said she won ’ t seek a fifth term as chancellor in Germany ’ s next general election , which is currently expected late next year .
The withdrawal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s preferred heir apparent , shows some disarray in the party .
Kramp-Karrenbauer ’ s announcement last week followed a scandal over the election of a state governor in the eastern region of Thuringia , backed by both regional CDU lawmakers and the far-right Alternative for Germany party .
The local CDU lawmakers defied the national leadership ’ s wishes to avoid risking an alignment with the far-right .
Merkel fired Roettgen as Germany ’ s environment minister in 2012 after he led the CDU to an embarrassingly heavy state election defeat in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populous region , following a gaffe-marred campaign .
It isn ’ t yet clear how and when the next CDU leader — who likely will become the centre-right ’ s candidate to become Germany ’ s next chancellor — will be chosen .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Government troops, rebels exchange fire in eastern Ukraine

KYIV , Ukraine - Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists blamed each other for an outbreak of fighting in the country ’ s rebel-held east on Tuesday .
Ukraine ’ s military said in a statement that the separatists attempted to advance into the Ukraine-controlled territory but were repelled .
It said that one Ukrainian soldier was killed and four others were wounded .
The separatist authorities in the Luhansk region , however , blamed Ukraine for starting the fighting .
They claimed that the fighting erupted when a group of Ukrainian soldiers tried to make an incursion into rebel-held territory but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said two Ukrainian troops were killed and three others were wounded and the Ukrainian forces launched an artillery barrage to cover their evacuation .
They said that Ukrainian shelling damaged civilian infrastructure in the villages of Kirovsk and Donetskiy .
The exchange of gunfire marks the latest spike in hostilities in the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 14,000 people since 2014 .
A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany helped reduce the scope of fighting , but sporadic clashes have continued and efforts to negotiate a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Paris in December , the leaders of Russia , Ukraine , France and Germany made a deal to exchange prisoners and pledged to ensure a lasting cease-fire in fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russia-backed separatists .
They made no progress , however , on key contentious issues — a timeline for local elections in eastern Ukraine and when Ukraine can get back control of its borders in the rebel-held region .
Zelenskiy said on Facebook that Tuesday ’ s outbreak of hostilities was an attempt to derail efforts to end the conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his Security Council to discuss the situation .
“ Our course for ending the war and our adherence to international agreements remain unchanged , just as our determination to repel any acts of aggression against Ukraine , “ he said .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Greece: Ferries, urban transport halted by strikes

ATHENS , Greece - A 24-hour strike in Greece halted ferries , public transport , and municipal services in Athens @ @ @ @ @ country Tuesday as unions mounted protests against pension reforms by the centre-right government .
Flights @ @ @ @ @ rail and bus services , were not affected .
The strike went ahead after a @ @ @ @ @ to parliament .
It includes plans to lower monthly income contributions and overhaul the way @ @ @ @ @ Pension reform is a contentious issue in Greece following a decade of crisis and international @ @ @ @ @ and benefit cuts pushing many into financial hardship .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Court reinstates order for Russia to pay $50 bln over Yukos

THE HAGUE , Netherlands - In a major legal defeat for the Russian government , a Dutch appeals court on Tuesday reinstated an international arbitration panel ’ s order that it should pay $ 50 billion compensation to shareholders in former oil company Yukos .
The ruling overturned a 2016 decision by The Hague District Court that quashed the compensation order on the grounds that the arbitration panel did not have jurisdiction because the case was based on an energy treaty that Russia had signed but not ratified .
The Hague Court of Appeal ruled that the 2016 decision “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arbitration order is in force again.
” “ This is a victory for the rule of law .
The independent courts of a democracy have shown their integrity and served justice .
A brutal kleptocracy has been held to account , ” Tim Osborne , the chief executive of GML , a company made up of Yukos shareholders , said in a statement .
The Russian Justice Ministry said in a statement after the verdict that Russia will appeal .
It charged that the Hague appeals court “ failed to take into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shareholders of the Energy Charter Treaty that wasn ’ t ratified by the Russian federation.
” The arbitration panel had ruled that Moscow seized control of Yukos in 2003 by hammering the company with massive tax claims .
The move was seen as an attempt to silence Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky , a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin .
The 2014 arbitration ruling said that Russia was not acting in good faith when it levied the massive claims against Yukos , even though some of the company ’ s tax arrangements might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a full assault on Yukos and its beneficial owners in order to bankrupt Yukos and appropriate its assets while , at the same time , removing Mr. Khodorkovsky from the political arena , ” the arbitrators said .
Khodorkovsky was arrested at gunpoint as he boarded a plane in Siberia in 2003 and spent more than a decade in prison as Yukos ’ main assets were sold to a state-owned company .
Yukos ultimately went bankrupt .
The Russian Justice Ministry said the Hague appeals court “ ignored the fact that ex-shareholders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investors , ” noting that “ they had won control of the company assets through unlawful actions , including collusion and bribing officials.
” The ministry also emphasized that Tuesday ’ s ruling contradicted the 2011 verdict of the European Court for Human Rights , which rejected allegations that the case against Yukos was politically driven .
“ The Russian Federation will continue to defend its legitimate interests and will appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court of the Netherlands , ” the ministry said .
Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this @ @


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Major trial of govt opponents speeds toward end in Turkey

ISTANBUL - The trial of 16 leading members of Turkish civil society , seen by critics as a momentous bid by the government to crack down on opposition voices and criminalize mass anti-government protests , moved toward a hasty conclusion Tuesday .
The defendants , among them jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala , are on trial for attempting or aiding in an attempt to overthrow the government in the Gezi Park protests in 2013 .
Those began as a demonstration to protect a small park in central Istanbul from being redeveloped as an Ottoman-style shopping mall but grew into a wider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tayyip Erdogan , who was the prime minister and is now Turkey ’ s president .
The trial was taking place Tuesday in a courthouse near the Silivri maximum security prison campus , on the outskirts of Istanbul .
Rights groups , lawmakers and hundreds of supporters arrived to observe the trial .
Many burst into applause when Kavala entered the courtroom .
The prosecutor is seeking a sentence of life in solitary confinement without parole for Kavala , architect Mucella Yapici and Yigit Aksakoglu , who works on early childhood development and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They reject the accusation that they tried to overthrow the government and say the protests were an exercise of democratic rights .
Yapici , who is a member of Taksim Solidarity , a platform working for the area ’ s urban issues , has already been tried for her involvement in the protests on other charges and was acquitted in 2015 .
Observers have interpreted the prosecutor ’ s final sentencing judgment , delivered earlier this month seeking harsh penalties , as a sign that the trial will be put on the fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmaker , told The Associated Press he believes the court could deliver a verdict soon in order to bypass a European Court of Human Rights ruling to immediately release Kavala .
“ They are trying to reach a verdict without hearing the defence and without gathering evidence , ” he said .
Defence lawyers say their witnesses have yet to be heard and that the evidence has not been adequately presented .
The prosecutor asked that demands to hear the witnesses on Tuesday be rejected .
The court agreed .
The prosecutor is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison for six other defendants , among them filmmakers , a lawyer and an urban planner , for aiding an attempted overthrow .
The remaining seven defendants , who are abroad , should be separately tried , the prosecutor said .
All 16 are accused of “ terror crimes.
” Kavala is the sole defendant still jailed , arrested four years after the protests and in pretrial detention for 840 days .
In the December ruling , the Strasbourg-court said that Kavala ’ s right to liberty was violated by a lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention served “ the ulterior purpose of reducing him to silence ” with a “ chilling effect on civil society.
” The 63-year-old is a businessperson and the founder of a non-profit institution that focuses on cultural and artistic projects for peace and dialogue called Anadolu Kultur .
Kavala has maintained that he took part in peaceful activities to defend the environment and the park , which is near his office , and rejects the accusation that he organized and financed the protests .
The prosecution argues the group acted under the directives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests , saying the events escalated through social media .
“ The goal was to ignite the fuse of violence through marginal groups and terror organizations , create chaos , and so that is what happened , ” the prosecutor wrote .
He cited phone calls between the defendants , civil society events that some attended abroad , meetings , a play and Twitter hashtags as evidence .
The 657-page indictment from March 2019 also alleges that billionaire U.S. philanthropist George Soros , who is at the heart of many conspiracy theories in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Gezi insurrection ” with links to Kavala , but he is not listed among the suspects .
President Erdogan has called Kavala the “ Red Soros , ” saying he funded “ terrorists ” in the protests .
“ The prosecution ’ s arguments have relied on conspiracy theories , not evidence , ” said David Diaz-Jogeix of freedom of expression organization Article 19 , echoing a major argument by the defence lawyers , who say the indictment lacks inculpatory evidence .
“ Along with numerous irregularities in the court proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair trial.
” The defence lawyers have questioned the independence of the court , amid accusations of legal misconduct .
In the last hearing in January , dozens of lawyers walked out in protest after the committee of three judges refused to recuse itself .
The lawyers ’ demand for the recusal came after the judges heard testimony of a key witness twice , without the presence of the defence team , which they say was unlawful .
An estimated 3.6 million people joined the Gezi Park protests , according to government estimates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used tear gas and water cannons to disperse mostly peaceful protesters and have been criticized for excessive force .
The Turkish Bar Association puts the number of killed in the unrest at 15 , including a police officer , but the prosecutor ’ s indictment against the defendants says five were killed .
The discrepancy stems from the inclusion of heart attacks and cerebral hemorrhages thought to be caused by pepper spray , as well as those killed in other protests during the same period .
“ The millions who took to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being judged , ” Yapici , the architect on trial , said at a news conference last week .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Japan says 88 more virus cases confirmed on quarantined ship

TOKYO - Japanese health authorities said Tuesday they have confirmed 88 more cases of the new virus on a quarantined @ @ @ @ @ The new cases bring the total on the Diamond Princess to 542 .
The number @ @ @ @ @ outside China .
The Japanese government has repeatedly defended the effectiveness of the quarantine and @ @ @ @ @ ship became a virus incubator instead of a quarantine facility .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Iran sentences alleged US spies to up to 10 years in prison

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran sentenced eight environmental activists , including an Iranian who reportedly also has British and American citizenship , to prison sentences ranging from four to 10 years on charges of spying for the United States and acting against Iran ’ s national security , the judiciary said Tuesday .
According to the judiciary spokesman , Gholamhossein Esmaili , an appeals court issued the final verdicts .
Two of the activists , Morad Tahbaz and Niloufar Bayani , got 10 years each and were ordered to return the money they allegedly received from the U.S. government for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who also holds U.S. and British citizenship .
Iran does not recognize dual or multiple nationalities , meaning Iranians it detains can not receive consular assistance from their other countries .
In most cases , dual nationals have faced secret charges in closed-door hearings before Iran ’ s Revolutionary Court , which handles cases involving alleged attempts to overthrow the government .
Esmaili , the judiciary spokesman , said two other activists , Houman Jokar and Taher Ghadirian , each got eight-year sentences for allegedly “ collaborating with the hostile government of America.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sam Rajabi , Sepideh Kashan Doust and Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi , were sentenced to six years in prison each .
The eighth activist , Abdolreza Kouhpayeh , got four years .
All the activists were arrested in early 2018 .
A ninth activist who was arrested at the time , Kavous Seyed Emami , an Iranian-Canadian naional , died while in custody under disputed circumstances in February 2018 .
His widow then was blocked from flying out of Iran , but later made it out .
Iran is also holding others with ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a British-Iranian woman sentenced to five years on allegations of planning the “ soft toppling ” of Iran ’ s government while travelling in Iran with her young daughter .
Iranian businessman Siamak Namazi and his 81-year-old father Baquer , a former UNICEF representative who served as governor of Iran ’ s oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah , both are serving 10-year prison sentences on espionage charges .
Iranian-American Robin Shahini was released on bail in 2017 after staging a hunger strike while serving an 18-year prison sentence for “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has since returned to America and is now suing Iran in U.S. federal court .
Former FBI agent Robert Levinson , who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission , remains missing .
Earlier this month , Iran ’ s supreme court confirmed the death penalty for Amir Rahimpour , who was convicted of spying for the C.I.A .
Iranian state media have alleged that he had shared details of the Islamic Republic ’ s nuclear program with the American spy agency .
Esmaili said at the time that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has in the past has sentenced alleged American and Israeli spies to death .
The last such spy executed was Shahram Amiri , who defected to the U.S. at the height of Western efforts to thwart Iran ’ s nuclear program .
When he returned in 2010 , he was welcomed with flowers by government leaders and even went on the Iranian talk-show circuit .
Then he mysteriously disappeared .
He was hanged in August 2016 , the same week that Tehran executed a group of militants and a year after Iran agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions .
Tensions remain high between Iran and the U.S. since President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran ’ s nuclear deal .
A U.S. drone strike in January killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad , prompting Tehran to retaliate with a ballistic missile strike on Iraqi bases housing American troops .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Alaska House subcommittee advances plan to restore ferries

JUNEAU , Alaska - Alaska state House lawmakers took a first step to bolster funding to the Alaska Marine Highway System in an attempt to restore ferry service to stranded communities .
Theproposedbudget authorization totalled $ 18.7 million in spending authority with projected revenues from ticket sales .
The budget amendment will need approval by both the state House and Senate and the signature of Republican Gov .
Mike Dunleavy .
“ The intent is to provide basic minimal service to coastal communities in Alaska by the marine highway system , ” Republican Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ year produced bare bones ferry schedules that left some communities without winter service .
Reduced funding for maintenance also forced the state to rely on just one mainline ferry to provide regional service .
That ship , the Matanuska , broke down last month .
With the Matanuska off line , all service has been suspended until March , with the exception of a small ferry that shuttles between Ketchikan and Metlakatla .
Hundreds of people rallied across the state last week for fully funded ferries as some coastal communities face shortages of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of service .
Dunleavy also proposed $ 12 million in supplemental funding in the current year ’ s budget .
The money would pay for existing operations and overhaul work , but would not expand service .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Florida woman in fraud case among those with Trump clemency

ORLANDO , Fla. - A Florida woman convicted in a $ 205 million Medicare fraud scheme is among the 11 federal inmates around the nation on whose behalf President Donald Trump has taken clemency actions .
Her husband , Hector Negron , sat his two teenage sons next to him and told them the news .
He recounted to The Associated Press that he told his sons : “ ’ I got the best news in the world right now .
Mommy is coming home.
’ “ “ I ’ m just thankful to Trump for giving me my life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Florida .
“ I ’ m indebted to him for the rest of my life because he gave me my family back.
” Judith Negron had been eight years into a 35-year sentence at a federal prison in central Florida .
Her family said they were waiting to hear when she would be released from the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex .
She was convicted in 2011 on 24 counts of conspiracy , health care fraud and money laundering , among other charges .
Federal prosecutors said she and two co-defendants conducted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Florida .
Authorities said they paid bribes and kickbacks to owners and operators of assisted living facilities and halfway houses , as well as patient brokers , in exchange for delivering ineligible patients to their mental health facility .
A federal judge ordered Negron and her co-defendants to pay $ 87 million in restitution .
The two other co-defendants were sentenced , respectively , to 35 years and 50 years in prison in what the FBI described in a news release as “ the three longest prison sentences ever imposed in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Negron said a clemency advocate put his wife ’ s case on the president ’ s radar .
He was notified about Trump ’ s decision by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi , who now works in the White House .
Yamila Cruz Estrada screamed and cried at the same time when she found out her sister was coming home .
“ We are just filled with happiness and gratitude .
We had hoped this moment would come , but we didn ’ t know when , “ Cruz said .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow inmates who had children and she will likely want to carry on that work once she is released , Cruz said .
Cruz described family members as still in shock from news .
“ We are so thankful for everyone who has helped us but particularly to President Trump , “ Cruz said .
“ He read our letters and answered our prayers .
He will never know how much he has impacted us .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Immigration agency subpoenas Oregon county over 2 inmates

PORTLAND , Ore. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoenaed a sheriff ’ s office in the suburbs of Portland , Oregon , on Tuesday for information about two Mexican citizens wanted for deportation , a move that is part of a broader escalation of the conflict between federal officials and local government agencies over so-called sanctuary policies .
ICE , the Homeland Security agency responsible for arresting and deporting people in the U.S. illegally , served the Washington County Sheriff ’ s Office in Hillsboro , Oregon with the subpoenas in an attempt to get more information about two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been released from custody , said ICE spokeswoman Tanya Roman .
Deputy Shannon Wilde , a spokeswoman with the sheriff ’ s office , said Tuesday that her agency was preparing a statement and had no immediate comment .
Oregon ’ s 1987 sanctuary state law , the nation ’ s first , prevents law enforcement from detaining people who are in the U.S. illegally but have not broken any other law .
Authorities in the state won ’ t hold in custody those who committed crimes and have finished their sentences to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unless they have a warrant signed by a judge .
A U.S. judge ruled in August that the Trump administration can not withhold millions of dollars in law enforcement grants from Oregon to force the state to co-operate with U.S. immigration enforcement .
Since January , ICE has issued similar immigration subpoenas in California , Denver , Connecticut and New York .
Tuesday ’ s subpoenas were the first issuedd in Oregon .
The action means the agency could ask a federal judge to order Washington County to comply and hold it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t .
It was unclear what options were available to the sheriff ’ s office , which is subject to the state ’ s sanctuary law .
The subpoenas relate to two separate cases , both involving Mexican nationals , Roman said .
The first person , a 39-year-old man , was sentenced to more than six years in an Oregon prison for sexual abuse .
He was transferred to the Washington County Jail last month and ICE filed an immigration detainer asking the jail to hold him .
Roman said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child in sexual conduct , sexual abuse and sodomy .
The agency did not provide the man ’ s name .
The second person , a 44-year-old man , was released from the Washington County Jail late last year after serving a sentence for driving under the influence of intoxicants .
Hillsboro , Oregon , the Washington County seat , is about 20 miles ( 32 kilometres ) west of Portland .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--McConnell takes aim at Democratic presidential candidates

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that health insurance proposals from the Democratic candidates for president would hurt business owners .
During a speech in Louisville at a conference for the Distilled Spirits Council , McConnell said he ’ s “ never seen a Democratic party like we ’ re confronted with today.
” He said even the centrist Democrat candidates who propose a public option for health insurance over Medicare for all are supporting government-based insurance .
“ If they make any effort to pay for all this free stuff that they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re coming after you , “ McConnell said to a room full of liquor industry leaders .
“ They ’ re coming after every successful business and every successful person in this country.
” McConnell said he is “ hoping “ the Senate will remain Republican after the November election .
“ If the worst were to happen , if the president were not re-elected and the House were not to become Republican , we ( the Senate ) would be the firewall.
” McConnell said that any public option or Medicare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate .
“ If I ’ m still Majority Leader of the Senate , none of this stuff is going to pass , ” McConnell said .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Murkowski says she’s not focused on presidential race

JUNEAU , Alaska - President Donald Trump has had policies that are good for the country and have helped Alaska , U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Tuesday , but she did not say if she would support his reelection bid .
Murkowski , a Republican , told reporters in Alaska ’ s capital city she planned to focus on issues important to the state , not on “ what ’ s coming up in November.
” In 2016 , Murkowski said Trump had “ forfeited the right to be our party ’ s nominee “ after a 2005 video surfaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since his election , the two have been on the same side of a number of issues , such as opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling , but Murkowski said she hasn ’ t hesitated to call him out when she thinks he ’ s wrong or has said something she considers “ over the top.
” In her first conversation with Trump after his election , she said she expressed a desire to find ways to work together .
She said she told him , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , well , I want to do good things for the state of Alaska , so let ’ s figure out how we ’ re going to make that happen.
” During Trump ’ s recent Senate impeachment trial , Murkowski , who is viewed as a moderate , was closely watched .
She called Trump ’ s behaviour in his dealings with Ukraine “ shameful ” but said the impeachment investigation suffered from what she saw as a rushed process in the House and partisanship in the Senate .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking to Alaska lawmakers Tuesday , Murkowski said she was worn down after “ perhaps the darkest , most deeply partisan experience of my career.
” She expressed concern with overreach by the executive branch but said it ’ s a recurring issue and not just a criticism of Trump ’ s administration .
She said Congress must assert itself as a co-equal branch of government .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Bloomberg to go face to face against rivals after ad blitz

WASHINGTON - For Mike Bloomberg , the one-way conversation with Democratic voters is about to end .
By spending more than $ 400 million of his own money and largely bypassing his opponents by skipping the early primary states , Bloomberg has rocketed to double-digit support in enough national polls to qualify for Wednesday night ’ s Nevada debate .
But as Bloomberg ’ s support has risen , so has the criticism from his Democratic foes as well as the broader scrutiny of his past comments and record as New York City mayor .
As he faces his rivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve made it clear they ’ re eager to take him on .
On Tuesday , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren offered a preview of one line of attack the billionaire can expect face to face .
“ It ’ s a shame Mike Bloomberg can buy his way into the debate , “ she tweeted , “ but at least now primary voters curious about how each candidate will take on Donald Trump can get a live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire.
” It will be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a decade .
And the first time in this campaign that Bloomberg will have to answer before a national audience for racial and sexist comments he ’ s made in the past .
Mark Green , the former New York City public advocate who ran against Bloomberg for mayor in 2001 , says that could be tough .
“ His insulting , wise-guyish comments on race and women and justice will not be easy to parry if the moderator or rival frames the questions correctly , ” he said .
A new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 19 % support nationally in the Democratic nominating contest , a striking figure for a candidate who has joined no debates and competed in no primaries .
The former New York City mayor , who launched his presidential campaign in November , will appear in Las Vegas alongside former Vice-President Joe Biden , Sens .
Warren , Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Fellow billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is still hoping to qualify .
While Bloomberg is appearing on the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not participating in Saturday ’ s state caucus .
He ’ s skipping the first four voting states — Iowa , New Hampshire , Nevada and South Carolina — in favour of focusing on the multitude of states that vote March 3 , Super Tuesday .
Trying to keep expectations in check , aides have repeatedly noted in recent days that Bloomberg ’ s rivals have had multiple debates to hone their skills and talking points .
On the campaign trail , he ’ s still using a teleprompter to deliver his short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions directly from voters .
His aides have also emphasized that the former mayor is expecting fire from all angles , particularly on his status as a billionaire self-funding his campaign and on the “ stop-and-frisk ” police practice he employed in New York .
But Tim O ’ Brien , a senior adviser to the campaign , said the debate will be a chance to showcase Bloomberg ’ s focus and claims to deliver on key Democratic issues , like climate change and gun control .
“ The debate ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is a deeply compassionate and principled man who isn ’ t just a rich guy on a vanity run , ” O ’ Brien said .
Bloomberg ’ s opponents have telegraphed an array of attacks .
Biden has gone after him on issues relating to race , noting his past comments suggesting ending racist mortgage-lending practices known as “ redlining ” contributed to the financial crisis , and that Bloomberg ’ s ads often feature Obama prominently , though the businessman has been a critic of Obama in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t want another billionaire in the White House and that her blue-collar background makes her a stronger candidate than the former mayor .
Buttigieg said that Bloomberg will have to answer for reports alleging he has a long history of sexist comments and behaviour in his business .
Warren and Sanders have perhaps been Bloomberg ’ s sharpest critics , as both see him as a useful foil to their populist campaign messages .
At a campaign rally this weekend , Sanders derided Bloomberg for skipping the early primary states and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd that the businessman is “ struggling , he ’ s down to his last $ 60 billion.
” But Bloomberg ’ s aides say he ’ s eager to take on Sanders , and they ’ ve characterized the race for the presidency as a three-way contest — between Bloomberg , Sanders and President Donald Trump .
O ’ Brien suggested Bloomberg will be doing more than just trying to withstand Sanders ’ fire .
“ I think you ’ re going to see us go toe-to-toe with Bernie Sanders on important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie ’ s a millionaire , Bernie ’ s got a troubled record on criminal justice , he supported the 1994 crime bill , ” O ’ Brien said .
He said Sanders has previously voted to give gun makers immunity from lawsuits .
Sanders has since changed his position .
Bloomberg ’ s other big challenge could be maintaining his cool on the debate stage amid what ’ s certain to be a volley of attacks from rivals and tough questions from the moderators .
The former mayor has a history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and is known for his unfiltered comments behind closed doors .
To prepare him , aides have been holding mock debates with Bloomberg in a warehouse office in downtown New York , with some of his top communications advisers playing his opponents .
Senior advisers Howard Wolfson and Marcia Hale are playing Sanders and Klobuchar respectively , while Marc LaVorgna and Julie Wood , two longtime mayoral aides who now serve as campaign spokespeople , are playing Buttigieg and Warren .
Bradley Tusk , who served as Bloomberg ’ s campaign manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prep .
Green , his former mayoral opponent , said that when he debated Bloomberg the former mayor “ was then what he really is now : apparently calm , confident , competent and able to memorize enough of an answer that he ’ ll get by , ” With expectations low , said Green , no Bloomberg booster , the average voter “ will probably say ‘ well , he was OK. ’ “ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground @ @ @

Alexandra Jaffe And Kathleen Ronayne - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Trial begins in lawsuit over missing woman’s murdered sons

TACOMA , Wash. - A final chapter in the horrific saga of a Utah woman who vanished about a decade ago and the killings of her young sons in a fiery attack by their father years later began Tuesday with opening statements in a lawsuit against Washington state over the boys ’ deaths .
Josh Powell was suspected in the 2009 disappearance of his wife , Susan Cox Powell , when he killed the boys , 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden , in 2012 .
A Washington state caseworker had brought them to his home for a supervised visit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the boys with a hatchet , poured gasoline on them , and killed them and himself in an explosive house fire .
Susan Powell ’ s parents , Chuck and Judy Cox , of Puyallup , Washington , sued the state Department of Social and Health Services , alleging that its negligence helped contribute to the deaths of their grandsons by their father .
The lawsuit was thrown out in 2015 but was revived last year by the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
The trial , which began in Pierce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to last four weeks , KOMO-TV in Seattle reported .
Susan Powell was reported missing in December 2009 , when the family was living in West Valley City , Utah .
Josh Powell was never charged in his wife ’ s disappearance , claiming he had taken his sons on a middle-of-the-night camping trip in freezing temperatures .
Unsealed documents said authorities found Susan Powell ’ s blood on a floor next to a sofa that appeared to have been recently cleaned .
Investigators also found life insurance policies on Susan Powell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paperwork to withdraw her retirement account money about 10 days after her disappearance .
Her body has never been found .
Josh Powell moved to Washington state with the two boys but battled with his wife ’ s parents over custody of the children .
A state judge allowed him to have supervised visits , during which he locked the social worker out and killed the children .
The Coxes ’ attorney , Anne Bremner , said the state Department of Social and Health Services should have known Josh Powell was a danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they witnessed what happened during the midnight camping trip .
“ The most important thing we ’ d like to see is a change , really , in the actions and policy of DSHS in that — don ’ t look at the reunification of the family at any cost .
Rather , look at the best interests of the child , ” Bremner said .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Woman seeking Trump’s DNA fights his effort to delay suit

NEW YORK - Lawyers for a woman who has accused President Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s told a court Tuesday he ’ s trying “ to stop the truth from ever coming out ” by attempting to delay her defamation lawsuit and her effort to get his DNA .
Trump ’ s attorneys have asked a court to put writer E. Jean Carroll ’ s defamation case on hold until New York ’ s highest court rules — in a different suit — on whether the incumbent president can be sued in state courts .
Trump denies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s suing him for saying she lied .
“ Trump , for his part , has done everything he can to stop the truth from ever coming out , ” Carroll ’ s lawyer , Roberta Kaplan , said Tuesday in court papers .
She argued there ’ s no justification for waiting months for a decision in the other suit , a somewhat similar defamation claim filed by former “ Apprentice ” contestant Summer Zervos .
A request for comment was sent to Trump ’ s lawyers .
Carroll was until recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the magazine ended her contract in December , according to court papers .
A message was left with a spokeswoman for Elle publisher Hearst Corp. Carroll has said many readers shied from seeking her advice after the president called her a liar .
Carroll alleged last year that Trump raped her in the 1990s after the two encountered each other in a Manhattan luxury department store and went into a dressing room , bantering about trying on a bodysuit .
Trump has said Carroll was “ totally lying ” to sell a book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ d never met her , although there ’ s a 1987 photo of the two and their then-spouses at a social event .
Trump said the picture just showed him standing in a line .
Carroll is seeking a DNA sample from Trump to see whether it matches unidentified male genetic material in skin cells on a dress that Carroll says she wore during the alleged rape , hasn ’ t laundered and has never donned again , except for a photo shoot last year .
He is also fighting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurateur who appeared on his former reality show “ The Apprentice “ in 2006 .
A decade later , she accused him of subjecting her to unwanted kissing and groping when she sought career advice on two occasions in 2007 .
Her lawsuit says Trump defamed her by calling her a liar .
Appeals judges last month put Zervos ’ case on hold until the state ’ s highest court , called the Court of Appeals , rules on Trump ’ s argument that presidents aren ’ t subject to state court lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s and Zervos ’ s suits seek damages and retractions of Trump ’ s statements about them .
Zervos also wants an apology .
The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Ultimate choice: Tennessee inmates wrestle with how to die

NASHVILLE - After more than three decades on death row , Don Johnson weighed the options for his own demise : He could keep a promise to his daughter that he wouldn ’ t die in the electric chair .
Or , he could opt for the chair and avoid a method that he had heard might make him feel like he was being buried alive .
Last May , Johnson was strapped to a gurney and hooked up to an IV .
He said a prayer and started singing as toxic drugs flowed into his body .
Then came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Finally , after a high-pitched noise , he fell silent .
Johnson , who was convicted of suffocating his wife , was put to death by lethal injection , a method adopted by most states after the electric chair began losing public favour .
However , the three-drug combination used by Tennessee and some other states has come under attack by attorneys for death row inmates who say it can cause intense suffering .
Most states have gotten rid of the electric chair , meaning the only option for most inmates across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not the case in Tennessee , one of nine states that still allow electrocution , and one of six that allow inmates to choose which way they will die , according to the national Death Penalty Information Center .
In Tennessee , 38 of the state ’ s 53 death row inmates — those whose crimes predated Jan. 1 , 1999 — not only will ultimately be told when they are going to die , but also will have a hand in picking the method of their execution .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of years telling them that they are going to be killed and making them choose one of two ways , “ noted Joe Ingle , a United Church of Christ minister in Nashville who has spent years ministering to death row inmates .
Inmates ’ attorneys have argued that both lethal injection and electrocution are forms of punishment that violate the Constitution ’ s ban on cruel and unusual punishment .
So the choice for inmates is a nearly impossible one .
“ They know one is going to knock them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a talent booking agent who has been protesting the death penalty in Tennessee and has visited the state ’ s death row several times a month for nine years .
” The other one , they may just suffer.
” Since Tennessee resumed executions in August 2018 — a pace topped only by Texas — 5 of 7 inmates have chosen the electric chair .
The fifth is Nicholas Sutton , scheduled to die on Feb. 20 for the 1985 murder of a fellow inmate .
Other than Tennessee , the last state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in 2013 .
“ We know that electrocutions have failed .
We know that flames could erupt at any moment , “ Henry said .
” We know that the organs are burned .
...
But is it better to experience one to five minutes of an electrocution than a potential 15-to-20-minute lethal injection ?
Who can know ?
” Complicating the situation , Henry said , is that if inmates speak out publicly about the decision they face , “ it could be misconstrued as exercising a choice and thus a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are unquestionably torturous forms of execution.
“ Victims advocates and the family members of those who died at the hands of condemned inmates have little sympathy .
The inmates ’ difficult choice , they say , is nothing compared to the pain and suffering their victims experienced .
Lee Hall was sentenced to death for the 1991 murder of Traci Crozier .
Hall “ executed her and she had no choice , ” Crozier ’ s sister Staci Wooten told a reporter ahead of the inmate ’ s execution by electrocution on Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inmates have questioned how effectively the state Department of Correction has kept inmates informed about the daunting choices confronting them .
The three drugs used for lethal execution in Tennessee are midazolam , a sedative ; vecuronium bromide , a paralytic ; and potassium chloride , which stops the heart .
Officials have said midazolam renders an inmate unconscious and unable to feel pain .
But during a legal challenge to the protocol , expert witnesses for inmates testified in July 2018 that midazolam wouldn ’ t prevent inmates from feeling pain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ combination would cause sensations of drowning , suffocation and chemical burning while rendering them unable to move or call out .
In now public court documents , Henry contended that Sutton and Tennessee inmates executed by electrocution were not informed about a problem with the final drug , potassium chloride , which Henry likened to “ injecting rocks into the veins.
” A heavily redacted email from the state Department of Correction that was included in Henry ’ s court filing showed the problem arose several months after Johnson ’ s execution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ batch of drugs was tainted , and if the issue has been since addressed .
A separate email from November said Tennessee was having a “ difficult time ” obtaining the paralytic drug , vecuronium bromide .
The state has not said whether that problem was resolved .
It took a change of heart for Johnson to pick lethal injection .
Several years before his 2019 execution date , he had quietly selected the electric chair after determining it was the more expedient and humane option , according to his spiritual adviser , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconciling with his daughter , Cynthia Vaughn , who had previously declared she wanted “ the freak to burn ” but later said she could not bear the risk of a botched electrocution .
“ For him the choice was one last act of love , “ Henry said .
” Should I have talked him out of it ?
I don ’ t know.
” Dysinger said Johnson hoped dying by lethal injection would help answer some of the questions about the drugs used to kill inmates .
“ He was willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could somehow make it better for those on death row , ” Dysinger said .

Jonathan Mattise And Kimberlee Kruesi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Trump commutes former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich’s sentence

CHICAGO - President Donald Trump on Tuesday commuted the 14-year prison sentence handed out to Rod Blagojevich for political corruption , saying the former Illinois governor was a victim of the same prosecutorial overreach that Trump claims targeted him and clearing the way for Blagojevich ’ s release after more than eight years behind bars .
The Republican president said the punishment imposed on the Chicago Democrat and one-time contestant on Trump ’ s reality TV show “ Celebrity Apprentice ” was excessive .
“ So he ’ ll be able to go back home with his family , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That was a tremendously powerful , ridiculous sentence in my opinion and in the opinion of many others.
” Blagojevich , who hails from a state with a long history of pay-to-play schemes , was expected to walk out of prison soon , but there was no official word on when he would be freed .
Such releases can sometimes take 24 hours .
The 63-year-old was convicted in 2011 of crimes that included seeking to sell an appointment to Barack Obama ’ s old Senate seat and trying to shake down a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said repeatedly in recent years that he was considering taking executive action in Blagojevich ’ s case , only to back away from the idea .
One of Blagojevich lawyers said she refused to believe it at first when word of her client ’ s possible release began to spread , fearing that the president might not follow through .
“ When it became obvious it was real , I got tears in my eyes , “ said Lauren Kaesberg .
“ It was overwhelming.
” Others in Illinois , including the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake .
Trump “ has abused his pardon power in inexplicable ways to reward his friends and condone corruption , and I deeply believe this pardon sends the wrong message at the wrong time , ” Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said in a written statement .
“ In a state where corrupt , machine-style politics is still all too common , it ’ s important that those found guilty serve their prison sentence in its entirety , “ said the the chairman of the Illinois GOP , Tim Schneider .
The White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the Rev .
Jesse Jackson , as supporting Blagojevich ’ s early release .
More than 100 of his fellow inmates also sent in letters of support .
Trump made clear that he saw similarities between efforts to investigate his own conduct and those who took down Blagojevich .
“ It was a prosecution by the same people — Comey , Fitzpatrick , the same group , “ Trump said .
He was referring to Patrick Fitzgerald , the former U.S. attorney who prosecuted Blagojevich and now represents former FBI Director James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency in May 2017 .
Trump also granted clemency to financier Michael Milken , who served two years in prison in the early 1990s after pleading guilty to violating U.S. securities laws , and pardoned former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik , who served just over three years for tax fraud and lying to the White House while being interviewed to be Homeland Security secretary .
The Illinois House in January 2009 voted 114-1 to impeach Blagojevich , and the state Senate voted unanimously to remove him , making him the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by lawmakers .
He entered prison in March 2012 .
After exhausting his last appeal in 2018 , Blagojevich seemed destined to remain behind bars until his projected 2024 release date .
His wife , Patti , went on a media blitz in 2018 to encourage Trump to step in , praising the president and likening the investigation of her husband to special prosecutor Robert Mueller ’ s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election — a probe Trump long characterized as a “ witch hunt.
” At Blagojevich ’ s home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deb Mell , emerged onto the porch after a rideshare driver arrived to deliver food .
She said the logistics of the former governor ’ s return were not complete and that Patti Blagojevich would not speak to reporters until her husband is home .
“ The kids are overjoyed and Patti ’ s ecstatic , ” Mell said .
Blagojevich ’ s conviction was notable , even in a state where four of the last 10 governors have gone to prison for corruption .
Judge James Zagel — who sentenced Blagojevich to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois politician — said when a governor “ goes bad , the fabric of Illinois is torn and disfigured.
“ After his Dec. 9 , 2008 , arrest while still governor , Blagojevich became known for his foul-mouthed rants on wiretaps .
On the most notorious recording , he gushed about profiting by naming someone to the seat Obama vacated to become president : “ I ’ ve got this thing and it ’ s f -- -- -- golden .
And I ’ m just not giving it up for f -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broached the idea in May 2018 of intervening to free Blagojevich , he downplayed the former governor ’ s crimes .
He said Blagojevich was convicted for “ being stupid , saying things that every other politician , you know , that many other politicians say.
” He said Blagojevich ’ s sentence was too harsh .
Prosecutors have balked at the notion long promoted by Blagojevich that he engaged in common political horse-trading and was a victim of an overzealous U.S. attorney .
After Blagojevich ’ s arrest , Fitzgerald said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption crime spree ” that would make Abraham Lincoln turn over in his grave .
A joint statement from Fitzgerald and the lead prosecutors at Blagojevich ’ s trial , none of whom work in the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Chicago anymore , stopped short of criticizing Trump ’ s decision .
But they highlighted the convictions , including for trying to shake down the children ’ s hospital , saying , “ Mr .
Blagojevich remains a felon.
“ Mueller — a subject of Trump ’ s derision — was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fitzgerald is now a private attorney for Comey , whom Trump dismissed from the agency in May 2017 .
Trump expressed some sympathy for Blagojevich when he appeared on “ Celebrity Apprentice ” in 2010 , before his first corruption trial started .
When Trump “ fired ” Blagojevich as a contestant , he praised him for how he was fighting his criminal case , telling him , “ You have a hell of a lot of guts.
” He later poll-tested the matter , asking for a show of hands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 fundraiser at his Chicago hotel .
Most of the 200 to 300 attendees raised their hands , The Wall Street Journal reported , citing several people at the event .
On the same day , Trump told Chicago television station WLS that Blagojevich should not abandon hope of an early release .
“ No , he should not at all give up hope , at all , ” Trump said .
“ We are looking at it.
” Blagojevich ’ s first trial ended with the jury unable to reach a verdict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for lying to the FBI .
At his second trial in 2011 , Blagojevich testified , describing himself as a flawed dreamer grounded in his parents ’ working-class values .
He sought to humanize himself to counteract the seemingly greedy governor heard on wiretap recordings played in court .
He said the hours of FBI recordings were the ramblings of a politician who liked to think out loud .
He was convicted on 18 counts .
The 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago in 2015 tossed out five of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered to appoint someone to a high-paying job in the Senate .
The appeals court ordered the trial judge to resentence Blagojevich but suggested it would be appropriate to hand him the same sentence , given the gravity of the crimes .
Blagojevich appeared via live video from prison during the 2016 resentencing and asked for leniency .
The judge gave him the same 14-year term , saying it was below federal guidelines when he imposed it the first time .
Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at https : //twitter.com/mtarm .
Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Follow the AP ’ s coverage of the Rod Blagojevich case : https : //www.apnews.com/RodBlagojevich .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--He fled Syria - but was shot delivering pizzas in Baltimore

BALTIMORE - A family friend of a pizza delivery driver who was recently gunned down in Baltimore says he had fled war-torn Syria to seek a better life .
The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday that the killing of Khaled Heeba remains unsolved nearly two weeks after he died .
His death is one of more than 40 homicides the city has seen so far this year .
A family friend said Heeba escaped Syria ’ s civil war with his parents in 2016 .
He delivered pizzas to help support himself and his parents .
The family quickly acclimated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was on his last delivery route of the night before he was shot in the chest on a sidewalk .
“ He left his own country because it was a war-zone in Syria , just for him to end up getting murdered here , ” Theresa Birmingham , a co-worker , told the Sun , “ He was just really a sweet guy.
“ This article has been corrected to show that the family friend is not Heeba ’ s sister .
The story also no longer identifies the friend as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Brazil oil workers clash with Petrobras in 18-day strike

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian oil workers and oil giant Petrobras are locked in a power struggle over plans to shift focus away from non-core assets , with a federation of unions saying on Tuesday that thousands of employees are on strike indefinitely .
Roughly one thousand people gathered outside the headquarters of state-controlled Petrobras in Rio de Janeiro , waving flags and protesting against recent layoffs at a fertilizer factory in the state of Parana .
“ This will have an impact economically , in taxes , all sectors , ” Oséias da Costa a 35-year-old worker from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an interview .
“ This is a strike demanding the rights of Fafen workers and all the nation ’ s oil workers , because of all the problems in Petrobras ’ administrative area.
” Leftist political groups , including the Workers ’ Party , have also expressed their support for the strike , and their opposition to plans for privatization of company assets .
President Jair Bolsonaro appointed Roberto Castello Branco , a pro-market reformer , as Petrobras ’ chief executive , who with Economy Minister Paulo Guedes has advocated in favour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assets .
Petrobras says the fertilizer facility has been losing money and that shuttering it is a business decision , while oil workers have seized on the plan as a harbinger of coming hardship from the company prioritizing more profitable activities related to oil production .
The Unified Federation of Oil Workers said 21,000 employees in 13 states have joined the strike since it kicked off on Feb. 1 — about 60 per cent of the company ’ s workforce .
The Fafen facility employs about 1,000 people .
Petrobras , contacted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those numbers .
The company has been able to maintain oil and gas production levels and meet fuel demand across the country by bringing in temporary workers on emergency contracts that often involve longer shifts .
The federation says 36 of Petrobras ’ 39 offshore platforms in the Rio de Janeiro region , as well as several refineries across the country , are now run by such contingency teams .
The movement suffered a blow Monday night , when Justice Ives Gandra of Brazil ’ s Superior Labor Court ruled that the strike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 115,000 a day if it continues .
The federation , which is comprised of 13 unions , said it will appeal the decision .
A similar ruling last year by Justice Gandra was overruled by other members of the court , the federationsaid in a statement Tuesday , calling for the extension of the 18-day strike .
Earlier this month , Gandra argued that the strike had turned “ abusive “ because unions did not comply with an order to guarantee that at least 90 per cent of the workforce would resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gandra authorized Petrobras to contract emergency workers and avoid drops in production .
Analysts said the question remains how long that can last .
“ I don ’ t see any fuel shortages .
Today we are able to bring in imported products , ” said Adriano Pires , director of a consulting firm , the Brazilian Center for Infrastructure .
“ If the strike goes on much longer , we could have a problem.
” So far , Petrobras has discussed plans to sell eight refineries that make up about half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as all logistical assets linked to those units .
“ Petrobras ’ new administration has a divestment plan in areas that are not viable .
The strike is an attempt to stop this process , ” Pires said .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Kansas federal judge reprimanded over harassment resigns

KANSAS CITY , Kan. - A federal judge in Kansas who was publicly reprimanded for sexually harassing female employees and having an extramarital affair with an offender resigned on Tuesday , saying he could no longer effectively serve on the court .
U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia , who was based in Kansas City , Kansas , said in his letter that his resignation will be effective April 1 .
“ In recent months , it has become clear that I can no longer effectively serve the Court in this capacity , ” Murguia wrote .
“ I therefore tender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profound apologies , out of respect for the federal judiciary , my colleagues , my community and — most importantly — my family.
” He was reprimanded in September by the Judicial Council for the 10th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals , which said in its order that female employees accused Murguia of making sexually suggestive remarks and sending inappropriate texts to female employees , as well as having “ excessive , non-work-related contact ” with them .
A reprimand is the most severe sanction available to the council , the order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affair with a habitual drug user who was on probation but was later sent back to prison left him susceptible to extortion , the council ’ s order said .
Murguia was also reprimanded for being habitually late to court proceedings and meetings .
He said he would stay until April 1 to help the transition of his administrative and case-related responsibilities .
Murguia was appointed to the federal court in 1999 by then-President Bill Clinton , a Democrat , after serving as a Kansas district court judge in Kansas City .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kansas .
The council ’ s order in September said no evidence existed that Murguia ’ s misconduct continued after he was notified of a complaint against him .
The Judicial Council interviewed 23 people after receiving a complaint against him .
But 10th Circuit Chief Judge Timothy Tymkovich wrote in the order that Murguia was “ less than candid ” and tended to admit to the allegations only when confronted with evidence .
“ His apologies appeared more tied to his regret that his actions were brought to light than an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the harm he caused to the individuals involved and the dignity of his office , ” Tymkovich wrote .
Earlier this month , the U.S. House Judiciary Committee , citing Murguia ’ s actions , said in a letter to the Judicial Council that Murguia ’ s behaviour exposed “ very troubling workplace behaviour by an active judge that was never reported.
” The letter said the Council had not said how it ensured a safe workplace or provided support for Murguia ’ s co-workers and other employees .
The committee also asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why they didn ’ t feel comfortable filing a complaint against Murguia and whether other judges in Kansas were aware of his behaviour .
The committee requested a response by Thursday .
Last week , a former law clerk testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee ’ s panel on the courts about being sexually harassed while she worked for federal judge Stephen Reinhardt , who has since died .
The hearing was held to determine if a new system for reporting misconduct in the judiciary is adequate .
Last year , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges and judicial employees to more clearly define inappropriate workplace behaviour , including sexual harassment .
The revisions require judges and judiciary employees to report misconduct and said retaliating against anyone who reports misconduct is unacceptable .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Nebraska denies pardon for notorious killer’s ex-girlfriend

LINCOLN , Neb .
- Nebraska ’ s pardons board refused Tuesday to pardon the murder conviction of the ex-girlfriend of Charles Starkweather , the infamous killer who went on a rampage in the 1950s that was later immortalized in movies , books and two hit songs .
The board voted 3-0 to deny the application from Caril Ann Fugate , even though some relatives of Starkweather ’ s victims lobbied in her favour .
The board is composed of Nebraska Gov .
Pete Ricketts , Attorney General Doug Peterson and Secretary of State Bob Evnen , all Republicans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 , went on a killing spree in 1957-58 that left 11 people dead in Nebraska and Wyoming , including her mother , stepfather and baby half-sister .
The murders stoked so much fear around Lincoln that law enforcement conducted a house-by-house search of the city and the governor contacted the Nebraska National Guard .
It also formed a loose basis for the 1973 movie “ Badlands , ” with Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen , as well as other films .
The killings were the subject of Bruce Springsteen ’ s song @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Billy Joel ’ s “ We Didn ’ t Start the Fire.
” Fugate spent 17 years in prison on a murder conviction before she was paroled in 1976 .
She has since married and lives in Michigan under the name Caril Ann Clair .
Starkweather was executed in 1959 at the age of 20 .
Fugate , now 76 , wrote in her pardon application that the perception that she willingly joined Starkweather on a murder spree is “ too much for me to bear anymore.
” “ Receiving a pardon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she wrote .
After the vote , Peterson said he denied the application because the purpose of the pardons board is to restore a felon ’ s rights , and Fugate ’ s request was “ much , much broader ” than what board members could offer .
“ That ’ s not the role of the pardons board , “ he said .
But the vote infuriated some of Fugate ’ s allies , who were denied a chance to testify .
Fugate applied for a pardon once before , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , she had an unusual ally — the granddaughter of two of Starkweather ’ s victims .
Liza Ward , of Duxbury , Massachusetts , said she became convinced that Fugate was innocent after researching the case and visiting all the sites where people were killed .
Ward is the granddaughter of S. Lauer and Clara Ward , who were killed in their Lincoln home in December 1958 .
“ There are a lot of people who support her , and we ’ re going to let her know that however we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the board ’ s vote .
She said she started investigating the case to discover what had happened to her grandparents , and “ the more I learned , the more I realized that something wasn ’ t right.
” Fugate ’ s attorney , John S. Berry Sr. , said his client sought clemency to bring her some closure in the case .
“ She ’ s not after anything else other than to clear her name , ” said Berry , who also co-wrote a book arguing that Fugate ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Dave Ellis , a relative of another victim , said he was pleased with the board ’ s decision .
Ellis said he believes Fugate killed his first cousin once removed , Carol King , because King ’ s body was partially mutilated after Starkweather raped her .
Ellis said he thinks Fugate mutilated her out of “ female rage.
” Ward said she could find no evidence of Fugate ’ s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and noted that Starkweather was the prosecution ’ s main witness against her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple times and was likely angry because Fugate had told him she never wanted to see him again .
Ward said she believes Fugate was a victim of Starkweather ’ s and that the public ’ s perception of her guilt is based on misinformation and hearsay about the case .