thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Australians on SE coast urged to flee as fire risk escalates

TOMERONG , Australia - Residents in the path of wildfires razing southeast Australia were urged to evacuate on Thursday if they don ’ t intend to defend their homes as hot and windy conditions are forecast to escalate the danger over the next two days .
The Rural Fire Service in New South Wales state has told fire-weary community meetings south of Sydney in the coastal towns of Nowra , Narooma and Batemans Bay that northwesterly winds were likely to once again drive blazes toward the coast .
Vacationers have retreated to beaches and into the ocean in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choking smoke have encroached on the tourist towns , scorching sand dunes in some places .
In neighbouring Victoria state , fire-threatened populations were urged to act quickly on evacuation warnings .
“ We can ’ t guarantee your safety and we don ’ t want to be putting emergency services — whether it be volunteers or paid staff — we do not want to put them in harm ’ s way because people didn ’ t follow advice that was given , ” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said .
Temperatures in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mid-40s Celsius ( more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit ) on Friday , and conditions remained tinder dry .
“ If you can get out , you should get out , ” said Andrew Crisp , Victoria ’ s emergency management commissioner .
“ Because tomorrow is going to be a dangerous and dynamic day.
” The unprecedented fire crisis in southeast Australia that has claimed at least 26 lives since September , destroyed more than 2,000 homes and scorched an area twice the size of the U.S. state of Maryland has focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to climate change .
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has come under withering criticism both at home and abroad for downplaying the need for his government to address climate change , which experts say helps supercharge the blazes .
Last year was Australia ’ s hottest and driest on record .
The Bureau of Meteorology ’ s head of climate monitoring , Karl Braganza , said while the country ’ s rainfall was expected to pick up a bit , it wouldn ’ t be enough to snuff out the blazes anytime soon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at widespread , above-average rainfalls at this stage , ” he said .
“ That ’ s really what we need to put the fires out fairly quickly .
It is going to be a campaign , in terms of the fires .
We are not looking at a short and sharp end to the event — it looks like something that we will have to persist with for some time.
” Along a main roadway in southern New South Wales , forests of evergreen eucalyptus trees have taken on a ghostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blackened trunks .
The forests appear devoid of any wildlife .
Outside , it often smells like a campfire that has been recently snuffed out , and hazy waves of smoke drift past .
In many small towns , most homes appear untouched apart from one or two that have been razed to the ground , sometimes with only a chimney stack still standing .
People have hung signs and banners thanking the volunteer firefighters they call “ firies.
” There are cars that are nothing more than burned-out chassis and wooden power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not far from the communities , smoke can be seen rising from hills where the wildfires continue to rage .
Morrison has faced fierce backlash over what many Australians perceive as a slow , detached response to the wildfire crisis .
On Thursday , he found himself on the defensive again over an awkward exchange he had with locals on fire-ravaged Kangaroo Island .
In a video of his visit to the island , where an outback safari operator and his son were killed in the blazes , Morrison was seen telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve had no loss of life.
” After he was corrected , he continued : “ Yes , two , that ’ s quite right .
I was thinking about firefighters , firstly.
” It was the latest in a string of gaffes for Morrison , who created a public uproar when he took a family vacation to Hawaii in the middle of the disaster .
He has tried to strike a more compassionate image since , and earlier this week promised the government would commit an extra 2 billion Australian dollars ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery effort .
“ Tomorrow ’ s going to be a very difficult day in the eastern states , ” Morrison said during a news conference on Thursday .
“ Once again , I express my sincere condolences and sympathies to the families of all of those who have lost loved ones during the course of this terrible disaster .
We will continue to remember them , but also their families in particular in what they need , in supporting them.
” The New South Wales government responded to the crisis on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion ( $ 690 million ) to be spent over the next two years on wildfire management and recovery .
The Australian disaster is seen by many as a harbinger for other countries of the future consequences of global warming .
Pope Francis has joined world leaders in expressing solidarity with the Australian people .
“ I ’ d like to ask for you all to pray to the Lord to help the ( Australian ) people at this difficult moment , with these powerful fires .
I ’ m close to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of his general audience on Wednesday , drawing applause from congregants .
Associated Press journalists Rod McGuirk in Canberra , Australia , and Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Filipino Catholics pray for Mideast peace in huge gathering

MANILA , Philippines - A mammoth crowd of mostly barefoot Filipino Catholics prayed for peace in the Middle East on Thursday at the start of an annual procession of a centuries-old black statue of Jesus Christ in one of Asia ’ s biggest religious events .
The daylong procession of the wooden Black Nazarene draws massive numbers of largely poor devotees who pray for the sick and a better life .
This year , widespread fears over the conflict between the United States and Iran were highlighted in a predawn Mass .
“ Let us remember that in other parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence is brewing and , hopefully , this will not lead to war , ” Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle told the crowd at a Manila seaside park .
The popular Manila church leader asked the tens of thousands of devotees clad in maroon shirts — the colour associated with the Black Nazarene — to briefly pause in silence and pray for peace in the Middle East and the safety of its people , including many Filipino expatriate workers .
“ Let us pray ... that the desire to retaliate eases , ” Tagle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s leading labour providers , the Philippines would face a gargantuan crisis if hostilities between the U.S. and Iran escalate and embroil other countries that host many Filipinos , such as Saudi Arabia and Israel .
The Philippine government on Wednesday ordered Filipino workers to leave Iraq and Iran .
The military prepared to deploy navy ships , three cargo planes and one battalion each of marines and army troops to help the evacuations in case hostilities worsen .
Organizers of the Black Nazarene procession expect up to 4 million people to join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at night when the life-size statue of Christ is returned to a church in downtown Manila .
More than 12,000 police , including bomb squads , snipers and helicopter-borne teams , were deployed to secure the procession , though authorities said they have not monitored any specific threat .
Aside from ensuring safety and order , police worked to clear the streets in front of the carriage bearing the statue .
Guns and liquor were banned and cellphone signals were jammed in parts of Manila .
Devotees who were pushed back when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but despite the security and the tropical heat , mobs of people dangerously squeezed into a tight pack of humanity around the carriage .
They threw small towels at volunteers on the carriage for them to wipe parts of the statue and toss the towels back , believing the Nazarene ’ s powers can cure ailments and do other miracles .
Dozens of people fainted or sustained injuries and were carried away on stretchers by Red Cross volunteers .
Jocelyn del Rosario , a 55-year-old restaurant manager , said she walked barefoot for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) on an empty stomach to show her devotion to the Black Nazarene and pray for her children .
Amid the crowd and the heat , she fainted and was carried to a first-aid station .
“ My daughter has diabetes and a son of mine has been in and out of jail , ” del Rosario said while lying on a stretcher .
“ The Black Nazarene has done miracles for me .
I need to pray for some more.
” Another longtime devotee , Elena Ornate , believes the Black Nazarene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
But another stroke last December left the 73-year-old widow partly paralyzed , preventing her from working as a food vendor .
“ Lord , please give my strength back .
My family needs me , ” said a teary-eyed Ornate , who sat on a wheelchair surrounded by more than a dozen of her grandchildren .
Crowned with thorns and bearing a cross , the Nazarene statue is believed to have been brought from Mexico to Manila on a galleon in 1606 by Spanish missionaries .
The ship that carried it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statue survived .
Some believe the statue ’ s endurance , from fires and earthquakes through the centuries and intense bombings during World War II , is a testament to its powers .
The spectacle reflects the unique brand of Catholicism , which includes folk superstitions , in Asia ’ s largest Catholic nation .
Dozens of Filipinos have themselves nailed to crosses on Good Friday in another tradition that draws huge crowds and tourists each year .
Such religious passion has continued in the Philippines even as President Rodrigo Duterte has stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church and bishops , who have criticized the thousands of killings under his anti-drug crackdown .
Duterte sparked outrage among many Catholics two years ago when he called God “ stupid ” and later questioned the basic tenets of the faith .
He offered to immediately resign if anybody can prove that God exists .
Associated Press journalists Aaron Favila and Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report .

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thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Judge denies Trump effort to stop columnist defamation suit

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump has lost a bid to block an advice columnist ’ s lawsuit over his remarks that she lied in accusing him of rape .
In a decision this week , a Manhattan judge declined to order a hearing on Trump ’ s request to dismiss E. Jean Carroll ’ s defamation suit and to put evidence-gathering on hold in the meantime .
A lawyer for Trump , Lawrence Rosen , had argued the New York court shouldn ’ t handle the case , saying that the president ’ s statements weren ’ t made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in Washington , not New York , his longtime home .
Judge Doris Ling-Cohan said the argument wasn ’ t properly backed up .
“ There is not even a tweet , much less an affadavit by defendant Trump in support , “ Ling-Cohan wrote in a decision provided to lawyers in the case Thursday .
An affadavit is an out-of-court statement under oath .
A request for comment on the decision was sent to Rosen .
Carroll ’ s lawyer , Roberta Kaplan , said she was pleased with the ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead in this case and proving that Donald Trump lied when he told the world that he did not rape our client and had not even met her , ” Kaplan said in a statement .
Carroll alleges in the suit that Trump smeared her and harmed her career .
Many readers of her longtime Elle magazine column stopped writing to her for advice , according to the suit .
It seeks unspecified damages and a retraction of Trump ’ s statements .
Carroll accused Trump last summer of raping her in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mid-1990s .
In a New York magazine piece and a subsequent book , Carroll said the two ran into each other , bantered and went to the lingerie department for Trump to pick out a gift for an unidentified woman .
Then , she said , Trump grabbed her arm , manoeuvred her into a fitting room and assaulted her .
Trump said in June that Carroll was “ totally lying , ” calling the accusation “ fake news.
” He said they had never met , though a 1987 photo shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event .
Trump dismissed the picture , saying he was just “ standing with my coat on in a line.
“ The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted , unless they come forward publicly .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--DiCaprio to donate $3 million for Australia wildfire relief

LOS ANGELES - Leonardo DiCaprio ’ s environmental organization is donating $ 3 million to help wildfire relief efforts in Australia .
DiCaprio ’ s Earth Alliance said in a statement Thursday that the organization has created the Australia Wildfire Fund to help with an “ international response to the catastrophic bushfires ” currently raging in the country .
The Academy Award-winning actor co-chairs the organization was launched last year to combat climate change and biodiversity loss .
The wildfires have scorched an area twice the size of the U.S. state of Maryland .
The blazes have killed 25 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fueled by drought and the country ’ s hottest and driest year on record , have been raging since September , months earlier than is typical for Australia ’ s annual wildfire season .
The fund will work with local Australian partner organizations including Aussie Ark , Bush Heritage , and Wires Wildlife Rescue .
All funds will go to assist firefighting efforts in New South Wales and aid other communities affected by the wildfires .
DiCaprio joins a growing list of other celebrities that have rallied to donate big bucks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who each offered $ 1 million through social media earlier this week .
Nicole Kidman , Pink and Keith Urban have donated as well .
Metallica said they will donation $ 750,000 to a firefighting agency and emergency services agency in Victoria .
Phoebe Waller-Bridge said she would auction off her Globe outfit and have the proceeds go to firefighter relief at the Golden Globes on Sunday .
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Jonathan Landrum Jr. - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--2 suspected coyote attacks in Chicago, several sightings

CHICAGO - Authorities on Thursday were on the hunt for coyotes in downtown Chicago after two reported attacks , including one in which passersby said they pulled a wild canine off a 6-year-old boy who was bitten in the head .
The reported attacks come amid an increase in sightings of coyotes in the nation ’ s third-largest city , including one in the city ’ s Lincoln Park neighbourhood that briefly prompted the soft lockdown of two schools on Thursday , meaning no children were allowed outside .
Neither the boy nor a man who showed up at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coyote bite suffered life-threatening injuries .
Officials were confident that the animal that attacked the boy was a coyote , based on witness interviews , Kelley Gandurski , executive director of the Chicago Animal Care and Control , told reporters .
If true , it would mark the first time in the state that a coyote has attacked a human , according to a wildlife biologist with the Urban Coyote Research Project .
“ The last several times that this occurred , people reported the same thing , that they were bitten by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later it turned out through DNA analysis of the victim ’ s clothing it was , in fact , dogs and not coyotes , ” said Anchor , who also works for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County , where Chicago is located .
The 5-year-old boy was attacked Wednesday outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park .
Gandurski said the animal may have been surprised by the boy as the child ran along a path .
Later Wednesday , a man walked into the emergency room at Northwestern Memorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
He told police a coyote bit him , but Gandurski could not confirm his account because her staff had not yet interviewed him .
While coyotes don ’ t usually bite humans , there have been confirmed minor attacks in other U.S. cities , according to Stan Gehrt , a wildlife ecology professor at Ohio State University who helped launch the Urban Coyote Research Project with Anchor in 2000 .
Gandurski said reports of coyote sightings in the city have remained fairly consistent in recent years , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather and a lack of food .
Anchor , who monitors the movements of hundreds of coyotes in the region who have been fitted with electronic collars , said it doesn ’ t mean more of the animals are in Chicago .
Instead , said Anchor , coyotes may have changed their behaviour in ways that make them more visible .
“ They are very smart and when they realize there is nothing to fear from humans because they are not trapped , they begin to ignore humans , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the animals have been living for decades after following train tracks and other routes in search of food , they don ’ t just make their dens in parks and nature preserves , but in nooks and crannies around the city , he said .
They will eat “ whatever is available , ” from small mammals and dead birds to fruit and insects , Anchor added .
Chicago Animal Care and Control urged residents to not leave pets unattended outside and to secure their garbage .
Gandurski said city and county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police and other agencies are taking part in the search for the coyote that attacked the boy .
If captured , the animal will likely be relocated outside the city , she said .
Dr. Tom Wake , the interim administrator of the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control , said the animal would first be tested for rabies , though he noted it ’ s unlikely it would have that disease .
“ There has not been a case of rabies in any other animal except bats since 1954 in Cook County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been corrected to reflect that the boy was 6 years old , not 5 , and to correct all references to Chris Anchor ’ s last name to Anchor instead of Archer .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--House approves measure to restrain Trump’s actions on Iran

WASHINGTON - Reigniting a debate over who has the power to declare war , the Democratic-controlled House on Thursday approved a resolution asserting that President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran .
The war powers resolution is not binding on the president and would not require his signature .
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nonetheless insisted it “ has real teeth ” because “ it is a statement of the Congress of the United States.
” The measure will “ protect American lives and values ” by limiting Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The administration must de-escalate and must prevent further violence.
’ ’ The House passed the measure , 224-194 , with just three Republicans voting in support .
Eight Democrats opposed the measure .
A similar proposal by Sen. Tim Kaine , D-Va. , faces an uphill fight in the GOP-run Senate .
Kaine ’ s efforts received a boost Thursday as Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana , an ex-Marine , said he might support the war powers measure .
Two other Republican senators said Wednesday they would back Kaine ’ s plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate and distinct branch of government .
It is our duty not to take anyone ’ s word for things as we are dealing with matters of life and death , ” Young said , adding that he wished Trump administration officials had provided more intelligence information during a briefing Wednesday on a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general .
Pelosi , in announcing the House vote , called the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani “ provocative and disproportionate.
“ Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise , the No .
2 House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little more than “ a press release designed to attack President Trump , ’ ’ while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California called it a ” meaningless vote “ on a measure that will never be sent to the president or ” limit his constitutional authority to defend the American people.
’ ’ The House vote came a day after the Trump administration briefed lawmakers on its actions in Iran .
Democrats and several Republicans called the briefings inadequate , adding that officials did not provide enough details about why the attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday that Soleimani “ was travelling the region making plans to bring an attack against American personnel and American forces.
” He said it was not possible to share full details of the intelligence with lawmakers .
“ When it comes to intelligence we have to protect sources and methods , there ’ s only certain amount we can share with every member of Congress , ” Pence said on ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America.
” “ But those of us who have seen all the evidence know that there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American personnel.
” Trump said Thursday that he “ had calls from numerous senators and numerous congressmen and women saying it was the greatest presentation they ’ ve ever had.
’ ’ Referring to criticism by GOP Sens .
Mike Lee and Rand Paul , Trump said : “ They want information that honestly I think is very hard to get .
...
It really had to do with sources and information that we had that really should remain at a very high level.
’ ’ Lee , a conservative from Utah , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pompeo and other officials was “ probably the worst briefing I ’ ve seen , at least on a military issue , “ in the nine years he ’ s served in the Senate .
Paul , of Kentucky , said administration officials justified killing Soleimani based on the 2002 authorization of force in Iraq .
“ That is absurd .
That ’ s an insult , ’ ’ he said .
Pelosi scheduled the House vote after Iran retaliated for the Soleimani killing by launching missiles at two military bases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casualties were reported .
“ Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran or any part of its government or military “ unless Congress declares war on that country or enacts legislation authorizing use of force to prevent an attack on the U.S. and its forces , the five-page resolution states .
The resolution ’ s sponsor , freshman Rep. Elissa Slotkin , D-Mich. , said it is intended to “ make clear that if the president wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get authorization from Congress.
’ ’ If loved ones are going to be sent to fight in a protracted war , “ the president owes the American people a public conversation about why , and for what ends , ’ ’ said Slotkin , a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official who served in Iraq .
Members of Congress have a constitutional responsibility to uphold in authorizing use of military force , Slotkin said , adding , “ We are owed concrete , specific details on strategy.
’ ’ Trump did not consult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that killed the Iranian general and afterward sent Congress a notification explaining the rationale , but kept it classified .
Congress has allowed its war powers role to erode since the passage of Authorization for Use of Military Force in 2001 to fight terrorism after the 9-11 attacks , and passage of another AUMF for the invasion of Iraq in 2002 .
Fallout from those votes deeply divided Congress and the nation , with many lawmakers , particularly Democrats , now saying they were mistakes .
Yet Congress has been paralyzed on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those authorities .
The strikes by Iran had pushed Tehran and Washington perilously close to all-out conflict and put the world ’ s attention on Trump as he weighed whether to respond with more military force .
Republicans have largely supported Trump ’ s actions , saying the president was well within his power to take out Iran ’ s architect of proxy operations against Americans in the Middle East .
The U.S. considered Soleimani a terrorist .
Democrats were unconvinced that the threat posed by Soleimani was imminent or that other alternatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faith .
By not disclosing many details of the threat , Trump was asking the American public to trust the very intelligence reports he has often disparaged , Democrats said .
Young told reporters Thursday that lawmakers “ need to ensure that Congress is involved in future decision-making so we end up exactly where the president wants to end up , which is the avoidance of a major ground war in the Middle East.
’ ’ He called Kaine ’ s resolution a “ mechanism to force us to debate this.
’ ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matt Gaetz and Francis Rooney of Florida and Thomas Massie of Kentucky .
The eight Democrats who opposed it were Reps. Anthony Brindisi and Max Rose of New York , Joe Cunningham of South Carolina , Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey , Kendra Horn of Oklahoma , Ben McAdams of Utah and Stephanie Murphy of Florida .
Gaetz , one of Trump ’ s strongest supporters , said “ killing Soleimani was the right decision , but engaging in another forever war in the Middle East would be the wrong decision.
’ ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan , said “ sending troops into harm ’ s way is the most consequential decision “ lawmakers can make .
The war powers resolution ” simply restates existing law and sends the message that war is imminent , “ he said .
” I refuse to play politics with questions of war and peace and therefore will not support this resolution.
” Associated Press writers Alan Fram , Kevin Freking and Deb Riechmann contributed to this story .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Man gets probation for evidence tampering in fatal stabbing

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia bicycle deliveryman who was acquitted of voluntary manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of a real estate developer was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation for evidence tampering in the case .
In a case in which race played a role , a jury previously found that Michael White , 22 , acted in self-defence in the July 2018 stabbing of 37-year-old Sean Schellenger during a confrontation sparked by a traffic dispute near the city ’ s upscale Rittenhouse Square neighbourhood .
Jurors convicted White of evidence tampering for tossing the knife onto a roof as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clothes .
White , who is black , did not know Schellenger , who was white , and was not involved in the traffic dispute .
Schellenger had been drinking with friends at a nearby restaurant before the confrontation with White , who was riding past the traffic dispute on his way to deliver food .
White ’ s attorneys argued that Schellenger , a former Penn State University football player , was physically intimidating and intoxicated .
White testified that he pulled the knife in self-defence .
White said Schellenger made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying he threatened to “ beat the black off ” of him .
Prosecutors said no one corroborated the remark .
“ I ’ m just happy this part of my life is over , ” White said outside the courtroom Thursday .
He said he continues to pray for Schellenger ’ s family .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Trump turns to those he has scorned for help on Iran

WASHINGTON - As tensions fester with Iran , President Donald Trump finds himself turning to the very people and entities he ’ s spent three years dismissing or alienating : NATO , Western allies and U.S. intelligence agencies .
Trump , who once said that U.S. spy agencies should “ go back to school , ” is now highlighting the intelligence services ’ work that led to the fatal air strike against Iran ’ s most powerful general .
“ There ’ s some dripping irony , but nobody thinks all of a sudden he loves us , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CIA veteran who held assignments in the Mideast , Europe and Eurasia .
Also , after three years of dismissive comments about NATO and other European allies , Trump says he wants them to help more in the Middle East .
He even suggested a new possible name of “ NATOME ” to add emphasis on the Middle East .
Following his order to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , and the dangerous aftermath of Iran launching missiles at U.S. military installations , Trump said he would like to see more NATO troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are international in scope .
His latest entreaty is also the freshest test of whether he can bend other nations and international alliances to his will and convince them to join with him after years of letting many of those relationships wither .
“ I think NATO should be expanded and we should include the Middle East , absolutely ...
Right now the burden is on us and that ’ s not fair , ” Trump said Thursday .
Trump noted how the U.S. had crushed Islamic State militants , eliminated their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi .
“ We did Europe a big favour , ” he said .
How receptive U.S. allies in Europe will be to working with the Trump administration on Mideast issues , particularly Iran , remains unclear , especially given how nations like France were dedicated to the Iran nuclear agreement that Trump abandoned .
“ Trump has nothing in the bank with the Europeans .
There ’ s no goodwill .
There ’ s no sense of trust — no sense that they can rely on him , “ said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and defence policy at The German Marshall Fund of the United States .
” They are not going to be looking to do Donald Trump a favour.
” Chollet , who likened the U.S. fatal strike on Soleimani to taking a “ baseball bat to the hornet ’ s nest , “ also said Trump has not been specific — at least not publicly — about what he wants Europe to do .
Help him negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran ?
Sanction or punish Iran ?
Provide troops in the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out ?
“ ’ There is no evidence that I ’ m aware of that European leaders are going to sign on to Trump ’ s agenda , “ Chollet said .
“ If he pulls U.S. forces out of the Middle East , the idea that the Europeans are going to fill the vacuum — there ’ s no evidence that will happen.
” Since Soleimani was killed , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has engaged in a brisk round of telephone diplomacy .
He ’ s spoken to officials from China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan , Afghanistan , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Iraq , Turkey , Israel , India , Qatar , Belarus , Ukraine , Bahrain , the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations .
All the calls were about Iraq and Iran , along with other issues .
In a call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Thursday , Pompeo reiterated Trump ’ s call for NATO to become more involved in the Middle East .
The State Department said the two agreed NATO could contribute more to regional security and the fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a defence and foreign policy analyst at the CATO Institute , said Trump ’ s call for greater NATO involvement is “ not a terribly realistic expectation but it is consistent with Trump ’ s ongoing demand for greater burden sharing by U.S. allies.
” “ He seems to have forgotten the European anger over his decision to cancel the Iran nuclear agreement , “ Carpenter said .
European nations have worked to keep the Iran nuclear deal on life support after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement .
Kenneth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and expert on Middle East politics and military affairs , said he thinks Iran will be careful about ramping up its nuclear program too much , but that the killing of Soleimani has likely changed Tehran ’ s mindset .
“ ’ A very important element of why Iran signed the Iran deal in 2015 was because they concluded that the U.S. was not going to attack them .
Bush didn ’ t .
Obama didn ’ t .
They thought they didn ’ t need a nuclear weapon to deter the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now at the American Enterprise Institute .
“ I think this has suddenly changed Tehran ’ s calculus — that Trump is so aggressive and unpredictable and ignorant — that they will look at this and say ‘ You know what ?
We need a nuclear weapon.
’ ” Trump , who says he is not interested in ousting the Iranian regime , reinstated economic sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the deal .
He said it gave Tehran too many economic benefits without doing enough to prevent Iran from eventually developing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany , the European Union , China and Russia have remained in the 2015 pact , but Iran has abandoned its remaining commitments under the deal , although Iran President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday that Tehran would continue to co-operate with U.N. inspectors .
Vice-President Mike Pence said Thursday that in coming days Trump will be asking the Europeans again to scrap the 2015 Iran nuclear pact .
But even if Trump is successful in getting Iran to the negotiation table , nuclear talks take time , the presidential election is looming and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strikes that would make talks unlikely .
Behnam Ben Taleblu , a senior analyst on Iranian security and political issues who speaks Farsi , said despite losing its charismatic and capable military general , Iran remains resolute .
“ That means Washington , more so than ever before , is going to need a regional approach to dealing with Iran , ” said Taleblu with the Foundation for Defence of Democracies in Washington .
Britain said in a statement Thursday that it stands by the nuclear deal and urged Iran to return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maas said Trump appears to be open to negotiations on Iran ’ s ballistic missiles and the nuclear accord , but that “ at the moment , everyone is accusing each other of not abiding by the obligations of the treaty.
” Associated Press Writers Kevin Freking and Aamer Madhani in Washington , Jill Lawless in London and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Ballot group turns in signatures for elections proposal

JUNEAU , Alaska - Backers of a proposed ballot initiative aimed at overhauling elections in Alaska have turned in signatures seeking to qualify the measure for this year ’ s ballot .
The group Alaskans for Better Elections said Thursday it had submitted to the Division of Elections more than 41,000 signatures .
The group said it was required to gather just over 28,000 qualified signatures .
The proposal calls for open primaries , with a single primary ballot , and allowing for rank-choice voting in general elections .
It also seeks to strengthen reporting requirements for certain political contributions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yvonne Lamoureux in October allowed the group to begin signature gathering after Lt. Gov .
Kevin Meyer denied the initiative application .
Meyer said he based his decision on a Department of Law review that concluded the measure violated a single-subject rule .
Lamoureux found it did not .
That case has been appealed but Jason Grenn , a sponsor of the measure , said supporters are moving forward .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-09--As wildfires get worse, smoke spreads, stokes health worries

PARADISE , Calif. - First came the flames , a raging firestorm propelled by 50 mph ( 80 kph ) wind gusts that incinerated Kelsey Norton ’ s house and killed 85 people in her community .
Then came the smoke — not just from the forest but also from some 14,000 houses and their contents that burned , generating a thick plume that enshrouded portions of Northern California for weeks and left Norton gasping .
“ I don ’ t want to have cancer in my 50s because I inhaled smoke in my 30s , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost when a fire tore through the Sierra Nevada foothills town of Paradise , California in November 2018 is well documented .
Still unknown is the long-term impact of the intense smoke exposure suffered by the tragedy ’ s survivors and the hundreds of thousands of people living in communities downwind of the blaze .
Increasingly intense wildfires are scorching forests from across the Western U.S. to Australia and stoking concern among residents and health professionals about long-term health impacts from smoke exposure .
The issue has far-reaching implications as climate change turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more prone to fires that send up smoke plumes that can travel thousands of miles and affect millions of people .
The unprecedented fires burning across Australia offer the most recent example as they blanket major cities with dangerous air pollution .
Smoke from those fires , which started burning in September , by this week had spread across more than 7.7 million square miles ( 20 million square kilometres ) and drifted across the Pacific Ocean to reach South America , according to the United Nation ’ s meteorological agency and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires have torched more than 2,000 houses and killed at least 26 people .
Authorities ordered new evacuations in New South Wales and the neighbouring state of Victoria as rising temperatures and erratic winds on Friday threatened to fan dozens of blazes still burning out of control .
Both states issued hazardous air quality warnings for affected areas and said people with health problems should consider relocating until the smoke clears .
Compounding the danger , experts and firefighters say , is the proliferation of construction materials and household items made from petroleum-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exterior siding .
Those burn hotter and generate smoke more toxic than wood does , exposing people to numerous hazardous chemicals .
Researchers and health officials are confident more people will get sick and many will die as regions such as the U.S. West see bigger , more intense wildfires .
An estimated 20,000 premature deaths now occur annually in the U.S. due to chronic wildfire smoke exposure .
That ’ s expected to double by the end of the century , according to scientists funded by NASA , as tens of millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoke waves ” emanating from blazes in Western states .
But while those forecasts help illustrate the profound impacts of a warming climate , they can ’ t predict which fires will prove deadly and which individuals will develop lung ailments or other illnesses .
One of relatively few long-term studies on the issue is under way at the California National Primate Research Center .
Fifty rhesus monkeys living in outdoor pens year-round were exposed to a prolonged period of wildfire smoke as infants in 2008 .
They ’ ve developed lungs 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born a year later , researchers found .
“ It ’ s the closest animal model to replicate what happens with kids , ” said Lisa Miller , the centre ’ s associate director of research .
The difference first showed up when the animals were adolescents , and has continued as they ’ ve matured .
It ’ s impossible for the untrained eye to distinguish the smoke-exposed monkeys from hundreds of others that share their pens , but Miller ’ s team next plans to investigate how the decreased lung function @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the animals age , any diseases they develop and how they die would give clues into the fate of humans heavily exposed to smoke .
Studies of wildland firefighters also give insights into the risks of smoke inhalation .
They ’ ve shown significantly higher rates of lung cancer and death from heart disease , said Michael Kleinman , who researches the health effects of air pollution and is a professor of environmental toxicology at the University of California , Irvine .
Firefighters get much higher and more frequent doses of smoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in illnesses could be expected among the general public exposed to wildfire smoke across California and the West .
“ It ’ s safe to say there will probably more effects at the long-term level , ” Kleinman said .
“ Especially if those events happened over a longer period of time or more repeatedly , there will be cumulative damage to the lung and heart which eventually will lead to chronic disease.
” As she fled with her boyfriend ahead of the fire that destroyed Paradise on the morning of Nov. 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was so thick “ it was like midnight.
” A few days later , she went back to work at a hospital in Chico , about 15 miles ( 24 kilometres ) miles from Paradise .
But smoke from the still-burning fire had made it inside the facility .
There weren ’ t enough face masks to go around so Norton said she went without one for several days .
Initially she felt just a bit wheezy , as she had during the last major fire in the area about a decade earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down with a respiratory infection that brought fever and severe congestion .
When that finally cleared , she got another , then another — eight or nine infections in all over the past year .
“ I just want to break this cycle of sickness , ” she said .
Norton says she never smoked , nor did her parents , and never had any respiratory issues prior to the fire .
She missed so much work in the months after the fire that she got a warning from a supervisor .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she rinses out her sinuses regularly and takes antihistamines to reduce inflammation in her airways .
She also avoids large gatherings , including skipping office parties and two weddings , out of fear that she could pick up a virus .
She tries to eat healthy and reduce stress by seeing a counsellor .
Norton has been to a pulmonologist and two ear nose and throat doctors to little avail , and has been referred to a sinus specialist at Stanford University for further testing .
The pulmonologist who initially treated her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ direct correlation ” between Norton ’ s smoke exposure and her subsequent health struggles .
“ The logical explanation definitely would be that intense smoke , basically chemical exposure , did damage the airways to the extent that they ’ re now more susceptible ” to infection , Verma said .
Verma said virtually all of his hundreds of patients from Chico and Paradise had complications after the fire that required them to be hospitalized or treated .
Most had preexisting conditions such as asthma and needed only a trigger to send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what will happen with otherwise-healthy patients like Norton is more difficult , he said .
Norton is among about 9,000 people who responded to a health survey as part of a long-term health study of smoke exposure in Paradise and other California communities .
The work is led by researchers at the University of California , Davis , who plan to track the lung health of a small number of those respondents in coming years by measuring their breathing capacity .
They ’ re also collaborating with Williams at the primate centre to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhesus monkeys has parallels for human infants .
Dr. Nicholas Kenyon , a pulmonologist involved in the effort , said determining the health effects of smoke is increasingly urgent given the region ’ s burgeoning population and more frequent fires due to climate change .
“ We ’ ve got the population affected right now , but it ’ s not going to be isolated to us .
This is going to be the entire West , ” Kenyon said .
“ Nobody ’ s been really inhaling this kind of stuff from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UC Davis study , 64-year-old Elizabeth Watling , lives in Chico and remained there through the fire so she could look after her 94-year-old aunt .
She recalls smoke so thick that it left a layer of ash all over town , gray and light as snow .
The air remained heavily polluted until it rained more than two weeks later .
When she gardens or does other outdoor activities , Watling wears a mask because her throat has become so easily irritated by dust .
She fiddles with it often , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk , and wonders how effective it will be since she can fit her fingers through gaps along her cheeks .
The health issues Watling blames on the smoke are less severe than Norton ’ s — a scratchy throat that won ’ t go away , coughs that linger , shortness of breath .
She expected those to go away but they haven ’ t .
Watling now figures that , given her age , she won ’ t ever fully recover and the smoke could shave years off her life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ news is good for me , ” she said .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Man breaks into Taco Bell, prepares food, takes nap

LAWRENCEVILLE , Ga. - Taco Bell wasn ’ t open on Christmas Day but a burglar in Georgia decided he wanted a festive feast anyway — and to take a nap while he was at it .
Police have asked for the public ’ s help in identifying the man who broke into the restaurant , prepared food and fell asleep early Christmas morning .
At around 12:15 a.m. on Dec. 25 , a man approached a Taco Bell in unincorporated Lawrenceville and entered through the drive-thru window .
Surveillance video showed him using the fryers to make himself a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a nap on the restaurant floor .
Prior to leaving about three hours later , the suspect stole a laptop and tablet , investigators said .
The suspect was described as a black male wearing black sweatpants , a black hooded sweatshirt , and black sneakers .
Anyone with information in this case , was urged to contact police at 770-513-5300 .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Facebook cable plan hits resistance in Oregon coastal town

TIERRA DEL MAR , Ore. - A battle playing out in Oregon is pitting residents of a tiny coastal town with no stoplights or cellphone service against one of the world ’ s biggest tech companies .
Locals in Tierra del Mar are trying to stop Facebook from using property in their quiet community to build a landing spot for an undersea cable connecting America with Asia .
Representatives of the social media giant say Tierra del Mar is one of the few places on the U.S. West Coast suitable for the ultra-high-speed cable .
It will link multiple U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data centre in the central Oregon town of Prineville , with Japan and the Philippines , and will help meet an increasing demand for internet services worldwide , the company says .
But locals say vibrations from drilling to bring the submarine cable ashore in this village of some 200 houses might damage home foundations and septic systems .
They also point out that Tierra del Mar , arrayed along a pristine beach , is zoned residential .
If the project is allowed , they say , more commercial ventures will come calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Once you open the shores to these companies coming anywhere they want to , Oregon ’ s coast is pretty much wide open season , ” resident Patricia Rogers told county officials in written remarks .
The Tillamook County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 in favour of the project after hearing testimony Thursday .
“ Once it is done , it is my hope that the community is not going to even know it is there , ” Commissioner David Yamamoto said .
He noted the project is similar to other uses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been permitted .
Tierra del Mar , 65 miles ( 105 kilometres ) southwest of Portland , is home to a mix of professionals and retirees who share a love of the unspoiled beach that is fringed with coastal pines and the deer , bald eagles and rare seabirds that inhabit the area .
It has two businesses , a rock shop and antiques store , and no cell service , apparently because providers don ’ t consider it profitable enough .
In recent years , locals fiercely opposed a plan by investors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the north into a high-end golf course .
The site ultimately opened instead as a state nature area .
Residents ’ attention turned to Facebook in 2018 when a subsidiary bought the empty lot for the cable landing from former NFL and University of Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington .
County records show Edge Cable Holdings , USA , paid him $ 495,000 for the beachfront property , about the size of 10 tennis courts .
Locals worry the project will pave the way for cell towers , power junctions and additional cable sites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjacent to the Facebook lot , stood on the beach in stormy weather Wednesday as waves charged the shore .
A sign apparently toppled by the high tide said “ Keep Facebook off our beach.
” She pointed to two other empty lots nearby .
“ If Facebook gets ( approval ) , well , two companies will get those , and we ’ ll have three of these drilling projects within a half a mile of each other , ” Rogers said .
Others feel the tech titan is trying to steamroller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely angry about and opposed to the cavalier attitude that an amoral multi-national , multi-billion dollar corporation has taken to this tiny residentially zoned portion of Tillamook County , ” resident Carol J. Griffith said in written comments .
Facebook representatives told county officials the horizontal directional drilling will last about a month , and all that will remain is a manhole cover .
They said they carefully chose the Tierra del Mar site , avoiding areas where fishermen trawl and keeping to places that allow burial of the cable so nets won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also had to skirt undersea canyons and federally protected fish habitat .
The company declined to provide other details about the project but told The Associated Press in a statement : “ With more people using the internet , existing internet infrastructure is struggling to handle all the traffic .
These new cable projects help people connect more efficiently.
” Internet use by the world ’ s population has reached 4.1 billion people , or 54 % of the global population , up from 1.6 billion people in 2008 , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency .
Almost all of that messaging and internet browsing goes through fiber optic cables , not satellites in the heavens , said Kristian Nielsen , vice-president of Submarine Telecoms Forum , a Virginia-based trade magazine .
When data , including phone calls , goes intercontinental , say between North America , Europe and Asia , undersea fiber optic cables are used 99 % of the time , Nielsen said in a telephone interview .
“ The reality is that the cloud is actually under the ocean , ” said Nicole Starosielski , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communication at New York University .
“ Files in the cloud are typically housed in a data centre .
But it doesn ’ t become a cloud unless there are cables.
” Undersea cables have around 800 landing points around the world , according to Submarine Telecoms Forum .
Nielsen said opposition to them is rare .
The one Facebook wants to put in Tierra del Mar splits off in the Pacific Ocean from the Jupiter cable that Facebook , Amazon and telecommunications companies from Japan , the Philippines and Hong Kong are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land in Hermosa Beach , California , with the Oregon branch solely owned by Facebook .
Under the ground , the fiber optic cable would connect with another one running down the coast 4 miles ( 6 kilometres ) to a cable landing site in a bigger coastal town , Pacific City , where four cables are already in place .
Facebook says that site can not fit a fifth cable and cited a risk of crossing cables .
“ I don ’ t know why they chose this place when the could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City , ” said Lee King , owner of the Pier Avenue Rock Shop .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--California could be 1st state to sell own prescription drugs

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - California could become the first state to make its own prescription drugs under a proposal announced Thursday by Gov .
Gavin Newsom , who says it would “ take the power out of the hands of greedy pharmaceutical companies.
“ The Democratic governor wants the nation ’ s most populous state to contract with generic drug companies to make medications on its behalf so it could sell them to its nearly 40 million residents .
The goal is to lower prices by increasing competition in the generic drug market , Newsom said .
His proposal also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pricing in California , with companies having to bid to sell their medicine at a uniform price .
One expert said that piece would have the bigger impact .
“ Other countries control or negotiate the price of drugs , and if there is one state that could do it , it ’ s California , which is the size of a country , ” said Larry Levitt , executive vice-president of health policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation .
“ A drug company could walk away from Rhode Island .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California.
“ Lawmakers would have to approve the proposal before they could become law .
A legislative leader in charge of reviewing the plan gave a tentative endorsement Thursday .
“ If Costco can have a Kirkland brand , why can ’ t California have our own generic brand ?
” said Democratic Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula , an emergency room doctor from Fresno who chairs the House Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services .
“ I really do think there is quite a bit of merit in having us produce the medications.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that represent name brand and generic drugmakers have not responded to requests for comment .
The drug plan is part of Newsom ’ s budget proposal , which he must present to lawmakers by Friday .
The state could have as much as a $ 7 billion surplus this year , according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst ’ s Office .
Newsom ’ s office did not say how much the drug proposal would cost , prompting criticism from some Republican lawmakers who said the state should not compete with private companies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it costs more money , ” said Republican Assemblyman Devon Mathis , who ’ s also on the health subcommittee .
“ The money is coming out of families ’ pockets paying all those crazy taxes.
” California law requires drug companies to report any price increases to the state .
Generic drugs saw a three-year median increase of 37.6 % , according to a report from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development .
That analysis was based on the list prices of the drugs and did not include discounts or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t include generic drugs that decreased in price because companies are not required to report that .
Nationally , generic drug prices have been decreasing overall , according to a report that AARP produced with the University of Minnesota .
Supporters say California ’ s generic drug label could help lower the cost of a common drug that has steadily increased in price — insulin for diabetes patients .
Three drug companies control most of the market for insulin .
“ Consumers would directly benefit if California contracted on its own to manufacture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug that has been around for a century yet the price has gone up over tenfold in the last few decades , ” said Anthony Wright , executive director of Health Access California .
Jon Roth , CEO of the California Pharmacists Association , said the state might be surprised , however , at how much it ends up charging for its own generic drugs because of factors beyond its control , including raw material shortages and disruptions in the supply chain .
“ There are other factors in the actual manufacturing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escape , ” he said .
While most Americans get generic prescriptions , they only account for a small part of the total drug spending in the U.S. That ’ s because unlike the name-brand drug market , generics are very competitive , said Jeff Joyce , chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics at USC ’ s School of Pharmacy .
“ What he is proposing to do would help in specific cases , but it ’ s not a panacea by any means , ” Joyce said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s effort to overhaul California ’ s prescription drug market .
Last year , in one of his first acts in office , Newsom ordered the state to take over the Medicaid program ’ s prescription drug benefits , which affects 13 million people .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Fugitive Ghosn shines a global light on Japanese judicial system

TOKYO - Though former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn is unlikely to stand trial in a real court , he has made himself a key witness in putting Japan ’ s justice system on trial .
In his first public appearance after fleeing to Lebanon , Ghosn lambasted what he called unfair detention and bail conditions , saying he was presumed guilty and had “ zero chance ” of a fair trial in a system rigged against him .
“ I didn ’ t run from justice , I left Japan because I wanted justice , “ the former auto industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference in Beirut .
With little chance they can extradite him , Japanese authorities struck back with words Thursday .
Tokyo prosecutors , who arrested him in late 2018 , said Ghosn had “ only himself to blame ” for being detained 130 days before being released and for strict bail conditions like being banned from seeing his wife .
“ Defendant Ghosn was deemed a high-profile risk , which is obvious from the fact that he actually fled , ” they said .
Justice Minister Masako Mori denounced Ghosn ’ s comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely low crime rate to a judicial system rooted in “ its history and culture.
” Ghosn ’ s remarks , however , highlighted many of the issues human rights advocates call problematic in Japan ’ s justice system .
Because of Japan ’ s extremely low crime rate , how suspects are treated is surprisingly unknown to Japanese , who tend to trust authoritative figures and assume no one gets arrested without a reason .
In Japan , suspects can be detained in solitary confinement without charge for up to 23 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prolong incarceration .
Suspects are routinely grilled for hours each day without a lawyer present .
Critics call the detention conditions mental torture .
Japan ’ s conviction rate is higher than 99 % , a number that critics , including Ghosn , say indicates unfairness .
Japanese officials insist the conviction rate is so high because they don ’ t make mistakes and only guilty people are prosecuted .
At the same time , they insist there ’ s a presumption of innocence .
It ’ s an entrenched system that not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges thinking suspects are guilty , says Tokyo defence lawyer Seiho Cho , who has been trying to change it .
“ They really believe that this system is functioning efficiently and correctly , ” he said .
Cho said Ghosn was a high-profile case and the way regular suspects are treated is worse .
Those who insist they are innocent especially are detained longer , some for hundreds of days .
Bans on contact with family members are also common , he said .
The ban in Ghosn ’ s case cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with evidence .
An arrest warrant was issued this week for Carole Ghosn on suspicion of perjury .
Carlos Ghosn argued the ban on contact with his wife was illogical because he was allowed to meet with other family members , implying the decision was meant to wear him out .
His decision to escape was driven by his desire to be with his wife , he said .
The preparation for Ghosn ’ s trial had already taken a year , and the date for his trial was undecided .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breach of trust in diverting Nissan Motor Co. money for personal gain , the two separate charges complicating and prolonging his trial process .
If convicted , he could face 15 years in prison .
Prosecutors also can appeal district court decisions .
“ Even when they are eventually exonerated , they have already lost so much , ” Cho said , noting some suspects have lost their jobs , their reputation , even their families .
Among the famous cases of wrongful convictions is Iwao Hakamada , who spent 48 years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release from death row in 2014 .
He had been questioned , beaten and bullied by police daily in detention and confessed to murdering a family of four , but asserted his innocence when his trial began .
Frenchman Mark Karpeles was arrested in 2015 after his bitcoin exchange collapsed .
He spent 11 months in detention , although he was eventually cleared of embezzlement and fraud allegations .
He got a suspended sentence , meaning no additional jail time was required , on a conviction on charges of manipulating electronic data .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an innocent victim of hackers .
A true-life story of a man who refused to sign a confession that he groped a woman on a crowded commuter train became a popular 2007 movie .
The film depicts a five-year legal battle for exoneration , highlighting the burden of proof of innocence was on the accused rather than police and prosecutors proving guilt .
Although Ghosn has drawn attention to the system ’ s possible flaws , Cho was worried about a backlash , with release on bail getting tighter .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this could set us back , ” Cho said .
For example , with the idea of introducing an electronic tether , which Japan lacks and Ghosn had proposed to get bail , fewer people could end up getting bail , and , on top of that , be electronically monitored .
Interpol has published a wanted notice for Ghosn but it is non-binding .
Chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said whether Ghosn would be extradited was Lebanon ’ s decision but that Japan would co-operate with international organizations “ so that Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operated appropriately.
” Jacques Deguest , an expert on Japanese law and business , thinks Ghosn ’ s case is so embarrassing for Japan it may discourage some non-Japanese from wanting to invest or live there .
“ Prosecutors are regarded as guardians and protectors of Japanese culture , ” said Deguest , an investor and consultant .
Their super-efficient , but often brutal , practices have resisted change , but sometimes pressures from abroad can bring it about , Deguest said .
“ Change happens often through crisis because it forces people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and forces them to move on , ” he said .
“ This Ghosn case is great in terms of magnitude because it has the power to put the external pressure on Japan , that we all love , ” Deguest said .
Ghosn was careful not to blame the people of Japan for what he called the nation ’ s injustices .
He led Nissan for two decades , steering the automaker back from near-bankruptcy to a thriving brand , although sales and profits have tumbled since his arrest .
Ghosn said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while he was out on bail would come up to him .
They would tell him , he said in Japanese , “ Ghosn-san gambatte kudsai , ” using the honorific for his name , saying : “ Hang in there .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--US border arrests drop as focus turns to Mexicans

SAN DIEGO - The number of people arrested or stopped entering the United States on the Mexico border fell for a seventh straight month in December , with Mexicans outpacing Central Americans among the detainees , authorities said Thursday .
The tally helps explain why the U.S. has turned more attention to Mexican asylum-seekers as President Donald Trump seeks to highlight his dramatic reshaping of immigration policy in his campaign for a second term .
The Department of Homeland Security plans to send Mexicans to Guatemala with an opportunity to seek protection there , a highly unusual move among developing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday ’ s announcement drew criticism from the Mexican government , which has so far worked closely with the U.S. to address an unprecedented surge of asylum-seekers , many of them Central American families .
The Trump administration has begun other enforcement measures affecting Mexicans , including a test in El Paso , Texas , to quickly determine asylum claims and flights to deport them to Guadalajara to discourage repeat attempts .
U.S. authorities made 40,620 arrests of people who crossed illegally or who presented themselves at official crossings in December , down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down 72 % from a 13-year high of 144,116 in May .
Mexicans accounted for half of arrests and people stopped at official crossings , more than three times more than any other nationality and a major shift from much of last year , when Guatemala and Honduras were the primary countries of origin .
The U.S. has used a carrot-and-stick approach in bilateral agreements struck since July with Guatemala , Honduras and El Salvador to deny people an opportunity to apply for asylum in the U.S .
They are instead to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ask for protection there .
However , only Guatemala has begun accepting U.S.-funded flights of asylum-seekers from other countries .
As of Wednesday , the U.S. had sent 94 asylum-seekers to Guatemala , only six of whom chose to seek asylum there .
The rest returned to their countries .
Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales , who leaves office next week , said Wednesday that his government has not agreed to take Mexican asylum-seekers — only those from El Salvador and Honduras .
He said a decision rests with his successor , Alejandro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Homeland Security secretary , did not address plans or take questions during a news conference Thursday in Honduras after meeting President Juan Orlando Hernandez .
“ As you continue to do more to secure your borders , dismantle gangs and cartels and implement our asylum agreement , the United States government will continue to invest in and support the economic growth in Honduras , “ Wolf said .
David FitzGerald , a sociology professor at University of California , San Diego , and author of “ Refugee Beyond Reach : How Rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he knew only one other instance of a government sending asylum-seekers to a country they didn ’ t travel through .
In 2001 , Australia began sending asylum-seekers to the island nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru .
Mexican asylum-seekers interviewed Wednesday while waiting in Tijuana , Mexico , for their names to be called to claim asylum at a San Diego border crossing said being sent to Guatemala was out of the question .
“ I prefer to die in my hometown , “ said Marilu Leyva , 36 , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband in the Mexican state of Michoacan with her two children , ages 12 and 5 .
She said she got by working on her brother ’ s guava farm but gangs were extorting more money from her brother .
Mexican asylum-seekers waiting in Tijuana come largely from the states of Michoacan and Guerrero , where towns have been terrorized by drug-fueled violence for more than a decade .
Gangs threaten children and young adults to join or face retaliation .
Fernando Cruz , 35 , joined his sister Elizabeth , also 35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state with her 13-year-old son after the boy was ordered to join a gang .
Cruz compared conditions there to Guatemala .
“ The people of Guatemala are looking for a way out and that ’ s why they come to the United States , ” he said .
“ Guatemala is poor and dangerous.
” Mexicans accounted for nearly three-fourths of people who turned themselves in to seek help at official U.S.-Mexico crossing in December — as opposed to those who crossed the border illegally .
They were about evenly split between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families .
The growing profile of Mexican asylum-seekers is due at least in part to them being exempt from a policy to make them wait in Mexico for immigration court hearings in the U.S .
They are also free to travel across Mexico , unlike Central Americans who are increasingly bottled up in southern Mexico due to heightened border enforcement there .
Many of Trump ’ s sweeping changes to immigration policies are being challenged in U.S. court .
On Wednesday , a decision by the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration to divert $ 3.6 billion in military funding to border wall construction .
The 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco heard arguments Thursday on two cases , one on a policy to deny visas to people who don ’ t have or can ’ t afford health insurance and another that seeks to narrow the scope of the policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in the U.S. Associated Press writers Marlon Gonzalez in Tegucigalpa , Honduras , and Sonny Figueroa in Guatemala City contributed @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Prosecutors say judge too lenient on man who plotted bombing

CHICAGO - Federal prosecutors in Chicago say a judge was too lenient in sentencing a man to 16 years in prison for plotting to detonate a car outside a crowded bar .
In a court filing made public Thursday , prosecutors ask the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate the sentence handed Adel Daoud last year by Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman .
Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgia Alexakis contends Coleman improperly characterized Daoud ’ s attempt to bomb the downtown bar in 2012 to “ immaturity , braggadocio and ` what teenage boys do.
’ ” Prosecutors requested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who entered an Alford plea in November 2018 .
Plotting to kill hundreds of innocent people is not “ what teenage boys do , ” Alexakis contends in the 66-page brief .
“ People of any age can appreciate the seriousness of a plan to detonate a 1,000-pound car bomb capable of killing hundreds , and the criminal justice system can not countenance otherwise.
” In imposing the sentence on Daoud last May , Coleman criticized the FBI for appearing to take advantage of Daoud ’ s extreme immaturity .
Prosecutors announced plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the time they announced plans to appeal , defence attorney Thomas Durkin called the move `` cruel , wrongheaded and stupid.
” Daoud , of the Chicago suburb of Hillside , was arrested in an FBI sting in September 2012 after pushing a button on a remote he believed would set off a car bomb powerful enough to destroy much of the block .
Undercover agents had supplied the fake bomb to Daoud , who was 18 at the time , telling him it would kill hundreds of people .
Daoud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his outbursts in court .
Coleman temporarily deemed Daoud mentally unfit for trial in 2016 , concluding he sincerely believed Illuminati and other shadowy figures were out to get him .
Daoud , 26 , is serving his sentence in a federal prison in Kentucky .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Lawyer: Unjust tactics used in election probe of foreigners

NEW YORK - Claims by federal prosecutors that they ’ ve acted lawfully in their probe of two associates of Rudy Giuliani charged with illegally funneling foreign money into U.S. political campaigns only helps prove that they used unfair surveillance tactics to build their case , a defence lawyer said Thursday .
Attorney Gerald Lefcourt said in court papers that the U.S. government showed it has acted improperly by failing to refute defence claims that there were warrant-less interceptions of the defendants ’ oral and written communications .
“ The government has all but admitted it , ” Lefcourt told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two men linked to Giuliani , the former New York City mayor who is also the personal attorney to President Donald Trump , were arrested in October on charges they used foreign money to make illegal campaign contributions .
The men — Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman — have pleaded not guilty .
Lefcourt urged a judge to order the government to conduct a comprehensive agency search to learn about evidence gathered in the case without a warrant so defence lawyers can determine if evidence was derived from illegal searches .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it inconceivable that the U.S. government didn ’ t use tactics in its probe against U.S. citizens that would include gathering information through bulk surveillance programs not subject to judicial and congressional oversight .
Lefcourt said those tactics would enable investigators to see the contents and records of telephone calls , video chats , emails , internet activity and text messages .
He said investigators also might have deployed “ stingrays ” to track cellphones and put malware on personal computers or conducted sweeping internet surveillance .
“ The government refuses to ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Lefcourt wrote .
“ Even worse , despite the deafening silence , the government has seemingly filed with this Court a secret submission justifying it.
” In court papers last week , the government said Lefcourt ’ s request should be denied .
The defendants , prosecutors wrote , “ have no standing to challenge the lawfulness of any underlying surveillance , ” particularly because the government has no plans to introduce any evidence obtained as a result of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act .
The act defines how physical and electronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered .
Prosecutors said Lefcourt ’ s demands were “ insufficient and improper ” and they told a judge that the defence lawyer should not be allowed “ to embark on a fishing expedition through the Government ’ s files.
” “ The Government has complied with its disclosure obligations , and there is no basis to require more , ” they said .
Prosecutors say Parnas and Fruman made illegal donations while lobbying U.S. politicians to oust the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine .
Lefcourt represents Andrey Kukushkin , who along with David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they worked with Parnas and Fruman in a separate scheme to make illegal campaign donations to politicians in several states to support a new recreational marijuana business .
Correia and Kukushkin have also pleaded not guilty .
For the purposes of challenging surveillance , Lefcourt represented them all .
The four defendants are U.S. citizens , but Kukushkin and Parnas were born in Ukraine and Fruman in Belarus .
All are free on bail .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Police kill murder suspect, snarl freeway traffic for hours

NIPTON , Calif. - A 27-year-old man killed his mother and drove about 200 miles ( 322 kilometres ) through the Mojave Desert before he was fatally shot by police on a freeway , stranding motorists for up to 19 hours and backing up traffic for miles on the main route between Southern California and Las Vegas , authorities said .
The investigation began Wednesday when Kern County deputies found 55-year-old Guadalupe Adams dead with “ traumatic injuries “ in Tehachapi , which is about 35 miles ( 56 kilometres ) east of Bakersfield .
Kern County deputies believed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified as the woman ’ s son , Madison Adams — driving a 2017 Nissan was involved in the killing and asked the San Berndardino Sheriff ’ s Department to watch out for him .
Officers from the California Highway Patrol found the Nissan stopped on the freeway ’ s shoulder in Nipton , which is near the Nevada state line .
Authorities from CHP , San Bernardino and the Nevada Highway Patrol conducted a “ high-risk ” traffic stop .
Officers from each agency opened fire , according to San Bernardino sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adams was pronounced dead at the scene .
The motive behind the killing was not immediately disclosed .
Bachman did not have details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting on Thursday , such as if Madison Adams was armed when he was shot .
The investigation closed the northbound Interstate 15 on the California side through 3 p.m. Thursday and caused a backup between 5 and 8 miles ( 8 and 12.87 kilometres ) long .
Some motorists were forced to sit at the roadblock through the night and much of Thursday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Las Vegas Review-Journal that he and his family waited in their vehicle for nearly seven hours at the roadblock from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning before they learned that drivers were being diverted at an exit miles earlier .
He said law enforcement never spoke to drivers stuck there and he finally crossed the median Thursday morning to the freeway ’ s southbound lanes to head back .
He told the newspaper that 30 to 60 vehicles sat at the road block all night and many were still there when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newspaper he was stranded on the freeway for more than an hour early Thursday as he tried to drive from Southern California to Las Vegas .
He said Google Maps only showed a 24-minute delay .
The California Highway Patrol ’ s online traffic log reported that two vehicles ran out of gas on the freeway .
Guadalupe Adams , known as “ Lupe , ” had worked for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2006 .
She was an office technician at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the department .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--US courts rule for border walls both public and private

WASHINGTON - Crews could start building a private border wall in South Texas within the coming days following a federal judge ’ s ruling Thursday that lifted a restraining order against the project .
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ’ s order was the second federal ruling in two days in favour of border barriers .
On Wednesday , the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a lower court ’ s stay that had prevented President Donald Trump ’ s administration from diverting $ 3.6 billion from military construction projects to fund 175 miles ( 280 kilometres ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House on Thursday celebrated the appeals court ’ s ruling , saying it rightfully lifted an “ illegitimate nationwide injunction , ” Crane ’ s ruling actually went against the U.S. government ’ s position .
Fisher Industries , a North Dakota-based construction firm , wants to install 3 miles ( 4.8 kilometres ) of steel posts about 35 feet ( 10 metres ) from the U.S. bank of the Rio Grande , the river that forms the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas .
The company ’ s president , Tommy Fisher , wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private border wall — originally promoted by a pro-Trump online fundraising group — to prove that his company can build barriers more effectively .
The U.S. government sued to stop Fisher on the grounds that building so close to the Rio Grande risked changing the flow of the river and potentially pushing floodwaters into Mexico , in violation of treaty obligations .
The U.S. attorney ’ s office argued the project could shift the river and the international boundary , which violated the president ’ s authority “ to conduct the foreign relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fencing and the small sections that the government is currently building typically run along the Rio Grande levee or through property a significant distance away from the river .
The U.S. is currently working to seize private land to build more sections of wall in Texas .
Crane issued a restraining order in December , but lifted that order Thursday .
He also declined to grant a restraining order at the request of the National Butterfly Center , a non-profit located next to the South Texas construction site .
The butterfly centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so close to the river could worsen erosion and potentially damage other land .
Fisher Industries has submitted documents to the government that argue installing fence posts and clearing and grading the land will reduce flooding , though environmentalists disagree with that claim .
Speaking after the hearing Thursday , Fisher said his work crews were ready to start working Sunday and could install all of the steel posts in a week .
“ We look forward to showing the whole entire world that you can have border protection where you need it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre had been in the path of a potential border wall for years until Congress effectively exempted it and several other environmentally sensitive areas and cultural sites .
Marianna Trevino Wright , the centre ’ s executive director , said Thursday ’ s ruling “ makes you wonder when it ’ s going to end and how many more of these proxies are there.
“ At the 5th Circuit , the 2-1 ruling announced Wednesday allows the government to move forward with 11 projects in California , Arizona , New Mexico and Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far would span 52 miles ( 83 kilometres ) in Laredo , Texas , at an estimated cost of $ 1.27 billion .
The court noted that the Supreme Court in July had stayed a similar injunction , clearing the way for the Trump administration to tap billions of dollars in Pentagon funds to build sections of border wall .
“ The Government is entitled to the same relief here , ” the three-judge panel wrote .
President Donald Trump tweeted about the ruling and wrote that the “ Entire Wall is under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said on Thursday that the court had lifted an “ illegitimate nationwide injunction ” and in doing so had allowed work on the border wall to continue with military construction money .
“ We will finish the wall , ” she said in a statement .
Opponents of the Trump administration ’ s actions had welcomed the earlier district court ruling that had put the work on hold , calling the Republican president ’ s actions an “ outrageous power grab.
” They noted that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall .

Nomaan Merchant And Kevin Freking - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--US-Honduras finalize implementation steps on asylum deal

TEGUCIGALPA , Honduras - U.S. acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Thursday on a visit to Honduras that the two countries had finalized the steps on implementing an agreement that would send third country asylum seekers from the United States to Honduras .
Wolf said implementation would begin in the coming weeks .
“ To build asylum capacity in Honduras smoothly and efficiently we plan to implement in phases , which will allow us to gradually roll out the program while working through operational considerations and questions on a small scale and assuring that the Honduran asylum system is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The agreement “ also serves a security purpose , ” Wolf said .
“ With access to protections in Honduras and throughout the region fewer individuals will make the dangerous journey to the United States.
“ Wolf ’ s meetings with Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández come as the United States expands plans to send asylum seekers to Central America .
Beginning in July with Guatemala , the U.S. signed bilateral agreements with the governments of the so-called “ Northern Triangle ” countries — Guatemala , Honduras and El Salvador — that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third countries .
In November , the U.S. began sending Hondurans and Salvadorans to Guatemala under the agreement .
It argued that migrants seeking asylum should request it in the first safe country they enter .
This week the U.S. confirmed plans to begin sending Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala as well .
Outgoing Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales denied Wednesday his government had agreed to receive Mexican asylum seekers .
Of 94 foreign asylum seekers sent to Guatemala by the U.S. government , only six requested asylum there .
In exchange , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region ’ s economic development , an exchange Wolf highlighted Thursday .
“ As you continue to do more to secure your borders , dismantle gangs and cartels and implement our asylum agreement , the United States government will continue to invest in and support the economic growth in Honduras , ” he said .
Critics have pointed out that these are three of the most dangerous countries in the world and have been the main sending countries responsible for hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving at the U.S. border in recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its citizens deported from the U.S. , according to government data .
Itsmania Platero , a migrant advocate working closely with organizations in Mexico and the International Organization for Migration said she believed the U.S. would begin sending asylum seekers to Honduras by the end of January .
Ultimately , the measures are aimed at dissuading migrants from travelling to the U.S. border .
Graco Pérez , an immigration analyst , said Honduras is not prepared to receive foreign asylum seekers .
“ The Hondurans who are sent back will look for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory , but in the case of the foreigners the country committed to provide them with health , security , education and employment so they can remain in the country in a decent way , but the government hasn ’ t made any announcement that it created those conditions , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Man convicted of beating mother to death with a baseball bat

TAMPA , Fla. - A 21-year-old Florida man was convicted Thursday of beating his mother to death with a baseball bat .
A Hillsborough County jury took less than an hour to find Joshua Carmona guilty of first-degree murder , the Tampa Bay Times reported .
He faces a life sentence .
Defence attorneys didn ’ t deny that Carmona killed his mother , but argued there was no premeditation .
“ This was an 18-year-old teenager spiraling out of control , ” Assistant Public Defender Dana Herce-Fulgueira said in closing arguments .
Prosecutors cited Carmona ’ s detailed confession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conscious choice to kill his mother in March 2017 on her 39th birthday .
“ Today , I woke up and I decided , “ Carmona told detectives in a video-recorded interview .
“ I killed my mom today.
” Assistant State Attorney Jay Pruner emphasized a number of statements Carmona made in the video .
“ He talks about decisions and he talks about plans , ” Pruner said .
“ Decisions and plans are conscious efforts , conscious mental efforts to sort through options ... you can see the deliberate steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On the day Tahirih D ’ Angelo was killed , she left the family ’ s Riverview townhouse and returned a short time later .
Camrona told investigators that he directed her attention to part of a banister that he ’ d smashed with a baseball bat .
As she looked at the damage , he began striking her in the head .
After she appeared to be dead , Camrona retrieved a knife from the kitchen and cut his mother ’ s neck , according to authorities .
Camrona later took his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his then 3-year-old half-sister at day care .
He said he spent some time with a friend at a local park .
He eventually drove off , leaving the little girl with his friend .
He was arrested hours later in Tampa .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-09--Iran says jet tried to turn back after takeoff, Ukraine probes many theories for what happened to Fl

Iran says jet tried to turn back after takeoff, Ukraine probes many theories for what happened to Flight 752

WASHINGTON - It is “ highly likely ” that Iran shot down the civilian Ukrainian jetliner that crashed near Tehran late Tuesday , killing all 176 people on board , U.S. , Canadian and British officials declared Thursday .
They said the fiery missile strike could well have been a mistake amid rocket launches and high tension throughout the region .
The crash came just a few hours after Iran launched a ballistic attack against Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops in its violent confrontation with Washington over the U.S. drone strike that killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a threat , said four U.S. officials , speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , whose country lost at least 63 citizens in the downing , said in Toronto : “ We have intelligence from multiple sources including our allies and our own intelligence .
The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile.
” Likewise , U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said , “ There is now a body of information that the flight was shot down by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 176 people were killed as collateral damage in the Iranian-U.S. conflict cast a new pall over what had at first appeared to be a relatively calm aftermath following the U.S. military operation that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani .
It was not immediately clear how the U.S. and its allies would react .
Despite efforts by Washington and Tehran to step back from the brink of possible war , the region remained on edge after the killing of the Iranian general and Iran ’ s retaliatory missile strikes .
U.S. troops were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , President Donald Trump suggested he believed Iran was responsible for the shootdown and dismissed Iran ’ s initial claim that it was a mechanical issue with the plane .
“ Somebody could have made a mistake on the other side.
“ Trump said , noting the plane was flying in a “ pretty rough neighbourhood.
” Late Thursday , the U.S. House approved a measure that aims to bar any further military action against Iran without congressional approval .
However , the resolution approved by the Democratic-majority House is nonbinding and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could pass the Republican-controlled Senate .
As for the airliner shootdown , the U.S. officials wouldn ’ t say what intelligence they had that pointed to an Iranian missile .
But they acknowledged the existence of satellites and other sensors in the region , as well as the likelihood of communication interceptions and other similar intelligence .
The New York Times posted a video Thursday it said it had verified showing the moment the apparent missile struck the plane over Iran .
The video shows a fast-moving object rising before a fiery explosion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then continues in a different direction .
A preliminary Iranian investigative report released Thursday said that the airliner pilots never made a radio call for help and that the aircraft was trying to turn back for the airport when the burning plane went down .
The Iranian report suggested that a sudden emergency struck the Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines late Tuesday , when it crashed , just minutes after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran .
Investigators from Iran ’ s Civil Aviation Organization offered no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iranian officials initially blamed a technical malfunction for the crash , something backed by Ukrainian officials before they said they wouldn ’ t speculate amid an ongoing investigation .
Before the U.S. assessment , Iran ’ s state-run IRNA news agency quoted Hasan Rezaeifa , the head of the of civil aviation accident investigation commission , claiming that “ the topics of rocket , missile or anti-aircraft system is ruled out.
” The Ukrainian International Airlines took off at 6:12 a.m. Wednesday , Tehran time , after nearly an hour ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airport , the main airport for travellers in Iran .
It gained altitude heading west , reaching nearly 8,000 feet , according to both the report and flight-tracking data .
Then something went wrong , though “ no radio messages were received from the pilot regarding unusual situations , ” the report said .
In emergencies , pilots reach out to air-traffic controllers to warn them and to clear the runway for their arrival , though their first priority is to keep the aircraft flying .
Eyewitnesses , including the crew of another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plane engulfed in flames before crashing at 6:18 a.m. , the report said .
The crash caused a massive explosion when the plane hit the ground , likely because the aircraft had been fully loaded with fuel for the flight to Kyiv , Ukraine .
The report also confirmed that both of the “ black boxes ” that contain data and cockpit communications from the plane had been recovered , though they sustained damage and some parts of their memory was lost .
Hours before the plane crash the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. carriers and pilots from flying over areas of Iraqi , Iranian and some Persian Gulf airspace warning of the “ potential for miscalculation or misidentification ” for civilian aircraft due to heightened political and military tensions .
Oleksiy Danilov , secretary of Ukraine ’ s Security Council , told Ukrainian media that officials had several working theories regarding the crash , including a missile strike .
“ A strike by a missile , possibly a Tor missile system , is among the main ( theories ) , as information has surfaced on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being found near the site of the crash , ” Danilov said .
Ukrainian investigators who arrived in Iran on Thursday awaited permission from Iranian authorities to examine the crash site and look for missile fragments , Danilov said .
The Tor is a Russian-made missile system .
Russia delivered 29 Tor-M1s to Iran in 2007 , and Iran has displayed the missiles in military parades .
Iran did not immediately respond to the Ukrainian comments .
However , Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi , the spokesman of the Iranian armed forces , denied a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported Wednesday by the semiofficial Fars news agency .
He dismissed the allegation as “ psychological warfare ” by foreign-based Iranian opposition groups .
Ukraine has a grim history with missile attacks , including in July 2014 when one such strike downed a Malaysian Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine , killing all 298 people aboard .
The plane was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries , including 82 Iranians , at least 63 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians , according to officials .
Many of the passengers were believed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; they were making their way back to Toronto by way of Kyiv after visiting with family during the winter break .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said , “ Undoubtedly , the priority for Ukraine is to identify the causes of the plane crash .
We will surely find out the truth.
” The crash ranked among the worst losses of life for Canadians in an aviation disaster .
The flag over Parliament in Ottawa was lowered to half-staff , and Prime Minister Trudeau vowed to get to the bottom of the disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Transportation Safety Board , is talking to the State Department and the Treasury Department about travelling to Iran to inspect the U.S.-built aircraft and working with Iranian authorities despite U.S. economic sanctions against that country .
Federal officials are concerned about sending employees to Iran because of the heightened tensions .

Lolita C. Baldor And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Mother of 5 found beaten to death in Philadelphia home

PHILADELPHIA - Police on Friday were searching for a suspect who killed a mother of five inside her Philadelphia home .
The 25-year-old ’ s mother called police after finding the back door kicked in on Thursday night and officers discovered the woman dead in an upstairs bedroom , police said .
There were signs of a struggle and she likely died of blunt force trauma to the head , police said .
No weapon was found .
“ We ’ re just not sure what it ’ s over yet .
We don ’ t have many problems in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty well-kept neighbourhood .
We don ’ t have many issues , so we think it was someone who knew who this person was at this point , ” police Capt .
John Walker said .
The attack took place in the city ’ s Mayfair neighbourhood .
The woman ’ s two biological children and three foster children were not home at the time and were watched by neighbours during the day , police said .
The biological children were taken to their father , while the foster children were turned over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose name has not been released , drove a school bus .
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