thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict draws in fighters from Mideast

BEIRUT - For the past two weeks , Raffi Ghazarian has been glued to the TV at home and at work watching news about the fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces .
If it goes on , the 50-year-old Lebanese of Armenian descent says he ’ s ready to leave everything and volunteer to defend his ancestral land .
Some from Lebanon ’ s large ethnic Armenian population have already travelled to join the fight , according to members of the community , although they say the numbers are small .
The new eruption of violence in the Caucasus region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Armenians .
Red , blue and orange Armenian flags are flown on balconies , windows and roofs of buildings in Bourj Hammoud , Beirut ’ s main Armenian district , which also features anti-Turkish graffiti in English and Armenian .
Fighting has raged since Sept. 27 in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh , leaving several hundred dead .
The enclave lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by neighbouring Armenia since 1994 , when a truce ended a years-long war that killed an estimated 30,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest fighting , Turkey has sent hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters to back its ally , Azerbaijan , according to a Syrian war monitor and three Syria-based opposition activists .
Lebanese-Armenians have been sending money and aid , and have been campaigning in the media in support of ethnic Armenians in the enclave , which they refer to as Artsakh .
The support they can give is limited — Lebanon is passing through a severe economic crisis , and banks have imposed tight capital controls .
Lebanon is home to one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most of them descendants of survivors of the 1915 genocide by Ottoman Turks .
An estimated 1.5 million died in massacres , deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 as Ottoman officials worried that the Christian Armenians would side with Russia , its enemy in World War I .
The event is widely viewed by historians as genocide .
Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide , saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest .
“ We will not allow what happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will fight until the last Armenian soldier , ” said Ghazarian , standing next to a coffee stand decorated with Lebanese and Armenian flags .
“ This is not a war between Muslims and Christians .
This is a war for the existence of the Armenian entity and we are ready , ” said Ghazarian , who owns a clothes shop .
Lebanese legislator Hagop Pakradounian , who heads the Armenian Revolutionary Federation , the largest and most powerful Armenian party in Lebanon , said volunteers going from Lebanon to Armenia act on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision by any organization or the community itself to send them .
“ We can not tell them not to go .
They are free , ” Pakradounian told The Associated Press in his office in Bourj Hammoud .
“ We consider it a war against all the Armenian people and a continuation of the genocide project since the Ottoman Empire.
” Meanwhile , Turkey has sent more than 1,200 Syrian fighters — most of them members of Turkish-backed opposition groups — to fight alongside Azerbaijani forces , according to the Britain-based Syrian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war monitor that tracks Syria ’ s nine-year conflict .
The Observatory ’ s chief , Rami Abdurrahman , said 72 Syrian fighters have been killed so far .
Three opposition activists in Syria corroborated the report .
They said Turkish security companies recruit the men ostensibly to work as guards at oil facilities in return for about $ 1,200 a month , but most end up on front lines .
One of the activists sent AP photos of young men allegedly killed in Azerbaijan .
A citizen journalist based in northern Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who joined the battle , adding that warnings they sent about the intensity of the fighting and the dangers made others who were planning to go change their minds .
The deployment is similar to what happened in Libya , where battle-hardened Syrian fighters helped tip the balance of power in favour of the U.N.-supported government of Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj , an ally of Turkey .
Armenia has repeatedly said over the past week that Turkey sent Syrian fighters to back the Azerbaijanis , a claim that Ankara and Azerbaijan deny .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s RIA Novosti news agency that Turkey is bringing “ terrorists ” from Syria and Libya to fight in Azerbaijan , accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being “ behind the escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
” French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Russia ’ s Vladimir Putin about the conflict last week .
Macron later told reporters he had information “ that we ’ re confident in ” confirming Turkey ’ s deployment of Syrian mercenaries in the fighting .
“ It ’ s a very serious new development that also changes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia ’ s Foreign Ministry expressed concern over reports about “ militants from illegal armed groups ” from Syria and Libya being sent to the conflict zone .
Hikmet Hajiyev , a foreign policy aide to the Azerbaijani president , said this week that “ we completely reject ” the claim , calling on those who make the accusations to give evidence .
Maj. Youssef al-Hammoud , an official with the so-called Syrian National Army , an umbrella for Turkish-backed armed opposition groups in Syria , strongly denied in a telephone call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being sent from Syria to Azerbaijan .
“ This is an Armenian media campaign , ” al-Hammoud said .
Lebanon ’ s Armenians are doing what they can to help .
Yeghia Tashjian , a freelance researcher , said he was writing articles to raise awareness about what Armenians are being subjected to .
“ For us , this is existential war that it is important to win not just for emotional or nationalist issues but because it is our homeland and we should fight for it , ” Tashjian said .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works in a perfume distribution business , said Armenians ’ opponents always had bigger armies but still Armenians survived .
“ We have strong hearts , ” he said .
“ Let them try us , ” he said .
“ We don ’ t surrender and we only kneel to God .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Kyrgyz president declares state of emergency amid protests

MOSCOW - The embattled president of Kyrgyzstan ordered a nearly two-week state of emergency Friday in the capital , in a bid to end political turmoil sparked by a disputed parliamentary election .
President Sooronbai Jeenbekov decreed that the state of emergency , which starts at 8 p.m. Friday and runs through 8 a.m. on Oct. 21 , could include a curfew and travel restrictions .
He also ordered the military to deploy troops to Bishkek , the capital , to enforce the measure .
It was unclear whether police and the military would comply with the order .
Jeenbekov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of protesters who stormed government buildings the night after Sunday ’ s parliamentary vote was reportedly swept by pro-government parties .
The demonstrators also freed former President Almazbek Atambayev , who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in June on charges of corruption and abuse of office that he and his supporters described as a political vendetta by Jeenbekov .
The turmoil marks a third time in 15 years that protesters have moved to topple a government in Kyrgyztsan , a Central Asian nation of 6.5 million that is one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soviet Union .
Like in the uprisings that ousted Kyrgyz presidents in 2005 and 2010 , the current protests have been driven by clan rivalries that play a key role in the country ’ s politics .
After an initial attempt to break up protesters immediately after the vote , police have pulled back and refrained from intervening with the demonstrations .
Residents of the capital began forming vigilante groups to prevent looting that marked previous uprisings in the country .
Under pressure from protesters , the Central Election Commission has overturned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved quickly to form a new government .
An emergency parliament session on Tuesday named lawmaker Sadyr Zhaparov as a new prime minister , but the move was immediately contested by other protest groups , plunging the country into political chaos .
Atambayev spoke to demonstrators who flooded central Bishkek on Friday , urging them to refrain from violence .
“ I ’ m against using force , everything should be done by peaceful means , ” he said .
Soon after he spoke , supporters of Zhaparov assailed Atambayev ’ s supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has used infighting between his foes to dig in .
He said Thursday he may consider stepping down , but only after the political situation stabilizes .
The president met with the new chief of the military General Staff Friday , saying that he relies on the armed forces to help restore order .
“ We must quickly take the situation under control , ” Jeenbekov said .
“ City residents shouldn ’ t fall victims of political passions.
” Kyrgyzstan is strategically located on the border with China and once was home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuelling and logistics for the war in Afghanistan .
The country is a member of Russia-dominated economic and security alliances , hosts a Russian air base and depends on Moscow ’ s economic support .
Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired Friday ’ s session of his Security Council to discuss the situation in Kyrgyzstan , among other issues .
“ It was noted that it ’ s necessary to quickly stabilize the situation to prevent it from sliding into chaos , ” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after the meeting .

Vladimir Isachenkov - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Russia tries to sponsor Nagorno-Karabakh cease-fire talks

MOSCOW - Russia moved to stop the worst escalation of fighting in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh in more than a quarter-century by offering to host cease-fire talks on Friday .
Late Thursday , Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a statement calling for a break in the fighting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that have raged for nearly two weeks over the region .
The Kremlin said Putin ’ s initiative followed a series of calls with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev .
The latest outburst of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh .
The region lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the end of a separatist war in 1994 .
The Kremlin said Putin proposed calling a cease-fire to exchange prisoners and collect the bodies of dead soldiers , adding that the top Azerbaijani and Armenian diplomats were invited to Moscow for consultations .
The Russian Foreign Ministry said they confirmed their attendance Friday , but there was no immediate comment from Armenia or Azerbaijan to the Russian initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and drones has engulfed Nagorno-Karabakh despite numerous international calls for a cease-fire .
Both sides have accused each other of targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure .
On Thursday , a historic cathedral in the town of Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh came under shelling , a shell piercing its dome and damaging the interior .
No one was hurt in the attack , but hours later more shelling wounded two Russian journalists inspecting the damage .
The Azerbaijani military denied targeting the cathedral .
According to the Nagorno-Karabakh military , 376 of its servicemen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azerbaijan hasn ’ t provided details on its military losses .
Scores of civilians on both sides also have been killed .
Stepanakert , the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh , has been under intense shelling .
Residents are staying in shelters , some of which are in the basements of apartment buildings .
Facing international calls for a cease-fire , Azerbaijan made its acceptance conditional on Armenia ’ s withdrawal from the region .
Armenian officials say Turkey is involved in the conflict and is sending Syrian mercenaries to fight on Azerbaijan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the conflict but has denied sending combatants to the region .
In an interview with CNN Arabic aired Thursday , Azerbaijan ’ s president admitted that Turkish F-16 fighter jets have stayed on in Azerbaijan weeks after a joint military exercise , but insisted that they have remained grounded .
Armenian officials had earlier claimed that a Turkish F-16 shot down an Armenian warplane , a claim that Turkey and Azerbaijan have denied .
Aliyev ’ s office said French President Emmanuel Macron called him Friday to discuss the conflict , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conversation .
The call follows Macron ’ s conversation with the Armenian prime minister late Thursday .
Macron ’ s office voiced hope that a truce could be negotiated soon , noting that it was co-ordinating its efforts with the Kremlin .
Associated Press writers Avet Demourian in Yerevan , Armenia , Aida Sultanova in Baku , Azerbaijan and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Polish minister-designate broke virus rules, tested positive

WARSAW , Poland - Poland ’ s opposition says the country ’ s education minister-designate visited his grandmother in the hospital , in breach of rules designed to control the spread of the coronavirus .
Two days later , lawmaker Przemyslaw Czarnek tested positive for COVID-19 , forcing many staff and patients at the hospital to go into quarantine .
Members of the Civic Coalition said Friday they have notified the police and prosecutors that Czarnek exposed others to danger when he entered the hospital in Lublin on Saturday .
“ Lawmaker Czarnek used his political position to force the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said opposition spokesman Adam Szlapka .
“ This was unethical , violated the bans currently in force and exposed others to danger , which is a criminal offence ” that carries a prison term of up to three years , Szlapka said .
Czarnek has said he had no COVID-19 symptoms at the time and was allowed in because his grandmother was in a very serious condition .
The hospital director , who is among those now in quarantine , confirmed that .
Hours before the reshuffled government was to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , Czarnek reported that he was infected , causing the ceremony to be postponed for a day .
Czarnek has not yet been sworn in .
Poland is currently seeing a steep spike in cases , with more than 4,000 a day being recorded , leading the government to declare the whole country a yellow zone where face masks and social distancing are required even in the open air , effective Saturday .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Mother, sisters of slain Black teen arrested at protest

MADISON , Wis. - The mother and sisters of a Black teen who was killed by a suburban Milwaukee police officer have been arrested by police who were cracking down on protesters out after a curfew following a decision not to charge the officer .
Alvin Cole ’ s mother , Tracy Cole , and his sisters , Taleavia and Tristiana Cole , were arrested about 8:30 p.m. Thursday along with several others in a church parking lot in Wauwatosa , the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported , citing multiple witnesses .
Cole family attorney Kimberley Motley tweeted that Tracy Cole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ ended up in the hospital.
” Motley said Tracy Cole was taken to Froedtert Hospital with an injury to her arm and forehead .
One daughter , Tristiana Cole , was taken there as well .
Motley later tweeted that both were released from the hospital .
Details on why Tristiana Cole was taken to the hospital weren ’ t immediately known .
A Facebook livestream that captured only audio of Tracy Cole was made by a third daughter , the newspaper reported .
On a recording of it , Tracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as she was being arrested , saying police injured her arm , hit her in the head and used a stun gun on her .
“ I ’ m Alvin Cole ’ s mother , ” Tracy Cole screamed repeatedly as officers pulled her out of her car .
“ I can ’ t believe y ’ all did this to me .
Y ’ all killed my son , ” she screamed at the officers .
Tracy Cole said her head was bleeding and she believed her arm was broken , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday night that “ several ” people were arrested , and said one woman requested medical attention and was taken to a hospital .
The city was under a 7 p.m. curfew during a second night of protests after Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm decided not to charge Wauwatosa Officer Joseph Mensah , who is also Black , with the shooting death of Cole , 17 , in February outside Mayfair Mall .
According to investigators ’ reports , Cole had a gun and fired it .
Chisholm said it appeared he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Cole refused commands to drop the weapon , prompting Mensah to fire .
Motley has said she plans to file a federal lawsuit against Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah .
The death of Alvin Cole was the third fatal shooting by Mensah in the last five years .
Mensah shot and killed Antonio Gonzales in 2015 after police said Gonzales refused to drop a sword .
A year later Mensah shot Jay Anderson Jr .
In that case , Mensah found Anderson in a car parked in a park after hours .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the passenger seat and thought Anderson was reaching for it , so he shot him .
Mensah wasn ’ t charged in either shooting .
Cole ’ s death sparked protests all summer in Wauwatosa , a city of 48,000 just west of Milwaukee .
The demonstrations played out against a backdrop of protests nationwide over the death in May of George Floyd , a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes .
The Wauwatosa Police and Fire Commission suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney Steven Biskupic to determine whether Mensah should be disciplined .
Biskupic recommended that the commission terminate Mensah , calling the risk of a fourth shooting too great .
Biskupic also faulted Mensah for speaking publicly about the shooting .
Hours after Biskupic released his report , Chisholm announced he wouldn ’ t charge Mensah .
The prosecutor said Mensah would be able to successfully argue he acted in self-defence .
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber tweeted after Chisholm made his announcement that his department “ concurs “ with the decision not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” from the public .
He said an internal review of the shooting is ongoing and that Mensah remains suspended .
The department has taken steps to improve policing , including more training , posting policies online and requiring body cameras by January , he said .
The police commission is scheduled to meet later this month but their position on Biskupic ’ s recommendation to fire Mensah isn ’ t clear .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--French hostage freed in Mali arrives home in France to hugs

BAMAKO , Mali - A 75-year-old French aid worker held hostage for four years by Islamic extremists in Mali arrived Friday in France -- and says she wants to return to her aid work with malnourished children in Africa despite the ordeal .
Relatives enveloped Sophie Petronin in a huge embrace after she descended from the plane at the Villacoublay military airport southwest of Paris , where she was greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron .
Wearing a white veil and a trench coat , Petronin appeared very moved as she held her grandsons in her arms .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you back at last , dear Sophie Petronin , ” Macron tweeted .
“ Welcome home.
” Petronin met with Macron for about an hour at the airport .
They did not speak to the press .
Macron expressed joy and relief at her release , thanked the Malian authorities and promised that the French military would continue its fight against terrorism in the West African region .
Petronin was released with three other hostages from Mali and Italy this week .
Bells pealed in the Italian hometown of a priest also released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively well during captivity .
Her account contrasted with that of fellow ex-hostage Soumaila Cisse , a prominent Malian politician who recounted months of arduous conditions before a precarious trip to their extraction point , arriving in Mali ’ s capital 48 hours after first being released .
“ I hung on — I prayed a lot because I had a lot of time , ” Petronin told reporters at the French Embassy in Bamako .
“ I transformed detention ... into a spiritual retreat , if one can say that.
“ Petronin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pierluigi Maccalli and Nicola Chiacchio , and Cisse , a prominent Malian politician .
There was no immediate information about the five other foreign hostages that the Islamic militants from JNIM are believed to still hold .
Freedom for the four came just days after the Malian government released nearly 200 militants and sent them by plane to northern Mali , fueling speculation of an imminent prisoner exchange that some fear could further destabilize the country .
It was not immediately known whether a ransom was paid , though extremist groups have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from European governments .
Cisse , who had been kidnapped earlier this year while campaigning for re-election as a legislator , told Mali ’ s state broadcaster ORTM that after months of captivity things began to move quickly at the end of September .
He said late Thursday that he had made a proof of life video on Sept. 26 , and earlier this week he was freed .
Still , security conditions prevented them from reaching the northern town of Tessalit for two more days .
“ I spent six months in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost permanent isolation , but I must confess that I was not subjected to any violence , neither physical nor verbal , ” Cisse told ORTM .
The Italian hostages included Maccalli , a Roman Catholic missionary priest from the African Missionary Society who was kidnapped from neighbouring Niger in 2018 .
In a tweet , the Italian bishops ’ conference expressed “ gratitude to those who worked for liberation as we continue to pray for those who are missing.
” Among those missing is Colombian nun Gloria Cecilia Narváez Argoti , last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Maccalli ’ s birthplace of Crema , a city east of Milan in northern Italy , bells tolled in the cathedral to welcome the news of his liberation .
“ I hope that the release of Fr .
Gigi is a promising sign of hope for all the others who are prisoners for their faith and their struggle for truth , justice and reconciliation ; and may it be a seed of peace and trust for the Niger he loves so much , “ Crema Bishop Daniele Gianotti said .
Looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petronin told French broadcasters that she wants to go back to the northern Malian town of Gao to see the children she was helping before she was kidnapped .
“ I made a commitment to the children .
For four years I haven ’ t seen how the programs are working , ” she said , referring to her work with orphaned and malnourished children .
“ I will go to France , to Switzerland , and then I will come back to see what ’ s happening here.
” During her captivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen to the radio , and her guards shared messages and videos with her , including one from her son .
Petronin ’ s middle-aged son Sebastien Chadaud told French reporters that “ it was a little boy who found his mom again , and a mom who was comforting her little boy.
” He added : “ She ’ s like a block of granite , my mom.
” He cried when describing how he fought for her release , telling his mother , “ I did my best.
” She comforted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what you could.
” As her son kissed her head , she said she just wanted to spend time with him , “ to look at him and tell him , ‘ Forgive me , I caused you so much pain , so much difficulty , so much work to help me get out.
’ ” Associated Press writers Nicole Winfield in Rome ; Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Krista Larson in Dakar , Senegal , contributed .

Baba Ahmed And Angela Charlton - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--The Latest: Germany’s Merkel discusses virus surge in cities

BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel is meeting with the mayors of Germany ’ s largest cities as coronavirus cases rise in metropolitan areas .
Germany ’ s disease control centre reported 4,516 new cases overnight Friday .
Merkel ’ s meeting by video conference with 11 mayors will discuss slowing the spread of the virus .
Germany won plaudits for its early containment .
However , many cities have reached the critical warning level of 50 new infections per 100,000 residents .
Berlin ’ s figure is at 51 per 100,000 residents , while Bremen is 53.9 , followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48.4 ) , according to the Robert Koch Institute .
Overall , German has confirmed 314,660 cases and 9,589 deaths , a toll one-fourth of Britain and one-third of Italy .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK : — President Trump still contagious ?
Experts say it ’ s difficult to know — As virus fills French ICUs anew , doctors ask what went wrong — India reports another 70,496 new infections in past 24 hours — China to join coronavirus vaccine alliance , reversing earlier stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential vaccines to help finance access for poorer ones .
The U.S. has opted out .
— British government will announce more support for businesses to retain staff in the coming months if they are forced to close because of lockdown restrictions .
— President Donald Trump says he wants to try to hold a campaign rally in Florida on Saturday , despite his recent COVID-19 diagnosis .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : PARIS — Intensive care wards across France are filling up again with COVID-19 patients .
Doctors are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accommodate the sick .
The COVID-19 patients now occupy 40 % of ICU beds in the Paris region , and more than a quarter of ICUs nationwide , after infections among young people spread to vulnerable populations .
National health agency figures and doctors at multiple hospitals say France hasn ’ t added significant ICU capacity or the staff needed to manage them since the pandemic ’ s first wave .
That ’ s despite France being among the hardest-hit nations in the spring .
The COVID-19 patients now occupy 1,427 ICU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubled in less than a month .
France ’ s overall ICU capacity is 6,000 .
The government defends its management of the virus crisis , and President Emmanuel Macron says it ’ s a question of “ organization ” and not resources .
BRATISLAVA , Slovakia — Coronavirus infections in Slovakia have hit a record high for the third straight day , reaching almost 1,200 in a day for the first time .
The Health Ministry says the day-to-day increase of those infected reached 1,184 on Thursday , up from the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In reaction to the record numbers , the government announced Friday that it will deploy 267 service members to help health authorities with contact tracing , conduct tests and distribute protective equipment .
Prime Minister Igor Matovic said more restrictive measures will be imposed next week if the surge doesn ’ t slow down over the weekend .
Slovakia has had 16,910 reported cases since the start of the pandemic , with 57 deaths .
MOSCOW — Russia has reported more than 12,000 new coronavirus infections , its highest daily increase since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government task force dealing with the outbreak says the 12,126 infections reported Friday took the country ’ s total close to 1.3 million .
Russia has the world ’ s fourth-largest number of reported cases since the pandemic began .
It has also reported 22,000 deaths .
Russian authorities insist there is no immediate plan to impose a second lockdown in the country , which has lifted most virus-related restrictions imposed in the spring .
But authorities in Moscow , which has seen a quick rise in new cases with 3,701 infections reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged businesses to have at least one-third of their employees work from home and recommended that the elderly self-isolate at home .
This month ’ s school holidays in the capital were extended from one to two weeks .
PRAGUE — New reported coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic were their highest for a third straight day , registering another 5,394 cases .
The new cases take the country ’ s total since the pandemic began to more than 100,000 .
The government has responded by imposing further restrictive measures to contain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday and others on Monday .
Among them , all theatres , cinemas , zoos , museums , art galleries , fitness centres and public swimming pools will be closed for at least two weeks .
Also , all indoor sports activities will be banned .
Outdoors , only up to 20 people will be allowed to participate in sport activities , a measure that will badly hit professional competitions such as soccer leagues .
Restaurants and bars will have to close at 8 p.m. and only four people will be allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India has reported another 70,496 new infections in the past 24 hours , taking the country ’ s total since the pandemic began to more than 6.9 million .
The Health Ministry on Friday also reported 964 deaths in the past 24 hours , taking total fatalities to 106,490 .
India is seeing infections spread at a slower pace than last month , when daily infections touched a record high of 97,894 cases .
India is averaging more than 70,000 cases daily so far this month .
Since the pandemic began India has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world behind the United States .
Health experts have warned that congregations during major festivals later this month and in November have the potential for the virus to spread .
COLOMBO , Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan health authorities are working to contain a growing cluster of new coronavirus infections , ordering the closure of bars , restaurants , casinos , nightclubs and spas .
The Indian Ocean island nation over the weekend reported its first locally transmitted infection in more than two months , which led to the discovery of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ densely populated Western province .
By Friday the number of infections linked to the cluster climbed to 1,053 , with more than 2,000 more people asked to quarantine at home .
The majority of infected people are co-workers of the first patient , who is a worker at the garment factory .
BEIJING — China is joining the world ’ s coronavirus vaccine alliance known as COVAX .
It previously declined to join , missing a deadline in September .
China has four vaccine candidates in the last stage of clinical trials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than others .
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China was joining to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines and in hope more capable countries will also join .
It is not yet clear the exact terms of the agreement and how China will contribute .
The alliance is designed so participation by richer countries helps finance access for poorer ones .
The Trump administration in the U.S. has declined to join .
HARTFORD , Conn. — Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force says she is concerned about the uptick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said Thursday at the University of Connecticut ’ s Hartford campus that a “ very different ” kind of spread is happening now .
She says it ’ s not happening in the workplace so much because people are taking precautions .
She says more people are becoming infected because of indoor family gatherings and social events as the weather cools .
She says that was a lesson learned in the South during the summer when people went indoors for air conditioning .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--9 prisoners killed as rival gangs clash in Philippine prison

MANILA , Philippines - Nine prisoners were killed when rival gangs clashed with knives Friday in one of the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ officials said .
It was not immediately clear what set off the violence between the @ @ @ @ @ dawn at New Bilibid Prison in metropolitan Manila .
Seven other inmates were wounded in @ @ @ @ @ Corrections spokesman Gabriel Chaclag said .
He said an investigation was underway and those who @ @ @ @ @ would be punished .
The Philippines has some of the world ’ s most notoriously @ @ @ @ @ president once said that imprisonment in the squalor and violence of the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2005 , 27 inmates , including detained Muslim militants from the brutal Abu @ @ @ @ @ police officer were killed when police commandos quelled a jail uprising in metropolitan Manila .
@ @ @ @ @ Chinese drug suspects , were killed in a 2016 grenade explosion in a jail in @ @ @ @ @ region .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Judge denies motion to extend Florida’s voter registration

TALLAHASSEE , Fla. - A federal judge has denied a motion to extend voter registration in Florida even though a computer meltdown on the final day of registration might have prevented thousands of potential voters from taking part in November ’ s presidential election .
In a 29-page ruling on Friday morning , U.S. District Court Judge Mark E. Walker said his decision was “ an incredibly close call ” but added that “ the state ’ s interest in preventing chaos in its already precarious —and perennially chaotic — election outweighs the substantial burden imposed on the right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state seems to have with elections .
“ Notwithstanding the fact that cinemas across the country remain closed , somehow , I feel like I ’ ve seen this movie before .
Just shy of a month from election day , with the earliest mail-in ballots beginning to be counted , Florida has done it again , “ Walker wrote .
Florida had already reopened its site for seven hours on Tuesday , providing another opportunity to people who weren ’ t able to submit their voter registrations online before Monday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state indicates that 50,000 people registered during the extended time period .
Based on previous trends , the judge noted , perhaps more than 20,000 additional people might have also registered to vote , if they had been able to access the system .
Secretary of State Laurel Lee reopened the registration for seven hours on Tuesday , after consulting with Gov .
Ron DeSantis .
Walker took umbrage at a state lawyer ’ s argument that other venues had been available to register to vote , including in-person at an elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public sounding the alarm , the Secretary of State decided to implement a half measure , “ Walker wrote .
“ She hastily and briefly extended the registration period and ordered Florida ’ s supervisors of election to accept applications submitted by the Secretary ’ s new ‘ book closing ’ deadline.
” Walker wrote that Lee ’ s “ cure ” had at least one major flaw : She did not notify the public until — at the earliest — after noon on the date of her new deadline .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential voters to somehow become aware of the news and ensure that they properly submitted their voter registration applications , all while also participating in their normal workday , school , family , and caregiving responsibilities , “ Walker wrote .
The judge said that the issue boils down to whether Lee ’ s failure to maintain a fully functional voter registration website in the final hours of the voter registration period , and her limited deadline extension , “ pass constitutional muster.
“ Ultimately , he said , the need to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights for thousands of Floridians .
In the end , the case is not about Floridians missing registration deadlines , or a challenge to a state statute , Walker wrote .
“ This case is about how a state failed its citizens , “ Walker wrote .
“ In this case , potential voters attempted to perform their civic duty , to exercise their fundamental right , only to be thwarted , once again , by a state that seemingly is never prepared for an election .
”

Bobby Caina Calvan And Freida Frisaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Global stocks mostly higher on US stimulus hopes

BEIJING - Global stock markets and Wall Street futures mostly rose Friday after President Donald Trump said talks had resumed on an aid package for the struggling U.S. economy .
Indexes in Europe were largely higher in midday trading while Shanghai and Sydney closed higher .
Tokyo and Hong Kong declined .
Market sentiment improved on Thursday after Trump , who earlier called off negotiations with legislative leaders , said “ very productive ” talks had begun .
Stock prices have been volatile since mid-September as investors swing between optimism about possible development of a coronavirus vaccine and unease that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too expensive .
“ When the world ’ s financial markets are at the mercy of the randomness emanating from the White House , it is hardly surprising that investors elsewhere would prefer to wait on the side-lines , ” said Jeffrey Halley of Oanda in a report .
“ Unfortunately , things are unlikely to settle down over the next few weeks.
” Futures for both the S & P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Averages were up 0.4 % .
In Europe , London ’ s FTSE 100 gained 0.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frankfurt dropped just under 0.1 % to 13,031 .
The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.3 % at 4,927 .
In Asia , the Shanghai Composite Index , resuming trading after a weeklong holiday , rose 1.7 % to 3,272.08 .
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo lost 0.1 % to 23,619.69 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed XXX .
Sydney ’ s S & P-ASX 200 ended unchanged at 6,102.20 and India ’ s Sensex added 0.6 % to 40,429.93 .
The share price of Tipco Asphalt , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell 5.7 % today after the AP reported it has helped Venezuela skirt harsh U.S. sanctions by moving hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of the state-run oil company PDVSA .
Trump said in a TV interview that “ very productive ” talks had begun on more stimulus after supplemental unemployment benefits that supported consumer spending , the engine of the U.S. economy , expired .
That helped to fuel optimism that Republicans and Democrats will deliver another aid package after weeks of uncertainty .
A U.S. government report on Thursday showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
That ’ s down slightly from 849,000 the prior week but remains a high level .
Several areas of the economy have been slowing recently .
That has investors focused on whether Congress can deliver more aid .
Some investors also see rising poll numbers for Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election as an indication more stimulus may be on the way , regardless of what Trump says .
If Democrats sweep the White House , Senate and House of Representatives , they say a big rescue package becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher taxes and tighter regulations that a Democratic-controlled government could also create .
To skeptics , stocks still look expensive relative to corporate profits .
Meanwhile , U.S.-Chinese tension over trade and technology is simmering .
A continued rise in virus cases in many countries remains a threat to economic growth .
France reported a record number of infections on Wednesday .
Germany is seeing a jump in new coronavirus infections , raising fears the pandemic is gaining in a country that so far has coped better than many of its European neighbours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence measures already in effect have failed to contain the virus .
In energy markets , benchmark U.S. crude lost 38 cents to $ 40.81 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
The contract rose $ 1.24 to $ 41.19 on Thursday .
Brent crude , used to price international oils , shed 36 cents to $ 42.98 per barrel in London .
It rose $ 1.35 the previous session to $ 43.34 a barrel .
The dollar declined to 105.84 yen from Thursday ’ s 106.02 yen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from $ 1.1758 .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Spain’s king and prime minister visit Barcelona amid protest

BARCELONA , Spain - A few thousand Catalan separatists protested Friday against a visit by Spanish King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to Barcelona amid continued tensions between the restive region and national authorities .
Police set up roadblocks and heavily patrolled the streets around the train station where the monarch and prime minister attended the Barcelona New Economy Week innovation awards .
The visit by Spain ’ s heads of state and government comes less than two weeks after Catalonia ’ s regional chief , Quim Torra , was removed from office by Spain ’ s Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold office for having violated election laws when he refused to remove a banner from public buildings supporting imprisoned Catalan separatists during an official election campaign .
Some small groups of protesters gathered to burn photos of the king on Thursday night .
But there were no reported major clashes with police like the ones that occurred when Sánchez held a Cabinet meeting in Barcelona in December 2018 .
Felipe did not specifically mention the protests when he spoke at the awards event , but he did make a call for “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will foster a stable environment for business.
” Also on Friday , Torra and fellow ex-Catalan leaders Carles Puigdemont and Artur Mas spoke together in Perpignan , France , to denounce what they consider their unfair treatment by Spanish authorities .
Puigdemont a member of the European Parliament , is wanted by Spanish authorities for his role in a failed 2017 secession bid .
Mas was also ruled unfit to hold public office for a period after he held an unauthorized vote on independence in 2014 .
Catalonia ’ s separatist movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 7.5 million residents in the region , wants to create a republic for the wealthy northeast corner of Spain .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--1 dead, 9 injured as migrant car crashes in northern Greece

THESSALONIKI , Greece - A car involved in suspected migrant trafficking has crashed in northern Greece leaving the driver dead and all nine passengers injured , police said Friday .
Police said the driver in Thursday evening ’ s crash was believed to be from Pakistan and was suspected of working for a smuggling ring .
One of the injured passengers is also believed to be a suspected smuggler from Pakistan , while the other eight are Afghans , police said .
Police said the car failed to stop at a police traffic checkpoint near the northern city of Kavala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came off the road due to excessive speed .
All nine injured people have been hospitalized , authorities said .
Thousands of migrants and refugees attempt to enter Greece from neighbouring Turkey each year .
The vast majority cross to Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast , but some also make their way across the land border in the northeastern Thrace region and head to the Greece ’ s second-largest city of Thessaloniki .
According to official figures , authorities in Thrace detained 804 migrants and 49 smugglers in September this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month in 2019 , when 1,446 migrants and 56 smugglers had been detained .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Seattle’s Elephant Car Wash to shutter, sign to be saved

SEATTLE - Denny Triangle ’ s iconic pink elephant soon will have a new home .
The Elephant Car Wash on Battery Street near Denny Way will close permanently , the company announced in a news release Thursday , after rumours swirled surrounding a demolition permit for the site filed Wednesday .
The pink elephant sign — designed by Seattle ’ s “ Queen of Neon , ” Beatrice Haverfield — will be donated to the Museum of History and Industry in South Lake Union , which boasts an already-impressive collection of neon signage from other defunct and departed Seattle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ R , ’ the 26-foot-tall Washington Natural Gas blue flame and many more .
In the post-World War II era when neon began adorning Seattle businesses , it “ represented sophistication , a little bit of glamor , ” MOHAI director Leonard Garfield told The Seattle Times .
“ Particularly after the war , Seattle was beginning to fill the role of a city on the world stage .
The Elephant Car Wash sign is part of that tradition — but with an element of whimsy.
” While relief abounded on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be preserved , in some form , not everyone believes the sign should leave the Battery Street lot .
“ Neon signs are best appreciated in their natural habitat , which means outside , in the weather , when it ’ s dark , when it ’ s raining , especially in Seattle where for nine months out of the year , it ’ s dark and rainy , ” said neon history buff Feliks Banel , a KIRO radio host and editor of the Washington State Historical Society ’ s quarterly magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s neon signage collection in the early 2000 ’ s , and formerly led tours of the city ’ s neon landmarks in situ .
“ Seattle changes so rapidly , ” he said .
“ Every 25 years it sheds an exoskeleton and a new city emerges.
” With that in mind , he said , he hopes Elephant Car Wash and the museum don ’ t disregard the sentimental value of keeping the sign right where it is .
“ It always feels to me like there should be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elephant sign ) that we can ’ t quantify the monetary value of , but that our descendents will look back on and say , ‘ These guys were thinking big picture about preserving our identity as a city , ’ ” Banel said .
Other neon signs , notably the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ’ s whirling globe , have been preserved in place by MOHAI and its partner-in-neon , Western Neon .
The car wash sign , though , “ can not remain in its current location , ” Garfield said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wash , which continues to operate 14 car wash locations around the Puget Sound region , was founded in 1951 by Dean , Archie and Eldon Anderson and sold to current owner Bob Haney in 1982 .
In a statement , Haney cited crime , homelessness and drug use in and around the Battery Street location , as well as regulatory burdens imposed by the city , as the rationale for its closure .
Crime numbers in South Lake Union , though , have stayed flat over the past five years , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , violent crimes and property crimes per 100,000 residents have fallen by more than half since 1990 .
The company did not immediately respond to questions about its claim that crime has increased , the specific regulatory burdens it faces or whether its other Seattle location , in SODO , faces similar challenges .
The site , fronting a one-block stretch owned by Clise Properties along what is now formally renamed Borealis Avenue , rests in the middle of several in-progress high rise condominium towers and new Amazon office buildings .
The developer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the car wash ’ s triangle-shaped parcel , one of the highest-value empty lots in the city .
The 19,000-square-foot lot is appraised at nearly $ 20 million , or $ 1,050 per square foot , according to King County Assessor data .
The next-most valuable vacant lot , just down the street at 1221 Denny Way , is appraised at $ 950 per square foot .
Vancouver-based Westbank Development Corporation is building two 48-story apartment towers at that location .

Katherine Khashimova Long - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Disputed redistricting reform on the ballot in Virginia

FALLS CHURCH , Va. - In Virginia , the gerrymander goes all the way back to the first congressional elections , when then-Gov .
Patrick Henry drew up a district to try to keep James Madison , father of the Constitution that Henry opposed , out of the House of Representatives .
Madison , though , campaigned vigorously despite a chronic case of hemorrhoids , and beat James Monroe in a race featuring two future presidents .
Now , Virginia voters are deciding whether to alter their state constitution to support redistricting reform that would take the once-every-10-year task of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least to an extent , and give it to a bipartisan panel .
The debate over the referendum comes one year after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows even extreme partisan gerrymandering .
But even though the issue has become a hot-button one nationally , the Virginia referendum is the only redistricting question on the ballot in the U.S. this year , said reform advocate Brian Cannon .
Efforts to get the question in front of voters in Arkansas , Oklahoma , Oregon and Nevada failed , in part because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collect petition signatures , said Cannon , who for several years has directed the OneVirginia2021 redistricting reform advocacy group .
In Virginia , the proposal to amend the state constitution to create a bipartisan redistricting panel received support from both parties last year , at a time when Republicans controlled the state legislature but Democrats controlled the governor ’ s mansion .
Under state law , though , a proposal to amend the Constitution must pass the General Assembly for two consecutive years before going to the voters .
After Democrats won control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s elections , a majority of Democrats reversed their support for the referendum .
It only narrowly passed the House of Representatives .
Some Democratic leaders in Virginia are now leading a campaign to defeat the referendum .
Republican Del .
Jason Miyares of Virginia Beach said the change of heart is purely an effort by Democrats to press their political advantage .
“ One side wants to exercise raw political power , ” Miyares said of Democrats .
“ It ’ s the hardest thing in the world to ask politicians to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Democrat who has been working to defeat the referendum , acknowledged the bad optics for Democrats , including himself : He switched from supporting the referendum in 2019 to opposing it in 2020 after Democrats gained power .
But he said many Democrats voted for it last year knowing they could examine the legislation more closely in the 2020 session .
He said the legislation does not stand up to scrutiny , and doesn ’ t do enough to take politics out of the process .
The proposed change would turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional maps , beginning with the 2021 redistricting , to a 16-member panel of eight legislators and eight citizens , evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans .
The eight citizens would be chosen by judges from a list prepared by legislators .
The maps developed by the panel would then be sent to the General Assembly for an up-or-down vote with no opportunity to amend them .
If the maps were rejected , the Supreme Court of Virginia would draw them .
Simon says the proposal still leaves legislators far too involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be in their districts .
He said adding eight citizens to a panel doesn ’ t really do anything to boost citizen involvement when the citizens are selected from a list compiled by legislative leaders .
“ I can come up with a list of 16 loyal , do-what-you ’ re-told Democrats , and I ’ m sure Republicans can do so as well , ” Simon said .
Cannon acknowledged that the proposal isn ’ t perfect , particularly in terms of ceding more of a role to legislators than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the best that could be achieved and a clear improvement over the status quo .
In a state that continues to trend Democratic , Simon acknowledged there ’ s a temptation to campaign against the referendum in blatantly partisan terms , and appeal to Democrats to flex their muscles .
But he said the issue is one of good governance , and that ’ s how he and other opponents are making their case .
“ Now that Democrats are in charge we want to do it the right way , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Caucus also is opposed to the amendment .
Del .
Marcia Price , a Democrat from Newport News , argued against the amendment from its inception .
She said the proposal does nothing to guarantee representation for persons of colour on the redistricting commission .
More broadly , she said she represents an area that has been gerrymandered in the past , and said it generates voter apathy .
Her district is one of more than a dozen that was altered under a court order after a yearslong legal battle determined that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of districts in the 2011 redistricting , diluting the impact of African American voters more broadly across the state .
“ I have campaigned in communities where , what some people call apathy , I have come to recognize as extreme frustration , ” she said .
“ People feel like their vote doesn ’ t count .
They say , ‘ It ’ s an automatic Democratic district ’ or ‘ It ’ s an automatic Republican district.
’ “


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--China Golden Week holiday pumps up tourism, boon to economy

HONG KONG - Some 637 million residents of China travelled inside their country during the recent eight-day Golden Week holiday , spending tens of billions of dollars at a time when officials hope to get consumers to spend more and perk up the economy .
More than 45 % of China ’ s 1.4 billion people travelled during the holiday , which began Oct. 1 .
They spent 466.6 billion yuan ( $ 69.5 billion ) , according to data from China ’ s Ministry of Culture and Tourism .
That ’ s 21 % fewer trips and 30 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the numbers show consumption is beginning to bounce back following the battering it took earlier in the year from the coronavirus pandemic .
The numbers are a “ positive sign ” both for China and the rest of the world that economies can revive pretty quickly once the coronavirus is under control , said Shivaji Das , managing director of research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan in Asia Pacific .
Fewer people travelled and those who did spent less out of caution over the pandemic , which has waned in China but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost income or were without jobs during the worst times of the pandemic so people are trying to be more careful from a financial perspective , ” he said .
Travel within China , and sometimes even within cities , was restricted beginning with the Lunar New Year in late January as China fought the spread of the coronavirus that emerged in the central city of Wuhan .
During the five-day Labor Day holiday in May , domestic tourism revenue was down nearly 60 % from the previous year .
“ Chinese consumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proper control of pandemic , government pro-consumption policies and stimulus and faster than expected resumption of business activities , ” said Jennifer Ye , PwC ’ s China consumer markets leader .
The Golden Week tourism and spending figures indicate domestic consumption is recovering , partly due to so-called “ revenge buying ” to make up for the previous months when people were unable to travel , she said .
With many Chinese tourists unable to travel abroad due to global restrictions , those who previously travelled to Hong Kong and South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern Chinese island of Hainan instead , spending 530 million yuan ( $ 78 million ) at duty free shops during the first five days of the holiday , according to a report by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV .
The Chinese province raised duty-free shopping limits on July 1 , hoping to attract domestic tourists and compete with shopping hubs in Europe and other parts of Asia .
China has reported no locally transmitted coronavirus infections since Aug. 16 , and restrictions have been eased .
To boost domestic tourism , local governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fliggy are offering discounts on attraction tickets , hotels and tour packages .
According to a Ctrip report , the number of bookings for flights , private tours and attraction tickets on its platform was up 100 % compared to the same time last year .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Korean group must remove Berlin tribute to “comfort women”

BERLIN - A Berlin district has ordered a local Korean group to remove a statue commemorating women used as sex slaves by Japan during World War II , saying Friday it goes beyond what had been approved .
The issue of sex slaves , euphemistically called “ comfort women , ” has been a major source of friction between South Korea and Japan , and the district ’ s decision came after Japan expressed irritation about the statue depicting a woman sitting next to an empty chair .
Stephan von Dassel , mayor of the central Mitte district , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization to display a “ peace statue ” for one year , as a broad “ statement against sexualized violence against women in armed conflicts.
” Instead , he said , the statue unveiled in late September “ exclusively addresses the behaviour of the Japanese army in World War II.
” “ This has led to irritation in Japan on a national and local level and also in Berlin , ” he said in a statement .
Historians say tens of thousands of Korean women were lured or forced into sexual slavery at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was under Japanese colonial rule in 1910-45 .
The Korean association has until Oct. 14 to remove the statue .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Police defend arrests of slain Black teen’s family

MILWAUKEE - Police on Friday defended the arrests of family members of a Black teen killed by a suburban Milwaukee officer , saying they were driving recklessly during a protest and refused officers ’ demands to leave their vehicles .
Alvin Cole ’ s mother , Tracy Cole , and his sisters , Taleavia and Tristiana Cole , were arrested Thursday night during the demonstration in downtown Wauwatosa , their attorney , Kimberley Motley , said .
The arrests came as demonstrators gathered in Wauwatosa to protest prosecutors ’ decision not to charge Officer Joseph Mensah in the 17-year-old ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black , shot Cole after a foot chase outside a Wauwatosa mall in February .
Friday night marked the third consecutive night of protests .
About 100 people gathered outside City Hall past the 7 p.m. curfew and refused police orders to disperse .
Roughly an hour later , police in riot gear began moving toward the crowd , and deployed tear gas .
Video posted to Twitter by local reporters showed smoke in the air and people being arrested .
Motley said earlier Friday that Tracy Cole , 48 , was treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arm and forehead .
She initially complained that her arm might be broken , but Motley clarified during a news conference that it was not .
Tristiana Cole was also hospitalized but authorities have not indicated why .
Motley tweeted that both were later released .
The family was protesting peacefully Thursday and police dragged them from their vehicles , according to Motley , who added that authorities arrested them for no reason .
No family members have been cited or charged , she said .
“ We all deserve better , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re entitled to better under the law of the United States.
” Wauwatosa police said officers encountered a group of vehicles after the 7 p.m. curfew .
The vehicles were travelling across all lanes of traffic and officers used spike strips to stop them and protect other drivers , police said in a Friday statement .
Most of the people in the cars were arrested without incident but some refused to get out and were forcibly removed from their vehicles , police said .
Police later said the Cole family was among those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported “ minor injuries ” and were taken to a hospital .
The police did not offer any details on their injuries .
Motley said in a text to The Associated Press that the police account is untrue and is a “ pathetic attempt to justify the abuse and unlawful arrest of members of the Cole family.
” If the police version of events was true , she said , the family would have been cited or charged .
“ Since when do people get dragged and beaten up for a traffic violation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is America .
Shame on them.
” The police statement said investigators were reviewing the incident and that citations and charges would follow .
Cole was the third person Mensah has killed on the job since he became a Wauwatosa officer in 2015 .
He shot Antonio Gonzales in 2015 after police said Gonzales refused to drop a sword .
A year later , Mensah shot Jay Anderson Jr. in a car parked in a park after hours .
Mensah said he saw a gun on the passenger seat and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was cleared of wrongdoing in each case .
The city ’ s police commission suspended Mensah in July and asked former U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic to review the Cole case with an eye toward possible discipline .
Biskupic ’ s report Wednesday recommended Mensah be fired , saying the risk of a fourth shooting is too great .
Hours later Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm , who is white , cleared Mensah of any criminal wrongdoing in Cole ’ s death .
Chisholm ’ s report noted that officers said Cole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drop it .
Chisholm said Mensah could successfully argue he fired in self-defence .
Motley has vowed to file a civil rights lawsuit against Mensah .
The protests in Wauwatosa are just the latest in a series of demonstrations against police racism and brutality that have erupted across the country since George Floyd ’ s death .
Floyd , who was Black , died in May after a white police officer in Minneapolis pressed his knee into his neck as Floyd gasped that he couldn ’ t breathe .
The mostly peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times , with demonstrators breaking windows and looting at least one store , and National Guard troops patrolling the city .
Public pressure has mounted on the Wauwatosa police commission to fire Mensah quickly .
“ Helicopters are circling above us , the National Guard is deployed on our streets , a curfew is preventing us from walking outside in our own yards , businesses are boarded up , there ’ s broken glass on our streets , families are marching and mourning the loss of their loved ones , police officers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what tomorrow will bring , ” Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland , who represents parts of Wauwatosa , said in a statement .
“ If this commission can accelerate its deliberative work , our people , businesses and neighbourhoods can begin to heal faster.
” A decision on discipline isn ’ t expected until at least November .
A Facebook livestream that captured only audio of Tracy Cole was made by a third daughter .
She could be heard screaming in pain as she was being arrested , saying police injured her arm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used a stun gun on her .
“ I ’ m Mrs. Cole , Alvin ’ s mother , ” she screamed repeatedly as officers pulled her out of her car .
“ I can ’ t believe y ’ all did this to me .
Y ’ all killed my son , ” she yelled at the officers .

Gretchen Ehlke And Todd Richmond - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Trump engineered a sudden windfall in 2016 as campaign funds dwindled

His “ self-funded ” presidential campaign was short on funds , and he was struggling to win over leery Republican donors .
His golf courses and the hotel he would soon open in the Old Post Office in Washington were eating away at what cash he had left on hand , his tax records show .
And in early 2016 , Deutsche Bank , the last big lender still doing business with him , unexpectedly turned down his request for a loan .
The funds , Trump had told his bankers , would help shore up his Turnberry golf resort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money would instead be diverted to his campaign .
That January , Trump sold a lot of stock — $ 11.1 million worth .
He sold another $ 11.8 million worth in February , and $ 7.5 million in March .
In April , he sold $ 8.1 million more .
And the president ’ s long-hidden tax records , obtained by The New York Times , also reveal this : how he engineered a sudden financial windfall — more than $ 21 million in what experts describe as highly unusual one-off payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his friend Phil Ruffin , the casino mogul .
While the hundreds of millions of dollars earned from “ The Apprentice ” and his attendant celebrity rescued his business career , those riches , together with the marketing power of the Trump brand , were ebbing when he announced his 2016 presidential run .
The new findings may offer a hint to one of the enduring mysteries of his campaign : In its waning days , as his own giving had slowed to a trickle , Trump contributed $ 10 million , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cash had come from .
The tax records , by their nature , do not specify whether the more than $ 21 million in payments from the Trump-Ruffin hotel helped prop up Trump ’ s campaign , his businesses or both .
But they do show how the cash flowed , in a chain of transactions , to several Trump-controlled companies and then directly to Trump himself .
The bulk of the money went through a company called Trump Las Vegas Sales and Marketing that had little previous income , no clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump-Ruffin joint venture wrote it all off as a business expense .
Experts in tax and campaign finance law consulted by the Times said that while more information was needed to assess the legitimacy of the payments , they could be legally problematic .
Unless the payments were for actual business expenses , claiming a tax deduction for them would be illegal .
If they were not legitimate and were also used to fund Trump ’ s presidential run , they could be considered illegal campaign contributions .
In response to questions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House spokesman , Judd Deere , referred to this article as “ yet another politically motivated hit piece inaccurately smearing a standard business deal.
” He added that “ during his years as a successful businessman , Donald Trump was longtime partners with Phil Ruffin and earned whatever payments he received.
” A spokeswoman for Ruffin , Jennifer Renzelman , said Ruffin was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the hotel , adding that “ all tax statements go to the people who work on his taxes.
” It is fair to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ruffin has been very generous to his friend .
He contributed more than $ 2.5 million to Trump ’ s campaign , his ill-starred foundation and his inaugural .
After the inauguration , Ruffin would ask for a favour : Would the president help revive a dormant project of great importance to a lot of powerful people in Las Vegas — a bullet train that would whisk gamblers from Southern California to The Strip in less than 90 minutes ?
Four years earlier , Barack Obama ’ s administration had considered , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion loan for the train .
This past March , a panel composed largely of Trump appointees gave the train company permission to sell $ 1 billion in tax-free bonds to private investors .
Authorities in California and Nevada fell in line , approving additional bonds .
Trains could begin running as soon as 2024 .
Among the train ’ s chief beneficiaries will be Ruffin and the other grandees of gambling who became a vital font of political money for Trump when he needed it most .
And , of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president has been less lavish , and less examined , than that of his Las Vegas compatriot Sheldon Adelson .
But he has long been a wingman for Trump ’ s political ambitions — urging him to run and promising financial support .
When Trump was considering a White House run back in 2011 , Ruffin donated the venue for a Las Vegas rally : a ballroom at his Treasure Island Hotel and Casino .
After Trump decided that he would indeed run , in 2015 , it was at another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his friend ’ s charitable good works .
Also in 2015 , Ruffin gave $ 1 million in seed money to the Make America Great Again super political action committee , only to have it refunded when the group was dissolved after news reports that it had improperly co-ordinated with the Trump campaign .
The two men had been brought together in the early 2000s by Ruffin ’ s belief that his business needed some Trump-branded glitter .
Trump , whose Atlantic City casinos were flailing , was looking to expand to Las @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former site of a mall parking lot : a “ 64-story tower of golden glass ” that “ soars above The Strip , ” according to the hotel website .
It was Trump who introduced Ruffin , now 85 , to his third wife , Oleksandra Nikolayenko — like Melania Trump , a much younger former model .
In 2004 , Nikolayenko represented Ukraine at the Miss Universe pageant .
The couple were married in 2008 at Mar-a-Lago , Trump ’ s private club in Palm Beach , Florida , with him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pour $ 100 million of his own money into the campaign , but after an early infusion of more than $ 35 million in 2015 and early 2016 , the flow eventually slowed to a steady $ 2 million or so near the end of each month .
Even as his campaign was building its vaunted internet-powered small-donor operation , much of the Republican fundraising establishment hung back , still stunned that Trump had emerged as the party ’ s standard-bearer .
At the low point , in June , the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank , according to its financial disclosures .
After the convention , the Republican National Committee began pulling in its traditional big donors , but the Trump fundraising machine still sputtered heading toward Election Day , especially after the release of the “ Access Hollywood ” tape that showed Trump bragging about groping women .
Then , on Oct. 28 , came his surprising $ 10 million contribution .
( That brought his total spending to more than $ 60 million . )
It was in those final , decisive weeks , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell in behind him .
After months of hesitation , Adelson — gambling magnate , Republican megadonor and strident voice for Israel — became the candidate ’ s biggest contributor , donating $ 20 million to Trump ’ s campaign and political action committees supporting it .
He later gave $ 5 million more to the inaugural .
Others gave , too , including the Fertitta family , owners of casinos and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and Steve Wynn , the candidate ’ s old Atlantic City casino rival .
As for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost $ 1.6 million during the campaign and to the inaugural .
And he gave another $ 1 million in 2016 to Trump ’ s foundation before it shut down amid an investigation into allegations of self-dealing .
Trump ’ s tax records reveal that when he decided to leverage his brand in the political arena , its true bottom line bore little resemblance to the gold-plated success story he was hawking to the American people .
Most of his core businesses were losing money .
Cash from “ The Apprentice ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a decade were steadily running dry .
NBC , which aired Miss Universe and “ The Apprentice , ” cut ties with him after he announced his candidacy in 2015 with racist comments about immigrants .
Deutsche Bank turned down his request for a loan for work at Turnberry , the Scottish golf resort that he had bought for roughly $ 60 million in 2014 and that was on its way to gobbling up almost $ 80 million more by the end of 2016 , according to tax return information .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree to pay $ 25 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving allegations that Trump University was a fraud .
Since 2012 , he had drained a lot of the cash he had on hand .
That year , he took out a $ 100 million mortgage on the commercial space in Trump Tower and received nearly the entire amount as a cash payout .
The following year , he took $ 95.8 million out of a real estate partnership account at Vornado Realty Trust .
After selling $ 38.6 million in stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ended the year having sold nearly $ 30 million more .
And there was another manoeuvre , the one that experts consulted by the Times described as highly unusual : the more than $ 21 million in one-time payments that the Trump-Ruffin joint venture paid out in 2016 .
By analyzing the tax return information and public records , the Times was able to trace the flow of money — first to companies that Trump alone controls and from there to Trump himself .
To understand how out of the ordinary those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became the destination for the bulk of the money : Trump Las Vegas Sales and Marketing .
It was created in 2004 as Trump and Ruffin were drawing up plans for the Trump International Hotel .
Precisely what it did , though , is obscure .
It had no employees , or at least no payroll .
And while the Trump-Ruffin joint venture certainly spent several million dollars a year to promote its room rentals and condominium sales , that money did not go to Trump Las Vegas Sales and Marketing .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had little income over the years , posting modest profits only twice : $ 54,924 in 2007 and $ 420,756 in 2008 .
Then , in 2016 , came a payment of $ 13,756,623 .
The second unusual payment was for $ 2,685,000 , divided between the two companies that hold Trump ’ s share of the hotel and then paid out directly to him .
The Trump-Ruffin hotel company listed one other large one-time expense on its 2016 tax return : a $ 4.8 million “ development fee.
” While the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all of this money through Trump ’ s tax records , his public disclosures say that a company called Trump Las Vegas Development also had a deal to receive development fees from a subsidiary of the joint venture .
( That company , according to the filings , actually had revenue of $ 8.2 million from January 2016 to April 2017 .
It is not clear where the additional $ 3.4 million came from . )
The IRS lets companies use business expenses like sales and marketing payments to reduce taxable income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both ordinary and necessary.
” The Trump-Ruffin hotel venture wrote off at least $ 21 million in one-time payments to Trump .
The tax records do not specify when the payments were made or where the joint venture got the money for them .
But taken together with public records , they may offer some clues .
The Las Vegas hotel had long been a money loser .
Between 2010 and 2012 , each partner put $ 23 million into the business .
Its losses were narrowing , though , and it began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reserves .
That might have been a decent cushion , but it was hardly enough to cover the more than $ 21 million in payments to Trump .
In fact , the payments drove the hotel to its biggest loss ever .
Then , seven weeks before the election , something else unusual happened .
The Trump-Ruffin partnership borrowed $ 30 million from City National Bank in Los Angeles .
Trump signed the loan documents in New York City , but tax records show that Ruffin personally guaranteed nearly the entire amount , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay .
The partnership was not required to disclose on its tax returns how the borrowed money would be spent .
But the timing of the loan , combined with the partnership ’ s lack of available cash that year , strongly suggests that the loan funded the millions of dollars in payments to Trump .
Ever since Amtrak had shut down the last train in 1997 , Ruffin and the other moguls who control the Las Vegas Strip had planned , waited , hoped .
Train schemes had risen and , inevitably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the support of Harry Reid , the Nevada Democrat who was then Senate majority leader , the federal government had taken a crucial step , approving a rail corridor between Las Vegas and Victorville , California .
Four years later , a proposed $ 5.5 billion federal loan for a bullet train had come before the Obama Transportation Department .
Ultimately the loan had been rejected , in part because the project could not comply with buy-American rules .
After Trump ’ s inauguration , Ruffin mentioned the predicament of his neighbour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlled the company trying to build the high-speed train .
Not long after , Marnell told the Review-Journal that he was considering approaching the Trump administration about a federal loan like the one the Obama administration had rejected .
But Marnell ’ s long-sought federal loan remained elusive , and in the fall of 2018 , he sold the business , renamed XpressWest , to a company owned by Fortress Investment Group LLC , a big New York financial firm .
( Marnell , who declined to comment for this article , kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fortress owns a company named Brightline , which operates a private rail service in Florida .
Ben Porritt , senior vice president for corporate affairs at Brightline , said its trains had previously received several allocations of federal tax-exempt bonds .
These bonds , earning interest free of taxes , help companies attract private investors to often higher-risk projects .
While they are distinct from the kind of federal loan Marnell sought , they nonetheless require government approval .
In March of this year , the Transportation Department ’ s Credit Council approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax-free bonds , the final tranche of a $ 15 billion program begun during the Obama years .
Overseeing the panel is Trump ’ s transportation secretary , Elaine Chao .
Now , with federal approval assured , California and Nevada voted to allow the issuing of an additional $ 3.2 billion in bonds .
The train company says it hopes to start construction later this year .
The Las Vegas terminal will be on the Strip , a short bus ride from the Trump International Hotel .
“ We would benefit some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there are a lot of hotel rooms here .
A lot of places they can go .
”

Susanne Craig - The New York Times,Mike McIntire,Russ Buettner


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Federal judges rule in GOP’s favour on Ohio ballot boxes

CINCINNATI - With early voting already underway in Ohio , a pingpong game in the courts over a one-per-county limit on the number of ballot drop boxes in the presidential battleground state turned back in the Republicans ’ favour Friday with a decision in a federal appellate court .
A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals approved Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose ’ s request to put on hold a lower federal judge ’ s decision to block his directive , which Democrats have argued would limit voters ’ access to the polls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ LaRose can proceed with an appeal of U.S. District Judge Dan Polster ’ s decision that limiting drop boxes impeded the “ vital constitutional right ” of voting .
Not granting the stay would harm the election process through potential squandering of resources while the case is ironed out , Judge Richard Griffin wrote .
The stay is also unlikely to harm anyone , because Ohio offers many ways to vote , he wrote .
“ The Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter election rules on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Griffin wrote .
“ Here , the district court went a step further and altered election rules during an election.
” Polster ’ s decision had marked the second time in recent weeks that a court ruled against LaRose ’ s directive .
Voter advocates are keen on expanding access to drop boxes , which some voters see as an attractive option amid concerns about Postal Service cuts and the coronavirus pandemic , and which are often sought by urban , more Democratic-leaning counties .
Three courts have scolded LaRose for the original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and arbitrary .
A state appellate court made clear he had the authority to remedy the order under law .
The waters were further muddied when LaRose issued an update to the directive restricting them to county election board offices or “ outside ” them .
Polster interpreted that as meaning anywhere outside the building , even off site , while LaRose ’ s office argued it restricted the boxes to election board property .
The federal appeals court is now the highest court to have gotten a piece of the case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies in the case , including President Donald Trump ’ s campaign and the Republican National Committee — a victory .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Rare 1794 silver dollar goes unsold at auction in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS - A 1794 silver dollar believed to be among the first ever minted in the U.S. , and the most valuable , went unsold during a public auction in Las Vegas .
Legend Auctions chief executive Matthew Bell said offers for the coin dubbed the Flowing Hair Silver Dollar didn ’ t reach a minimum bid and Las Vegas resident Bruce Morelan retained ownership .
Morelan sold 12 rare coins during the Thursday event at the Bellagio resort , reaping almost $ 4 million .
Coin collecting experts had thought the Flowing Hair coin could sell for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy it in 2013 .
The coin features images of Lady Liberty ringed with stars on the front and an eagle on the back .
A different Lady Liberty image was adopted for silver dollars beginning in 1795 .
Experts say the coin is one of perhaps 300 original silver dollars that still exist among 1,758 struck in one day at the first U.S. Mint in Philadelphia .
It has been certified as authentic and its previous sale eclipsed the $ 7.59 million that a collector paid in 2002 for a 1933 @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Trump’s Columbus Day proclamation includes stark warnings

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s proclamation Friday commemorating Columbus Day veered from a typical White House holiday announcement , with stark warnings of “ radical activists ” seeking to tarnish the explorer ’ s legacy .
Native American advocates have pressed states for years to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day over concerns that Christopher Columbus helped launch centuries of genocide against indigenous populations in the Americas .
“ Sadly , in recent years , radical activists have sought to undermine Christopher Columbus ’ s legacy , ” Trump said in his proclamation declaring Monday Columbus Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion of his vast contributions with talk of failings , his discoveries with atrocities , and his achievements with transgressions.
” Trump has been projecting himself as a defender of America ’ s history and monuments as he seeks reelection .
He signed an executive order recently to establish a commission to promote what he calls “ patriotic education.
” The move is in part a response to The New York Times ’ “ 1619 Project , ” which highlights the long-term consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies , and he did so again in his proclamation Friday .
Trump has also ordered federal agencies to end diversity training programs .
In his proclamation Friday , he said many such programs “ are grounded in the same type of revisionist history that is trying to erase Christopher Columbus from our national heritage.
” “ Together , we must safeguard our history and stop this new wave of iconoclasm by standing against those who spread hate and division , ” Trump declared .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--In non-debate, SC Senate hopefuls talk COVID, courts, unrest

COLUMBIA , S.C. - Hours before a second scheduled debate between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison , event organizers were forced Friday to change the format , offering back-to-back , one-on-one interviews — rather than a debate — following a day of campaign clashes over COVID-19 that stirred doubts of whether the matchup would go on at all .
Graham and Harrison took part in individual interviews with two television journalists after Harrison threatened to tank the debate over concerns related to Graham ’ s exposure to other GOP senators who recently tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Committee chairman , had demanded that Graham be tested before the event due to his recent meetings with other Republican senators who tested positive .
Graham , who took a test last week , refused , saying he had “ taken the coronavirus threat to our state and nation very seriously , ” but had been told by the Senate physician no further testing was needed .
With COVID-19 concerns front and centre for Friday ’ s event , moderators asked both candidates if they supported a national mask mandate .
Harrison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham said he didn ’ t see as enforceable .
Harrison also called requiring coronavirus vaccines for school students “ a possibility , ” while Graham said such issues should be left to states to decide .
“ Let ’ s push as hard as we can to get a vaccine to get this virus behind us , ” the Republican said .
Graham , chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , was asked if testing were appropriate before confirmation hearings set to begin Monday for Amy Coney Barrett , President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court .
Noting he would adhere to federal requirements , Graham said those guidelines would dictate how the room would be set up and that testing every person would be unreasonable .
“ I ’ m not going to live my life differently than you have to live yours , ” Graham said , referencing average Americans who work next to colleagues daily who haven ’ t been tested .
“ For those of you who work for a living , you can ’ t do what Mr. Harrison has demanded tonight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nomination , Graham committed to her confirmation , noting he also had previously supported two of former President Barack Obama ’ s Supreme Court nominees because he saw them as qualified .
“ If you ’ re looking for somebody to support conservative judges , I am your guy , ” Graham said .
“ If you ’ re looking for somebody to reach across the aisle , I have done it.
” During his turn discussing the upcoming hearings , Harrison decried what he described as a rushed process that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should wait until after the presidential election .
“ We shouldn ’ t even be talking about confirmation hearings , ” Harrison said , pointing out Graham ’ s 2018 comments that election-year appointments shouldn ’ t even be taken up .
“ Now he is going against his word and against the precedent that has been set.
“ To close out each segment , the candidates were asked different questions on social issues .
Harrison described himself as supporting abortion rights and said those decisions should be “ between a woman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he supported same-sex marriage , Graham said he accepted the U.S. Supreme Court ’ s ruling on the matter and “ will honour the law of the land.
” When asked about the Black Lives Matter movement and calls to reduce and redirect some government funding for police , Harrison noted that , while he knows people in the movement , he hasn ’ t met with them as a candidate , and doesn ’ t support some of their policies .
“ I don ’ t believe in the ‘ defunding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do believe in strengthening the relationship between police and communities , “ Harrison said .
When asked why he hadn ’ t met with people in the movement , Harrison said they had not reached out to him or his campaign .
A third debate is scheduled for later this month , although the confirmation hearings may complicate that schedule .
The race between Graham and Harrison has tightened , with surveys showing the candidates in a dead heat , and both campaigns raising more than $ 30 million apiece — also aided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from outside groups .
Trump carried South Carolina by double digits over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 , and Republicans control both legislative chambers , all statewide offices and most of the state ’ s congressional seats .
South Carolina is assumed to be safely in his reelection column .
Meg Kinnard can be reached at https : //twitter.com/MegKinnardAP .
AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : //interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/ .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Tropical storm unleashes rain, strong winds in south Japan

TOKYO - Tropical Storm Chan-hom brought powerful winds and rain to southern Japan on Saturday , with the weather bureau @ @ @ @ @ in most of the country .
The storm , packing sustained winds of up to @ @ @ @ @ ) per hour , was moving in waters south of Japan , near the main @ @ @ @ @ It had been downgraded from a typhoon earlier in the week .
It was expected @ @ @ @ @ Honshu as well as smaller islands such as Izu by early Sunday .
The storm @ @ @ @ @ affect Tokyo or make direct landfall .
Weather forecasts warned of a heavy downpour and @ @ @ @ @ cause rivers to swell and towering waves in coastal areas as well as mudslides .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--WFP chief: Nobel Prize message to world not to forget Sahel

OUAGADOUGOU , Burkina Faso - The head of the World Food Program said winning the Nobel Peace Prize while he was visiting the impoverished and war-weakened Sahel was a message to the world that it should not forget the region .
WFP Executive Director David Beasley spoke to reporters during a brief stop in Burkina Faso Friday , shortly after the agency won the Peace Prize for fighting hunger at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has driven millions more people to the brink of starvation .
“ The fact that I was in the Sahel when we received the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , hey world with all the things going on around the world today please don ’ t forget about the people in the Sahel !
“ said Beasley , who was in neighbouring Niger when he heard the news .
” Please don ’ t forget about the people that are struggling and dying from starvation.
” Beasley said he was particularly concerned about Burkina Faso , which has faced a violent Islamic insurgency that ’ s cut off swaths of land and pushed millions of people to hunger .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in need of emergency food aid , and some 11,000 people are facing famine conditions , according to the latest security report by the government and U.N. agencies .
“ We can avert famine in Burkina Faso but we ’ ve got to have two things , money and access .
Without both there ’ ll be famine , ” he said .
He ’ s hoping the prize will propel donors , billionaires and people around the world to alleviate suffering , especially in the face of the coronavirus , which will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next year ’ s funding , he said .
“ 2021 is screaming around the corner , there are no reserves , the economic downturn is taking place , the ripple effect to poor countries is devastating , ” said Beasley .
Aid workers say the Peace Prize is a “ timely recognition ” of the importance of the WFP ’ s role in fragile countries like Burkina Faso , said Donald Brooks , chief executive officer for Initiative : Eau , a U.S. aid group focused on increasing the safety of drinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burkina Faso ’ s government says it doesn ’ t have enough money to feed the more than 1 million internally displaced people .
Boukare Ouedraogo , the mayor of Kaya town , which hosts nearly 500,000 displaced people , said the situation is so devastating it keeps him up at night .
“ What makes me cry , what makes me not sleep , is to see these women , these children who are moving around and who come to knock on my door with a starving look saying that they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--US agency mourns murdered Mexico plant safety inspector

MEXICO CITY - The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday it mourned the murder of a Mexican employee of the USDA ’ s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services .
Prosecutors in the northern border city of Tijuana said Edgar Flores Santos was killed by drug traffickers who may have mistaken him for a policeman .
Flores Santos ’ body was found last week near Tijuana and a suspect in the killing has been arrested .
The U.S. inspection service , known by its acronym APHIS , said “ we mourn the loss of a bright agriculturist with a budding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened to withdraw inspectors in Mexico ’ s avocado belt after they were threatened at gunpoint .
But the service said the murder of Flores Santos would not affect its work in Mexico .
Baja California state prosecutors said Flores Santos worked out of the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana , and APHIS said his job was “ to conduct detection and eradication activities supporting our fruit fly and citrus pest and disease programs in Northern Mexico.
” Prosecutors said a 24-year-old suspect had been arrested in the case .
The suspect , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with methamphetamine .
He is in custody and faces charges of illegally burying a corpse , apparently that of Flores Santos .
Prosecutor said Flores Santos used to go to the area where he was killed , known as Valle Redondo , at least three times a week , on plant inspection work .
But in late September , he was allegedly shot to death by the suspect and other unidentified accomplices .
Flores Santos suffered nine bullet wounds .
“ He was probably mistaken by these men for an employee of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors ’ office said .
The last violent incident occurred in mid-2019 , when APHIS said a team of inspectors was “ directly threatened ” in Ziracuaretiro , a town in the western state of Michoacan .
While the agency didn ’ t specify what happened , local authorities say a gang robbed the truck the inspectors were travelling in at gunpoint .
At that time , the U.S.D.A .
wrote a letter to Mexico saying : “ For future situations that result in a security breach , or demonstrate an imminent physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we will immediately suspend program activities.
“ Such a move could have blocked shipments and devastated Mexico ’ s avocado export industry .
However , this time around APHIS said in a statement that “ APHIS is fully co-operating in the ongoing investigation in Mexico .
However , we don ’ t anticipate any impact to our ability carry out the APHIS mission in the area .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--California fire investigators seize utility equipment

SAN FRANCISCO - Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession of equipment belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric , the utility reported Friday .
PG & E said in a filing with the Public Utilities Commission that investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection seized some of its electrical equipment near where the Zogg Fire started Sept. 27 .
The fire erupted in Shasta County during high winds and quickly grew , killing four people in the community of Igo , population 600 .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of Friday , it had scorched 88 square miles ( nearly 228 square kilometres ) and destroyed more than 200 buildings , about half of them homes .
It was almost fully contained .
The utility said it does not have access to the evidence collected by Cal Fire , which has yet to determine a cause for the fire .
PG & E , the nation ’ s largest utility , recently emerged from bankruptcy stemming from financial fallout from several devastating wildfires caused by its utility equipment that killed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27,000 homes and other buildings in 2017 and 2018 .
Customers in the area , near Zogg Mine Road and Jenny Bird Lane north of Igo , are served by a 12,000-volt PG & E circuit .
On the day the Zogg Fire began , the utility ’ s automated equipment in the area “ reported alarms and other activity between approximately 2:40 p.m. and 3:06 p.m. , “ PG & E told regulators .
The line was then de-activated .
The Shasta County Sheriff ’ s Office identified one of the victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was found dead along a road on Sept. 28 .
The sheriff ’ s department said another victim was a minor but did not report the identity .
KRCR-TV in Redding reported that Rowe and her eight-year-old daughter Feyla died as they tried to escape the fire .
The two other victims , also found a day after the fire started , are Karin King , 79 , who was found on the road where the fire started , and Kenneth Vossen , 52 , who suffered serious burns that day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & E said in a statement that it is co-operating with the investigation .
“ We recognize the tragic losses sustained as a result of this year ’ s fire season and are thankful , as always , for the efforts of the first responders who have worked tirelessly to contain the fires and protect the lives and property of California residents , “ the statement said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Van Dyke ends effort to overturn McDonald murder conviction

CHICAGO - The former Chicago police officer imprisoned for the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald on Friday ended an effort to overturn his conviction .
An Illinois appellate court allowed Jason Van Dyke to withdraw his appeal , meaning he will serve out his sentence without further court proceedings .
Van Dyke ’ s attorney filed a motion with the court Sept. 29 , 2020 , asking that his appeal be dropped .
Attorney Jennifer Blagg said Van Dyke decided to withdraw his appeal because he ’ s trying to move on with his life .
“ He thought it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parties involved , including the McDonald family , that there be some finality , ” Blagg said .
Van Dyke was convicted in 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery in McDonald ’ s killing .
He was sentenced to six years , nine months in prison .
Kane County State ’ s Attorney Joseph McMahon was appointed special prosecutor in the Van Dyke case .
“ Mr .
Van Dyke ’ s decision prevents additional years of litigation , bringing finality to the thorough prosecution of this case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice was served , ” McMahon said in a statement .
McMahon and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul appealed Van Dyke ’ s sentence , contending it didn ’ t match the severity of the crime .
The Illinois Supreme Court last year let the sentence stand , offering no explanation of its decision .
Van Dyke shot McDonald in October 2014 as the 17-year-old walked away from police on a Southwest Side street while holding a knife .
Video of Van Dyke firing 16 shots at McDonald prompted protests , a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department and the firing of the police superintendent , among other changes .
For the AP ’ s complete coverage of the Jason Van Dyke case : https : //apnews.com/tag/LaquanMcDonald