thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Trump taps ‘eminently qualified’ Barrett for Supreme Court

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Saturday , capping a dramatic reshaping of the federal judiciary that will resonate for a generation and that he hopes will provide a needed boost to his reelection effort .
Barrett , a former clerk to the late Justice Antonin Scalia , said she was “ truly humbled ” by the nomination and quickly aligned herself with Scalia ’ s conservative approach to the law , saying his “ judicial philosophy is mine , too.
“ Barrett , 48 , was joined in the Rose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If confirmed by the Senate , she would fill the seat vacated by liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
It would be the sharpest ideological swing since Clarence Thomas replaced Justice Thurgood Marshall nearly three decades ago .
She would be the sixth justice on the nine-member court to be appointed by a Republican president , and the third of Trump ’ s first term in office .
Trump hailed Barrett as “ a woman of remarkable intellect and character , ” saying he had studied her record closely before making the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a swift confirmation of Barrett ahead of the Nov. 3 election , as they aim to lock in conservative gains in the federal judiciary before a potential transition of power .
Trump , meanwhile , is hoping the nomination will galvanize his supporters as he looks to fend off Democrat Joe Biden .
For Trump , whose 2016 victory hinged in large part on reluctant support from white evangelicals on the promise of filling Scalia ’ s seat with a conservative , the latest nomination in some ways brings his first term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death , Trump was running on having confirmed in excess of 200 federal judges , fulfilling a generational aim of conservative legal activists .
Trump joked that the confirmation process ahead “ should be easy ” and “ extremely noncontroversial , “ though it is likely to be anything but .
No court nominee has been considered so close to a presidential election before , with early voting already underway .
He encouraged legislators to take up her nomination swiftly and asked Democrats to “ refrain from personal and partisan attacks.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court to fill the election-year vacancy , saying voters should have a say in the lifetime appointment .
Senate Republicans say they will move ahead this time , arguing the circumstances are different now that the White House and Senate are controlled by the same party .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will vote “ in the weeks ahead ” on Barrett ’ s confirmation .
Barrett is expected to make her first appearance Tuesday on Capitol Hill , where she will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham , the chair of the Judiciary Committee ; and others .
Hearings are set to begin Oct. 12 , and Graham said he hoped to have Barrett ’ s nomination out of the committee by Oct. 26 .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that a vote to confirm Barrett to the high court would be a vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act .
Schumer added that the president was once again putting “ Americans ’ healthcare in the crosshairs ” even while the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of criticism , as well , framing Trump ’ s choice as another move in Republicans ’ effort to scrap the 2010 health care law passed by his former boss , President Barack Obama .
The court is expected to take up a case against it this fall .
The set design at the Rose Garden , with large American flags hung between the colonnades , appeared to be modeled on the way the White House was decorated when President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsburg in 1993 .
Barrett , recognizing that flags were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death , said she would be “ mindful of who came before me.
“ Although they have different judicial philosophies , Barrett praised Ginsburg as a trailblazer for women and for her friendship with Scalia , saying , “ She has won the admiration of women across the country and indeed all across the world.
” Within hours of Ginsburg ’ s death , Trump made clear he would nominate a woman for the seat .
Barrett was the early favourite and the only one to meet with Trump .
Barrett has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump nominated her to the Chicago-based 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
But as a longtime University of Notre Dame law professor , she had already established herself as a reliable conservative in the mould of Scalia , for whom she clerked in the late 1990s .
She would be the only justice on the current court not to have received her law degree from an Ivy League school .
The eight current justices all attended either Harvard or Yale .
The staunch conservative had become known to Trump in large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation included allegations that Democrats were attacking her Catholic faith .
The president also interviewed her in 2018 for the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy , but Trump ultimately chose Brett Kavanaugh .
Trump and his political allies are itching for another fight over Barrett ’ s faith , seeing it as a political windfall that would backfire on Democrats .
Catholic voters in Pennsylvania , in particular , are viewed as a pivotal demographic in the swing state that Biden , also Catholic , is trying to recapture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett ’ s confirmation in the GOP-controlled Senate , they are seeking to use the process to weaken Trump ’ s reelection chances .
Barrett ’ s nomination could become a reckoning over abortion , an issue that has divided many Americans so bitterly for almost half a century .
The idea of overturning or gutting Roe v. Wade , the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion , has animated activists in both parties for decades .
Now , with the seemingly decisive shift in the court ’ s ideological makeup , Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ droves because of their frustration with the Barrett pick .
“ Justice Ginsburg must be turning over in her grave up in heaven , to see that the person they chose seems to be intent on undoing all the things that Ginsburg did , ” Schumer said .
Trump has also increasingly embraced the high court — on which he will have had an outsize hand in reshaping -– as an insurance policy in a close election .
“ We don ’ t have to do it before , but I think this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Trump told reporters Saturday .
“ I think it ’ ll send a great signal to a lot of people.
” Increases in mail , absentee and early voting brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have already led to a flurry of election litigation , and both Trump and Biden have assembled armies of lawyers to continue the fight once vote-counting begins .
Trump has been open about tying his push to name a third justice to the court to a potentially drawn-out court fight to determine who will be sworn in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think this will end up in the Supreme Court , ” Trump said Wednesday of the election .
“ And I think it ’ s very important that we have nine justices.
” No Democratic senators are expected to vote to confirm Barrett before the election , even though some did support her in 2017 .
Two Democrats still serving in the Senate who voted to confirm Barrett in 2017 , Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia , now say it ’ s too close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , outside conservative groups are planning to spend more than $ 25 million to support Trump and his nominee .
The Judicial Crisis Network has organized a coalition that includes American First Policies , the Susan B. Anthony List , the Club for Growth and the group Catholic Vote to help confirm Barrett .
The Republican National Committee has launched a $ 10 million digital campaign of its own , in conjunction with Trump ’ s reelection campaign .

Zeke Miller, Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Syria minister calls Turkey main terrorism sponsor in region

TANZANIA , Tanzania - Syria ’ s foreign minister accused Turkey on Saturday of being “ one of the main sponsors of terror ” in his country and the region , and said it is guilty of “ a war crime and a crime against humanity “ for cutting water to more than a dozen towns that resisted Turkish occupation .
In unusually harsh language , Walid al-Moallem said “ the Turkish regime reigns supreme “ when it comes “ to sponsors and financiers of terrorism.
” He said in a prerecorded speech to the first-ever high-level meeting of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic that the cutoff of water supplies endangered civilian lives , especially during the coronavirus crisis .
The nine-year Syrian conflict , which initially began as a civil war , later became a regional proxy fight .
Turkey , which now controls a zone in northern Syria , has backed opposition fighters against Syrian President Bashar Assad , Syrian Kurdish fighters and the Islamic State extremist group .
Al-Moallem also accused Turkey of moving “ terrorists and mercenaries — referred to by some as ` moderate opposition ’ -- from Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s sovereignty , using refugees “ as bargaining chips against Europe ” and laying claim “ by force to energy resources in the Mediterranean.
” “ The current Turkish regime has become a rogue and outlaw regime under international law , ” the Syrian minister said .
“ Its policies and actions , which threaten the security and stability of the whole region , must be stopped.
” Turkey ’ s U.N. Mission said it “ rejects Syrian regime ’ s delusional statement , ridden with ludicrous allegations , in its entirety.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the murderous Syrian regime which lost its legitimacy long ago continues to misuse ( the ) U.N. General Assembly general debate to distort the facts , ” said a mission spokesperson , who spoke on condition of anonymity .
“ The Syrian regime is responsible for death , mutilation , abduction , starvation and enforced disappearance of millions of Syrians , “ the spokesperson said .
“ Its crimes against humanity , violations of international humanitarian law and the war crimes have been documented in countless U.N. reports.
” Al-Moallem declared that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to end the occupation by all means possible under international law ” of American and Turkish forces .
U.S. troops are deployed in the country to fight the Islamic State group .
“ The actions of these forces , taken directly or through their terrorist agents , secessionist militias , or manufactured and illegitimate entities , are null and void , with no legal effect , ” he said .
Al-Moallem , who is also deputy prime minister , denounced U.S. sanctions , saying they are blocking the delivery of life-saving medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the “ Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act ” passed by the U.S. Congress an “ inhumane attempt to suffocate Syrians , just like George Floyd and others were cruelly suffocated in the United States , and just like Israel suffocates Palestinians on a daily basis.
” Floyd , a handcuffed Black man , died May 25 after a white officer used his knee on Floyd ’ s neck to pin him to the ground .
The officer has been charged with second-degree murder , third-degree murder and manslaughter .
Al-Moallem called on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and those that reject such measures to close ranks against them and alleviate their impact on our peoples ... through co-operation , co-ordination , and concrete political , economic and commercial means.
” On the political front , he said Syria ’ s government hopes a committee given the responsibility of drafting a new constitution for the country “ will succeed.
” But , he said , this will be possible only “ if there is no external interference whatsoever in its work and by any party .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-09-26--California will house transgender inmates by gender identity

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - Gov .
Gavin Newsom signed a law on Saturday requiring California to house transgender inmates in prisons based on their gender identity — but only if the state does not have “ management or security concerns.
” The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation houses men and women in separate facilities .
Transgender inmates are often housed based on their sex assigned at birth .
Advocates say this is dangerous , particularly for transgender women housed in facilities for men .
The law Newsom signed Saturday says officers must ask inmates privately during the intake process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or intersex .
Those inmates can then request to be placed in a facility that houses either men or women .
The law says the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation can not deny those requests solely because of inmates ’ anatomy , sexual orientation or “ a factor present ” among other inmates at the facility .
But the state can deny those requests if it has “ management or security concerns.
” If a request is denied , the state must give the inmate a written statement explaining the decision and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to object .
Sen. Scott Wiener , a Democrat from San Francisco who authored the bill , said he doesn ’ t expect that exception to be used very often .
“ It ’ s just a false narrative about transgender people and about transgender women in particular that they ’ re somehow not really women and are just trying to scam their way into women ’ s bathrooms or facilities in order to do bad things , ” Wiener said .
“ Overwhelmingly the people who are being victimized are trans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inmates raises concerns about their health or safety , the law says the state must reassess where they are housed .
“ It means a lot to me and my sisters , ” said Michelle Calvin , a transgender woman incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison who recently called in to a news conference about the bill .
“ I ’ ve been in for 15 years .
I ’ ve been through the abuse , I ’ ve been through the disrespect of staff not addressing me for who I am because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar law in 2018 .
Rhode Island , New York City and Massachusetts have also housed inmates based on their gender identity .
The law also requires officers to address transgender inmates based on the pronouns of their choice .
And it requires officers to search inmates based on the search policy of their gender identity .
The law was one of several LGBT-related laws Newsom signed on Saturday .
He signed another law authored by Wiener requiring local public health officers to better track how diseases are affecting the LGBT community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state Sen. Lena Gonzalez to ban life and disability insurance companies from denying coverage solely because someone is HIV positive .
And Newsom signed a law authored by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago that sets up a Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund to provide grants to organizations that support the transgender community .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Belarus tells UN sanctions would be ‘harmful for everyone’

TANZANIA , Tanzania - Belarus ’ foreign minister warned Western nations Saturday against imposing sanctions over the country ’ s disputed presidential election and crackdown on protesters , saying their expressions of concern are “ nothing but attempts to bring chaos and anarchy to our country.
” With the European Union and Britain contemplating sanctions , Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei told the virtual U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders that “ interference in our internal affairs , sanctions and other restrictions on Belarus will have the opposite effect and are harmful for absolutely everyone.
” “ We call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restraint and impartiality , ” he said in a pre-recorded speech for the U.N. session held online because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Makei ’ s speech was played hours after the latest in a series of large protests in Belarus over the Aug. 9 re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko , which his opponents say was rigged .
The authoritarian leader further angered opponents this week by taking the oath of office for a new term in an unexpected and secretive ceremony .
The demonstrations are by far the largest and most persistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Soviet Union in 1991 .
Makei ’ s remarks to the international community , which included saying “ the people made their choice ” in the election , could fuel further protests Sunday .
The rallies are typically largest on Sundays , sometimes drawing crowds of up to 200,000 people .
In the first three days of demonstrations in August , police used tear gas , truncheons and rubber bullets to disperse crowds .
Several protesters died , many were injured and around 6,000 were detained .
Amid international outrage over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top activists .
Many members of the Coordination Council , a group that the opposition formed to push for a transition of power , have been arrested or forced to leave the country .
Last week , the U.N. ’ s Human Rights Council passed a resolution calling for an investigation into possible human rights violations by Lukashenko ’ s government , with a report to come by the end of the year .
The United States and the European Union have questioned the election and criticized the police actions toward peaceful protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Belarusian officials , but it failed to agree on imposing them this week and plans to continue discussions in the coming week .
Meanwhile , Britain said Thursday it was working on sanctions and also was in discussions with the U.S. and Canada .
EU Council President Charles Michel told the General Assembly on Friday in his own video speech that “ repression and intimidation must stop ” and those responsible must be held accountable .
“ We stand with the Belarusian people who must be free , without any external coercion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Michel said , calling for inclusive national dialogue facilitated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe .
Lukashenko has bristled at suggestions of starting a dialogue with the opposition and has cast the protests as part of a Western plot to isolate Russia , Belarus ’ his main sponsor and ally .
Makei said the situation in Belarus “ indeed has become complex , ” but he dismissed Western countries ’ complaints as meddling “ statements brimming with cynicism.
” “ In actual fact , they are nothing but attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country to make Belarus lose many years of development , ” the foreign minister said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Uptick: New York logs more than 1,000 daily COVID-19 cases

ALBANY , N.Y. - More than 1,000 New Yorkers tested positive for COVID-19 in a single day , marking the first time since June 5 the state has seen a daily number that high .
The number of positive tests reported daily in the state has been steadily inching up in recent weeks , a trend possibly related to increasing numbers of businesses reopening , college campuses reopening and children returning to school .
Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday there were 1,005 positive cases tallied on the previous day , Friday , out of 99,953 tests , for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July through the start of September the state was seeing an average of around 660 people test positive per day .
In the seven-day period that ended Friday , the state had averaged 817 positive tests per day .
Cuomo aide Gareth Rhodes stressed Saturday that the new positive-case number came out of nearly 100,000 tests , compared to about 60,000 tests daily in June .
“ Is there cause for concern ?
As long as COVID is here , yes , ” Rhodes posted on Twitter , noting that certain ZIP codes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen increases in new cases and hospital admissions .
“ Key is ensuring these clusters don ’ t spread into neighbouring/other ZIPs.
” Rhodes also noted improving numbers among college-aged people , suggesting better compliance on campuses .
That number of daily positive tests in a state of more than 19 million people still puts New York in a much better position than many other states .
Florida , for instance , reported 2,795 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
And New York is in a far better situation than in April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day routinely topped 9,000 , even though tests then were hard to get and people were being encouraged not to seek one unless they were gravely ill .
Still , the uptick has been a cause for concern .
In New York City , health officials have sounded alarms about a rising number of cases in certain neighbourhoods in Brooklyn and Queens where many private religious schools opened for in-person instruction in early September , warning that those communities could see severe restrictions on public gatherings reinstated if current trends continue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s elementary , middle and high schools are set to resume in-person instruction next week Sept. 29 and Oct. 1 .
On Friday night , New York City deputy sheriffs broke up an illicit wedding celebration at a hall in Queens after receiving an anonymous complaint about social distancing violations , WNBC-TV reported .
The deputies discovered 284 guests attending the event , which included seating , food , alcohol and a live band .
Associated Press journalist David B. Caruso contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Deadly microbe water warning lifted for all but 1 Texas city

LAKE JACKSON , Texas - Texas officials on Saturday lifted a warning for all but one Houston-area community to stop using tap water because it might be tainted with a deadly brain-eating microbe .
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality warned the Brazosport Water Authority late Friday of the potential contamination of its water supply by naegleria fowleri .
The authority initially warned eight communities not to use tap water for any reason except to flush toilets , but on Saturday it lifted that warning for all communities but Lake Jackson .
The city of more than 27,000 residents is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water treatment plant .
The advisory also was cancelled for two state prisons and Dow Chemical ’ s massive Freeport works .
The advisory will remain in place until the authority ’ s water system has been thoroughly flushed and tests on water samples show the system ’ s water is again safe to use .
The authority said in a statement that it was unclear how long it would be before the tap water was again safe .
The authority ’ s water source is the Brazos River .
Earlier this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the microbe .
The investigation into his death led to the detection of the brain-eating amoeba after heath officials conducted water sample tests , Lake Jackson City Manager Modesto Mundo said in a news release Saturday .
Three of 11 sample tests indicated preliminary positive results for the brain-eating microbe , with one sample coming from the boy ’ s home hose bib , Mundo said .
Naegleria fowleri is a free-living microscopic amoeba , or single-celled living organism commonly found in warm freshwater and soil , according to the U.S Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose .
From there it travels to the brain and can cause a rare and debilitating disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis .
The infection is usually fatal and typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places such as lakes and rivers .
In very rare instances , naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources ( such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated tap water ) enters the nose .
The contamination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the microbe is rare but not unheard of .
According to the CDC website , the first deaths from naegleria fowleri found in tap water from treated U.S. public drinking water systems occurred in southern Louisiana in 2011 and 2013 .
The microbe also was found in 2003 in an untreated geothermal well-supplied drinking water system in Arizona , as well as in disinfected public drinking water supplies in Australia in the 1970s and ‘ 80s and in 2008 in Pakistan .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--How it happened: From law professor to high court in 4 years

WASHINGTON - Four years ago , Amy Coney Barrett was a little-known law professor in Indiana .
Within weeks , she is likely to be the newest associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court .
Barrett ’ s fast-track rise , set to drive the nation ’ s highest court to the right for a generation or longer , is the fulfilment of a decadeslong effort by conservatives to remake the federal bench that kicked into high gear after President Donald Trump was elected .
For Trump , whose 2016 victory was bolstered by white evangelicals ’ reluctant support of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill the seat vacated by the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia with a conservative , the latest nomination brings his first term full circle .
Even before Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s death , Trump was campaigning for reelection in 2020 on his record of confirming more than 200 federal judges during his first term , fulfilling a generational aim of conservative legal activists .
“ Today ’ s nomination is the capstone of a more than four-year process where the president seized upon the issue , stayed focused , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very talented people who he could put on the Supreme Court , “ said Leonard Leo , of the conservative Federalist Society .
The following account is based on information from five people familiar with the process and the president ’ s thinking who were not authorized to speak publicly about the details .
Within weeks of Trump ’ s victory in 2016 , incoming White House counsel Don McGahn , Leo and a handful of other attorneys set about drawing up lists of potential nominees for more than 100 federal judicial vacancies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court vacancy created by the death of Scalia , but they also dug deeper .
Barrett , then a law professor at Notre Dame , was not well known in political circles in Indiana and almost unheard of nationally .
But she found herself on the list of potential picks for the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals , in large part thanks to McGahn .
A fellow Notre Dame alum , McGahn knew Barrett from conservative legal circles , like Leo ’ s influential Federalist Society , and talked her up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced a bruising nomination battle for the appellate seat in 2017 that caught the attention of Trump , who was impressed with her ability to keep her cool under critical questioning by Democratic senators , including a grilling by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California regarding her Catholic faith .
“ I think in your case , professor , when you read your speeches , the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you , “ Feinstein said .
” And that ’ s of concern when you come to big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought for , for years in this country.
” Barrett ’ s was the only confirmation hearing for an appellate judge that McGahn sat through in person on Capitol Hill , and the only investiture he attended when she took her seat on the 7th Circuit .
After Barrett was confirmed on a party-line vote , some White House lawyers made coffee mugs with the phrase : “ The dogma lives loudly within you.
“ Months later , in the fall of 2017 , Trump set about updating his list of potential nominees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were presented to him in an Oval Office meeting with McGahn and Leo .
Among the names : Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh .
McGahn unveiled the list weeks later at a Federalist Society conference in Washington .
The following year , after Justice Anthony Kennedy retired , Barrett found herself on the short list , undergoing a White House vetting and a 25-minute interview with Trump .
But some conservatives were concerned about her sparse record , worried she ’ d end up like other potentially conservative justices who veered in a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into with Justice David Souter .
Still , Trump saw something he liked , and allies like Scalia ’ s widow , Maureen , and Fox News host Sean Hannity spoke highly of her .
Trump and McGahn set about elevating Barrett ’ s profile for the next opening on the high court –- with Trump telling some aides he was “ saving ” her for Ginsburg ’ s seat .
Meanwhile , Barrett was making a name for herself on the 7th Circuit on conservative hot-button issues .
She twice wanted decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full appeals court that had blocked laws enacted by abortion-rights opponents .
Oftentimes , the full panel comes to a different conclusion .
Last year , after a three-judge panel blocked an Indiana law that would make it harder for a minor to have an abortion without her parents being notified , Barrett voted to have the case reheard by the full court .
In a dissent in the 2019 gun-rights case of Kanter v. Barr , Barrett argued that a conviction for a nonviolent felony — in this case , mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone from owning a gun .
Barrett wrote a unanimous three-judge panel decision in 2019 making it easier for men alleged to have committed sexual assaults on campus to challenge the proceedings against them .
This summer , when Trump announced he wanted to update the Supreme Court list once again in hopes of motivating conservative voters , Barrett was on the top .
And that ’ s where she stayed .
Barrett , in some ways , was the standard by which Trump judged other women for the list , including Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Allison Rushing .
Their names made the list , but they weren ’ t threatening to bump Barrett from the top , the people said .
After Ginsburg ’ s death , Trump quickly turned his focus to Barrett and never truly looked elsewhere .
Conservative outside groups , aware of Trump ’ s interest in Barrett from the Kennedy replacement , were already on board , offering public statements of support even before Trump had made a final determination .
In the end , Barrett was the only candidate Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat .
And on Saturday evening , he formally announced his choice at a Rose Garden ceremony that included a military band and a display of American flags hanging between the columns of the White House colonnade .
“ Today it is my honour to nominate one of our nation ’ s most brilliant and gifted legal minds to the Supreme Court , “ Trump said of Barrett , calling her “ a woman of unapparelled achievement , towering intellect , sterling credentials and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution.
” Barrett , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she introduced herself to the country .
“ I am truly humbled by the prospect of serving on the Supreme Court , ” she said .

Zeke Miller, Colleen Long And Michael Balsamo - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Police: 1 shot and killed, 7 wounded at Iowa biker gathering

WATERLOO , Iowa - Gunfire erupted early Saturday at a gathering of motorcycle clubs in Iowa , killing one person and wounding seven others , authorities said .
About 100 people were at the gathering inside a building in Waterloo when there was “ some kind of confrontation shortly after 3 a.m. , Joel Fitzgerald , the police chief of the city about 90 miles ( 145 kilometres ) northeast of Des Moines , said at a news conference .
Officers were nearby at a traffic stop when the shooting started , said Capt .
Joe Leibold with the Waterloo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chaotic scene , with people hurt and others fleeing the area , and they began administering aid as paramedics and firefighters pulled up .
“ It was a pretty dynamic scene , ” said Battalion Chief Ben Petersen with Waterloo Fire Rescue .
“ Coming into something like that , you are trying to size up the patients and triage the scene.
” Nearby police officers heard the gunfire and responded within seconds , Fitzgerald said .
Eight people had gunshot wounds and one of them later died .
Four other people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debris while fleeing .
The gathering wasn ’ t authorized and investigators were trying to determine who leased the building , Fitzgerald said at a news conference .
Investigators are still trying to determine whether there was more than one shooter and no arrests have been made in the shooting .
Leibold said police do not believe it was a random act and the public is not in danger .
Three people were arrested after officers responded to a disorderly conduct call outside the emergency room at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Reagan’s age, Mitt’s binders: Presidential debate highlights

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , are set to meet on Tuesday for their first debate , a highly anticipated event in a highly unusual election year .
The campaign has been divisive on a historic scale .
Trump was impeached for trying to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son and has repeatedly tried to cast doubt on Biden ’ s mental acuity , going so far as to say the former vice-president “ doesn ’ t know he ’ s alive.
” For his part , Biden has said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high school , I ’ d take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.
” Against that backdrop , the two are set to face off for the first time as presidential nominees in Cleveland in a debate moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News Channel .
Here are some of the most memorable moments in presidential debate history : The 1960 presidential election offered the country ’ s first televised debate .
It ’ s remembered less for what was said than for what viewers saw .
Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts senator , looked tan and relaxed .
Republican Richard Nixon , who had been sick and in the hospital , looked hollow-eyed and had a five o ’ clock shadow .
Kennedy paired his tan with a blue suit , offering a nice contrast on black and white TVs .
Nixon was wearing a gray suit , which blended into the gray studio background .
Many considered the debate a turning point in Kennedy ’ s campaign .
Republican President Gerald Ford ’ s insistence that “ there is no Soviet domination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate against Democrat Jimmy Carter was such a blunder that the questioner asked whether he really meant to say that .
“ I ’ m sorry , could I just follow — did I understand you to say , sir , that the Russians are not using Eastern Europe as their own sphere of influence in occupying most of the countries there and making sure with their troops that it ’ s a Communist zone ?
” Ford said he did .
Years later , Ford acknowledged , “ There ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was thinking.
” Republican Ronald Reagan , then seeking to become the oldest president to win reelection , used humour to address questions about his advanced age at a 1984 debate against Democrat Walter Mondale .
When a questioner asked Reagan if he had any doubts whether he had the strength for the job at his age , the then-73-year-old was quick to respond : “ Not at all .
I will not make age an issue of this campaign .
I am not going to exploit , for political purposes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Even Mondale , 56 , had to laugh at that .
Democrat John Kerry ’ s response to a question about homosexuality during a 2004 presidential debate against Republican incumbent George W. Bush caused a fight between him and Vice-President Dick Cheney .
“ I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney ’ s daughter , who is a lesbian , she would tell you that she ’ s being who she was .
She ’ s being who she was born as , ” Kerry said .
The Cheneys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the vice-president described himself as an “ angry father.
” During a 2012 presidential debate between Republican Mitt Romney and Democratic incumbent Barack Obama , Romney was asked about pay equity in the workplace for women .
He talked about how he had pulled together a list of candidates for administration positions when he was Massachusetts ’ governor .
“ I went to a number of women ’ s groups and said , ‘ Can you help us find folks ?
’ And they brought us whole binders full of women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drew ridicule almost immediately and was held up as an example of Romney ’ s dissonance on women ’ s issues .
The second 2016 presidential debate was two days after the release of the 2005 “ Access Hollywood ” tape of Trump boasting about grabbing women by the genitals , and Trump was determined to change the narrative .
He called a surprise news conference hours ahead of the debate against Democrat Hillary Clinton , and reporters walked in to find Trump sitting at a table alongside three women who had accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Clinton , of unwanted sexual advances decades earlier .
The women detailed their allegations against the former president as Trump watched , his hands folded in front of him .
The women later joined him at the debate as his invited guests .
The 2016 debates were filled with moments that in any other election year would be the most notable .
In the first debate , Trump questioned U.S. intelligence findings that Russia had hacked the Democratic National Committee : “ It could also be somebody sitting on their bed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the second debate , Trump loomed behind Clinton as she spoke , seeming to follow her around the stage .
Clinton didn ’ t react in the moment but later wrote in her memoir , “ What Happened , ” that she wishes she had said , “ Back up , you creep , get away from me.
” Trump referred to Clinton as “ the devil ” and said his administration would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate her use of a private computer server as secretary of state .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country , ” Clinton replied .
Trump retorted : “ Because you ’ d be in jail.
” In the third debate , Trump waded into uncharted territory for America ’ s democracy by refusing to say if he ’ d accept the results of the election if Clinton won .
“ I will tell you at the time , “ he said .
“ I ’ ll keep you in suspense .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court nominee, is Scalia’s heir

CHICAGO - Although Amy Coney Barrett is the president ’ s choice to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , she is more aptly described as heir to another departed Supreme Court justice : conservative hero Antonin Scalia .
Like Scalia , for whom she once clerked , she is a committed Roman Catholic and a devotee of his favoured interpretation of the Constitution known as originalism .
Those qualifications delight many on the right but dismay liberals who fear her votes could result in the chipping away of some laws , especially the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ court appellate judge from South Bend , Indiana , at a Rose Garden press conference Saturday .
In remarks moments after Trump named her , with her husband and their seven children looking on , Barrett paid homage to Ginsburg .
“ I will be mindful of who came before me , ” she said , citing Ginsburg ’ s career as a trailblazer for women ’ s rights .
“ She not only broke glass ceilings ; she smashed them.
” But Barrett also highlighted how she is , in her approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Ginsburg .
She said of Scalia : “ His judicial philosophy is mine , too.
” Her nomination sets Barrett on the path to help conservatives hold sway over the court for decades .
It ’ s as sure to energize the president ’ s base as it is to galvanize his foes heading to Election Day .
Senate Republican leaders have said they have the votes to confirm her this year , likely before November ’ s election .
Beyond the election , Barrett ’ s elevation could bring a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has bitterly divided many Americans for almost half a century .
The idea of overturning or gutting Roe v. Wade , the landmark 1973 decision , has been an animating political issue exploited by both sides .
Her writings and speeches show a commitment to originalism , a concept that involves justices endeavouring to decipher original meanings of texts in assessing whether someone ’ s rights have been violated .
Many liberals say that approach is too rigid and doesn ’ t allow the Constitution ’ s consequences to adjust to changing times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Barrett ’ s involvement in organizations that vigorously oppose it .
But she has not said publicly she would , if given the chance , seek to scale back rights affirmed by the high court .
Barrett has been a federal judge since 2017 , when Trump nominated her to the Chicago-based 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
But as a longtime University of Notre Dame law professor , she had already established herself as a reliable conservative in Scalia ’ s mould .
She gained a reputation as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bright and adept at picking apart poorly reasoned arguments .
Ara Lovitt , who clerked with her , recalled at her investiture ceremony for the 7th Circuit that Scalia had high praise for her .
On Saturday , Barrett also referenced the close friendship between Ginsburg and fellow opera lover Scalia , saying Ginsburg showed that justices can disagree on principles “ without rancour in person.
” Before becoming a judge , Barrett discussed how court precedents provide welcome stability in the law .
But she seemed to leave the door open to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there remained sharp disagreement .
“ Once a precedent is deeply rooted , ” a 2017 article in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of constitutional Law , which Barrett co-wrote , said , “ the Court is no longer required to deal with the question of the precedent ’ s correctness.
” But it added : “ None of this is to say that a Justice can not attempt to overturn long-established precedent .
While institutional features may hinder that effort , a Justice is free to try.
” Barrett and her husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor , both graduated from Notre Dame Law School .
Their seven children include two adopted from Haiti and one with special needs .
Trump said Saturday that Barrett would be the first female justice to serve with small children .
Looking at her kids in the front row , the president said : “ Thank you for sharing your mom.
” Barrett would be the only justice on the current court not to have received her law degree from an Ivy League school .
The eight current justices all attended either Harvard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , six of the nine justices will be Catholic .
How her religious beliefs might guide her legal views became a focus for some Democrats during bruising confirmation hearings after Barrett ’ s 7th Circuit nomination .
That prompted Republicans to accuse Democrats of seeking to impose a religious test on Barrett ’ s fitness for the job .
At Notre Dame , where Barrett began teaching at 30 , she often invoked God in articles and speeches .
In a 2006 address , she encouraged graduating law students to see their careers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kingdom of God.
” She was considered a finalist in 2018 for the high court before Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for the seat that opened when Justice Anthony Kennedy retired .
Even some conservatives worried her sparse judicial record made it too hard to predict how she might rule , concerned she could end up like other seemingly conservatives who wound up more moderate .
Three years on , her record now includes around 100 opinions and dissents , in which she often illustrated Scalia ’ s influence by delving deep into historical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ texts .
In a 2019 dissent in a gun-rights case , Barrett argued a person convicted of a nonviolent felony shouldn ’ t be automatically barred from owning a gun .
All but a few pages of her 37-page dissent were devoted to the history of gun laws in the 18th and 19th centuries .
Barrett twice joined dissenting opinions asking for abortion-related decisions to be thrown out and reheard by the full court .
Last year , after a three-judge panel blocked an Indiana law that would make it harder for minors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being notified , Barrett voted to have the case reheard by the full court .
Barrett ’ s financial disclosures show ties to a number of conservative groups .
She and her husband have investments worth between $ 845,000 and $ 2.8 million , according to her 2019 financial disclosure report .
Judges report the value of their investments in ranges .
Their money is invested mostly in mutual funds .
When she was nominated to the appeals court in 2017 , Barrett reported assets of just over $ 2 million , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 425,000 , and a mortgage with a balance of $ 175,000 .
In the two previous years , Barrett received $ 4,200 in two equal payments from Alliance Defending Freedom , a conservative Christian law firm , her financial report shows .
In 2018 and 2019 , she participated in 10 events sponsored by the Federalist Society , which paid for her transportation , meals and lodging in several cities .
Barrett was raised in New Orleans and was the eldest child of a Shell Oil Co. lawyer .
She earned her undergraduate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhodes College in Memphis , Tennessee .
She also clerked for Laurence Silberman for a year at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit .
Between clerkships and entering academia , she worked from 1999 to 2001 at a law firm in Washington , Miller , Cassidy , Larroca & Lewin .
Associated Press writers Mark Sherman in Washington and Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City , Iowa , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--A look at Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s notable opinions, votes

Judge Amy Coney Barrett , President Donald Trump ’ s nominee for the Supreme Court , has been on the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals since 2017 .
Her short tenure as a judge has led to few noteworthy or controversial opinions .
She has , however , signed onto several decisions that are sure to be questioned in a possible confirmation fight .
Here are summaries of some of her notable opinions : Barrett has twice joined dissenting opinions asking for decisions blocking laws enacted by abortion opponents to be thrown out and reheard by the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a three-judge panel blocked an Indiana law that would make it harder for a minor to have an abortion without her parents being notified , Barrett voted to have the case reheard by the full court .
In July , the Supreme Court threw out the panel ’ s ruling and ordered a new look at the case .
In 2018 , a three-judge panel ruled that Indiana laws requiring that funerals be held for fetal remains after an abortion or miscarriage and banning abortions because of the sex , race or developmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett was among four judges who wanted the full court to weigh in and suggested that the laws , signed by then-Gov .
Mike Pence , might be constitutional .
Supreme Court abortion decisions “ hold that , until a fetus is viable , a woman is entitled to decide whether to bear a child .
But there is a difference between ‘ I don ’ t want a child ’ and ‘ I want a child , but only a male ’ or ‘ I want only children whose genes predict success @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Easterbrook wrote for the dissenting judges .
Barrett also joined the part of the opinion on the fetal remains law .
“ Many states have laws that prescribe how animals ’ remains must be handled , ” Judge Frank Easterbrook wrote for the dissenters .
“ The panel has held invalid a statute that would be sustained had it concerned the remains of cats or gerbils.
” Last year , the Supreme Court reinstated the fetal remains law , but not the ban on abortions for race , sex and developmental disabilities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of Kanter v. Barr , Barrett argued that a conviction for a nonviolent felony — in this case , mail fraud — shouldn ’ t automatically disqualify someone from owning a gun .
The two judges in the majority agreed with Trump administration arguments that the defendant , Rickey Kanter , could not own a gun under federal or Wisconsin law because of his criminal conviction .
Barrett used most of her 37-page dissent to lay out the history of gun rules for convicted criminals in the 18th and 19th centuries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Constitution according to the meaning they had when they were adopted .
Barrett wrote that “ while both Wisconsin and the United States have an unquestionably strong interest in protecting the public from gun violence , they have failed to show , by either logic or data that disarming Kanter substantially advances that interest.
“ She said that her colleagues were treating the Second Amendment as a “ second-class right , subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other Bill of Rights guarantees.
“ Barrett quoted from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended gun rights , but the phrase also has been used more recently by Justice Clarence Thomas and other conservatives to complain that the Supreme Court has shied away from recognizing gun rights .
Barrett wrote a unanimous three-judge panel decision in 2019 making it easier for men alleged to have committed sexual assaults on campus to challenge the proceedings against them .
The case involved allegations by a female student at Purdue University that her boyfriend had sexually assaulted her .
The students were identified in court documents as John and Jane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court claiming sex discrimination after Purdue suspended him for a year and took away his Navy ROTC scholarship .
Barrett concluded Purdue ’ s process was unfair and allowed his lawsuit to continue .
“ The case against him boiled down to a ‘ he said/she said ’ — Purdue had to decide whether to believe John or Jane , ” Barrett wrote .
The judge criticized the university official who ended up siding with the female student .
“ Her basis for believing Jane is perplexing , given that she never talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not even submit a statement in her own words , ” Barrett wrote .
Barrett was in dissent in June when her two colleagues on a 7th circuit panel put on hold , just in Chicago , the Trump administration policy that could jeopardize permanent resident status for immigrants who use food stamps , Medicaid and housing vouchers .
Under the new policy , immigration officials can deny green cards to legal immigrants over their use of public benefits .
She wrote that existing immigration law and Clinton-era welfare reform had already limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was just using leeway those laws had given it , Barrett wrote .
The objections of immigrants and their advocates “ reflect disagreement with this policy choice and even the statutory exclusion itself .
Litigation is not the vehicle for resolving policy disputes , ” she wrote .
Barrett dissented in the case of a Wisconsin man who admitted that he fatally shot his wife seven times but argued that he had been provoked , making his crime second-degree homicide instead of first-degree homicide , which carries a higher penalty .
A federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretrial hearing without prosecutors present and without allowing the lawyer of defendant Scott Schmidt to speak .
The judge rejected Schmidt ’ s claim of provocation , and he was convicted of first-degree homicide and sentenced to life in prison .
However , a 7th Circuit panel overturned that decision , saying that Schmidt had been denied his Sixth Amendment right to counsel .
Barrett , in her dissent , disagreed that the pretrial hearing where the judge questioned Schmidt about his provocation claim was a situation that required Schmidt ’ s lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended the right to counsel outside an adversarial proceeding .
The Supreme Court ’ s “ ’ critical stage ’ precedent deals exclusively with adversarial confrontations between the defendant and an agent of the state , ” she said .
She added : “ Perhaps the right to counsel should extend to a hearing like the one the judge conducted in Schmidt ’ s case .
But ( federal law ) precludes us from disturbing a state court ’ s judgment on the ground that a state court decided an open question differently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that matter , differently than we think the ( Supreme ) Court would .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Informant in top Venezuela case accused of lying to feds

MEDELLIN , Colombia - A key informant against one of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ’ s closest aides has been accused of lying to his law enforcement handlers in a case involving millions of dollars transported on private jets in violation of U.S. sanctions , The Associated Press has learned .
The development could hurt the case against Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami , who the U.S. considers one of Venezuela ’ s most corrupt power brokers , giving oxygen to claims by the nation ’ s socialist elite that the U.S. is resorting to trumped-up charges to pursue its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follows embarrassing revelations in another sanctions case in which a federal judge excoriated the same unit of Manhattan prosecutors targeting El Aissami for withholding exculpatory information about an Iranian businessman seen as a nexus in growing ties between the Islamic republic and Venezuela .
Alejandro Marin , a Venezuelan-born pilot and businessman , was arrested Sept. 19 in Miami on three counts of knowingly making false statements to U.S. federal agents , according to court filings .
But it accuses Marin of lying about the equivalent of $ 140,000 that went missing from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash that he transported by private jet to the U.S. in July 2018 at the direction of federal law enforcement .
Marin , 46 , runs a chartered flight business out of Miami ’ s Opa Locka executive airport .
He was signed up as a confidential source to help investigate then Vice-President El Aissami and his alleged frontman , businessman Samark Lopez , according to an individual familiar with the case speaking anonymously to discuss the ongoing probe .
The Trump administration sanctioned both men as drug kingpins in 2017 , seizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank accounts , two yachts , a private plane and Miami real estate it said were the illegal proceeds of cocaine shipments to Mexican cartels co-ordinated at the highest levels of Venezuela ’ s government and military .
It later charged them with violating those same sanctions by allegedly using U.S.-based charter companies to arrange private flights on American-registered aircraft to Russia , Turkey and inside Venezuela during Maduro ’ s 2018 presidential campaign , which the opposition boycotted amid allegations of fraud and vote-rigging .
Both men are on the U.S. Immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted fugitives list .
Both have denied any wrongdoing and Lopez even appealed unsuccessfully to the U.S. Supreme Court to try and block kidnapping victims of Colombian rebels from taking a $ 318 million chunk of assets frozen in the U.S. following his designation as a “ drug kingpin ” by the U.S. Treasury Department .
A former student activist schooled in radical politics by his father , a Druse Syrian-Lebanese immigrant , the 45-year-old El Aissami has risen steadily through the ranks of Venezuela ’ s red-shirted revolution .
Along the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruthlessness but also pragmatism that stands in sharp contrast to his anti-imperialist sloganeering .
Perhaps more than any other of the dozens of Venezuelan officials under investigation , he ’ s been a thorn in the side of U.S. law enforcement , which has spent much of the past decade looking for evidence tying him to Colombia ’ s cartels and Middle Eastern terrorist groups .
But neither he nor Lopez have been charged for drug trafficking even as prosecutors in March added Maduro and others to sweeping narcoterrorist conspiracy charges effectively accusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal enterprise at the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups .
Christian Dunham , a federal public defender representing Marin , declined to comment but said his client is expected to appear in court for a pre-trial detention hearing on Sept. 30 .
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney ’ s office in Manhattan declined to comment .
According to the arrest order , approximately $ 140,000 of the cash owed to the U.S. government was removed from the packages Marin helped transport on orders of a foreign associate identified only as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marin to try and recover the missing funds by having them wired to an account under the control of Homeland Security Investigations , a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that is the lead agency for financial crimes stretching beyond U.S. borders .
After two wire transfers were rejected , the money was finally deposited months later to a company controlled by Marin , who never told investigators .
About $ 90,000 came from an organization affiliated with an unnamed foreign soccer team associated with “ Individual 1 , ” according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two years later , federal officials in August 2020 asked Marin about the funds that went missing from the package labeled “ Marin.
” In a series of phone calls with U.S. attorneys and in a subsequent meeting in Manhattan he reiterated that he didn ’ t recover any of the missing cash .
However , on Aug. 28 , he changed his story and said that after further consultation with his accountant he recalled that he had in fact received $ 130,000 from “ Individual-1 , “ part of which came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club .
McCann didn ’ t name the soccer club in his testimony .
El Aissami , a huge soccer fan , in 2015 was added to the roster for a first-division Venezuelan soccer team from the state of Aragua , which he governed from 2012 to 2017 .
A spokeswoman for the soccer team wouldn ’ t comment .
It ’ s not clear what impact , if any , the new revelations will have on the sanctions-busting case against El Aissami , Lopez and three co-defendants who are currently in U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Victor Mones , owner of the Florida-registered American Charter Services , has pleaded guilty .
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Houle in a hearing this week for one of the co-defendants asked Judge Alvin Hellerstein for more time to produce evidence it is required to hand over to defendants that may help them prove their innocence .
“ Your Honor , given the developing situation with the confidential source , I don ’ t want to rule out the possibility that additional information could be collected in the next two weeks , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or referring to the source by name .
Judge Hellerstein , responding to complaints by the defendant ’ s attorney that the government has been dragging its feet for more than a year , gave the government a final 30-day extension , expressing disgust that it hadn ’ t already collected all information .
“ After that , there may be repercussions , ” he said .
Bonnie Klapper , a former federal prosecutor in New York , said the charges against a government informant for lying “ is obviously detrimental to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not a death knell.
” She likened the development to what happened in another high profile Venezuela case , the narcotics trial of First Lady Cilia Flores ’ nephews , where the government had to tear up mid-way a co-operation agreement with a father-son informant team who were also found lying to the government .
The case nonetheless proceeded , and the two so-called “ narco nephews ” were convicted by a jury and sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2017 .
She said it ’ s likely the terrorism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of New York is acting aggressively to disclose the misconduct in light of criticism it tried to bury evidence in the case against Ali Sadr Hshemi Nejad .
Prosecutors in June abruptly dropped charges against the Iranian businessman after he had been convicted over what it described as “ disclosure-related issues ” that would ’ ve altered his defence .
“ The government did the right thing by disclosing this , ” Klapper said about Marin .
“ Too often this sort of stuff gets buried under the rug .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Some Breonna Taylor protesters out past curfew, fires set

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - A diverse crowd of hundreds marched in Louisville ’ s streets chanting “ Black Lives Matter “ on Saturday night , the fourth night of protests after a grand jury declined to charge officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor .
People in the crowd also chanted “ No justice , no peace ” as cars honked along a busy downtown artery in this Kentucky city that has seen more than 120 days of demonstrations over the death of the 26-year-old Black woman in a police raid gone wrong .
A few police cars followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay on the sidewalk and out of the street before the march ended .
Many briefly ended up back at a downtown square that has been a focal point of protests .
But as a 9 p.m. curfew time approached , a police loudspeaker announced that anyone who remained in the park would be arrested for a curfew violation .
The square emptied out as people departed , many dispersing though one group headed to a nearby church where protesters had found refuge on previous nights .
As a crowd gathered outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were set in a street nearby after 11 p.m. Police said fireworks burned a car , and windows had been broken at Spalding University and Presentation Academy buildings close by .
Some demonstrators were seen with makeshift shields made of plywood .
Others took shelter inside the church , which closed its doors around midnight .
About 100 people remained inside the church , Jud Hendrix , executive director of Interfaith Paths to Peace , told WDRB-TV around 1 a.m. Sunday .
Hendrix said he was working with police to determine if people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without being arrested .
“ People inside the church were asked to remain there while police were conducting the investigation and securing the area , ” the police department said in a tweet , sharing aerial and ground video of the fires that were set , windows that were broken and graffiti that had been spray painted .
As of the 2:20 a.m. tweet , 28 people had been arrested , the police department said .
A previous protest on Friday night was peaceful though police arrested 22 people for curfew violations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with failure to disperse .
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer had urged continued peaceful protests in an appearance at a news conference Saturday evening .
“ I ’ m mindful that many in our community are hurting and angry about the decisions announced this week , ” Fischer said .
The mayor said he supports protesters ’ First Amendment rights to protest though “ we just ask you to do that peacefully please.
” Taylor was shot multiple times March 13 after her boyfriend fired at officers who had entered her home during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
Taylor ’ s boyfriend said he didn ’ t know who was coming in and fired in self-defence , wounding one officer .
On Wednesday , Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced a grand jury indicted one officer on wanton endangerment charges , saying he fired gunshots into a neighbouring home during the raid that didn ’ t strike anyone .
That officer has been fired .
Cameron said the other officers were not charged with Taylor ’ s killing because they acted to protect themselves .
Taylor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downtown park on Friday with family and her lawyers , and called on Kentucky officials to release all body camera footage , police files and the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings .
Palmer said in a statement read by a family member that she felt the criminal justice system had failed her .
Palmer marched at the head of Friday ’ s protest march .
The grand jury ’ s ruling weighed heavily on protesters like Amber Brown .
A central figure in the downtown demonstrations , Brown said she was angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backward , ” she said Friday night .
“ I think people are still in shock and we ’ re not sure how to move forward.
” Brown criticized the police crackdown in the downtown area that has been in effect since early in the week .
“ People are afraid to exercise their First Amendment right , ” she said .
“ Since when does protest have a curfew ?
Since when does freedom and civil rights have a curfew ?
” Associated Press writer Claire Galofaro contributed to this report from @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--The eyes don’t have it: Masks upset classroom communication

Placing an order at a deli counter while wearing a mask and standing 6 feet away can be difficult .
Try teaching a class full of schoolchildren and connecting with students who are themselves wearing masks .
Teachers who in ordinary times rely on their voices to convey nuances of language and manage classroom behaviour are tasked with not sounding like the trombone-produced “ wah wah ” of the Charlie Brown TV specials while protecting themselves and their students from the coronavirus .
To help themselves communicate with students , teachers have turned to masks with clear patches over their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classrooms so they can speak without masks , and in some cases turned to props to get across how they are feeling .
Stephanie Wanzer , a teacher who works with special education students in Fairfield County , Connecticut , uses a stick with an image of a smile during her sessions .
“ I try to be really expressive with my eyes .
He ’ s looking at me and I ’ m not sure if he thinks I ’ m mad or happy because you can ’ t see my mouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So I actually have a smile on a stick , which is bizarre , but it ’ s a smile like , ‘ Look , I ’ m smiling.
’ ” School started virtually for Jon Resendez , a teacher in Irvine , California , but he worries about how the required masks will affect the dynamic in his 12th grade civics classes with some students now returning to the school building .
“ Part of what I do as a civics teacher is to teach people to engage in civic conversations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with seeing the person ’ s facial expressions , a person ’ s body language and sort of reading your audience , and it becomes more difficult to read your audience “ when they are all wearing masks .
It also will be more difficult for student to collaborate , to do presentations and to speak with one another in class .
“ I like a low murmur in the room because if the students are talking , they are thinking , ” he said .
The task is especially difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaf , hard of hearing or whose first language is not English .
“ For one , the mask might muffle some sounds , making it harder for English learners to distinguish them , such as the sound for ‘ P ’ and the sound for ‘ B , ’ ” said Deborah Short , president of the TESOL International Association .
The Virginia-based group was created to unite teachers and administrators with an interest in teaching English to speakers of other languages .
“ A mask stops students from watching how a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tongue are positioned and whether air is expelled or not , “ she said .
Short said teachers can mitigate those limitations by speaking loudly and articulating well .
They also can utilize videos and images to “ show how sounds may be created , ” she said .
Some schools have ordered face shields or masks with windows so students can see teachers ’ mouths , although some have raised concerns about the plastic screens fogging up .
Wanzer said one colleague wore such a mask to work with a hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teacher look like the Joker and was unnecessary .
The teacher was happy not to use it , she said , because the plastic material was so uncomfortable .
Nonetheless , teachers and schools have driven spikes in demand for clear masks from companies like Baltimore-based ClearMask , which began producing its namesake product in 2017 after its co-founder , who is deaf , was unable to communicate effectively while undergoing surgery while wearing a traditional mask .
The company ’ s manufacturing team has grown from four employees to more than 250 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We see a large need for early childhood education to support young children ’ s social , emotional , and language development , as well as specific programs for students , ” said ClearMask co-founder and president Allysa Dittmar .
At the C.B .
Jennings International Elementary Magnet School in New London , Connecticut , teachers are provided with carts with plexiglass that they can stand behind as they move around the classroom .
Even behind them , many teachers still keep their masks on , according to instructional coach Elizabeth Sked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long way to connecting with students .
“ Kids and teachers are super resilient , ” she said .
Belinda Williams , a kindergarten teacher at Webb Elementary School in Franklin , Indiana , said she and her students have adapted to wearing masks , along with a new routines for hand-sanitizing and social distancing .
She decorated her classroom with a superhero theme and tells students they have “ special powers ” when they ’ re wearing face coverings .
“ Do I wish we didn ’ t have to wear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But if it means teaching our children in person , then I will do what it takes.
” Associated Press writers Michael Melia in South Windsor , Connecticut , and Thalia Beaty in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Qatar Airways says losses reach $1.9B amid pandemic, boycott

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - Long-haul carrier Qatar Airways on Sunday reported revenue losses of $ 1.9 billion for the past year , blaming the coronavirus pandemic , its liquidation of shares in Air Italy and the ongoing boycott of Doha by four Arab nations for the drop .
The energy-rich nation of Qatar itself needed to bail out the state-owned airline at the end of its financial year on March 31 with $ 2 billion to keep the airline operating , its annual report acknowledged .
The carrier also blamed new accounting rules for further adding to losses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If not for the exceptional circumstances of fiscal year 2020 , our results would have been better than the year before , ” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said in a statement .
The airline carried 32.3 million passengers in the last fiscal year , compared to 29.4 million the year prior .
But Qatar Airways finds itself in the same position of competing Gulf long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad , slashing thousands of jobs while trying to expand its network as travel restrictions lift worldwide .
That ’ s as demand for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , which has wreaked havoc on international travel .
The airline listed having over 50,000 employees on its payroll in the report .
Qatar Airways , which operates some 250 aircraft out of Doha ’ s recently build Hamad International Airport , follows the model of other Gulf carriers by providing a link between East and West from its location on the Arabian Peninsula .
But the lessened demand saw the carrier ground its double-decker Airbus A380s “ as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airline said in a statement .
The coronavirus pandemic halted global aviation for months , which only has begun to pick back up .
Qatar also has been targeted by Bahrain , Egypt , Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a boycott since June 2017 .
That boycott continues today , despite efforts by other Gulf Arab nations and the U.S. to reconcile the countries involved in the political dispute .
Al-Baker said since the pandemic , Qatar Airways has flown over 2 million passengers and carried over 250,000 tons of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
“ I have every confidence that the Qatar Airways Group will emerge stronger from this difficult period and continue to innovate and set the standards that our competitors can only hope to emulate , “ he said .
Further hurting the airline was the February collapse of Air Italy , a regional carrier it held a 49 % ownership stake in at its launch in 2018 .
Air Italy had been trying to rename and become a national carrier with flights across Europe .
Qatar Airways in its financials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million alone on Air Italy .
Qatar Airways also restated its losses for the previous year in the financial report Sunday , putting it at close to $ 1.3 billion as opposed to the $ 639 million it earlier reported .
It lost $ 69 million in 2018 .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--UN: Yemen’s warring sides to swap more than 1,000 prisoners

CAIRO - The United Nations said Yemen ’ s warring sides agreed Sunday to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners , marking the first phase of a release plan reached earlier this year .
The U.N. mission in Yemen said the internationally recognized government that was driven from the capital six years ago and the Houthi rebels agreed “ to immediately release a first group of 1,081 conflict-related detainees and prisoners , in accordance with the lists of agreed-upon names.
” The prisoner swap deal was seen as a breakthrough during 2018 peace talks in Sweden .
Both parties agreed then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cease-fire in the strategic port city of Hodeida .
Implementation of the tentative peace plan , however , stumbled amid ongoing military offensives and distrust between the two sides .
The conflict in the Arab world ’ s poorest country erupted in 2014 , when the Iran-allied Houthis seized the capital and much of the country ’ s north .
A Saudi-led coalition , determined to restore President Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi ’ s government , launched a military intervention months later .
“ Today is an important day for over a thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their loved ones hopefully very soon , ” said the U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen , Martin Griffiths .
Sunday ’ s deal came at the conclusion of a week-long meeting in Glion , Switzerland that was co-chaired by Griffiths ’ office and the International Committee of the Red Cross .
Representatives from the Saudi-led coalition also attended , the U.N. said .
The U.N. said the deal was built on a plan that both sides agreed on in February .
Griffiths urged both parties to “ move forward immediately with the release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon this momentum to swiftly agree to releasing more detainees.
” Fabrizio Carboni , ICRC ’ s director for the Middle East , urged the parties to swiftly work to move the agreement “ from signatures on paper to reality on the ground.
” The war in Yemen has spawned the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis , leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages .
It has killed over 100,000 people , including fighters and civilians .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Former Lebanese FM, president’s son-in-law, has coronavirus

BEIRUT - A former Lebanese foreign minister and son-in-law of President Michel Aoun has tested positive for the coronavirus , his office said Sunday .
The statement from his office said Gebran Bassil , who also heads the Christian Free Patriotic Movement party , will isolate until he recovers , adding that the infection level is still “ low and acceptable.
” The announcement comes amid an alarming surge in coronavirus cases in Lebanon , with record numbers registered almost every day for the past week .
The Health Ministry confirmed Saturday 1,280 new coronavirus cases , bringing the overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The government has recorded 317 deaths from COVID-19 since the first case was reported in late February .
It was not clear when Bassil , 50 , last saw his father-in-law , the president .
Health Minister Hamad Hassan has recommended a total lockdown for two weeks to stem the rise in daily detected infections , but authorities will find it difficult difficult to impose another lockdown amid an unprecedented economic collapse .
The rise in cases in Lebanon began after a lockdown was eased and the country ’ s only international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The surge continued after the massive Aug. 4 explosion in Beirut ’ s port that killed 193 people , injured at least 6,500 and devastated much of the city .
The blast also overwhelmed Beirut ’ s hospitals and badly damaged two that had a key role in handling virus cases .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--North Korea accuses South of intrusion to find dead official

SEOUL , Korea , Republic Of - North Korea accused South Korea of sending ships across the disputed sea boundary to find the body of a South Korean official recently killed by North Korean troops , warning Sunday the intrusion could escalate tensions .
South Korea denied the accusation .
“ We urge the South side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the West Sea that may lead to escalation of tensions , ” the official Korean Central News Agency said .
“ It arouses our due vigilance as it may lead to another awful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea proposed a joint investigation to resolve discrepancies in each country ’ s account of the South Korean official ’ s death last week .
Officials in Seoul have said the 47-year-old was likely attempting to defect before North Korean troops aboard a boat fatally shot him and burned his body .
According to Seoul , North Korea on Friday sent a message including a rare apology by leader Kim Jong Un for the shooting death of the official , who was found floating on an object in its waters .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said its troops shot the official because he attempted to flee after refusing to answer to questions .
It said North Korea maintained troops were unable to find the official ’ s body and burned the object he was floating on in line with anti-coronavirus rules .
Sunday ’ s KCNA report confirmed North Korea notified South Korea on Friday with its account of the incident , but it didn ’ t say whether the notification included an apology from Kim .
South Korea ’ s military and coast guard responded to North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incursion by saying their ships and aircraft have been searching waters south of the boundary since Friday in case the official ’ s body drifts back .
South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with his National Security Council on Sunday .
Moon ’ s office said the council viewed Kim ’ s apology positively and proposed a joint investigation with North Korea to find out what happened to the official .
Senior presidential official Suh Choo-suk said South Korea also wants North Korea to restore a suspended military hotline between the nations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was seen as an attempt to soothe anti-North sentiment in South Korea that could make it difficult for him to win concessions in any negotiations .
Kim is currently struggling to overcome worsening economic woes caused by U.S.-led sanctions over his nuclear program and the pandemic that forced his country to close its border with China , its biggest trading partner .
While Kim ’ s apology could help reduce the risk of escalation of tensions between the rivals , conservatives in South Korea have launched a political offensive against Moon for failing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Israelis mark Yom Kippur under ‘painful’ virus lockdown

JERUSALEM—The solemn Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur , which annually sees Israeli life grind to a halt , begins on Sunday in a nation already under a sweeping coronavirus lockdown .
Every year , businesses shut down , roads empty out and even radio and TV stations go silent as the faithful fast for 25 hours and hold intensive prayers of atonement on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar .
The more secular-minded can be seen riding bikes or even picnicking on deserted highways .
The holiday begins at sundown on Sunday .
But this year all non-essential businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Israelis have been ordered to stay within 1,000 metres of their homes throughout the High Holidays , which began last week with the Jewish New Year and continue to mid-October .
It ’ s the second nationwide lockdown since the pandemic began , an attempt to contain one of the most severe outbreaks in the world .
Israel , with a population of just nine million , is reporting more than 7,000 new cases a day , raising fears its hospitals could be overwhelmed .
A lockdown last spring largely succeeded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases dropping to around a dozen in May .
Authorities then reopened schools and businesses quickly , leading to a surge in cases even as the economy struggled to recover .
An emergency government formed in May to manage the crisis has been plagued by infighting , adding to the public sense of despair .
In a message to the nation , Israel ’ s figurehead president , Reuven Rivlin , called on people to light a candle in memory of the more than 1,400 Israelis who have died from COVID-19 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all had names and faces , ” he said .
“ May we be forgiven for the sin of weakness and inability , for not doing enough , for not managing to save them .
Because of that , lives were lost.
” As part of the latest lockdown , Israelis can only pray in open areas close to home , with gatherings limited to 20 people .
However , synagogues will be allowed to open for limited prayers with social distancing on Yom Kippur despite warnings from health experts that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a videotaped statement Saturday , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that mistakes have been made by decision makers .
But he urged people to avoid going into synagogues on Yom Kippur and to pray outdoors .
Netanyahu has also called for an end for public demonstrations against him , saying they are a public health risk .
Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent months , calling on Netanyahu to resign while he is on trial for corruption charges and because of what they say is a failed response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliament unable to pass legislation banning the demonstrations , Netanyahu last week threatened to impose a state of emergency .
Protesters claim Netanyahu is trying to muzzle them .
Israel ’ s politically influential ultra-Orthodox Jewish community , which has suffered from high rates of infection , is opposed to restrictions on prayers , viewing it as a form of discrimination by mostly secular authorities , especially while demonstrations continue .
Hagai Levine , a professor of epidemiology and a member of the expert panel advising the government , said the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about one per cent of those attending prayers in synagogues , and that the risk of transmission in closed spaces is “ much , much , much higher.
” But he said there is some danger in attending any mass gathering , even outdoors .
“ If you go outside and you are very close to someone else , you speak with someone else , you shout , you eat together , clearly there is a risk , ” he said .
David Stav , the chief rabbi of the city of Shoham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization of rabbis that works to bridge gaps in Israeli Jewish society , supports the restrictions and wishes they were even tighter .
But he says the closure of synagogues during Yom Kippur is still “ very painful for most Israelis , ” even those who don ’ t attend regularly .
“ Almost everybody goes at least once a year , and this once a year that was supposed to be on Sunday night will not happen this year , ” he said , referring to the limitations on group prayer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israelis , for all types of Israelis , secular and observant.
” In Israel , the holiday is also associated with the 1973 Arab-Israeli war , when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Yom Kippur .
Families would ordinarily visit the gravesites of fallen relatives — another tradition cancelled because of the virus restrictions .
“ In Israel it ’ s not only a religious day , ” Stav said .
” It ’ s a kind of national memorial day for all the Jewish suffering throughout Jewish history .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Former Indian minister Jaswant Singh dies at age 82

NEW DELHI - Jaswant Singh , a veteran Indian politician who served as defence minister , finance minister and external affairs minister during his career , died Sunday .
He was 82 .
A statement by an Indian army-run hospital said Singh was admitted to the hospital on June 25 for multiple ailments and died of cardiac arrest early Sunday .
Singh initially served as an officer in the Indian army but resigned in the 1960s to pursue a career in politics .
He was among the founding members of the current Hindu nationalist ruling party , Bharatiya Janata Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmaker in India ’ s Parliament nine times and served as minister for defence , finance and external affairs when BJP came to power in 1998 through 2004 .
In 2009 , Singh was expelled from the party for praising Mohammed Ali Jinnah , the founder of India ’ s archrival Pakistan , in his book “ Jinnah : India , Partition , Independence.
” Singh was later let back in , but he distanced himself from the party in 2014 and unsuccessfully stood for election as an independent candidate .
Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death in a series of tweets and said he “ will be remembered for his unique perspective on matters of politics and society.
” Singh “ served our nation diligently , first as a soldier and later during his long association with politics , ” Modi said .
“ He handled crucial portfolios and left a strong mark in the worlds of finance , defence and external affairs .
Saddened by his demise .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--13 killed in van fire on highway in southern Pakistan

KARACHI , Pakistan - Thirteen people were killed after a passenger van overturned and caught fire on a highway heading @ @ @ @ @ city of Karachi overnight , police said Sunday .
The van fell in a ditch @ @ @ @ @ an object from another vehicle late Saturday night , said Senior Motorway Police Officer Aftab @ @ @ @ @ van was engulfed in flames after its fuel tank leaked .
Rescuers recovered 13 charred @ @ @ @ @ three children , while five people were pulled out alive , including a 1-year-old .
@ @ @ @ @ be needed to ascertain the identity of the victims .
Such incidents are common in @ @ @ @ @ standards and violate traffic rules while battered road conditions also contribute to accidents .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Officer hurt, suspect detained after police station shooting

LOS ANGELES - A police officer was hurt in a shooting at a Los Angeles police station late Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ custody , police said .
The Los Angeles Police Department said in a series of @ @ @ @ @ at its Harbor Station .
The officer was taken to a hospital with an injury @ @ @ @ @ to be life-threatening , the department said .
A suspect was in custody .
Chief @ @ @ @ @ tweet that the officer was stable .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti sent his “ @ @ @ @ @ and full recovery ” for the officer in a tweet .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Lebanese army: Shooting in north Lebanon kills 2 soldiers

BEIRUT - Gunmen in a car opened fire on an army post in northern Lebanon Sunday , triggering a shootout in which two soldiers and one gunman were killed , the Lebanese military said .
Another gunman fled to an unknown destination , according to an army statement .
The incident accord at an army post in the Minyeh region in north Lebanon .
An army operation is underway to arrest the fugitive and uncover the circumstances of the attack , the military said .
The shootout occurred as the army was engaged in a heavy exchange of fire with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremists in northeast Lebanon , close to the border with Syria .
The standoff began after Lebanese forces raided a house in the Wadi Khaled area where the group was holed up .
Videos circulating online from the remote area showed the use of rocket propelled grenades in the battle .
The Lebanese army sealed off the area and has not commented on the operation .
A security official said the group includes militants linked to one of Lebanon ’ s most wanted extremists , Khaled Tellawi , who was killed earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s north that also left four Lebanese soldiers dead .
Tellawi was blamed for an attack last month that killed three men in a predominantly Christian northern village .
He was described as a member of an extremist group that had links to the Islamic State group .
The security official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the operation .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Leaders to UN: If virus doesn’t kill us, climate change will

JOHANNESBURG - In a year of cataclysm , some world leaders at this week ’ s annual United Nations meeting are taking the long view , warning : If COVID-19 doesn ’ t kill us , climate change will .
With Siberia seeing its warmest temperature on record this year and enormous chunks of ice caps in Greenland and Canada sliding into the sea , countries are acutely aware there ’ s no vaccine for global warming .
“ We are already seeing a version of environmental Armageddon , ” Fiji ’ s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said , citing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Greenland ice chunk was larger than a number of island nations .
This was meant to be the year “ we took back our planet , ” he said .
Instead , the coronavirus has diverted resources and attention from what could have been the marquee issue at this U.N. gathering .
Meanwhile , the U.N. global climate summit has been postponed to late 2021 .
That hasn ’ t stopped countries , from slowly sinking island nations to parched African ones , from speaking out .
“ In another 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer hold seats at the United Nations if the world continues on its present course , ” the Alliance of Small Island States and the Least Developed Countries Group said .
The main goal of the 2015 Paris climate accord is to limit the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius ( 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit ) above pre-industrial times , but scientists say the world is on track to soar past that .
A new study found that if the world warms another 0.9 degrees Celsius ( 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a point of irreversible melting .
It has enough water to raise global sea levels by 5 metres ( 16 feet ) .
The Pacific island nation of Palau hasn ’ t had a single COVID-19 infection , but President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. warns it ’ s the rising seas that will bring the country down .
“ The momentary drop in ( carbon ) emissions this year can not be allowed to generate any complacency about global progress , ” he said , referring to the sparkling skies that followed lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world .
Pollution has crept back up as restrictions ease .
World powers can not shirk their financial commitments to fighting climate change during the pandemic , Remengesau said , even as economies are battered .
But few pledges have emerged at the U.N. gathering , aside from China ’ s announcement that it aims to have carbon dioxide emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 .
The pandemic has muted the U.N. meeting , with world leaders speaking not from the podium in New York but via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the urgency of diplomacy and left nations wondering just how many people are listening .
Amid concerns that the world is distracted , it was perhaps no surprise that the student-led movement Fridays for Future returned to the streets this week for the first major demonstrations for climate action in months .
Still , island nations have seized on the unusual circumstances to show off what ’ s at stake .
The prime minister of Tuvalu , Kausea Natano , delivered his U.N. speech with a vista of turquoise waters and swaying fronds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of house-bound viewers .
But the prime minister quickly shattered any dreams .
While Tuvalu is free of the coronavirus , the pandemic struck as the island nation was recovering from a pair of tropical cyclones — storms that scientists say are likely to become wetter as the planet warms .
Tuvalu ’ s highest point is just a few meters ( yards ) above sea level .
The pandemic ’ s effect on the movement of goods exposed food insecurity as local agriculture becomes more difficult with rising sea levels , Natano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate crisis , climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods , security and well-being of the Pacific and its peoples in the long run , ” the prime minister said .
From the Marshall Islands , also free of COVID-19 , President David Kabua used the virus ’ s example to plead for more help now .
“ Change relies on protecting the most vulnerable , because those on the frontline – whether healthcare workers battling the pandemic or small island nations sounding the alarm on climate change – are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ Small island and atoll nations like mine do not have time for paper promises , ” Kabua added .
Urgent pleas also came from Africa , which contributes least to global warming but stands to suffer from it the most .
“ In favouring solutions based on the respect for nature , we ’ re also preserving the health of our peoples , ” said President Issoufou Mahamadou of Niger , part of the Sahel region south of the Sahara desert where temperature increases are expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average .
“ Our global home that was teeming with millions of species of God-given creatures , both great and small , is slowly dying , ” said Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta , who last year noted that his country was the only one in Africa to reach the goal of making renewable energy 75 % of its energy mix .
He added : “ Our world is yearning for us to stop its ruin .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--S. Korea returns Korean War remains of 117 Chinese soldiers

BEIJING - The remains of 117 Chinese soldiers who died in the 1950-53 Korean War were returned to China on @ @ @ @ @ delayed this year by the coronavirus outbreak .
South Korea handed over the remains at @ @ @ @ @ outside Seoul , and a Chinese military transport plane flew them to Shenyang , a @ @ @ @ @ North Korean border .
Chinese soldiers fought on the North Korean side against U.S.-led forces @ @ @ @ @ war on the Korean Peninsula .
Most of the 117 remains were found in the @ @ @ @ @ and South Korea .
It was the seventh annual repatriation , and the largest since @ @ @ @ @ first one in 2014 .
In all , the remains of 716 Chinese soldiers have @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s return , originally planned for the spring , was postponed for several @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 .


thetorontostar--2020-09-27--Pakistan says Indian fire kill 1 soldier in Kashmir

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan ’ s military said Sunday that Indian troops opened fire across the border in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir , killing one soldier .
In a statement , it said Pakistani troops responded by targeting the Indian posts where the fire originated , causing “ substantial damage ” on the Indian side but gave no details .
The Indian army said its troops “ befittingly ” responded to Pakistani firing and shelling along the Line of Control on Saturday in southern Rajouri district .
It reported no damage or casualties .
India and Pakistan routinely accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tense Kashmir frontier in violation of a 2003 cease-fire agreement .
Pakistan says India has violated the truce more than 2,000 times this year alone .
Kashmir is split between the nuclear-armed rivals and both claim it in its entirety .
They have fought two wars over Kashmir since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947 .
Tensions soared in February 2019 , when a suicide bombing killed 40 Indian troops in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir , and India retaliated with airstrikes inside Pakistani territory .
Pakistan shot down one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot who was quickly released .
India said the strikes targeted Pakistan-based militants responsible for the suicide bombing Relations have been further strained since August last year , when India revoked the Muslim-majority region ’ s decades-old semi-autonomous status , touching off anger on both sides of the frontier .
Since then , troops have frequently traded fire , leaving dozens of civilians and soldiers dead on both sides .