thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Rocket fired toward US Embassy in Iraq injures child

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi military said Sunday that a rocket aimed at Baghdad ’ s fortified Green Zone , home of the U.S. Embassy , struck a residential house and injured a child .
Iraqi officials said the embassy ’ s recently installed C-RAM air defence system may have attempted to intercept the rocket as the system was operational late Saturday .
A recent spate of rocket attacks have struck close to the U.S. Embassy and targeted American troops in Iraqi bases .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .
The rocket was launched from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landed next to a house close to a local TV channel late Saturday , the military statement said .
A child suffered head injuries and the house was damaged .
Iraqi security forces say they also thwarted another attack in the Umm al-Azam area aiming to hit Camp Taji , north of Baghdad , a training base used by U.S.-led coalition forces .
In March , two Americans and one British soldier were killed following a barrage of rockets on Camp Taji .
The latest uptick in attacks comes shortly before Iraq embarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the presence of American forces in the country is expected to top the agenda .
The U.S. has criticized the federal government for being unable to reign in Iran-backed militia groups it believes are orchestrating the attacks .
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has pledged to protect American installations from attacks , U.S. officials said .
Iraqi security forces last week raided the headquarters of the powerful Iran-backed paramilitary Kataib Hezbollah and detained 14 men suspected of being responsible for rocket attacks targeting the Green Zone .
Thirteen detainees were later released and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drew praise from the U.S. but condemnation from Iran-backed political factions in Iraq .
The U.S. Embassy began testing the new air defence system late Saturday , the Iraqi officials said .
It drew condemnation from Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hassan al-Kaabi , who called on the government to take action against the “ illegal ” move which would “ provoke the Iraqi people , “ according to a government statement .
Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--China braces for more storms; 121 dead or missing this year

BEIJING - A wide swath of southern China braced Sunday for more seasonal rains and flooding that state media said has already left more than 120 people dead or missing this year .
The National Meteorological Center raised the weather alert to yellow Sunday morning , the third highest of four levels , for more than half a dozen provinces and the cities of Shanghai and Chongqing .
Heavy to torrential rains were forecast into Monday night .
Footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed flooded streets and farmland in Anhui province .
To the south in Jiangxi province , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 54 houses collapsed after rainstorms in recent days , the network said .
Nationwide , flooding-related disasters have destroyed 17,000 homes , caused 41.6 billion yuan ( $ 5.9 billion ) in economic losses and left 121 people dead or missing so far this year , the official People ’ s Daily newspaper said in a social media post , citing the Ministry of Emergency Management .
The National Meteorological Center said some parts of Anhui , Hubei , Hunan and Zhejiang provinces could see 25 to 27 centimetres ( 10 inches ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yellow alert for rain in two northeastern provinces , Heilongjiang and Jilin .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Thousands rally at Black Lives Matter protests in Australia

SYDNEY , Australia - Several thousand people rallied in Black Lives Matter protests across Australia over the weekend to call for racial equality and highlight deaths of Indigenous people while in police custody .
About 500 people protested Sunday in Newcastle , north of Sydney , after the New South Wales state Supreme Court approved the rally following an attempt by police to have it banned .
A rally in Sydney on Sunday began with a ceremony at which people mourned the Indigenous Australians who have died in police custody .
There have been more than 400 Indigenous deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue ended in 1991 .
No convictions have been recorded in any of the deaths .
“ We went through the lawful process , we sat through that process of the coronial inquiry , we listened to that process and we received no justice from that process , “ Sydney rally organizer Paul Silva told SBS Television .
“ This is our process to demand justice.
” On Saturday , Australians took part in Black Lives Matter rallies in the cities of Brisbane , Darwin , Perth and Adelaide .
Many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing due to coronavirus concerns .
Australia ’ s Indigenous people are the most disadvantaged ethnic minority in the country .
They have higher-than-average rates of infant mortality and poor health , as well as shorter life expectancy and lower levels of education and employment than other Australians .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Crunch, crunch: Africa’s locust outbreak is far from over

NAIROBI , Kenya - The crunch of young locusts comes with nearly every step .
The worst outbreak of the voracious insects in Kenya in 70 years is far from over , and their newest generation is now finding its wings for proper flight .
The livelihoods of millions of already vulnerable people in East Africa are at stake , and people like Boris Polo are working to limit the damage .
The logistician with a helicopter firm is on contract with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization , helping to find and mark locust swarms for the targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only effective control .
“ It sounds grim because there ’ s no way you ’ re gon na kill all of them because the areas are so vast , ” he told The Associated Press from the field in northwestern Kenya on Thursday .
“ But the key of the project is to minimize ” the damage , and the work is definitely having an effect , he said .
For months , a large part of East Africa has been caught in a cycle with no end in sight as millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leaves of both crops and the brush that sustains the livestock so important to many families .
“ The risk of significant impact to both crops and rangelands is very high , ” the regional IGAD Climate Prediction & Applications Center said Wednesday in a statement .
For now , the young yellow locusts cover the ground and tree trunks like a twitching carpet , sometimes drifting over the dust like giant grains of sand .
In the past week and a half , Polo said , the locusts have transformed from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next couple of weeks will take to long-distance flight , creating the vast swarms that can largely blot out the horizon .
A single swarm can be the size of a large city .
Once airborne , the locusts will be harder to contain , flying up to 200 kilometres ( 124 miles ) a day .
“ They follow prevailing winds , ” Polo said .
“ So they ’ ll start entering Sudan , Ethiopia and eventually come around toward Somalia.
” By then , the winds will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come back into Kenya .
“ By February , March of next year they ’ ll be laying eggs in Kenya again , ” he said .
The next generation could be up to 20 times the size of the previous one .
The trouble is , only Kenya and Ethiopia are doing the pesticide control work .
“ In places like Sudan , South Sudan , especially Somalia , there ’ s no way , people can ’ t go there because of the issues those countries are having , ” Polo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of some of the affected countries and the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic have further hampered control efforts .
Additionally , armed conflict in Somalia rendered some of the locust breeding areas inaccessible , ” ICPAC expert Abubakr Salih Babiker and colleagues wrote in correspondence published in the journal Nature Climate Change this month .
Since “ more extreme climate variability could increase the likelihood of pest outbreaks and spread , ” they called for a better early warning system for the region and urged developing countries to help .
The World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 million program for countries affected by the historic desert locust swarms , while the FAO has sought more than $ 300 million .
The pesticide spraying in Kenya “ has definitely borne fruit , ” said Kenneth Mwangi , a satellite information analyst with ICPAC .
There ’ s been a sharp decline from the first wave of locusts , and a few counties that had seen “ huge and multiple swarms ” now report little to none .
Areas experiencing the second wave are notably the farthest from control centres , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more challenging in Ethiopia , where despite the spraying , new locust swarms arrived from Somalia and parts of northern Kenya .
“ Unfortunately both waves have found crops in the field , ” Mwangi said .
But without the control work , Polo said , the already dramatic swarms would be even more massive .
He and colleagues target the locusts in the early mornings before they leave their roosting spots and start flying in the heat of the day .
The work has gone on since March .
“ These plagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ They actually rejuvenate the areas .
They don ’ t kill the plants , they eat the leaves .
Everything grows back .
“ They don ’ t harm the natural world , they harm what humans need in the natural world .
”

Khaled Kazziha And Cara Anna - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Mercedes to recall 660,000 vehicles in China for oil leak

BEIJING - Mercedes-Benz will recall more than 660,000 vehicles in China later this year for a possible oil leak .
@ @ @ @ @ fuel pump and a low-pressure fuel pipe could weaken over time , allowing oil to @ @ @ @ @ in cold weather , according to a notice published last week on the website of @ @ @ @ @ for Market Regulation .
The official Xinhua News Agency reported the recall Sunday .
The @ @ @ @ @ begin on Dec. 18 .
It includes several models made between February 2013 and June @ @ @ @ @ , V-class , GLK-class , CLS-class , SLC-class , GLC SUV and VS20 VITO vehicles @ @ @ @ @ were made in China by Beijing Benz Automotive Co. About 12,500 were built by Fujian @ @ @ @ @ 36,000 were imported .
The announcement follows another recall that began last month of 4,653 @ @ @ @ @ had incorrect child-safety lock labels , Xinhua said .
Those vehicles were manufactured between Feb. @ @ @ @ @ Sept. 24 , 2019 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Bald eagle trapped in Alaska tree rescued on 4th of July

JUNEAU , Alaska - A bird symbolizing America ’ s freedom had to be liberated on Independence Day after becoming stuck in a tree in Alaska , a wildlife official said .
An adult , female bald eagle was hurt but conscious Saturday after being untangled from a spruce tree in Juneau , The Juneau Empire reported Saturday .
“ She was up about 40 feet ( 12 metres ) in a Sitka spruce tree , ” said Kathy Benner , general manager of the Juneau Raptor Center .
The centre received the report of the stranded eagle around 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tree near the historic Ernest Gruening Cabin in Ernest Gruening State Historical Park , Benner said .
Steve Lewis of the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service ascended the tree using climbing spikes on his shoes and carried the eagle down in a bag around 3 p.m. Wildlife officials initially believed the eagle ’ s wing had become tethered to a tree branch by fishing line , but closer inspection revealed a cable or wire had restrained the bird , Benner said .
The eagle was taken by airplane to the Alaska @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to determine whether the bird suffered a broken bone .
The eagle appeared to be alert and “ feisty ” before the flight Saturday evening , Benner said .
While bald eagle rescues are not rare , Benner could not recall a previous instance of the U.S. national bird requiring assistance on the Fourth of July .
“ We feel pretty good about the rescue , especially on Independence Day , ” Benner said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--At least 2 dead, 7 missing in boat capsizing in Indonesia

KUPANG , Indonesia - An overloaded fishing boat carrying 28 people capsized in eastern Indonesia , killing at least two children and leaving seven other people missing , an official said Monday .
Boat crews on nearby vessels recovered the bodies of two children and have rescued 19 people from choppy waters , said Emi Frizer , a local Search and Rescue Agency official .
Rescuers were searching for the seven others reported as still missing Monday .
The Kasih-25 sank on Sunday about one hour after it left Tablolong beach in Kupang , the capital of East Nusa Tenggara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rote island , Frizer said .
The wooden boat was carrying 16 passengers and 12 fishermen when it capsized in Pukuafu Strait after being hit by a 2-meter ( 6.5-foot ) wave and strong wind , Frizer said .
He said it was designed for fishing for just 15 people but the boat captain had carried passengers without permission from the head of the local port .
Television footage showed rescuers helping a passenger wearing a life vest onto a rescue boat , while other officers took two black body bags from another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ferries are a common means of transportation in Indonesia , an archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands .
Accidents caused by overcrowding and poor safety standards are common .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Sheriff: 2 killed in plane collision over Lake Coeur d’Alene

COEUR D ’ ALENE , Idaho - Two people died in a plane crash Sunday over Lake Coeur d ’ Alene Sunday , the Kootenai County Sheriff ’ s Office told the Spokane Spokesman-Review .
Witnesses said they saw two planes colliding above the water , then crashing into the lake near Powderhorn Bay , according to a release from the Kootenai County Sheriff ’ s Office .
The crash took place about 2:20 p.m .
Multiple local agencies , including the sheriff ’ s marine teams , local fire departments and the United States Coast Guard , responded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lt. Ryan Higgins with the sheriff ’ s office confirmed two bodies had been recovered from the planes .
The victims have not been identified .
John Cowles told the newspaper that was on the lake with his family at the time of the crash .
Cowles said he saw what appeared to be an “ engine explosion ” on a seaplane flying no more than 200 feet overhead .
One of the plane ’ s wings then separated , and the plane fell into the water .
The National Transportation Safety Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coming days , Higgins told the Spokesman-Review .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Prosecutors seek Friday court appearance for Epstein pal

NEW YORK - Prosecutors on Sunday asked a judge to schedule a Friday court appearance in New York for Jeffrey @ @ @ @ @ face charges she helped him recruit women to sexually abuse .
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell @ @ @ @ @ Thursday at a Bradford , New Hampshire , $ 1 million estate .
She has @ @ @ @ @ agreeing to be moved to New York .
In a letter to a judge Sunday @ @ @ @ @ communicated with Maxwell ’ s defence lawyer , who would like a Friday bail hearing @ @ @ @ @ by both sides Thursday and Friday .
Prosecutors said they expect the U.S .
Marshals @ @ @ @ @ New York early this week .
Maxwell has been charged with conspiring to entice girls @ @ @ @ @ engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein from 1994 through 1997 .
Epstein killed himself @ @ @ @ @ August while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Frederick Douglass statue vandalized in Rochester park

ROCHESTER , N.Y. - A statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass was ripped from its base in Rochester on the anniversary of one of his most famous speeches , delivered in that city in 1852 .
Police said the statue of Douglass was taken on Sunday from Maplewood Park , a site along the Underground Railroad where Douglas and Harriet Tubman helped shuttle slaves to freedom .
The statue was found at the brink of the Genesee River gorge about 50 feet from its pedestal , police said .
There was damage to the base and a finger .
In Rochester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave the speech “ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July , ” in which he called the celebration of liberty a sham in a nation that enslaves and oppresses its Black citizens .
To a slave , Douglass said , Independence Day is “ a day that reveals to him , more than all other days in the year , the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.
” Carvin Eison , a leader of the project that brought the Douglass statue to the park , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statue will take its place because the damage is too significant .
“ Is this some type of retaliation because of the national fever over confederate monuments right now ?
Very disappointing , it ’ s beyond disappointing , ” Eison told WROC .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Protester killed on Seattle freeway was dedicated to cause

SEATTLE - A person killed Saturday when a man who drove his car onto a closed Seattle freeway and into a crowd protesting police brutality was remembered Sunday as someone who was dedicated to the cause .
The other person hit in the incident , meanwhile , remained in serious condition Sunday at a Seattle hospital .
The deceased , Summer Taylor , 24 , spent the last six weeks “ tirelessly standing up for others while working full time and supporting everyone around them , “ wrote Urban Animal on Instagram , the veterinarian clinic where Taylor worked in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the post said used they and them pronouns , was “ a positive force of nature “ and brought joy , the post said .
“ Anyone that works for Urban Animal will tell you that Summer Taylor ’ s laugh makes any bad day better.
” Katelyn Hoberecht , who worked with Taylor at the veterinary clinics , told the Seattle Times that Taylor had been a frequent presence at protests .
“ Summer has been there since day one standing up for Black lives .
Staying out all day and night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care of animals , ” Hoberecht said .
“ Summer talked to me about the protests , and how incredible it was to be a part of something so huge .
A part of history.
” Kamala Harris , a U.S. senator and former Democratic presidential candidate from California , was among those honouring Taylor on social media Sunday .
Harris tweeted : “ Absolutely heartbreaking .
Summer Taylor was only 24-years-old , peacefully protesting for Black Lives Matter when they were struck by a car .
Thinking of their family during this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today.
“ Diaz Love , 32 , also of Portland , Oregon , was also hit when the car barrelled through a panicked crowd of protesters on Interstate 5 early Saturday morning .
Diaz remained in serious condition Sunday in the intensive care unit at Harborview Medical Center , but her health is improving , spokesperson Susan Gregg said .
The driver of the car that hit them , Dawit Kelete , is in custody awaiting a court hearing on Monday at which the judge will determine if he can be released on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelete , of Seattle , drove the car around vehicles that were blocking I-5 and sped into the crowd about 1:40 a.m. , according to a police report released by the Washington State Patrol .
Video taken at the scene by protesters showed people shouting “ Car !
Car !
” before fleeing the roadway .
Love was filming the protest in a nearly two-hour-long Facebook livestream captioned “ Black Femme March takes I-5 ” when the video ended abruptly ; with about 15 seconds left , shouts of “ Car !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shake before screeching tires and the sound of impact are heard .
A graphic video posted on social media showed the white Jaguar racing toward a group of protesters who are standing behind several parked cars , set up for protection .
The car swerves around the other vehicles and slams into the two protesters , sending them flying into the air .
Kelete , who was alone , fled the scene after hitting the protesters , Trooper Chase Van Cleave told The Associated Press .
One of the other protesters got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for about a mile .
He was able to stop him by pulling his car in front of the Jaguar , Van Cleave said .
Troopers arrived , and the driver was put in custody , Washington State Patrol Capt .
Ron Mead said .
Kelete was described by officers as reserved and sullen when he was arrested , according to court documents .
He also asked if the pedestrians were OK , the documents say .
Kelete was booked into the King County Correctional Facility on Saturday morning on two counts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A judge found probable cause to hold Kelete on an investigation of vehicular assault .
It was not immediately clear if Kelete had an attorney who could speak on his behalf .
Officials were trying to determine the motive as well as where he got onto the interstate , which had been closed by the state patrol for more than an hour before the protesters were hit .
Mead said they suspect Kelete drove the wrong way on a ramp .
Trooper Rick Johnson said the driver went through a barrier that closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether it was a targeted attack , but impairment was not considered a factor , Mead said .
Kelete has a Seattle address .
He is listed in public records as a student who attended Washington State University between 2011 and 2017 majoring in business and commerce .
His enrolment status could not be confirmed because the university was closed over the weekend .
The Washington State Patrol said Saturday evening that going forward it won ’ t allow protesters to enter I-5 and would arrest pedestrians on the freeway .
Seattle has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , which sparked nationwide protests .
Dozens of people were arrested this past week in connection with protests as demonstrations continue after authorities cleared the “ Capitol Hill Occupied Protest ” zone Wednesday morning .
Protesters had shut down the interstate for 19 days in a row , Mead said at a news conference .

Martha Bellisle And Brady McCombs - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Nineteen sent to hospital in Maryland after tree falls on garage during storm, official says

PASADENA , Md.—A large tree toppled onto a detached garage in a Maryland neighbourhood where people attending a child ’ s birthday party sought shelter from a storm , sending 19 people to hospitals Sunday afternoon , authorities said .
Anne Arundel County Fire Department spokesman Russ Davies said one person was critically injured and five others were in serious condition but none of their conditions was life-threatening .
Among the 17 adults and two children in the garage at the time , the rest had minor injuries , he added .
“ They were gathered for a child ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came through the area they went into the garage to seek shelter and that ’ s when the tree fell on the garage , ” Davies told local media outlets .
“ This was a detached garage between two homes.
” Photos from the scene showed a large tree laying across what remained of the splintered garage .
Davies said first responders rushed to the area after the first 911 calls Sunday afternoon and found six people still trapped in the garage amid the debris .
He said three of those people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extricated soon after .
All were taken out within 45 minutes .
“ It was a very brief storm .
It came through very quickly , “ Davies said .
He added that the neighbourhood is in a wooded area and rescuers had to work around broken bits of the fallen tree and the remains of the garage .
Authorities did not immediately identify the victims or elaborate on their conditions , including those of the two children .
Other trees were down in the area after the storm , along with electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outages .
As a precaution , Davies said , firefighters and others searched the shattered garage after everyone was out and determined no one else was left in the debris .
None of the first responders was hurt .
Pasadena is a community about 32 kilometres southeast of Baltimore in the Midatlantic corridor stretching between Baltimore and the nation ’ s capital .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Virus fear prompts Mexican town to block road from US border

MEXICO CITY - Residents of the town of Sonoyta , across from Lukeville , Arizona , briefly blocked the main road leading south from the U.S. border over the weekend over fears of coronavirus outbreaks .
Arizona has seen a major upsurge in infections and there were worries about intensified contagion during the July 4 weekend .
The mayor of Sonoyta , José Ramos Arzate , issued a statement Saturday “ inviting U.S. tourists not to visit Mexico.
” Local residents organized to block the road with their cars on the Mexican side Saturday .
Video posted by residents showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to cross because they were Mexican citizens .
The road is the quickest route to the seaside resort of Puerto Peñasco , also known as Rocky Point .
Ramos Arzate wrote that people from the United States should only be allowed in “ for essential activities , and for that reason , the checkpoint and inspection point a few meters from the Sonoyta-Lukeville AZ crossing will continue operating.
” “ We had agreed on this in order to safeguard the health of our community in the face of an accelerated rate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona , ” Ramos Arzate wrote .
“ It is our duty as municipal authorities to protect the health of our town.
” Mexico and the United States agreed previously to limit border crossings to essential activities , but up until this week , that had mainly been enforced for people entering the United States , not the other way .
Residents of Sonoyta demanded health checks on incoming visitors , better health care facilities and broader testing .
There has been some resentment that tourists , but not local residents , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where many banks and other services are located .
In view of continued high infection rates and deaths in Mexico , some state are backpedaling on reopening businesses .
For example , the Mexico City government said Sunday that more streets in the city ’ s colonial-era downtown would be closed to traffic but open to pedestrians .
The city already allows businesses with even-numbered addresses to open one day , and odd-numbered businesses the next .
But on Sunday the city proposed a new , voluntary measure to reduce crowds downtown : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the letters A to L to shop on Monday , Wednesday and Friday .
Those whose names begin with the letters M to Z would be encouraged to shop Tuesday , Thursday and Saturday .
There was no proposal to enforce the rule .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--7-year-old among 13 killed in weekend shootings in Chicago

CHICAGO - At least 13 people , including a 7-year-old girl at a family party and a teenage boy , were killed in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend , police said .
At least 59 others were shot and wounded .
In one shooting , just before midnight Saturday , four males opened fire on a large gathering in the street in the Englewood neighbourhood , police spokesman Tom Ahern said .
Two males died at the scene and two more , including a 14-year-old boy , died at a hospital , Ahern said .
Four others were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the other three were in fair condition , Ahern said .
The four attackers fled the scene .
No one was arrested .
The 7-year-old girl was fatally shot in the head while standing on the sidewalk at her grandmother ’ s house during a Fourth of July party around 7 p.m. in the Austin neighbourhood , police said .
Suspects got out of a car and began shooting , police said .
No one has been arrested .
“ Tonight , a 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended by the barrel of a gun , “ Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Twitter late Saturday .
The mayor added : “ As a city , we must wrap our arms around our youth so they understand there ’ s a future for them that isn ’ t wrapped up in gun violence.
” A 32-year-old man was injured in the shooting and was in fair condition .
The Chicago Sun-Times , citing police , said that seven of those injured in shootings were minors .
The shootings this weekend that killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when victims included a 1-year-old boy riding in a car with his mother and a 10-year-old girl who was inside her home when a bullet fired a block away pierced a window and struck her in the head as she sat on a couch .
In response to violence that has occurred since Memorial Day weekend , police said they would have 1,200 extra officers on the streets for this holiday weekend .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Dominican Republic chooses leader amid rising COVID-19 cases

SANTO DOMINGO , Dominican Republic - With COVID-19 cases still surging , the Dominican Republic on Sunday held presidential elections that had already been delayed by the pandemic , and polls indicated that a businessman with no previous experience in government was favoured to oust a party that has ruled for the past 16 years .
Luís Abinader , a 52-year-old tourism industry leader who finished second in the last election , was leading in most recent surveys , with the governing party ’ s Gonzalo Castillo , a former public works minister , trailing .
Former President Leonel Fernández @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also on the ballot , along with three minor parties .
Term limits prevented outgoing President Danilo Medina from seeking a third , four-year term for the centre-left Dominican Liberation Party , which has won every presidential election since 2004 .
Both Abinader and Castillo , 59 , have proposed social assistance programs to cope with the new coronavirus crisis .
The spreading coronavirus prompted officials to delay the election , which had originally been scheduled for May .
It went ahead Sunday even though the Health Ministry on Saturday reported the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , 1,241 .
The country of some 10.5 million people has reported 794 deaths from the disease .
Lines were long and many voters appeared to ignore physical distancing rules as they cast ballots for 32 senators and 190 members of the lower house of congress .
Polls were to close at 5 p.m. local time but lines were seen at some polling stations as that hour passed .
If no candidate tops 50 % of the vote , a runoff would be held on July 26 .
The new president takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came out to vote becasue we have to get out of this in the first round , ” said Aracelis Castillo after voting in the capital .
The campaign was notably low key , with none of the mass meetings and street caravans common in previous years .
On election day itself , at least one fatal altercation broke out with the polling place shooting of a worker for Albinader ’ s party .
Authorities said two other people were wounded .

MartíN José Adames AlcáNtara - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--‘Killed a baby:’ 8-year-old girl killed in Atlanta shooting

ATLANTA - An 8-year-old girl was shot and killed on the Fourth of July after at least two people in a crowd of armed people opened fire on a car she was riding in near a flash point of recent protests in Atlanta , authorities said Sunday .
Police identified the girl as Secoriea Turner , and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called for justice during an emotional news conference Sunday with the girl ’ s grief-stricken mother .
The shooting happened near the Wendy ’ s restaurant where an African American man , Rayshard Brooks , was killed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The fast food outlet was later burned , and the area has since become a site for frequent demonstrations against police brutality .
Authorities said the mother had attempted to drive through illegally placed barricades in the area when the vehicle came under fire Saturday night .
“ You shot and killed a baby , ” the mayor said , according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution .
“ And there wasn ’ t just one shooter , there were at least two shooters.
” In a statement Sunday , police said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother and a friend of the mother when they got off Interstate-75/85 onto University Avenue and were trying to enter a parking lot nearby .
They ran into a group of armed individuals who had blocked the entrance .
“ At some point , someone in that group opened fire on the vehicle , striking it multiple times and striking the child who was inside , “ the statement read .
The driver drove the girl to Atlanta Medical Center but she did not survive .
Police said they are seeking help from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released a wanted poster saying a person all dressed in black and another in a white T-shirt were being sought .
The mayor said there have been problems with protesters in the area putting up barriers to close off the street .
She said she received a message that the barriers were back up less than an hour before she was informed that the 8-year-old girl had died .
“ An 8-year-old girl was killed last night because her mother was riding down the street , ” Bottoms said .
“ If Secoriea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us are safe.
” The mayor urged anyone with information about the shooting to come forward .
Police said two other people , in addition to the 8-year-old , were killed and more than 20 people were injured in incidents of gunfire and violence during the long holiday weekend .
The mayor said the city ’ s 911 system was flooded with calls Saturday night and pointed to protesters who damaged a Georgia State Patrol headquarters in Atlanta in a separate incident early Sunday .
But she said the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend ’ s shootings , did not have problems with large numbers of police officers calling in sick .
That had been a problem in the days after murder charges were filed against one of the officers in the Brooks shooting .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--6-year-old boy fatally shot in San Francisco neighbourhood

SAN FRANCISCO - A 6-year-old boy was killed in a San Francisco shooting that left another person wounded , police @ @ @ @ @ to reports of gunfire found the child suffering from a gunshot wound late Saturday in @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco Chronicle reported .
The young victim was rushed to a hospital , where @ @ @ @ @ said .
A second male victim , whose age was not released , was hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ police described as non-life-threatening .
There have been no arrests and there is no suspect @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--World Health Organization reports new global record for coronavirus cases

The global number of coronavirus cases reported on Saturday was highest on record , according to the World Health Organization .
Cases rose by 212,326 in 24 hours , with the United States , Brazil and India showing the largest increases .
The previous record of 190,566 was set on June 28 .
The WHO ’ s announcement comes as several states have paused reopening plans as cases have surged .
While Florida has approached New York ’ s daily case high mark , and passed 10,000 cases a day for four days in a row , Texas has warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available hospital beds .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 57,718 daily new cases and 661 deaths on Saturday as the country approaches three million cases and 130,000 deaths .
Brazil , which has the second-highest number of cases , reported 37,923 new cases , with total of more than 1.5 million cases , according to the health ministry .
India reported a rise of 24,850 cases on Sunday , health officials said .
Russia and Mexico have also reported increases .
Globally , more than 11 million coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
Over the weekend , England became one of many countries to lift lockdown restrictions when it allowed bars , restaurants and hair salons to reopen .
Photos and videos of the reopenings showed people ignoring social distancing guidelines .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Suspected drug flight lands on highway in southern Mexico

MEXICO CITY - A small plane suspected of carrying drugs landed on a highway Sunday in the southern Mexico state of Quintana Roo and burned .
Video posted by the top Quintana Roo state police official showed smoke billowing from the jet as it sat on a rural two-lane highway .
The Defence Department said the plane had arrived from South America and had been tracked since it entered Mexican airspace .
The Department said two air force planes were dispatched to trail the jet and troops were flown to the landing site .
Further down the highway , headed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops found a pickup truck loaded with 13 sacks of cocaine weighing a total of about 850 pounds ( 390 kilograms ) .
No arrests were made .
It was unclear whether the plane made an emergency landing and burst into flames , or whether traffickers set if afire as they often do .
The website Aviation Safety Network identified the plane as a decades-old BAe-125 15-seat passenger jet .
The site where the plane landed is in the state ’ s southern interior , near Felipe Carrillo Puerto , relatively far from @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Remains of missing Texas soldier Vanessa Guillen identified, lawyer says

DALLAS—Army investigators have identified the body of a soldier who vanished more than two months ago from a base in Texas , according to a lawyer for the soldier ’ s family .
Remains found last week buried near Fort Hood belong to Spc .
Vanessa Guillen and Army officials informed her family in Houston Sunday , attorney Natalie Khawam told The Associated Press .
Guillén , who had been missing since April , was killed and dismembered by a fellow soldier who took his own life last week , federal and military investigators have said .
Human remains were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bell County , about 32 kilometres east of Fort Hood , during a the search for Guillen .
An Army spokesman said earlier Sunday that they were still waiting for positive identification of the remains .
Investigators were unable to use dental records to identify Guillén because of the state of her remains and instead used DNA from bone and hair samples , Khawam said .
Guillen ’ s family received the information in the company of their priest , she said .
Army officials identified the soldier suspected in Guillén ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aguilar , a 22-year-old civilian from a community near near Fort Hood , was arrested and charged with one count for allegedly helping hide the body of 20-year-old solider , according to a criminal complaint .
Guillén ’ s family has said that they believe she was sexually harassed by Robinson and is calling for a congressional investigation .
Mayra Guillen said last week that her sister had spoken with their mother about experiencing sexual harassment , but that her mother has been too devastated to talk about it .
From their text @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her sister was afraid during her time at Fort Hood .
Khawam said Sunday that military sexual harassment is “ epidemic ” and demands attention from Congress .
“ You can ’ t turn a blind eye anymore , “ she said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Developers cancel long-delayed, $8B Atlantic Coast Pipeline

RICHMOND , Va. - The developers of the long-delayed , $ 8 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline announced the cancellation of the multi-state natural gas project Sunday , citing uncertainties about costs , permitting and litigation .
Despite a victory last month at the United States Supreme Court over a critical permit , Dominion Energy and Duke Energy said in a news release that “ recent developments have created an unacceptable layer of uncertainty and anticipated delays ” for the 600-mile ( 965-kilometre ) project designed to cross West Virginia and Virginia into North Carolina .
The companies said a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into question a permitting program used around the nation to approve oil and gas pipelines and other utility work through wetlands and streams presented “ new and serious challenges.
” “ This new information and litigation risk , among other continuing execution risks , make the project too uncertain to justify investing more shareholder capital , ” the news release said .
The massive infrastructure project , announced with much fanfare in 2014 , had drawn fierce opposition from many landowners , activists and environmental advocates , who said it would damage pristine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project built would have involved tree removal and blasting and levelling some ridgetops as the pipe , 42 inches ( 1 metre ) in diameter for much of its path , crossed mountains , hundreds of water bodies and other sensitive terrain and burrowed underneath the Appalachian Trail .
Opponents also questioned whether there was sufficient need for the gas it would carry and said it would further encourage the use of a fossil fuel at a time when climate change makes a shift to renewable energy imperative .
Legal challenges brought by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of numerous permits and led to an extended delay in construction .
The project was years behind schedule and the anticipated cost had ballooned from the original estimate of $ 4.5 billion to $ 5 billion .
Reaction poured in Sunday from the project ’ s opponents , who lauded the demise of the project .
“ If anyone still had questions about whether or not the era of fracked gas was over , this should answer them .
Today is a historic victory for clean water , the climate , public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said in a statement .
The project ’ s supporters said the pipeline would create jobs , help aid the transition away from coal and lower energy costs for consumers .
Economic development officials in distressed parts of the three states it would run through had hoped that the greater availability of natural gas would help draw heavy manufacturing companies .
“ Unfortunately , today ’ s announcement detrimentally impacts the Commonwealth ’ s access to affordable , reliable energy , ” the Virginia Chamber of Commerce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also demonstrates the significant regulatory burdens businesses must deal with in order to operate.
” U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said in a statement the project was killed by the “ well-funded , obstructionist environmental lobby.
” “ The Trump Administration wants to bring the benefits of reliable and affordable energy of all kinds to all Americans , ” Brouillette said .
“ Unfortunately , the same can ’ t be said for the activists who killed this project.
” Separately , Dominion , which is headquartered in Richmond , Virginia , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 states , announced it had agreed to sell “ substantially all ” of its gas transmission and storage segment assets to an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway .
The transaction was valued at $ 9.7 billion , the company said .
The assets involved in the sale include more than 7,700 miles ( 12,300 kilometres ) of natural gas storage and transmission pipelines and about 900 billion cubic feet of gas storage that Dominion currently operates , the company said .
Duke , which is headquartered in Charlotte , North Carolina , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy holding companies .
Duke has previously pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions from its electric generation by 2050 , and Dominion has committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the same year .
A third partner in the Atlantic Coast Pipeline , Southern Company , sold its small stake in the project earlier this year to Dominion , the lead developer .
Dominion had asserted its commitment to seeing the project through as recently as mid-June , when it asked federal regulators for an extension of time to get the project into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be unable to complete the Atlantic Coast Pipeline , “ Dominion CEO Tom Farrell and Duke CEO Lynn Good said in a joint statement .
“ For almost six years we have worked diligently and invested billions of dollars to complete the project and deliver the much-needed infrastructure to our customers and communities .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Police: Men yelled racial slurs at Black family in Oregon

LINCOLN CITY , Ore. - Seven men were arrested after police say they taunted a Black family by yelling racial @ @ @ @ @ during a Fourth of July incident in an Oregon beach town .
The men challenged @ @ @ @ @ officers arrived to the beach in Lincoln City and set off fireworks that were banned @ @ @ @ @ were arrested on suspicion of charges including riot , disorderly conduct , interfering with police @ @ @ @ @ , the Oregonian reported .
The men are from Clark County , Washington , police @ @ @ @ @ and released .
The men arrested were : Gennadiy Kachankov , Antoliy Kachankov , Andrey @ @ @ @ @ Ruslan Tkachenko and Yuriy Kachankov .
A seventh man refused to identify himself , police @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t be found for the men .
It ’ s unknown if they @ @ @ @ @ Oregon beach community is about 88 miles ( 142 kilometres ) southwest of Portland .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Woman who made racist remarks in video faces separate charge

LOS ANGELES - A woman whose racist , anti-Asian tirades were caught on video last month is facing a warrant for her arrest in connection with a separate confrontation last year .
The Torrance city attorney ’ s office said 54-year-old Lena Hernandez was charged Thursday in a case of battery related to an October 2019 event , The Los Angeles Times reported .
Police allege Hernandez , a retired social worker from Long Beach , verbally assaulted a custodian and struck another person who tried to intervene at a mall in Torrance .
Hernandez is scheduled to be heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
Last month at a park in Torrance , a woman later identified as Hernandez was recorded on video using profanity while speaking to a younger woman who was exercising at a set of stairs .
“ Go back to whatever ... Asian country you belong in , ” Hernandez said in the video .
In a second outburst later that day , a video showed Hernandez berating a man in his car with two of his children present and saying , “ You know what , you need to go home.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill the man and referred to him as a “ Chinaman.
” She complained his vehicle was parked too close to her Honda .
Video clips of both encounters were posted on Twitter .
Torrance officials said the city attorney reviewed the police investigations and concluded there was insufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges against Hernandez for her comments .
Torrance Mayor Patrick Furey said the scene he saw on social media was “ nauseating to absolutely anybody in our community.
” The population of the city , where 80 languages are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 % Asian or Pacific Islander , Furey said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Group raising funds for replica of Abraham Lincoln cottage

SPRINGFIELD , Ill. - Visitors have been able to tour Abraham Lincoln ’ s two-story , 12-room home in Springfield for years .
Now a group dedicated to preserving the late president ’ s legacy is hoping to show people what the dwelling was like when it was a more modest — and cramped — cottage .
The Abraham Lincoln Association is raising money to buy land near the historic site downtown Springfield and build a replica of the six-room home that Lincoln bought in 1844 .
The home wasn ’ t renovated to add a second story — giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until 1856 , after the lawyer and future president had achieved economic and political success .
Lincoln scholar and Abraham Lincoln Association President Michael Burlingame said the current Lincoln Home , which is administered by the National Park Service , gives visitors an idea of what Lincoln ’ s family environment was like during only the family ’ s last five years at the location .
“ People entering the proposed replica of the cottage will gain a fuller , deeper appreciation of what the Lincolns ’ life was like for three-fourths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , a pressure-cooker type atmosphere created by its tight quarters which doubtless exacerbated family tensions , “ Burlingame said .
The association has signed an option-to-buy agreement on land a short walk from the Lincoln Home .
The group says it needs to raise $ 400,000 for the project , which includes $ 250,000 for construction and $ 70,000 to acquire the land .
The project ’ s timetable depends on how long it takes to raise the funds , Burlingame said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Israel announces successful launch of new spy satellite

JERUSALEM - Israel announced the successful launch of a new spy satellite Monday that will help it monitor Iran ’ s nuclear activities as the Israeli foreign minister hinted that his country may have been behind a fire that damaged an Iranian nuclear site last week .
The “ Ofek 16 ” satellite gives Israel what officials described as an additional tool in keeping tabs on many threats from across the region , joining a fleet of Israeli spy satellites that have been launched over the past two decades .
While officials did not identify specific threats , arch-enemy Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ develop nuclear arms , is first among them .
“ The success of the Ofek 16 satellite very much increases our ability to act against Israel ’ s enemies , near and far alike .
It greatly expands our ability to act on land , at sea , in the air and also in space , ” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the launch .
The launch came a day after Iran finally acknowledged that a mysterious fire last week damaged a new centrifuge assembly centre at its Natanz nuclear site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iranian officials had initially sought to downplay Thursday ’ s fire , calling it an “ incident ” that affected an “ industrial shed.
” But on Sunday they confirmed that centrifuges had been damaged and their development and production delayed .
A spate of other mysterious blasts at Iranian industrial complexes in recent months have also been attributed to Israel .
Israel has previously proven its ability to penetrate sensitive Iranian facilities , including with a 2018 raid in which Israeli officials said Mossad agents broke into a warehouse in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of documents connected to Iran ’ s nuclear program .
Israel and the U.S. are also believed to have been behind the Stuxnet computer virus that disrupted Iran ’ s nuclear program a decade ago .
Israel has not officially commented on the fire in Natanz , in line with its standard policy of neither confirming nor denying secretive overseas operations .
But in a speech , Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi noted that it was Israel ’ s long-term strategy to prevent Iran from having the ability to build a nuclear weapon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Israel ’ s military chief during the Stuxnet period , said at a conference that Israel takes “ actions that are better left unsaid.
” The leader of his Blue and White party , Defence Minister Benny Gantz , warned in a radio interview Sunday that while it was understandable to suspect Israel , “ not every incident that happens in Iran necessarily has something to do with us.
” Gantz , who is also a former military chief of staff , called Monday ’ s satellite launch an “ extraordinary achievement.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are essential to the security of the state of Israel , ” he said .
Israel does not confirm the number of its operational satellites .
But Amnon Harari , the head of the Space and Satellite Administration , mentioned at least two others , the Ofek 5 , launched in 2002 , and the Ofek 11 , launched in 2016 .
He said that having additional spy satellites improved the speed and depth at which Israel can gather intelligence .
“ All the group of satellites are being used to monitor any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which as you know are sometimes far away and immediate so they require constant monitoring , ” he said .
“ You can assume that once you have more than one satellite in parallel in the sky , you achieve better visit times over the targets of interest.
“ The satellite was developed by the Defence Ministry , along with the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries .
The ministry said Ofek 16 was launched at 4 a.m. from the Palmachim air base in central Israel .
It described the Ofek as an “ electro-optical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sudri , the general manager of IAI ’ s space division , said the Ofek was in orbit and sending “ healthy signals ” to a ground station .
He said he expected it to begin transmitting photos in about a week .
Israel considers Iran to be its greatest threat , citing its development of long-range missiles , its military presence in neighbouring Syria and its suspect nuclear program .
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons , saying its atomic program is for purely peaceful purposes .
Alex Fishman , the defence analyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suspicion that Israel was involved in last week ’ s fire at the Natanz nuclear site made sense .
“ Someone decided that a window of opportunity had opened , that Iran was in distress , and that now was the time to strike wherever possible , ” he wrote .
“ Now , when Iran is suffering from a huge socio-economic crisis , that is the time to try to destabilize the regime , to encourage domestic resistance , to compel Iran to invest money in defence and in rebuilding infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Iran has yet to outright accuse Israel .
A spokesman for its nuclear agency , Behrouz Kamalvandi , said Sunday that work had begun on the Natanz centre in 2013 and it was inaugurated in 2018 .
He said that the fire had damaged “ precision and measuring instruments , ” and that the centre had not been operating at full capacity due to restrictions imposed by Tehran ’ s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers .
Iran began experimenting with advanced centrifuge models in the wake of the U.S. unilaterally withdrawing @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--EU top official criticized for breaching code of conduct

BRUSSELS - The European Union ’ s executive arm blamed a series of technical mistakes after its top official threw her support behind the ruling conservative party in Croatia ’ s parliamentary elections , in breach of political neutrality guidelines .
Ursula von der Leyen , the German president of the European Commission , appeared with other centre-right politicians in a promotional video clip posted over the weekend by the Croatian Democratic Union ( HDZ ) ahead of Sunday ’ s vote .
A former defence minister in Germany , Von der Leyen is a member of the centre-right Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the same European People ’ s Party as HDZ .
But the code of conduct for members of the European Commission states that they “ shall abstain from making public statements or interventions on behalf of any political party or organization of the social partners of which they are members , ” except when they stand for election or participate in a vote .
Speaking during a press conference on Monday , the chief spokesman for the commission , Eric Mamer , said Von der Leyen was meant to be speaking in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer formal apologies for the mixup .
Mamer said she recorded the message at the request of the Croatian Prime minister ’ s cabinet on Friday during a session held in the commission ’ s studios before the video was sent to Croatia .
He said Von der Leyen recorded several other messages that day as part of her communication strategy during the coronavirus crisis , which requires the use of video for virtual appearances as in-person meetings remain limited .
“ Obviously this video should not have been recorded against the backdrop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to the office building in Brussels housing the headquarters of the commission , the EU ’ s executive branch .
“ When it was recorded they used the same backdrop they had used for the previous video recordings.
” The video triggered an avalanche of criticism on social media .
In the short footage , Von der Leyen was identified as the European Commission president and was filmed standing in front of a European flag .
“ In the post production phase in Zagreb the heading ‘ president ’ was added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of course provided for initially , “ Mamer said .
Asked whether Von der Leyen had breached the commission ’ s code of conduct by meddling in the Croatian election , Mamer said only unintentional mistakes led to the final version of the video .
“ Clearly the president is of the view that it ’ s a good thing for European democracy that members of the college can engage in active political life , “ Mamer said .
“ So that ’ s the kind of things which must be permitted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ must apply to any such activities.
” According to partial results , the ruling conservatives overwhelmingly won the elections held Sunday .
With over 90 per cent of the vote counted , the HDZ has 66 seats in Croatia ’ s 151-seat parliament and is likely to form a new coalition government with smaller right-wing groups .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Spaghetti Western movie composer Ennio Morricone dead at 91

ROME - Ennio Morricone , the Oscar-winning Italian composer who created the coyote-howl theme for the iconic Spaghetti Western “ The Good , the Bad and the Ugly ” and often haunting soundtracks for such classic Hollywood gangster movies as “ The Untouchables ” and the epic “ Once Upon A Time In America , ” died Monday .
He was 91 .
Morricone ’ s longtime lawyer , Giorgio Assumma , said “ the Maestro , ” as he was known , died in a Rome hospital of complications following surgery after a recent fall in which he broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Assumma read a farewell message from Morricone .
“ I am Ennio Morricone , and I am dead , ” began the message .
In the greeting , the composer went on to explain that the only reason he was saying goodbye this way and had requested a private funeral was : “ I don ’ t want to bother anyone.
” During a career that spanned decades and earned him an Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2007 , Morricone collaborated with some of Hollywood ’ s and Italy ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by Brian de Palma , “ The Hateful Eight ” by Quentin Tarantino , “ The Battle of Algiers ” by Gillo Pontecorvo and “ Cinema Paradiso , ” a nostalgic ode to the importance of movie houses in Italian small town life , by Giuseppe Tornatore .
The Tarantino film would win him the Oscar for best original score in 2016 .
In accepting that award , Morricone told the audience at the ceremony : “ There is no great music without a great film that inspires it.
” In total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scores for feature films .
His iconic so-called Spaghetti Western movies saw him work closely with the late Italian film director Sergio Leone , a former classmate .
Morricone practically reinvented music for Western genre movies through his partnership with Leone .
Their partnership included the “ Dollars ” trilogy starring Clint Eastwood as a quick-shooting , lonesome gunman : “ A Fistful of Dollars ” in 1964 , “ For a Few Dollars More ” in 1965 and “ The Good , the Bad and the Ugly ” a year later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ few notes — like those played on a harmonica in Leone ’ s 1984 movie “ Once Upon A Time in America ” — that would instantly become a film ’ s highly memorable motif .
That movie is a saga about Jewish gangsters in New York that explores themes of friendship , lost love and the passing of time , starring Robert De Niro and James Wood .
It is considered by some to be Leone ’ s masterpiece , thanks in part to Morricone ’ s evocative score , including a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Inspiration does not exist , ” Morricone said in a 2004 interview with The Associated Press .
“ What exists is an idea , a minimal idea that the composer develops at the desk , and that small idea becomes something important.
” In a later interview , with Italian state TV , Morricone cited “ study , discipline and curiosity ” as the keys to his creative genius .
“ Writing music , like all creative arts , comes from a long path ” along life ’ s experiences , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world music ” was how Italian film director Dario Argento described Morricone , who scored five of his films .
In his late 80s , Morricone provided the score for “ The Hateful Eight , ” Tarantino ’ s 2015 70-mm epic and the first time in decades that he had composed new music for a Western .
It was also the first time Tarantino had used an original score .
In accepting Morricone ’ s Golden Globe for the music in his place , Tarantino called him his favourite composer .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ I don ’ t mean movie composer .
...
I ’ m talking about Mozart , I ’ m talking about Beethoven , I ’ m talking about Schubert , ” Tarantino said .
Italy ’ s head of state , President Sergio Mattarella , in a condolence message to the composer ’ s family , wrote : “ Both a refined and popular musician , he left a deep footprint on the musical history of the second half of the 1900s.
” Morricone ’ s sound tracks , Mattarella said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prestige of Italy in the world.
” Morricone ’ s style was sparse , made of memorable tunes and unusual instruments and arrangements , and often stirred deep emotions .
His music punctuated the long silences typical of the Spaghetti Westerns , with the characters locked in close-ups , staring at each other and waiting for their next moves .
The coyote howl , harmonicas and eerie whistling of “ The Good , the Bad and the Ugly ” became Morricone ’ s trademark and one of the most easily recognizable soundtracks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2007 , Eastwood recalled hearing for the first time the score of “ A Fistful of Dollars ” and thinking : “ What actor wouldn ’ t want to ride into town with that kind of music playing behind him ?
” It was a night to remember for Morricone , who had been nominated for Oscars five times ( “ The Hateful Eight ” was his sixth ) but until then had never won .
Born in Rome on Nov. 10 , 1928 , Morricone was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His father was a trumpet player .
After studying trumpet and composition at the Conservatory of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in the Italian capital , he started working as a trumpeter and then as an arranger for record companies .
“ I started working on very easy kinds of music pieces for the radio , for television and then for the theatre , and then little by little I started to compose the film scores , ” he told the AP in 2016 .
In 1961 he wrote his first score @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set in the final moments of Fascism called “ Il Federale ” ( known in English as “ The Fascist ” ) .
That decade also saw Morricone co-operate with Pontecorvo , first on “ The Battle of Algiers , ” the black-and-white classic depicting the Algerian uprising against the French ; and later on “ Queimada , ” a tale of colonialism starring Marlon Brando .
Morricone received his first Oscar nomination for original score with “ Days Of Heaven , ” a 1978 movie by U.S. director Terence Malick .
Beside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others were for “ The Mission ” ( 1986 ) , “ The Untouchables ” ( 1987 ) , “ Bugsy ” ( 1991 ) and “ Malena ” ( 2000 ) .
Shortly before his lifetime Oscar , Morricone joked that he would have been happy without the coveted statuette , saying “ I would have remained in the company of illustrious non-winners.
” But he also made no secret that he thought “ The Mission , ” with its memorably sweet theme of “ Gabriel ’ s Oboe , ” deserved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he lost to Herbie Hancock ’ s “ Round Midnight.
” Highly versatile , Morricone also orchestrated Italian pop tunes that include enduring classics , like one version of an eternal summer hit , “ Sapore di Sale ” ( “ Taste of Salt ” ) , which was written by famed Italian troubadour Gino Paoli .
Another renowned maestro , Riccardo Muti , cited his “ friendship and admiration ?
for Morricone .
Muti on Monday recalled that when he directed the composer ’ s piece “ Voci dal Silenzio ” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work elicited “ true emotion ” from the audience , both in Chicago , where Muti directs the symphony orchestra , as well as during a performance in Ravenna , Italy .
Muti called Morricone an “ extraordinary ” composer both for films and in classical music .
Asked by Italian state TV a few years ago if there was one director he would have liked to have worked with but didn ’ t , Morricone said Stanley Kubrick had asked him to work on “ Clockwork Orange.
” But that collaboration didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Leone , Morricone recalled .
Morricone is survived by his wife Maria Travia , whom he cited when accepting his 2016 Oscar .
Married in 1956 , the couple had four children , Marco , Alessandra , Andrea and Giovanni .
Biographical material for this report was contributed by former AP correspondent Alessandra Rizzo .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--South Africa begins second phase of reopening of schools

JOHANNESBURG - While thousands of South African students are returning to school Monday after nearly four months when their classes were closed to combat the spread of COVID-19 , authorities are debating a return to more restrictive measures because of a surge in cases .
In neighbouring Zimbabwe , at least 12 nurses were arrested after demonstrating against their working conditions , complaining that they do not have adequate protective gear to safely treat COVID-19 patients .
South African students in grades 6 and 11 started classes Monday , as the second stage of a phased reopening of schools .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ grades 7 and 12 , returned to classes last month .
Returning learners were required to produce indemnity forms signed by their parents granting them permission to resume classes .
South Africa ’ s government last week won a legal challenge permitting it to proceed with reopening schools .
The lawsuit had said that schools should remain closed because of the danger of the disease spreading among learners and teachers .
However , in recent days the government has postponed plans for further grades to return to class amid a quickening speed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Africa had 196,750 cases as of Monday , more than 40 % of all the cases reported by Africa ’ s 54 countries .
South Africa has recorded 3,199 deaths .
Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize said Monday that the government is considering re-imposing restrictions , especially in Gauteng province , which includes Johannesburg , South Africa ’ s largest city , because of the country ’ s rapid rise in cases and hospitalizations .
In Zimbabwe police Monday arrested at least 12 nurses who were protesting against low salaries and lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s Covid-19 cases are rising .
Thousands of nurses working in public hospitals stopped reporting for work in mid-June , part of frequent work stoppages by health workers who earn less than $ 50 a month and allege they are forced to work without adequate protective equipment such as gloves and masks .
Police have been deployed to stop protests by nurses and doctors in recent months .
On Monday , dozens of nurses wearing masks and their white and blue uniforms gathered for protests at some of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Harare , and the second-largest city of Bulawayo .
Zimbabwe ’ s coronavirus cases have been climbing in recent weeks , mostly recorded at centres where people returning to the country mainly from neighbouring South Africa are kept in mandatory isolation .
The country had recorded about 700 cases of coronavirus infection and 8 deaths by Monday .
Nurses sang and chanted slogans at hospital premises , carrying placards that read “ Nurses lives matter , ” “ We have been reduced to nothing ” and “ We want our salaries in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , police arrested some of the nurses and shoved them into a truck at Harare Central Hospital .
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights , which is Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights , an NGO which is representing the nurses , said “ at least ’ 12 nurses were arrested and have now been taken to a police station in the poor suburb of Mbare .
They have been charged with contravening lockdown rules , the organization said .
The Zimbabwe Nurses Association described the arrests as the “ clearest evidence ” of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions .
“ The attempts to strangle our genuine voices through force is nothing new ... however we have lost our earnings through slave wages and so we have nothing more to lose , ” said the nurses association in a statement .
Zimbabwe ’ s health workers , like most government employees , argue that their salaries are being eroded by inflation , now at more than 750 % , as the once-prosperous southern African country battles its worst economic crisis in a decade .
The frequent strikes by health workers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health system that was already in the intensive care well before the outbreak of coronavirus .
Families of patients are expected to provide drugs and , in some cases , bring buckets of water as Zimbabwe ’ s once-envied health care system reflects the southern African nation ’ s general collapse .

Mogomotsi Magome And Farai Mutsaka - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Businessman wins Dominican presidency in virus-marked vote

SANTO DOMINGO , Dominican Republic - A businessman who has never held elected office has won the presidency of the Dominican Republic , according to results Monday , ending a 16-year run in power by a centre-left party .
Luis Rodolfo Abinader had won about 53 per cent of Sunday ’ s vote with most of the polling places reporting , topping Gonzalo Castillo of the Dominican Liberation Party , which has governed since 2004 .
Trailing far behind was three-time President Leonel Fernandez .
Castillo acknowledged “ an irreversable tendency ” in favour of Abinader and congratulated him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was barred by term limits from seeking a third four-year term .
The elections took place as the new coronavirus pandemic was sweeping across the Caribbean nation of some 10.5 million people .
Abinader himself spent most of the past month in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 and the vote itself had been postponed from May due to the disease .
The Health Ministry on Saturday reported the highest daily count of new confirmed COVID-19 cases , 1,241 .
The country has reported 794 deaths from the disease .
Voters were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one at a time was allowed into polling places , though those outside often appeared to ignore physical disancing recommendations .
Abinader , 52 , is part of a family with extensive business holdings in the Dominican Republic , including hotels .
While he has never held office , he finished second in the 2016 presidential election .
Results of voting for 190 congressional seats and 32 in the Senate were not immediately clear .
The campaign was notably low key , with none of the mass meetings and street caravans common in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least one fatal altercation broke out with the polling place shooting of a worker for Albinader ’ s party .
Authorities said two other people were wounded .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--UK’s lockdown-hit arts venues to get $2B rescue package

LONDON - The British government has announced more than 1.5 billion pounds ( almost $ 2 billion ) to help the country ’ s renowned arts and cultural institutions recover from the coronavirus pandemic , after some theatres and music venues warned that without support they might never open again .
The 1.57 billion pound ( $ 1.96 billion ) package for museums , galleries , theatres , movie theatres , heritage sites and music venues includes almost 900 million pounds in grants and more than 200 million pounds in loans .
Details of how the money will be distributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders of arts organizations breathed a sigh of relief at the announcement .
“ When we heard last night , we slept for the first time since March , ” Kwame Kwei-Armah , artistic director of London ’ s Young Vic theatre , said Monday .
“ It is a real vindication that we have been listened to and that the government understand that we were dying on our knees and also that we are an important part of our country ’ s recovery.
” Tamara Roja , artistic director of the English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives our sector a fighting chance of survival.
” Monday ’ s announcement comes after intense lobbying of Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s Conservative government by arts leaders , who say British culture is a 100-billion-pound a year industry , essential to the economy and to the nation ’ s global image .
Some U.K. arts institutions are beginning to open their doors after more than three months of lockdown , starting with the National Gallery in London , which reopens Wednesday .
But social distancing rules and an almost total absence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial hit .
Theaters and concert venues haven ’ t been told when they can admit audiences , and several major venues , including Nuffield Southampton Theatres in southern England , have already announced they will close permanently or lay off hundreds of staff .
The rescue package is intended to help venues survive until April .
But theatres warn they may go bust if they can ’ t get paying audiences through the doors until then .
Some question why people are allowed to sit in tightly packed rows on planes but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Lloyd-Webber tweeted : “ Great to see the Government support the arts , but what we really need is for the UK ’ s theatres to open safely as soon as practically possible.
” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the support package would help safeguard Britain ’ s status as a “ creative industries superpower.
” But he said theatres wouldn ’ t be able to return to normal until the need for social distancing was over — and it ’ s too soon to say when that will be .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he told the BBC .
“ I just want to be a bit realistic about the challenges of getting us back to that point any time soon.
” Across Europe , museums and art galleries have been the first cultural venues to reopen , although with much-reduced capacity .
The Louvre in Paris opened its doors on Monday for the first time in four months , with face masks and advance reservations required .
In London , the National Gallery has introduced timed tickets , one-way routes , visor-wearing staff and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors after 111 days — the gallery ’ s first shutdown since World War II .
Even in wartime the building remained open for concerts and events , though the collection of works by artists including Caravaggio , Monet , Van Gogh and Turner was sent out of London to keep it safe .
“ The gallery was open and it was there for the London public as the bombs rained down on the city , ” gallery director Gabriele Finaldi said .
“ So we felt a responsibility that , as in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there for the public , we wanted to be there when the opportunity arose to reopen .
“ It will be very interesting to see how the public responds .
We ’ re keen that they start coming , but I think the most important thing is that they feel safe , in the first instance .
I think then confidence will build up , and then hopefully tourism will return to the city.
” But , he added , “ it ’ s going to be very tough.
” Follow AP coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Mona Lisa back at work, visitors limited, as Louvre reopens

PARIS - The Mona Lisa is back in business .
Paris ’ Louvre Museum , which houses the world ’ s most famous portrait , reopened Monday after a four-month coronavirus lockdown and without its usual huge throngs .
Face masks were a must and visitor numbers were limited , with reservations required .
Among the trickle of returning tourists was Zino Vandenbeaghen , who travelled from Belgium to enjoy the unusual space at both the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles .
“ It ’ s super , “ he said .
“ The ideal moment to visit.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — 45,000 square meters ( 484,000 square feet ) of space , or the equivalent of 230 tennis courts — housing 30,000 of the Louvre ’ s vast trove of works is again accessible to visitors starved of art in lockdown .
“ It ’ s very emotional for all the teams that have prepared this reopening , ” said Jean-Luc Martinez , the museum director .
The bulk of visitors to what was the world ’ s most-visited museum before the pandemic used to come from overseas , led by travellers from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barred from the European Union that is gradually reopening its borders .
The Louvre is hoping the reopening will attract visitors from closer to home , including the Paris region , but is bracing for a plunge in numbers .
Martinez said the museum was expecting just 7,000 visitors on the reopening day .
Before the pandemic , as many as 50,000 people per day toured the Louvre in the busiest summer months .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Serbia, Kosovo leaders to meet as EU-backed talks resume

BRUSSELS - The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo will hold talks in Brussels on July 12 , the first meeting between the two in long-stalled European Union-supervised negotiations aimed at normalizing relations , European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said Monday .
Sunday ’ s meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic , which will be the first in this format since November 2018 , will be hosted by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell .
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will also hold virtual preparatory talks with the three on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the work on reaching a comprehensive and legally binding agreement on the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo , dealing with all outstanding issues , ” Stano told reporters .
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 , a move Serbia has not recognized .
The United States and the European Union have been working to help normalize ties between the two countries .
The EU and the U.S. officially have the same goal — resolving one of the last major standoffs in the Balkans after the 1998-1999 war and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serb crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists .
Still , Sunday ’ s meeting comes after a U.S. effort to get the sides talking , which was not co-ordinated with the Europeans and raised eyebrows in Brussels .
That effort appeared to founder when Hoti cancelled his trip to Washington after Kosovo ’ s president , Hashim Thaci , was indicted for alleged war crimes .
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia remain high .
The EU-facilitated negotiations started in March 2011 and have produced some 30 agreements , but most of them have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves have not recognized Kosovo ’ s independence .
Hoti and Vucic will also hold separate talks with Macron in France on Tuesday and Thursday respectively .
John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Austria: bachelor party ends with snake-bitten tongue

BERLIN - A German man ’ s bachelor party in the Austrian Alps ended with a snake bite on the @ @ @ @ @ a hospital .
The Austria Press Agency reported Monday that the local Red Cross said @ @ @ @ @ touch with his tongue a baby viper on the floor of an Alpine hut at @ @ @ @ @ Austria .
The snake bit him and his tongue swelled up .
Mountain rescuers and @ @ @ @ @ the scene on Saturday evening , and he was taken to a hospital .
The @ @ @ @ @ may have confused the young snake with a worm .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Chinese diplomat derides UK’s move to offer HK citizenship

LONDON - China ’ s ambassador to the UK derided Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s offer to provide up to 3 million Hong Kong people with a path to citizenship , describing the move on Monday as gross interference in his country ’ s affairs .
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming defended his country ’ s new national security law on Monday , and depicted Johnson ’ s actions as meddling in China ’ s domestic affairs .
The UK handed control of Hong Kong , its colony for more than a century , back to Beijing in 1997 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs .
“ This move constitutes a gross interference in China ’ s internal affairs and openly tramples on the basic norms governing international relations , ’ ’ he said adding that the Chinese side has expressed “ its great concern and strong opposition.
’ ’ The law imposed last week makes secessionist , subversive , or terrorist activities illegal , as well as foreign intervention in the city ’ s internal affairs .
Activities such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags calling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law regardless of whether violence is used .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Global stocks rise as investors look to economic data

BEIJING - Global stock markets rose Monday as investors shrugged off worries about rising coronavirus infections in the United States and some other countries and focused on hopes for an economic recovery .
Indexes in London and Frankfurt rose after Shanghai led a market rally in Asia earlier .
Wall Street futures also rose .
Markets carried momentum from last week after unexpectedly strong U.S. jobs data despite some American states reporting record new coronavirus infections .
In Europe , retail sales rebounded in May in the 19 countries that use the euro , while car sales in Britain picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eased .
The FTSE 100 in London rose 1.7 % to 6,263 and Frankfurt ’ s DAX added 1.6 % to 12,727 .
The CAC 40 in France advanced 1.6 % to 5,084 .
On Wall Street , the future for the benchmark S & P 500 index was up 1.1 % and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.3 % .
The S & P 500 ended a shortened last week up 4 % before closing Thursday for a three-day holiday weekend .
The Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.4 % .
U.S. shares have rallied despite a surge in new cases in the populous U.S. states of Florida , Texas and California .
That has prompted some governors to halt reopening of businesses or to order others to re-close .
In Asia , the Shanghai Composite Index rose 5.7 % to 3,332.88 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gained 1.8 % to 22,714.44 .
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 3.8 % to 26,339.16 .
The Kospi in Seoul rose 1.6 % to 2,187.93 while Sydney ’ s S & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
India ’ s Sensex gained 1.4 % to 36,531.56 and New Zealand , Singapore and Jakarta also gained .
Investors in Asia are looking ahead to interest rate decisions in Australia and Malaysia .
The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to keep its benchmark rate at a record low of 0.25 % while forecasters expect another cut from Bank Negara Malaysia .
Markets also are watching an election in Singapore and possible unrest in Hong Kong over a security law .
Share prices have risen as some countries ease anti-virus measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge might be too early to be sustained by uncertain economic conditions .
Whether the rally can be sustained “ is hugely dependent on how markets react if improving data stabilizes or goes into reverse , ” said Stephen Innes of AxiCorp in a report .
In energy markets , benchmark U.S. crude shed 13 cents to $ 40.52 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
Brent crude , used to price international oils , rose 34 cents in London to $ 43.14 per barrel .
The dollar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the euro gained to $ 1.1321 from $ 1.1243 on Friday .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Serbian military opens field hospital amid coronavirus spike

BELGRADE , Serbia - Troops in Serbia set up an emergency 500-bed field hospital Monday , a day after neighbouring Kosovo re-imposed a nighttime curfew in four cities , as the Balkans battled to contain a surge in coronavirus infections that underscored the risks of swiftly easing lockdowns .
The makeshift hospital in a sports hall in the Serbian capital , Belgrade , is a “ precautionary measure ” as hospitals in the capital are reaching their capacity because of the coronavirus outbreak , the city ’ s deputy mayor , Goran Vesic , said .
Serbian infections have returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic in the Balkan country in March and April .
Serbia ’ s rising infections provide a chilling insight into how the virus , while retreating in much of Europe , can roar back if lockdowns are lifted too swiftly .
The country went from having some of Europe ’ s toughest lockdown measures to a near-complete reopening at the beginning of May .
Soccer and tennis matches were played in front of packed stands , resulting in several players testing positive .
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic and other players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he organized in Serbia and the Croatian Adriatic resort of Zadar .
Greece moved to contain the burgeoning threat by banning Serbs from crossing its only open land border from Monday morning .
The new restrictions caused a seven-kilometre ( four-mile ) traffic jam at the Promahonas border crossing with Bulgaria .
Authorities eventually allowed scores of cars into Greece that had been trapped overnight .
On Sunday , Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti reimposed nighttime curfews in the capital , Pristina , and three other cities with sharply rising infection rates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bus seating cut by half .
A day earlier Kosovar authorities reported 8 deaths from the coronavirus , the highest daily number in the Western Balkan country since the start of the outbreak in March .
New daily cases were 178 , also the highest so far .
Spain also was taking action to rein in regional spikes , two weeks after the hard-hit country ended a state of emergency in force since mid-March .
Over 28,000 people are confirmed to have died from the virus in Spain .
Restrictions were in force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northwestern county of A Mariña , on the northern Atlantic coast , and over 200,000 in northeastern Catalonia ’ s Segrià county around Lleida .
The latter is particularly worrying because it affects migrant labourers harvesting fruit who are considered highly vulnerable to contagion because many endure basic living and working conditions .
The restrictions were coming into force at the start of Europe ’ s summer holiday season that usually sees millions of people crisscrossing the continent in search of sun , sand and cultural highlights .
Paris was one city rolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world-renowned Louvre Museum , home to Leonardo da Vinci ’ s Mona Lisa .
The Eiffel Tower reopened June 25 .
Face masks were a must and visitor numbers were limited , with reservations required .
Thrill-seeking tourists and locals in Spain , however , were out of luck .
The San Fermin festival that features the adrenaline-charged running of the bulls in Pamplona was scheduled to open Monday but has been cancelled due to fears the packed streets could become a virus spreading event .
Some 400 people , wearing white clothes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noon at a central Pamplona square where in normal times more than 12,000 would witness the launch of a rocket known as “ Chupinazo ” to open the nine-day festival , bathing each other with red wine and champagne .
There was better news for Britons planning a Greek vacation getaway .
Greece ’ s government announced that direct flights from the United Kingdom to all airports in Greece can resume as of July 15 .
Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said the decision was taken “ in co-operation with the British government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had previously banned all flights from Britain due to the extent of the coronavirus spread there .
Meanwhile , the British government threw a 1.57 billion-pound ( $ 1.96 billion ) lifeline to museums , galleries , theatres , movie theatres , heritage sites and music venues hit by coronavirus lockdowns .
“ When we heard last night , we slept for the first time since March , ” said Kwame Kwei-Armah , artistic director of London ’ s Young Vic theatre .
Corder reported from The Hague , Netherlands .
AP reporters @ @ @ @ @

Dusan Stojanovic And Mike Corder - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Germany spent over $1B to cover costs linked to US troops

BERLIN - The German government has paid more than $ 1 billion over the past decade to cover costs related to the stationing of U.S. troops in Germany , according to the finance ministry in Berlin .
The ministry provided the figures in reply to a query from opposition Left Party lawmaker Brigitte Freihold .
The reply was obtained Monday by The Associated Press , and was first reported by German news agency dpa .
The German government paid a total of 982.4 million euros ( $ 1.1 billion ) between 2010 and 2019 , according to the finance ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went into construction work .
Last month , U.S. President Donald Trump said that he is ordering a major reduction in troop strength in Germany , from around 34,500 personnel down to 25,000 .
Germany is a hub for U.S. operations in the Middle East and Africa .
Germany wasn ’ t notified of the move , which came after Trump branded the NATO ally “ delinquent ” for failing to pay enough for its own defence , by not meeting a goal set in 2014 for members to halt budget cuts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gross national product on defence by 2024 .
Trump has stressed that the German economy benefits from spending by the U.S. troops based there .
According to NATO figures , Germany is spending about 1.38 % of GDP on its defence budget .
Berlin aims to hit 1.5 % by 2024 and insists that this level of spending allows it to meet NATO ’ s defence planning goals .
The U.S. — at around 3.4 % of GDP — spends more on defence than all 29 other allies combined .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Swiss indict 2 for alleged ties to IS recruitment ring

GENEVA - Swiss federal prosecutors said Monday they have indicted two men alleged to have tried to join up with jihadists in territory once held by the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq .
A Swiss-Tunisian dual national , who is accused of having recruited IS members , and a Swiss co-defendant face charges linked to a ban on radical groups like IS and al-Qaida .
They allegedly trained with a group in Switzerland and France before travelling to Turkey in late 2015 .
In Turkey , they stayed in an IS safe house until they were stopped from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General ’ s office said in a statement .
They were returned to Switzerland in the summer of 2016 , and temporarily placed in pretrial detention .
The two men were late released subject to unspecified “ alternative measures , ” the statement said .
Such measures can include bail , handover of passports , movement restrictions and the need to regularly check in with authorities .
Swiss prosecutors are currently conducting some 70 criminal proceedings linked to “ jihadist-motivated terrorism , ” mostly involving propaganda , recruitment and financing of radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not face any major violent extremist attacks like those other parts of Europe during the heyday of IS in the mid-2010s .
The two men were not identified .
Prosecutors will say what penalties they are asking for when the case is heard in Swiss federal criminal court .