thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Woman charged with killing kids faced child-welfare scrutiny

PHOENIX - A woman charged with murder in the deaths of her three young kids in Phoenix was the subject of several home visits by police and child-welfare authorities when she previously lived in Oklahoma , according to police reports .
The reports released Friday by police in Prague , Oklahoma , say a relative was given custody of Rachel Henry ’ s children for seven days in August 2018 while child-welfare authorities decided whether to take them away permanently or return them to their mother .
The children were temporarily taken away because Henry was caught at her apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who had been accused earlier of threatening Henry and one of her children , according to the reports .
Child-welfare authorities , who were trying to get Henry into another home , had warned her that her children would be taken away if she returned to the apartment or was seen with Rios .
Henry , 22 , is charged with first-degree murder in Monday ’ s killings of 3-year-old Zane Henry , 7-month-old Catalaya Rios and Miraya Henry , who would have turned 2 years old next week .
Prosecutors said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addiction and that her children had previously been removed from their home by child-welfare authorities in Oklahoma due to issues related to her drug problem .
Henry ’ s family moved to Phoenix in June .
The Arizona Department of Child Safety said it didn ’ t have any earlier contacts or abuse reports involving the family .
No motive for the killings has emerged .
Authorities say Henry wasn ’ t under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the killings .
Attorney Alan Tavassoli , who represents Henry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t return a call seeking comment on the criminal charges against his client and her earlier dealings with child-welfare authorities .
Efforts to get comment from Rios , who doesn ’ t have a listed phone number , were unsuccessful .
Court records say other people were at the home , but police declined to say whether any of them were there when the children were suffocated .
No one else has been charged .
Police in Oklahoma said Henry was still living with Rios in August 2018 when an officer showed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the children .
Henry told police that the children were staying with a friend , but the friend said she didn ’ t have them on that given day , according to the reports .
Four days later , an officer and child-welfare employee went to check on the children again .
Initially , Henry denied the children were in the apartment , but she finally acknowledged they were there after a baby was heard crying in a bedroom .
When Henry was asked whether she had left the children alone while she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the bathroom .
Henry and child-welfare authorities agreed to have the children stay with a relative while it was decided whether the mother would get them back , according to the reports .
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services , which provides child protective services , has declined to provide specifics on Henry ’ s case , but issued a statement Friday saying the Henry case was heartbreaking .
“ While Oklahoma ’ s confidentiality statutes prevent us from speaking to this case specifically , we can say that , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems have various intervention methods to ensure child safety , ” the agency said .
“ Many of these intervention methods do not include removal from a parent , but can include services and resources to preserve or strengthen the protective capacities of the parent or caretaker.
” The agency has declined to say whether it had a method for informing other states about parents who had run into trouble with child-welfare authorities .


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--At least 18 dead, hundreds hurt as quake hits eastern Turkey

ANKARA , Turkey - A 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocked a sparsely-populated part of eastern Turkey on Friday , killing at least 18 people , injuring more than 500 and leaving some 30 trapped in the wreckage of toppled buildings , Turkish officials said .
Rescue teams from neighbouring provinces were dispatched to the affected areas , working in the dark with floodlights in the freezing cold , and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said troops were on standby to help .
Hundreds of residents were left homeless or with damaged homes .
TV footage showed rescuers pull out one injured person from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the district of Gezin , in the eastern Elazig province .
Around 30 were believed to be trapped inside collapsed structures in Elazig province , Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said .
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca , who travelled to the afflicted area together with Soylu , said 13 people were killed in Elazig , including two people who suffered heart attacks , and five others died in Malatya .
A total of 553 people were hurt , including 11 who were in serious condition .
Some 30 buildings had collapsed from the quake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murat Kurum , the environment minister .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that all measures were being taken to “ ensure that the earthquake that occurred in Elazig and was felt in many provinces is overcome with the least amount of loss.
” The quake struck at 1755 GMT , 8:55 p.m. local time , at a depth of 6.7 kilometres near the town of Sivrice in Elazig , the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency , or AFAD , said .
It was followed by several aftershocks , the strongest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is some 750 kilometres ( 465 miles ) east of the capital , Ankara .
People in Elazig whose homes were damaged or were too afraid to go indoors were being moved to student dormitories or sports centre amid freezing conditions .
Elazig Governor Cetin Oktay Kaldirim told NTV television that a fire broke out in a building in Sivrice , near the epicenter , but was quickly brought under control .
Interior Minister Soylu was at a meeting on earthquake preparedness when the quake struck .
The Kandilli seismology centre in Istanbul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Geological Survey gave the preliminary magnitude as 6.7 , and said the quake affected not only Turkey but also Syria , Georgia and Armenia .
NTV said the earthquake was felt in several Turkish provinces and sent people running outdoors in panic .
Turkey sits on top of two major fault-lines and earthquakes are frequent .
Two strong earthquakes struck northwest Turkey in 1999 , killing around 18,000 people .

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thetorontostar--2020-01-24--NFL player Antonio Brown released on bail by Florida judge

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. - NFL free agent Antonio Brown was released on bail Friday after a night in a Florida jail , where he turned himself in to face charges that he and his trainer attacked the driver of a moving truck that carried some of his possessions from California .
Broward County Judge Corey Amanda Cawthon set a $ 110,000 bond and imposed conditions including surrendering his passport , wearing a GPS monitor , possessing no weapons or ammunition , and agreeing to a mental health evaluation and random drug testing .
Brown was released a few hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brown , 31 , had appeared via video in a green jail outfit , with his wrists shackled .
He spoke only to answer the judge ’ s questions .
Prosecutors had sought no bail , pointing out that the wide receiver is a wealthy sports figure who is a risk of flight if released .
They noted that police had been called to his Florida home 18 times since December , for various reasons .
But one of Brown ’ s lawyers , Eric Schwartzreich , said Brown deserved credit for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flee .
“ He could have clearly left .
He ’ s not going to go anywhere , ” Schwartzreich said .
“ He wanted to turn himself in.
” Brown was one of the NFL ’ s top wide receivers during his nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers .
He was traded to the Oakland Raiders last year but released before ever playing a regular season game following several off-the-field incidents .
He was then signed by the New England Patriots , who released Brown in September after a second woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A Hollywood police statement said Brown ’ s arrest warrant included charges of burglary with battery , burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief .
Officials responded Tuesday afternoon to a disturbance call where the alleged victim said Brown and his trainer , Glenn Holt , hit him outside Brown ’ s Hollywood home .
Holt was arrested and charged with one count of burglary with battery , but officials couldn ’ t make contact with Brown at the time .
According to a police arrest report , the altercation began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusal to pay $ 4,000 to the driver to release his household goods .
The driver called police and reported vandalism after he said Brown threw a rock as he drove away , causing a small dent and chipping the paint , an officer wrote .
The driver later returned when the manager of his company told him that Brown would now pay the $ 4,000 , and an additional $ 860 for the damage and the driver ’ s time .
Brown then paid the $ 4,000 , but refused to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the van to call his company , and that ’ s when Brown “ started another verbal argument , ” police said .
“ Brown stepped up into the cabin of the vehicle and started to physically grab and pull ( the driver ) , ” while Holt “ entered the vehicle and grabbed the keys from the ignition , ” police said .
The driver tried to get the keys back and cut his hand in the process , according to the report .
Police say the driver suffered injuries including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arm , a cut on his finger and a scrape on his stomach .
Holt then used the keys to open the truck , while Brown “ and other unidentified friends ” began removing boxes .
The boxes , however , belonged to another client , police said .
When the driver told them so , Brown and the others “ started tossing the items back into the truck causing damage to some of the property , ” an officer wrote .
Hollywood police were called again , and when officers arrived , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shut the door .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Fitch upgrades Greek credit rating by 1 notch to BB

ATHENS , Greece - Fitch ratings agency on Friday raised Greece ’ s credit rating by one notch to BB with a positive outlook , implying that a further upgrade could come in the future .
The country emerged from a ten-year financial crisis in 2018 , and its credit is still rated between two and four notches below investment grade by major agencies .
That means many investors will hesitate to buy Greek government bonds — which , however , have rallied considerably in recent months amid improving economic data and a strong appetite for the comparably high returns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Staikouras welcomed the upgrade , noting that it brings Greek bonds closer to investment grade — under Fitch ’ s rating system it ’ s still two notches shy .
Greece saw its credit ratings plunge in 2010 , when it was revealed that key financial data had been previously misreported and the budget deficit would be several times the initial forecast .
The country lost market access as investors shunned its bonds , and was forced to sign a series of international bailouts to keep afloat .
It ’ s now back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a growing economy , and has engaged in several successful bond issues .
“ Debt sustainability continues to improve , underpinned by a stable political backdrop , sustained GDP growth and a continuing track record of fiscal outperformance against targets , ” Fitch said .
It added that the six-month-old centre-right government “ has made swift progress in reducing tax rates on labour and capital and starting to address banking sector asset quality issues.
” Fitch said Greek government debt is set to decline steadily from the peak of 181.2 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 , and forecast real GDP growth of 2.5 % in 2020 and 2021 , from 2.2 % last year .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Trump campaign complains to debate commission about fairness

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s campaign raised concerns to the nonpartisan presidential debate commission about fairness and the selection of moderators for the 2020 general election cycle , the campaign and the Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed Friday .
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and senior adviser Michael Glassner last month met with Frank Fahrenkopf , the co-founder and co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates , to echo the president ’ s complaints about the upcoming debates .
“ I look very much forward to debating whoever the lucky person is who stumbles across the finish line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Debates , ” Trump tweeted last month .
“ The problem , ” Trump claimed , “ is that the so-called Commission on Presidential Debates is stacked with Trump Haters & Never Trumpers .
3 years ago they were forced to publicly apologize for modulating my microphone in the first debate against Crooked Hillary .
As President , the debates are up to me , and there are many options , including doing them directly & avoiding the nasty politics of this very biased Commission.
” In actuality , the commission acknowledged after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York that “ there were issues regarding Donald Trump ’ s audio that affected the sound level in the debate hall , ” but it did not apologize .
The Trump campaign indicated to the commission in the Dec. 19 meeting that it planned to have the president participate in the debates but wanted reassurances about the fairness of the process and floated the idea of skipping them .
The campaign has held internal discussions about going around the Commission on Presidential Debates this cycle in organizing debates with other organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the logistical and legal hurdles that would have to be surmounted for that to happen and expressed the preference of working through the commission ’ s process .
The commission has already selected venues and dates for the cycle , cross-referencing religious holidays , the sports calendar and venue availability to select nights for three debates between the presidential nominees and one for the vice-presidential nominees .
The moderators won ’ t be selected until August , but the Trump campaign is seeking to influence their selection in advance .
“ We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are more geared toward informing the American people than to boosting the careers of the moderators , ” said Tim Murtaugh , the Trump campaign ’ s communications director .
Trump ’ s advisers have seen no downside in pushing the commission , believing that there is an opportunity to work the refs for a friendly moderator now , before the Democrats select a nominee .
Trump ’ s distrust of the commission began even before the first general election debate in 2016 , when he worried that the nonpartisan organization made up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get him .
He believed those fears were confirmed when he experienced audio issues in the debate hall in his first contest with Democrat Hillary Clinton .
The television feed was unaffected .
The Trump campaign and the commission clashed ahead of the second debate , when the Trump campaign , in a surprise move , sought to use tickets reserved for family to seat women who accused Clinton ’ s husband , former President Bill Clinton , of sexual misconduct in the front of the debate hall .
The campaign ultimately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hall .
Trump also repeatedly complained about Megyn Kelly , the-then Fox News host who was one of the moderators for the first Republican primary debate in 2015 , believing her questions to him in the non-Commission on Presidential Debates event were unfair .
In the meeting , Fahrenkopf walked the Trump officials through the neutrality requirements for commission board members .
The campaign ’ s meeting with the commission was first reported by The New York Times and The Washington Post .
It ’ s not unusual for campaigns to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Debates well before the quadrennial nominating conventions , as they seek to negotiate specific rules and influence the selection of moderators .
To the commission , the Trump campaign effort is just a continuation of that tradition .
Follow Miller on Twitter at http : //twitter.com/ @ zekejmiller and Lemire at http : //twitter.com/ @ JonLemire Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

By Zeke Miller And Jonathan Lemire - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--GOP shows little desire for witnesses ahead of critical vote

WASHINGTON - Republicans in the Senate appear unmoved by the Democratic push for witnesses in President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial despite persistent appeals from Rep. Adam Schiff and the other House prosecutors .
Over three days of arguments , Democrats warned that the senators will live to regret not delving deeper into Trump ’ s dealings with Ukraine .
One of the managers , House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler , even told them it was “ treacherous ” to vote against gathering more evidence .
Yet there ’ s no indication the Democrats are moving closer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party in a critical vote expected next week — the minimum needed to reach a majority for subpoenas and extend a trial that seems on track for Trump ’ s acquittal .
“ As someone who has enjoyed really fairly strong working relationships with a lot of my colleagues , I ’ ve been struck by how little outreach and conversation there has been ” about calling witnesses , said Delaware Sen. Chris Coons , a Democrat who has often been at the centre of bipartisan negotiations .
“ I understand that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment , but I ’ m hoping that some conversations will begin .
But so far there have been strikingly few.
” Most Republicans have solidified around the argument that the House should have sued for the witnesses who refused to testify in the House on Trump ’ s orders , rather than looked to the Senate to compel their testimony .
Others have suggested that the case hasn ’ t been convincing enough .
The central witness that Democrats are seeking is former national security adviser John Bolton , who was present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House ’ s impeachment inquiry .
Bolton , who often clashed with Trump , refused to talk to House investigators but has said he would testify in a Senate trial .
“ We have heard plenty , ” said Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso , the Senate ’ s No .
3 Republican .
“ They shouldn ’ t need any more information to make the final decision.
“ A GOP senator who is in a tough re-election this year , Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner , also appeared to dismiss the idea Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an elevator .
“ We ’ ve heard from a lot of impeachment witnesses , “ Gardner said , referring to those who testified in the House .
Republicans say privately that beyond the potential for damaging information to come out about Trump , they don ’ t believe it would benefit themselves politically to hear witnesses .
One top GOP aide said there ’ s no political gain in working with Democrats — and no reward inside the Senate for tackling the idea .
A senior Senate Republican said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that witnesses are unlikely to move public opinion , cements their views .
Democrats only need a simple majority of the Senate to call witnesses , but two-thirds of the chamber must vote to convict .
Both Republicans requested anonymity to discuss internal party deliberations .
Those dynamics could certainly change in a fast-moving trial where evidence has continued to come out .
Democrats are hoping for a dramatic moment similar to when the late Sen. John McCain unexpectedly voted in 2017 against legislation that would have led to repeal of President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , killing the bill .
And Schiff and the impeachment managers are working to convince Republicans , one by one .
“ This is not a trial over a speeding ticket or shoplifting , ” Schiff told senators during arguments Friday .
“ This is an impeachment trial involving the president of the United States .
These witnesses have important first-hand testimony to offer .
The House wishes to call them in the name of the American people , and the American people overwhelmingly want to hear what they have to say.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research , about 7 in 10 respondents — including majorities of Republicans and Democrats — said Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses .
The poll showed the public slightly more likely to say the Senate should convict and remove Trump from office than to say it should not , 45 % to 40 % .
But a sizable percentage , 14 % , said they didn ’ t know enough to have an opinion .
The battle for witnesses has been largely focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a moderate up for re-election who has said she is “ likely ” to want to hear from them ; Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , who has said he wants to hear from Bolton ; Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski , who worked with Collins to ensure there would be a vote on witnesses ; and Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander , who has so far remained quiet on how he will vote .
Alexander is thought to be the the least certain of the four .
“ I think the question is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to hear witnesses ?
Do we need more documents ?
” Alexander said Friday .
He said “ that question can only be answered ” after both the prosecution and the president ’ s defence finish their arguments , likely the middle of the next week .
As Democrats see it , they are only one or two votes away from a trial that could bring heaps of new evidence against Trump .
There are 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats in the Senate , and a tie vote would mean the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Republican resistance to hearing more evidence has been infuriating to Democrats who say the GOP is trying to cover up Trump ’ s wrongdoing .
The two articles of impeachment charge him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after he pushed Ukraine to announce investigations of Democrats .
At the time , Trump was withholding military aid to the country .
Sen. Sherrod Brown , D-Ohio , says he doesn ’ t see any kind of bipartisan group forming to negotiate the witness question , and charged that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
The GOP leader has strongly supported Trump and signalled that he doesn ’ t want to prolong the trial with new documents and testimony .
“ This place is replete with head fakes that ‘ we ’ re going to stand up to McConnell , ” said Brown , referring to Republicans .
“ And in the end it looks like 52 sheep and McConnell .
”

Mary Clare Jalonick And Andrew Taylor - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Use of ‘rescues’ by Mexican migration officials criticized

MEXICO CITY - The headline on a statement from Mexico ’ s National Immigration Institute read : “ INM rescues 800 Central American migrants who entered ( Mexico ) today irregularly.
” For many people who watched the moments when hundreds of Mexican national guardsmen with helmets and riot shields confronted hundreds of migrants who had been resting in the shade after walking up a highway all morning , “ rescue ” didn ’ t seem to be the right word .
Defenders of migrants ’ rights say rescues typically don ’ t involve spraying those being rescued with pepper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t run away from their rescuers .
But such euphemisms have become the language immigration policy and not just in Mexico .
The same terminology has been employed in Europe for immigrants crossing the Mediterranean , though sometimes those migrants are in unseaworthy vessels in need of assistance .
The same statement Thursday from Mexico ’ s immigration agency said the migrants were taken to “ migration shelters , ” which is a step beyond the agency ’ s previous language calling its detention centres “ immigration stations.
“ Mexico ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue ” for years .
Sometimes it has seemed a plausible fit , like when immigration agents find 100 migrants stuffed into the back of a trailer in sweltering heat and the driver has run off .
There no doubt are times when migrants require rescuing .
The U.S. Border Patrol uses the term as well — also at times in dubious situations — though most often in scenarios including migrants lost in the desert without water , a migrant drowning in the Rio Grande , migrants found in the back of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had entered Mexico by crossing a river , not through immigration controls , so critics wondered why authorities didn ’ t just say they were detained ?
Mexico ’ s National Immigration Institute did not immediately respond to questions about its terminology .
Sergio Prieto Díaz , chair of the Migration and Trans-border Processes group at the College of the Southern Border , said the government ’ s language is aimed at justifying and obscuring what is really happening .
“ What they ’ re achieving with this term in a way is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration at the border , ” Prieto said .
“ It ’ s sketching the state as protector and guarantor of people travelling in an unprotected and risky way.
“ The “ paternalistic ” use of the word de-legitimizes the migrants , he said .
“ Because the image that they ultimately want to give is this notion that they are rescuing people who act irrationally , who embark on unnecessary dangers , who risk their lives and the lives of their children almost they would say without reason.
” President Andrés Manuel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word rescue when talking about the migrants Friday , but he expressed satisfaction with the actions of National Guard and applauded their restraint .
He said he had instructed Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard to make sure the migrants remained safe all the way back to their countries .
“ Be careful with the security , throughout the assisted returns , ” López Obrador said he told him , employing the latest bureaucratic euphemism for deportations .

Christopher Sherman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Michigan court reverses murder conviction, cites rap videos

DETROIT - The Michigan Supreme Court unanimously threw out a murder conviction Friday , saying YouTube rap videos spoiled the verdict by portraying the defendant as a “ ruthless and menacing threat to the community.
” Jamal Bennett is serving a 32-year prison sentence for the fatal shooting of another man during a fight at a Grand Rapids party in 2013 .
A Kent County jury saw two videos at trial , titled “ Shooters ” and “ Cherry Bandana , ” with Bennett and others rapping about drinking , smoking , guns , shootings and sex .
Prosecutors said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bennett knew people at the party .
Prosecutors told the Supreme Court that the videos shouldn ’ t spoil the second-degree murder conviction , even if the trial judge was wrong to allow them as evidence .
The justices , however , disagreed .
The Supreme Court noted that Bennett , now 25 , had offered self-defence and a defence-of-others theme at his trial .
Bennett ’ s “ state-of-mind , not his identity , was the principal question before the jury , ” the court said .
“ Defendant has sustained his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial as a whole , admission of the rap videos undermined the reliability of the verdict , ” the court said .
“ These videos portrayed defendant as a ruthless and menacing threat to the community who would shoot upon the least provocation.
” The court reversed a decision by the Michigan appeals court , which said the videos were a harmless error when measured against strong evidence against Bennett .
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said a second trial is likely .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Ex-Mexican police official faces drug-trafficking charges

NEW YORK - A former Mexican intelligence unit commander who was a main point of contact for intelligence sharing between U.S. agencies and Mexican federal police pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in federal court in New York on Friday .
Authorities say Ivan Reyes Arzate received thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for assisting Mexican cartels to ship cocaine to the United States .
Federal prosecutors say one of the cartels Arzate assisted , El Seguimiento 39 , is associated with the Sinaloa cartel , whose former leader is Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman .
Arzate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the mid-2000s to the Beltran Leyva Organization , which was then a faction of Guzman ’ s cartel .
Arzate , 57 , was arraigned in Brooklyn federal court before Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak , who ordered him held without bail .
His lawyer , Mark DeMarco , did not comment to the media after the arraignment .
According to the indictment , Arzate was a police officer assigned to the Sensitive Investigative Units from 2003 to 2016 , and in 2008 he was appointed commander of the unit , making him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact for information sharing between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement assigned to these units .
But in 2017 Arzate turned himself over to American officials .
The following year a federal judge in Chicago handed Arzate a three-year prison sentence on charges he divulged American investigative secrets to cartel bosses in Mexico .
He drew on access to U.S. intelligence to help unmask a cartel informant , who was later tortured and killed , according to filings by prosecutors .
On Friday , a prosecutor requested the case against Arzate to be reassigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who presided over last year ’ s trial of Guzman .
The prosecutor , Michael Robotti , said in a letter to the court that the case of Arzate is likely related to Guzmán because the facts arise out of the same criminal schemes , transactions and events .
He also said the case is related to that of Mexico ’ s former top security official , Genaro García Luna , who is fighting charges he took tens of millions of dollars in bribes to protect Guzman ’ s Sinaloa cartel .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feb. 19 .


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Pompeo heads to Ukraine next week to meet with president

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Ukraine next week , making his first trip to the country at the heart of President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment .
As Trump ’ s Senate trial on impeachment charges continues , the State Department announced Friday that Pompeo would travel to Kyiv as part of a five-nation tour of Europe and Central Asia .
Since November , Pompeo has twice cancelled plans to visit Ukraine , most recently just after the New Year when developments with Iran forced him to postpone the trip .
Pompeo will also visit Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the European Union , along with Belarus , Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan .
Trump ’ s impeachment on charges of abuse of office and obstruction of Congress hinges on his policy toward Ukraine .
Witnesses told House investigators that Trump wanted Ukraine to announce an investigation into former Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s son in return for releasing critical military aid to Ukraine .
Pompeo has sought to stay above the impeachment fray and his stop in Ukraine will likely test his ability to continue to do so while leading diplomatic efforts to boost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been complicated by the process .
One of the impeachment witnesses , William Taylor , was until Jan. 1 the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine .
Pompeo had appointed Taylor to the post over the summer to take over from Marie Yovanovitch , whose tour was abruptly cut short last May after Trump ’ s personal attorney Rudolph Giuliani made unsubstantiated allegations against her .
Yovanovitch testified that Trump supporters had mounted a smear campaign against her .
Just before the trip was announced , Giuliani said he would be presenting evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Such allegations , even if they are unfounded , may distract from Pompeo ’ s mission in Kyiv , which is to show U.S. support for the country in the face of Russian aggression .
Taylor departed Kyiv just a day before Pompeo was to have arrived on his previously planned trip .
The position was temporary and time-limited by law but his tenure could have lasted until mid-January .
His departure prompted complaints from lawmakers that his departure was similar to Yovanovitch ’ s early recall and sent a poor message to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more generally , as well as to Ukrainian authorities .
Pompeo responded testily on Friday when asked about Ukraine and Yovanovitch in an interview with NPR ’ s Mary Louise Kelly .
Repeating a frequent talking point , he said the Trump administration had done more for Ukraine than President Barack Obama had done , including supplying the country with lethal defensive weaponry .
“ This administration has delivered the capability for the Ukrainians to defend themselves , ” he said .
“ President Obama showed up with MREs , we showed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did nothing to take down corruption in Ukraine .
We ’ re working hard on that .
We ’ re going to continue to do it.
” The Obama administration pushed Ukraine to do more to fight endemic corruption .
Asked about Yovanovitch , who is still employed by the State Department , Pompeo replied : “ I ’ ll say only this : I have defended every State Department official .
We have built a great team .
I have defended every single person on this team .
I have done what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this team.
” After the interview , Pompeo shouted his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine , repeatedly using expletives , according to Kelly .
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
In Kyiv , Pompeo will meet with Ukraine ’ s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , whose July 25 phone call with Trump triggered the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
In that call , Trump disparaged Yovanovitch and asked Zelenskiy for “ a favour , ” suggesting he wanted Ukrainian authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden , for corruption .
Trump has said the call was “ perfect ” and has denied doing anything wrong .
In his meetings , Pompeo will “ reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine ’ s sovereignty and territorial integrity ” as the country continues to battle Russia-backed separatists in the east , the State Department said .
Pompeo also will honour Ukrainians who have died in the conflict , which intensified after Russia annexed Ukraine ’ s Crimea peninsula in 2014 , in a move condemned and rejected by most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo would underscore that the U.S. will never recognize Russia ’ s annexation of Crimea .
The senior official , who previewed Pompeo ’ s ultimately postponed trip , said the secretary would discuss Zelenskiy ’ s anti-corruption efforts but would not comment on whether the secretary would raise Trump ’ s desire for an investigation into Hunter Biden and his role on the board of a Ukrainian energy company or discredited claims that Ukraine and not Russia was responsible for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election .
In addition , Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and business leaders for talks on human rights , investment and economic and political reform , the department said .
Pompeo will begin his trip on Jan. 30 in London , where he will meet Prime Minister Boris Johnson and stress the administration ’ s desire to forge a free-trade trade deal with Britain as it exits the EU .
From Ukraine , Pompeo will travel on to Belarus , Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before returning home in time for Trump ’ s State of the Union address to Congress on Feb. 4 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform will top Pompeo ’ s agenda at each of those stops .
In Minsk , the secretary plans to affirm the U.S. commitment to improving ties with Belarus , which has had a strained relationship with Russia .
President Alexander Lukashenko has pursued better relations with the West since Russia ’ s annexation of Crimea as Belarus is wary that Russia could try to absorb it .
In September , the U.S. and Belarus agreed to upgrade diplomatic ties by returning ambassadors to each other ’ s capitals after an 11-year break @


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--3 Americans killed in Australia all had military backgrounds

DENVER - Growing up in a small rural community on Colorado ’ s plains , Ian McBeth went to work as a ranch hand in neighbouring Nebraska at 14 and was a standout athlete in football , wrestling and track .
Initially stymied in his dream of becoming a pilot because of his vision , McBeth , one of three Americans killed fighting wildfires in Australia on Thursday , first served as a jack of all trades building landing strips for C-130 Hercules planes and later as a navigator , including in Iraq .
At 28 , a year before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot , he applied again and was accepted .
“ He was determined , tenacious and tough .
Probably the most all around capable and competent person I ever knew , ” Bill McBeth of Wray , Colorado said of his son , a husband and father of three who lived in Great Falls , Montana .
McBeth was killed Thursday along with First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson of Buckeye , Arizona and Flight Engineer Rick A. DeMorgan Jr. , 43 , of Navarre , Florida , when their C-130 Hercules tanker crashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employer , Canada-based Coulson Aviation , said in a statement .
All three men had strong military backgrounds .
McBeth served in the Wyoming Air National Guard while a student at the University of Wyoming and later joined the Air National Guard in Montana , where flags were ordered lowered in his honour on Saturday .
Hudson graduated from the U.S .
Naval Academy in 1999 and spent the following 20 years serving in the U.S. Marine Corps , including as a C-130 pilot , Coulson Aviation said .
Hudson , who retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degrees in business administration and information technology management from the Naval Postgraduate School .
He is survived by his wife Noreen .
Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey noted Hudson ’ s lengthy military service in ordering the lowering of flags on all public buildings in his honour on Friday .
“ Then , when duty called again , First Officer Hudson didn ’ t hesitate , putting his life on the line to help others battling wildfires in Australia , “ Ducey said .
DeMorgan served in the U.S. Air Force for 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a flight engineer , with nearly half of those earned in combat situations .
He is survived by this two children , Lucas and Logan , and his parents Rick Sr. and Linda and sister Virginia DeMorgan .
Virginia DeMorgan said her brother ’ s passions were his children and flying .
“ He loved flying from the time he was a kid , “ she said .
McBeth hoped all three of his children , Abigail , 17 , Calvin , 13 and Ella , 11 , would learn how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is working on getting her pilot ’ s license and sometimes flew with her father , he said .
The plane the three men were in had just dropped liquid to suppress the flames when it crashed , investigators said Friday .
The deaths came during an unprecedented wildfire season that has left a large swath of destruction in Australia ’ s southeast .
More than 30 people have died , including three Australian volunteer firefighters .
Investigators went to where the C-130 Hercules tanker crashed in the Snowy Monaro region of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a team was working to recover the Americans ’ bodies , Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Greg Hood told reporters .
He said it would be difficult to secure evidence and the remains because the wildfire is still burning and the team faces potential hazards such as aviation fuel .
Upward of 500 aircraft from several countries are fighting Australia ’ s wildfires , Hood said .
“ So , if there are lessons to be learned from this particular accident , it ’ s really important that not only Australia learns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
The three U.S. deaths brings the toll from the blazes to at least 31 since September .
The fires also have destroyed more than 2,600 homes and burned more than 104,000 square kilometres ( 40,000 square miles ) , an area bigger than the U.S. state of Indiana .
Coulson grounded other firefighting aircraft as a precaution pending an investigation , reducing planes available to firefighters in New South Wales and neighbouring Victoria state .
The four-propeller Hercules drops more than 15,000 litres ( 4,000 gallons ) of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press writer Terry Tang in Phoenix and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Ex-police officer pleads guilty to aiding in drug robberies

MEMPHIS , Tenn. - A former police officer in Tennessee pleaded guilty Friday to giving police information and equipment to civilians who stalked and robbed drug dealers .
Former Memphis police officer Sam Blue , 61 , pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate civil rights by using force , aiding and abetting , violence and conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce , the U.S. attorney ’ s office in Tennessee announced in a news release .
From 2014 to 2018 , Blue conspired with others to rob drug dealers , the office said .
In 2018 , several men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blue police dashboard light to stop Eric Cain near his apartment , prosecutor David Pritchard said .
He said the attackers handcuffed , kidnapped and tortured Cain , demanding to know where he kept his drugs and money .
The victim escaped and spent a week in the hospital .
Blue admitted to giving the kidnappers a code to the victim ’ s apartment complex , Pritchard said .
Blue said he wasn ’ t aware at the time that one of those robberies would lead to a man ’ s kidnapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21 .
He faces up to life in prison .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-24--AP Exclusive: Feds plan to move Epstein warden to prison job

WASHINGTON - The warden in charge when Jeffrey Epstein ended his life in his jail cell is being moved to a leadership position at another federal correctional facility , putting him back in the field with inmates despite an ongoing investigation into the financier ’ s death , two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press .
The agency is planning to move Lamine N ’ Diaye to the role at FCI Fort Dix , a low-security prison in Burlington County , New Jersey , the people said .
The move comes months after Attorney General William Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a desk post at the Bureau of Prisons ’ regional office in Pennsylvania after Epstein ’ s death as the FBI and the Justice Department ’ s inspector general investigated .
One of the people said the agency planned to move N ’ Diaye into the new role on Feb. 2 .
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal personnel matter .
It was unclear why the agency was planning to return N ’ Diaye to a position supervising inmates and staff members , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain active .
The inspector general ’ s investigation is continuing , and the Justice Department is still probing the circumstances that led to Epstein ’ s death , including why he wasn ’ t given a cellmate .
Epstein took his own life in August while awaiting trial on charges he sexually abused girls as young as 14 and young women in New York and Florida in the early 2000s .
Epstein ’ s suicide cast a spotlight on the federal Bureau of Prisons and highlighted a series of safety lapses inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most secure jails in America .
Barr said Epstein ’ s ability to take his own life in federal custody had raised “ serious questions that must be answered.
” He said in an interview with the AP in November that the investigation revealed a “ series ” of mistakes made that gave Epstein the chance to take his own life and that his suicide was the result of “ a perfect storm of screw-ups.
” Two guards responsible for watching Epstein have pleaded not guilty to charges alleging they lied on prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had checked on Epstein , as required , before his death .
Instead , investigators say they appeared to sleep for two hours and had been browsing the internet — shopping for furniture and motorcycles — instead of watching Epstein , who was supposed to be checked on every 30 minutes .
The attorney general also removed the agency ’ s acting director in the wake of Epstein ’ s death and named Kathleen Hawk Sawyer , the prison agency ’ s director from 1992 until 2003 , to replace him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Diaye ’ s removal as warden , the Manhattan jail has had two interim leaders .
The newest warden , M. Licon-Vitale , used to oversee a federal prison in Danbury , Connecticut .
Her first big order of business has been to deal with jailed lawyer Michael Avenatti ’ s complaints about his treatment at the lockup .
The Bureau of Prisons has been plagued for years by chronic violence , extensive staffing shortages and serious misconduct .
Sisak reported from New York .
Follow Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Balsamo at @ @

Michael Balsamo And Michael R. Sisak - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--US scientist pleads guilty to lying about China contact

ALBUQUERQUE , N.M. - A scientist who once worked at a U.S. laboratory in New Mexico has pleaded guilty to lying about his involvement with a Chinese government technology program .
Turab Lookman , 67 , entered his plea Friday during a hearing in Albuquerque after reaching an agreement with prosecutors .
He is awaiting sentencing , which could include up to five years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine .
Lookman was initially indicted on three counts of making false statements .
His attorney had said previously that prosecutors failed to prove his client had accessed or downloaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired from his job at the lab .
Authorities said Lookman came under scrutiny after he told a co-worker he had citizenship in four different countries — including India , where he was born .
He also had been asked in a security-clearance questionnaire and later by federal officials if any foreign nationals had offered him a job or if he had applied for one .
He falsely answered to all questions that he had not , authorities said .
According to an indictment , in one instance , a counterintelligence officer for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applied for the China Thousand Talents Program .
Prosecutors have described Thousand Talents as a program established by China to recruit people with access to and knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property .
For years , it was known as one of many of the country ’ s state initiatives aimed at reversing a decades-long China brain drain .
At Los Alamos , Lookman received at least two awards for his work .
A computational physics expert , he also co-authored two books .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Student: Response to professor who called police not enough

MUNCIE , Ind .
- A black student in Indiana is disappointed Ball State University is not acknowledging that a marketing professor discriminated against him when he called the police on him for refusing to change seats in class .
Ball State is implementing a corrective plan after professor Shaheen Borna called university police on student Sultan “ Mufasa ” Benson for declining to change seats in class on Tuesday .
“ This choice was a gross error of judgment , and it was simply an unwarranted overreaction , ” University President Geoffrey S. Mearns said in an open letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene and the situation ended when Benson voluntarily left the classroom .
But Benson , who is black , told The Star Press that he feared police could have injured or even killed him .
It ’ s a “ big issue , a huge issue , ” that the police were called because once they became involved , the outcome “ could have gone several different ways , ” Benson said .
“ I don ’ t think they ’ re getting the concept of that yet.
“ The professor has apologized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ As a professor at Ball State University , it is my responsibility to ensure that you and all of my students receive an excellent educational experience , ” Borna said in an email to the student and his classmates .
“ I am sorry that my actions today did not contribute to that.
” The dispute arose when Benson declined Borna ’ s request to change seats because he was charging his laptop .
The professor , who requires assigned seating , responded with giving Benson the option to either move or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was not acting out .
I was not talking on my cellphone .
I was learning .
I was following the lesson plan , ” said Benson , who ’ s set to graduate in May with a degree in business administration .
Ball State ’ s total student enrolment is 22,541 , and 1,731 of those are African American students , according to the university .
In his letter , Mearns outlined the university ’ s response , which includes appropriate training and oversight for Borna .
The university will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Black Faculty and Staff Association will meet with Mearns to advise him on how to create a more inclusive campus community .
Benson said he will accept Mearns ’ invitation to meet with him , but he remains dissatisfied with the university ’ s response .
“ I can ’ t say I ’ m proud to be a Cardinal anymore , ” he said .
“ Not at the moment .
In the future , who knows ?
I know there are plenty of good faculty on campus .
Some have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Donald Trump’s trial continues, but for social conservatives, the verdict is already in

WASHINGTON—Towards the end of his arguments Thursday night about why the U.S. Senate should convict President Donald Trump , Rep. Adam Schiff said , “ You know you can ’ t count on him .
None of us can.
” But Friday afternoon , the National Mall was filled with people who believe they can count on Trump : demonstrators at the annual March for Life rally advocating an end to legal abortion .
In the crowd of tens of thousands , “ I Vote Pro-Life First ” signs waved side-by-side with “ Trump 2020 ” banners as Trump became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual rally .
Women carrying signs saying “ I regret my abortion , ” marched beside young men carrying flags depicting the president standing atop a tank , and groups of high school students wore red “ Make America Great Again ” caps .
“ I wanted to be in this very important March for Life for the protection of the unborn .
And especially because I know the President Trump is going to be here , so that ’ s even a bigger incentive , ” said Carmen de Perignon of Maryland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal .
We ’ re very happy that he ’ s here.
” He won their allegiance not just by showing up , but by moving them closer to their long-held dream of seeing the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States overturned .
“ I think the more conservative justices that our president gets seated , the better it ’ s going to be , ” said Kevin Hain from Delaware , who wore Trump paraphernalia and carried an “ I am the Pro-Life Generation ” sign .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his own 187 judicial appointments , saying , “ Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House.
” Key among his appointments are Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh , who may have swung the balance of the court towards outlawing abortion before it hears arguments in an abortion case this March .
The change in the court ’ s ideological composition was made possible , in large part , by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s openly partisan refusal to allow confirmation hearings in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen appointee .
That ’ s the same majority leader who is now accused of speeding to a predetermined verdict in Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
And what about that trial , which was just reconvening in the Capitol building at the end of the mall as the rally was underway ?
“ This is all a farce .
It ’ s a shame that we ’ ve had politicians for years not do anything better for our country and try to unseat a duly elected official , regardless of party .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of money and time , ” Hain said .
That vocal support for the president was also on display Monday at a gun-rights rally in Virginia .
There , thousands of marchers , many of them heavily armed , heard appeals to re-elect Trump in November and to never forgive the “ party of Nancy Pelosi.
” Trump has held inconsistent positions on both abortion and gun control — he declared himself “ pro-choice in every respect ” in the 1990s and has expressed support for banning some types of firearms — leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adopted more conservative positions while running for office .
But his vocal support , and his actions as president , have secured him a cultlike devotion among these motivated voting blocks , making support for him synonymous with support for their causes .
This is a key part of the political backdrop to the Senate trial that continues in the Capitol building .
On Friday , Democratic House representatives concluded their opening presentation , arguing that the president had obstructed Congress and abused the power of his office .
“ President Trump tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then he worked hard to cover it up , ” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries told the Senate .
Taking up the argument , Rep. Val Demings outlined what she called Trump ’ s “ blanket order ” directing the executive branch to refuse to provide any documents or testimony to congressional attempts to investigate him .
She said it was “ historically unprecedented , ” and threatened the “ heart of our constitutional system of government ” — the checks and balances that the U.S. federal government ’ s three branches provide each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be predetermined , with the Republican majority having more or less indicated before the trial began that it would quickly acquit Trump .
The Democratic team arguing for Trump ’ s removal from office has been making its presentation as much for the general voting public as for the senators who make up his jury .
But the people who were out marching this week provide some insight into why Republicans may be approaching the case as they have .
While the Democrats make high-minded appeals to constitutional principles and the judgment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative activists is already in .
They view Trump as a significant ally — one they know they can count on — who is being unfairly targeted , perhaps because of his association with them .
They follow Trump ’ s lead , and Republicans in both houses of Congress follow theirs .


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--‘Shut it down,’ protesters chant about Mississippi prison

JACKSON , Miss .
- Protesters outside the Mississippi Capitol on Friday condemned conditions in state prisons where inmates have died violently in the past month .
People with relatives in the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman said at a rally that some prison cells have no working lights or toilets and inmates are given sparse meals that are sometimes served with cockroaches on the trays .
“ Parchman is a prison farm plantation , “ said Jaribu Hill , a longtime Mississippi human-rights attorney .
“ Shut it down !
” A few hundred protesters responded : “ Shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Their voices echoed in downtown Jackson , but many of the state ’ s top policymakers were not in town to hear it .
Most members of the Mississippi Legislature left the Capitol on Thursday and won ’ t return until Monday .
At least 10 inmates have died in Mississippi prisons since late December — most of them at Parchman and most during outbursts of violence .
Prison officials have attributed some of the violence to clashes between gangs .
Some inmates have used cellphones to send photos and videos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on floors in cells without mattresses .
Cellphones are not allowed inside the prisons , and state officials have pledged to crack down on phones and other contraband .
During the rally Friday , Sharon Brown with the Mississippi Prison Reform Coalition said that without the inmates ’ cellphones , the world might not know about conditions in Parchman .
“ We are here because we are sick and tired of state-sanctioned murder , ” Brown said .
“ We are here to uplift the cries of our brothers.
” The state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , travelled to Parchman this week and described conditions there as “ terrible.
” At a news conference Thursday , Reeves said the state is taking immediate steps to try to make Parchman safer .
All wardens and deputy wardens have been put on 12-hour shifts to ensure leaders are always present at the prison , Reeves said .
He said prison guards are being screened for indications that they might be involved in gangs .
A Mississippi Bureau of Investigation agent has been assigned to work at Parchman to uncover criminal activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to the violence , Reeves said .
Reeves became governor Jan. 14 after serving eight years as lieutenant governor — a job that gave him a leading role in setting state budgets .
The rally Friday was organized by Team Roc , the charity affiliated with entertainment mogul Jay-Z ’ s company Roc Nation .
Team Roc provided T-shirts and signs with the slogan , “ Close Parchman.
“ Speaking from the stage Friday , Arica Jackson said her husband is in Parchman ’ s Unit 29 , where some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visited part of Unit 29 , which has multiple buildings .
Jackson said the governor didn ’ t go to the area where her husband is housed .
Jackson said her husband called her Friday morning and said he had not been allowed to bathe for 30 days .
“ They were using the bathroom in garbage bags , “ Jackson said .
“ They ’ re killing rats any way they know how , to preserve what little bit of food they do get.
” Reeves said Thursday that most damage in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheers from the crowd when she publicly disagreed with the governor .
She said employees of the Mississippi Department of Corrections — MDOC — are bringing contraband items into prisons .
“ The number one thing that destroys property in MDOC is canines and the officers when they come in there ripping the whole wall down and the whole roof down looking for the contraband that they brought in there , ” Jackson said .

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Store owner says she’ll stop selling Nazi, racist items

NEW ORLEANS - A store owner in New Orleans ’ French Quarter has told a newspaper she will stop selling items such as a Nazi flag and Jim Crow-era items with racist caricatures of black people .
The leader of a group that combats antisemitism and racism had called for their removal .
“ It is deeply troubling that items so clearly associated with hateful ideologies are so prominently displayed for sale in the French Quarter , ” Aaron Ahlquist , director of the Anti-Defamation League ’ s South Central Region , wrote in a statement to The Times-Picayune / @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not allow for hate to become normalized , and that certainly includes profiting from the symbols of hate.
” Rare Finds owner Sue Saucier first told the newspaper , “ The items in my store are historical items .
We don ’ t mean to offend anyone when we sell these things .
They represent history .
They do not represent my sentiments.
” However , she called back minutes later on Thursday and said she would remove the items Friday .
“ I ’ ve consulted with my attorney , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some reflection on the issue , and we are going to remove the items from the store , ” she said .
“ They will not be for sale.
” A call Friday by The Associated Press to a number found online for the store reached only a prompt for an access number .
Ahlquist said he learned about the store after an out-of-town visitor went there and then told a friend , who got in touch with the Anti-Defamation League .
Items with racist imagery were prominently featured but were a relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inventory , the newspaper reported .
The flag behind the main counter was priced at $ 1,695 .
A 10-inch statuette of a hooded Klansman , priced at $ 1,295 , was in a display case near the front of the store .
A sign said it once was placed in front of buildings where the Ku Klux Klan was meeting .
Just inside the door was a statue of a chimpanzee dressed like a jockey .
A sign described it as a “ 1950 ’ s 27-inch tall black Americana cement lawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find.
” Historian Lawrence Powell , who retired from Tulane University in 2012 after 34 years teaching there , said the claim that the items were there for history is weakened because the signs didn ’ t provide context such as description of the atrocities carried out by Nazis , Klansmen or slave owners .
“ She has the right to display it and sell it — that ’ s the freedom of commerce , ” Powell said .
“ But I think it represents terrible judgment , and racial and ethnic insensitivity @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--Snowplow kills 2 walking along highway in Kansas

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
- A snowplow struck and killed two pedestrians in Kansas before sunrise Friday after a winter storm coated parts of the Midwest with snow .
The collision involving a Riley County plow truck happened shortly after 5 a.m. , after the National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories across parts of Kansas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Iowa , Indiana , Wisconsin and a large swath of Missouri .
The Kansas Highway Patrol said Stephen Toler , 22 , and Jayden Rosa , 20 , both of Manhattan , were walking in a lane of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the snowplow north of Kansas State University and near Tuttle Creek State Park .
Trooper Ben Gardner said the driver , Lawrence Gassmann , 65 , of Manhattan tried to avoid hitting the victims .
He said Gassmann wasn ’ t plowing or salting at the time and that he was driving with the plow ’ s blade raised .
He said he didn ’ t know whether it was snowing but that road conditions and speed didn ’ t appear to be a factor in the collision .
Kansas State spokeswoman Michelle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students at the university .
Marvin Rodriguez , chairman of the Riley County Commission , described the accident as a “ tremendous tragedy.
“ “ Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in the accident , ” he said in a news release .
In neighbouring Missouri , roads in much of the north of the state are covered in snow .
The Missouri Department of Transportation urged drivers in a news release to “ remain vigilant.
” The University of Missouri ’ s flagship campus in Columbia and Lincoln @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start and then called off classes entirely .
Numerous school districts cancelled classes , including several in the Kansas City area .
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Heather Hollingsworth - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-24--No charges filed in fatal stabbing on Minnesota light rail

BLOOMINGTON , Minn. - Minnesota prosecutors say no charges will be filed in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred @ @ @ @ @ the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington .
The Hennepin County Attorney ’ s Office said Friday @ @ @ @ @ , prosecutors determined they would not be able to disprove a self-defence claim .
Authorities @ @ @ @ @ out a knife and fatally stabbed 45-year-old Anthony Demetrius early Thursday after an argument escalated @ @ @ @ @ The stabbing happened on the Blue Line light rail , near the Mall of America @ @ @ @ @ suspect has past convictions for assault , disorderly conduct , and criminal sexual conduct , @ @ @ @ @ .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-25--New virus mutes Lunar New Year mood in Asia

BEIJING - A new virus that started in China and is popping up around Asia hung over the first day of the Year of the Rat in much of the region .
Lunar New Year festivities were cancelled across mainland China on Saturday and scaled back in the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong , where residents also endured months of anti-government protests in the last lunar year .
The new coronavirus — from a family of viruses that also caused the deadly SARS epidemic in 2002-03 — didn ’ t stop everyone from going to temples , but many wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stayed home with temples , major tourist sites and movie theatres all shuttered as authorities sought to limit the spread of the virus .
Beijing cancelled all temple fairs , a popular tradition in northern China with performances , games for children and booths selling snacks and New Year ’ s-themed souvenirs .
People in Wuhan , where the outbreak started , and more than a dozen nearby cities are unable to move about easily or leave after authorities shut down buses , trains and planes and set up roadblocks to limit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City in Beijing , Shanghai Disneyland and a major safari park are among the tourist destinations that have shut indefinitely .
Crowds lined up just before midnight on New Year ’ s Eve to leave lighted incense sticks and offer prayers at the Wong Tai Sin temple .
“ The atmosphere of Lunar New Year is not as good as last year even if there ’ s no coronavirus , “ said May Wen , wearing a blue face mask .
“ Some shops closed down , and people aren ’ t in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an annual tradition , a press of worshipers jostled for position to try to be first in line to plant their incense sticks and say prayers .
The city has cancelled a fireworks show and a four-day carnival that was set to begin Sunday because of concerns about the virus .
Thousands of people , many wearing face masks because of the viral outbreak , visited Longshan Temple in Taipei , the capital city .
Many prayed in the central courtyard and worshiped the goddess Matsu , protector of fishermen , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of the virus , including a Taiwanese businessman who works in Wuhan and a Chinese woman who was part of a tour group from Wuhan .


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--US, UK leaders talk telecoms security ahead of 5G decision

LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. President Donald Turmp have discussed the security of telecommunications networks as the U.K. prepares to decide whether to allow Chinese tech giant Huawei to build aspects of its new high-speed mobile network .
The United States is pushing Britain and other allies to ban Huawei from making parts of its 5G network .
The American administration claims it would be a security risk — something Huawei vehemently denies .
Co-operation to ensure the security of telecommunications networks was discussed in a phone call between the two leaders on Friday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports that U.K. officials have backed the firm to play a role .
Britain ’ s National Security Council is widely expected to make its decision next week .
Huawei is the world ’ s biggest maker of switching gear for phone and internet companies .
But it has faced rising scrutiny over U.S. allegations that it could be forced by the Chinese government to provide access to consumer data on its networks .
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.K. Treasury chief Sajid Javid are expected to discuss the matter this weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following four-day World Economic Forum summit in Davos , Switzerland .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-25--U.S. airstrike killed 10 civilians in Herat, Afghan officials say

KABUL - N early half of all Afghans want U.S. and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan once a peace deal to end the country ’ s 18-year war is signed with the Taliban , according to a survey released Thursday .
The American Institute of War and Peace Studies also found that an overwhelming 80 % of Afghans surveyed said a political solution was the only way to bring about an end to fighting , Twenty per cent said a military solution was possible .
The survey found that 46 % of Afghans want U.S. and NATO troops out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while 33 % would have them stay .
The survey polled 5,038 Afghans in 34 provinces .
It was conducted between Nov. 23-Dec. 20 and has a 5 % margin of error .
Sixty-one per cent of participants answered online with the remaining 39 % were interviewed in person .
While 57 % of those surveyed wanted the Taliban to evict the foreign fighters among them .
Many of those foreigners are believed to have links to al-Qaida and other militant organizations .
Washington has been talking directly with the Taliban since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointed Afghan-American Zalmay Khalilzad to start peace talks .
The talks are aimed at finding an agreement to end America ’ s longest conflict and allow the U.S. to bring home its troops .
The survey showed Afghans were divided over the choice of Khalilzad as chief negotiator , with 41 % favouring his appointment and 39 % opposed .
A whopping 20 % , however , said they had no opinion .
Of the 5,038 Afghans surveyed , 3,274 were men and just 1,764 were women .
A strong 83 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the peace negotiations , while just 17 % were opposed .
A peace agreement , which is being negotiated between Khalilzad and Taliban negotiators , will leave it to Afghans on both sides of the conflict to negotiate the face of a post-war Afghanistan .
They must decide on constitutional changes enshrining the rights of women , media and free speech .
The negotiations will decide the future of Taliban fighters as well as the heavily armed militias belonging to warlords ruling in Kabul .
The majority of Afghans surveyed said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war if America pulls out its troops without first getting a peace deal .
As Afghans contemplate a future without a U.S. military troop presence , in Iraq the killing earlier this month of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani has bolstered Iran ’ s efforts to see U.S. troops leave Iraq .
The withdrawal of American forces from Iraq has been a long-standing goal of Iran ’ s .
Meanwhile , Taliban fighters took responsibility Thursday for the ambush and killing of an Afghan intelligence official in southern Helmand province .
The officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press office for the province , was ambushed late Wednesday , according to provincial police chief spokesman Zaman Hamdard .
In the country ’ s north , a roadside bomb killed a military commander and his bodyguard early Wednesday .
The attack in northern Faryab province killed the commandeer of the Afghan army ’ s 1st Battalion and his bodyguard and wounded two other bodyguards .
The Taliban control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan and continue to stage near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces , Kabul government officials or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s the case even as they hold peace talks with the U.S. and have given the U.S. envoy a document outlining their offer for a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan .
Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Genocide charge dents halo of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi

BANGKOK - When Myanmar ’ s Aung San Suu Kyi walked into the International Court of Justice last month , she gambled the remaining shreds of her hard-won international reputation on a rebuttal of accusations that her country ’ s military committed genocide against minority Rohingya Muslims .
The court was not persuaded .
This past week , it ordered Myanmar to take all possible measures to prevent genocide against the Rohingya .
Suu Kyi ’ s willingness to defend human rights abuses on the global stage was a move more likely aimed at burnishing her nationalist credential at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her former admirers , Suu Kyi ’ s defence only underlined her responsibility for failing to at least speak out in defence of the Rohingya .
“ With this ICJ ruling , she has suffered a spectacular fall from grace , ” said Bill Richardson , a former U.S. congressman and U.N. ambassador .
“ She has gone from a Nobel Prize champion of democracy to just another dictator wanting to maintain her power by defending military repression , genocide , and the banishment of the Rohingya.
” After taking the helm of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1988 , Suu Kyi ’ s brave defiance of military rule , at high personal cost , made her the object of worldwide adulation .
She won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize , cited for being “ one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades.
” When her nonviolent struggle finally paid off in 2015 with a smashing election victory by her National League for Democracy party , there was optimism that Myanmar had finally turned a corner after decades of military rule .
Former President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tireless efforts and sacrifice over so many years to promote a more inclusive , peaceful , and democratic ” Myanmar .
Then came the crackdown .
In 2017 , Myanmar security forces launched a counterinsurgency operation in western Rakhine state that , compelling evidence shows , involved mass rape , killings and the burning of entire villages .
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh , reluctant to return until their basic rights including citizenship are guaranteed .
As the magnitude of the Rohingya tragedy emerged , 1984 Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suu Kyi .
“ My dear sister : If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence , the price is surely too steep .
... We pray for you to speak out for justice , human rights and the unity of your people .
We pray for you to intervene , ” the South African wrote in an open letter .
Richardson is less diplomatic in expressing his dismay .
He had accepted Suu Kyi ’ s invitation to join an advisory board on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when he suggested to Suu Kyi that two Reuters reporters arrested for exposing abuse by the security forces be released , she reacted furiously .
Disillusioned , he quit the board .
“ I could see the reformer and former champion of democracy ... turning into a power-loving and entrenched leader , ” he said .
“ She was becoming an apologist for the military so she could hold onto her power and get reelected .
She simply could not tolerate any dissent , even from her longtime friends and supporters like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in Suu Kyi ’ s position .
Despite her party ’ s landslide election victory , the military retains huge influence in government due to clauses it inserted in the constitution .
To exercise real power , her party must mobilize popular and electoral support .
After she led her country ’ s delegation at the initial hearings last month at the International Court of Justice , she returned to Myanmar to cheering crowds lining the streets .
“ Undoubtedly , ahead of an election year , her decision to personally defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and using it as an opportunity to whip up nationalism , has boosted her public support ahead of an election year , “ wrote Burma Campaign UK , a lobbying group that had been her ally against military rule .
There ’ s also a more personal aspect to Suu Kyi ’ s predicament , some expert say .
Her father , Gen. Aung San , was the country ’ s independence hero .
She was only 2 years old when he was assassinated by political rivals in 1947 , a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she talks a lot about democracy , I think she has a more messianic concept of her present and future role , based on her father ’ s reputation , ” David Steinberg , a professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University , said in an email interview last month .
Suu Kyi entered Myanmar ’ s politics in 1988 , when she returned from a life spent mostly abroad to nurse her dying mother .
She became swept up in a popular revolt against military rule , and shot to fame as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech to hundreds of thousands of people .
“ Her moral authority in Myanmar is predicated on the aura of her father and what he represents , and in the fact that she came in to ‘ save the country ’ in 1988 and endured so many years under house arrest , ” said Jane Ferguson , a senior lecturer in anthropology at The Australian National University .
Asked once in a BBC interview about her reputation as a saintly figure , Suu Kyi replied : “ I am just a politician .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no , but on the other hand , I am no Mother Teresa either .
I have never said that I was .
Mahatma Gandhi , actually , was a very astute politician .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Death toll stands at 22 in Turkish earthquake; 1,000 hurt

ANKARA , Turkey - Turkish emergency officials said the death toll from a strong earthquake that rocked the country ’ s east climbed to 20 people Saturday , with more than 1,000 people injured .
Rescue workers were continuing to search for some 30 people buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Elazig province and neighbouring Malatya , said Health Minister Fahrettin Koca .
He warned that the death toll could rise .
Emergency workers and security forces distributed tents , beds and blankets as overnight temperatures dropped below freezing in the affected areas .
Mosques , schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hundreds who left their homes after the quake .
The 6.8-magnitude quake hit Friday at 8:55 p.m. local time ( 1755 GMT ) at a depth of 6.7 kilometres ( around 4 miles ) near the town of Sivrice in Elazig , the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency , or AFAD , said .
It was followed by several aftershocks , the strongest with magnitudes 5.4 and 5.1 .
At least five buildings in Sivrice and 25 in Malatya province were destroyed , said Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum .
AFAD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were killed in Elazig and four in Malatya .
Another 1,015 were hurt .
AFAD said 28 rescue teams were working around the clock .
“ Our biggest hope is that the death toll does not rise , ” Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop said .
Turkey sits on top of two major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent .
Two strong earthquakes struck northwest Turkey in 1999 , killing around 18,000 people .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Outbreak casts pall over new year festivities in China as deaths surpass 40

BEIJING - China ’ s most festive holiday began in the shadow of a worrying new virus Saturday as the death toll surpassed 40 , an unprecedented lockdown kept 36 million people from travelling and authorities cancelled a host of Lunar New Year events .
The National Health Commission reported a jump in the number of infected people to 1,287 with 41 deaths .
The latest tally comes from 29 provinces and cities across China and includes 237 patients in serious condition .
All 41 deaths have been in China , including 39 in Hubei province , the epicenter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hebei and Heilongjiang provinces .
Health authorities in the city of Hechi in Guangxi province said Saturday that a 2-year-old girl from Wuhan had been diagnosed with the illness after arriving in the city .
Australia announced its first case Saturday , a Chinese man in his 50s who last week returned from China .
Malaysia said three people tested positive Friday , all relatives of a father and son from Wuhan who had been diagnosed with the virus earlier in neighbouring Singapore .
France said that three people had fallen ill with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first appearance in Europe .
And the United States reported its second case , a Chicago woman in her 60s who was hospitalized in isolation after returning from China .
The Chinese military dispatched 450 medical staff , some with experience in past outbreaks including SARS and Ebola , who arrived in Wuhan late Friday night to help treat the many patients hospitalized with viral pneumonia , the official Xinhua News Agency reported .
The new virus comes from a large family of what are known as coronaviruses , some causing nothing worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fever and in more severe cases shortness of breath and pneumonia , which can be fatal .
SARS , which started in China in late 2002 and killed more than 750 people , was a coronavirus .
Stocks slumped Friday on Wall Street as economic fears grew over the widening crisis .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 170 points and the S & P 500 posted its worst day in three months .
Shares in health care companies were down , along with those in financial institutions , airlines and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not clear how lethal the new coronavirus is , or even whether it is as dangerous as the ordinary flu , which kills tens of thousands of people every year in the U.S. alone .
The rapid increase in reported deaths and illnesses does not necessarily mean the crisis is getting worse .
It could instead reflect better monitoring and reporting of the newly discovered virus , which can cause cold- and flu-like symptoms , including cough , fever and shortness of breath , but can worsen to pneumonia .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusions about how severe the virus is because at the beginning of any outbreak you would focus more on the severe cases , ” said Tarik Jasarevic , a spokesman for the World Health Organization in Geneva .
“ And then maybe we are missing some mild cases because people will just be a little bit sick and will not have it tested .
And they will recover.
” China is trying to limit further spread of the disease by preventing people from leaving Wuhan , the city of 11 million where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in central Hubei province , encompassing a population bigger than that of New York , London , Paris and Moscow combined .
Hospitals in Wuhan grappled with a flood of patients and a lack of supplies .
Videos circulating online showed throngs of frantic people in masks lined up for examinations , and some complained that family members had been turned away at hospitals that were at capacity .
Authorities in Wuhan and elsewhere put out calls for medicine , disinfection equipment , masks , goggles , gowns and other protective gear .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new 1,000-bed hospital to deal with the crisis , to be completed Feb. 3 .
It will be modeled on a SARS hospital that was built in Beijing in just six days during the 2003 SARS outbreak .
In France , Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said that two infected patients had travelled in China and that France should brace for more such cases .
A third case was announced in a statement from her ministry about three hours later .
“ We see how difficult it is in today ’ s world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s not possible , ” she said .
Buzyn said authorities are seeking to reach anyone who might have come in contact with the patients : “ It ’ s important to control the fire as quickly as possible.
“ In the U.S. , the latest person confirmed to have the disease was reported to be doing well .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention likewise said it is expecting more Americans to be diagnosed with the virus .
Still , “ CDC believes that the immediate risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low at this time , but the situation continues to evolve rapidly , ” said the agency ’ s Dr. Nancy Messonnier .
With Chinese authorities afraid that public gatherings will hasten the spread of the virus , the outbreak put a damper on Lunar New Year .
Temples locked their doors , Beijing ’ s Forbidden City , Shanghai Disneyland and other major tourist destinations closed , and people cancelled restaurant reservations ahead of the holiday , normally a time of family reunions , sightseeing trips , fireworks displays and other festivities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The vast majority of cases have been in and around Wuhan or involved people who visited the city or had personal connections to those infected .
About two dozen cases in all have been confirmed outside mainland China , nearly all of them in Asia : Hong Kong , Macao , South Korea , Japan , Singapore , Thailand , Taiwan , Vietnam , Nepal , Australia and Malaysia .
While most of the deaths have been older patients , a 36-year-old man in Hubei died on Thursday .
Associated Press researcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Beijing and writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Iraq protest tents set ablaze after cleric withdraws support

BAGHDAD - Iraq ’ s anti-government protests were dealt a blow after a powerful Shiite cleric withdrew his support from the movement , leading security forces to set fire to protesters ’ tents overnight Saturday in the country ’ s south , as well as re-open key public squares in Baghdad that had been occupied by the demonstrators .
The presence of Muqtada al-Sadr ’ s followers and his militia group had shielded the protesters from security forces and unknown groups looking to harm and suppress them , activists said .
With that cover gone , many in the four-month-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since October have been critical of government corruption , high unemployment and Iranian influence in Iraqi politics .
Crackdowns by security forces have killed at least 500 protesters .
But many of the protesters are worried that the conflict between the U.S. and Iran , which is playing out in part on Iraqi soil , is killing their momentum .
In a tweet Friday evening , al-Sadr indicated his “ disappointment ” toward anti-government protesters in Baghdad ’ s Tahrir Square , the epicenter of the anti-government protests .
Al-Sadr ’ s tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his followers staged a separate anti-U.S. rally in a nearby Baghdad neighbourhood , which most demonstrators in the square steered clear of .
At around around 2 a.m. local time Saturday , riot police set fire to a protest encampment in a central square in the oil-rich southern city of Basra , two activists said .
The crackdown came after al-Sadr ’ s followers packed up their tents and left .
In Baghdad , key squares and roads that had previously been a focal point of protest violence were re-opened for vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Baghdad Operations Command .
Protesters said they were fearful that security forces would next come to root them out of Tahrir Square .
At least eight tents occupied by al-Sadr ’ s supporters were removed , said one activist .
“ ( Al-Sadr ’ s statement ) gave the green light for the government to suppress the demonstrations , ” said Husanien Ali , a 35-year-old protester .
“ We consider this a betrayal of the blood of the martyrs and the sacrifices made by the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tayaran Square and al-Nidhal Street were all reopened .
Ahrar Bridge , which had been partly occupied by protesters in a stand-off with security forces , was also reopened , according to Baghdad Operations Command .
Concrete blocs were removed to re-open al-Khilani Square , the statement said .
Concrete blocs were removed from the street and cleaning crews were sweeping Ahrar Bridge , one activist said .
Protesters continued to occupy Jumhuriya and Sinak bridges , which lead to the heavily fortified Green Zone .

Samya Kullab And Qassem Abdul-Zahra - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--India, Brazil agree to boost ties in IT, biofuel and mining

NEW DELHI - India and Brazil on Saturday agreed to boost trade and investment across a range of fields such as defence , mining , biofuel , cybersecurity , food , the environment and health .
India ’ s Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Brazil as “ a valuable partner ” as he and visiting President Jair Bolsonaro witnessed the signing of 15 agreements by their officials in the Indian capital .
Bolsonaro said he was looking forward to being the chief guest at India ’ s National Day military and cultural parade on Sunday in New Delhi .
India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its adoption of Constitution in 1950 .
Modi told reporters that the two sides have reached an agreement to promote investment in each other ’ s country .
India and Brazil will also work for reforms in the functioning of the United Nations , Modi said .
Both India and Brazil are seeking membership on the U.N. Security Council .
India ’ s trade with Brazil in 2018-19 stood at more than $ 8 billion .
Top export items from India include organic chemicals , chemical-based products , pharmaceuticals , machinery and textile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to India are petroleum products , mainly crude oil , cane sugar , copper ore , soy oil and gold .
According to India ’ s External Affairs Ministry , Brazilian companies have invested in the automobile , information technology , mining , energy , biofuel and footwear industries in India .
Indian companies have invested in sectors such as information technology , pharmaceuticals , energy , agribusiness , mining and automobiles in Brazil .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Europe’s bishops mark Auschwitz anniversary denouncing hate

WARSAW , Poland - Europe ’ s Catholic bishops are marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with a statement denouncing anti-Semitism and the “ manipulation “ of the truth for political aims .
The statement was released on Saturday , two days ahead of the anniversary of the Soviet army ’ s liberation of the camp on Jan. 27 , 1945 .
It comes amid a rise in Holocaust denial and other forms of historical whitewashing .
In a period of rising nationalism , even some governments have sought to replace honest historical inquiry with mythologizing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bishops did not single out any specific case of historical manipulation .
Instead , they called for prayers and for candles to be lighted “ for people murdered in death camps of all nationalities and religions.
” “ On this anniversary , we appeal to the modern world for reconciliation and peace , for respect for each nation ’ s right to exist and to freedom , to independence , to maintain its own culture , “ the statement said .
“ We can not allow the truth to be ignored or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishops describe the power of Auschwitz as a symbol of the Nazi German horror , noting that the last three popes , St. John Paul II , Benedict XVI and Francis , have all visited the site of the former camp .
They also noted that communist totalitarianism — like Nazism — claimed millions of lives .
“ Here , the Nazis took the power to decide who is human and who is not .
Here , euthanasia met with eugenics .
Auschwitz-Birkenau is a result of the system based on the ideology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dignity of man who is made in the image of God , ” the bishops said .
“ Another totalitarianism , namely communism , acted quite similarly , also reaching a death toll of millions , ” the bishops added .
The statement was issued by the Council of European Bishops ’ Conferences and the Commission of the Bishops ’ Conferences of the European Union on behalf of the bishops of Europe .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-25--‘This is huge’: Locust swarms destroy crops in East Africa

KATITIKA , Kenya - The hum of millions of locusts on the move is broken by the screams of farmers and the clanging of pots and pans .
But their noise-making does little to stop the voracious insects from feasting on their crops in this rural community .
The worst outbreak of desert locusts in Kenya in 70 years has seen hundreds of millions of the bugs swarm into the East African nation from Somalia and Ethiopia .
Those two countries have not had an infestation like this in a quarter-century , destroying farmland and threatening an already vulnerable region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are wondering what is happening , “ said Ndunda Makanga , who spent hours Friday trying to chase the locusts from his farm .
” Corn , sorghum , cowpeas , they have eaten everything.
” When rains arrive in March and bring new vegetation across much of the region , the numbers of the fast-breeding locusts could grow 500 times before drier weather in June curbs their spread , the United Nations says .
“ We must act immediately , ” said David Phiri of the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital , Nairobi , a three-hour drive away .
About $ 70 million is needed to step up aerial pesticide spraying , the only effective way to combat them , the U.N. says .
That won ’ t be easy , especially in Somalia , where parts of the country are in the grip of the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group .
The rose-colored locusts turn whole trees pink , clinging to branches like quivering ornaments before taking off in hungry , rustling clouds .
Astonished by the finger-length insects , children dash here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at branches to shake the locusts free .
One woman , Kanini Ndunda , batted at them with a shovel .
Even a small swarm of the insects can consume enough food for 35,000 people in a single day , said Jens Laerke of the U.N. humanitarian office in Geneva .
Farmers are afraid to let their cattle out for grazing , and their crops of millet , sorghum and maize are vulnerable , but there is little they can do .
About 70,000 hectares ( 172,973 acres ) of land in Kenya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ai !
This is huge , ” said Kipkoech Tale , a migratory pest control specialist with the agriculture ministry .
“ I ’ m talking about over 20 swarms that we have sprayed .
We still have more .
And more are coming.
” A single swarm can contain up to 150 million locusts per square kilometre of farmland , an area the size of almost 250 football fields , regional authorities say .
One especially large swarm in northeastern Kenya measured 60 kilometres long by 40 kilometres wide ( 37 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kenya needs more spraying equipment to supplement the four planes now flying , Tale said .
Ethiopia also has four .
They also need a steady supply of pesticides , said Francis Kitoo , deputy director of agriculture in southeastern Kenya ’ s Kitui county .
“ The locals are really scared because they can consume everything , ” Kitoo said .
“ I ’ ve never seen such a big number.
” The locusts eat the fodder for animals , a crucial source of livelihood for families who now worry how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fees , he said .
His own concern about the locusts ?
“ They will lay eggs and start another generation , ” he said .
A changing climate has contributed to “ exceptional “ breeding conditions , said Nairobi-based climate scientist Abubakr Salih Babiker .
Migrating with the wind , the locusts can cover up to 150 kilometres ( 93 miles ) in a single day .
They look like tiny aircraft lazily crisscrossing the sky .
They are now heading toward Uganda and fragile South Sudan , where almost half the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil war .
Uganda has not had such an outbreak since the 1960s and is already on alert .
The locusts also are moving steadily toward Ethiopia ’ s Rift Valley , the breadbasket for Africa ’ s second-most populous country , the U.N. says .
“ The situation is very bad but farmers are fighting it in the traditional way , ” said Buni Orissa , a resident of Ethiopia ’ s Sidama region .
“ The locusts love cabbage and beans .
This may threaten the shaky food security in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 20 million people faced high levels of food insecurity across the East African region long challenged by periodic droughts and floods .
As exasperated farmers look for more help in fighting one of history ’ s most persistent pests , the FAO ’ s Locust Watch offers little consolation .
“ Although giant nets , flamethrowers , lasers and huge vacuums have been proposed in the past , these are not in use for locust control , ” the U.N. agency says .
“ People and birds often eat locusts but usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over large areas.
” Still , it offered recipes .
One suggested seasoning in Uganda is chopped onion and curry powder .
Then fry .
Anna reported from Johannesburg .
Frank Jordans in Berlin and Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , contributed .

Ben Curtis, Josphat Kasire And Cara Anna - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--3 dead US fire bombers retrieved from Australian forest

CANBERRA , Australia - The bodies of three Americans who died when a water bombing plane crashed while battling Australia ’ s unprecedented wildfire crisis were retrieved on Saturday as their families arrived in Sydney , officials said .
Ian McBeth of Great Falls , Montana , Paul Clyde Hudson of Buckeye , Arizona , and Rick A. DeMorgan of Navarre , Florida , died when their C-130 Hercules tanker crashed on Thursday after dumping fire retardant on an out-of-control blaze northeast of the town of Cooma in southern New South Wales state .
Their bodies were retrieved Saturday from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement said .
They were taken to Sydney .
The Americans ’ relatives who began arriving Saturday will be offered an opportunity to visit the hillside crash site , officials said .
Crash investigators have yet to explain why the four-propeller plane crashed in a fire ball shortly after dumping its load of water with additives in turbulent conditions .
The plane was contracted from Canada-based Coulson Aviation , which is sending executives to Sydney .
Wildfires have claimed at least 33 lives in Australia since September , destroyed more than 3,000 homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 26 million acres ) .
That ’ s an area larger than the U.S state of Kentucky .
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