thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Speaker snared in Ohio bribery probe liked to play long game

COLUMBUS , Ohio - Tension was thick in the air .
After 10 consecutive votes in which another man had garnered more support than Larry Householder ’ s favoured candidate to be the next Ohio House speaker , Householder leaned back quietly in his chair , arms confidently propped behind his head .
As usual , he was playing the long game .
The Republican now accused in a $ 60 million federal bribery probe had contributed to a monthslong impasse over the speakership that brought Ohio lawmaking to a standstill in 2018 and left a trail of intimidated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous House speaker had resigned amid scandal .
Householder wanted a proxy in the job until he could run for the full two-year term himself a few months later .
Even if his man lost now , though , he was counting votes and sizing up loyalties for the future as the roll was taken again and again .
The leading candidate , then-Rep. Ryan Smith , became speaker that day on the 11th vote .
But Householder would take the job six months later with crucial support he had lined up — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-operation , the master dealmaker had once again gotten what he wanted .
“ Either over the last 18 years , this dais has gotten smaller or I have gotten larger , ” Householder , who had put on a few pounds since last serving as speaker from 2001 to 2004 , quipped in his slight southern Ohio drawl as he took the gavel .
His triumphant return had been achieved , a feat federal prosecutors now say was fueled by millions of dollars of bribe money funneled to Householder and his associates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill he would champion soon after his ascendancy .
According to the criminal complaint , Householder and his associates spent the money to boost themselves politically and personally , to stage often nasty campaigns to elect Householder loyalists , to buy votes for the bailout bill and to poison subsequent efforts to repeal it .
Householder , 61 , was widely believed to have been positioning himself to run for governor .
With a down-home demeanour and a degree in political science , the farm kid and one-time insurance agent has the rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio voters .
Two icons of Ohio politics — four-term governor James Rhodes and Democrat Vern Riffe , the battleground state ’ s longest-serving House speaker — were from the same eastern Ohio region .
Dressed in full camo , Householder declared himself “ a pro-gun , pro-life , Christian conservative ” in a sharply produced 2018 campaign ad in which he shot a television set with a rifle .
He ’ s a Trump supporter who clashed with GOP Gov .
Mike DeWine over wearing masks to curb the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after his arrest Tuesday , when he wore a mask as he exited the federal courthouse .
Republican Richard Finan , who was Ohio Senate president when Householder was last speaker , remembers Householder being under the cloud of a different FBI investigation when he left office due to term limits in 2004 .
“ I was not surprised , ” Finan said of Householder ’ s arrest .
“ My dealings with him when I was there were not good.
” The earlier probe resulted in no charges and was ultimately dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the FBI .
It stemmed from allegations of heavy-handed fundraising tactics used by Householder and his team , including aides who had authored a secret memo outlining a plot to “ dismantle ” the political career of then-Secretary of State Ken Blackwell , a Black Republican whose rising political star stood to outshine Householder ’ s .
Finan has a vivid memory of participating in hourslong budget negotiations with Householder and then-Gov .
Bob Taft , all three Republicans , as they tried to resolve a $ 1.5 billion shortfall back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally hammered out around midnight and Taft suggested the “ Big Three ” go out into the hall as a group and tell the press .
“ We walked out the door of the governor ’ s office , I turned around and looked for Larry .
He wasn ’ t there .
He had gone out the back door , ” Finan said .
“ He went back over to the House and the next day he announced a totally different proposal supported by the OEA.
” The Ohio Education Association is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a generous political player .
Ohio is a closely divided state when it comes so politics , so not everyone saw that 2001 school-funding deal , which ultimately went nowhere , as a negative .
Bill Phillis , an education lobbyist who helped negotiate it , said he didn ’ t have a problem with Householder bucking fellow Republicans .
In Householder ’ s nearly two-decade absence from the Statehouse , the state ’ s unconstitutional school-funding system has never been fixed .
Phillis said the speaker was trying to spearhead a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distraught that the school funding issue is not yet resolved , and I think Larry Householder had in mind resolving it , ” he said .
Householder has thus far ignored calls for his resignation from Democrats and Republicans alike .
But , with his preliminary hearing in the federal probe set for August , the long game on Householder ’ s policy agenda and political aspirations is now on a different timetable .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--World shares slip as China orders US consulate closed

MITO , Japan - Worsening China-U.S. friction and worries over aid to Americans and U.S. businesses combined to push world shares lower on Friday .
Wall Street appeared set to extend losses from the previous day , with Dow and S & P 500 futures both down 0.3 % .
Germany ’ s DAX index fell 1.5 % to 12,913 , while the CAC 40 in Paris skidded 1.2 % to 4,972 .
Britain ’ s FTSE 100 shed 1.1 % to 6,144 .
Trump administration officials have escalated their public condemnations of China in the last several weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Earlier this week , the U.S. ordered the Chinese consulate in Houston , Texas closed .
On Friday , as expected , China ’ s Foreign Ministry ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in the western city of Chengdu .
Shanghai led regional declines , with its Composite index giving up 3.9 % to 3,196.77 .
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 2.2 % to 24,705.33 .
The latest dust up between the two biggest economies comes amid allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including by Chinese researchers with military and government connections — for Beijing ’ s benefit .
“ Alongside the eviction of the Houston Chinese Consulate , the risk of the U.S.-China conflict escalating into a ‘ Cold War ’ is worrying , ” said Hayaki Narita of Mizuho Bank .
A speech Thursday by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying that “ securing our freedom from the Chinese Communist Party is the mission of our time ” adds to the rhetoric certain to incense Beijing , making it still more difficult for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ And so , while the inevitability of deteriorating U.S.-China relations as a structural feature of our geo-political landscape was never in doubt , the shifts appear to be hastened , ” Narita said .
In other Asian trading , the S & P/ASX 200 in Australia gave up 1.2 % to 6,024.10 .
South Korea ’ s Kospi shed 0.7 % to 2,200.44 .
Analysts said investors also are wary over the unclear prognosis for further stimulus for the U.S. economy , just as the end of a previous package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the pandemic looms .
Republicans in the Senate were set to unveil their proposals for a $ 1 trillion COVID-19 rescue package Thursday morning , but that got delayed .
Finding a compromise with the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives could prove more difficult than it was in March , when Congress produced a $ 2 trillion rescue package .
A report Thursday that the tally of American workers applying or unemployment benefits rose last week by 109,000 to a little more than 1.4 million broke a stretch of 15 straight weeks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recession might be shorter lived than expected .
The rise in unemployment comes as coronavirus counts continue to rise across much of the southern United States , leading to more business closures and the total number of confirmed cases has surpassed 4 million in the U.S .
The yield on the 10-year Treasury was steady at 0.58 % on Friday , down from 0.59 % late Wednesday .
It tends to move with investors ’ expectations for the economy and inflation .
Benchmark U.S. crude fell back , rose 25 cents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Mercantile Exchange .
Brent crude oil for September delivery gained 24 cents to $ 43.55 .
In currency dealings , the dollar bought 106.34 Japanese yen , weakening from 106.86 yen .
The euro edged down to $ 1.1589 from $ 1.1596 .

Elaine Kurtenbach - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-07-24--German curator kidnapped in Iraq freed in security operation

BAGHDAD - A German arts curator who was kidnapped earlier this week was freed Friday by Iraqi security forces , security and government officials said .
Hella Mewis was freed at 6:25 a.m. local time ( 0325 GMT ) in an operation southeast of the capital Baghdad in which security forces raided a location based on intelligence they obtained regarding her whereabouts , a security official said .
A second security official said she had been found blindfolded .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give official press statements .
Iraqi security forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials and the federal police had worked to free Mewis by monitoring surveillance footage , among other methods , a statement from the Interior Ministry said .
Brig .
Khaled Al-Muhanna , a spokesman for the ministry , said the kidnappers had not been arrested .
The statement said an investigation was under way to bring the perpetrators to justice .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement later Friday that Mewis was handed over to the German Embassy in Baghdad .
Maas said he was “ very relieved ” Mewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government and security authorities , “ who supported us comprehensively during this time and contributed decisively to this case ending well.
” Mewis was reported missing by friends and activists Tuesday .
Security officials said she was kidnapped outside the Baghdad arts centre where she worked .
There was no claim of responsibility and officials didn ’ t say who was behind the kidnapping .
Mewis is well known in Iraq ’ s art scene and an ardent supporter of mass anti-government protests .
Her abduction prompted alarm among Iraqi activists and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came two weeks after the killing of prominent Iraqi researcher and commentator Hisham al-Hashimi by unknown gunmen .
Maas said during a visit to Athens on Tuesday that the German Foreign Ministry had established a crisis task force to deal with Mewis ’ disappearance .
Mewis is a beloved figure in the capital , where she has resided for seven years and runs an arts program for young Iraqis .
She was often seen on her bicycle zipping along bustling Karada Street , an unusual sight in Baghdad , where foreigners are often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press writers Samya Kullab in Baghdad and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed .

Qassim Abdul-Zahra - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Swiss attorney general offers to resign in FIFA case fallout

GENEVA - Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber offered to resign Friday in the latest fallout from meetings he had with FIFA president Gianni Infantino during a sprawling investigation into soccer corruption .
Lauber offered his resignation to the parliamentary judicial commission ahead of the publication of a federal court ruling in his appeal against being disciplined in March for misconduct .
Lauber said he continued to dispute the allegation that he lied .
“ However , the fact that I am not believed as the attorney general is detrimental to the federal prosecution office , ” he said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lauber included a meeting he had with Infantino in June 2017 at a hotel in Bern at which the prosecutor took no notes .
Lauber and Infantino both later said they could not recall what was discussed .
“ On the basis of general life experience , such a case of collective amnesia is an aberration , ” the Swiss federal administrative court ruling said .
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Lauber acknowledged two undeclared meetings he had in 2016 with the recently elected Infantino when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confidential documents in November 2018 .
In 2018 , Lauber called a news conference and said the first two meetings with Infantino were justifiable exchanges with FIFA ’ s new leader about long-running investigations affecting the soccer body .
However , the third meeting in 2017 remained secret for several more months until it was reported by Swiss media .
An investigation was opened by an oversight panel supervising the federal prosecution office .
In March , a federal oversight panel deducted 8 % of Lauber ’ s near-300,000 Swiss franc ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeal ruling Friday cut the deduction to 5 % , saving Lauber about 9,000 Swiss francs ( $ 9,000 ) .
The ruling partially upheld Lauber ’ s complaint that he was denied access to some documents during the disciplinary process , while confirming other findings of the prosecutor ’ s misconduct .
The scrutiny of Lauber ’ s role in the five-year soccer corruption investigation led to him being recused last year by Switzerland ’ s federal criminal court .
In the wider case , at least 25 criminal proceedings have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president Sepp Blatter , and former UEFA president Michel Platini .
They have not been charged and deny wrongdoing .
Charges have been brought against former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke and Qatari soccer and television executive Nasser al-Khelaifi , who is the president of Paris Saint-Germain and a member of the UEFA executive committee .
They deny wrongdoing and a trial is scheduled to open in September .
After a separate series of criminal complaints filed by people who were not identified , a special prosecutor was appointed this month to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described those complaints as “ quite absurd .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Beijing partly reopens movie theatres as virus declines

Beijing partially reopened movie theatres Friday as the threat from the coronavirus continues to recede in China ’ s capital .
Cinemas in parts of the city deemed at low risk of cross-infection began admitting moviegoers under social distancing rules .
Tickets must be booked in advance , attendance is capped at 30 % of capacity and no eating or drinking is allowed during the show .
As with most venues in China , a temperature check and online travel record were required for entry .
Cinemas have been closed for around six months but began reopening this week in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported just 21 new virus cases on Friday , six of them imported , with the rest in the Xinjiang region and Jilin province .
Beijing has gone more than two weeks without any cases of local transmission , spurring authorities to lift many restrictions on activities .
Tickets at Poly International Cinema ’ s branch near Tiananmen Square were sold out Friday , with the marquee boasting the comedy Dolittle and superhero attraction Bloodshot .
China ’ s domestic movie industry has also been generating major ticket sales while audiences have warmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
Movie poster designer Liu Jingyu managed to grab tickets for both Hollywood films shown at the Poly cinema , rekindling his hopes after seeing his earnings dry up over the past half-year .
“ For us who make a living on movies and who are movie enthusiasts , without movies , our life is full of pain , ” Liu said .
Chinese are enthusiastic moviegoers and the country was expected to surpass the U.S. this year as the world ’ s biggest box office before the pandemic hit .
Li @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branch , said he is looking forward to the October National Day holiday when he expected the movie market would return to normal .
The weeklong vacation is typically huge for ticket sales , with Chinese cinemas generating a record 5 billion yuan ( $ 708 million ) from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7 last year .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--China tells US to close consulate in Chengdu in growing spat

BEIJING - China ordered the United States on Friday to close its consulate in the western city of Chengdu , ratcheting up a diplomatic conflict at a time when relations have sunk to their lowest level in decades .
The move was a response to the Trump administration ’ s order this week for Beijing to close its consulate in Houston after Washington accused Chinese agents of trying to steal medical and other research in Texas .
The Chinese foreign ministry appealed to Washington to reverse its “ wrong decision.
” Chinese-U.S. relations have soured amid a mounting array of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic , technology , spying accusations , Hong Kong and allegations of abuses against Chinese Muslims .
“ The measure taken by China is a legitimate and necessary response to the unjustified act by the United States , ” said a foreign ministry spokesperson , Wang Wenbin .
“ The current situation in Chinese-U.S. relations is not what China desires to see .
The United States is responsible for all this , ” Wang said .
“ We once again urge the United States to immediately retract its wrong decision and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship back on track.
” Wang said some consulate personnel “ interfered in China ’ s internal affairs and harmed China ’ s security interests ” but gave no details .
He said Beijing complained “ many times ” to Washington about that .
Also Friday , the U.S. State Department sent out a notice warning Americans in China of a “ heightened risk of arbitrary detention.
” “ U.S .
citizens may be subjected to prolonged interrogations and extended detention for reasons related to ‘ state security , ’ ” the notice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deported for “ sending private electronic messages critical “ of the Chinese government , it said .
The notice gave no indication of what prompted the warning .
On Tuesday , the Trump administration ordered the Houston consulate closed within 72 hours .
It alleged Chinese agents tried to steal data from facilities including the Texas A & M medical system .
The ministry on Thursday rejected the allegations as “ malicious slander.
” It warned the Houston consulate ’ s closure was “ breaking down the bridge of friendship ” between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an embassy in Beijing and consulates in five other mainland cities — Shanghai , Guangzhou , Chengdu , Shenyang and Wuhan .
It also has a consulate in Hong Kong , a Chinese territory .
The consulate in Chengdu is responsible for monitoring Tibet and other areas in the southwest inhabited by non-ethnic Chinese minorities that are considered especially sensitive by Beijing .
Asian stock markets , already uneasy about the uncertain pace of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic , fell Friday on the news of the closure .
“ Alongside the eviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of the U.S.-China conflict escalating into a ‘ Cold War ’ is worrying , ” Hayaki Narita of Mizuho Bank said in a report .
The consulate in Chengdu was in the news in 2012 when Wang Lijun , the police chief of the major city of Chongqing , visited and told American officials his concerns about the death of a British business associate of the wife of Chongqing ’ s Communist Party secretary , Bo Xilai .
That prompted the British Embassy to ask for a new investigation , which led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s wife .
Bo was later dismissed and sentenced to prison .
The consulate was surrounded by police while Wang was inside .
He later emerged and was arrested and sentenced to 15 years on charges of corruption and defection .
The U.S. government has refused to confirm whether Wang asked for asylum .
In March , American reporters for The New York Times , The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal were expelled from China .
That was in response to the Trump administration ’ s decision to limit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state media .
Operations of nine Chinese state media outlets in the United States have been required to register as “ foreign missions ” due to their ties with the ruling Communist Party .
That doesn ’ t affect their ability to conduct reporting but requires them to report their staff and real estate holdings as they would if they were embassies .
Also Thursday , the U.S. Justice Department said it believes the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco is harbouring a Chinese researcher , Tang Juan , who is accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party ’ s military wing on a visa application .
The department announced criminal charges of visa fraud against Tang and three other Chinese researchers .
It said Tang lied on a visa application last October as she made plans to work at the University of California , Davis , and again during an FBI interview months later .
U.S. authorities this week announced criminal charges against two Chinese computer hackers who are accused of targeting companies that are working on vaccines for the coronavirus .
U.S. officials including Secretary of State Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theft .
In a speech Thursday , Pompeo said some Chinese students and others “ come here to steal our intellectual property and to take this back to their country .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Judge blocks US agents from arresting observers in Portland

PORTLAND , Ore. - A federal judge specifically blocked U.S. agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at protests in Oregon ’ s largest city where President Donald Trump is testing the limits of federal power .
Federal agents appeared to deploy tear gas early Friday to force thousands of demonstrators from crowding around the federal courthouse .
Protesters had projected lasers on the building and attempted to take down a security fence that had been reinforced to keep demonstrators at a distance .
The protesters moved away as clouds of gas rose from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
U.S. Judge Michael Simon made his ruling late Thursday , a day after Portland ’ s mayor was tear-gassed by federal agents while making an appearance outside a federal courthouse during raucous demonstrations .
Protesters have been kept up in the city for nearly two months since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis .
Simon had previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an unlawful assembly has been declared .
Federal lawyers intervened , saying journalists should have to leave when ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the rule of law , ” Jann Carson , ACLU of Oregon ’ s interim executive director , said in a statement .
The judge said objections by law enforcement were outweighed by First Amendment concerns .
“ None of the government ’ s proffered interests outweigh the public ’ s interest in accurate and timely information about how law enforcement is treating ” protesters , he wrote .
Simon ’ s order is in effect for 14 days .
Journalists and observers must wear clear identification , he said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press submitted an affidavit that he was beaten with batons and hit with chemical irritants and rubber bullets this week .
The ACLU lawsuit is one of several filed in response to law enforcement actions during the protests .
The state of Oregon is seeking an order limiting federal agents ’ arrest powers during the demonstrations .
On Wednesday , Mayor Ted Wheeler and hundreds of others were objecting to the presence of federal police sent by Trump , who labeled the demonstrators as “ agitators & anarchists ” after Wheeler was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said it was the first time he ’ d been tear-gassed .
He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the raging demonstration — with protesters lighting a large fire between protective fencing and the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse amid the pop-pop-pop sounds of the federal agents deploying tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if the agents knew that Wheeler , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in the crowd when they used the tear gas .
Wheeler has opposed the federal agents ’ presence but has also faced harsh criticism from the protesters , who yelled and swore at him .
Earlier in the night , Wheeler was mostly jeered by protesters as he tried to rally the demonstrators who have clashed nightly with federal agents .
But they briefly applauded when he shouted “ Black Lives Matter ” and pumped his fist in the air .
Trump in his tweet attempted to ridicule Wheeler , calling him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who last night was booed & shouted out of existence by the agitators & anarchists.
” The Justice Department ’ s inspector general said Thursday it will review the conduct of federal agents who responded to unrest in Portland and in Washington , D.C. , after concerns emerged from members of Congress and the public .
City council members accused Wheeler of not reining in police who used tear gas multiple times on protesters before federal agents arrived .
And city business leaders have condemned the mayor for not bringing the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Department of Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf denied that federal agents were inflaming the situation .
He told “ CBS This Morning ” that Wheeler legitimized criminality by going to the front of the crowd of demonstrators where the fires were lit and where people were trying to pull down a security fence .
Wheeler did not participate in lighting any of the fires or attempting to tear down the fence and was surrounded by his security team when he was gassed .
Police said the crowd threw Molotov cocktails , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trash cans and released hundreds of gallons of water from fire hydrants .
Wheeler ’ s appearance in the protest zone came hours after state attorneys for Oregon urged another judge to issue a restraining order against the federal agents .
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum ’ s lawsuit accuses federal agents of arresting protesters without probable cause , whisking them away in unmarked cars and using excessive force .
Federal authorities have disputed those allegations .
The hearing in U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman ’ s court focused on the actions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protests outside the Portland courthouse .
The state ’ s motion asks Mosman to command agents from the Department of Homeland Security , Customs and Border Protection , Federal Protective Service and U.S .
Marshals Service to immediately stop detaining protesters without probable cause , to identify themselves and their agency before arresting anyone , and to explain why an arrest is taking place .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Virginia Beach to remove 115-year-old Confederate monument

VIRGINIA BEACH , Va. - The city of Virginia Beach will remove a 115-year-old Confederate monument from public grounds near its municipal centre .
The Virginian-Pilot reports that its City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to begin the removal process .
The monument had been installed in 1905 outside a courthouse and in the same place that slave auctions were once held .
The monument stands 27-feet tall and depicts a Confederate solider holding a rifle .
Virginia Beach officials listened to dozens of speakers before agreeing that the monument is viewed by many as divisive and a painful reminder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private land in the southern part of the city could be a potential relocation site .
It ’ s owned by someone who is affiliated with the Sons of the Confederacy .
Meanwhile , state law requires city officials to explore any possible interest from museums , historical societies or military battlefields .
The statue will be removed and placed in a secure place in the meantime .
Confederate monuments are coming down throughout the American South in the wake of protests against racism and police brutality .
The wave of public sentiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis .
Many Confederate statues were erected decades after the Civil War , during an era when Southern states were crushing attempts to achieve equality for Black people .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--In-store dancing leads to Hawaii visitor quarantine arrest

HONOLULU - Investigators with the Hawaii attorney general ’ s office arrested a 20-year-old woman after seeing videos of her dancing in a store and dining out when she was supposed to be obeying a traveller quarantine the state mandated to protect against the spread of the coronavirus .
Anne Salamanca arrived in Honolulu on July 6 and four days later , the Hawaii Tourism Authority learned she was out in public , in violation of the 14-day quarantine , the state said in a news release Friday .
The tourism authority informed attorney general special agents , who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state ’ s news release said Salamanca is from Birmingham , Alabama .
She ’ s also a “ social media influencer “ in the Philippines who goes by Mika Salamanca and arrived from Manila , KITV reported .
The Honolulu news station reported she apologized on social media , but she claimed law enforcement came to the house where she ’ s staying and told her if she had a negative COVID-19 test , she could go out .
“ None of my investigators would convey that information , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Clare Connors said .
” The fact Ms. Salamanca has so many followers makes her actions that much more dangerous and concerning .
The spread of misinformation can have very severe consequences during an emergency situation like we are in now.
” Salamanca was arrested and later released on $ 2,000 bail .
She declined KITV ’ s request for comment .
The Associated Press couldn ’ t immediately reach her Friday .
It wasn ’ t clear if she has an attorney .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Floyd, the San Francisco Zoo’s tallest, oldest giraffe, dies

SAN FRANCISCO - Floyd , the oldest and tallest giraffe at the San Francisco Zoo , died Friday .
The 18-year-old male reticulated giraffe had joint degeneration from aging and had suffered a significant decline in health , a zoo statement said .
“ His imposing size yet serene demeanour , and independent spirit will be missed , ” the zoo said .
Floyd was 16 feet ( 4.88 metres ) tall and weighed more than 2,425 pounds ( 1,100 kilograms ) .
He was born in 2002 at the Albuquerque Zoo and transferred to San Francisco in 2004 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ offspring and had 24 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren that can be found all over the United States , the zoo said .
“ Floyd was truly one of our most beloved animals and a favourite among our guests because he was so recognizable and engaging , ” said Tanya M. Peterson , chief executive officer and executive director of the San Francisco Zoological Society .
“ We are heartbroken but know that he has touched so many during his life.
” Floyd was a reticulated giraffe , an African subspecies that is among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks .
The reticulated giraffe is considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature .
Poaching has reduced its native African population by half , according to the zoo .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Sudan armed group attacks Darfur village, killing at least 7

CAIRO - A Sudanese paramilitary group attacked civilians in the war-scarred region of South Darfur , killing at least seven people and wounding 20 more , local activists and a rebel group said Friday .
The assault in the troubled province came a week after government-linked armed groups stormed a protest camp in North Darfur and killed 13 people .
The latest attack was staged Thursday by armed men who opened fire on people headed to their farms in the town of Gereida , some 107 kilometres ( 66 miles ) south of South Darfur ’ s provincial capital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a rebel group known as the Sudan Liberation Movement .
Seven people were killed , said Adam Regal , a spokesman for a local organization that helps run displacement camps in Darfur .
Late Friday , al-Nayer put the death toll at 15 , saying several more people had succumbed to their wounds .
The flashes of violence in Darfur have threatened to destabilize the country ’ s fragile political transition .
In April of last year , a sweeping pro-democracy protest movement toppled longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir , ushering in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military leaders .
Al-Bashir is imprisoned in the capital , Khartoum , on corruption charges , although the International Criminal Court has sought for a decade to arrest him on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity over his role in the Darfur conflict .
Sudan ’ s government has vowed to end the conflicts in the country ’ s far-flung provinces in hopes of slashing military spending , which eats up 80 % of the national budget .
Rebel groups from Darfur and southern Sudan have for months engaged in peace talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold former officials to account , the public prosecutor has pledged to investigate alleged atrocities in Darfur .
Yet sporadic violence continues , with each new attack fueling fears that ruling authorities may not deliver on their promises .
“ The militia that committed this crime is supported by the old regime , ” al-Nayer said , referring to the Rapid Support Forces , a paramilitary unit drawn from the Janjaweed militias accused of mass killings and rapes in Darfur in the 2000s .
The group continues to wield power in Khartoum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit ’ s commander , is deputy head of Sudan ’ s ruling council .
There was no immediate comment from the Rapid Support Forces about Thursday ’ s attack .
“ We are calling on the government to play its role in protecting civilians , arresting criminals and disarming the militias , ” al-Nayer said .
Sit-ins have sprung up across Darfur in recent weeks as people , mostly those displaced by the waves of fighting in the region , press demands for unhindered access to their farmlands and the resignation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fail to protect them against frequent paramilitary attacks .
A government delegation earlier this week visited the protest camp of Fata Borno in North Darfur , the site of the recent deadly crackdown .
There , Gen. Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo , deputy commander of the Rapid Support Forces , pledged to launch an investigation into the dispersal of the sit-in and deploy forces to better protect farmers during the agricultural season , according to Sudan ’ s state-run news agency .
Yet soon after the delegation met , footage surfaced online from Gereida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretcher with a bullet lodged in her head , homes torched in an alleged arson attack — and later — shrouded bodies lowered into a mass grave .
Meanwhile , a several hours ’ drive north , around 32 activists were arrested in a dragnet targeting protesters and displaced people this week , said Regal , the camp spokesman .
In a statement Friday , the Khartoum-based Darfur Bar Association confirmed that several advocates had been swept up in North Darfur , including one of its own attorneys providing legal aid for detainees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another protest camp last week .
The arrests of lawyers and advocates sends “ a clear message “ that transitional authorities are continuing the same repressive Bashir-era tactics , the association said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Hurricane warning issued as Hanna approaches Texas coast

MIAMI - Forecasters issued a hurricane warning for parts of the Texas coast as Tropical Storm Hanna threatened to bring heavy rain , rough waters and strong winds Saturday , all while another tropical storm approached the Caribbean .
Hanna was centred about 190 miles ( 300 kilometres ) east of Corpus Christi , Texas , the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Friday night .
The storm had maximum sustained winds around 50 mph ( 85 kph ) and was moving west at 10 mph ( 17 kph ) .
Hanna was forecast to make landfall as a hurricane Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning is in effect for Baffin Bay to Mesquite Bay , a span that includes Corpus Christi .
A storm surge warning is in effect for Baffin Bay to Sargent .
A tropical storm warning is in effect from the mouth of the Rio Grande River to Baffin Bay and from Mesquite Bay to San Luis Pass .
Forecasters said Hanna could bring 5 to 10 inches ( 13 to 25 centimetres ) of rain and coastal swells that could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions .
Hanna broke the record as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
The previous record was Harvey on Aug. 3 , 2005 , Klotzbach tweeted .
Tropical Storm Gonzalo was also the earliest Atlantic named storm for its place in the alphabet .
The previous record was held by Tropical Storm Gert , which formed on July 24 , 2005 .
So far this year , Cristobal , Danielle , Edouard and Fay also set records for being the earliest named Atlantic storm for their alphabetic order .
Gonzalo was moving at 18 mph ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winds weakened to 40 mph ( 65 kph ) , according to the National Hurricane Center ’ s Friday night update .
It was centred about 340 miles ( 550 kilometres ) east of the southern Windward Islands .
Officials said that those in the Windward Islands should monitor the storm as it is expected to approach the islands Saturday .
Some strengthening was possible but the storm is expected to weaken as it moves into the Caribbean Sea .
A tropical storm warning has been issued for St. Vincent and the Grenadines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A tropical storm warning is in effect for several places , including St. Lucia , Tobago and Grenada .
Forecasters said Gonzalo could bring 2 to 5 inches ( 5 to 13 centimetres ) of rain .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Judge denies Oregon push to limit US agents during arrests

PORTLAND , Ore. - A U.S. judge on Friday denied Oregon ’ s request to restrict federal agents ’ actions when they arrest people during chaotic protests that have roiled Portland and pitted local officials against the Trump administration .
Federal agents deployed by President Donald Trump to tamp down the unrest have arrested dozens during nightly demonstrations against racial injustice that often turn violent .
Democratic leaders in Oregon say federal intervention has worsened the two-month crisis , and the state attorney general sued to allege that some people had been whisked off the streets in unmarked vehicles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state lacked standing to sue on behalf of protesters because the lawsuit was a “ highly unusual one with a particular set of rules.
” Oregon was seeking a restraining order on behalf of its residents not for injuries that had already happened but to prevent injuries by federal officers in the future .
That combination makes the standard for granting such a motion very narrow , and the state did not prove it had standing in the case , Mosman wrote .
Legal experts who reviewed the case before the decision warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grounds .
A lawsuit from a person accusing federal agents of violating their rights to free speech or against unconstitutional search and seizure would have a much higher chance of success , Michael Dorf , a constitutional law professor at Cornell University , said ahead of the ruling .
“ The federal government acted in violation of those individuals ’ rights and probably acted in violation of the Constitution in the sense of exercising powers that are reserved to the states , but just because the federal government acts in ways that overstep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state has an injury , ” he said .
The clashes in Portland have further inflamed the nation ’ s political tensions and triggered a crisis over the limits of federal power as Trump moves to send U.S. officers to other Democratic-led cities to combat crime .
It ’ s playing out as Trump pushes a new “ law and order ” reelection strategy after the coronavirus crashed the economy .
Protesters in Portland have been targeting the federal courthouse , setting fires outside and vandalizing the building that U.S. authorities say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents have used tear gas , less-lethal ammunition that left one person critically injured and other force to scatter protesters .
The lawsuit from Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum accused federal agents of arresting protesters without probable cause and using excessive force .
She sought a temporary restraining order to “ immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians.
” David Morrell , an attorney for the U.S. government , called the motion “ extraordinary ” and told the judge in a hearing this week that it was based solely on “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Twitter video .
Morrell called the protests “ dangerous and volatile.
” Rosenblum said the ramifications of the ruling were “ extremely troubling.
” “ While I respect Judge Mosman , I would ask this question : If the state of Oregon does not have standing to prevent this unconstitutional conduct by unidentified federal agents running roughshod over her citizens , who does ?
“ Rosenblum said in a statement .
” Individuals mistreated by these federal agents can sue for damages , but they can ’ t get a judge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Before the federal intervention , Mayor Ted Wheeler and other local leaders had said a small cadre of violent activists were drowning out the message of peaceful protesters .
But the Democrat , who was tear-gassed this week as he joined protesters , says the federal presence is exacerbating a tense situation and he ’ s repeatedly told them to leave .
Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf denied that federal agents were inflaming the situation in Portland and said Wheeler legitimized criminality by joining demonstrators , whom Trump has called “ anarchists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon had asked the judge to command agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security , the Customs and Border Protection , the Federal Protective Service and the U.S .
Marshals Service to stop detaining protesters without probable cause , to identify themselves before arresting anyone and to explain why an arrest is taking place .
Agents have arrested 18 people in Portland this week , not including early Friday , when they again used tear gas to force thousands of demonstrators from crowding around the courthouse .
Protesters projected lasers on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security fence .
They scattered as clouds of gas rose up and agents fired crowd control munitions .
Wolf said Tuesday that 43 people had been arrested on federal charges at that point .
They face federal charges including assaulting federal officers , arson and damaging federal property , U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said .
All the defendants are local and were released after making a court appearance .
U.S. officers “ working to protect the courthouse have been subjected to nightly threats and assaults from demonstrators while performing their duties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ office .
The Oregon attorney general ’ s motion was one of several lawsuits against authorities ’ actions .
A different federal judge late Thursday blocked U.S. agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at demonstrations .
Associated Press writer Andrew Selsky contributed from Salem , Oregon .
Cline reported from Salem

Gillian Flaccus And Sara Cline - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--South Texas prepares for Tropical Storm Hanna amid pandemic

HOUSTON - Officials in South Texas , hit by the coronavirus pandemic in recent weeks , said Friday they ’ re also prepared to handle any challenges from Tropical Storm Hanna , which was headed their way and expected to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall this weekend .
“ And don ’ t feel like since we ’ ve been fighting COVID for five months that we ’ re out of energy or we ’ re out of gas .
We ’ re not .
We can do these two things together and we ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ll get through this , ” said Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb .
Corpus Christi is in Nueces County , one of several COVID-19 hot spots in Texas .
Officials in Nueces County said this week that 60 infants tested positive for the virus from July 1 to July 16 .
In Cameron County , which borders Mexico , more than 300 confirmed new cases have been reported almost daily for the past two weeks , according to state health figures .
The past week has also been the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Judge Eddie Treviño , the county ’ s top elected official , said he was awaiting word Friday of whether hotels would be used to house recovering COVID-19 patients in order to free up hospital beds .
“ If there ’ s any benefit to be gained from this , it ’ s that people have to stay at home for a weekend , “ added Treviño , who has expressed concern in recent weeks over residents not wearing masks and partying together .
Hanna was about 190 miles ( 305 kilometres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the 7 p.m. CDT Friday advisory from the National Hurricane Center .
It had maximum sustained winds around 50 mph ( 80 kph ) but was expected to intensify as forecasters issued a hurricane warning for parts of the Texas coast .
Hanna is expected to make landfall near Corpus Christi sometime Saturday afternoon or early evening , officials said .
The main hazard from Hanna was expected to be flash flooding , said Chris Birchfield , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Brownsville .
Areas of South Texas could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rain , with some parts possibly seeing up to 15 inches .
But the storm was also expected to have wind gusts up to 90 mph ( 145 kph ) .
“ We could be dealing with significant flash flooding across much of deep South Texas , ” Birchfield said .
Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales said she understands that the tropical storm would exacerbate already difficult times the county , which has about 362,000 residents , has been experiencing during the pandemic .
“ You might be asking yourself at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ re living inside this unbelievable COVID-19 crisis here in Nueces County ’ ... and then you think here comes a tropical storm ...
But I ask you to think about being brave at being patient , “ Canales said Friday .
Officials reminded residents to wear their masks if they needed to get extra supplies at grocery stores or if they had to shelter with neighbours in case of flooding .
Coastal states scrambled this spring to adjust emergency hurricane plans to the virus , and Hanna loomed as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ plans for any possible rescues , shelters and monitoring of the storm will have the pandemic in mind .
Treviño said shelters would socially distance families if any need to evacuate .
Inside Corpus Christi ’ s Emergency Operations Center , “ we are spacing everybody out “ and those that can ’ t be inside will work virtually , said Billy Delgado , the city ’ s emergency management co-ordinator .
When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas in 2017 , the operations centre had 75 people working inside .
For Hanna , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Delgado noted .
In the Mexican city of Matamoros , located across the border from Brownsville , volunteers worried whether the tropical storm would impact a makeshift migrant camp near the Rio Grande River .
About 1,300 asylum seekers , including newborn babies and elderly residents , are sheltering there as they wait under the U.S. immigration policy informally known as “ Remain in Mexico.
” Erin Hughes , a volunteer at the camp who is a civil engineer from Philadelphia , said tropical storms pose a devastating threat since the camp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others were monitoring the river ’ s water level .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott has announced that various resources to respond to the tropical storm are on standby across the state , including search-and-rescue teams and aircraft .
Associated Press writers Paul J. Weber and Acacia Coronado in Austin , Texas , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Officials: Men’s rights lawyer killed attorney in California

LOS ANGELES - Authorities believe a men ’ s rights lawyer shot and killed a fellow attorney in California in the days before he attacked a federal judge ’ s family in New Jersey and committed suicide , officials announced Friday .
Roy Den Hollander , 72 , was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 20 , the day after the ambush shooting that killed U.S. District Judge Esther Salas ’ 20-year-old son and wounded her husband .
Salas was in another part of the house and unharmed .
Investigators said Wednesday that they had evidence linking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 death of lawyer Marc Angelucci in San Bernardino County , California .
Den Hollander and Angelucci , 52 , were involved in separate federal lawsuits seeking to force the U.S. government to require all young women to join men in registering for a possible military draft .
Den Hollander ’ s lawsuit , filed in 2015 on behalf of a woman in New Jersey , was assigned to Salas .
He withdrew as the lawyer in the case a year ago after being diagnosed with cancer .
When he died , Den @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New York State Chief Judge Janet M. DiFiore .
He also had a typed document that contained information about on a dozen or so other women , some of them judges , two sources with first-hand knowledge of the material told The Associated Press .
Three judges known to be on the list declined to comment or did not return messages from the AP seeking comment .
In California , Den Hollander arrived at a train station in San Bernardino on July 7 and rented a car , the county sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release .
Authorities released a photo of a man , who is wearing a mask , at the train station carrying items away from a food stand .
Officials said Den Hollander drove the rental car to Angelucci ’ s home , where he shot and killed him .
Den Hollander drove away and boarded a train out of California from Union Station in Los Angeles .
A photo at the station shows a man , again masked , wheeling a suitcase .
It was not immediately clear if Den Hollander took a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same gun was used in the shootings and the suicide .
In both the California and New Jersey attacks , the suspect appeared to pose as a delivery driver , a law enforcement official previously told the AP .
The official could not discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity .
Den Hollander , 72 , described himself as an “ anti-feminist ” attorney who filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of “ ladies night ” promotions at bars and nightclubs , sued Columbia University for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sued news organizations over what he said was biased coverage .
In more than 2,000 pages of often misogynistic , racist writings posted online , Den Hollander had sharply criticized Salas and other female judges .
He also wrote about wanting to use the rest of his time on earth to “ even the score ” with his perceived enemies , using “ cowboy justice .
”

Stefanie Dazio And Maryclaire Dale - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Lawsuits filed against Trump over order on district drawing

NEW YORK - A coalition of states , counties and cities and another of civil and immigrants ’ rights groups sued President Donald Trump on Friday over his executive order that would not include people in the U.S. illegally in how congressional districts are redrawn .
In the lawsuits , filed in federal court in Manhattan , the memorandum Trump signed earlier this week was called discriminatory and unconstitutional .
New York Attorney General Letitia James , who is leading the coalition that includes another 21 states as well as more than a dozen other cities and counties , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memo was “ the latest in a long list of anti-immigrant actions and statements he has made since the beginning of his first campaign .
It ’ s another election-year tactic to fire up his base by dehumanizing immigrants and using them as scapegoats for his failures as a leader.
“ The other lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union , the New York Civil Liberties Union , ACLU of Texas , and the Arnold & Porter law firm on behalf of plaintiffs including the New York Immigration Coalition , Make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee , ADC Research Institute , and FIEL Houston .
When he signed the order , Trump said including those in the country illegally in the count “ would create perverse incentives and undermine our system of government.
” An email was sent to the Department of Justice seeking comment .
Critics said the Constitution requires every person to be counted .
Seats in the House of Representatives are re-apportioned every 10 years based on the number of people as determined by the Census .
To not count some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the seats are drawn .
Previously , Trump had tried to have a question about citizenship added to the Census , which critics , including James , fought .
The Supreme Court blocked it from being added .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Lawyer: All new DACA applications put in ‘pending’ bucket

PHOENIX - The U.S. government said Friday that it ’ s putting new DACA applications in a “ pending ” bucket while officials decide whether to again try to end the program for young immigrants , keeping enrolment stalled even though the Supreme Court ruled last month that it was improperly ended .
The latest came during a telephonic federal court hearing in Maryland by U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm , who last week ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program must be restored to its original form , before President Donald Trump attempted to end it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued the government over its attempt to end DACA say new rulings in the case , including the one by the Supreme Court , mean the government must resume accepting and considering first-time applications .
U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services had only been accepting renewals for DACA recipients who were already enrolled by Sept. 5 , 2017 .
DACA allows young immigrants who were brought to the country as children to legally work and shields them from deportation .
About 650,000 are enrolled , but another 66,000 now meet age requirements to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute , a nonpartisan think-tank .
The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Trump administration didn ’ t properly end the program .
The administration can still end it , but has to go about it differently .
In the meantime , lawyers with the non-profit advocacy group Casa de Maryland , which filed one of the several lawsuits challenging the end of the program , say the Supreme Court ruling and two others mean DACA should revert to its original form — accepting new applications as well as requests to travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A government attorney said Friday that USCIS hasn ’ t updated its website to reflect that it is accepting new applications , and that it had rejected some new applications on incorrect grounds and others because they weren ’ t filled out correctly or were missing information .
But the lawyer , Stephen Michael Pezzi , said that in general the agency is accepting new applications , putting them on tentative status while the administration decides what to do with DACA .
That means that any new applicants aren ’ t likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the administration decides to keep the program .
Grimm did not seem inclined to wade into whether the government should accept or reject new applications while it decides what to do with the program , but he did chide it for not having updated information on its website and for not explaining rejections to applicants who had flaws in their application , such as a missing signature .
“ I think frankly the agency ought to be the first to want to have that corrected and it seems to me that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense as to when that will be corrected , ” Grimm said .
Grimm told the government he ’ d like the website to be updated within 30 days , and he gave its lawyers until next week to figure out whether USCIS can develop some sort of process where they acknowledge receipt of new applications so that applicants will know their status .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Body of missing photographer found in western Colorado

GRAND JUNCTION , Colo. - A search and rescue crew on Friday discovered the body of a missing photographer along @ @ @ @ @ Colorado , authorities said .
The Mesa County Sheriff ’ s Office said in a @ @ @ @ @ Conrad Earnest , 62 , was found near Glade Park , south of Colorado National @ @ @ @ @ pending .
The cause of death was under investigation but wasn ’ t considered suspicious @ @ @ @ @ The announcement came after Grand Junction police reported that a missing person report had been @ @ @ @ @ .
Earnest specialized in nighttime photography , and The Associated Press recently published a photo @ @ @ @ @ the comet Neowise above Colorado National Monument .
Searchers discovered the body after locating Earnest @ @ @ @ @ Rock campground .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Missing red panda found safe in Columbus Zoo

POWELL , Ohio - A red panda that disappeared from its habitat at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium “ is home safe and sound ” after it needed to be tranquilized in a tree , the zoo said .
Two visitors on Thursday spotted Kora on the ground among dense foliage between the rhino habitat and the pachyderm building , the zoo said on Facebook .
The small nocturnal mammal , which is about the size of a raccoon , was last seen nearby in her Asia Quest habitat on Tuesday evening .
Kora climbed up a tree as members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health team watched .
“ In attempt to coax her down , the team brought her favourite treats and , when that did not work , they carefully brought out her vocalizing cubs .
While she was attentive to their sounds and moved toward them , she remained in the tree , ” the zoo said .
Officials feared an approaching storm so they made the decision to tranquilize the red panda , which fell 10 feet into a net .
Kora was evaluated by a health team and “ given a clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she will be reunited with her cubs and the cubs ’ father , General Tso .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Chilean suspect jailed in French murder case of Japanese

BESANCON , France - A Chilean man was order jailed in eastern France on Friday while he is investigated in the disappearance nearly four years ago of his ex-girlfriend , a Japanese student , in a case of suspected murder spanning continents but in which the body has not been found .
Nicolas Zepeda , 29 , extradited from Chile earlier in the day , was ordered detained by a judge in Besancon after hours of deliberation .
The prosecutor in Besancon , where the missing Narumi Kurosaki had been studying , said the extradition of the suspect by Chile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigation even though Zepeda refused to answer questions of the investigating judge .
“ He simply declared that he is innocent ” and expressed hope the real killer would be found , prosecutor Etienne Manteau told reporters .
Being placed under investigation is a step short of formally being charged , under French legal procedure .
Formal charges would come if the investigating judge concludes there is sufficient evidence to put the suspect on trial .
Manteau predicted a trial could be held next year .
It was a “ major advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said of the extradition .
He himself had travelled to Chile as part of the murder probe .
The regional press , which has followed the investigation , has described a love affair that allegedly went awry .
Zepeda reportedly had met Kurosaki in Japan then travelled to France to see her after she ended the relationship .
With Zepeda in custody , investigators must now plumb the personality of the suspect and “ understand who Nicolas Zepeda really is , ” the prosecutor said .
Kurosaki disappeared in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from her residence at the Besancon university campus .
Zepeda had already returned to Chile before her disappearance was investigated .
Despite long searches in the region ’ s thick forests and elsewhere , investigators failed to find her body , but police believe he killed her .
During court proceedings in Chile , Zepeda acknowledged that he had visited Kurosaki at her apartment on the night she disappeared , even though their romantic relationship had ended .
He said they had consensual sex .
“ We ’ re obviously interested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defence , ” the prosecutor said .
Until his extradition , Zepeda had been under house arrest at his mother ’ s apartment in the resort of Viña del Mar , 120 kilometres ( 75 miles ) northwest of Santiago .
Zepeda was turned over to French officials and put on a Paris-bound flight with police escort .
From Charles de Gaulle airport , he was transferred Friday by car to Besancon , in the foothills of the Alps .
His extradition was approved by Chile ’ s Supreme Court in May , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis and the cancellation of many international flights .
Associated Press writer Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Minneapolis council shifts police media duties to city staff

MINNEAPOLIS - The Minneapolis City Council voted Friday to shift police media duties from the Police Department to city staff in what one council member called a move to improve trust , amid calls for changes in policing after George Floyd ’ s death .
The change was approved 9-3 .
Some council members wanted more time to consider the move , while journalists said they worried it could make it harder and take longer to get information .
The vote came as the city revised its budget to address a $ 156 million revenue dip due to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t affect the city ’ s bottom line , but was seen as emblematic of a struggle over the future of policing in Minneapolis , where a majority of council members favour replacing the current department with a different kind of public safety agency .
Overall , the City Council members redirected more than $ 1 million from a $ 193 million police budget Friday .
Council Member Steve Fletcher said the communications change is part of the larger process of examining whether functions currently handled by the Police Department could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council members also cited erroneous information given out by police after Floyd ’ s death : In an initial statement , spokesman John Elder said Floyd “ appeared to be suffering medical distress ” after he resisted arrest and was handcuffed .
Cellphone video recorded by a bystander showed Floyd pleading for air as a white officer , Derek Chauvin , pressed his knee into the Black man ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes and people nearby urged officers to help him .
Elder has told The Associated Press that the initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervisors , and that he had not had time to review body camera video .
Lisa Goodman , a council member who voted against the change , said it “ almost feels like it ’ s retaliatory ” against Elder , whom she said thought he was giving correct information .
“ This is hardly transformational change , ” she said , repeating a phrase used by council members who have said they want to significantly remake the department .
Fletcher conceded the change was small , but added : “ People are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are asking us to do this work , and I think it ’ s very important that we move forward.
“ Suki Dardarian , managing editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune , told one council member in an email that it ’ s important to have city spokespeople who are trusted , credible , understand the subject matter and appreciate the need for transparency .
When it comes to law enforcement , those spokespeople need to be accessible at all hours .
In an interview with the AP , Dardarian said she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communication structure when so much is at stake , and fears the move will make transparency more difficult and decrease access to timely information .
She said journalists work to track down information from multiple sources , including authorities , to get the truth .
“ If we don ’ t have the information to begin with , it ’ s hard to really seek the truth , ” she said .
The board for the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists sent City Council members a letter discouraging the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access , and that placing the media position under city direction “ would further erode public trust.
” Fletcher , who said there was a “ pattern of inaccuracy ” in information coming from the Police Department , said he was committed to ensuring access to reporters and was “ convinced this is a move that can move us forward , rather than backward.
” When later asked to elaborate on other inaccuracies , Fletcher pointed to a June night in which multiple people were shot in a popular nightlife area .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that shooting , but later learned the fatality was from a separate shooting in another location , citing confusion when multiple shooting victims went to the same hospital .
Fletcher said rushing out information stoked fear in the community , and narratives that dramatize situations do the public a disservice .
Police Chief Medaria Arradondo , who opposed the change , released a statement saying the department has been lucky to have Elder help serve as the face and voice of the department , and the media position has helped the agency build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the information about Floyd ’ s death , Elder told the AP the Police Department realized its initial statement was inaccurate hours later when the bystander video surfaced .
By then , state investigators took over and Elder said he didn ’ t have authority to send out a correction .
“ I will never lie to cover up the actions of somebody else , ” Elder told the AP .
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder , third-degree murder and manslaughter .
Three other officers — Thomas Lane , J. Kueng and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter .
All four officers were fired .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Choctaw chief chosen to help design new Mississippi flag

JACKSON , Miss .
- The chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will help design a new Mississippi state flag that does not include the Confederate battle emblem .
Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves announced Friday that he is appointing Chief Cyrus Ben and two other people to a nine-member flag commission .
Mississippi legislators voted in late June to retire the last state flag in the U.S. with the rebel emblem that ’ s widely condemned racist .
The change came after national protests over racial injustice sparked new debates about the public display of Confederate symbols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mississippi flag that can not include the Confederate emblem and must have the phrase , “ In God We Trust.
” Commissioners were supposed to be appointed by July 15 , but Reeves said he missed the deadline because he has been busy with response to the coronavirus pandemic .
In addition to Ben , the appointees Reeves announced Friday are Betsey Hamilton of New Albany and Frank Bordeaux of Gulfport .
Hamilton is a retired public school teacher , real estate broker and appraiser .
She is on the Union County Heritage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founding board member for the Union County Historical Society .
Bordeaux is an insurance company vice-president .
On the day Reeves signed the bill to retire the flag , Bordeaux posted a photo of the signing ceremony and wrote : “ Proud of Governor Reeves !
” In response , some people commented that changing the flag was for “ traitors ” or “ dictatorships.
” Mississippi ’ s population is about 59 % white and 38 % African American .
The commission has six members who are white , two who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Six commissioners appointed by the House speaker and the lieutenant governor held their first meeting Wednesday .
They are collecting flag proposals from the general public until early August and will set a design by early September .
The lone design will go on the Nov. 3 ballot .
If a majority of voters say yes , that design will become the new flag .
If voters reject it , the commission will draw a new design and that will go on the ballot later .
Legislators filed bills for years to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because leaders said they couldn ’ t get consensus for change .
Momentum changed dramatically in June .
Young activists and older leaders from business , religion , education and sports urged legislators to ditch a symbol that many said portrayed Mississippi as backward .

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Sentencing delayed for midshipman in sexual assault case

ANNAPOLIS , Md .
- A judge has postponed sentencing for a U.S .
Naval Academy midshipman found guilty of @ @ @ @ @ defendant was showing signs of a COVID-19 infection .
The Capital Gazette reported that Midshipman @ @ @ @ @ s sentencing hearing is scheduled to resume on Aug. 14 .
A seven-member panel that @ @ @ @ @ a jury found him guilty on Wednesday of two counts of sexual assault , attempted @ @ @ @ @ obstruction of justice .
Keago ’ s sentencing hearing started Thursday with defence and government @ @ @ @ @ panel was expected to hear closing arguments on Friday before starting deliberations .
A prosecutor @ @ @ @ @ LaPlante , said Keago broke into the rooms of three female midshipmen while they were @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Ex-USC gynecologist pleads not guilty to new sex charges

LOS ANGELES - A former University of Southern California campus gynecologist accused of sexually assaulting 21 patients pleaded not guilty Friday to six new charges .
George Tyndall , 73 , entered pleas to five counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and one count of sexual battery by fraud .
The charges involve five women who say they were assaulted by Tyndall while he was working at the USC health centre between 2011 and 2015 .
He previously pleaded not guilty to criminal charges involving 16 women .
All 21 victims went to the campus facility for annual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 2009 , prosecutors said .
Tyndall resigned in 2017 after working at USC for nearly 30 years .
Allegations against him became public in 2018 through a Los Angeles Times investigation .
If convicted as charged , Tyndall now faces a possible maximum sentence of 64 years in state prison .
In February , the U.S. Department of Education said it found systemic failures in USC ’ s treatment of allegations of sexual abuse by Tyndall and ordered the school to overhaul its procedures for preventing sex discrimination and to conduct a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education Secretary Betsy DeVos called it a “ total and complete failure to protect students.
” USC ’ s new president , Carol L. Folt , pledged to protect the safety of students , faculty and staff and to restore trust in the university .
A federal judge in January approved a $ 215 million class-action settlement between USC and about 18,000 women who saw Tyndall at the university .
Payments would range from $ 2,500 to $ 250,000 , with specific sums decided by a panel of experts .
Hundreds of women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlement and many are pursuing separate lawsuits in state court .
Tyndall and USC have also been sued in state court by about 600 alleged victims .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--China’s consulate in Houston cleared out ahead of eviction

HOUSTON - Consular officials departed the Chinese consulate in Houston on Friday afternoon after the Trump administration ordered the facility to shut down .
Vans bearing diplomatic plates departed the consulate as the 4 p.m. Friday deadline arrived for the consulate to close .
At that point , federal agents checked the locked doors of the consulate and a locksmith was seen working to crack the lock on one door .
Meanwhile , a small group of protesters gathered across the street and played a recording criticizing the Chinese government .
It was unclear at the scene if the consulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Houston Police Department spokesman referred all questions to the FBI and State Department , which did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment .
The U.S. alleged that the consulate was a nest of Chinese spies who tried to steal data from facilities in Texas , including the Texas A & M medical system and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston .
China called the allegations “ malicious slander ” and responded by ordering the U.S. to close its consulate in the western Chinese city of Chengdu .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Oklahoma prosecutor will not charge man who drove in crowd

TULSA , Okla. - A prosecutor in Oklahoma has decided not to charge a motorist who drove through a crowd of people protesting on an interstate following the death of George Floyd and is instead looking at whether to prosecute some of the protesters who were in the path of the vehicle .
The Tulsa County District Attorney ’ s Office is asking the Highway Patrol to identify protesters from photos and videos for possible prosecution for doing what District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler described as “ using weapons and throwing projectiles and damaging the property of this family “ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who represents one of three people who were injured during the May 31 protest , told the Tulsa World on Thursday that Kunzweiler ’ s stance is “ essentially blaming the protesters and essentially blaming the victims for their own injuries.
” The newspaper obtained a memo from Kunzweiler in which he said : “ Although the claim may be that this was a peaceful protest , there was nothing peaceful about the targeting and attack upon this family.
“ The driver ’ s name has not been released .
Ryan Knight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interstate overpass as the truck pulling a horse trailer drove through the group of protesters on Interstate 244 .
The 32-year-old was paralyzed from the waist down .
Nation , who represents another injured person , said that the driver ’ s actions , malicious or not , at least warrant a traffic citation .
Sarah Stewart , an Oklahoma Department of Public Safety spokeswoman , said Wednesday that the agency provided the results of its investigation to federal and state prosecutors on Monday .
Kunzweiler said “ no affidavit requesting charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was there a request for charges.
” Kunzweiler said Thursday that his office had jurisdiction in deciding the case because the collision site is not within the Muscogee ( Creek ) Nation ’ s boundaries .
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that Oklahoma prosecutors lack the authority to pursue criminal cases against American Indian defendants in parts of Oklahoma that include most of Tulsa .
Floyd died in Minneapolis after an officer pressed his knew into Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes .
The death of Floyd sparked protests worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Fire at Arizona Democratic headquarters now an arson probe

PHOENIX - Authorities say a fire that destroyed part of the Arizona and Maricopa County Democratic Party headquarters Friday may have been arson .
Phoenix police said they are treating the incident as an arson investigation based on evidence collected at the scene by police , firefighters and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco Firearms and Explosives .
Police did not describe the evidence but said more information should be available in the coming days .
Firefighters got first word of the blaze about 1 a.m. Nobody was hurt , but the fire destroyed the part of the building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computers , tablets , phone-banking equipment , campaign literature and years of candidate and organizing information , county Chair Steven Slugocki said .
It also destroyed political memorabilia accumulated over decades , including campaign materials for John F. Kennedy , he said .
“ The Democratic Party in Arizona is pretty small .
We ’ re a small group family , ” Slugocki said .
“ Everything has come out of that building .
Elected officials .
All meetings .
Everything goes through that office .
At some point , every Democrat has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s gone.
” Slugocki and state Democratic Chair Felecia Rotellini said employees have been mostly working remotely since March .
“ We want to know why this happened , and it is something that is simply going to empower us to work harder and keep our eyes on the prize , ” Rotellini said .
“ We ’ re definitely not going to let this be a distraction from working as hard as we can to turn Arizona blue in November.
” The Phoenix Fire Department says smoke was first reported about 1 @ @

Jonathan J. Cooper - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-27--Chicago Police: Violence drops after 2 new units rolled out

CHICAGO - There has been a reduction in homicides and shooting incidents in Chicago since the city ’ s police force launched two units aimed at combating gun violence and ensuring protests and other large events don ’ t devolve into chaos , police said Monday .
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said “ tenuous progress ” has been made in the department ’ s efforts to stem gun violence .
There were three homicides over the weekend compared to 12 and eight the previous two weekends and 17 over the July Fourth weekend , Brown said at a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brown was obvious late Monday when five people sitting on a porch in the South Side Burnside neighbourhood were wounded by shots fired from a passing vehicle .
A 22-year-old man was later pronounced dead at University of Chicago Hospital from a gunshot wound in the back .
A man wounded in the buttocks was hospitalized in critical conditions and three others were hospitalized in good condition .
Earlier Monday , a 10-month-girl riding in an auto on a Chicago expressway was shot in the shoulder .
She was also grazed in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say she is in good condition .
From 6 p.m. Friday until midnight Sunday , the department recorded 39 shootings .
That compares to 41 the previous weekend , 50 the weekend before that and 87 during the long Independence Day weekend .
“ Our citywide teams deployed Thursday for the first day ... helped cover more areas that have seen spikes in violent crimes , ” Brown said .
While protests took place in the city over the weekend , none of them turned violent , he said .
The Community Safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to areas that have seen an uptick in violent crime this year on the city ’ s West and South Sides , Brown said .
The other unit , comprising about 250 officers , is called the Critical Incident Response Team .
Those officers have received training in crowd control and 1st Amendment issues , and were deployed to protests and marches around the city .
In the future , that unit will also be deployed to major events , such as music festivals and the Taste of Chicago , which have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said the development of the Critical Incident Response Team is especially important because it means officers won ’ t need to be diverted from their own communities to police demonstrations and marches .
“ Every time we have to drain our resources for protests , the people on the West Side and the South Side suffer , ” he said .
Brown said he hopes the Critical Incident Response Team will help restore public trust in his officers .
Long plagued by a legacy of excessive force and racism , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents to trust it enough to come forward with information to help solve homicides and other violent crimes .
The unit is not a “ roving strike force , ” he said .
Such units have been criticized in the past for being overly aggressive , and one was disbanded after some of its officers committed robberies and home invasions .
Members of the new unit will instead participate every week in events such as prayer circles , food drives , COVID-19 resource distributions and other community events , Brown said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-27--Cleanup from Hanna spurs fear amid COVID-19 surge in Texas

WESLACO , Texas - As recovery and cleanup efforts got underway Monday in South Texas in the wake of a downgraded Hanna , worried residents confronted the prospect of undertaking the effort amid a surge in coronavirus cases that has left many fearful about their health .
Now a tropical depression , Hanna was 65 miles ( 105 km ) north of Fresnillo in the Mexican state of Zacatecas as its winds weakened to about 25 mph ( 40 kph ) , the National Hurricane Center said .
Its remnants still threatened to bring rainfall and flash flooding to waterlogged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For 66-year-old , Nora Esquivel , who has mostly stayed in her home in Weslaco , Texas , in Hidalgo County since March because of the pandemic , flooding damage to her home from Hanna meant greater chance of exposure to the virus .
“ No contact with nobody , only my daughter once in a while , and now with this , I have to allow people to come into my house , the insurance and all this and I ’ m scared , ” said a tearful Esquivel , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescued from her home Sunday morning by her son on a kayak .
“ All my friends are dying .
...
I have fear for my family , for everybody , not just me and this is the whole world.
” In the aftermath of Hanna , which dumped up to 16 inches ( 41 centimetres ) of rain in some parts of South Texas and Northern Mexico , officials reported two people died in the northern Mexican city of Ramos Arispe , near Monterrey , after torrents of water unleashed by Hanna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reported missing in Monterrey and three more were missing in the border city of Reynosa , across from McAllen , Texas , according to Mexico ’ s national civil defence office .
Gov .
Greg Abbott said the state was sending additional testing supplies and hospital personnel to South Texas communities impacted by Hanna to ensure the storm doesn ’ t exacerbate the spread of the virus .
“ The spread of COVID can be far more deadly than the damage caused by the storm , ” Abbott said on KRGV-TV .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The governor asked residents to adhere to social distancing guidelines and to wear masks if they had to leave their homes and go to a shelter .
Officials said shelters were set up to be as safe as possible , with temperature checks by on-site medical personnel .
Some were being sheltered in hotel rooms .
Border communities hit by Hanna were already strained by COVID-19 cases — with some patients being airlifted to larger cities .
Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurricane might have helped with the county ’ s recent surge in COVID-19 cases because the storm made people stay at home .
In Cameron County , located next to Hidalgo County , officials said they were grateful the hurricane did not overwhelm their hospitals , which continue dealing with a crush of COVID-19 patients .
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. , the county ’ s top elected official , said there were reports of at least 150 flooded homes and some roadways were still impassable due to high water , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing well .
“ I think we ’ re very fortunate the storm did not bring major , major flooding and no loss of life , ” he said .
But Cameron County officials remained concerned about the pandemic , as cases in the past week have increased by 2,587 — more than the total from mid-March to July 1 .
The county has more than 7,800 cases .
Deaths have increased by 81 in the past week , Treviño said .
A week ago , the county had 96 deaths .
North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corpus Christi reported that 60 infants tested positive for COVID-19 from July 1 to July 16 .
“ The storm hasn ’ t made ( COVID-19 ) go away , ” said Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni , adding officials remained concerned Monday about the number of local coronavirus cases , including 16 deaths over the weekend .
Coastal states scrambled this spring to adjust emergency hurricane plans to account for the virus , and Hanna was the first big test .
Abbott announced Sunday the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hanna blew ashore as a Category 1 storm late Saturday afternoon with winds of 90 mph ( 145 kph ) not far from Port Mansfield , which is about 130 miles ( 210 kilometres ) south of Corpus Christi .
By Monday evening , 50,600 customers remained without power throughout South Texas , including Corpus Christi , Harlingen and McAllen , utility officials said .
That was down from a peak of 200,000 early Sunday morning .
Officials throughout South Texas were still assessing damage from Hanna on Monday .
In Hidalgo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-income areas along the U.S.-Mexico border — had been flooded by several feet of water , Cortez said .
Hanna came nearly three years after Hurricane Harvey blew ashore northeast of Corpus Christi , killing 68 people and causing an estimated $ 125 billion in damage in Texas .
In the Mexican city of Matamoros , across from Brownsville , more than 1,300 asylum seekers , including newborns and elderly people , at a refugee camp braced for the impact of flooding from the Rio Grande due to Hanna .
The river was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp in the next few days .
Chloe Rastatter , a volunteer engineer at the camp , said United Nations representatives have been working with Mexican authorities to plan for the relocation of the migrants .
In the Mexican border city of Reynosa , a maternity hospital was damaged by heavy rain , with some patients moved to upper floors and others evacuated to other facilities , said Pedro Granados , director of civil protection for Tamaulipas state .
In the Pacific Ocean , meanwhile , Hawaii avoided a direct hit Monday from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from the main Hawaiian islands .
Lozano reported from Houston .
Associated Press writers Mark Stevenson in Mexico City and Acacia Coronado in Austin , Texas , contributed to this report .

John L. Mone And Juan A. Lozano - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-27--Malaysian ex-PM Najib arrives in court for graft verdict

KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia - Ex-Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived at court Tuesday for a verdict in the first of several corruption trials linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund .
The outcome is widely seen as a test of the rule of law five months after a new government took power .
Najib ’ s Malay party returned to office as a key player in the new ruling alliance , less than two years after its shocking ouster in 2018 elections driven by public anger over the 1MDB scandal .
Security was tight at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from entering and staff spraying hand sanitizer for media outside .
As Najib , wearing a mask and beige suit , entered the building a crowd of supporters gathered outside , some wearing shirts reading “ bossku , ” or “ my boss.
” Najib , 67 , said in a Facebook post late Monday that he was prepared to fight to the end .
He said he would appeal if he was found guilty , and expects prosecutors to appeal if he was acquitted .
“ From day one , I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to clear my name , “ he wrote .
“ Whatever the decision in the High Court tomorrow , it does not end here ... after this , we will go to the Court of Appeal .
I am ready.
” Najib faces a total of 42 charges in five separate graft trials linked to the 1MDB saga and may be sentenced to years in prison if convicted in the first trial alone .
Analysts said the ruling could affect Najib ’ s other trials and send a signal to the business community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal system in tackling international financial crime .
The verdict will also test current Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin , who was fired as Najib ’ s deputy in 2016 for speaking out on the 1MDB scandal but now relies on Najib ’ s party for support .
Najib ’ s party is the biggest bloc in the current Malay nationalist alliance , which was formed in March after a political coup by Muhyiddin ’ s party toppled the former reformist government .
Najib set up 1MDB shortly after becoming prime minister in 2009 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development .
But the fund accumulated billions in debt , and U.S. investigators allege that at least $ 4.5 billion was stolen from it and laundered by Najib ’ s associates to finance Hollywood films and buy hotels , a luxury yacht , artwork , jewelry and other extravagances .
More than $ 700 million from the fund allegedly landed in Najib ’ s bank accounts .
Najib ’ s wife and several officials from his party and previous government have also been charged with graft .
Najib , whose father and uncle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime ministers , denies any wrongdoing .
He calls the prosecutions a political attack on him .
Najib ’ s first trial began in April 2019 over seven charges related to the transfer of 42 million ringgit ( $ 9.8 million ) from SRC International , a former 1MDB unit , into his bank accounts through intermediary companies .
Najib is accused of using his position to receive a bribe for approving a government guarantee for billions in loans to SRC , committing criminal breach of trust and accepting proceeds from unlawful activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money through the accounts that paid for renovating Najib ’ s home , credit card purchases including a Chanel watch bought in Hawaii as a birthday gift for his wife , and disbursements to political parties .
Najib has said he was misled by rogue bankers led by Malaysian fugitive financier Low Taek Jho , identified by investigators as a mastermind in the looting of 1MDB .
Najib testified he assumed the money was part of an Arab donation arranged by Low .
Najib ’ s lawyers said Low used the donation as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspicious of his plundering of the 1MDB fund .
Prosecutors argued Najib was the real power behind 1MDB and SRC , and called the Arab donation “ manufactured evidence ” to cover up his tracks .
Whatever the verdict , both sides can appeal the decision in a lengthy process .


thetorontostar--2020-07-27--Barr to condemn rioting at much-anticipated House hearing

WASHINGTON - Attorney General William Barr is defending the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in America , saying “ violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests ” sparked by George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of Minneapolis police .
Barr will tell members of the House Judiciary Committee at a much-anticipated hearing on Tuesday that the violence taking place in Portland , Oregon , and other cities is disconnected from the death of Floyd , which he described as a “ horrible “ event that prompted a necessary national reckoning on the relationship between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Largely absent from these scenes of destruction are even superficial attempts by the rioters to connect their actions to George Floyd ’ s death or any legitimate call for reform , ” Barr will say of the Portland protests , according to a copy of his prepared remarks released by the Justice Department on Monday .
Barr will also touch on other controversies that have shadowed his tenure , including his handling of the investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia , which he derisively refers to as “ the bogus ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department ’ s ongoing effort to differentiate between increasing violence in some cities and the death of Floyd , which civil rights prosecutors are investigating as a potential crime .
Massive but peaceful demonstrations had followed Floyd ’ s death in May .
The attorney general , speaking as Congress and the public pay respects to the late Rep. John Lewis , will acknowledge to lawmakers that Floyd ’ s death struck a chord in the Black community because it reinforced concerns that Blacks are treated differently by police .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says have responded inappropriately to Floyd ’ s death through what he said was rioting and anarchy .
“ As elected officials of the federal government , every Member of this Committee – regardless of your political views or your feelings about the Trump Administration – should condemn violence against federal officers and destruction of federal property , ” Barr says .
“ So should state and local leaders who have a responsibility to keep their communities safe .
To tacitly condone destruction and anarchy is to abandon the basic rule-of-law principles that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divisive time.
” Civil unrest escalated in Portland after federal agents were accused of whisking people away in unmarked cars without probable cause ; they were detained and later released .
And in Washington , D.C. , peaceful protesters were violently cleared from the streets by federal officers using smoke bombs and pepper balls ahead of a photo op by Trump in front of a church , where Barr had accompanied him .
The attorney general has defended as necessary the broad use of law enforcement power to deal with the situation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has opened investigations into use of force and other tactics by agents in both cities .
The hearing on Tuesday marks Barr ’ s first appearance before the House Judiciary Committee , bringing him face-to-face with a panel that voted last year to hold him in contempt and is holding hearings on what Democrats allege is politicization of the Justice Department under his watch .
It comes during a tumultuous stretch in which Barr has taken a series of actions cheered by President Donald Trump but condemned by Democrats and other critics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that antagonistic relationship , saying that “ many of the Democrats on this Committee have attempted to discredit me by conjuring up a narrative that I am simply the President ’ s factotum who disposes of criminal cases according to his instructions .
Judging from the letter inviting me to this hearing , that appears to be your agenda today.
“ Beyond the federal response to the demonstrations , Barr is also expected to be pressed in detail about his intervention in criminal cases arising from special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr with a forum to offer his most detailed account to date for his actions in the criminal cases , which he has said were taken in the interests of justice and without political pressure .
Those include the Justice Department ’ s decision to drop the prosecution of former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn — a request now tied up in court — and his firing last month of the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan , whose office oversaw investigations into allies of the president .
Barr also pushed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally , Roger Stone , prompting the entire trial team ’ s departure .
That decision was at the centre of a separate hearing before the same committee last month , when one of the prosecutors alleged that politics from Justice Department leadership had influenced the handling of the sentence .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday on MSNBC that Democrats want to question Barr about how Trump “ is undermining the Constitution of the United States.
” Barr previously rebuffed the House committee and Pelosi said that “ we hope that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Barr has said that Flynn , who pleaded guilty as part of Mueller ’ s probe to lying to the FBI , should never have been charged and that the original sentencing recommendation for Stone — also charged in the Mueller investigation — was excessive .
Barr ’ s opening statement does not delve into the details of the case , though he will insist Tuesday that Trump has not attempted to interfere in those decisions and has “ played a role properly and traditionally played by Presidents.
” Republican lawmakers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance and are likely Tuesday to help him push back against some of the Democratic criticism .
Even among the GOP members , though , Barr faces pressure to deliver results soon on an investigation that he initiated into the origins of the Russia probe .
It is not clear when or how that investigation , being led by U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut , will end , but Barr has said he hopes to have results by the end of the summer .

Eric Tucker, Mary Clare Jalonick And Michael Balsamo - The Associated Press