thetorontostar--2020-04-30--Lawmakers: Trump’s funding freeze for WHO hits Venezuela

MIAMI - As much as $ 110 million in U.S. funding for disease prevention in Latin America as well as U.S. support for Venezuelan migrants has been thrown into doubt as part of President Donald Trump ’ s decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization over its response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Rep. Eliot Engel , the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , sent a letter Thursday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo complaining that freezing funds for the Pan American Health Organization threatened to worsen the plight of Venezuelans suffering at the hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is dangerous and shortsighted of the Trump Administration to pause U.S. funding for the life-saving work ” by PAHO in Venezuela , the New York Democrat wrote in the letter , which was also signed by Rep. Albio Sires , chairman of the subcommittee focused on Latin America .
PAHO said this week that the U.S. had suspended its contributions as an extension of Trump ’ s funding freeze for the WHO .
But two U.S. officials cautioned that no final decision had been made .
One said the next U.S. payment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an exclusion for PAHO is being discussed .
Both officials insisted on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations .
The Washington-based PAHO is unique in that it is both a regional office in the Americas for the WHO but also a separately run institution that predates by almost a half century the creation of the United Nations agency .
Only about a third of its funding comes from the WHO , with the rest provided by its 35 member states , of which the U.S. is by far its largest contributor , responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Currently the U.S. owes PAHO $ 110 million in assessed contributions for 2019 and 2020 .
The State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development would not comment .
Engel in his letter said he was dismayed to learn that $ 12 million in U.S. funding for PAHO to conduct diagnostics and tracing for the coronavirus in Venezuela and among Venezuelan migrants in Colombia was on hold .
He said U.S.-supported efforts inside Venezuela had saved lives and prevented the spread of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by $ 3.4 million in USAID funding enabled 9 million Venezuelan children to get shots and paved the way for a 90 % decline in measles cases from 5,800 in 2018 to less than 600 in 2019 .
He cited studies indicating as many as 94 % of Venezuelans are living in poverty and 7 million need humanitarian assistance .
PAHO also declined to comment , pointing instead to comments by Dr. Carissa Etienne , who heads the organization , saying that Trump ’ s freeze in funding for the WHO had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for PAHO .
“ Over the years we have enjoyed a very firm collaboration and technical support from the U.S. government , ” Dr. Carissa Etienne said in remarks to journalists Tuesday .
“ This mutual collaboration between the U.S. and PAHO has stood the test of many , many years and it is our hope that we can continue to work in this vein to insure that health and well being come to the majority of people in the Americas.
” Trump two weeks ago halted funding to the Geneva-based WHO , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the coronvairus ’ spread , wrongly opposed travel restrictions at the start of the outbreak and was slow to declare the outbreak a global pandemic .
Many philanthropists like Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg joined European and African leaders and health experts in criticizing the decision , calling it ill-timed .
PAHO is one of the few ways the U.S. is able to channel aid to Venezuela since it doesn ’ t recognize Maduro and has no functioning embassy in Caracas .
In the early days of the coronavirus outbreak , PAHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuelan health officials and their counterparts in Colombia to discuss ways to stop the virus ’ spread among millions of poor Venezuelans who have fled the country in recent years and who are expected to overload Colombia ’ s already overburdened health system if the pandemic worsens .
Like the U.S. , Colombia doesn ’ t recognize Maduro .
Maduro has consistently rejected U.S. offers of humanitarian aid , calling them an underhanded attempt to destabilize his rule .
The opposition has been similarly reluctant to work with Maduro officials to distribute the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Committee of the Red Cross , the Roman Catholic Church and other sources , seeing it as a tool of coercion .
But over the past year , as efforts to unseat Maduro have stalled and social conditions have worsened , the opposition has quietly eased its objections to working through the socialist government in the belief that regular Venezuelans will benefit and to prepare for eventually assuming power itself one day .
One opposition official called the co-operation “ a necessary evil.
” Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Jobless fret as rent comes due again amid virus outbreak

PHOENIX - The rent is due again for more than 30 million people around the U.S. who have filed for unemployment benefits after losing work in the coronavirus pandemic .
Jason W. Still has been waiting six weeks for his first unemployment check since losing his job as a cook at an upscale restaurant in Spokane , Washington .
Out-of-work bartender Luke Blaine in Phoenix got his first check three weeks ago , but now has to pay his landlord again .
Eli Oderberg in Denver is among those swept up in a later wave of layoffs as the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corners of the economy like the oil company where he had worked on apps to track spills and leaks .
Federal data released this week show the U.S. economy contracted at a 4.8 % annual rate last quarter as the pandemic put the nation into a recession .
Economists expect January-March to be just a taste of the widespread pain being recorded for April-June .
And while a record number of people have applied for unemployment insurance payments , there are many other out-of-work people who don ’ t qualify or couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems .
Still said he ’ s filed for unemployment every week , with nothing yet to show for it , since he was first interviewed by The Associated Press a month ago , just before he paid April rent .
His wife still has her job in the legal marijuana industry , and his $ 1,200 stimulus check helped pay an assortment of bills .
“ But I ’ m about to hit my savings and I really don ’ t want to do that , “ he said .
Still said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office dozens of times a day until April 24 , when he somehow got into an on-hold queue behind 83 other people .
After hours of waiting , he was transferred to a claims specialist , but then the call was dropped .
It took him until this week to reach a human , who said there seemed to be a minor glitch in his file that needs to be worked out .
“ It seems to be getting closer , but it ’ s not clear to me what ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still .
“ I think I ’ m the last person who was laid off at my restaurant who hasn ’ t gotten an unemployment payment yet.
” The restaurant , Clover , remains in limbo .
Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee this week announced a partial opening May 5 of some recreational offerings like state parks , fishing and golf courses , but restaurant dining rooms and most other businesses will remain closed for now .
Blaine counts himself lucky : He started receiving unemployment checks three weeks after being laid off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still waiting for their money after losing their jobs at Fez , a popular restaurant in Phoenix .
“ I feel very fortunate based on what I ’ ve heard from my friends here and around the country , ” said Blaine , who also was interviewed by the AP a month ago .
His boyfriend , Kyle Schomer , still has his job in the tech industry , and is working from their home in a trendy neighbourhood of adobe homes .
They have a huge vegetable and flower garden out back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone else he knows have received their stimulus money .
With that and the unemployment checks , which through July include an additional $ 600 per payment , Blaine has made ends meet , for now .
“ We will be back , ” Fez management promised on the restaurant ’ s Facebook page .
“ We hope sooner rather than later.
” Anything but an opening soon is unlikely resolve the anxieties of people whose savings are running out as the initial wave of service-industry layoffs sweeps up other hard-hit sectors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Denver on April 19 , as global oil futures plunged into negative territory following the shutdowns of air travel , factories and commuting around the world .
He said his wife got her first unemployment check after losing her job in retail , but he ’ s still waiting for his .
The Colorado website for benefits has confirmed he is eligible , “ but I haven ’ t been able to get through to talk to anyone after making about 100 calls each time , ” he said .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job interviews in information technology , including at least four this week , and hopes to land something quickly , before he has to scramble for their next mortgage payment for the house he shares with his wife , who is pregnant , and their 4-year-old daughter .
“ From my job , I ’ m accustomed to planning everything six months in advance , ” said Oderberg .
“ So we ’ re going to be OK , for now at least .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Virus rained grief on New York in April; will May be better?

New York ’ s horrible April -- among the worst in its history — is over .
Only time will tell if the coronavirus pandemic that made it so awful will fade in May .
When the month began , the virus was already raging .
Nearly 2,000 people were dead .
Gov .
Andrew Cuomo warned that one model predicted as many as 16,000 deaths once the outbreak was over .
At the time , that seemed grim .
Reality has been worse .
Though Wednesday , the virus was believed to have killed at least 23,600 people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died before their infection could be confirmed by a lab test .
That ’ s nearly nine times the number of people who died in the Sept. 11 attacks .
Most experts agree the figure is an undercount , since it only includes deaths where the link to COVID-19 was certain enough to be included on a death certificate .
May begins where March ended , but with more hopeful news that the worst is over .
The state ’ s daily fatality count , which peaked with 799 deaths on April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was at the close of March , with 306 people deaths Wednesday .
The number of people hospitalized with the virus has slid to approximately where it was one month ago , too , after hitting a peak in mid April .
On Wednesday a navy hospital ship that had steamed to New York City to assist with the pandemic departed .
A temporary hospital , set up in Manhattan ’ s main convention centre , is close to closing , too , as the city ’ s hospitals have proven able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But while other parts of the nation have started to lift restrictions on social interaction , New York City is still ratcheting down .
On Thursday , Cuomo announced that the city ’ s subway system would curtail overnight service to make it easier to disinfect trains , amid fresh fears that bringing people together on public transit helps the virus spread .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Report gives Pakistan failing grade on human rights

ISLAMABAD - An annual human rights report released this week gives Pakistan a failing grade , charging that too little is being done to protect the country ’ s most vulnerable , including women and children .
The 264-page report by the Independent Pakistan Human Rights Commission laid out a litany of human rights failings .
They include unabated honour killings , forced conversions of minority Hindu under-age girls and continued use of a blasphemy law that carries the death penalty to intimidate and settle scores .
In December , Pakistan was ranked 151st out of 153 by the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Index .
“ Despite the legislation enacted to protect and promote women ’ s rights in recent years , violence against women has escalated , ” the report released Thursday said .
It also criticizes increased restrictions on media freedom and criticism of state institutions and a growing number of cases of sexual and physical abuse of children .
There was no immediate comment from the government .
Pakistan has been slow to enact laws to protect the country ’ s most vulnerable and even where laws are in place they are often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies in Pakistan are often corrupt or refuse to take the word of a woman over a man in Pakistan ’ s deeply male-dominated society .
In April , a powerful cleric who has the ear of the prime minister blamed the global coronavirus pandemic on women who dress immodestly .
Social media outrage greeted cleric Tariq Jameel after he blamed women , particularly young women who “ choose the path of indecency and ... vulgarity , “ for the coronavirus pandemic .
His charges were made during a live TV fundraising drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a weeks-long lock-down to stem the virus ’ s spread .
Jameel also shamed girls for dancing and wearing “ skimpy clothing.
” Jameel , who did not rescind his remarks , later said he was addressing the failings of the “ collective “ society .
Pakistan on Friday recorded 16,817 positive cases of COVID-19 , the illness caused by the new coronavirus , with 385 deaths .
Pakistan also recorded its largest single day hike in positive cases with 990 new infections .
However , Pakistan has also increased its testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than the 20,000 daily target the government has promised .
“ The weakest segments of society remained invisible , unheard , neglected , and undermined when it came to the real priorities of the state — be it children who were malnourished , subjected to hazardous labour , sexually abused , physically tortured and murdered ; or women who continued to face violence and discrimination at home , at the workplace and in public spaces , “ the report said .
“ Pakistan continued to bear a dismal human rights record in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its own citizens and the international obligations to which it is a state party , ” it said .
The government ’ s own National Commission on Human Rights has been without a chairperson and six of its seven members for nearly a year .
Requests for country visits by U.N. special investigators on a number of issues are still pending .
Those include extrajudicial killings and freedom of religion and the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism .
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Wisconsin woman charged after son’s body found in her car

GREEN BAY , Wis. - A Wisconsin woman has been charged after the body of her young son was found in March in a duffel bag in her car apparently months after he died .
Sagal Hussein , 25 , of Howard , faces nine counts , including chronic neglect of a child causing death , hiding the corpse of a child and obstruction of an officer .
Hussein ’ s public defender did not return a request for comment Thursday .
According to the criminal complaint , the investigation into 5-year-old Josias Marquez ’ s whereabouts began Jan. 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s other two children outside , unsupervised .
Authorities had tried to get Hussein to tell them where her third child was .
She said the boy was with his father out of state , but police were unable to confirm that .
Hussein told police her son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy .
The complaint said the 5-year-old used a wheelchair and was dependent on others for feeding .
Hussein was arrested March 30 , and a search warrant was issued for her home and car .
The next day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a child in a duffel bag in the cargo area of her vehicle .
An autopsy found the boy was severely malnourished and apparently had been dead for months , WLUK-TV reported .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Indian migrant workers take 1st train home since lockdown

LUCKNOW , India - India on Friday ran the first train service for thousands of migrant workers desperate to return home since it imposed a nationwide lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus .
Relieved and smiling , 1,200 people clapped as they boarded the train at Lingampally in southern Telangana state for Hatia in the eastern state of Jharkhand — a 19-hour journey .
However , railroad authorities said Friday ’ s service was only a one-off special train and a decision on running more trains will be taken soon .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extend the 40-day-old lockdown or gradually ease it to resume economic activity .
Earlier this week , the government allowed some shops to reopen and manufacturing and farming to resume .
On Friday , India registered another daily high of nearly 2,000 infections , bringing totals to 35,043 with 1,147 deaths .
Several states , including Rajasthan , Jharkhand , Bihar , Kerala , Maharashtra , Uttar Pradesh , Punjab and Telangana have demanded special trains for returning workers because they couldn ’ t arrange enough buses .
The Uttar Pradesh government in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food grains , but a majority of the migrant workers do not have cards issued by the state government to avail of the facility .
“ The situation is aggravated because first these people do not have work and secondly there are more mouths to feed than the food available in the village , ” said Nomita P. Kumar of Giri Institute of Development Studies in Lucknow , the state capital .
State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered that those who do not have the government ration cards should not be denied food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card .
The state government spokesman , Awanish Awasthi , said more than 12,000 workers and students had returned from northern Haryana and western Rajasthan states after the lockdown was announced on April 25 using more than 600 buses .
Around 1 million migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh are still stranded in other Indian states , he said .

Biswajeet Banerjee - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Virus worries haunt workers demanding rights on May Day

ATHENS , Greece - No job at all , or a job without enough protections — millions of workers worldwide are marking international labour day trapped between hunger and fear , as more countries and states reopen for business even though the coronavirus pandemic is far from vanquished .
Beijing ’ s Forbidden City cracked open its doors , and shopping malls from Texas to Indiana were set to do the same Friday , while world leaders try to salvage virus-battered economies without unleashing new waves of infections .
With traditional May Day labour marches curtailed by strict limits on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage a wildcat demonstration .
California activists planned strikes , and Parisians sang from balconies to plead their causes : workplace masks , health insurance or more government aid for the jobless .
It ’ was a melancholy International Workers ’ Day for garment industry workers across southeast Asia such as Wiryono , a father of two in Indonesia ’ s capital who was laid off last month as retailers slashed orders .
His side gig delivering coffee dried up , too , amid a virus lockdown .
So he set up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I don ’ t earn as much as I got from the clothing factory .
But I have to feed my wife and kids every day , ” said Wiryono , who goes by only one name .
In Bangladesh , production is starting back up even despite a rising number of new confirmed cases of a virus that has infected more than 3.2 million and killed at least 230,000 worldwide .
A government-ordered lockdown couldn ’ t extinguish the May Day protest spirit in Greece , where demonstrators lined up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in careful rows in Athens ’ Syntagma Square .
Organizers , wearing masks and gloves , used tape measures to set out exact positions for the protesters with large colored squares .
Greeks who work by doing deliveries staged a motorized protest , driving through Athens on their motorbikes , and police were out in force to ensure residents don ’ t head from cities to the countryside , another May Day tradition .
“ We are praying for all workers , so that no one will lack work , and all will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dignity of work and the beauty of rest , “ Pope Francis pleaded during a private morning Mass .
May Day labour protests started in the 19th century in the United States , where this week the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits surpassed a staggering 30 million — and joblessness in April could hit numbers not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
Essential workers were expected to strike around the U.S. on Friday to demand safer conditions during the pandemic , while other groups organized rallies to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. economy .
Lacey Ward , an Omaha hairstylist , said she is worried that the Nebraska governor ’ s decision to let salons reopen on May 4 could put her and her family at risk .
She would prefer to collect unemployment until the danger subsides .
“ I feel like we are literally the guinea pigs in this situation , ” she said .
May Day is a state holiday in many countries , but lockdowns mean this is the first time that Russia — whose prime minister has the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Red Square .
In Turkey , police and protesters wearing masks faced off in Istanbul , and 15 people were detained for defying confinement rules .
In the Czech Republic , people honked horns , played drums or shouted at midday in a special “ noisy protest ” over the government ’ s handling of the crisis .
And hundreds of Czechs who commute to work in Germany and Austria plan to block a border crossing to protest restrictions imposed on them amid the pandemic .
In the French spirit of keeping leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home confinement rules to hold unauthorized protests .
Others staged a midday musical protest against French President Emmanuel Macron ’ s handling of the pandemic , singing from balconies and windows to the tune of the rebel ’ s anthem “ Bella Ciao.
” Instead of the usual May Day concert in Italy , musical artists will take turns performing solo in empty venues .
As Italy prepares to reopen some businesses Monday , unions demanded scrupulous attention to social distancing at work stations and on assembly lines , and the sanitizing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A holiday atmosphere enlivened South Africa ’ s streets Friday , as the May Day holiday is also when the country has begun easing its strict lockdown .
People were permitted to walk outside for exercise and some are returning to work in small batches .
The country where the coronavirus first erupted also is opening up : China ’ s ancient , majestic Forbidden City reopened on Friday with all tickets for the May 1-5 holiday sold out , and a limit of 5,000 visitors a day , down from the earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveled at the chance to visit without huge crowds and said , “ When walking in some areas without others around , I felt like I ’ m getting back to history.
” In Spain , the closing of a massive field hospital that had symbolized the country ’ s battle against the virus and its overwhelmed health system held significance .
Malaysia and Thailand prepared to reopen some businesses .
Japan ’ s prime minister , however , announced his virus state of emergency would stay in place for another month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ question as the biggest U.S. mall operator , Simon Property Group Inc. , plans to open 49 shopping centres Friday across 10 states , with mask-wearing employees and a limited number of shoppers .
President Donald Trump chose not to extend the White House ’ s social-distancing guidelines past their expiration Thursday .
Those guidelines encouraged people to work from home and avoid restaurants , groups and nonessential travel .
Trump continued to speculate on the origins of the coronavirus , and intelligence agencies said they are still examining a notion put forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab .
The virus has killed over 230,000 worldwide , including more than 61,000 in the U.S. , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
Confirmed infections globally topped 3.2 million , with 1 million in the U.S. , but the true numbers are believed to be much higher because of limited testing , differences in counting the dead and concealment by some governments .
As Australia plans to open up , Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged people to download a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and warned : “ The coronavirus is still out there.
“ Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok and Charlton from Paris .
AP journalists around the world contributed to this report .

Elena Becatoros, Angela Charlton And Elaine Kurtenbach - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--The Latest: Nurses at Children’s Minnesota vote on furloughs

MINNEAPOLIS - The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Minnesota ( all times local ) : Minnesota ’ s largest @ @ @ @ @ to furlough the equivalent of 181 full-time nurses as it struggles financially with fewer patients @ @ @ @ @ of the Minnesota Nurses Association will begin voting on a furlough agreement with Children ’ @ @ @ @ @ furloughs affect about 17 % of nurses at the hospital .
The Star Tribune reports @ @ @ @ @ this week that it would stop offering some medical and surgical services at its St. @ @ @ @ @ decrease in patients .
A number of health care groups in Minnesota are dealing with @ @ @ @ @ have been cancelled due to an expected surge of coronavirus patients .
Gov .
Tim @ @ @ @ @ ’ s looking to revise the ban on elective surgeries in the coming days .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--South Africa eases one of world’s strictest lockdowns

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa began easing one of the world ’ s strictest lockdowns on Friday , with runners and dog-walkers returning eagerly to the streets but not all wearing the face masks that are now mandatory in the country with Africa ’ s most coronavirus cases .
In Johannesburg , Cape Town and elsewhere , people took a breath of fall air and some headed to the malls to buy warm clothes for winter , which brings a new challenge in combating the virus : flu season .
South Africa has more than 5,600 cases of COVID-19 .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Level 4 restrictions , many businesses can resume limited operations .
Many mines , factories and agricultural businesses can resume work in phases , starting with only a third of employees .
Restaurants can reopen for deliveries only .
People are now permitted to leave their homes for exercise between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. A night curfew is in place from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Public transport , including trains and buses , can operate with restricted numbers of passengers .
But the ban on domestic and international travel remains .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ liquor and cigarettes remain banned , which some have criticized as puritanical .
But health officials warn that smoking might exacerbate respiratory problems experienced with COVID-19 .
The ban on alcohol sales has reduced brawls and traffic accidents , according to police .
Friday is Workers ’ Day and ordinarily South Africa marks it with rallies by trade unions and political parties , but these are not possible this year .
But some workers found the return of business enough reason to celebrate .
“ “ We were badly affected by the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We had to listen to the leaders because this is a very difficult time , ” said Cameron Elihaz , who owns a cellphone repair and accessories shop in Johannesburg .
According to officials , schools should reopen in phases starting June 1 with the first batch being Grade 7 and Grade 12 pupils , the oldest classes in primary and secondary schools , respectively .
But teachers ’ unions have protested , saying schools should not reopen until safe conditions can be assured .
There is no date for when higher education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly looking towards online learning .
President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasized that his government is trying to balance the need to curb the spread of the virus with pressure to minimize economic hardships in one of the world ’ s most unequal countries .
Ramaphosa earlier announced a $ 26 billion socio-economic relief package as millions of informal workers have suffered .
Unemployment is expected to soar above the 29 % that existed before the virus arrived .
South Africa has conducted more than 200,000 coronavirus tests .
Officials say they will watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they will implement targeted isolation measures .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Turkish police detain gathered union leaders on May Day

ISTANBUL - Police in Istanbul detained at least 15 people Friday , including trade union leaders who tried to stage a May Day march in defiance of a coronavirus lockdown and a ban on demonstrations at a historic square .
The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey , or DISK , tweeted that its head Arzu Cerkezoglu and several other union leaders were detained near Taksim Square , where they wanted to lay wreaths of carnations .
Images showed police and demonstrators wearing masks and face guards in tense , close contact .
The Istanbul governor ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The statement added that various trade unions had left wreaths in Taksim Square as permitted by the governor ’ s office but that DISK had insisted on collectively marching to the square , which was in breach of lockdown and social distancing rules .
Taksim Square holds a symbolic value for Turkey ’ s labour movement .
In 1977 , 34 people were killed there during a May Day event when shots were fired into the crowd from a nearby building .
Opposition lawmakers were later allowed to take DISK ’ s damaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposed partial lockdowns in 31 provinces every weekend and on national holidays .
Exemptions apply , including for many labourers who continue to work amid the pandemic .
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the country must continue production to ensure the economic “ wheels continue turning.
” The ban on May Day demonstrations in Taksim has been in effect for several years , due to security concerns .
Police closed all roads leading to Taksim Square with barricades and increased security presence Friday .
Trade unions began marking May Day on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged people to celebrate from their balconies Friday night and participate on social media .
Turkey ranks seventh in the world for the number of confirmed infections with 120,204 cases , according to Johns Hopkins University , although experts believe the actual toll of the pandemic is higher than the tally .
The country ’ s official death toll stands at 3,174 .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Asia Today: Japan slowdown not enough, Beijing parks reopen

BANGKOK - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that the coronavirus state of emergency that is scheduled to end next week will continue for roughly another month .
Abe , citing a report by a government task force , said the country ’ s medical system is still under severe pressure even though Japan has averted an explosion of infections as occurred in many other countries .
“ We still need you to continue co-operating , and that ’ s the experts ’ view , ” Abe said .
Shigeru Omi , deputy chair of the task force , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as experts had hoped .
“ If a resurgence occurs , medical systems will be quickly overburdened , ” he said .
Local officials should use the next few weeks to better prepare hospital beds , virus testing and other systems in case of a future rise in infections , he said..
The state of emergency is voluntary and only requests social distancing and remote work rather than orders that actions be taken .
Health experts worry that the lack of urgency doesn ’ t reflect the serious risk in a country with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan has confirmed 14,281 cases with 432 deaths , according to the health ministry .
Also Friday , Emperor Naruhito marked the first anniversary of his enthronement with a prayer at palace shrines for the people ’ s peace and happiness amid the pandemic .
Wearing a white surgical mask , he greeted well-wishers along the sidewalk from a royal car on the way to the palace for the ritual .
Naruhito ascended to the throne last year after his father , Akihito , abdicated .
Some of Naruhito ’ s scheduled events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was supposed to be his first overseas visit as monarch , have been cancelled due to the pandemic .
In other developments around the Asia-Pacific region : — INDIAN CASES SURGE : India registered another daily high in virus cases , with nearly 2,000 recorded in the past 24 hours .
India ’ s Health Ministry said the 1,993 new cases and 73 more deaths bring India ’ s totals to 35,043 with 1,147 deaths .
The government is due to decide the future of its 40-day lockdown on Sunday .
It allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resume their journeys on Wednesday , as well as some shops to reopen and manufacturing and farming to resume .
— MALAYSIA TO PARTLY REOPEN ECONOMY : Malaysia will allow most economic sectors and business activities to reopen from Monday .
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says there is a need to revive the economy as billions have been lost during the partial lockdown that began in March .
Most businesses , including restaurants , can open with social distancing and health screenings .
Mass gatherings are still banned , keeping schools , cinemas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group sports .
Muhyiddin said Muslims also can not return to their villages to celebrate when Ramadan ends , as inter-state travel will remain banned .
Daily infections have dropped to double-digits in the past two weeks , with Malaysia now recording 6,002 infections with 102 deaths .
— FORBIDDEN CITY REOPENS : Beijing ’ s parks and museums including the ancient Forbidden City reopened to the public after being closed for months by the coronavirus pandemic .
The Forbidden City , past home to China ’ s emperors , is allowing just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And parks are allowing people to visit at 30 % of the usual capacity .
China on Friday reported 12 new cases of the virus , six of them brought from overseas , and no new deaths for the 16th day .
It has reported a total of 4,633 deaths from the virus among about 83,000 cases .
— UN CHIEF PRAISES SOUTH KOREA : U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday he hopes many countries will follow the “ remarkable example ” of South Korea , which he said has been “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and is planning to tackle climate change in its recovery .
As its cases have declined , he said , South Korea has presented plans for “ a very ambitious green deal , “ including a ban on new coal-fired plants and a reduction of emissions from existing coal-fired plants .
— SKOREA ’ S CASES REMAIN LOW : South Korea reported nine fresh cases , raising its totals to 10,774 infections and 248 deaths , its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday .
Its domestic cases have slowed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropping as well after border controls were strengthened .
The slowing caseload has allowed the government to relax social distancing guidelines as it shifts focus to easing the shock on the economy .
— CHINA BOYCOTT THREAT WORRIES AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS : China ’ s warning of trade repercussions from Australia ’ s campaign for an independent inquiry into the beginnings of the coronavirus has rattled Australian business leaders .
China has accused Australia of parroting the United States in its call for an inquiry independent of the World Health Organization to determine the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world responded .
Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye warned in an Australian newspaper interview this week that pursuing an inquiry could spark a Chinese consumer boycott .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has defended Australia and urged other countries to demand transparency .
— NINTENDO PARK DELAYED : The company that owns Universal theme parks says the opening of a Nintendo-themed park in Japan will be pushed back a few months due to the coronavirus crisis .
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said construction on the Epic Universe theme park in Florida will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka .
This story has been corrected to show that Beijing ’ s Forbidden City has reopened , not still closed .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Explosions rock weapons warehouse on base in central Syria

BEIRUT - Explosions rocked a Syrian military base housing a weapons warehouse Friday in the country ’ s central Homs province causing human and material losses , the defence ministry said , explaining the cause as a “ human error ” in moving ammunition .
Earlier , a local Syrian official said the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear , while the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , which monitors the Syria war , said an Israeli rocket attack was suspected in hitting the weapons warehouse south of the city of Homs .
The Observatory said Syrian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , suggesting it was responding to an incoming attack .
Friday ’ s explosions wounded 10 civilians walking nearby , Homs health director Hassan al-Guindi told local Syrian media .
Smoke columns could be seen from a distance and the sound of explosions echoed into Homs city .
The Observatory said the warehouse was for Lebanon ’ s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group , which has backed Syria ’ s armed forces in the nine-year civil war .
The Israeli military declined to comment on the reports .
But it has in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying it won ’ t tolerate Tehran ’ s increasing influence along its borders .
The differences in explanations of the cause of the explosion could not be immediately reconciled .
The Syrian government rarely acknowledges it is home to military posts and warehouses for Iran and Iranian-backed groups , who have been instrumental in turning the tide of the war in favour of the government .
In the past month , there have been several reports of suspected Israeli strikes on targets inside Syria , the last on Monday .
Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t clear what caused Friday ’ s explosions .
He said the military base includes a weapons warehouse but didn ’ t name Hezbollah .
The Observatory said the base has been used by the Lebanese militant group for years .
It said the explosions caused damage to the base and reported flying debris that reached outside its perimeters .
Syrian state media also reported late Thursday that Israeli helicopters flying over the occupied Golan Heights fired at several unidentified targets causing material damage .
Israel has acknowledged carrying out scores of strikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged Iranian weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah .
In recent months , Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hezbollah is trying to establish production facilities to make precision-guided missiles .
In recent weeks , suspected Israeli attacks include the targeting of Iranian-backed fighters in the desert near the central Syrian town of Palmyra , and an Israeli drone attack on a SUV carrying Hezbollah members close to the border with Lebanon .
Two days after the drone attack , Israel accused Hezbollah of “ provocative ” activity , including multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanese-Israeli frontier , and said it would complain to the U.N. Security Council .
Associated Press Albert Aji contributed to this report from Damascus , Syria


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Coronavirus lessons from Roosevelt outbreak helped 2nd ship

WASHINGTON - The Navy destroyer USS Kidd was heading east across the Pacific from Pearl Harbor when it added an unusual twist to its transit — a quarantine-and-isolation drill .
The practice was part of a new protocol built on lessons from a coronavirus outbreak aboard an aircraft carrier soon to be sidelined with sickness .
“ That ... actually helped us quite a bit to prepare for what was to come , ” the Kidd ’ s commanding officer , Cmdr .
Nathan Wemett , said in a telephone interview Thursday from aboard the ship .
What was coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his crew of about 330 was a COVID-19 outbreak that is just the second aboard a Navy ship at sea .
Nearly one-quarter of the Kidd ’ s crew has the virus .
Still , lessons learned from the outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier , the USS Roosevelt , has allowed the Kidd to avoid a similar spectacle of crisis .
The Kidd ’ s circumstance is not completely comparable to that of the nuclear-powered Roosevelt , whose crew of 4,900 is far larger and whose presence in the Pacific is a bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says his ship benefited from information and guidance derived from the unfolding and unforeseen disaster aboard the aircraft carrier .
For example , on April 20 , the Kidd received new medical guidance on additional symptoms to be watching for as indicators of possible coronavirus .
“ That drove us to report our first case “ that same day , Wemett said .
The ill sailor was medically evacuated to a medical facility in San Antonio two days later for testing , and the following day a positive result was reported .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at-sea drills to use by placing some crew members in isolation .
Even before the first test result was known , the Navy assembled a medical team in the United States and dispatched it to the Kidd .
The team leader , Cmdr .
Michael Kaplan , the director of medical services at Naval Hospital Jacksonville in Florida , said he was not standing by in anticipation of such a mission .
“ We had no heads up whatsoever , ” Kaplan said .
But the team was on its way in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by helicopter the same day .
By evening the doctors had tested about 25 people , and within 24 hours nearly a quarter of the crew had been tested .
The Navy also diverted an amphibious assault ship , the USS Makin Island , to provide additional support to the Kidd .
The Makin Island has fully equipped medical facilities , including an intensive care unit .
Kapan ’ said his team also made a point of testing sailors without coronavirus symptoms , drawing on the Roosevelt experience , which initially tested only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asymptomatic people can be transmitters of the virus .
Kaplan had the asymptomatic cases isolated on board .
“ We didn ’ t know how long it would take to get back on land , and we wanted to do everything we could to try to minimize the spread on the ship , ” Kaplan said .
As of Thursday , 78 members of the Kidd ’ s crew had tested positive .
None is hospitalized .
Not all aspects of the medical and operational response taken aboard the Roosevelt are known publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under investigation , including questions about how the virus got aboard in the first place .
Just over 1,100 members of the Roosevelt crew have tested positive , and one died of complications from the disease .
The Roosevelt ’ s skipper , Capt .
Brett E. Crozier , was fired for distributing a letter pleading for faster Navy action to protect his crew , and the official who ordered his removal from command , Thomas Modly , resigned a few days later as the acting Navy secretary .
At the outset of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy officials appeared to underestimate their ability to contain it and keep the warship from being sidelined .
Touting the Navy ’ s response , Modly told reporters on March 24 , two days after the first case was confirmed : “ This is an example of our ability to keep our ships deployed at sea , underway even with active COVID-19 cases.
” In contrast , the Kidd ended its Central America mission shortly after getting its first coronavirus case , based on a plan made in advance by the U.S. Navy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Once a ship had a certain number of symptomatic sailors , it was to head for the nearest appropriate U.S. port .
Wemett declined to be more specific than to say the triggering number was less than 10 .
The Kidd headed for San Diego , where it arrived Tuesday and moved most of the crew ashore to off-base housing .
The paths of the Kidd and the Roosevelt diverged in a more literal sense .
They initially deployed together on Jan. 17 after the Kidd , home ported at Everett , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the rest of its strike group in San Diego .
But the Kidd made it no further than Hawaii , ordered to break off from the strike group and head east again to participate in the Central America counterdrug operation .
The Roosevelt and the rest of its strike group , meanwhile , headed to East Asia .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Joe Biden gets backing of key Latina activist Dolores Huerta

WASHINGTON - Labour and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta on Friday endorsed Joe Biden for president , giving him the backing of one of the nation ’ s most prominent Latino leaders .
The endorsement comes as the campaign says it ’ s ramping up Latino outreach , expanding some of the efforts it launched in key states during the primary in an effort to strengthen Biden ’ s support with a voting bloc it acknowledges could be pivotal to his success in November .
The former vice-president initially struggled to win over Latino voters during the primary after facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record on immigration .
Huerta will appear on Sunday at an online Todos Con Biden , or Everyone with Biden , event and said in an interview with The Associated Press she plans to do “ whatever I possibly , humanly can to make sure that Joe Biden gets elected.
” “ Our community has just been under constant , constant attack by the current administration , ” said Huerta , who is based in Los Angeles .
“ We need somebody who is going to bring everybody together and end the racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huerta co-founded the organization that eventually became the United Farm Workers of America , a national union for farm labourers .
The Biden campaign noted her endorsement came on International Workers Day , and Huerta said Biden will “ really support strong labour unions.
” During the primary , however , Huerta endorsed California Sen. Kamala Harris and criticized Biden for his comments during a primary debate on immigration , accusing him of “ speaking just like the Republicans ” when he expressed opposition to the idea of decriminalizing border crossings during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the AP on Friday that she trusts Biden to prioritize the challenges confronting Latinos and noted that immigration reform “ is something the president can ’ t do , ” noting big reforms require congressional action .
“ I don ’ t think we ’ ll have to pressure him ” on immigration reform , she said .
“ I think he realizes what the issues are.
” It ’ s a notable shift for a key voice in the Latino community , one that suggests Biden is making inroads with a community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Primary opponent Bernie Sanders ’ strength among Latinos helped him build early momentum over Biden , who faced immigration protesters and criticism from opponents over the Obama administration ’ s record number of deportations .
Biden senior adviser Cristobal Alex said in an interview that the campaign ’ s initial struggles with the Latino community were due to a lack of resources that made it tougher for him to get his message out .
Alex noted that the candidate ’ s support among Latinos got stronger in some of the earlier primary states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand a number of its Latino-focused outreach efforts for the general election .
“ Our campaign manager is committed to the Latino vote , the vice-president is committed to the Latino vote , and so you ’ re going to see significant investment in the weeks and months to come , ” he said .
Alex predicted “ record ” Latino turnout for Biden .
The voters in that bloc , Alex said , “ are poised to be the difference-makers ” in this year ’ s election , noting the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Ohio , Pennsylvania and Michigan .
“ We ’ re not taking any vote for granted .
We have to compete for Latino voters , not just in places like Arizona and Florida , which people think automatically are Latino states , or Colorado and Nevada , but places like Ohio , where there ’ s a large Puerto Rican population , or there ’ s a large Dominican population in Pennsylvania , ” he said .
“ So we ’ re going to be very attuned to the community in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Bangladesh factories resume work, risking new virus cases

DHAKA , Bangladesh - Bangladesh has reopened hundreds of its garment factories this week after nearly one month of closures to fight the coronavirus pandemic in a move critics say risks igniting a sharp increase in infections among workers .
An industry group said about 850 factories are operating with fewer workers than usual and following safety guidelines .
Labor advocates say not enough is being done to ensure safety for the 4 million workers in Bangladesh ’ s roughly 4,000 garment factories .
The number of factories that have reopened is in dispute .
Activists and analysts said Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association says only 850 factories had opened by Thursday , using a limited number of workers who live nearby .
“ The global brands are happy to see the factories opening up as otherwise a whole season would have been lost , ” Mohammad Abdur Razzak , secretary of the industry group , said in an email .
Razzak said the factories were complying with health guidelines and that inspections found that only four of 105 visited were not meeting standards .
As is true elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering still more loss of income by staying closed and risking a surge in infections if they stop taking precautions too soon .
The resumption of manufacturing followed a government decision to allow companies to reopen that was made under heavy pressure from businesses .
Factories went ahead , fearing they might lose business to competitors in Vietnam , Cambodia , India , Sri Lanka and India .
A senior government health official in a major industrial zone near Dhaka urged factories to close down again .
Bangladesh has confirmed 7,667 people infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first case was reported on March 8 .
About 500 new cases are being confirmed daily in the nation of 160 million people , which has only 25 testing facilities and a fragile healthcare system .
Thousands of workers reportedly are rushing back to reclaim their jobs in the capital , Dhaka and nearby industrial districts , alarming labour advocates .
“ Who will take the responsibility if hundreds of workers become ill ?
” said Kalpona Akter , executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity .
Ahsan H. Mansur , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research Institute , said at least another week should have been allowed to better prepare for reopening .
“ The factories have resumed operations without giving it much thought , “ he said .
“ There is a huge risk of virus transmission among workers .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Croatia leftist president protests pro-Nazi salute

ZAGREB , Croatia - Croatia ’ s leftist president walked out of a state ceremony in protest Friday after one of the participants wore a T-shirt displaying a salute used during World War II by a pro-Nazi regime in the country .
“ This is a deliberate provocation , “ Zoran Milanovic said .
“ I don ’ t want to be part of it.
” The salute is often displayed by Croatia ’ s far-right extremists .
Many glorify the WWII Croatian state although tens of thousands of Serbs , Jews , Roma and anti-fascists were killed in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened during a formal ceremony marking the anniversary of a 1995 military operation when Croatia ’ s army liberated a swath of territory held by rebel Serbs during the countries ’ 1991-95 war .
Croatian media reported that a man , apparently a former fighter from the 1991-95 conflict , was wearing a T-shirt with the WWII salute which prompted Milanovic ’ s walkout .
Other top officials , including conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic , stayed .
“ No one knew they would wear those T-shirts , “ said Plenkovic .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect ... we are here to honour the fallen.
” Croatia ’ s conservative government has faced criticism for failing to curb pro-Nazi sentiments in the country .
The dominant conservative party , the Croatian Democratic Union , has a strong right-wing faction .
Milanovic , who won election in January as the candidate of liberal opposition , has demanded that Croatia ’ s parliament formally outlaws the disputed salute .
Croatia ’ s WWII Ustasha regime was notorious for its brutality .
After the war , Croatia became part of Communist-run former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union in 2013 .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Police: 4 Amish children killed, 1 missing in buggy accident

OWINGSVILLE , Ky. - Authorities in Kentucky said four children died and one is missing after a buggy carrying an Amish family was swept away in the current while trying to cross a low-water bridge .
Six people were in the horse and buggy that overturned on Wednesday in Bath County , Kentucky , State Police said in a statement .
The adult in the buggy was able to make it to the bank of the stream and call for help , police said .
The four siblings were found and pronounced dead by a coroner ’ s office Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said authorities from various agencies were continuing to search Thursday for the last missing child .
Ferrell said Kentucky National Guard troops arrived to help search efforts in the remote area , where people were searching on foot , on ATVs and in kayaks .
Helicopters were expected to arrive later in the day if the weather permitted .
He said the rain stopped falling overnight , which allowed the water to recede some and should help search efforts .
Missi Mosley and her boyfriend told WYMT-TV that they rushed to the scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out on the scanner .
“ It was devastating , ” Mosley said .
“ The waters are so swift and the rain was pouring down .
It was just a sombre feeling .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Forbidden City, parks in Chinese capital reopen to public

Beijing ’ s parks and museums including the ancient Forbidden City reopened to the public Friday after being closed for months by the coronavirus pandemic .
The Forbidden City , past home to China ’ s emperors , is allowing just 5,000 visitors daily , down from 80,000 .
And parks are allowing people to visit at 30 % of the usual capacity .
One Beijing resident said this visit felt different than others , when the Forbidden City was more crowded .
“ When walking in some areas without others around I felt like getting back to the history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group activities remain on hold and visitors must book tickets in advance online , according to Gao Dawei , deputy director of the Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau .
Photos on social media showed visitors to the Forbidden City wearing face masks and being escorted by police along designated routes .
Beijing on Thursday downgraded its level of emergency response to the virus from first to second tier , but temperature checks and social distancing remain in force .
The change comes at the start of the five-day May 1 holiday and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the National People ’ s Congress on May 22 .
The sessions were delayed from early March .
The two-week annual meetings are largely ceremonial , with the legislature rubber-stamping decisions reached earlier by Communist Party leaders , but in typical years they are a colorful spectacle in the nation ’ s capital .
It ’ s not yet clear if the 3,000 or so delegates would come to Beijing , or if sessions would be held virtually through videoconference .
China on Friday reported 12 new cases of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no new deaths for the 16th day .
It has reported a total of 4,633 deaths from the virus among about 83,000 cases , mostly in the central city of Wuhan .
Most recent cases reported in China have been among travellers arriving from abroad or in a northeastern province near the border with Russia .
Across the country , 599 patients remain under treatment for the virus .
Just under 1,000 people are under medical observation because they tested positive but don ’ t show symptoms or have symptoms but testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--COVID-19 survivor urges: ‘To all of you: Continue to fight’

ALKEN , Belgium - Sucking in the little oxygen her lungs could still process , Diane Wanten wouldn ’ t back down in her fight against a disease that is killing tens of thousands a week around the globe .
Too much was still waiting for her .
“ It kept turning in my head : I need to survive this .
I still want to go back home , ” she said , remembering the dark days in a Belgian intensive care unit a few weeks back .
“ Before I slipped into the night , I automatically stayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was still alive .
And I was hoping that I would , please , wake up in the morning.
” Stuck behind a claustrophobic shield that covered her whole head , she would sometimes awaken from a slumber in a half-panic wondering whether she had left enough pills in the box for her husband back home who is stricken with Parkinson ’ s and early dementia .
She eventually beat COVID-19 after three weeks of hospitalization , including 16 days in the ICU .
She has been reunited with husband , Francesco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s home .
There is no embrace yet , since the 61-year-old Wanten is largely quarantined in her room and keeping at arm ’ s length from her husband , who doesn ’ t quite fathom what is happening .
The eye contact alone , though , is worth it .
In a raspy voice and still struggling to breathe 100 % normally , Wanten has one abiding lesson for all those who are seeking to come back from the debilitating disease that has already killed at least 200,000 people worldwide and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of you : continue to fight .
It ’ s worth it , ” she said .
“ Early on , it is tough .
But when I look at the result , I ’ m telling everyone : Go for it.
” For almost all those fighting her fight around the world , there ’ s family waiting , friends waiting , loved ones waiting .
Before the coronavirus put her close to death ’ s door , Wanten already knew how hard life could be .
She had sold shoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coal miner whose father had come down from Italy ’ s La Spezia region in Europe ’ s great post-war immigration movement .
Mine closures in eastern Belgium were tough enough , but her husband developed Parkinson ’ s disease at age 38 and , over a year ago , early dementia .
She herself battled through cancer five years ago .
“ She went through a lot , ” said her son Frederico Taramaschi .
Still , the coronavirus caught her unawares .
She had already braved a fever and cough with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it all suddenly came back a week later .
Limburg province is the epicenter of the coronavirus in Belgium and she was right smack in the middle .
She went for a checkup on April 3 , and by the time she got to Jessa hospital in the city of Hasselt , “ I couldn ’ t tell the doctor anything because I couldn ’ t breathe.
” The doctor only had one option , she said .
“ Straight to the emergency ward.
” The stress at Jessa , one of Belgium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 50 miles ) east of Brussels , was intense .
Within 24 hours , cases would shoot up from 257 to 343 cases in Limburg province .
Dazed with medicine and fearful of death during the first few days , thoughts did drift often to her husband .
“ I didn ’ t realize all the things that were happening but it shot through my head : How would he be ?
” “ He always said : ‘ The day you ’ re no longer there , I want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself : ‘ I got to pull through because I really don ’ t want both of us to die.
’ ” By that time Frederico and his wife , Tania , were already taking care of her husband , a natural extension of a family bond .
There were fears Francesco would have it too , but , Frederico said , “ I didn ’ t think twice .
My parents have always taken super good care of me.
” Unlike the families of 200,000-plus victims , this one can rejoice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leaving the ICU for a regular room was a victory , but then physio had to start .
“ I was dizzy , couldn ’ t find my balance and my breath was fading , ” she said .
At first , just standing up was an effort , proof what the virus had done to her lungs .
Words were staggered with gasps .
Medical staff know the challenges all too well .
“ They need a few months of rehabilitation because they are very weak .
Their muscles are gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other diseases , ” said Dr. Luc Jamaer of Jessa hospital .
Slowly her vigour and vim came back and last week , she was allowed to step out of her wheelchair and into the car of her son for further recovery and physio at her home .
The time has even come to look at the future and what the virus has taught her .
Generations differ .
“ I have learned that I have to take care of things better .
His medication was always placed in two boxes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said , her voice trailing off .
“ Now I know I have to write it all down.
” For Frederico the latest family mishap reinforced his belief in carpe diem .
“ You have to make the most of every day because , who knows what tomorrow brings.
” Wanten will seize her day soon enough too .
The day she will be allowed to touch and embrace her dearest again will be on the eve of Belgian Mother ’ s Day .
“ It will be the greatest Mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — or that I will ever have .
”

Raf Casert And Francisco Seco - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Committee agrees to initial allocation of federal aid funds

JUNEAU , Alaska - A legislative committee agreed Friday to the allocation of about $ 125 million in federal coronavirus relief aid requested by Gov .
Mike Dunleavy , a fraction of the total request , as lawmakers said work continued in reviewing the remaining requests .
The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee is expected to meet again Wednesday .
Senate President Cathy Giessel said she expects it will hear the administration ’ s proposal for distributing community assistance and small business relief , two of the biggest-ticket items .
Giessel , a committee member , said the administration was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal issues that had been raised .
At this point , she told reporters she saw “ no imminent reason ” for the full Legislature to reconvene , “ but I never say never.
” The Anchorage Republican said there is a ratification process that would allow the Legislature , when it next meets , to ratify the action taken , “ to close the loop on the legislative appropriation process.
” The Legislature recessed in late March amid coronavirus concerns ; the clock on the session has not yet run out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s action comes “ during an unprecedented public health disaster ” and does not represent an abrogation of the Legislature ’ s appropriating authority .
Sen. Bill Wielechowski , an Anchorage Democrat , expressed concern with the process , particularly related to community assistance .
“ As much as I think many legislators are hesitant or reluctant to go back to Juneau to appropriate the federal dollars , I don ’ t see how you get around it , ” he said , adding later : “ The constitution says the Legislature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the committee under a process set out in state law .
It allows a governor to submit to the committee plans to accept and spend additional federal or other program funds on a budget item .
It delays for 45 days use of the funds unless the committee earlier agrees .
Questions at various points have been raised about the appropriateness of using the process for some of the items .
Lauren Giliam , a Dunleavy spokeswoman , said by email the administration believes it is acting within the confines of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration are improvements over the originals .
Items agreed to Friday include funding for schools , transportation and public safety .
Committee chair Rep. Chris Tuck said he looked forward to Wednesday ’ s meeting and taking up the issues the committee can “ legally address .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Virgin Galactic completes first glide flight in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE , N.M. - Virgin Galactic ’ s spaceship VSS Unity landed in the New Mexico desert on Friday , marking its first glide flight from Spaceport America as the company moves toward commercial operations .
The company announced the flight on social media and shared photos of the craft on the runway and members of the crew stationed far apart around the special carrier plane that ferries the smaller spaceship to high altitude .
After years of development and testing at Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave , California , Virgin Galactic is close to starting actual operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern New Mexico .
The company has not set a date for the first commercial flights but has said it anticipates doing so in 2020 .
A small number of test flights are needed before Virgin Galactic can take paying customers on supersonic thrill rides to the lower reaches of space to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of the Earth below .
The suborbital flights will reach an altitude of at least 50 miles ( 80.5 kilometres ) before the spaceship glides to a landing .
The company considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has been in the works since the spaceship and carrier plane relocated to New Mexico in February .
The flight provided the first opportunity to test all the components required to fly the carrier aircraft and spaceship in glide configuration from their new home base .
Officials will now be reviewing data gathered during the exercise so they can prepare for the next test flight .
The spaceship reached a glide speed of Mach 0.70 as the pilots performed a series of manoeuvrs to check handling and aerodynamics and to get more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides congratulated his team on hitting the milestone , especially during such challenging times .
‘ I am grateful for the commitment displayed by everyone involved , not only in helping to support relief efforts in both New Mexico and California , but also for the dedication and creativity which will allow us to continue safely towards our goal of commercial launch , ” he said .
While many employees have been working remotely during the pandemic , members of the Virgin Galactic team have been helping with relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , masks , gloves and other medical supplies to communities and hospitals in New Mexico and California .
The company also has made donations of more than $ 60,000 in New Mexico and is working on developing oxygen hoods that could potentially help COVID-19 patients .
“ We ’ re pursuing sort of an all-hands-on-deck strategy here where we ’ re really trying to help wherever we can , ” Whitesides said .
Virgin Galactic went public on the New York Stock Exchange last fall .
Company officials are preparing to release their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600 customers from around the world have put down deposits for flights , and about 8,000 reservations of interest have been made since the successful test flight into space in December 2018 .
Company officials expect that interest to surpass the company ’ s capacity for flights for the next few years .
The initial seats were sold at $ 250,000 apiece .
Those who want to register interest online are paying a fully refundable deposit of $ 1,000 .

Susan Montoya Bryan - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--NY nursing home reports 98 deaths linked to coronavirus

NEW YORK - A New York City nursing home on Friday reported the deaths of 98 residents believed to have had the coronavirus — a staggering death toll that shocked public officials .
“ It ’ s absolutely horrifying , ” Mayor Bill de Blasio said .
“ It ’ s inestimable loss , and it ’ s just impossible to imagine so many people lost in one place.
” It is hard to say whether the spate of deaths at the Isabella Geriatric Center , in Manhattan , is the worst nursing home outbreak yet in the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen to report fatalities in different ways .
An official state tally of nursing home deaths listed only 13 at the home as of Friday .
But officials at the 705-bed centre confirmed that through Wednesday 46 residents who tested positive for COVID-19 had died as well as an additional 52 people “ suspected ” to have the virus .
Some died at the nursing home and some died after being treated at hospitals .
The number of bodies became so overwhelming the home ordered a refrigerator truck to store them because funeral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the deceased .
“ Isabella , like all other nursing homes in New York City , initially had limited access to widespread and consistent in-house testing to quickly diagnose our residents and staff , ” Audrey Waters , a spokeswoman for the nursing home , wrote in an email .
“ This hampered our ability to identify those who were infected and asymptomatic , despite our efforts to swiftly separate anyone who presented symptoms.
” Isabella also encountered staffing shortages , prompting it to hire from outside agencies and early challenges securing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the home finally is “ getting more access to testing ” now .
The nursing home ’ s death toll was first reported by local cable news station NY1 .
Nursing homes have been known since the earliest days of the outbreak as a trouble spot .
They have been particularly hard hit in New York , which has had at least 3,065 nursing home deaths — by far the most in the nation — as of Thursday , according to an Associated Press count .
The state Department of Health said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 239 nursing homes , including at least six facilities with death tolls of 40 patients or more .
“ The one thing we now know about the nursing homes is the status quo can not continue to say the least , ” de Blasio said .
“ Something very different has to happen.
” City officials are “ trying to provide help in every way we can , ” the mayor added , saying the city had delivered thousands of respirator masks to the Washington Heights facility .
U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Isabella of keeping the public and elected officials in the dark about the outbreak .
He sent a letter Friday to Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and New York Attorney General Letitia James urging them to investigate the “ information sharing practices ” of New York nursing homes .
“ People deserve to know what ’ s happening , ” Espaillat said in an interview with AP .
Isabella Geriatric Center said it “ could not speculate ” as to why a state survey previously listed only 13 COVID-19 deaths at its facility .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday insisting it “ truthfully and accurately reported ” its death toll to state officials .
State officials said they are building an updated data set intended to offer a more detailed window into nursing home deaths .
Cuomo referred to a “ vagueness ” in some reporting of suspected COVID-19 cases but warned nursing homes not to misrepresent their death tolls .
“ They submit these numbers under penalty of perjury , ” Cuomo told reporters .
“ They can be prosecuted criminally for fraud on any of these reporting numbers.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the loop about changes in their loved ones ’ conditions despite the circumstances .
“ When we believe their loved one is nearing death , we do reach out to a resident ’ s primary contact and ask if they would like to say goodbye in person or via phone or an app , ” Waters said .
“ In-person goodbye visits were never interrupted and continue to happen.
” Associated Press writer Marina Villeneuve and investigative researcher Randy Herschaft contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Rural California county hums back to life, defying order

ALTURAS , Calif. - At the Brass Rail , two neon signs were beaming “ OPEN “ Friday , as the town and county slowly hummed to life , the first to do so in California in defiance of Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s order to stay home .
About a dozen customers were in the bar of the Basque restaurant — the only portion open so far — eager to be back among friends and neighbours after a six-week shutdown mandated by the Democratic governor 300 miles ( 480 kilometres ) south in Sacramento .
A few wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long haul .
We ’ re a small community , “ said owner Jodie Larranga .
“ It ’ s not that we ’ ve been given permission , we ’ ve just had a bellyful .
People are fed up.
” Modoc County is a place that defies California stereotypes .
It ’ s where semi-trailers carrying logs from the nearby national forest pass on the highway and where seven in 10 voted for Donald Trump in 2016 .
And its residents are putting their faith in local officials , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say it ’ s OK to be out in public if he didn ’ t truly feel it in his heart , “ said Amber McCandles , 41 , referring to Sheriff Tex Dowdy .
He “ has done a great job keeping us healthy .
He shut the town down and kept us isolated , in quarantine , and kept us COVID-free.
” With no cases of coronavirus among 9,000 residents in the far northeastern part of the state and plenty of land to spread out on , county officials moved to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ careful planning and with stringent limits — businesses could only have half the patrons and customers must stay 6 feet ( 1.8 metres ) apart .
For the vast majority of people , coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
In Modoc County , hair salons , churches , restaurants and the county ’ s only movie theatre were also allowed to reopen .
About half the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared open , though a third of the storefronts were already vacant .
At Gates Gallery and Trading Post , owner Gerry Gates planned to reopen Friday with or without permission .
He thinks Modoc County is “ reasonably safe “ to reopen .
“ You just hope it ’ s the right decision and we ’ ll see .
The way the economy is tanking , you ’ ve got to do something , “ he said .
Still , in a county so spread out that one supervisor said they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing , some were wary of outsiders bringing in the virus now that businesses are open .
At a general store just across the county line from Nevada , a woman who refused to be named said she wasn ’ t interested in talking out-of-towners and lamented that the media was “ making fun of “ its residents .
Local officials stressed the reopening followed Newsom ’ s phased plan to reopen the whole state , albeit earlier than he ’ s approved .
“ Our residents were moving forward with or without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of emergency services , said in an email , adding that residents needed guidelines to do it safely .
At Country Hearth Restaurant and Bakery in Cedarville , manager Janet Irene said she ’ s been following “ the guiding light “ of county officials in keeping the small eatery she ’ s run for 35 years closed except for takeout during the lockdown .
She was relieved to reopen it Friday morning .
“ People were constantly asking to be able to sit in the restaurant and it was really , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
It ’ s like the hardest thing I ’ ve ever done in my life , “ she said .
Newsom has declined to address Modoc County ’ s move directly and has not responded to a demand from six other rural Northern California counties to also be allowed to reopen .
He said Friday during his daily coronavirus briefing that he is paying attention to their pleas .
“ Know that and know that I ’ m looking forward to answering your call , addressing your anxiety , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re not turning our back to those concerns , “ Newsom said .
Not everyone waived off the concern about defying the governor .
“ I ’ m really concerned about the governor not giving his approval , “ said Irene , at the Country Hearth .
“ It could be that he would approve it anyway but he just has his plate full , I ’ m sure.
” This story has been corrected to remove a reference to a lumber mill .
The logs on trucks are coming from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco .
Associated Press writers John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report .

Scott Sonner And Juliet Williams - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Grizzly injures antler hunter in northwestern Wyoming

CODY , Wyo .
- A Wyoming man was injured by a grizzly bear Friday while he was searching for @ @ @ @ @ Park , officials said .
Spencer Smith , 41 , of Cody , suffered a @ @ @ @ @ alert and in stable condition after being flown to a hospital in Billings , according @ @ @ @ @ Wyoming , sheriff ’ s office .
Searchers responded to an emergency alert that was @ @ @ @ @ in the East Painter Creek area north of the Sunlight Basin Wildlife Habitat Management Area @ @ @ @ @ said .
They first found Smith ’ s parked four wheeler and then Smith .
@ @ @ @ @ said they had employees at the scene and the investigation was ongoing .
Friday was @ @ @ @ @ hunters could go onto public lands to collect antlers that elk , deer and moose @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--NYC mayor says Colorado EMT’s death will be honoured forever

NEW YORK - A Colorado paramedic who came to New York City to save lives before losing his own to the coronavirus will be forever honoured in a memorial to medical workers who answered the city ’ s 911 call to the rest of America , Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday .
De Blasio said at his daily news briefing that he learned of Paul Cary ’ s death the previous day , and “ it really hit me.
“ “ There ’ s something particularly painful when someone does the right thing , a fellow American comes from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people of New York City and while working to save lives here gives his own life .
It ’ s very painful .
It ’ s heroic , “ the Democrat said .
Cary , a 66-year-old grandfather who lived for decades in Aurora , Colorado , before moving to Denver , arrived in New York on April 1 as part of a wave of out-of-state medical technicians , doctors and nurses who came to the city to help relieve a health care system being overwhelmed by the virus .
Working for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under a Federal Emergency Management Agency contract , Cary responded from a location in the Bronx to calls ranging from patient transfers to 911 calls .
He died Thursday after falling ill about 10 days ago and entering Montefiore Medical Center , where he spent his final days on a ventilator , said Josh Weiss , a spokesman for the company , Ambulnz .
Cary worked for more than 30 years as a firefighter and paramedic in Aurora , a Denver suburb , before joining Ambulnz .
He was so adamant about working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay for a second , one-month tour before getting sick , Weiss said .
In a statement , Cary ’ s family said it was devastated .
“ Our family grieves his loss , and knows that all his friends and family will miss him greatly , ” the family said .
“ He risked his own health and safety to protect others and left this world a better place .
We are at peace knowing that Paul did what he loved and what he believed in , right up until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Aurora Firefighters Protective Association said that Cary had a passion for emergency medical services and was instrumental in helping shape their department ’ s service into a world-class system .
“ It was not surprising to hear that Paul had volunteered and was helping those in need up to the very end , ” the association said .
De Blasio said Cary no doubt saved lives before the coronavirus took his own , as it has four of the city ’ s emergency response workers and 10 city fire department workers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do it .
He made the choice to come here to save lives , ” de Blasio said .
The mayor said a lasting memorial will be dedicated to Cary but will honour everyone who came to New York City to help .
“ So many people came to help , but Paul gave his life for us and we ’ re going to honour him in a particular way , ” he added .

Colleen Slevin And Larry Neumeister - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-01--Ex-Green Beret led failed attempt to oust Venezuela’s Maduro

MIAMI - The plan was simple , but perilous .
Some 300 heavily armed volunteers would sneak into Venezuela from the northern tip of South America .
Along the way , they would raid military bases in the socialist country and ignite a popular rebellion that would end in President Nicolás Maduro ’ s arrest .
What could go wrong ?
As it turns out , pretty much everything .
The ringleader of the plot is now jailed in the U.S. on narcotics charges .
Authorities in the U.S. and Colombia are asking questions about the role of his muscular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And dozens of desperate combatants who flocked to secret training camps in Colombia said they have been left to fend for themselves amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The failed attempt to start an uprising collapsed under the collective weight of skimpy planning , feuding among opposition politicians and a poorly trained force that stood little chance of beating the Venezuelan military .
“ You ’ re not going to take out Maduro with 300 hungry , untrained men , ” said Ephraim Mattos , a former U.S. Navy SEAL who trained some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This bizarre , untold story of a call to arms that crashed before it launched is drawn from interviews with more than 30 Maduro opponents and aspiring freedom fighters who were directly involved in or familiar with its planning .
Most spoke on condition of anonymity , fearing retaliation .
When hints of the conspiracy surfaced last month , the Maduro-controlled state media portrayed it as an invasion ginned up by the CIA , like the Cuban Bay of Pigs fiasco of 1961 .
An Associated Press investigation found no evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevertheless , interviews revealed that leaders of Venezuela ’ s U.S.-backed opposition knew of the covert force , even if they dismissed its prospects .
Planning for the incursion began after an April 30 , 2019 , barracks revolt by a cadre of soldiers who swore loyalty to Maduro ’ s would-be replacement , Juan Guaidó , the opposition leader recognized by the U.S. and some 60 other nations as Venezuela ’ s rightful leader .
Contrary to U.S. expectations at the time , key Maduro aides never joined with the opposition and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A few weeks later , some soldiers and politicians involved in the failed rebellion retreated to the JW Marriott in Bogota , Colombia .
The hotel was a centre of intrigue among Venezuelan exiles .
For this occasion , conference rooms were reserved for what one participant described as the “ Star Wars summit of anti-Maduro goofballs ” — military deserters accused of drug trafficking , shady financiers and former Maduro officials seeking redemption .
Among those angling in the open lobby was Jordan Goudreau , an American citizen and three-time Bronze Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where he served as a medic in U.S. Army special forces , according to five people who met with the former soldier .
Those he interacted with in the U.S. and Colombia described him in interviews alternately as a freedom-loving patriot , a mercenary and a gifted warrior scarred by battle and in way over his head .
Two former special forces colleagues said Goudreau was always at the top of his class : a cell leader with a superb intellect for handling sources , an amazing shot and a devoted mixed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hair high and tight .
At the end of an otherwise distinguished military career , the Canadian-born Goudreau was investigated in 2013 for allegedly defrauding the Army of $ 62,000 in housing stipends .
Goudreau said the investigation was closed with no charges .
After retiring in 2016 , he worked as a private security contractor in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria .
In 2018 , he set up Silvercorp USA , a private security firm , near his home on Florida ’ s Space Coast to embed counter-terror agents in schools disguised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website features photos and videos of Goudreau firing machine-guns in battle , running shirtless up a pyramid , flying on a private jet and sporting a military backpack with a rolled-up American flag .
Silvercorp ’ s website touts operations in more than 50 countries , with an advisory team made up of former diplomats , experienced military strategists and heads of multinational corporations -- none of them named .
It claims to have “ led international security teams ” for the president of the United States .
Goudreau , 43 , declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , he said that “ Silvercorp can not disclose the identities of its network of sources , assets and advisors due to the nature of our work ” and , more generally , “ would never confirm nor deny any activities in any operational realm .
No inference should be drawn from this response.
” Goudreau ’ s focus on Venezuela started in February 2019 , when he worked security at a concert in support of Guaidó organized by British billionaire Richard Branson on the Venezuelan-Colombian border .
“ Controlling chaos on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on with apprehension , ” he wrote in a photo of himself on the concert stage posted to his Instagram account .
“ He was always chasing the golden BB , ” said Drew White , a former business partner at Silvercorp , using military slang for a one-in-a-million shot .
White said he broke with his former special forces comrade last fall when Goudreau asked for help raising money to fund his regime change initiative .
“ As supportive as you want to be as a friend , his head wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ said White .
” Nothing he said lined up.
” According to White , Goudreau came back from the concert looking to capitalize on the Trump administration ’ s growing interest in toppling Maduro .
He had been introduced to Keith Schiller , President Donald Trump ’ s longtime bodyguard , through someone who worked in private security .
Schiller attended a March 2019 event at the University Club in Washington for potential donors with activist Lester Toledo , then Guaidó ’ s co-ordinator for the delivery of humanitarian aid .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting in Miami with representatives of Guaidó .
There was a lively discussion with Schiller about the need to beef up security for Guaidó and his growing team of advisers inside Venezuela and across the world , according to a person familiar with the meeting .
Schiller thought Goudreau was naive and in over his head .
He cut off all contact following the meeting , said a person close to the former White House official .
In Bogota , it was Toledo who introduced Goudreau to a rebellious former Venezuelan military officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all others — Cliver Alcalá , ringleader of the Venezuelan military deserters .
Alcalá , a retired major general in Venezuela ’ s army , seemed an unlikely hero to restore democracy to his homeland .
In 2011 , he was sanctioned by the U.S. for allegedly supplying FARC guerrillas in Colombia with surface-to-air missiles in exchange for cocaine .
And last month , Alcalá was indicted by U.S. prosecutors alongside Maduro as one of the architects of a narcoterrorist conspiracy that allegedly sent 250 metric tons of cocaine every year to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York awaiting trial .
But before his surrender in Colombia , where he had been living since 2018 , he had emerged as a forceful opponent of Maduro , not shy about urging military force .
Over two days of meetings with Goudreau and Toledo at the JW Marriott , Alcalá explained how he had selected 300 combatants from among the throngs of low-ranking soldiers who abandoned Maduro and fled to Colombia in the early days of Guaidó ’ s uprising , said three people who participated in the meeting and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Alcalá said several dozen men were already living in three camps he maintained in and around the desert-like La Guajira peninsula that Colombia shares with Venezuela , the three said .
Among the combatants in the camps was an exiled national guardsman accused of participating in a 2018 drone attack on Maduro .
Goudreau told Alcalá his company could prepare the men for battle , according to the three sources .
The two sides discussed weapons and equipment for the volunteer army , with Goudreau estimating a budget of around $ 1.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goudreau told participants at the meeting that he had high-level contacts in the Trump administration who could assist the effort , although he offered few details , the three people said .
Over time , many of the people involved in the plan to overthrow Maduro would come to doubt his word .
From the outset , the audacious plan split an opposition coalition already sharply divided by egos and strategy .
There were concerns that Alcalá , with a murky past and ties to the regime through a brother who was Maduro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be trusted .
Others worried about going behind the backs of their Colombian allies and the U.S. government .
But Goudreau didn ’ t share the concerns about Alcalá , according to two people close to the former American solider .
Over time , he would come to share Alcalá ’ s mistrust of the opposition , whose talk of restoring democracy was belied by what he saw as festering corruption and closed-door deal making with the regime , they said .
More importantly to Goudreau , Alcalá retained influence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponents , mostly civilian elites , lacked .
He also knew the terrain , having served as the top commander along the border .
“ We needed someone who knew the monster from the inside , ” recalled one exiled former officer who joined the plot .
Guaidó ’ s envoys , including Toledo , ended contact with Goudreau after the Bogota meeting because they believed it was a suicide mission , according to three people close to the opposition leader .
Undeterred , Goudreau returned to Colombia with four associates , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin working directly with Alcalá .
Alcalá and Goudreau revealed little about their military plans when they toured the camps .
Some of the would-be combatants were told by the two men that the rag-tag army would cross the border in a heavily armed convoy and sweep into Caracas within 96 hours , according to multiple soldiers at the camps .
Goudreau told the volunteers that — once challenged in battle — Maduro ’ s food-deprived , demoralized military would collapse like dominoes , several of the soldiers said .
Many saw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been no serious attempt to seek U.S. military support .
“ There was no chance they were going to succeed without direct U.S. military intervention , ” said Mattos , the former Navy SEAL who spent two weeks in September training the volunteers in basic tactical medicine on behalf of his non-profit , which works in combat zones .
Mattos visited the camps after hearing about them from a friend working in Colombia .
He said he never met Goudreau .
Mattos said he was surprised by the barren conditions .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sleeping on the floors , skipping meals and training with sawed-off broomsticks in place of assault rifles .
Five Belgian shepherds trained to sniff out explosives were as poorly fed as their handlers and had to be given away .
Mattos said he grew wary as the men recalled how Goudreau had boasted to them of having protected Trump and told them he was readying a shipment of weapons and arranging aerial support for an eventual assault of Maduro ’ s compound .
The volunteers also shared with Mattos a three-page document listing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he provided to AP .
Items included 320 M4 assault rifles , an anti-tank rocket launcher , Zodiac boats , $ 1 million in cash and state-of-the-art night vision goggles .
The document ’ s metadata indicates it was created by Goudreau on June 16 .
“ Unfortunately , there ’ s a lot of cowboys in this business who try to peddle their military credentials into a big pay day , ” said Mattos .
AP found no indication U.S. officials sponsored Goudreau ’ s actions nor that Trump has authorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires congressional notification .
But Colombian authorities were aware of his movements , as were prominent opposition politicians in Venezuela and exiles in Bogota , some of whom shared their findings with U.S. officials , according to two people familiar with the discussions .
True to his reputation as a self-absorbed loose cannon , Alcalá openly touted his plans for an incursion in a June meeting with Colombia ’ s National Intelligence Directorate and appealed for their support , said a former Colombian official familiar with the conversation .
Alcalá also boasted about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a former CIA agent .
When the Colombians checked with their CIA counterparts in Bogota , they were told that the former Green Beret was never an agent .
Alcalá was then told by his hosts to stop talking about an invasion or face expulsion , the former Colombian official said .
It ’ s unclear where Alcalá and Goudreau got their backing , and whatever money was collected for the initiative appears to have been meagre .
One person who allegedly promised support was Roen Kraft , an eccentric descendant of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Trump bodyguard Schiller — was among those meeting with opposition envoys in Miami and Washington .
At some point , Kraft started raising money among his own circle of fellow trust-fund friends for what he described as a “ private coup ” to be carried out by Silvercorp , according to two businessman who he asked for money .
Kraft allegedly lured prospective donors with the promise of preferential access to negotiate deals in the energy and mining sectors with an eventual Guaidó government , said one of the businessmen .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memorandum for a six-figure commitment he said was sent by Kraft in October in which he represents himself as the “ prime contractor ” of Venezuela .
But it was never clear if Kraft really had the inside track with the Venezuelans .
In a phone interview with AP , Kraft acknowledged meeting with Goudreau three times last year .
But he said the two never did any business together and only discussed the delivery of humanitarian aid for Venezuela .
He said Goudreau broke off all communications with him on Oct. 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a military action .
“ I never gave him any money , ” said Kraft .
Back in Colombia , more recruits were arriving to the three camps — even if the promised money didn ’ t .
Goudreau tried to bring a semblance of order .
Uniforms were provided , daily exercise routines intensified and Silvercorp instructed the would-be warriors in close quarter combat .
Goudreau is “ more of a Venezuelan patriot than many Venezuelans , ” said Hernán Alemán , a lawmaker from western Zulia state and one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clandestine mission .
Alemán said in an interview that neither the U.S. nor the Colombian governments were involved in the plot to overthrow Maduro .
He claims he tried to speak several times to Guaidó about the plan but said the opposition leader showed little interest .
“ Lots of people knew about it , but they didn ’ t support us , ” he said .
“ They were too afraid.
” The plot quickly crumbled in early March when one of the volunteer combatants was arrested after sneaking across the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Colombian police stopped a truck transporting a cache of brand new weapons and tactical equipment worth around $ 150,000 , including spotting scopes , night vision goggles , two-way radios and 26 American-made assault rifles with the serial numbers rubbed off .
Fifteen brown-colored helmets were manufactured by High-End Defence Solutions , a Miami-based military equipment vendor owned by a Venezuelan immigrant family .
High-End Defence Solutions is the same company that Goudreau visited in November and December , allegedly to source weapons , according to two former Venezuelan soldiers who claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gear but later had a bitter falling out with Goudreau amid accusations that they were moles for Maduro .
Company owner Mark Von Reitzenstein did not respond to repeated email and phone requests seeking comment .
Alcalá claimed ownership of the weapons shortly before surrendering to face the U.S. drug charges , saying they belonged to the “ Venezuelan people.
” He also lashed out against Guaidó , accusing him of betraying a contract signed between his “ American advisers ” and J.J. Rendon , a political strategist in Miami appointed by Guaidó @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We had everything ready , ” lamented Alcalá in a video published on social media .
“ But circumstances that have plagued us throughout this fight against the regime generated leaks from the very heart of the opposition , the part that wants to coexist with Maduro.
” Through a spokesman , Guaidó stood by comments made to Colombian media that he never signed any contract of the kind described by Alcalá , who he said he doesn ’ t know .
Rendon said his work for Guaidó is confidential and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whether or not it exists .
Meanwhile , Alcalá has offered no evidence and the alleged contract has yet to emerge , though AP repeatedly asked Goudreau for a copy .
In the aftermath of Alcalá ’ s arrest , the would-be insurrection appears to have disbanded .
As the coronavirus spreads , several of the remaining combatants have fled the camps and fanned out across Colombia , reconnecting with loved ones and figuring out their next steps .
Most are broke , facing investigation by Colombian police and frustrated with Goudreau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ astray .
Meanwhile , the socialist leadership in Caracas couldn ’ t help but gloat .
Diosdado Cabello , the No .
2 most powerful person in the country and eminence grise of Venezuela ’ s vast intelligence network , insisted that the government had infiltrated the plot for months .
“ We knew everything , ” said Cabello .
“ Some of their meetings we had to pay for .
That ’ s how infiltrated they were.
” Investigative researcher Randy Herschaft in New York and investigative reporter James LaPorta in Delray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .