thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Obama decries racial impact of COVID-19 deaths in national commencement speech

WASHINGTON—Former President Barack Obama on Saturday decried racial inequities revealed by the coronavirus pandemic and told graduating college students that the crisis has “ torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they are doing.
” “ A lot of them aren ’ t even pretending to be in charge , ” Obama said in a livestreamed commencement address to students graduating from the nation ’ s historically Black colleges and universities .
Obama delivered the speech , to be followed later in the day by a nationally televised address to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country have been forced to cancel in-person graduation ceremonies to comply with stay-at-home and social-distancing orders during the public health emergency .
The speeches turned the national spotlight on Obama at a time when the former president is becoming a central figure in the 2020 presidential campaign .
His vice-president , Joe Biden , has emerged as the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive nominee and is embracing the Obama legacy .
And after largely keeping away from politics during the primaries , as for much of his post-presidency , Obama has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Trump for his handling of the coronavirus crisis and other matters .
Trump has targeted his predecessor for a fresh round of attacks for an ill-defined scandal Trump has called “ Obamagate.
” As the country ’ s first African-American president , Obama had a special message for Black college graduates Saturday about the challenge of confronting racial inequities exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis and spotlighted by the case of Ahmaud Arbery , a Black man who was shot after being chased down by two white men in Georgia .
“ Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that Black communities have historically had to deal with in this country , ” Obama said .
“ We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities , just as we see it when a Black man goes for a jog , and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn ’ t submit to their questioning.
” Saturday night , Obama was also expected to address 2020 high school graduates in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across social media platforms .
The event was sponsored by XQ Institute , an education reform non-profit ; the LeBron James Family Foundation ; and the Entertainment Industry Foundation .
The idea of Obama giving a national commencement speech provoked a social-media clamour in April when a Los Angeles high school student , Eagle Rock High senior Lincoln Debenham , took to Twitter to petition the former president .
“ Like most high school/college seniors , I ’ m saddened by the loss of milestone events , prom & graduation .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great comfort to hear your voice , ” he tweeted at Obama , and drew 226,000 likes and more than 46,000 retweets .
An Obama aide said Saturday that the former president was “ aware of and flattered by the viral campaign , ” but that his commencement plans were made in response to a broader “ deluge of requests from institutions , school systems and other organizations.
” “ Given the unprecedented situation graduates are facing , the president wanted to send inspirational messages to them directly across several platforms , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event is slated for June 6 , when Obama and his wife , Michelle , will participate in a star-studded graduation celebration via YouTube .
Other participants in the eclectic lineup include Lady Gaga , Alicia Keys , former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice , former defence secretary Bob Gates and Malala Yousafzai , the Pakistani women ’ s education activist who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize .
In his speech to Black college and university graduates , Obama did not mention Trump .
But he urged graduates to assert leadership now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upended by the pandemic .
“ With everything suddenly feeling like it ’ s up for grabs , this is your time to seize the initiative , ” he said .
“ Nobody can tell you anymore that you should be waiting your turn .
Nobody can tell you anymore , ‘ This is how it ’ s always been done.
’ ” He warned his audience against efforts to divide them against others seeking change .
“ On the big unfinished goals in this country , like economic and environmental justice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree on the ends , ” he said .
“ That ’ s why folks with power will keep trying to divide you over the means.
” Obama began stepping up his profile in 2020 politics when , after refusing to back any of the many candidates for president , he endorsed Biden once the latter had effectively beaten all his primary opponents .
Obama , like the presidents before him , has mostly steered clear of directly attacking his successor , although he did criticize Trump and his policies as he campaigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Obama ’ s recent critique of Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus crisis came in a video conference with 3,000 former aides , a private speech that he doubtless knew would leak .
He said the pandemic response had become “ an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset of ‘ what ’ s in it for me ?
’ and ‘ to heck with everybody else ’ — when that mindset is operationalized in our government.
” Obama also criticized the Justice Department for asking a judge to drop charges against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Michael Flynn , who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI .
“ Our basic understanding of the rule of law is at risk , ” Obama said .
Trump , meanwhile , stepped up his attacks on Obama , advancing a conspiracy theory about efforts to block his 2016 election that he dubbed “ Obamagate.
” Trump has tried to portray Flynn — and himself — as victims of a “ deep state ” conspiracy involving a tangled cast of perceived enemies from the Obama administration .
And Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plot .
The former vice-president ’ s campaign dismissed these attacks as a crackpot political ploy to distract from the president ’ s handling of the coronavirus crisis .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Investigators: Woman gave birth at work, left baby to drown

MILAN , Mo .
- A woman who gave birth in a bathroom at a Missouri meatpacking plant was charged @ @ @ @ @ her newborn to drown in a toilet .
Makuya Kambamba , 28 , of Kirksville @ @ @ @ @ after being charged Friday with first-degree murder and several other counts in the baby ’ @ @ @ @ @ No attorney is listed for her in online court records .
Investigators said in court @ @ @ @ @ in a restroom at the Smithfield Foods plant in Milan , where she works , @ @ @ @ @ say she told officers that she saw the infant moving as he was face down @ @ @ @ @ said didn ’ t check on the baby boy again until about 30 minutes later @ @ @ @ @ entered the restroom .

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thetorontostar--2020-05-16--2 Missouri officers accused of assaulting transgender woman

MISSION , Kan. - Two Kansas City , Missouri , police officers face assault charges for allegedly slamming a transgender woman ’ s face into a concrete sidewalk during an arrest that was captured on video .
A grand jury indicted Matthew Brummett , 37 , and Charles Prichard , 47 , on one misdemeanour charge each of fourth-degree assault related to the May 24 , 2019 , physical encounter , the Jackson County prosecutor ’ s office announced Friday .
The video , recorded by a passerby outside a beauty supply store , shows the officers kneeing the woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and forcing her arms over her head while handcuffed .
The woman was black ; the officers are white .
The woman has since died after being shot in October at a Kansas City home , and a man has been charged in her death .
She went by various first names , including Brianna or Brionna , Bebe , and Briya .
Her surname was Hill .
Prosecutors said police arrested Hill after she got into a dispute with someone at the beauty supply store .
Both she and the store ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner asked officers to remove Hill .
The officers said Hill was resisting arrest when they took her to the ground outside the store .
Hill was ticketed for trespassing , disorderly conduct , resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia .
Brummett and Prichard maintain that they used reasonable force , according to a statement from their attorneys .
“ They vehemently dispute the basis of these charges and believe they will be ultimately exonerated in Court , “ the statement said .
Police Chief Rick Smith announced late Friday that both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assignment until the outcome of the proceeding.
“ A Kansas City Police Department investigation determined the officers did nothing wrong , according to the police union .
The Jackson County prosecutor ’ s office said it brought the case to a grand jury because police declined to provide prosecutors with a probable cause statement , which is normally submitted by a detective at the conclusion of an investigation .
An attorney who represents Hill ’ s family , David Smith , told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Saturday that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he called for him to resign .
David Smith and Rick Smith are not related .
“ You don ’ t treat this woman like a piece of trash because you think she is a freak , ” David Smith said .

Heather Hollingsworth - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Democrats investigating Trump firing of State Dept. watchdog

WASHINGTON - Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to President Donald Trump ’ s latest firing of a federal watchdog , this time at the State Department , and they suggested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was responsible , in what “ may be an illegal act of retaliation.
” “ We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President ’ s gutting of these critical positions , ’ ’ the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general , Steve Linick , an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Department ’ s management .
The ouster was one more move by the president against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with his administration .
New York Rep. Eliot Engel and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez sent letters to the White House , the State Department and the inspector general ’ s office asking that administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s dismissal and provide them to the committees by this coming Friday .
They promised to “ look deeply into this matter “ and said they would seek to interview White House officials .
They said they “ trust that the White House will co-operate fully with our investigation.
” A senior department official said Trump removed Linick from his job on Friday but gave no reason for the action .
In a letter to Congress , Trump said Linick , who had held the job since 2013 , no longer had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would take effect in 30 days .
Trump did not mention Linick by name in his letter .
Democrats soon cried foul .
Engel suggested Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Pompeo .
Engel offered no details .
Two congressional aides said it involved allegations that Pompeo may have improperly treated staff .
Linick ’ s office has issued several reports critical of the department ’ s handling of personnel matters during the Trump administration , including accusing some political appointees of retaliating against career officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” their understanding “ that Pompeo recommended that Linick be fired because the watchdog was investigating “ wrongdoing ” by the Cabinet officer .
They gave no specifics , but said such a move “ may be an illegal act of retaliation.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said Linick was “ punished for honourably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security.
” She said Trump ” must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Linick , whose office also took issue with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ’ s use of a private email server while she served as America ’ s top diplomat , played a minor role in the Ukraine impeachment investigation into Trump .
In October , Linick turned over documents to House investigators that he had received from State Department Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl , a close Pompeo associate , which contained information from debunked conspiracy theories about Ukraine ’ s role in the 2016 election .
In the Senate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defended the role of the inspector general in the federal government and noted that Congress requires written reasons to justify removal .
“ A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress , ” Grassley said in a statement that did not mention Trump or Pompeo .
Sen. Jack Reed , a Rhode Island Democrat , cited both the president and a possible investigation of the secretary of state in his broadside against the firing .
“ I hope Republicans will join us in standing up for taxpayers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There must be a bipartisan commitment to upholding our system of checks and balances and ensuring accountability and oversight at the highest levels , ” Reed said in a statement .
Linick will replaced by Stephen Akard , a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice-President Mike Pence , said the official , who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Akard currently runs the department ’ s Office of Foreign Missions .
He had been nominated to be the director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after objections he wasn ’ t experienced enough .
The lawmakers ’ request for information from the White House includes any evaluations of Linick ’ s job performance and any assessment of Akard ’ s job qualifications .
Linick , a former assistant U.S. attorney in California and Virginia , had overseen inspector general reports that were highly critical of the department ’ s management policies during the Trump administration .
His office had criticized several Trump appointees for their treatment of career staff for apparently being insufficiently supportive of Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department ’ s inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ’ s hiring freeze and attempts to streamline the agency by slashing its funding and personnel .
Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general .
In April , he fired Michael Atkinson , the inspector general for the intelligence community , for his role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
Then Trump removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defence Department .
The move stripped him of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Response Accountability Committee , which is among those overseeing the vast economic relief law pass in response to the coronavirus .
During a White House briefing on COVID-19 , Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals .
Trump has since moved to replace the HHS official , Christi A. Grimm .
She is a career person who has held the position in an acting capacity , but now Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--8 more sailors aboard US ship test positive a second time

WASHINGTON - Eight more sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive again for the coronavirus , raising to 13 the number who appear to have become infected a second time while serving aboard the sidelined aircraft carrier .
All the sailors had previously tested positive for the virus and had gone through at least two weeks of isolation .
Before they were allowed to go back to the ship , all had to test negative twice in a row , with the tests separated by at least a day or two .
On Saturday , a Navy official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
A day earlier the Navy had said in a statement that five had tested positive a second time .
The Navy official was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity .
That some crew were testing positive again has puzzled officials and raised questions about reintegrating troops into the military if a second infection were possible .
Also questioned was the accuracy of testing itself .
In some cases infection can be at such a low level that it is not detected by the test , which could mean there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be cleared though their virus levels were too low for detection .
The outbreak aboard the Roosevelt was discovered in March .
In port in Guam since then , the ship sent more than 4,000 of its 4,800 crew members ashore for quarantine or isolation .
Earlier this month hundreds of sailors began returning to the ship , in co-ordinated waves , to prepare to set sail again .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Guatemalans angered by US tweet warning of migration dangers

GUATEMALA CITY - The U.S. Embassy found itself barraged with criticism Saturday after putting out a message on Twitter warning @ @ @ @ @ sending children as migrants to the United States .
“ Take care of your children @ @ @ @ @ them at risk with the illegal # Migración , ” the tweet read .
But @ @ @ @ @ photograph of Felipe Gómez Alonzo , an 8-year-old Guatemalan boy who died in the custody @ @ @ @ @ .
That angered many people , and dozens took to social media to complain , @ @ @ @ @ message could be interpreted as a threat to migrants .
Hours after it was posted @ @ @ @ @ from the official website of the U.S. Embassy .
The boy ’ s death was @ @ @ @ @ He had been taken to the U.S. by his father , who had heard that @ @ @ @ @ him to migrate there if accompanied by a child .
After they were detained , @ @ @ @ @ health problems and died while in the Border Patrol ’ s custody .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Hundreds demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery at Georgia rally

BRUNSWICK , Ga.—Justice for Ahmaud Arbery , a Black man killed during a pursuit by a white man and his son in Georgia , isn ’ t just prison time for his killers — it ’ s changes in a local justice system that never charged them with a crime , rallygoers said Saturday .
Hundreds of people came to the Glynn County courthouse demanding accountability for a case in which charges weren ’ t filed until state officials stepped in after a leaked video sparked national outrage .
Arbery , 25 , was killed Feb. 23 , just outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McMichael , 64 , told police he and his son , Travis McMichael , 34 , pursued Arbery because they believed he was responsible for recent break-ins in the neighbourhood .
The McMichaels weren ’ t arrested and charged with murder until May 7 , after a video of the shooting was publicly released to a local radio station and less than 48 hours after state agents took over the case .
“ Justice for Ahmaud is more than just the arrests of his killers , ” John Perry , president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Advancement of Coloured People , said at the Saturday rally .
“ Justice is saying that we ’ ve got to clean up the house of Glynn County.
” Speakers at the rally demanded the resignation of Jackie Johnson , the district attorney for the Brunswick judicial circuit who recused herself from the investigation , and George Barnhill , the Waycross circuit district attorney who took over the case and declined to press charges .
Gregory McMichael was an investigator in Johnson ’ s office before retiring last May .
Both Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the rally said around 250 vehicles drove more than four hours from Atlanta for the rally , bringing historically Black fraternities and sororities , civil-rights organizations and Black-led gun-rights groups , who said if Arbery had armed himself , he might be alive today .
Lawyer Mawuli Davis came from his suburban Atlanta home because he wanted to make it clear how many people are not satisfied with how the Arbery case has been handled .
“ Georgians are just not safe when you allow an injustice like this to take place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an organizer with the Black Man Lab in Decatur , Ga .
The case has brought reminders of several other Black people killed in confrontations with white police officers or others and the names of Trayvon Martin , Sandra Bland and others were mentioned during the rally .
“ We ’ re going to keep on marching .
We ’ re going to stand in solidarity .
We ’ re going to keep on protesting .
We ’ re going to keep on raising our voices because Ahmaud Arbery will get justice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Georgia chapter of the National Organization for Women .
Organizers asked the crowd to wear masks and stay a safe distance apart because of COVID-19 .
There were plenty of masks — some with Arbery ’ s picture — but many in the crowd were shoulder to shoulder for the rally and marched with arms locked after it was over .
Arbery ’ s lawyers have said he ’ s the person recorded inside a house under construction right before he was killed .
Gregory McMichael told police he suspected Arbery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said Arbery attacked his son before he was shot .
Arbery ’ s mother has said she believes her son was merely out jogging .
The video of the confrontation shows the McMichaels ’ truck in front of Arbery as he runs toward it .
The lawyer of the owner of the house under construction said she thinks Arbery was getting water .
A man in similar clothes appeared in videos from the home at least twice , J. Elizabeth Graddy said .
The homeowner , Larry English , lives hours away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send him a text when they start filming .
English called the Glynn County Police after one notification Dec. 17 .
No one was arrested , but a detective sent English a text message three days later giving him Gregory McMichael ’ s phone number and identifying him as a retired law enforcement officer , adding , “ He said please call him day or night when you get action on your camera , ” according to the Dec. 20 text shared by Graddy .
English never read the text until Graddy ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
“ He never called Gregory McMichael .
He never took him up on that offer , ” Graddy said .
The text message was first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
Arbery ’ s family ended Saturday ’ s rally thanking the crowd for their support , saying , “ We are all running for Ahmaud.
” The crowd then marched away from the courthouse , taking a knee in silence and blocking traffic for more than 60 seconds to symbolize the days it took for arrests in the case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives are under attack , what do we do ?
Stand up , fight back .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Police shoot man after woman stabbed outside Houston store

HOUSTON - A Houston police officer shot and killed a man who had fatally stabbed a woman in a store parking lot Saturday and was threatening the officer with a knife , police say .
It was the fifth fatal shooting by a Houston police officer within the last month .
It happened after a woman in her 80s was stabbed while returning to her car around 10 a.m. after shopping at a Walgreens , said Houston police Chief Art Acevedo .
An officer found the stabbing suspect armed with a knife inside the woman ’ s car and ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The officer opened fire after the suspect lunged at him , Acevedo said .
The suspect ’ s name has not been released .
He was pronounced dead at the scene .
“ This is tragic , but the most tragedy here is a woman who has died from a guy who attacked her for no reason other than to steal from her and attempt to carjack her , ” Acevedo said .
Some community activists have called for greater transparency from the Houston Police Department after the recent police shootings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an independent police review board with subpoena powers .
Currently all police shootings are reviewed by the department and prosecutors .
Acevedo on Saturday defended his agency , saying it selects , trains and retrains “ the very best people.
” He said the city has seen a nearly 50 % increase in homicides so far this year .
“ For those that want to focus just on officer involved shootings , I say you need to start focusing on what ’ s going on in our community , “ Acevedo said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this little old lady .
So , where ’ s the outrage for that ?
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Iditarod mushers could get $500 for veterinary expenses

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has announced that the first 50 mushers who enter the 2021 race and the 2022 race will receive hundreds of dollars in reimbursements to help cover veterinary costs .
Money would come from the $ 50,000 Pike Dog Wellness First Initiative , which started by a donation from longtime race supporter David Pike , the Anchorage Daily News reported .
Pike owns a home in Girdwood , Alaska , and is the managing owner of a law firm based in Shepherdsville , Kentucky .
Those eligible could receive up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deworming and other services provided by a licensed veterinarian or a licensed veterinarian technician , race officials said .
The Pike Dog Wellness program has allocated $ 25,000 to each of the races .
The program partnered with the Iditarod in anticipation of “ the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on Iditarod mushing kennels due to lost revenue from tourism declines and other economic hardships , “ according to a statement .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
The vast majority of people recover .
The first day of signups for the 2021 race has not yet been announced but is usually in late June , officials said .
This year , Thomas Waerner , 47 , crossed the finish line first on March 18 , completing the nearly 1,000-mile ( 1,609-kilometre ) race across Alaska with a nearly six-hour lead in front of second-place @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--China goes after US over more than $1 billion owed to the UN

TANZANIA , Tanzania - China is going after the United States over more than $ 1 billion that the Trump administration owes the United Nations in unpaid dues for its regular operating budget and arrears for the separate budget for the U.N. ’ s far-flung peacekeeping operations .
The unusual singling out of the U.S. non-payment by China ’ s U.N. mission comes as President Donald Trump continues to accuse Beijing of not being open about the coronavirus when cases were initially reported in December and early January .
A U.S. Mission spokesperson said China “ is eager to distract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 crisis , and this is yet another example.
” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in early April that the United Nations faced a cash crisis because of non-payment of dues by member states , which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic .
He said in a letter to the U.N. ’ s 193 member nations that “ unpredictable cash inflows , exacerbated by the global crisis posed by the COVID-19 pandemic , seriously threaten ” the U.N. ’ s ability to do its work .
He announced a temporary hiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their past and present dues .
China ’ s U.N. Mission said its acting deputy ambassador , Yao Shaojun , spoke at a U.N. General Assembly ’ s budget committee meeting Thursday titled “ Improving the Financial Situation of the United Nations , ” and stressed the importance of all U.N. member nations fulfilling their financial obligations , citing the U.S. arrears .
“ Facing tremendous economic and fiscal pressure from the COVID-19 outbreak , China , the second largest contributor to the UN regular budget and peacekeeping budget , has managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the mission quoted Yao as saying .
“ It shows China ’ s concrete support to the cause of the U.N. and the work of the secretary-general.
” The United States funds 25 % of the regular U.N. budget , while China pays 12 % .
Of the 193 member nations , 91 had paid their dues in full as of May 13 .
China paid $ 336.78 million for the regular budget on May 1 .
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday there is still $ 1.62 billion unpaid for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2.12 billion outstanding for the peacekeeping budget .
He did not give the U.S. arrears .
China ’ s Yao called the United States “ the largest debtor , ” saying it owed about $ 1.16 billion to the regular budget and $ 1.3 billion to the peacekeeping budget .
The U.S. Mission spokesperson , who was not authorized to speak publicly , said the United States recently made a payment of $ 726 million toward its peacekeeping assessment “ and per practice will pay the bulk of its assessment at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. fiscal year runs from October to September , not January to December , it has always paid U.N. dues late in the year .
The U.S.-China dispute has been escalating over the pandemic , which has circled the globe causing over 300,000 deaths .
Trump suspended U.S. funding to the World Health Organization in early April , accusing the U.N. health agency of failing to stop the virus from spreading when it first surfaced in China .
He said the agency “ must be held accountable , ’ ’ accusing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispute over the WHO has blocked the U.N. Security Council , the global organizations ’ s most powerful body , from adopting any resolution on the pandemic .
China strongly supports the WHO and has insisted the agency ’ s role in tackling the pandemic be included in any resolution .
The U.S. insists on making no mention of the WHO and including a reference to “ transparency ” on the coronavirus outbreak , which China opposes .
China ’ s U.N. Mission said Beijing has decided to donate $ 30 million more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 20 million it already gave the agency to support its work on COVID-19 .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Michigan Rep. Amash ends his Libertarian bid for White House

WASHINGTON - Michigan Rep. Justin Amash , a high-profile critic of President Donald Trump who quit the GOP and became an independent , announced Saturday he would not seek the Libertarian nomination for the White House , weeks after saying he was running because voters wanted an “ alternative “ to the two major parties .
In deciding to drop out , he cited the challenges of trying to campaign as a third-party candidate during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ After much reflection , I ’ ve concluded that circumstances don ’ t lend themselves to my success as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therefore I will not be a candidate , ” he said in one in a series of tweets explaining his decision .
He said “ the new reality of social distancing levels the playing field among the candidates in many respects , but it also means lesser known candidates are more dependent on adequate media opportunities to reach people.
” Amash said he still thinks such a candidacy could prove successful in the future .
“ I continue to believe that a candidate from outside the old parties , offering a vision of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can break through in the right environment , ” he tweeted .
“ But this environment presents extraordinary challenges.
” Amash would have faced nearly impossible odds of winning the presidency .
But third-party campaigns can have unpredictable consequences for the Democratic and Republican candidates in the race .
In 2000 , Ralph Nader ’ s Green Party presidential bid cost Democrat Al Gore crucial support and was a contributing factor in Republican George W. Bush ’ s narrow victory .
Democrat Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 loss to Trump has been blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party candidate Jill Stein picked up in states such as Pennsylvania .
Amash left the Republican Party last year and later supported Trump ’ s impeachment in the Democratic-led House .
In announcing his intention in late April to seek the Libertarian nomination , Amash said he wanted to represent the millions of Americans who do not feel well represented by either major party .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Top fugitive in Rwanda’s genocide arrested outside Paris

KIGALI , Rwanda - One of the most wanted fugitives in Rwanda ’ s 1994 genocide , a wealthy businessman accused of supplying machetes to killers and broadcasting propaganda urging mass slaughter , has been arrested outside Paris , authorities said Saturday .
Felicien Kabuga , who had a $ 5 million bounty on his head , had been accused of equipping militias in the genocide that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus who tried to protect them .
The 84-year-old Kabuga was arrested as a result of a joint investigation with the U.N. ’ s International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecutor , French authorities said .
He had been living in a town north of Paris , Asnieres-Sur-Seine , under an assumed name , the appeals court ’ s prosecutor ’ s office said .
The U.N. ’ s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda indicted Kabuga in 1997 on charges related to conspiracy to commit genocide , persecution and extermination .
Rwandan prosecutors have said financial documents found in the capital , Kigali , after the genocide indicated that Kabuga used dozens of his companies to import vast quantities of machetes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealthy businessman also was accused of establishing the station Radio Television Mille Collines that broadcast vicious propaganda against the ethnic Tutsi , as well as training and equipping the Interahamwe militia that led the killing spree .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Kabuga ’ s arrest , according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said .
It “ sends a powerful message that those who are alleged to have committed such crimes can not evade justice and will eventually be held accountable , even more than a quarter of a century later , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director at Human Rights Watch , described the arrest as “ an important step towards justice for hundreds of thousands of genocide victims.
” Kabuga was close to former President Juvenal Habyarimana , whose death when his plane was shot down over Kigali sparked the 100-day genocide .
Kabuga ’ s daughter married Habyarimana ’ s son .
Kabuga is expected to be transferred to the custody of the U.N. mechanism , where he will stand trial .
It is based at The Hague in the Netherlands .
“ The arrest of Kabuga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for genocide can be brought to account , even 26 years after their crimes , ” the mechanism ’ s chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement .
He said partners who contributed to the arrest included law enforcement agencies and prosecution services from Rwanda , Belgium , the United Kingdom , Germany , the Netherlands , Austria , Luxembourg , Switzerland and the United States .
Officials in Rwanda hailed the arrest .
According to prosecutors , other top fugitives still at large include Protais Mpiranya , the former commander of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Augustin Bizimana .
Guterres , the U.N. chief , stressed that all countries have an obligation to co-operate in the location , arrest and transfer of those sought by international courts , Dujarric said .
“ The secretary-general ’ s thoughts today are first and foremost with the victims of Mr. Kabuga ’ s alleged crimes , the victims of other serious international crimes , and their families , ” the U.N. spokesman said .
“ Ending impunity is essential for peace , security and justice.
” For years after the genocide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under strain , with Rwanda ’ s ruling party blaming the French government in part for supporting the genocidal regime .
But under French President Emmanuel Macron , Kigali and Paris appear to have made some amends .
In 2018 , French authorities said they dropped an investigation into the 1994 plane crash , citing lack of sufficient evidence .
Several people close to Rwandan President Paul Kagame had been under investigation and his government denounced the probe , saying it was aimed at exonerating France ’ s suspected role in the genocide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creation of a commission tasked with investigating France ’ s alleged role .
“ After many years , the old guards in the French government who could have been protecting Kabuga have left power and you find the young generation have no interest in protecting the aging fugitive under the new administration , ” asserted Gonza Muganwa , a Rwandan political analyst .
“ It ’ s clear he was being protected and some powerful people knew his hiding place .
They sold him.
“ Elaine Ganley in Paris and Mike Corder in @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Soccer reboot in Germany: No fans, lonely goal celebrations

BERLIN - Erling Haaland scored the Bundesliga ’ s first goal in more than two months and then celebrated .
The 19-year-old ’ s Borussia Dortmund teammates stayed away , mindful of the strict hygiene measures amid the coronavirus pandemic , as Germany ’ s soccer season resumed in unprecedented conditions on Saturday .
Dortmund beat Schalke 4-0 in the first Ruhr derby to be played in an empty stadium .
Calls and shouts from coaching staff and players , and the thud of the sanitized ball being kicked , reverberated around the mainly deserted stands .
Players had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and to desist from spitting , handshakes and hugging with the games keenly watched by the rest of the soccer world hoping to restart their own leagues .
Team staff , and players who didn ’ t start , wore masks .
Substitutes took their positions in the stands , rather than beside the field , while balls and seats were disinfected .
Haaland celebrated his 10th goal in nine Bundesliga games with a restrained dance as his teammates stayed back .
“ It ’ s hard , ” midfielder Julian Brandt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way it is now .
We try to stick to the rules.
” Brandt set up Raphaël Guerreiro before the break and Thorgan Hazard after it .
Hazard celebrated alone in front of the Westfalenstadion ’ s south terrace , where normally the club ’ s “ Yellow Wall ” of almost 25,000 fervent fans would be standing .
“ It felt strange , also for the players .
You could see that with the celebrations , ” Dortmund team co-ordinator Sebastian Kehl said .
Haaland set up Guerreiro to seal the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Bayern Munich to a point .
Bayern is due to play at Union Berlin on Sunday .
Schalke became the first team to make five substitutions in a Bundesliga game in a new temporary measure allowed in the league , but they couldn ’ t change the outcome .
Dortmund ’ s players celebrated in front of the empty south terrace afterward .
“ To applaud all our fans who were watching on TV , ” Kehl said .
Pre-game television interviews were conducted with long poles holding microphones and participants keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite surreal , ” Dortmund chief executive Hans Joachim Watzke told Sky TV .
“ I ’ ve received messages from all over the world in the last couple of hours that everybody is watching and then you go through the city and there ’ s nothing going on.
” Borussia Mönchengladbach moved third , three points behind Bayern , with a 3-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the late game .
Also : Hertha Berlin won 3-0 at Hoffenheim in coach Bruno Labbadia ’ s first game in charge ; Freiburg drew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fortuna Düsseldorf 0-0 ; and Wolfsburg won 2-1 at Augsburg , where the home side ’ s new coach Heiko Herrlich was forced to watch from the stands after breaking quarantine to buy toiletries .
Herrlich will only return after twice testing negative for the virus .
Celebrations were muted throughout , with only Hertha ’ s players overstepping calls for restraint .
“ Goal celebrations are part of soccer .
We ’ re tested so often I think they can be allowed , ” Labbadia said in defence of his team .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 people , one of them — a camera operator behind the goal — still managed to be hit on the head by a wayward shot from Leipzig ’ s Ademola Lookman .
They were the first games to be played in the league since March 11 .
Earlier Saturday , the second division resumed with four games , also without fans present and amid strict distancing measures .
South Korea midfielder Lee Jae-sung scored the division ’ s first goal for Holstein Kiel in a 2-2 draw at Jahn Regensburg .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goal celebrations in other games were also marked by fist bumps and elbow-to-elbow touching .
The game ’ s authorities were keen to restart the country ’ s top two divisions with several clubs , including Schalke , facing severe financial difficulties because of the suspension in play .
Numerous polls showed a growing majority in Germany were against the resumption of the leagues .
Fans are also critical .
“ Soccer without fans is nothing , ” read a joint statement from several Bayern Munich fan groups after the league decided on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused authorities Saturday of prioritizing money over people ’ s health .
A banner at Augsburg ’ s game against Wolfsburg said , “ Soccer will survive , your business is sick !
” There was criticism too from players over health concerns and the threat of injury with games now packed into a tight schedule .
Players and staff have been subjected to regular testing for COVID-19 .
Three cases were found at Cologne , while second-division Dynamo Dresden was ordered into 14 days of quarantine after two more positive results brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dresden ’ s game against Hannover on Sunday was called off , and the team can not train during the quarantine period .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Gov. Cuomo says car and race tracks in New York can reopen with no fans

ALBANY , N.Y. - In another step toward reopening its economy going into the summer , New York will allow horse racing tracks and Watkins Glen International car track to reopen with the coronavirus outbreak easing , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday .
But the Democrat was quick to add a caveat : “ No crowds .
No fans.
” At his daily briefing , Cuomo said he could even envision a return of Major League Baseball in New York , also without fans .
“ If it works economically , that would be great , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of suburban Westchester and Suffolk counties -- two of the nation ’ s early hot spots — will again be eligible for elective surgeries and ambulatory care .
“ There was a period where hospitals were dealing basically with COVID patients , “ he said .
” We are past that period .
If you need medical attention , if you need a medical procedure , you should get it.
” The announcements came as hospitalizations , new cases and deaths across the country ’ s hardest-hit state have continued to flatten or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were 157 deaths reported since Friday , encouraging news compared to early April when the daily death toll was topping 700 .
The state ’ s overall toll now stands at nearly 22,500 .
But Cuomo cautioned that the state could see a rise in cases as the economy opens up .
To avoid another spike , people will still need to take precautions like social distancing , he said .
“ People are going to be coming out of their homes , ” he said .
“ How do they act when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are smart you will see some increase in numbers , but you won ’ t see a spike.
” The first person to die in New Jersey from the new coronavirus disease was a longtime fixture in the harness racing industry .
His death in March prompted the closure of Yonkers Raceway , a harness racing track near New York City .
Other coronavirus-related developments in New York state : Several dozen protesters gathered in front of the state capitol in Albany on Saturday holding American flags and signs demanding that businesses reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swaths of northern and central New York to starting reopening Friday by allowing certain businesses such as construction to open their doors under safety guidelines .
But most residents — particularly in hard-hit downstate —remain under tight restrictions as their communities try to lower their infection rates and amass enough testing and tracing to reopen in coming weeks or months .
New York ’ s ban on all non-essential gatherings is still in effect .
But the state ’ s seen reopening protests in communities from Commack to Albany in recent days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor for some of his recent comments , including those in which he urged New Yorkers to adjust to a “ new normal ” and his April 22 remark that protesters who want to work should “ take a job as an essential job.
” Liz Scott , of Syracuse , said she found the comment “ cruel ” at a time when many New Yorkers are worried about food and their families .
Michelle Fusco , of rural Knox , who had worked as a waitress for 33 years , said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 16 and is receiving less from unemployment than her previous salary .
It ’ s unclear whether the small family-owned diner she worked at will be able to re-hire workers , Fusco said .
“ I don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen to me in the coming years , “ she said .
” I like to think I was essential.
” Authorities are investigating an upstate New York barber who contracted COVID-19 after he kept cutting hair in violation of a lockdown order .
The officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week warning customers of La Lima Barbershop in the city of Kingston should contact their doctors .
A March 21 order sought to halt all services like manicures and haircuts .
But shop owner Joseph LaLima kept working in his residence in the rear of his business .
The order “ said you can work from home , ” a defiant LaLima told The New York Times after a four-day hospital stay .
The shop ’ s address , he added , “ is my home !
” The Ulster County district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LaLima violated public health laws , the Times said .
The number of New York Police Department officers calling in sick during the coronavirus pandemic has hit a new low .
On Friday , 1,157 uniformed officers were out sick , representing 3.2 per cent of the patrol force at the nation ’ s largest police department .
Officials said that ’ s about the same average sick rate as before the virus outbreak .
The number of officers out sick hit a high in April of 7,155 or 19.8 per cent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ NYPD have tested positive for coronavirus , with 5,305 recovering and returning to work .
There have been 42 deaths .

Marina Villeneuve - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--‘A bridge too far’: Coronavirus catchphrase taken from WWII

CINCINNATI - A British general ’ s pessimistic prediction about a World War II operation is showing up as a coronavirus-era catchphrase .
The top U.S. infectious disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci , urged caution in Senate testimony last week on reopening decisions , including about children and schools , saying “ the idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate the reentry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far.
” Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine , a Republican who has earned praise for aggressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , has used the phrase while explaining his decision to reverse himself on requiring people to wear masks in public because of negative feedback .
It was a mandate many people wouldn ’ t accept , he said on ABC ’ s “ This Week , ” calling it “ a bridge too far.
“ “ Who knew ?
” said Alexander Lovelace , who just earned his doctorate in American military history at Ohio University after defending his dissertation on the role of the media in shaping Allied strategy in World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the phrase popularized by journalist and author Cornelius Ryan with his 1974 book “ A Bridge Too Far.
” “ It is something that kind of works it way into popular culture without really thinking about it , ” Lovelace said .
“ I guess it is a little odd comparing wearing a face mask to the Second World War.
” DeWine said he hadn ’ t read Ryan ’ s book , but was familiar with it .
He said it was a good way to explain his belief that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for many Ohioans .
“ Frankly I was kind of groping for an expression , ” DeWine told The Associated Press on Friday .
“ That phrase just popped into my head.
” Lovelace , 31 , a native of the Baltimore area , made use of the Cornelius Ryan Collection in the Ohio University library during his doctoral research .
Ryan , who received a honorary doctorate from the school , was a friend of the late Scripps College of Communication Dean John Wilhelm , a fellow war correspondent , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , letters , audio interviews and questionnaires .
Ryan , best known for his D-Day book “ The Longest Day , ” finished “ A Bridge Too Far ” months before his death in 1974 .
It recounts Operation Market Garden , an initiative in September 1944 to punch through the Netherlands , cut off enemy supply lines and finish off German resistance by that Christmas .
The strategy was championed by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery , while other Allied generals favoured using a broad front approach with the German military on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be going a bridge too far , ” said Browning , proved correct when the Allies were stopped at Arnhem road bridge as Germans mounted surprisingly strong opposition behind two SS Panzer divisions .
There were thousands of casualties and missing men on both sides , and war in Europe continued into May 1945 .
Ryan ’ s book became a 1977 movie featuring an All-Star cast including Sean Connery , Michael Caine , James Caan and Robert Redford .
Browning was played by Dirk Bogarde , a 1950s British leading man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Well , as you know , I ’ ve always thought that we tried to go a bridge too far.
” The movie got lacklustre reviews , with some critics suggesting that its nearly three-hour length was a bridge too far .


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Afghan president and rival announce power sharing agreement

KABUL - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and political rival Abdullah Abdullah have signed a power-sharing agreement two months after both declared themselves the winner of last September ’ s presidential election .
Ghani spokesman Sediq Sediqqi tweeted Sunday that a political deal between Ghani and Abdullah had been signed in which Ghani would remain president of the war-torn nation .
The deal calls for Abdullah to lead the war-torn country ’ s National Reconciliation High Council and some members of Abdullah ’ s team would be included in Ghani ’ s Cabinet .
The Reconciliation Council has been given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to Afghanistan ’ s peace process .
Omed Maisam , a spokesman for Abdullah ’ s team , confirmed an agreement had been signed at the presidential palace .
“ A technical team will work on the implementation of the agreement and details will be shared later , ” he said .
Afghanistan has been in political disarray since the country ’ s election commission in December announced Ghani had won the Sept. 28 election with more than 50 % of the vote .
Abdullah had received more than 39 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission , but he and the Elections Complaint Commission charged widespread voting irregularities .
Ghani and Abdullah both declared themselves president in parallel inauguration ceremonies in March .
They have been locked in a power struggle since then and the discord prompted the Trump administration to announce it would cut $ 1 billion in assistance to Afghanistan if the two can ’ t work out their differences .
A peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban signed Feb. 29 calls for U.S. and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan .
It was seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best chance at peace in decades of war .
Since then , the U.S. has been trying to get the Taliban and the Afghan government to begin intra-Afghan negotiations , but the political turmoil and personal acrimony between Ghani and Abdullah impeded talks .
Negotiations that were to take place in March never happened .
Despite 18 years and billions of dollars in international aid , Afghanistan remains desperately poor .
The poverty level soared from 35 % of the population in 2012 to more than 55 % last year .
Poverty in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survive on $ 1 or less a day .
Successive Afghan governments , including Ghani ’ s , have been accused by international watchdogs of widespread corruption .
Meanwhile , Kabul and other cities are in lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus .
Afghanistan has performed only limited testing so far with about 22,000 tested .
The country has more than 6 , 400 confirmed infections in a nation of 36.6 million .
As more testing becomes available , the country ’ s confirmed infection numbers will likely rise sharply , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll — officially at 168 — is likely much higher .
The country ’ s health care system , devastated by four decades of war , is woefully unprepared for a major outbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Biden’s VP search puts spotlight on how long he’ll serve

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden has longed to win the White House for more than three decades .
If he finally makes it there after November ’ s election , he ’ s already talking about leaving .
In an effort to ease concerns about his age , the 77-year-old presumptive Democratic nominee has said he wouldn ’ t seek reelection if his mental or physical health declined .
He has also referred to himself as a “ transition candidate , “ acting as a bridge to a younger generation of leadership .
Biden is rarely known for sticking to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his candid style .
But they ’ re also contributing to intense speculation about who is best positioned to lead the party after him .
“ We do have a longer bench as Democrats , a younger bench in terms of elected leadership all across the country , ” said Democratic strategist L. Joy Williams , chairwoman of Higher Heights PAC , which is dedicated to electing more women to national and statewide offices .
Biden has not ruled out running for a second term , in part because such an explicit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duck in Washington , where political capital will be needed to manage the coronavirus recovery .
But the question of his long-term prospects looms over his candidacy , especially as he considers his options for vice-president .
While someone like Elizabeth Warren could broaden Biden ’ s appeal among progressives , the 70-year-old Massachusetts senator wouldn ’ t be the face of a new generation many in the party are seeking .
That might be an advantage for younger contenders , such as California Sen. Kamala Harris , 55 , or Minnesota Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an awkward dynamic for Biden , whose lead in the Democratic primary coincided with the onset of a pandemic , making it harder to establish himself as the party ’ s unquestioned leader .
He can ill afford chatter about who might succeed him when he still faces a competitive race against President Donald Trump in the fall .
There are few historic precedents for a president opting against reelection .
None has passed up a chance at a second term after just four years in the White House since shortly after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to seek a second , full term in 1968 , but was already in office five years by then because of John F. Kennedy ’ s assassination .
There ’ s also no guarantee that Biden ’ s running mate will be the immediate president-in-waiting he envisions .
Biden has pledged to pick a woman , but virtually no one under active consideration is likely to satisfy all Democrats .
That raises the prospect of a primary battle in 2024 if he steps aside .
Republican pollster Chris Wilson said Biden might elevate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliberately set up “ almost a hand-picked primary pool rather than a single candidate he tries to hand things off to.
” That , Wilson said , “ would still be the kind of legacy-building move he seems to be interested in.
“ Biden might also change his mind and decide to run for reelection if he unseats Trump .
That still might not insulate him from a progressive primary challenge , though .
“ Even if Biden wins and says he ’ s going to run in 2024 , he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party , ” said Eric Hauser , who was press secretary for Bill Bradley ’ s primary run in 2000 against Al Gore , who had been Bill Clinton ’ s vice-president for eight years and was seen by many as his natural successor .
“ The left has felt like it got hoodwinked twice , in ’ 16 and now .
They feel overlooked.
” Gilberto Hinojosa , chairman of the Texas Democratic Party , said Biden ’ s choice of running mate will have to fill twin roles .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country away from the Trump era “ if something were to happen while he ’ s still in office ” or later “ if Biden decides to retire and pass the baton.
” “ I think the stakes are already really high , no matter how you look at it , ” Hinojosa said .
Republicans could also face similar tumult .
If Trump secures a second term , Vice-President Mike Pence would seem to be a natural successor .
But there are plenty of other Republicans with presidential ambitions who could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of a second term , which often happens to presidents after eight years in office .
George H.W .
Bush is the only sitting vice-president in modern history to be elected president .
The only other examples are Martin Van Buren in 1836 , and Thomas Jefferson and John Adams before that .
“ Mike Pence would be inheriting eight years of a tsunami , ” Hauser said of Trump ’ s legacy .
For all the speculation , if Biden is elected , he could decide to seek another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lure of the White House is one of the greatest forces in politics — especially for someone ambitious enough to be on his third presidential bid since 1988 .
“ Once you ’ re president , it ’ s very tempting to keep power , ” said Julian Zelizer , a history and public affairs professor at Princeton University who has written about single-term presidents .
“ It could very well be a genuine idea right now .
But we just don ’ t see people relinquish power very easily.
“


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Thailand malls reopen, with temperatures taken, masks worn

BANGKOK - Thais streamed into shopping malls on Sunday , once again enjoying their air-conditioned oases as the country eased one of the restrictions imposed to fight the coronavirus .
The government allowed malls to reopen after the number of new virus cases in Thailand dwindled to single digits for all but one day over more than two weeks .
Malls had been closed since March .
Student Baiplu Chaonuam expressed her relief at returning to a Bangkok mall .
“ I started to get used to staying home , but to be able to come back out and look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staying in , ” she said .
The mall experience , however , may not be as carefree as it was before the virus , with measures instituted to reduce the danger that the malls will become new infection hotspots .
Thermal scanners check temperatures for signs of fever and each shopper must pass through a disinfectant mist at every entrance .
Everyone must wear a mask and keep it on throughout their stay .
No crowding on the escalators , as people must keep a two-step distance from those in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use their smartphones to register electronically when entering and leaving a mall , and when entering and leaving individual stores .
If someone later falls ill , this stored data will be used to trace and contact anyone who may have been in contact with them at the mall .
Contact tracing apps have been adopted in many countries , raising concerns among privacy advocates .
But the Thai government says the data will be used only for public health purposes .
Lines formed outside luxury brand stores at Bangkok ’ s upmarket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforced the new entry procedures .
Window-shopping families strolled down concourses , occasionally pausing to wash their hands with gel from the many dispensers .
“ To be able to go out again could help people relax , ” said one mall goer , Jariya Seriyothin .
“ But we still have to be careful when we come out and not let all these easing measures make us forget about everything.
” The coronavirus crisis has hit the already-struggling Thai economy hard .
Millions of people have been laid off , with little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many of them .
The reopening of the malls at least brings some relief to one part of the retail sector .
The government will watch to see whether the infection rate remains low before deciding on the next phase of its plan to restore normality .
It is treading carefully , announcing Saturday that it was extending to the end of June a ban on the arrival of international passenger flights .
Earlier this month , the government reopened public parks , which had been closed as part of anti-virus measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus cases on Sunday , bringing the total to 3,028 , including 56 deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--11 Los Angeles firefighters hurt while running from blast

LOS ANGELES - An explosion Saturday at a hash oil manufacturer in downtown Los Angeles injured 11 firefighters who had gone inside and on the roof to try to knock down a fire and then had to run for their lives when a ball of flames shot out the building and scorched a fire truck across the street .
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt .
Erik Scott said “ one significant explosion “ shook the neighbourhood around 6:30 p.m .
Firefighters inside had to run through a wall of flames he estimated as 30 feet high and wide , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ladder that was engulfed in fire .
Scott said people at the scene described the explosion as sounding like a freight train or jet engine .
Some of the fleeing firefighters were on fire and tore off their protective equipment and left it on the sidewalk , along with melted helmets , Scott said .
“ The was one of the worst scenes I ’ ve seen , ” he said .
All 11 firefighters suffered burns ranging from minor to serious .
Three were listed as critical condition , and two of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to survive .
“ The good news is everybody ’ s going to make it , “ Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference outside the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center where all the injured were treated .
“ Things could have been so much worse , “ said Los Angeles Fire Department Medical Director Dr. Marc Eckstein , who works at the hospital and helped treat the injured .
Firefighters were called to 327 East Boyd St. in the city ’ s Toy District for a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building .
There was light to moderate smoke when firefighters entered the building and went on the roof , normal procedures to try to quickly knock down any flames .
Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said one of the firefighters inside the building thought things didn ’ t seem right — the pressure from the smoke and heat coming from the rear of the building were increasing .
He directed everyone to get out , and as they quickly started exiting the building as it was rocked by the explosion .
Firefighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their protective coats on fire .
The wall of flames shot out the building and burned seats inside a fire truck across the street .
More than 200 firefighters rushed to the scene , and dozens of engines , trucks and rescue vehicles clogged the streets .
The fire spread to several nearby buildings , but firefighters were able to douse it in about an hour .
The injured firefighters were rushed to the hospital .
Those who remained at the scene , unaware of the seriousness of their colleagues ’ injuries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terrazas said .
“ You can imagine the amount of emotional stress , “ he said .
Scott said the building was a warehouse for SmokeTokes , which he described as a maker of “ butane honey oil.
“ Butane is an odourless gas that easily ignites , and it ’ s used in the process to extract the high-inducing chemical THC from cannabis to create a highly potent concentrate also known as hash oil .
The oil is used in vape pens , edibles , waxes and other products .
On its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products including “ puff bars , “ pipes , “ dab ” tools , vaporizers , “ torches and butane , “ and cartridges .
The company says it is “ an international distributor and wholesaler of smoking and vaping products , and related accessories.
” Founded in 2009 , it offers “ discounts to loyal customers , fast shipping , a huge catalogue of products and customer service that is untouched.
“ The cause of the fire is under investigation .

Stefanie Dazio And Frank Baker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Israel finally set to swear in government after 3 elections

JERUSALEM - After three deadlocked and divisive elections , a year and a half of political paralysis and another three-day delay because of political infighting in his Likud party over coveted Cabinet posts , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was finally swearing in his new government on Sunday .
Over the weekend , both Netanyahu and his rival-turned-partner Benny Gantz announced their appointments for the new government — the most bloated in Israeli history with an expected 36 ministers and 16 deputies .
Netanyahu and Gantz , a former military chief , announced last month they would be putting their differences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country through the coronavirus crisis and its severe economic fallout .
Their controversial power-sharing deal calls for Netanyahu to serve as prime minister for the government ’ s first 18 months before being replaced by Gantz for the next 18 months .
Their blocs will also have a similar number of ministers and virtual veto power over the other ’ s major decisions .
Critics have already accused the government of being out of touch by creating so many Cabinet posts at a time when unemployment has soared to 25 % as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because Netanyahu ’ s bloc includes several smaller parties , he still only has a limited number of Cabinet ministries to hand out to the Likud rank and file , and he faced a mini-insurgency from angry senior members ahead of the planned swearing-in ceremony on Thursday .
Unable to meet a deadline , Netanyahu asked for a delay to solve his internal party crisis .
To mollify his backbenchers , Netanyahu presented a series of new , questionable ministries such as “ community development , ” “ settlement affairs ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lapid , the presumptive opposition leader , said the machinations have led to a loss of “ trust of the Israeli public.
” “ The coronavirus is an excuse for a corrupt party at the expense of the taxpayer .
After all the empty talk of an ‘ emergency government , ’ the government being formed today is the largest and most wasteful in the history of the country , ” he said .
“ It ’ s not just the waste , it ’ s the contempt .
The complete contempt for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The deal has already led to the dissolution of Gantz ’ s alliance with Lapid after he reneged on his central campaign promise not to serve under Netanyahu , who has been indicted on corruption charges and faces a criminal trial starting next week .
Their much-scrutinized coalition deal could only come about after the country ’ s Supreme Court ruled it had no legal grounds to block it .
Despite the criticism , Gantz argued that teaming with Netanyahu offered the country its only way out of the prolonged stalemate and prevented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another costly election that would have been its fourth in just over a year .
In his speech to parliament , Netanyahu acknowledged that compromises had to be made but that another election would have been far more devastating .
“ The public wants a unity government and this is what the public is getting today , ” he said .
“ We chose to serve the country together.
” Gantz will start out as defence minister , with party colleague and fellow retired military chief Gabi Ashkenazi serving as foreign minister .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , outgoing Foreign Minister Israel Katz , will become finance minister .
Yariv Levin , perhaps Netanyahu ’ s closest ally , will become the new parliament speaker .
The coalition will also include a pair of ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties and some other individual defectors to add up to 73 out of parliament ’ s 120 members .
The main point of contention for critics has been the newly created position of “ alternate prime minister , ” a post that could allow Netanyahu to remain in office even after the swap and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals process .
There are also deep suspicions about whether Netanyahu will keep his part of the bargain and ultimately cede the premiership to Gantz .
Still , the new position is supposed to enjoy all the trappings of the prime minister , including an official residence and , key for Netanyahu , an exemption from a law that requires public officials who are not prime minister to resign if charged with a crime .
Netanyahu has been indicted on charges of fraud , breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealthy media moguls .
He denies any wrongdoing and blames the charges on a media-orchestrated plot to oust him .
Since his indictment last fall he has repeatedly lashed out at the country ’ s legal system as well , with his political allies taking special aim at the high court and accusing it of overreach and political interference .
His legal woes and fitness to serve were central issues in the recent election campaigns .
Netanyahu also pledged to push forth with controversial plans to annex parts of the West Bank .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push for annexation before the U.S. elections in November — after which Trump could be replaced by Joe Biden , who has said he opposes unilateral annexation .
The coalition agreement allows him to present a proposal as soon as July 1 .
“ The time has come for anyone who believes in the justness of our rights in the land of Israel to join a government led by me to bring about a historic process together , “ he said .


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Officials: Bombs kill 7 in shelter for displaced in Libya

CAIRO - Bombs hit a shelter for displaced people in Libya ’ s capital Tripoli , killing at least seven people including a 5-year-old child from Bangladesh , health authorities said Sunday .
The shelling of the facility in the city ’ s Furnaj district late Saturday also wounded at least 17 people , including a 52-year-old Bengali migrant and his 5-year-old child , Malek Merset , a spokesman for the capital ’ s ambulance services , said .
The man is also the father of the dead child .
It was the latest attack on civilians in the fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commander Khalifa Hifter and an array of militias loosely allied with the U.N.-supported but weak government in the capital .
A fire broke out in parts of the shelter housing people displaced by previous clashes in Tripoli , Merset said .
The ambulance services did not say which side was responsible for the shelling .
The self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces , led by Hifter , launched an offensive to take Tripoli in April last year .
In recent weeks , the fighting has intensified as foreign backers of the two sides stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed by France and Russia , as well as Egypt , the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries .
The Tripoli-allied militias are aided by Turkey , which deployed troops and mercenaries to help shore up their allies earlier this year , as well as by Italy and Qatar .
Mercenaries , mainly from the Syria battlefield , are now fighting on both sides and complicating an already complex proxy war .
Earlier this year , Tripoli-allied militias took several western towns from Hifter ’ s forces and stepped up their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key military base and the town of Tarhuna .
Hifter ’ s LAAF said Saturday it shot down a Turkish drone that was trying to attack the al-Watiya airbase .
The Tripoli-allied militias claimed they destroyed a Russian-made anti-aircraft system , a claim dismissed by the LAAF .
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 , when a civil war toppled and later killed long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi .
The country has since split between rival administrations in the east and the west , each backed by armed groups and foreign countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push Libya into a major conflagration on the scale of the 2011 civil war .


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Lawlessness, debauchery, scapegoating, murder ... the Black Death didn’t bring out the best in peopl

Lawlessness, debauchery, scapegoating, murder ... the Black Death didn’t bring out the best in people

Today ’ s coronavirus has echoes not just of more recent pandemics but of the medieval plague , a disease of unkown origin that unleashed terrible fear and hatred .
In the following excerpt from her 2015 book , “ From Tolerance to Tyranny : A Cautionary Tale from Fifteenth-Century Spain ” , Erna Paris narrates the European experience of the plague , known as the Black Death , in the fourteenth century .
There was famine , flooding and the painful erosion of deeply held conviction , but the fourteenth century had not finished delivering up misfortune .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented calamity .
Bubonic plague .
“ In a.d. 1348 , the people of France and of almost the whole world were struck by a blow other than war , ” wrote Jean de Venette , the prior of a Carmelite monastery in Paris .
Looking back at that terrible year the goodly prior suspected he had been permitted to see a celestial portent of the plague : In the month of August 1348 , after Vespers , when the sun was beginning to set , a big and very bright star appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whether it was composed of airy exhalations and was finally resolved into vapour , I leave to the decisions of astronomers .
It is , however , possible that it was a presage of the amazing pestilence to come .
Since 1346 , strange rumours had been circulating through Europe telling of a terrible disease that was spreading through Asia and killing entire populations .
But Asia was far away and the idea of contagion was unknown .
Disease somewhere else only meant that God was punishing other people for their sins .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ships that plied the seas between the Far East and Italy delivered a terrifying cargo into the harbour of Genoa .
The blackened bodies of dead sailors lay across their oars while a few dying companions managed to row the ship into shore .
They were dizzy , shaking with fever and suffering terrible pain .
A few seemed to be delirious ; others coughed incessantly and spat blood on the deck .
Those with the cough were dead in a day .
Almost all the rest were dead within five .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spring of 1348 , and within six months it had devastated the whole of the country .
Lawlessness and debauchery redoubled , looters raided shops , and the poor boldly squatted on the abandoned lands of dead nobility .
The disease spread under exceptionally favourable conditions .
Spain had almost doubled its population over the relatively peaceful years of the thirteenth century , industry and international commerce had surged ahead , and thousands of peasants had moved to the walled cities where garbage rotted in the streets and the black rat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common rat of the back alleyways .
By the end of 1348 , the plague had spread along the Mediterranean .
By 1350 it had reached northern England , Scandinavia and the Baltic countries , stretching to Iceland and Greenland .
“ All this year and the next , the mortality of men and women , and the young even more than the old … was so great that it was impossible to bury the dead .
People lay ill little more than two or three days and died suddenly , as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was well one day was dead the next and carried to his grave , ” wrote Jean de Villette .
For most people there was only one explanation : God had sent the plague as an expression of his anger at human sin .
There was no use wondering which sin .
Every individual had his or her own personal storehouse of guilt .
The Church railed against human frailty — adultery , avarice , blasphemy , greed , pride — but without success .
Guilt hollowed out deep crevices in the souls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and scholars seized on a more logical explanation : In His anger , God had ordered a pernicious conjunction of the stars and planets , they explained .
The proof was that on March 20 , 1345 , certain astrologers had observed a dangerous juxtaposition of Jupiter , Saturn and Mars under the sign of Pisces : an early portent of calamity .
The fourteenth century believed the air was corrupted by astral influences , or by winds that carried pestilence , or by various miasmic stinks ; and as there was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevention .
In Spain , aromatic plants such as cypress , roses and thyme were placed in the main plazas of cities to perfume the corrupted air while frightened people sprinkled their houses with vinegar .
Doctors prescribed amulets to be worn near the heart .
Those made with sapphires and emeralds were said to be the most effective .
The physicians recommended chicken , partridge and eggs , and warned against beef , duck , lamb , goat , rabbit and pork .
( Pork and duck were the most dangerous because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of balance . )
Bread had to be eaten within three days ; apples or pears were to accompany the first meal of the day ; and only dry white wine was safe .
All fish was bad , except lobster .
“ Nothing helped , neither physicians , nor medicament , ” despaired the chronicler Marchione di Coppo Stefani .
“ Either this disease is new and hitherto unknown , or the doctors have never studied it .
There seems to be no remedy.
” In the face of terror , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they beseeched God for mercy and looked for scapegoats .
But turning to God was now a risky proposition , for who could fathom the depth of divine rage if this awful disease was its most visible sign .
Processions of the faithful transported relics of holy martyrs to local churches , where they prayed to the dead saint to intercede on their behalf .
Cathedrals were hastily repaired or newly constructed .
People contributed to charities and did good works , hoping to gain points with the Almighty .
The rich donated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church that the prelates grew magnificently rich and the entire economic structure of countries fell into disarray .
Not surprisingly , a new back-to-basics religious movement spread across Europe in tandem with the plague .
Barefoot and dressed in dark , hooded robes with a large red cross embroidered on front and back , men and women calling themselves Brothers of the Cross travelled from town to town , punishing themselves twice a day with a three-pronged whip tipped with iron .
The men whipped themselves in public , the women in seclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they were known , hoped to recover the purity of their original baptism — a state without sin — and therefore protect themselves from the illness .
Others rebelled against the established Church order by turning to witchcraft , magic and satanism .
The Flagellants needed an outlet for their rage , and as soon as they arrived in a new town they headed straight for the Jewish quarter , with an excited mob of townsfolk storming behind .
Their charge against the Jews was a simple one : Jews were poisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world of their enemies , the Christians .
Once this motive was established , the Flagellants mustered indisputable proof that the Jews had the capacity to carry out this conspiracy .
They were doctors , apothecaries and grocers , were they not ?
Therefore they had access to the spectrum of poisons .
In 1348 in the southern French city of Toulouse , 40 Jews were tortured and eventually “ confessed ” to poisoning the wells .
They were massacred by a mob and many were thrown into the wells — which did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September of 1348 Pope Clement VI published two bulls declaring that the poison-well accusation was preposterous .
Anyone with eyes could see that the Jews were losing as many people to the plague as Christians , he pointed out .
The pope explained that Christians who blamed the Jews were being “ seduced by that liar , the Devil , ” but a combination of public hysteria and disdain for the Church diminished the impact of his words .
Philip VI of France , for example , accused the Jews of receiving poisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toledo ; the poisons were said to have been extracted from venomous scorpions , spiders and toads , which were powdered then carried to France in “ stitched leather satchels.
” Jews were massacred across Europe .
On Feb. 13 , 1349 , in the city of Strasbourg , 900 people were hurled into bonfires .
It is of interest that not one of the individuals relaying these fevered accusations even pretended to verify the existence of a toxic substance capable of poisoning water with plague .
Rumour and belief in place of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as it frequently does today .
The impulse was a familiar one : those who are not one of us must necessarily be our enemy .
By 1351 the plague had largely passed , although there were to be frequent recurrences throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries .
Between 25 and 30 per cent per cent of the population of Europe died — about 25 million people in all .
In one small French parish the records indicate more deaths for the period of Aug. 1 to Nov. 19 , 1348 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Black Death was followed by widespread psychological aftershock as stunned and brutalized survivors struggled to resume their lives .
The survivors had witnessed the agonizing deaths of loved ones .
They had watched doctors and clergy abandon the dying — and they were overwhelmed by the magnitude of sin they believed they must have committed .
Finally , they could no longer care about the heaps of uncollected bodies in the streets .
Finally , they thought only of their own personal survival .
The shock of massive death invaded all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lens of art .
Death personified — a grinning skeleton brandishing scythe and hourglass — interrupts the joyous celebrations of young and old .
He bides his time in gleeful expectation or actively carries away his victims under the helpless , horrified watch of their companions who are , of course , next in line to go .
No army can defeat him .
He is the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse from the “ Très Riches Heures ” of the Duc de Berry , painted by Jean Colombe in 1470 : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he that sat upon him his name was Death.
” A reckless dissoluteness now marked Europe .
In Spain , houses were looted in broad daylight , murders were committed in the streets , gambling tables operated in public squares , and the richest families recklessly threw away their fortunes , borrowing heavily at uncontrolled interest rates to maintain the spending frenzy .
Courtiers paraded about in rich gowns of red , blue and green velvet or silk , their sleeves and bodices draped in lavish folds .
Men with an eye for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A careless disregard for the future pervaded society ; only the present mattered .
Jean de Venette offered the following lament : Woe is me !
the world was not changed for the better but for the worse .
For men were more avaricious and grasping than before .
They were more covetous and disturbed each other more frequently with suits , brawls , disputes and pleas .
Greater evils than before abounded everywhere in the world .
And this fact was very remarkable .
Although there was an abundance of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dear .
Charity began to cool , and iniquity with ignorance and sin to abound , and few could be found in the good towns and castles who knew how or were willing to instruct children in the rudiments of grammar … ”

Erna Paris - Excerpt from From Tolerance to Tyranny


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--As mosques reopen in West Africa, COVID-19 fears grow

DAKAR , Senegal - It ’ s been a Ramadan unlike any other for Abdourahmane Sall , far from the mosque during the Muslim holy month as coronavirus cases mount .
With only a little over a week left , he decided joining thousands of others in tradition was worth the risk after authorities allowed prayers to resume .
Men formed orderly lines outside the Massalikul Jinaan mosque in Dakar as they waited to receive hand sanitizer before entering while uniformed police watched on nearby .
Inside , some 2,000 men set their prayer mats 1.5 metres apart while 3,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Africa ’ s largest mosque .
“ We are being careful but to be honest we can not escape the virus , ” said Sall , a 58-year-old tailor in a flowing orange tunic and face mask made of thick fabric .
“ If we abide by the precautions that health officials tell us , then God will protect us.
” The World Health Organization has warned that as many as 190,000 Africans could die from the coronavirus in the first year of the pandemic , and countless more from other diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources are stretched even further .
But across West Africa , countries are finding it increasingly difficult to keep mosques closed during Ramadan even as confirmed virus cases mount and testing remains limited .
The holy month is already a time of heightened spiritual devotion for Muslims , and many say prayer is now more important than ever .
Last week Niger and Senegal allowed mass prayers to resume , and Liberia is reopening its houses of worship beginning Sunday .
In Nigeria , Africa ’ s most populous nation , several states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the number of confirmed cases nationwide exceeded 5,000 .
The warnings about resuming public gatherings are being made worldwide — but the stakes are particularly high in West Africa , where countries with fewer hospitals and ventilators have been prioritizing disease prevention as a public health strategy .
As elsewhere , though , decisions here are starting to reflect an acknowledgement that the coronavirus crisis might last longer than some restrictions can be tolerated .
“ We must now learn to live in the presence of the virus , adapting our individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , ” Senegalese President Macky Sall said in an address announcing the easing of several social distancing measures .
His speech came just hours after Senegal marked its highest daily number of newly confirmed cases since the crisis began here in early March , prompting concerns that the easing was premature .
With a large diaspora population in Europe , Senegal was among the first African countries to report COVID-19 cases as citizens returned home , but it has maintained a relatively low death toll despite having never enforced a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early successes have been attributed to the limits on public gatherings and on regional transport , as mosques , churches and schools were swiftly shut down .
Critics fear Senegal now risks an explosion of new cases if people pray in large numbers and hold gatherings to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan .
“ We have passed the 2,000 case mark , ” lamented 39-year-old teacher Daba Senghor .
“ The opening of the mosques will help the spread of the virus .
I am really afraid for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Senegal are still urging their followers to stay home : The Cheikh-Oumar-Foutiyou mosque in Dakar remained closed even after the president ’ s announcement because the COVID-19 threat “ is not yet totally under control , “ according to a statement put out before anyone showed up for prayers Friday .
Where bans have remained in place in West Africa , the restrictions have been contentious .
Two prominent imams were suspended in northern Nigeria , while a Gambian court fined several Muslim clerics who led prayers despite the state of emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group of young men recently used force to physically open the mosques ’ doors in Dubreka , a city located 50 kilometres ( 31 miles ) north of Guinea ’ s capital , Conakry .
“ The gels , the soaps , the barriers , it ’ s all a joke .
It is God who cures this disease , that ’ s why we must open the mosques , ” said Mouctar Camara , a 26-year-old student who was briefly detained after the incident .
Local leader Alseny Bangoura said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educate the young men about the risks of COVID-19 .
Guinea now has more than 2,500 cases even with limited testing .
“ We were shocked that they had taken crowbars to open the mosques , ” he said .
“ We told them even Mecca is closed.
” Babacar Dione in Dakar , Senegal ; Haruna Umar in Maiduguri , Nigeria ; Boubacar Diallo in Conakry , Guinea ; and Dalatou Mamane in Niamey , Niger contributed .


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Tropical Storm Arthur forms, 1st named storm of season

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Arthur formed off the coast of Florida on Saturday , making it the sixth straight year for a named storm to develop before the official June 1 start of the Atlantic hurricane season .
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a tropical storm warning for North Carolina ’ s Outer Banks in its 5 a.m. Sunday advisory .
At that time , the storm ’ s centre was located about 380 miles ( 610 kilometres ) south-southwest of Cape Hatteras , North Carolina .
Arthur had top sustained winds of 40 mph ( 65 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north-northeast at 9 mph ( 14 kph ) , slowing slightly from 13 mph ( 20 kph ) .
Forecasts say Arthur will stay well offshore of Florida , Georgia and South Carolina on Sunday and then approach the North Carolina coast on Monday , where it will drop 1-3 inches of rain Sunday night and Monday .
The tropical storm warning was issued for parts of North Carolina ’ s coast , from Surf City to Duck , including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds .
Dangerous coastal surf conditions and rip currents are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mid-Atlantic states during the next few days .
While there may be a component of warming waters and climate change in other pre-June storms , Arthur is more of a subtropical storm system than a traditional named storm and its water is cooler than what ’ s usually needed for storm formation , said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
A lot of these out-of-season storms are weak fleeting ones that meteorologists can see now because of satellites and better technology and would have been missed in earlier times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Arthur is likely to remain offshore , but could come relatively close to North Carolina ’ s coast Monday , Klotzbach said .
Local forecasters in the Bahamas said showers have lingered over the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco , which are still struggling to recover after being hit by a Category 5 hurricane last year .
However , no flooding has been reported as the depression swirls just northwest of the archipelago and is expected to head into open ocean as it strengthens .
Officials said they were prepared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grand Bahama after Hurricane Dorian damaged the island ’ s hospital , but forecasters said the bulk of thunderstorms are located north and east of the depression and are not expected to affect the region .
Danica Coto in San Juan , Puerto Rico , contributed to this report


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Officials: Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead in home

JERUSALEM - The Chinese ambassador to Israel was found dead in his home north of Tel Aviv on Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ said .
No cause of death was given and Israeli police said it was investigating @ @ @ @ @ , was appointed envoy in February in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic .
He @ @ @ @ @ s envoy to Ukraine .
He is survived by a wife and son , both @ @ @ @ @ Israel .
The ambassador ’ s death comes just two days after he condemned comments @ @ @ @ @ State Mike Pompeo , who denounced Chinese investments in Israel and accused China of hiding @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-05-17--Pakistan kills 4 Islamic State-linked militants in shootout

MULTAN , Pakistan - Pakistani police acting on intelligence raided a militant hideout in a wooded area in the country @ @ @ @ @ members of an Islamic State-linked group , the country ’ s counter-terrorism agency said Sunday @ @ @ @ @ the agency said the overnight raid was carried out in Bahawalpur , a deeply conservative @ @ @ @ @ outlawed Sunni militants have a strong presence .
It said police seized weapons and bomb @ @ @ @ @ possible attack and claimed the slain militants wanted to target places of worship in a @ @ @ @ @ statement provided no further details .
Pakistani security forces in recent years have carried out @ @ @ @ @ who fled the country ’ s former tribal regions bordering Afghanistan .
These areas for @ @ @ @ @ for militants , including the Islamic State-linked Dayesh group , which has been blamed for @ @ @ @ @ recent past .