thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Protesters: Caribou heart meant to send message to senator

JUNEAU , Alaska - The man who owned a caribou heart that protesters said they wanted to give U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan during a disrupted campaign event said Sullivan reminded him of the robotic Tin Man from “ The Wizard of Oz , ” and he wanted to give him a heart .
Samuel Johns said his intended message was tied to Sullivan ’ s support for opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling .
The refuge provides grounds for the Porcupine Caribou herd , which is significant to the Indigenous Gwich ’ in .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him a heart as a symbolic message that the caribou heart is what has kept my people alive for thousands of years , ” Johns said Monday .
Sullivan ’ s campaign defended the senator ’ s record .
State officials have long pushed for opening part of the refuge for oil and gas drilling , including all three current Republican members of Alaska ’ s congressional delegation .
Johns said he was not at Saturday ’ s event in Anchorage , in which a protester stepped on stage next to Sullivan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart from a bag .
Video posted by the Alaska Landmine blog shows another woman run into Sullivan ’ s campaign manager , Matt Shuckerow , as he moved toward the protester on stage .
That woman was knocked down .
A statement from the protesters released to the Anchorage Daily News said the woman was trying to get between them .
Shuckerow said the actions taken by protesters at the event , at an airport hangar in Anchorage , were dangerous and unsafe .
Protesters said unnecessary force was used in responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being reviewed by police from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and the city , said David Schulling , deputy chief for airport police and fire .
“ We ’ re still looking into it , to try to determine what exactly took place , ” he said .
Shuckerow described the incident as a “ very serious security threat , ” and said he was concerned about the woman who stepped on stage as she “ was reaching to grab something concealed within a handbag.
” He also thought they might throw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Johns said “ blood , anywhere , was not part of the plan , ” and said he should have been more explicit on the handling of the once-frozen heart .
Kathleen Bonnar , the protester who went on stage , said she never planned to throw the heart .
Sullivan is seeking a second term in office .
His wife is Alaska Native and from a prominent Alaska family .
Rina Kowalski said she was among the protesters and had bruises after the event .
She called the protest bold and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attention .
“ And it did capture attention .
... Our goal was fulfilled , ” she said .
“ Hopefully he can ’ t ignore us now .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--UN: Airstrike in northwest Yemen kills 7 children, 2 women

CAIRO - An airstrike in northwest Yemen killed seven children and two women , the United Nations reported Monday , the latest escalation of a conflict that has killed thousands of civilians and spawned the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
The Houthi rebels had accused their rivals , the Saudi-led coalition , of striking civilian targets across northwest Yemen late Sunday , killing women and children as young as 2 years old .
The U.N. humanitarian office in Yemen said field reports appeared to confirm an attack that left nine dead and wounded another two children and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is truly appalling to hear accounts of lifeless children being dragged out of the rubble , ” said Xavier Joubert , Save the Children ’ s country director in Yemen .
The Saudi-led coalition said it would investigate the strike “ to consider the possibility of an accident.
” “ Based on what was revealed ... about the possibility of civilian casualties during an operation targeting a gathering of Houthi leaders , all documents were transferred to the Joint Incident Assessment Team for consideration , ” said coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for errant airstrikes that have hit schools , hospitals and wedding parties , killing thousands of civilians .
The coronavirus pandemic , which has surged across war-torn Yemen and overwhelmed its deficient health system , has created new urgency for peace efforts .
But U.N.-backed proposals to bring about a cease-fire between the internationally recognized government , backed by the coalition , and the Iran-supported Houthi rebels , have so far failed to gain traction .
“ It is incomprehensible that in the middle of the COVID pandemic , when options for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue being killed in Yemen , ” said Lise Grande , humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen .
Meanwhile , the coalition has stepped up airstrikes , including on the capital , Sanaa , and the Houthis have escalated their cross-border attacks on the kingdom .
Yehia Sarea , the Houthi military spokesman , claimed Sunday that the rebels had launched a large-scale attack on Saudi airports and military bases .
The coalition said its air defence systems intercepted four ballistic missiles and seven explosive drones .
“ Yemen can ’ t take much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month bringing some new measure of civilian misery .
“ Health and water programs are shutting , famine is stalking the country again , and people all across the country are being hit hard by COVID.
” Nearly 80 % of the country ’ s 24 million people require aid .
Meanwhile , a U.N. humanitarian appeal for Yemen this month fell $ 1 billion short of what aid agencies needed .
As a result , some 75 % of U.N. programs for the country have shut their doors or rolled back operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Houthis overran Sanaa and much of the country ’ s north .
The Saudi-led coalition , with support from the U.S. , intervened several months later to oust the Houthis and restore the internationally recognized government .
The war has killed over 112,000 people , including 12,600 civilians , according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Seattle mayor, City Council at odds over 50% police cut

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on Monday blasted the City Council ’ s plan to cut the police department ’ s budget by 50 % and instead proposed transferring a list of functions like the 911 call centre and parking enforcement out of the agency ’ s budget .
“ We need to invest in community-based solutions that address underlying root issues , ” Durkan said at a news conference .
“ The community has made clear , they want us to transform the Seattle Police Department and to reinvest in programs that provide this kind of community safety.
” Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Calls to defund the Seattle police grew louder after protesters were hit with pepper spray and flash bombs during demonstrations .
The Office of Police Accountability received more than 17,000 complaints against officers related to protests .
Most focus on 17 incidents that range from excessive force , flashbang injuries and aggressive crowd-handling tactics .
Councilmember Kshama Sawant had said on Twitter that in July and August the council will vote on the police budget for the rest of 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % , or about $ 85 million .
On Monday , Sawant said : “ In the autumn budget vote , Seattle City Council will vote on the budget for next year .
People ’ s Budget will then bring the legislation to defund all of next year ’ s police budget by at least half , around $ 200 million , going by their budget for this year.
” Seven of the council ’ s nine members support that plan , Durkan said , but they ’ ve failed to speak with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand the impacts of that kind of a drastic cut .
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said eliminating half the department would risk public safety .
“ Our budget is almost entirely personnel , ” Best said .
“ I will not sacrifice officers of colour for political points.
” City Councilmember and Public Safety Chair Lisa Herbold said via Twitter on Monday that the council is working through the police budget and is in the very beginning stages of developing proposals .
Herbold also said Best wouldn ’ t have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom are people of colour , in a layoff scenario because Best can request permission to do them out of order .
Durkan wants to reduce the 2021 budget by about $ 76 million by transferring a number of non-officer functions out of the department .
The department ’ s budget for the current year is more than $ 400 million .
Included in the reorganization would be the 911 call centre , parking enforcement , the Office of Emergency Management and Office of Police Accountability .
An officer is not always the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Durkan said .
Some emergencies should instead be handled by a social worker , nurse , firefighter or family counsellor .
About $ 20 million will be cut by not expanding the force and reducing overtime , Durkan said .
Moving the 911 call centre will reduce the police budget by $ 34.2 million , she said .
Transferring the parking enforcement division will save $ 13.7 million and moving the emergency management department would cut $ 3.3 million .
Durkan has been sharply criticized for the way she has handled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unseat Durkan secured a boost last week when a judge approved a petition for an election to recall the mayor .
Durkan has repeatedly said that she has sought the help of the community while making decisions about police reform , but members of the Community Police Commission said they have not been consulted .
The group was formed as part of the consent decree agreement with the federal court .
“ A staff member from the mayor ’ s office emailed us at 9:22 a.m. telling us that the mayor would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson Jesse Franz said Monday .
Others have supported shifting funds to help people in crisis .
Councilmember Andrew Lewis has proposed legislation to use some of the policing budget for a new mental health and substance abuse program .
Unarmed medical personnel and crisis workers would respond to a mental health crisis instead of an officer .
“ By the most conservative estimates one in every four people fatally shot by a police officer has a mental illness , ” Lewis said on Twitter .
“ This has to stop .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Oklahoma drops murder charges in vehicle child deaths

TULSA , Okla. - An Oklahoma district attorney ’ s office dismissed two murder charges against a man whose two children died in a hot vehicle after prosecutors determined the children ’ s tribal history .
The Tulsa County District Attorney ’ s Office dropped charges filed Friday against Dustin Lee Dennis , 31 .
He was facing two second-degree felony murder charges after the June deaths of his children , Ryan and Tegan , the Tulsa World reported .
Last week , the Supreme Court ruled that a large chunk of eastern Oklahoma remains an American Indian reservation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pursue criminal cases against American Indian defendants in parts of Oklahoma , including most of Tulsa .
“ To have put the effort in that law enforcement did in this investigation because of what we originally had to go through , it ’ s got ta be devastating for the victim — I feel bad for her , ” said District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler , referencing Tegan and Ryan ’ s mother , a Cherokee Nation citizen who on Monday presented information about the children ’ s status to authorities .
Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribal citizen , but federal prosecutors determined in 2010 that the government still has jurisdiction to pursue cases under the existing General Crimes Act if a tribal citizen is a victim of a crime on tribal land but the alleged perpetrator is not enrolled in one .
Dennis had been released from jail on a personal recognizance bond , which Kunzweiler said last month was partly because surveillance footage showed that the children entered Dennis ’ truck by themselves .
A document filed against Dennis on Friday alleged that he committed child neglect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day when he was the sole caretaker , ” which resulted in their deaths .
Dennis reported that he and the children drove to the store before returning home , where he slept for four or five hours .
Police said he told them he did not see the children when he woke up , but he found their bodies on his truck ’ s floorboard and brought them in his house .
The site of the reported homicide is within the boundaries of the Muscogee ( Creek ) Nation .
Kunzweiler said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Office in Tulsa to encourage them to review Dennis ’ case .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Trump team eyes school funds boost in next virus aid bill

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s push to reopen schools is being complicated by a split within his ranks over how to do it , with some advisers advocating for a massive federal expenditure to make campuses safe as Congress compiles the next COVID-19 relief bill .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , said Monday that schooling will be a priority in the coming package .
Senate Democrats have proposed a $ 430 billion education stabilization plan .
But the Republican leader has not said how much Congress is willing to spend , wary of high-dollar outlays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators .
Vice-President Mike Pence assured governors Monday that talks are underway for education funds from Congress .
“ We can ’ t have a normal country unless kids are back in school , ” McConnell said during a hospital visit in Kentucky .
Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos want schools up and running in fall , part of a broader effort by the administration to continue reopening the economy despite record-breaking numbers of new COVID cases in several states , including Florida and California , and scattered communities nationwide .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
Last week , Trump and DeVos scoffed at the hybrid approach being considered by many jurisdictions — with students attending on staggered days to ensure social distancing .
At the time , Trump threatened to cut funds to schools that don ’ t fully reopen .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release updated guidelines this week .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said Monday that Congress needs to show Americans the country will “ put children first ” by ensuring enough money to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 billion for education in the Heroes Act , which is stalled in the Senate .
“ Without the resources , we shouldn ’ t even be thinking about sending them back to school , ” Pelosi said on MSNBC .
Congress is set to resume next week as lawmakers begin negotiating the next aid package .
This would be the fifth in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Congress has already approved a stunning $ 3 trillion allotment since the start of the outbreak in the U.S. earlier this year .
Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the administration was seeking more federal funding to help the states safely reopen schools .
“ We ’ re in active discussions with leadership in the Congress about additional education funding support in the upcoming relief bill , ” Pence said , according to audio obtained by The Associated Press .
Pence noted there are still funds remaining from the earlier CARES Act , which allocated $ 13.5 billion for education .
But he said the administration is now “ giving consideration to additional education resources “ from Congress .
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools , “ the vice-president said .
In recent weeks , a divide has emerged within Trump ’ s orbit , with advisers both inside and outside the White House advocating for a robust plan to help campuses open this fall .
They see it as vital to kick-starting the economy and also popular , potentially delivering a badly needed political win .
Some of Trump ’ s advisers have urged the president to make a bold push to reopen schools and advocate for a massive amount of money — even potentially over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to three campaign and White House officials not authorized to speak publicly about internal deliberations .
A robust , safe and methodical reopening of the nation ’ s schools would likely stimulate the economy , the advisers have said , by freeing up working parents to focus fully on their jobs .
But the White House has yet to show the ability to quickly mount a massive and effective mobilization during the pandemic .
Congress is already working on legislation , hoping to pass the package by the end of July .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural issues , telling advisers that he can paint the Democrats as obstructions , though Democrats have already approved their school funding bill in the House while Republicans in the Senate consider next steps .
The president has mused about threatening the funding of schools he believes promote a left-wing agenda and , connecting it to other flanks in the culture wars , particularly his defence of American monuments , the officials said .
The mixed messages from the White House only complicate the path ahead .
Pelosi ’ s House already approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which along with the school funds includes money to shore up the states and cities , provide another round of direct payments to Americans and bolster health care testing , treatment and supplies .
McConnell says that bill will never be approved in the Senate .
He is eyeing a $ 1 trillion package .
Senate Republicans are focused on creating a new liability shield to protect health care providers , schools and businesses that reopen during the pandemic from what McConnell calls an “ epidemic of lawsuits ” by those claiming injuries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of direct payments , following allotments of up to $ 1,200 the federal government began sending to households last spring , noting the aid is particularly helpful for those earning less than $ 40,000 a year .
But the two sides remain far apart on several of those issues , and particularly over jobless benefits .
Republicans oppose extending the $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit boost that expires at the end of this month .
They say it pays people to stay home rather than work , but Democrats say jobless Americans need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alan Suderman in Richmond , Va. , contributed to this report .

Lisa Mascaro And Jonathan Lemire - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Victims’ relatives most vocal opponents of man’s execution

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
- Family members of three people slain in Arkansas more than 20 years ago have been among the most vocal opponents to the federal government ’ s plan to execute one of the men convicted of killing their loved ones .
That man , Daniel Lewis Lee , is first on the list of prisoners set to be killed as the Trump administration tries to bring back federal executions this week after an almost two-decade hiatus .
But relatives of William Mueller , his wife , Nancy , and her 8-year-old daughter , Sarah Powell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that ’ s not what they want .
They have pleaded for years that Lee , of Yukon , Oklahoma , should receive the same life sentence as the ringleader in a deadly scheme that aimed to establish a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest .
Hours after the scheduled time for Lee ’ s execution , it was unclear whether any of the executions would go forward .
The family members say their grief is compounded by the push to execute the 47-year-old Lee in the middle of a pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I pray that he will hear my message : the scheduled execution of Danny Lee for the murder of my daughter and granddaughter is not what I want and would bring my family more pain , “ Earlene Peterson , Nancy ’ s mother and Sarah ’ s grandmother , said in a statement last month .
Family members say the government is forcing them to put their lives at risk if they travel during the coronavirus pandemic to witness Lee ’ s execution .
Peterson ; her granddaughter Monica Veillette ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s sister and Sarah ’ s aunt , asked a judge for a delay , which a judge initially granted .
That decision was overturned as lawyers for the federal government , Lee and others fought in court in the days leading up to the execution .
Peterson , 81 , lives in Arkansas , while Veillette and Gurel live in Washington state .
An attorney for the relatives who object to the execution said they hadn ’ t travelled to Indiana as of Monday morning .
A Justice Department official said other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attend .
Some would have to travel thousands of miles to witness the execution in a small room in which the social distancing needed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is virtually impossible .
“ It feels disingenuous to me for someone to say they ’ re doing this in our family ’ s name and for us , and no one ’ s taken into account our well-being and health , “ Veillette said .
She said other relatives want to witness the execution to counter the government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their behalf .
“ For us it is a matter of being there and saying , ` This is not being done in our name ; we do not want this , ’ “ she said .
Lee ’ s execution would be only the third carried out in the U.S. since March due to concerns about COVID-19 .
Missouri executed an inmate in May , and Texas executed a man last week .
The federal executions will bring together lawyers , victims ’ families , media and others from other communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .
By late June , more than 57,000 inmates at state and federal prisons had tested positive for the virus , according to data compiled by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press “ You are creating a petri dish , and then you ’ re bringing that into the prison , and the prison is already a hot spot for the virus , “ said Robert Dunham , executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center .
The Bureau of Prisons says it ’ s implementing safety measures that include conducting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks .
Lee ’ s attorneys have pressed their case that his death sentence is unfair , and cited evidence from his trial that Chevie Kehoe , the alleged ringleader , actually killed Sarah .
Kehoe , of Colville , Washington , recruited Lee in 1995 for his white supremacist organization .
Two years later , they were arrested for the killings of the Muellers and Sarah in Tilly , Arkansas , about 75 miles ( 120 kilometres ) northwest of Little Rock .
At their 1999 trial , prosecutors said Kehoe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash from the Muellers as part of their plan to establish a whites-only nation .
Prosecutors said Lee and Kehoe incapacitated the Muellers and questioned Sarah about where they could find money and ammunition .
Then , they used stun guns on them , sealed trash bags with duct tape on their heads , taped rocks to their bodies and dumped them in a bayou .
Kehoe and Lee were both convicted of murder .
The lead prosecutor and judge from Lee ’ s trial have in recent years called the disparity in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than anything else , this case illustrates that the most carefully crafted capital punishment regime in the hands of the humans who must carry it out can never be completely free of arbitrariness in all of its implementations , ” Judge G. Thomas Eisele wrote in a 2008 ruling denying Lee ’ s request to set aside his death sentence .
The U.S. Supreme Court last month cleared the way for Lee and three other federal inmates to be put to death .
The other three are slated to die for killing people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP writer Michael Balsamo in Terre Haute , Indiana , and former AP writer Hannah Grabenstein contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Molokai homeowners sue Maui over vacation rental permits

HONOLULU - A vacation rental association and four homeowners have filed a federal lawsuit against the county of Maui claiming their rights have been violated by restrictions placed on short-term vacation rentals on the Hawaiian island of Molokai .
In a statement released Monday , the group said Maui County violated their rights to due process .
Some of the homeowners , the lawsuit said , must cancel reservations and answer “ potential claims ” from customers as a result of the county ’ s action .
Some owners had permits that would have allowed them to operate into 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of grandfathering in existing permit holders , they told my clients -- with no due process whatsoever , “ said the group ’ s Honolulu-based lawyer Terrance Revere .
He added their short-term rental housing permits ” were being yanked away , ” The lawsuit names the county , Mayor Michael Victorino and the head of the Maui County Planning Department .
Calls to those officials seeking comment were not immediately returned .
The bill was signed into law in March and has not yet gone into effect .
It sets the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sparsely populated island of Molokai to zero .
The bill said the action was based on recommendations set by the Molokai Planning Commission in 2017 .
Short-term vacation rentals have been subject to new restrictions across Hawaii in recent years .
The group said they met with the Maui County Council among other officials before filing the lawsuit .
“ We met with County Council members , with the Mayor and with the Planning Department .
Ultimately , they were not able to protect these Molokai property owners and residents , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maui Vacation Rental Association , in a statement .
The association is among those suing the county .
Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee said in a phone interview that decisions to allow for vacation rental permits are made on a case-by-case basis and that the board considers concerns from the community in making their decisions .
She said the county was not targeting those that lived on Molokai .
“ We ’ re going to have to deal with this in court , ” Lee said .
“ If there needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or an elimination of the amount allowed , I believe that is within the purview of the council .
So we will discuss the finer details in court.
” Lee said other areas of the county could also face a reduction or elimination of permits .
“ Primarily the council looks at community concerns because , after all , a lot of these vacation rentals are located in residential areas , ” Lee added .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Trump inaugural panel agrees to fine over registration in NJ

TRENTON , N.J. - New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Monday he reached a deal with President Donald Trump ’ s inaugural committee stemming from a lawsuit alleging the organization failed to properly register in the state .
Trump for America Inc. faces a $ 30,000 penalty , though $ 27,500 of it will be suspended , according to a statement from Grewal ’ s office .
Suspended penalties are common in settlements like the one involving Trump for America and help ensure compliance , according to the attorney general ’ s office .
The organization , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welfare organization , will submit a registration statement and additional documents , according to the attorney general ’ s statement .
It ’ s not clear what those documents are .
If after a year Trump for America Inc. complies with all the terms of the agreement , all but $ 2,500 of the penalty will be waived .
The agreement stems from a January 2020 lawsuit Grewal filed arguing that Trump for America , which raised millions for the president ’ s inaugural celebration , did not register with the state Division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Grewal subpoenaed the organization in February 2019 after determining it had not registered with the division .
“ This case should send a message that all are equal before the law , and none are above it , ” Grewal said “ We expect charitable organizations to comply with New Jersey ’ s laws , and we expect compliance with our subpoenas .
Any organization that fails to comply may be dissolved and face other penalties.
” Grewal also said Trump for America Inc. would cease to exist under the deal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s campaign seeking a response .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--New Zealand opposition leader quits 2 months from election

WELLINGTON , New Zealand - The leader of New Zealand ’ s opposition National Party quit Tuesday morning just over two months from a general election and 53 days after he took charge of the right-of-centre party that is seeing its support stagnate .
The statement Todd Muller released at 7:30 a.m. said he was stepping down “ effective immediately ” and reportedly shocked his fellow lawmakers .
They announced deputy Nikki Kaye would be the acting leader , while a full meeting of the party caucus was due to take place later Tuesday at which a new leader may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates .
“ It has become clear to me that I am not the best person to be leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party at this critical time for New Zealand , ” Muller said .
“ It is more important than ever that the New Zealand National Party has a leader who is comfortable in the role .
“ The role has taken a heavy toll on me personally , and on my family , and this has become untenable from a health perspective.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past week in a scandal after it was revealed a junior lawmaker leaked private health details of New Zealand COVID-19 patients to news media .
The information was provided by a former party president who received it confidentially in her capacity as acting chief executive of the Auckland rescue helicopter organization .
Muller has been widely criticized for his handling of the scandal and the veracity of some of his statements had been challenged .
He was facing questions over when he knew the source of the leak and if he knew one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received the information .
The private information was sent to three media organizations but was not published .
Muller was a low-profile member of the party when he was chosen to lead the coup that toppled former leader Simon Bridges , whose lack of popularity with voters had begun to worry MPs as the election approached .
National has struggled to dent the popularity of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern , whose government has high approval ratings for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
New Zealand has gone 73 days without a case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low toll of 22 deaths .
Life has returned to mostly normal with schools , bars and restaurants all open and with packed stadiums at sports events .
Only international travel remains restricted , and New Zealand ’ s only active virus cases are among returned travellers in quarantine .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--North Dakota urges court to halt Dakota Access line shutdown

BISMARCK , N.D. - North Dakota is urging a federal appeals court to block a judge ’ s order to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline .
North Dakota Solicitor General Matt Sagsveen filed a document Monday supporting operator Energy Transfer ’ s efforts to keep the oil line open while the Texas-based company appeals .
Sagsveen argued a shutdown will devastate the oil industry and cost North Dakota billions of dollars in tax revenue , hurting programs and residents .
“ These definite consequences vastly outweigh the entirely speculative potential harm of a spill or leak while the ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last week U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the pipeline shut down by Aug. 5 for an additional environmental assessment more than three years after it began pumping oil .
Boasberg later rejected a request by Energy Transfer to halt his order to shut down the pipeline during the lengthy environmental review .
Federal officials who approved the pipeline ’ s permit to cross the Missouri River notified the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that they also plan to oppose the judge ’ s order , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct an environmental review that is expected to take more than a year .
Department of Justice attorneys representing the Corps notified Boasberg on Monday that the government also plans to appeal his orders .
Energy Transfer plans to appeal .
In the meantime , the company is asking the appeals court to allow the pipeline to continue operating .
Energy Transfer estimates it would take three months to empty the pipeline of oil and complete steps to preserve it for future use .
The line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 and 2017 , sometimes violent , during its construction near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border .
The tribe took legal action against the pipeline even after it began carrying oil from North Dakota across South Dakota and Iowa and to a shipping point in Illinois in June 2017 .
The $ 3.8 billion , 1,172-mile ( 1,886 kilometre ) pipeline crosses beneath the Missouri River , just north of the reservation .
The tribe draws its water from the river and has concerns about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is safe .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--10-year-old killed, 2 teens hurt in New Orleans gunfire

NEW ORLEANS - A 10-year-old child was killed and two teenagers wounded by gunfire Monday afternoon in New Orleans , police said .
Police Chief Shaun Ferguson said police responding to shots being fired around 5 p.m. found the three victims .
A girl described as about 15 or 16 years old and a boy , age 13 , were wounded .
The 10-year-old died from a gunshot wound to the head .
What motivated the shooting is unknown and no suspects had been publicly identified as of Monday evening .
Ferguson said police so far had learned the victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orleans ’ 7th Ward “ when they were approached by individuals on foot who began to fire at the victims.
” Ferguson called for witnesses to come forward .
“ I am begging you , I am pleading with you — the community — to come forward with any information that you may have.
” Ferguson also implored any family members of the victims to “ let the police handle it .
” We do not want street justice .
We do not want any more blood on our streets.
“ “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell , who stood next to Ferguson during the news conference at the scene .
“ Any time in which we , as a society , are talking about social justice vs. social injustice , we as a community need to take a look at ourselves and what is it we are doing , what is it that we are accepting as a norm with this Black on Black violence , ” said Ferguson , who is Black .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Man charged in federal court for Indian Country killing

TULSA , Okla. - A man accused in the shotgun slaying of a Native American woman in Tulsa was charged with murder in federal court Monday in line with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling .
Federal prosecutors charged James Michael Landry , 29 , with first-degree murder for the killing of his girlfriend , a citizen of the Cherokee Nation identified in court documents only by her initials , C.B .
The federal prosecutor ’ s office is pursuing the case consistent with the Supreme Court ’ s ruling last week that state prosecutors lack authority in criminal cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or victim are tribal citizens , said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores .
“ In this case and others that may now fall under federal jurisdiction , the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office will uphold its trust responsibility in the public safety arena , “ Shores said in a statement .
Authorities who arrived at Philpott Park in Tulsa on Friday to an emergency call of a woman in need of assistance observed Landry standing over the body of a woman who had been shot in the head , according to a court affidavit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Landry admitted to detectives that he was holding the gun when it discharged , but said the shooting was unintentional , the affidavit said .
A message left Monday with the federal public defender ’ s office in Tulsa seeking comment wasn ’ t immediately returned .
Landry is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Thursday .
This story has been corrected to reflect the preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday , not Tuesday .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--ICC prosecutor says defendant was ‘key’ to Timbuktu crimes

THE HAGUE , Netherlands - An alleged Islamic extremist who went on trial Tuesday on charges that he policed a brutal Islamic regime in Timbuktu after al-Qaida-linked rebels overran the historic Malian desert city in 2012 was a “ key figure ” in the reign of terror , the International Criminal Court ’ s chief prosecutor said .
In an opening statement , Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the extremists who occupied Timbuktu turned life the city known as the “ pearl of the desert ” into a nightmare , where armed rebels destroyed historic mausoleums and meted out public floggings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The defendant , Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was “ well aware of and indeed involved , as evidence will show , in this cruel and brutal repression , ” Bensouda told judges at the court in The Hague .
As the hearing began , one of Al Hassan ’ s lawyers , Nicoletta Montefusco , argued that he was unfit to stand trial due to post-traumatic stress disorder and “ dissociative features that result from severe maltreatment.
” Defence lawyers previously told the court that Al Hassan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before he was sent to The Hague .
They asked to suspend the proceedings on the eve of the trial because COVID-19 restrictions had prevented them from meeting their client and seeing his mental condition for four months , the defence lawyers said .
Judges declined to halt the trial and called for a medical assessment of Al Hassan , who later said he understood the 13 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity with which he ’ s charged but declined to enter pleas .
Al Hassan , who sat in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headscarf , is charged with involvement in crimes including rape , torture , persecution , enforced marriages and sexual slavery committed from April 2012 until the end of January 2013 .
He allegedly was a key member of Ansar Dine , an Islamic extremist group with links to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali at the time .
Bensouda said that women and girls were particularly harmed by Ansar Dine ’ s repressive regime , facing corporal punishment and imprisonment .
“ Many were forced into marriage , ” Bensouda said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ raped by members of the armed group.
” Al Hassan was involved in organizing such marriages , the prosecutor told judges .
She cited one rape victim as saying , “ All that was left of me was a corpse.
” A French-led military operation in 2013 forced Al Hassan and others from power , though rebel elements have continued to stage numerous attacks on Malian and international forces .
The trial opened against a backdrop of political tensions in Mali following a contested legislative electios .
On Sunday , protesters ransacked a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s political party .
The trial is the second case at the ICC linked to Ansar Dine ’ s brutal occupation of Timbuktu .
A member of the group , Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi , was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to nine years ’ imprisonment for attacking nine mausoleums and a mosque door in the city in 2012 .
At previous hearings , Al Mahdi pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his role in leading the destruction .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Borgata to reopen July 26, last of Atlantic City’s 9 casinos

ATLANTIC CITY , N.J. - The Borgata casino will reopen on July 26 , the last of Atlantic City ’ s nine gambling resorts to resume operating amid the coronavirus outbreak .
The casino will host an invitation-only “ soft opening ” starting July 23 , Borgata officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday , and will open its doors to everyone three days later .
The top-performing casino in Atlantic City , the Borgata was the only one that did not to immediately reopen on July 2 , the first day New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy allowed casinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the governor changed his mind and cancelled permission for restaurants in the state to offer indoor dining , saying that the virus risk is still too great .
That caused casinos to scramble to make other plans , including setting up temporary outdoor quarters and offering grab-and-go bags that customers can eat outside or in their hotel rooms .
But the Borgata decided not to reopen immediately under those conditions .
It then set about increasing its outdoor dining options , and finally reached a point where it made sense financially to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Governor ’ s directive to postpone indoor dining , we took a step back to reassess our reopening date to ensure we could give our guests the world-class experience they expect from us , safely , ” Melonie Johnson , the Borgata ’ s president and chief operating officer , said in a statement .
The casino has outdoor dining options including an outdoor beer garden ; an area of food and beer trucks ; poolside at The Water Club , an adjacent non-gambling hotel the Borgata owns ; and an outdoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top-tier player ’ s card members .
It also will also offer room service .
Murphy ordered Atlantic City ’ s casinos shut due to the virus on March 16 .
They have been permitted to operate at 25 % of capacity since July 2 .
The Borgata says it plans to bring back about 40 % of its staff when it reopens .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--France’s Macron defends security chief accused of rape

PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron is defending his decision to put a man accused of rape in charge of all the nation ’ s police forces , citing the presumption of innocence .
After multiple protests by women ’ s rights groups against the recent appointment of Gerald Darmanin as interior minister , Macron insisted “ I share the feminist cause , ” and pledged to continue pushing for tougher measures against sexual violence and for gender equality .
Questioned about the rape allegation during a Bastille Day interview on French television networks , Macron became agitated , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of innocence .
... No cause can be fairly defended if you do so by ignoring the principles of our democracy.
” Darmanin firmly denies the rape accusation , and an investigation is underway .
In an apparent reference to the # MeToo movement , Macron insisted that justice should run its course and that no one should become “ the victim of a judgment by the street and social networks , ” and that France shouldn ’ t adopt the “ worst of Anglo-Saxon society.
” The U.S.-driven movement that allowed women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful men has met with a mixed reception in France .
French feminist groups want Darmanin to resign , saying the appointment is a blow to victims of sexual violence and contradicts Macron ’ s promises to make gender equality a “ great cause ” of his presidency .
They ’ re also angry at the appointment of new Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti , who has ridiculed the # MeToo movement and defended a top government official who was accused of rape .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Flash flood kills 15 in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province

JAKARTA , Indonesia - A flash flood in Indonesia ’ s South Sulawesi province left at least 15 people dead @ @ @ @ @ , an official said Tuesday .
“ Fifteen are reported dead and we are still @ @ @ @ @ access to many locations is still blocked by the mud , ” North Luwu district @ @ @ @ @ .
She said the flooding began Monday evening and was triggered by heavy rains that @ @ @ @ @ .
Mud and other materials carried by the floodwaters covered roads and thousands of houses @ @ @ @ @ Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Raditya Jati said the flood affected more than 4,000 residents of @ @ @ @ @ Luwu .
“ The provincial road is covered in mud and that blocks access to @ @ @ @ @ the affected areas , ” Jati said .
Heavy rains cause frequent landslides and flash @ @ @ @ @ millions of people live in mountainous areas or near flood plains .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--US carries out the 1st federal execution in nearly 2 decades

TERRE HAUTE , Ind .
- The federal government on Tuesday carried out its first execution in almost two decades , killing by lethal injection a man convicted of murdering an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest .
The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee came over the objection of the victims ’ relatives and following days of legal wrangling and delays .
Lee , 47 , of Yukon , Oklahoma , professed his innocence just before he was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee said .
“ I ’ ve made a lot of mistakes in my life , but I ’ m not a murderer.
” His final words were : “ You ’ re killing an innocent man.
” The decision to move forward with the execution -- the first by the Bureau of Prisons since 2003 -- drew scrutiny from civil rights groups and the relatives of Lee ’ s victims , who had sued to try to halt it , citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic .
The pandemic has killed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is ravaging prisons nationwide .
Critics argued that the government was creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency for political gain .
“ The government has been trying to plow forward with these executions despite many unanswered questions about the legality of its new execution protocol , ” said Shawn Nolan , one of the attorneys for the men facing federal execution .
The developments are likely to add a new front to the national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections .
The execution of Lee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went off after a series of legal volleys that ended when the Supreme Court stepped in early Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling and allowed it to move forward .
Attorney General William Barr has said the Justice Department has a duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts , including the death penalty , and to bring a sense of closure to the victims and those in the communities where the killings happened .
But relatives of those killed by Lee in 1996 strongly opposed that idea and long argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison .
They wanted to be present to counter any contention that the execution was being done on their behalf .
“ For us it is a matter of being there and saying , ` This is not being done in our name ; we do not want this , ’ ” relative Monica Veillette said .
They noted that Lee ’ s co-defendant and the reputed ringleader , Chevie Kehoe , received a life sentence .
Kehoe , of Colville , Washington , recruited Lee in 1995 to join his white supremacist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Republic .
Two years later , they were arrested for the killings of gun dealer William Mueller , his wife , Nancy , and her 8-year-old daughter , Sarah Powell , in Tilly , Arkansas , about 75 miles ( 120 kilometres ) northwest of Little Rock .
At their 1999 trial , prosecutors said Kehoe and Lee stole guns and $ 50,000 in cash from the Muellers as part of their plan to establish a whites-only nation .
Prosecutors said Lee and Kehoe incapacitated the Muellers and questioned Sarah about where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then , they used stun guns on the victims , sealed trash bags with duct tape on their heads to suffocate them , taped rocks to their bodies and dumped them in a nearby bayou .
A U.S. District Court judge put a hold on Lee ’ s execution on Monday , over concerns from death row inmates on how executions were to be carried out , and an appeals court upheld it , but the high court overturned it .
That delay came after an appeals court on Sunday overturned a hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week after the victims ’ relatives argued they would be put at high risk for the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend the execution .
Lee ’ s execution was then set to happen at 4 a.m. EDT , but a last-minute legal question was raised by his lawyers .
The Justice Department said it filed a request with the court to straighten it out but went through with the execution .
A U.S. marshal lifted a black telephone inside the execution room -- a small square room inside the prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the witness rooms -- and asked if there was anything to impede the execution .
He said there was not and the execution could proceed .
Lee had a pulse oximeter on a finger of his left hand , to monitor his oxygen level , and his arms , which had tattoos , were in black restraints .
The IV tubes were coming through a metal panel in the wall .
He breathed heavily before the drug was injected and moved his legs and feet .
As the drug was being administered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a few moments , his chest was no longer moving .
Lee was in the execution chamber with two men who the Bureau of Prisons would only identify as “ senior BOP officials , ” a U.S. marshal and his spiritual adviser , whom a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson described as an “ Appalachian pagan minister.
” They did not wear masks , and Lee also was not wearing a mask .
One of the senior Prison officials in the room declared Lee ’ s time of death at 8:07 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other federal executions are scheduled for later this week , though one remains on hold in a separate legal claim .
There have been two state executions in the U.S. since the pandemic forced shutdowns nationwide in mid-March — one in Texas and one in Missouri , according to the Death Penalty Information Center .
Alabama carried out one in early March .
Executions on the federal level have been rare , and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 — most recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executed for the 1995 kidnapping , rape and murder of a young female soldier .
Though there hadn ’ t been a federal execution since 2003 , the Justice Department has continued to approve death penalty prosecutions and federal courts have sentenced defendants to death .
In 2014 , following a botched state execution in Oklahoma , President Barack Obama directed the Justice Department to conduct a broad review of capital punishment and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs .
The attorney general said last July that the Obama-era review had been completed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He approved a new procedure for lethal injections that replaces the three-drug combination previously used in federal executions with one drug , pentobarbital .
This is similar to the procedure used in several states , including Georgia , Missouri and Texas , but not all .
Numbers of state executions have fallen steadily since the last federal execution , according to data compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center .
States put to death 59 people in 2004 and 22 in 2019 , nine of which were in Texas .
Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington and Michael Tarm in Chicago contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Armenia-Azerbaijan border fighting escalates, 14 killed

YEREVAN , Armenia - Fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces escalated Tuesday , with Azerbaijan reporting seven more troops killed , including a general , and Armenia saying it has lost two servicemen .
Skirmishes on the volatile border between the two South Caucasus nations began Sunday .
The new losses bring the number of Azerbaijani troops killed to 11 .
Armenia previously reported five of its troops wounded .
An Azerbaijani civilian also died from Armenian shelling Tuesday , Azerbaijan ’ s Foreign Ministry said , bringing total casualties from the fighting to 14 .
The two neighbours in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh , a region of Azerbaijan that has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. International efforts to settle the conflict have stalled .
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have frequently engaged in clashes .
The current skirmishes appear to mark the most serious spike in hostilities since 2016 when scores were killed in four days of fighting .
The latest incident began Sunday when Armenian and Azerbaijani troops exchanged fire in the northern section of their border .
Officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fighting and said that sporadic shelling has continued .
Azerbaijan ’ s Defence Ministry said two senior officers , Maj. Gen. Polad Hashimov and Col. Ilgar Mirzayev , were killed in fighting Tuesday along with five other servicemen .
Armenian officials claimed that Azerbaijani drones launched an attack on the Tuvush province town of Berd , targeting civilian infrastructure .
Defence Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said that one of Azerbaijani drones was downed .
As hostilities continued , Armenia also accused Azerbaijan of launching cyberattacks on Armenian government websites .
Armenian Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of provoking the clashes and warned that it would “ bear responsibility for the unpredictable consequences.
” Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev denounced what he described as “ another provocation of Armenia ” and vowed to protect Azerbaijan ’ s national territory .
Turkey , which has close ethnic and cultural ties with Azerbaijan , has voiced strong support to Baku in the conflict .
The United States and Russia , which co-chair the Minsk group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that has tried to negotiate a settlement of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and called for restraint .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had separate calls with his counterparts in Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday to call for an immediate ceasefire .
Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s spokesman , Dmitry Peskov , said Tuesday that Moscow was “ deeply worried ” about the fighting and stands ready to play mediator .
Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Police catch suspect in killing of officer in Seattle suburb

BOTHELL , Wash. - A man who killed one police officer and wounded another while fleeing from a traffic stop in a Seattle suburb was found hiding on a nearby rooftop and arrested without incident early Tuesday , police said .
A tweet from the Bothell Fire Department around 11 p.m. PST said two Bothell officers were “ down ” following a pursuit .
Bothell police Captain Mike Johnson later announced that one of them was killed .
For most of the night , Bothell police said they were searching for a male suspect who was armed and wearing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They eventually found him nearby , police said : “ Subject was located hiding on a rooftop near the scene.
” It ’ s unclear what sparked the pursuit and subsequent shooting .
Bothell Fire Department spokeswoman Nicole Strachila said the second officer was taken to Harborview Medical Center .
The officer was in “ satisfactory ” condition , KING-TV reported .
In a tweet , Bothell Councilman Mason Thompson said he was “ heartbroken.
” “ My prayers are with the officers who have been shot and their families , ” Thompson @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Japan: US military coronavirus policy has multiple problems

TOKYO - Japan ’ s defence minister said Tuesday that officials have discovered “ a number of problems ” with U.S. military measures to guard against the coronavirus among service members stationed in Japan after 95 Marines tested positive at several bases on the southern island of Okinawa .
Okinawan officials on Sunday said most of the cases since early July were at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma , which is at the centre of a relocation dispute .
Others were at Camp Hansen , Camp Kinser and Camp McTureous .
On Tuesday , Kadena Air Base reported two positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kadena in March , the total among the U.S. service members on Okinawa is 100 , officials said .
“ We have discovered a number of problems , ” Defence Minister Taro Kono said .
“ We need to more strictly scrutinize the situation with the U.S. military in Japan.
“ Kono said the problems were discovered after Japanese officials requested information from the U.S. military .
He refused to give details , but said the problems exist at U.S. bases throughout Japan , not just on Okinawa .
In a possible indication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Japanese officials are inspecting a hotel used by the U.S. military to house service members newly assigned to Okinawa from the U.S. while they undergo a 14-day self-quarantine .
Okinawan officials and residents have raised concerns about whether adequate safety measures are in place at the hotel .
Later Tuesday , officials said no infections or major problems were found at the hotel and those staying there are not allowed to go out during their two-week quarantine .
Current hotel residents will move to facilities on base next week , while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Okinawa Gov .
Denny Tamaki has criticized the U.S. military for a lack of transparency regarding the coronavirus , saying it has caused concern among residents .
Tamaki in telephone talks Saturday with Lt. Gen. H. Stacy Clardy , commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force , demanded the U.S. military increase transparency , improve disease prevention measures , stop sending personnel from the mainland U.S. to Okinawa and seal the bases .
The U.S. military has told Okinawa that all infected people have been isolated and the bases are virtually under lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking prudent measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and will continue to communicate with our force , our families , and our local communities about positive COVID-19 cases , ” Kadena base said Tuesday on its Facebook page .
Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact .
Residents have long been sensitive to U.S. base-related problems such as pollution , noise and crime .
Okinawans also oppose a planned relocation of Futenma Air Base from its current site in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a less populated area on the east coast , and instead want the facility removed entirely from the island .
Outside the bases , Okinawa has reported only about 150 coronavirus cases .
Nationwide , Japan has confirmed 20,000 cases including about 1,000 deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Afghan officials: Kabul roadside bombing kills 4 civilians

KABUL - A roadside bombing killed four civilians and wounded four others on Tuesday in eastern Kabul , Afghan officials said .
The eight were riding in a packed car in the district of Surobi when the vehicle hit the roadside bomb , setting it off , said Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz .
He added that the incident is under investigation .
The local governor , Gohar Khan Baburi , gave a slightly higher death toll , saying the bomb killed five people , including a 13-year-old boy , and wounded 11 .
The different casualty tolls could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far claimed responsibility for the bombing but the district official blamed the Taliban , claiming they had placed the bomb to target a military convoy .
Also Tuesday , three civilians and an intelligence officer travelling in a car were wounded in southern Kandahar province when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb .
The Taliban have stepped up attacks across Afghanistan including in Kabul , targeting Afghan forces .
The surge comes despite the insurgents ’ signing of a peace deal with the U.S. in February in Qatar .
That deal was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end to decades of war in the country .
On Monday , the Taliban launched a complex attack on an intelligence compound in northern Afghanistan that began with a suicide bombing and was followed by hourslong clashes .
At least 11 members of the intelligence agency were killed and 63 people were wounded , including civilians .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--UN commission warns new Burundi leader needs watching

JOHANNESBURG - A United Nations commission of inquiry warns that it will take more than a new president to reverse the trend of repression in the East African country of Burundi .
The commission warned the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday that the election won by President Evariste Ndayishimiye in May was marked by “ political intolerance ” even though no widespread violence was recorded .
The new leader at his swearing-in spoke of human rights and political dialogue and invited tens of thousands of refugees to return to Burundi after they fled deadly turmoil around the previous vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose decision to pursue a third term in 2015 sparked the protests and deadly crackdown that followed , decided not to run again in May and died shortly after the election from what the government called a heart attack .
Now Ndayishimiye is being watched closely for signs of whether he will continue to rule as his ally Nkurunziza did .
The U.N. commission of inquiry says the new government looks much like the previous one , including some senior figures under international sanctions .
The commission in a statement Tuesday urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his willingness to co-operate with the international community by reopening the U.N. human rights office in the country .
Nkurunziza kicked it out amid scrutiny of deadly abuses , and he engineered the country ’ s historic departure from the International Criminal Court .
In a note of optimism , the U.N. commission welcomed the new president ’ s turnaround in treating the coronavirus pandemic more seriously than his predecessor .
The commission , which calls itself the only international mechanism carrying out in-depth investigations into rights abuses in Burundi , is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N. Human Rights Council in September .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Thais seek to fix errors that allowed infected foreigners in

RAYONG , Thailand - Authorities in Thailand urged almost 1,900 people to quarantine themselves and get tested for the coronavirus after a breakdown in screening allowed two foreigners with the disease to pose a risk to public health .
The agency co-ordinating Thailand ’ s coronavirus response also announced Tuesday it is rolling back regulations for admitting foreign visitors in order to tighten up procedures .
The incidents involving newly arrived foreigners emerged after seven weeks during which Thailand ’ s only new confirmed cases of the coronavirus were from Thais repatriated from abroad , with no cases of local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eager to begin the process of reopening the country to foreign visitors , especially tourists who are vital contributors to the economy .
Anger was palpable in the eastern province of Rayong , where a member of a visiting 31-member Egyptian military team who tested positive for the disease apparently skirted regulations to go shopping with his colleagues .
The second case involved the infected 9-year-old daughter of a foreign diplomat whose family returned from Sudan and stayed in their condominium in Bangkok .
Taweesilp Visanuyothin , spokesperson for the government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contact tracing app indicated that 1,882 people may have crossed paths with the infected Egyptian and urged them to self-isolate for 14 days and get tested as soon as possible .
Seven people known to have had direct contact with the man have already been quarantined .
Officials in Rayong closed several schools and a mall and sealed off part of the hotel where the Egyptians stayed .
Long lines of people formed outside one of the two malls the Egyptians visited , where health authorities were offering free coronavirus tests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nose swabs .
“ I come to this place quite often , ” said Pattamaporn Wonggnam , a 28-year-old office worker , “ When I heard the news , I was quite worried.
” The incident apparently is the first to test the government ’ s Thai Chana contact tracing system , in which visitors to malls and other public places scan a QR code with their phones upon entry and exit .
The government said it would send messages to those flagged as being at possible risk .
Deputy Public Health Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Rayong that the infected Egyptian was part of a group that went shopping .
He blamed them for not co-operating with rules guiding the isolation of foreign visitors .
The COVID-19 centre on Monday revealed the details of the Egyptian military team ’ s stopovers at U-Tapao airport in Rayong .
The group arrived in Thailand via the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan on the night of July 8 and flew to Chengdu in China and back on July 9 .
They were tested for the coronavirus on July 10 and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several public locations , including two malls , in Rayong .
By the time the results of the infected man ’ s test were processed on July 11 , the Egyptian team had departed for home .
COVID-19 centre spokesman Taweesilp said Tuesday that landing permission is being revoked for eight Egyptian flights due to lack of co-operation from last week ’ s visiting military team .
The Egyptian Embassy in Thailand released a statement Tuesday expressing “ its most sincere regrets and sympathies ” to all affected by the incident .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities to mitigate any threat to public health , and offered assurances that its military crews follow strict health measures before embarking on flights .
The entire team involved in the Rayong incident “ had passed COVID-19 screening before initiation of travel , “ it said .
Taweesilp , the Thai spokesperson , also said permission for three categories of foreign visitors who were recently allowed entry — VIP guests of the government , diplomats or representatives of international organizations , and businesspeople and investors and others on approved missions — was temporarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The latter group would be allowed to travel on special repatriation flights for Thais .
In Rayong , a 68-year-old company manager expressed her distress over how the government handled the situation .
“ I am angry because this shouldn ’ t happen .
They should have been quarantined , same as Thais who travel back who have to be quarantined for 14 days , ” said Panpen Sakulkru .
“ Why did this group of people receive a privilege and was able to skip the quarantine ?
” A third revision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre will require arriving diplomats to stay in state-supervised quarantine for 14 days instead of self-isolating .
That ruling was apparently in response to the case of the daughter of a diplomat from Sudan whose family travelled from their homeland on July 7 and reportedly tested negative for the coronavirus on arrival in Bangkok .
However , the girl was retested after showing symptoms and was found to be positive .
The family has been staying in a condominium in Bangkok which health authorities will now investigate for any spread of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thailand , did not have to stay at state quarantine facilities , but the rules guiding their quarantine were not clearly spelled out .
Associated Press writer Busaba Sivasomboon in Bangkok contributed to this report .

Tassanee Vejpongsa - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Japan says coronavirus adds to security threat by China

TOKYO - China is pushing harder to make territorial claims in the regional seas and even using the coronavirus pandemic to expand its influence and take strategic superiority , posing a greater threat to Japan and the region , Japan ’ s government said .
The report highlighting the government ’ s defence priorities was adopted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ’ s Cabinet on Tuesday , less than a day after the Trump administration rejected outright nearly all of Beijing ’ s significant maritime claims in the South China Sea in a statement likely to deepen the U.S.-China rift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White Paper 2020 highlights what are potential Chinese and North Korean threats as Japan tries to further increase its defence capability .
Under Abe , Japan has steadily increased its defence budget and capability and purchased costly American arsenals .
Defence Minister Taro Kono recently scrapped the deployment of a pair of costly U.S. land-based missile intercepting systems due to technical issues , and Abe quickly announced his intention to revise Japan ’ s defence guidelines , possibly allowing Japan to go beyond its conventional defence-only role under the Japan-U.S. security alliance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preemptive strike capability .
The White Paper accused China of using propaganda , including spreading disinformation , about the spread of the coronavirus .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic may expose and intensify strategic competition among countries intending to create international and regional orders more preferable to themselves and to expand their influence , ” the report said .
“ We need to closely watch their move with serious concern affecting the national security.
” As evidence , a Japanese Defence Ministry official noted that a Chinese Foreign Ministry official had posted on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military had spread the coronavirus in Wuhan and that Chinese media have touted herbal medicine as effective COVID-19 treatments .
He spoke on the condition of anonymity , citing department rules .
The annual report said China has “ relentlessly ” pushed to “ change the status quo ” in the Asian seas , including sending 3,000-ton class government vessels into Japanese waters around Japan-controlled disputed East China Sea islands called Senkaku in Japanese .
Beijing also claim the islands and call them Diaoyu .
China is also pursuing its unilateral attempt in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even expanding its area of activity into more distant seas , a concern shared by the international community , the report said .
The South China Sea problem “ directly affects peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
” “ As China now boasts its capability and makes attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in many places , we must closely grasp what China ’ s intentions are , ” Kono told a news conference Tuesday .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Japan ’ s defence paper is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , and that it tried its best to hype the so-called “ China threat.
” “ China has always firmly maintained its sovereignty , security and development interests .
All attack or discredit on China are futile , ” Zhao said .
He urged Japan to stop deliberately intensifying tensions and get along with China .
The report also cited North Korea ’ s continued development of its nuclear and other weapons programs .
The North is “ relentlessly pursuing increasingly complex and diverse modes of attack and is steadily strengthening and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report said .
It said North Korea since May 2019 has launched three types of new short-range ballistic missiles that use solid fuel and fly at lower altitudes than their conventional missiles that can breach Japanese missile defence system .
As Japan ’ s relations with South Korea have plunged to their lowest levels recently over wartime history , export control and territorial issues , the report prompted Seoul to protest Japan ’ s claims over a set of small South Korea-controlled islets between the countries .
The report mentions the islands as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Foreign ministry spokesman Kim In-chul issued a statement urging Tokyo to “ immediately ” remove such claims from the report , saying that the islets called Dokdo in the Koreas and Takeshima in Japan are South Korean territory by international law .
Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul , South Korea , and researcher Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Catalan leader demands investigation into Spain spying claim

MADRID - The speaker of the Catalan regional parliament demanded Tuesday that the Spanish government launch an official investigation into reports that his cellphone was the target of espionage , allegedly by Spanish security services .
Roger Torrent , a leading supporter of Catalonia ’ s efforts to break away from Spain and become an independent country , said the reports “ prove what we already knew : that the Spanish state spies on its political opponents.
” Demanding an investigation , he said in a televised statement , “ It ’ s important for the truth to come out.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pais and The Guardian said Torrent was warned last year that his phone had been targeted by spyware that , according to its maker , is sold only to governments and national security services .
The Spanish and British newspapers cited a U.S. lawsuit involving the spyware , which , they reported , exploited an earlier vulnerability in WhatsApp and could potentially provide access to everything on a person ’ s cellphone .
The reports provided no evidence that Torrent ’ s phone was hacked .
Two other well-known pro-independence figures in Catalonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports .
Catalonia ’ s efforts to separate from Spain have long been a thorn in the side of Spanish governments .
Spain ’ s intelligence service , known by its acronym CNI , declined to answer questions about the allegations .
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ’ s office said in a statement that the government was not aware that the three phones might have been hacked .
It added that any such step would require a judge ’ s authorization .
According to the two newspapers , WhatsApp believes the attacks occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over a two-week period , the newspapers reported , 1,400 WhatsApp users were allegedly targeted by the ‘ Pegasus ’ spyware , sold by an Israeli company called NSO Group .
The Republican Left of Catalonia , a political party that wants Catalan independence and which includes Torrent in its ranks , and the pro-independence coalition JxCat demanded Tuesday that Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska appear urgently before a parliamentary committee to answer questions about the reports .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--France says ‘merci’ to virus heroes on poignant Bastille Day

PARIS - Nurses in white coats replaced uniformed soldiers as stars of France ’ s Bastille Day ceremonies Tuesday as the usual grandiose military parade was recalibrated to honour medics who died fighting COVID-19 , supermarket cashiers , postal workers and other heroes of the pandemic .
With tears in their eyes or smiles on their faces , medical workers stood silently as lengthy applause rang out over the Place de la Concorde in central Paris from President Emmanuel Macron , the head of the World Health Organization and 2,000 other guests .
A military choir sang the Marseillaise national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French tricolour flag across the plaza .
For some , the national homage is not nearly enough to make up for the equipment and staff shortages that plagued public hospitals as the virus raced across France , claiming more than 30,000 lives .
Activists sent a banner above the ceremony tied to balloons reading : “ Behind the tributes , Macron is suffocating hospitals.
” This year ’ s commemoration also paid homage to former President Charles de Gaulle , 80 years after the historic appeal he made to opponents of France ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the French Resistance .
But the battle against the virus was the main focus of the official event in central Paris , as Macron sought to highlight France ’ s successes in combating its worst crisis since World War II .
Mirage and Rafale fighter jets painted the sky with blue-white-and-red smoke , and were joined by helicopters that had transported COVID-19 patients in distress .
Macron called the ceremony “ the symbol of the commitment of an entire nation ” and “ the symbol of our resilience.
” The guests included nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , mask makers , lab technicians , undertakers and others who kept France going during its strict nationwide lockdown .
Families of medical workers who died with the virus also had a place in the stands .
“ Exceptionally , this year , our armies ... will cede the primary place to the women and men in hospital coats who fought ” the virus and who remain “ ramparts in the crisis , ” Macron said .
It was a Bastille Day unlike any other , as medics in jeans or sandals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ceremony , and the lengthy military parade was truncated into a smaller affair closed to the public to prevent new virus infections .
Masks were ubiquitous .
Troops sported them as they got in formation , took them off for the ceremony , then put them on again when it was over .
Macron made a point of donning his before speaking to WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus .
Across town from the Place de la Concorde , protesters plan to highlight France ’ s failures during the pandemic .
Among those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decried mask shortages and cost cuts that left one of the world ’ s best health care systems ill-prepared for the galloping spread of the virus .
The destination of their protest march wasn ’ t chosen by chance : They ’ re set to head to Bastille plaza , the former home of a royal prison that rebels stormed on July 14 , 1789 , symbolically marking the beginning of the French Revolution .
Tensions already erupted Monday night on the eve of the holiday , as troublemakers set off firecrackers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of vehicles on fire in the Paris region , according to the fire service .
Tuesday ’ s annual fireworks display over the Eiffel Tower will be largely restricted to television viewers only , since City Hall is closing off the heart of Paris , including embankments of the Seine and other neighbourhoods where crowds usually gather on Bastille Day .
France has one of the world ’ s highest virus death tolls , and scientists are warning of a potential resurgence as people abandon social distancing practices , hold dance parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--NZ opposition chooses new leader after shock resignation

WELLINGTON , New Zealand - Long-serving lawmaker Judith Collins will lead New Zealand ’ s opposition National Party into a general election against a popular government in just over two months , taking over from Todd Muller , who quit the leadership Tuesday citing health reasons .
Muller shocked lawmakers in the right-of-centre party when he issued a statement early Tuesday morning saying he was stepping down “ effective immediately.
” The 67-year-old former business executive had led the party for only 53 days , toppling previous leader Simon Bridges in a leadership coup amid National ’ s stagnant polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the leadership in a hastily arranged meeting of the party ’ s parliamentary caucus in Wellington on Tuesday evening .
She is National ’ s fourth leader in three years and its second female leader .
Collins was first elected to Parliament in 2002 , serving in governments under prime ministers John Key and Bill English .
She held police and corrections portfolios and is seen to represent the right-wing of the National Party , having previously promoted strong law and order policies .
Collins now faces the task of trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Sept. 19 elections at which it will try to unseat the governing Labour Party of popular Prime Minister Jacina Ardern .
Recent polls show Labour with sufficient support to form a majority government , a first since New Zealand adopted a system of proportional representation in 1996 .
All previous governments since that time have been coalitions and Labour currently governs with the support of the Green Party and right-of-centre New Zealand First .
Muller ’ s sudden departure forced a scramble of lawmakers to Wellington during a parliamentary recess .
Collins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership contest , but details of the vote have not been released .
Muller said his health made his continuation in the leadership untenable .
“ It has become clear to me that I am not the best person to be leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party at this critical time for New Zealand , ” Muller said .
“ It is more important than ever that the New Zealand National Party has a leader who is comfortable in the role .
“ The role has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on my family , and this has become untenable from a health perspective.
” The National Party has been embroiled in scandal for the past week after it was revealed a junior lawmaker leaked private health details of New Zealand coronavirus patients to news media .
The information was provided by a former party president who received it confidentially in her capacity as acting chief executive of the Auckland rescue helicopter organization .
Muller was a low-profile member of the party when he was chosen to lead the coup that toppled Bridges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had begun to worry party lawmakers as the election approached .
National has struggled to dent the popularity of charismatic Prime Minister Ardern , whose government has high approval ratings for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
New Zealand has gone 73 days without a case of community transmission and has suffered only 22 deaths .
Life has returned largely to normal with schools , bars and restaurants all open and with packed stadiums at sports events .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Queen’s Australia rep was assured of power before ‘75 crisis

CANBERRA , Australia - Queen Elizabeth II ’ s office assured her representative in Australia he had the power to bring down the Australian government a week before he took the extraordinary move in 1975 and created a political crisis , according to letters released Tuesday .
The National Archives of Australia released more than 1,200 pages of letters and press clippings between Buckingham Palace and Governor-General Sir John Kerr from August 1974 to December 1977 after a court ruled in May that they could not be kept secret indefinitely .
Kerr dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam ’ s reforming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 1975 , to resolve a deadlock in Parliament on the authority of the queen , who is Australia ’ s head of state .
The queen ’ s private secretary , Sir Martin Charteris , wrote to Kerr on Nov. 4 , 1975 , that the monarch ’ s power to dissolve a parliament had not been used in years and some argued that the power no longer existed .
“ I do not believe this to be true , ” Charteris wrote .
Charteris also wrote that if Kerr did “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not possible ( sic ) do the Monarchy any avoidable harm.
” “ The chances are you will do it good , ” Charteris said .
Kerr did not tell the queen he had decided to remove Whitlam and replace him with opposition leader Malcolm Fraser as caretaker prime minister until after he had done it .
“ I was of the opinion that it was better for Her Majesty not to know in advance , ” Kerr wrote on Nov. 11 , immediately after taking the unprecedented step .
The palace said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismiss the Whitlam government was Kerr ’ s alone .
“ While the Royal Household believes in the longstanding convention that all conversations between prime ministers , governor generals and the queen are private , the release of the letters ... confirms that neither Her Majesty nor the Royal Household had any part to play in Kerr ’ s decision to dismiss Whitlam , ” a palace statement said .
Charteris congratulated Kerr for not warning Whitman that he was considering bringing down his government .
That could have put the queen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to get her to fire Kerr while Kerr was trying to fire Whitlam .
Kerr died in 1991 .
Charteris also revealed that Whitlam had telephoned him at 4:15 a.m. London time on Nov. 11 as a “ private citizen ” and said he should be “ recommissioned ” as prime minister so that he could choose the date of the next election .
“ He spoke calmly and did not ask me to make an approach to the queen or indeed do anything other than the suggestion that I should speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on , ” Charteris wrote to Kerr on Nov. 17 .
Sydney University constitutional law expert Anne Twomey said the letters undermined the theory that Whitlam had been brought down by the British royal family .
The letters show that Whitlam had sought British intervention to keep him in power , she said .
“ The only smoking gun is Whitlam himself trying to get reinstated , ” Twomey said .
The only dismissal of an elected Australian government on the authority of a British monarch triggered a political crisis that spurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its constitutional ties with Britain and create a republic with an Australian president .
Suspicions of a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency conspiracy persist .
The release of the letters is a victory for historian and Whitlam biographer Jenny Hocking who has been trying for years to get access to them .
Hocking said the head of a constitutional monarchy must at all times remain politically neutral .
But she said she was startled by the level of discussion that had occurred between Kerr and Buckingham Palace “ over matters that were intensely and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice to Kerr on his powers and how they should be used as “ scandalous.
” “ The nature of the letters , the fact that a dismissal of an elected government took place using what are largely seen as arcane reserve powers of the Crown , and the fact ... we can now see such a depth of discussion between the Palace and the governor-general of the time will inevitably make people think about where we want to go as an independent , autonomous nation , ” Hocking said .
Labour leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , said the 1975 crisis reinforced the need for an Australian head of state instead of the British monarch .
“ It is , I think , a blight on our character as a nation that a democratically elected government was dismissed , ” Albanese said .
“ The action of the governor-general on Nov. 11 to dismiss a government , to put himself above the Australian people , is one that reinforces the need for us to have an Australian head of state , reinforces the need for us to stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--UK demands the public wear face coverings in shops

LONDON - Britain ’ s government will demand people wear face coverings in shops as it seeks to clarify its message after weeks of prevarication amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected to tell the House of Commons on Tuesday that anyone failing to comply with the order could face a fine of up to 100 pounds ( $ 125 ) .
The order comes into effect on July 24 , giving shops and the police time to prepare .
Many European nations , including Germany , Spain , Italy and Greece , already require masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain , which has reported one of the world ’ s highest numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths , had taken a more relaxed attitude , recommending masks but not requiring them — at least until now .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who in the spring spent a week in the hospital being treated for COVID-19 , had not been seen in public in a mask until last week .
On Monday morning , he urged people to wear them .
Monday evening , his government announced it would be compulsory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply comply .
London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the BBC he believed that “ Londoners by and large will follow the rules , ” without too much need for the police .
“ The problem is not the issue of enforcement , the problem is the mixed messages and the confused communications , ’ ’ Khan said .
Environment Secretary George Eustice also did not rule out the possibility that mandatory face coverings would become compulsory in offices and other workplaces in the future .
He told the BBC on Tuesday that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time and we ’ ve taken the view in this next step that we should make it mandatory in retail environments.
” The new requirement only applies to in England .
Scotland has already made masks mandatory in stores .
A growing body of evidence suggests wearing face coverings brings some benefit in preventing the spread of the virus .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--China accuses US of sowing discord in South China Sea

BEIJING - The Trump administration ’ s rejection of broad Chinese claims to much of the South China Sea came across in Asia as an election-year political move , with some appealing for calm amid fears of greater tensions .
China accused the U.S. on Tuesday of trying to sow discord between China and the Southeast Asian countries with which it has long-standing territorial disputes in waters that are both a vital international shipping lane and home to valuable fisheries .
“ The United States is not a country directly involved in the disputes .
However , it has kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese Embassy in Washington said on its website .
“ Under the pretext of preserving stability , it is flexing muscles , stirring up tension and inciting confrontation in the region.
” Other governments avoided direct comment on the U.S. announcement .
The Philippine presidential spokesperson , Harry Roque , noted that the two powers would woo his country as they escalate their rivalry , but “ what is important now is to prioritize the implementation and crafting of a code of conduct to prevent tension in that area.
” U.S. Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released Monday , said the U.S. now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters to be illegitimate .
The new position does not cover land features above sea level , which are considered to be “ territorial ” in nature .
Previously , the U.S. had only insisted that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbours be resolved peacefully through U.N.-backed arbitration .
Pompeo ’ s statement was a major shift in America ’ s South China Sea policy , said Zhu Feng , the director of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University .
He said other countries challenging China ’ s claims may take a more aggressive stance because of America ’ s openly stated support .
“ The U.S. didn ’ t use to comment on the sovereignty issue in the South China Sea , because it itself is not a claimant , ” Zhu said .
“ But this time it has made itself into a judge or arbiter .
It will bring new instability and tension.
” He advised against a strong response from China , saying that current U.S. policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by President Donald Trump ’ s reelection considerations .
“ Trump ’ s current China policy is insane , ” Zhu said .
“ He is making the China issue the most important topic for his election to cover his failure in preventing the epidemic and to divert public attention .
I have no idea how far he will go in fully utilizing the China issue.
” An Indonesian analyst agreed that the announcement was a political one to divert attention from Trump ’ s weaknesses at home .
A.A. Banyu Perwita , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , predicted it would focus more attention on the Indo-Pacific corridor but not have dramatic consequences .
“ It will be not more than a political diplomatic statement , “ he said , adding that ” we need to make the atmosphere calm now .
The best position for all now is the current status quo.
” James Chin , head of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania in Australia , said the U.S. stance was nothing new because it has always rejected China ’ s “ nine-dash line , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sea is known .
“ What is new is that Trump has sort of made the South China Sea a new focus point for his confrontation with China , ” he said .
Both Indonesia and the Philippines joined Pompeo in calling on China to abide by an international arbitration court ruling in 2016 that disqualified many of China ’ s claims .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reiterated China ’ s position that it has had effective jurisdiction over the islands , reefs and waters of the South China Sea for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a daily briefing Tuesday that China is not seeking to build a maritime empire .
China ’ s emergence as a military power and its ambitions to extend its offshore reach have come into conflict with the U.S. , which has been the dominant naval power in the western Pacific in the post-World War II period .
Two U.S. aircraft carriers drilled together in the South China Sea last week in a show of force .
Zhao , in a lengthy response to Pompeo ’ s statement , criticized America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vessels and aircraft ” to the waters .
“ The U.S. is indeed a troublemaker that undermines regional peace and stability , “ he said .
Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing and writers Jim Gomez in Manila , Philippines , Edna Tarigan in Jakarta , Indonesia , and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Trump team eyes school funds boost in next virus aid bill

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s push to reopen schools is being complicated by a split within his ranks over how to do it , with some advisers advocating for a massive federal expenditure to make campuses safe as Congress compiles the next COVID-19 relief bill .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , said Monday that schooling will be a priority in the coming package .
Senate Democrats have proposed a $ 430 billion education stabilization plan .
But the Republican leader has not said how much Congress is willing to spend , wary of high-dollar outlays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators .
Vice-President Mike Pence assured governors Monday that talks are underway for education funds from Congress .
“ We can ’ t have a normal country unless kids are back in school , ” McConnell said during a hospital visit in Kentucky .
Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos want schools up and running in fall , part of a broader effort by the administration to continue reopening the economy despite record-breaking numbers of new COVID-19 cases in several states , including Florida and California , and scattered communities nationwide .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
Last week , Trump and DeVos scoffed at the hybrid approach being considered by many jurisdictions — with students attending on staggered days to ensure social distancing .
At the time , Trump threatened to cut funds to schools that don ’ t fully reopen .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release updated guidelines this week .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said Monday that Congress needs to show Americans the country will “ put children first ” by ensuring enough money to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 billion for education in the Heroes Act , which is stalled in the Senate .
“ Without the resources , we shouldn ’ t even be thinking about sending them back to school , ” Pelosi said on MSNBC .
Congress is set to resume next week as lawmakers begin negotiating the next aid package .
This would be the fifth in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Congress has already approved a stunning $ 3 trillion allotment since the start of the outbreak in the U.S. earlier this year .
Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the administration was seeking more federal funding to help the states safely reopen schools .
“ We ’ re in active discussions with leadership in the Congress about additional education funding support in the upcoming relief bill , ” Pence said , according to audio obtained by The Associated Press .
Pence noted there are still funds remaining from the earlier CARES Act , which allocated $ 13.5 billion for education .
But he said the administration is now “ giving consideration to additional education resources “ from Congress .
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools , “ the vice-president said .
In recent weeks , a divide has emerged within Trump ’ s orbit , with advisers both inside and outside the White House advocating for a robust plan to help campuses open this fall .
They see it as vital to kick-starting the economy and also popular , potentially delivering a badly needed political win .
Some of Trump ’ s advisers have urged the president to make a bold push to reopen schools and advocate for a massive amount of money — even potentially over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to three campaign and White House officials not authorized to speak publicly about internal deliberations .
A robust , safe and methodical reopening of the nation ’ s schools would likely stimulate the economy , the advisers have said , by freeing up working parents to focus fully on their jobs .
But the White House has yet to show the ability to quickly mount a massive and effective mobilization during the pandemic .
Congress is already working on legislation , hoping to pass the package by the end of July .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural issues , telling advisers that he can paint the Democrats as obstructions , though Democrats have already approved their school funding bill in the House while Republicans in the Senate consider next steps .
The president has mused about threatening the funding of schools he believes promote a left-wing agenda and , connecting it to other flanks in the culture wars , particularly his defence of American monuments , the officials said .
The mixed messages from the White House only complicate the path ahead .
Pelosi ’ s House already approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which along with the school funds includes money to shore up the states and cities , provide another round of direct payments to Americans and bolster health care testing , treatment and supplies .
McConnell says that bill will never be approved in the Senate .
He is eyeing a $ 1 trillion package .
Senate Republicans are focused on creating a new liability shield to protect health care providers , schools and businesses that reopen during the pandemic from what McConnell calls an “ epidemic of lawsuits ” by those claiming injuries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of direct payments , following allotments of up to $ 1,200 the federal government began sending to households last spring , noting the aid is particularly helpful for those earning less than $ 40,000 a year .
But the two sides remain far apart on several of those issues , and particularly over jobless benefits .
Republicans oppose extending the $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit boost that expires at the end of this month .
They say it pays people to stay home rather than work , but Democrats say jobless Americans need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alan Suderman in Richmond , Va. , contributed to this report .