thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Stance on abortion politics varies widely among US clergy

James Altman is a Roman Catholic priest in Wisconsin , little known outside his parish until a few weeks ago .
Robert Jeffress is the high-profile pastor of a Baptist megachurch in Dallas .
They have a message in common for members of their faiths : Voting for Democrats who support abortion rights is an evil potentially deserving of eternal damnation .
Their fierce , openly partisan rhetoric is attention-grabbing , but it remains the exception in America ’ s diverse religious landscape , even in this divisive election year .
Most members of the clergy , including foes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or denunciations of political candidates .
Numerous denominations try to frame their stance on abortion in ways that respect multiple viewpoints .
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , for example , has adhered for three decades to a nuanced policy aimed at respecting churchgoers on all sides of the debate .
“ We say that abortion should be seen as a path of last resort , but we defend a woman ’ s right to make decisions over her own body , ” said Bishop Paul Egensteiner , who heads the ELCA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The National Association of Evangelicals , which represents about 45,000 churches , declares in a policy statement that it “ actively , ardently and unwaveringly opposes abortion on demand , ” but simultaneously appeals for civility .
“ We do not dismiss those who advocate for legal access to abortion as unconcerned for human life or unworthy of our respect and attention , ” it says .
Such stances and tones differ sharply from those offered recently by Altman and Jeffress .
“ You can not be Catholic and be a Democrat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , admonishing people to “ repent of your support of that party and its platform or face the fires of hell.
” His comments were criticized by many Catholics , while endorsed by some others , such as Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Tyler , Texas , diocese .
Jeffress , the pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas and a close ally of Donald Trump , employs similarly strong language in denouncing the president ’ s opponent .
“ As long as Joe Biden and the Democratic Party continue to support unrestricted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage in a pregnancy , priests and pastors like myself will have no problem saying , ‘ Only Christians who have sold their soul to the devil would vote for Joe Biden , ’ ” Jeffress said via email .
Jeffress ’ church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention , the nation ’ s largest Protestant denomination .
Its leadership adopted a stringent anti-abortion stance nearly 40 years ago that remains in place .
Daniel Patterson , a vice-president of the Southern Baptists ’ public policy arm , said most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage in partisan politics from the pulpit , although they ’ re free to address abortion and other issues as they see fit .
The Rev .
Kevin Smith , executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and one of the SBC ’ s highest-ranking Black leaders , criticized Christians who stress their opposition to abortion while minimizing the problem of racism , and objected to the partisanship making inroads in some churches .
“ While too many so-called pastors wait for the morning talking points from their chosen political party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastoral task , ” he tweeted last month .
Earlier this month , the National Association of Evangelicals issued a statement repenting for shortcomings in combating poverty and racial inequality .
It pledged to “ resist being co-opted by political agendas ” and to uphold a “ comprehensive pro-life ethic that protects both the unborn and the vulnerable of all ages.
” The association ’ s president , the Rev .
Walter Kim , said many NAE pastors preach about various policies but most avoid political endorsements .
One NAE board member , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network , which urges pastors to broaden the concept of “ pro-life ” so it encompasses efforts to protect the environment .
“ It would behoove pastors to be caring about people , rather than taking up politics , ” Hescox said .
“ We ’ re supposed to be a voice for our values and not choose sides.
” Some mainline Protestant denominations have official positions supporting reproductive rights .
Access to abortion , says a 2018 Episcopal Church resolution , “ is an integral part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her dignity and worth.
” The United Church of Christ has a similar policy .
Its president , the Rev .
John Dorhauer , said he ’ s angered by warnings from some pastors that churchgoers risk betraying their faith with their political choices .
“ Telling a member with a conscience and moral agency that a vote for a particular party or candidate is a violation of one ’ s faith is , in my humble opinion , unethical and immoral , ” he said .
The Church of Jesus Christ of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social views , says abortions “ for personal or social convenience ” violate church teachings and can lead to excommunication .
However , the church says exceptional circumstances may justify some abortions , such as when pregnancy results from incest or rape or a woman ’ s health is at risk .
Matthew Bowman , a professor of history and religion at Claremont Graduate University , said most of that church ’ s members oppose abortion but its leaders have not used the issue as a political rallying cry .
In Judaism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion hasn ’ t been as politicized as in Christian denominations .
Both the Conservative and Reform branches say abortion is acceptable under various circumstances , and the decision is up to the woman involved .
Orthodox Jews are more open to restrictions on elective abortions , said Rabbi Avi Shafram , spokesman for Agudath Israel of America , But his Orthodox umbrella organization “ would not support any law that gives an unborn child ‘ personhood ’ , since Jewish religious law does counsel abortion in some rare cases , ” Shafran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , like to see abortion treated with greater gravity , as more than a mere ‘ woman ’ s choice.
’ ” For many Muslim Americans , abortion is “ essentially a non-issue , ” according to Atiya Aftab , who chairs the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University .
“ From the formative days of Islamic Law over 1,000 years ago , classical scholars took varied positions on abortion from its permissibility to its prohibition , ” she said via email .
More recent Islamic scholars have issued diverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Abortion is generally frowned on if poverty is the motive , but accepted if a women ’ s health is at risk .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Uganda’s ‘taxi divas’ rise from COVID-19’s economic gloom

KAMPALA , Uganda - The women grappled with each other inside the vehicle .
The driver jerked to ease the grip around her neck , then turned to elbow her attacker in the back seat .
She flung the door open to make her escape , ending the simulated attack .
“ This one is too strong for me , “ the attacker said , smiling and shaking her head .
Then it was another woman ’ s turn in the exercise to prepare drivers for Uganda ’ s new all-female ride-hailing service , Diva Taxi .
The taxi service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lost her logistics job at the start of the coronavirus outbreak , was launched in June and has recruited over 70 drivers .
They range from college students to mothers hoping to make good use of their secondhand Toyotas .
“ It started off as a joke , supported by close friends and family , but eventually the idea picked up , ” said company spokeswoman Rebecca Makyeli .
“ They said , ‘ Why not ?
As ladies , you know we can no longer slay on Instagram on the outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slay as divas with a cause.
’ So we called it Diva Taxi.
” It ’ s uncommon to find women taxi drivers in Uganda , a socially conservative East African country where most women labour on farms or pursue work in the informal sector .
Diva Taxis believes countless women are looking for job opportunities at a time of severe economic distress .
The International Labor Organization has said women ’ s employment in developing countries is likely to be hit harder than men ’ s in the pandemic .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID , “ Diva Taxis founder Gillian Kobusingye said .
A regular traveller , she found herself grounded indefinitely as authorities imposed restrictions on movement to slow the spread of the virus .
For several weeks , even taxis were not authorized to operate in Uganda .
Still , Kobusingye felt optimistic .
“ Despite whatever circumstance in the world , there will be need of something to reach somebody ... And how does that happen ?
Through transport , ” she said .
She believed that a woman seeking to become a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity more than any man .
And she expected women to be more reliable .
“ Our ladies are extremely hardworking , very motivated , and I like their sense of pride when they do this work , “ she said .
” They do it with one heart compared to other people , and that ’ s the difference we have with our competitors.
” “ The divas are always on time , ” said Kampala-based auditor Jemimah Bamwebaze , a regular user .
She also feels safer “ being driven by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must have a car in good condition and a smartphone equipped with the mobile app that clients use , along with a valid driver ’ s license and a certificate of good conduct issued by Interpol .
With Diva Taxi , 85 % of proceeds from a trip go to the driver , strikingly low in Uganda but part of a plan to size up the market , Makyeli said .
Driver Donna Ochen , a FedEx accountant furloughed in March who looks after three children , said she had been “ doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Diva Taxi employee on television discussing opportunities for women .
With the consent of her skeptical husband , she contacted the company and was recruited .
“ I decided to take it up because it would be an opportunity for me to serve and earn and support my family , ” Ochen said .
And “ it would empower me to do something for myself rather than sitting.
” Another driver , college student Tracy Abola , said her mother , a teacher , had been out of work since schools were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been driving a 1998 Toyota “ to keep up appearances with friends ” until she learned she could make money with Diva Taxis .
“ So I decided to do something so that I can also help a bit at home , ” she said .
The Diva Taxi app has been downloaded at least 500 times , and each of the company ’ s 72 drivers makes an average of 30 rides each week , Makyeli said .
The company expects to have 2,000 active users by the end of this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of over 3 million people where taxis and passenger motorcycles are the main means of transport for the working class .
Despite the security training — each driver also receives a canister of pepper spray — safety remains a concern .
Ochen said she drives only during the day “ to avoid being caught up in any tricky situations , “ including with drunken groups .
Even as she hopes to return to her job as an accountant , she plans to remain a Diva Taxi driver for as long as possible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s really fun , ” said founder Kobusingye , an occasional driver herself .
“ I can ’ t wait to partner with every woman out there that ’ s willing to be part of Diva Taxi .
”

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada
Postal Code


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Afghans say preventing next war as vital as ending this one

KABUL - At a Kabul museum honouring Afghanistan ’ s war victims , talking to visitors reveals just how many layers and generations of pain and grief have piled up during four decades of unrelenting conflict .
Fakhria Hayat recalled an attack that changed her family forever .
It was 1995 , and the Afghan capital was under siege , pounded by rockets fired by rival mujahedeen groups .
Her world exploded : A rocket slammed into her yard , killing her brother and leaving her sister forever in a wheelchair .
Danish Habibi was just a child in 2000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan ’ s serene Bamiyan Valley .
His memories of those days are reoccurring nightmares .
Men were forcibly separated from wives and children .
Dozens were killed .
Habibi ’ s father disappeared only to return a beaten , broken man , never able to work again .
Habibi wonders how he will be able to accept peace with the Taliban .
Reyhana Hashimi told of how her 15-year-old sister , Atifa , was killed by Afghan security forces .
It was 2018 .
Atifa had left home to take her exams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstration protesting the arrest of a Hazara leader .
Afghan forces opened fire on protesters .
“ They shot my sister right in the heart , ” Hashimi said .
“ No one from the government even came to apologize .
They tried to say she was a protester .
She wasn ’ t .
She just wanted to write her exams.
” Today , those accumulated , unresolved grievances cast a long shadow on the intra-Afghan negotiations underway in the Gulf nation of Qatar .
Washington signed a deal with the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Doha talks and American forces ’ eventual withdrawal .
The Americans championed the deal as Afghanistan ’ s best chance at a lasting peace .
Afghans are not so sure .
They say preventing the next war is as vital as ending the current one .
Afghanistan has been at war for more than 40 years .
First was the Soviet invasion in 1979 and nine years of fighting .
The Soviet withdrawal opened a bitter civil war in which mujahedeen factions tore the country apart battling for power and killing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over in 1996 .
The militants ’ repressive rule lasted until the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 .
Ever since , the country has been bloodied by insurgency .
“ We must understand that there has been suffering on all sides , all Afghans have suffered at different times , ” Hamid Karzai , the first democratically elected president after the Taliban ’ s collapse , said in an interview in Kabul .
“ Everyone has done ( their ) part , unfortunately , in bringing suffering to our people and to our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office in 2014 after serving two terms .
“ No one can ( point ) a finger toward someone to say you ’ ve done it.
” But individual Afghans can .
They know who caused tragedies to their families .
Hayat , one of those visiting the Kabul Center for Memory and Dialogue on a recent day , said the rockets that killed her younger brother and maimed her sister 25 years ago were fired by the men of warlord Abdul Rasul Sayyaf .
Sayyaf was notorious for his ties to al-Qaida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Philippine terrorist group , Abu Sayyaf .
He is also a powerful politician in post-Taliban Afghanistan , often seen at meetings with Karzai ’ s successor , President Ashraf Ghani .
Mujahedeen warlords like Sayyaf have remained powerful since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion and head heavily armed factions .
They include men like Gulbuddin Hekmatyar , who was on the U.S. terrorist list until he signed a 2017 peace pact with Ghani ’ s government , and Uzbek warlord Marshal Rashid Dostum , who has been implicated in a litany of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aftermath of the Taliban ’ s 2001 defeat , revenge attacks multiplied , and ethnic Pashtuns , who made up the backbone of the Taliban , were initially harassed and persecuted when they went back to their villages .
As a result , many eventually returned to the mountains or fled to safe havens in neighbouring Pakistan .
That allowed the Taliban to regroup .
Today , the insurgent group is at its strongest since 2001 , controlling or holding sway over nearly half of the country .
Even if an intra-Afghan deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s many factions , including the Taliban , will fight for power if U.S. and NATO troops leave .
Under Washington ’ s deal with the Taliban , U.S. troops are to withdraw by April , 2021 , providing that the Taliban honour their promise to fight terrorist groups , most notably the Islamic State affiliate .
Trump recently surprised his military by upping the withdrawal date to the end of the year .
“ Unfortunately , each time we ’ ve had a change , someone has tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
It hasn ’ t worked , ’ said Karzai .
“ So let ’ s learn our lessons and move forward.
” “ The day after peace , we must recognize that all Afghans belong to this country ... that this Afghanistan belongs to each individual of this country , and that we must live as citizens of this country , ” said Karzai .
“ Only then can we live in a country that looks toward a better future.
” So far , there ’ s little sign of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released as part of the peace process have already faced revenge attacks , assassinations and abductions , as well as harassment from local officials .
One released prisoner , Muslim Afghan , said he rarely leaves his home in Kabul for fear of retaliation .
He doesn ’ t remember Taliban rule — he was only in the second grade when they were overthrown .
But his elders had been senior Taliban members and because of them , the rest of the family was harassed .
He said he never joined the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family connections .
Danish Habibi , who still has nightmares about a Taliban attack , doesn ’ t know how he can forgive .
“ If you are from a family with a victim how will you trust that peace will come , ” he said .
He wants victims to sit at the negotiating table — victims of the Taliban , of the mujahedeen , of every side .
“ They should all have to speak to the victims.
” For Abdullah Abdullah , who heads Afghanistan ’ s High Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with striking a peace deal with the Taliban , negotiating has been an emotional struggle to control his anger at the casualties of the last 19 years .
“ I ’ ve seen too many people suffering , too many casualties on a daily basis , innocent people dying ... you can not hide your emotions , ” he said .
“ But then there is the need of the country .
Do we want this to continue forever ?
There will be endless suffering unless we find a way.
” Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Jacksonville seeks $150K from GOP convention host committee

JACKSONVILLE , Fla. - Jacksonville city officials are seeking reimbursement for more than $ 150,000 in expenses for law enforcement costs , consulting fees and other funds spent preparing to host the National Republican Convention that never took place in their city .
The festivities , which were to be held in Jacksonville in August to formally reanoint President Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president , was scuttled because of concerns over the coronavirus .
City officials told the Florida Times-Union that they have been assured by the 2020 Jacksonville Host Committee that it will be repaid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other Republicans in late August after a disagreement over social distancing with North Carolina ’ s Democratic governor prompted the party to scale back festivities in Charlotte .
Jacksonville officials , including Mayor Lenny Curry , had openly sought to host the event .
Curry had assured residents that taxpayers would not be on the hook for the convention .
Jordan Elsbury , chief of staff for the mayor , said the city and the host committee have been “ working together over the past couple of weeks to resolve any balances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city has been assured “ timely payment.
” An invoice dated Oct. 6 shows the city ’ s itemized expenses , including : $ 69,974 in overtime costs for the Sheriff ’ s Office , $ 9,862 for the Fire and Rescue Department and $ 69,777 to a consulting firm that was assisting the city secure more than $ 30 million in federal grants to help pay for security during the multiday event .
In a report to the Federal Election Commission , the host committee did not show any payments to the @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Guinea votes to see if president can extend decade in power

CONAKRY , Guinea - Guinean President Alpha Conde is seeking to extend his decade in power in Sunday ’ s election , after the country ’ s constitution was changed earlier this year to allow the 82-year-old leader to run for a third term .
This is the third time that opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo , 68 , has run against Conde and he warns the president is trying to rig the vote to stay in office in this West African nation of 12.8 million .
The election contest already has inflamed ethnic tensions , prompting the United Nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic profiling and violence .
The two main candidates draw their support from Guinea ’ s largest ethnic groups —the Malinke and the Peuhl — and past electoral match-ups have seen bursts of intercommunal violence .
There also were calls for security forces to maintain restraint : At least 50 people have been killed over the past year , as protesters have demonstrated against Conde ’ s electoral bid , according to Amnesty International .
In the capital of Conakry , voters queued early to cast their ballots , while heavy rainfall overnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At Mohamed Barry 1 School in the Ratoma neighbourhood , Mamadou Bah had mobilized his entire family to turn out .
“ One vote less is a loss for my candidate .
That ’ s why all six of my children and my two wives are here to vote — I demanded it , “ he said .
” We are going to vote for Cellou Dalein to win .
And he will be president from tonight.
” Lancey Dioubate said he was supporting the incumbent Conde ’ s quest for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must give him time to complete his major projects for Guinea , electricity especially , ” he said .
Conde has insisted that the constitutional changes were broadly approved by voters , denying that he had carried out a constitutional coup d ’ etat during a recent interview with Radio France Internationale .
Conde had spent decades as an opposition figure under dictatorship and still maintains he won the country ’ s 1993 election .
“ If I had wanted to be president for life , I would have taken power back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) back in 1993 , “ he told RFI .
Conde came to power in 2010 in the country ’ s first democratic elections since independence from France in 1958 .
Many saw his presidency as a fresh start for the mineral-rich country mired by decades of corrupt , authoritarian rule .
Opponents , though , say he has failed to improve the lives of Guineans , most of whom live in poverty despite the country ’ s vast mineral riches .
In his final campaign speech , Diallo condemned the high unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade .
“ But the heaviest burden has been that of our division , ” he said .
“ This power , which has been incapable of setting our society in motion to create wealth , has tried to set us against each other , hurting our nation.
” As tensions mounted ahead of Sunday ’ s vote , U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “ urged all political leaders and their supporters to refrain from acts of incitement , inflammatory language , ethnic profiling and violence.
” The International Criminal Court at The Hague @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” about election-related violence.
“ “ I particularly condemn the use of inflammatory rhetoric by some political actors during their electoral campaign , leading to growing ethnic tensions among the people of Guinea , ” ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Tulsa digs again for victims of 1921 race massacre

OKLAHOMA CITY - A second excavation begins Monday at a cemetery in an effort to find and identify victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and shed light on violence that left hundreds dead and decimated an area that was once a cultural and economic mecca for African Americans .
“ I realize we can tell this story the way it needs to be told , now , ” said Phoebe Stubblefield , a forensic anthropologist at the University of Florida and a descendant of a survivor of the massacre who is assisting the search , told The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hidden .
We ’ re putting the completion on this event.
“ The violence happened on May 31 and June 1 in 1921 , when a white mob attacked Tulsa ’ s Black Wall Street , killing an estimated 300 people and wounding 800 more while robbing and burning businesses , homes and churches .
“ People , they were just robbed , white people coming in saying Black people had better property than they had and that that was just not right , ” said Stubblefield , whose great-aunt Anna Walker Woods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Burning , thieving , killing wasn ’ t enough .
They had to prevent Black people from recovering .
“ Personally , professionally , spiritually I have an investment in this , ” said Stubblefield , a Los Angeles native who said she is in her early 50s and learned of the massacre and her ancestor , who she doesn ’ t recall ever meeting , in the 1990s .
The two locations to be searched are in Oaklawn Cemetery in north Tulsa , where a search for remains of victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the Greenwood District where the massacre took place .
The earlier excavation was done in an area identified by ground-penetrating radar scans as appearing to be a human-dug pit indicative of a mass grave .
It turned out be a filled-in creek , said Mayor G.T .
Bynum , who first proposed looking for victims of the violence in 2018 and later budgeted $ 100,000 to fund it after previous searches failed to find victims .
The massacre — which happened two years after what is known as the “ Red Summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died at the hands of white mobs in violence around the U.S. —- has been depicted in recent HBO shows “ Watchmen ” and “ Lovecraft County.
” It also received renewed attention after President Donald Trump selected Tulsa as the location for a June rally amid a national reckoning over police brutality and racial violence .
Trump moved the date to avoid coinciding with a Juneteenth celebration in the Greenwood District commemorating the end of slavery .
Bynum , who is 43 , said he didn ’ t learn of the massacre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayoral campaign of his uncle Bill LaFortune , and his grandparents confirmed the events .
“ That ’ s a very common thing in Tulsa .
That ’ s how you learned about it , not through books or the media or in school , ” Bynum said .
“ People didn ’ t start talking about this event in Tulsa until about 20 years ago.
” Bodies , if discovered , will not be disturbed , Bynum said .
The excavation would stop , and investigators would “ do what they need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cause of death , ” Bynum said .
Efforts would also be made to find any descendants , a project that could prove difficult , according to Bynum .
“ A hundred years after the fact , the descendants are scattered all around the world .
Tracking down the descendants could take years , ” Bynum said .
One site to be searched , known as the Original 18 , is where old funeral home records indicate up to 18 Black people who were massacre victims were buried .
The other site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in the 1990s that , as a 10-year-old boy , he saw Black bodies being prepared for burial shortly after the massacre , but was told to leave the area .
Archaeologists have identified two additional possible sites , said state archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck , who is leading the investigation .
“ We have multiple areas that we have identified as having merits for investigation , ” based on the 2019 radar scans , Stackelbeck said .
“ We just have to ask for grace and patience ” during the search .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a week , but could be extended , according to Stubblefield .
“ I ’ m fully prepared to find human remains , ” she said .
“ The questions are just whether they ’ re the remains we ’ re looking for .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Car bombing in western Afghanistan kills at least 13, wounds 120

KABUL—A suicide car bombing on Sunday killed at least 13 people and wounded around 120 others in Afghanistan ’ s western Ghor province , officials said .
The head of a hospital in Ghor , Mohammad Omer Lalzad , said emergency staff were treating dozens of people with both serious and light injuries from the bombing .
He expected the death toll to rise .
Interior Ministry spokesperson Tariq Aran said the car bombing struck near the entrance of the provincial police chief ’ s office and other nearby government buildings in the area .
No one immediately claimed responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes amid an uptick in attacks by the Taliban as representatives of the group and Afghan government officials hold their first-ever face-to-face talks in Qatar , where the Taliban have had a political office for many years .
The negotiations are meant to end decades of war in Afghanistan .
Arif Aber , spokesperson for the provincial governor in Ghor , said the blast was so strong that its sound could heard across Feroz Koh , the capital city of the province .
“ It damaged and partially destroyed a few government buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office , the women ’ s affairs department and the provincial office for refugees , ” Aber said .
On Friday , the Taliban agreed to suspend attacks in southern Afghanistan , which displaced thousands of residents in recent days .
That came after the U.S. vowed to halt all airstrikes and night raids in keeping with the peace agreement the U.S. signed with the Taliban in February .
The U.S. had been conducting airstrikes in support of Afghan forces trying to repel Taliban assaults in Helmand province , which threatened to derail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war .
The peace talks in Qatar between the Taliban and Afghan government negotiators began in September , but after a ceremonious start became bogged down , mainly in the minutiae of Islamic jurisprudence .
While successful negotiations are seen as critical to ending the fighting , the withdrawal of American troops relies on the Taliban honouring their commitments from the February accord to not support terror groups and fight all militants , most specifically the region ’ s Islamic State affiliate .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Ivorian opposition presidential candidate’s home burned down

ABIDJAN , Cote d ’ Ivoire - Assailants burned down the home of a leading opposition presidential candidate in eastern Ivory Coast while one of his party ’ s offices came under attack elsewhere , witnesses said Sunday amid rising tensions two weeks before the election .
A residence belonging to Pascal Affi N ’ Guessan was set ablaze in his hometown of Bongouanou amid clashes in the area Saturday .
Meanwhile , an office belonging to his opposition Ivorian Popular Front party were attacked in the commercial capital of Abidjan .
The unrest comes days after N ’ Guessan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for a boycott of the Oct. 31 election , complaining that the country ’ s electoral commission is made up entirely of officials from the ruling party .
“ We ask all our activists to refrain from participating in both the operation of distribution of voter cards and the election campaign , ” N ’ Guessan said last week in Abidjan , reading the statement with Bedie at his side .
President Alassane Ouattara , who first came to power after the 2010 disputed election whose aftermath left more than 3,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term in office .
Ouattara maintains that he can serve a third term because of changes to the country ’ s constitution , though his opponents consider his candidacy illegal .
Campaigning in the northern city of Bouake , Ouattara insisted there would be no changes in the makeup of the Independent Electoral Commission nor the constitutional Council that certifies results .
“ The elections will take place on Oct. 31 .
And they will be held in peace , “ he said last week .
“ There will be no postponement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ouattara ’ s administration for effectively blocking two presidential hopefuls from returning to Ivory Coast : former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro .
Gbagbo has been acquitted of crimes against humanity charges at the International Criminal Court in connection with the 2010-2011 postelectoral violence .
Prosecutors , though , are appealing and in the meantime Ivorian officials have disqualified him from running .
Ivorian authorities , meanwhile , issued an arrest warrant earlier this year for Soro on charges his supporters say are politically motivated , effectively blocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe .

Toussaint N'Gotta - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--US, Israeli envoys fly to Bahrain to advance nascent ties

JERUSALEM - A joint American-Israeli delegation headed Sunday for Bahrain , where officials will be signing a number of bilateral agreements following an announcement last month to normalize relations .
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s national security adviser , Meir Ben-Shabbat , led the delegation that flew out of Tel Aviv ’ s Ben Gurion airport .
Israel ’ s commercial El Al flight 973 — a nod to the international dialing code for Bahrain — will fly through Saudi Arabia ’ s airspace en route to Manama , where dignitaries from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceremony after landing .
U.S. , Israeli and Bahraini flags festooned the tarmac before take-off .
Ben-Shabbat , one of the key Israeli officials involved in negotiations with Bahrain , said ahead of take-off that the visit will “ translate plans to actions and concrete agreements “ with the signing of a range of deals involving finance , investment , trade , tourism , communications , technology and agriculture .
Another Israeli official said the visit represents the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries with the sides expected to sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The decision to establish ties with Israel has outraged the Palestinians , whose leadership has blasted the Bahraini move , and a similar Emirati deal , as a betrayal and an undermining of the Arab stance that recognition of Israel should come only after Palestinians achieve an independent state of their own .
Bahraini civil society groups and opposition figures , already targeted in a yearslong crackdown on dissent , have also spoken out against normalization with Israel .
As part of the deal to normalize relations , the two Gulf Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exchange ambassadors .
The Israeli official said the Israeli Embassy was expected to open in Bahrain in the coming months .
Similar to the United Arab Emirates , Bahrain is expected to open its embassy at some point in the city of Tel Aviv , where most foreign embassies are located because of Jerusalem ’ s contested status .
Bahraini and Israeli officials have held numerous conversations since announcing their intention to establish full ties .
Sunday ’ s face-to-face meetings , however , are seen as another step toward normalization .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Airport on Sunday afternoon .
The kingdom ’ s state-owned television channels did not carry the arrival live , nor did the state-run news agency announce the Israelis ’ presence .
Bahrain ’ s state-run news agency later published pictures of the arrival , acknowledging the Israeli officials were there to sign documents “ establishing diplomatic relations between the kingdom of Bahrain and the state of Israel , in addition to a number of memoranda of understanding in the areas of joint co-operation.
” Meanwhile , Israel and the UAE have already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and intergovernmental agreements .
Bahrain and the UAE signed the agreement to normalize relations with Israel in a ceremony at the White House on Sept. 15 .
Egypt and Jordan are the only other two Arab states to sign diplomatic treaties with Israel , in 1979 and 1994 , respectively .
The accords made public what had been a gradual strengthening of quiet ties between Israel and several Gulf states — forged in recent years over a shared concern over regional rival Iran .
Other Arab countries could follow suit , with analysts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Morocco as possibilities .
The trip to Bahrain on Sunday also came as U.N. arms embargoes on Iran expired despite American objections .
Bahrain , like several other Gulf Arab nations , views Iran as the most-serious threat to its security in the Persian Gulf .
The Israeli delegation is slated to fly back to Tel Aviv later on Sunday , while the Americans will head to the UAE before flying to Israel on Tuesday .
Last month , the first known commercial flight between the two countries brought a delegation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Israel and Bahrain following the signing of an agreement to normalize ties .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Touch-and-go: US spacecraft sampling asteroid for return

CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. - After almost two years circling an ancient asteroid hundreds of millions of miles away , a NASA spacecraft this week will attempt to descend to the treacherous , boulder-packed surface and snatch a handful of rubble .
The drama unfolds Tuesday as the U.S. takes its first crack at collecting asteroid samples for return to Earth , a feat accomplished so far only by Japan .
Brimming with names inspired by Egyptian mythology , the Osiris-Rex mission is looking to bring back at least 2 ounces ( 60 grams ) worth of asteroid Bennu , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moon .
The van-sized spacecraft is aiming for the relatively flat middle of a tennis court-sized crater named Nightingale — a spot comparable to a few parking places here on Earth .
Boulders as big as buildings loom over the targeted touchdown zone .
“ So for some perspective , the next time you park your car in front of your house or in front of a coffee shop and walk inside , think about the challenge of navigating Osiris-Rex into one of these spots from 200 million miles away , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moreau .
Once it drops out of its half-mile-high ( 0.75 kilometre-high ) orbit around Bennu , the spacecraft will take a deliberate four hours to make it all the way down , to just above the surface .
Then the action cranks up when Osiris-Rex ’ s 11-foot ( 3.4-meter ) arm reaches out and touches Bennu .
Contact should last five to 10 seconds , just long enough to shoot out pressurized nitrogen gas and suck up the churned dirt and gravel .
Programmed in advance , the spacecraft will operate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With an 18-minute lag in radio communication each way , ground controllers for spacecraft builder Lockheed Martin near Denver can ’ t intervene .
If the first attempt doesn ’ t work , Osiris-Rex can try again .
Any collected samples won ’ t reach Earth until 2023 .
While NASA has brought back comet dust and solar wind particles , it ’ s never attempted to sample one of the nearly 1 million known asteroids lurking in our solar system until now .
Japan , meanwhile , expects to get samples from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ milligrams at most — 10 years after bringing back specks from asteroid Itokawa .
The big , black , roundish , carbon-rich space rock — taller than New York ’ s Empire State Building — was around when our solar system was forming 4.5 billion years ago .
Scientists consider it a time capsule full of pristine building blocks that could help explain how life formed on Earth and possibly elsewhere .
“ This is all about understanding our origins , “ said the mission ’ s principal scientist , Dante Lauretta of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are selfish reasons for getting to know Bennu better .
The solar-orbiting asteroid , which swings by Earth every six years , could take aim at us late in the next century .
NASA puts the odds of an impact at 1-in-2,700 .
The more scientists know about potentially menacing asteroids like Bennu , the safer Earth will be .
When Osiris-Rex blasted off in 2016 on the more than $ 800 million mission , scientists envisioned sandy stretches at Bennu .
So the spacecraft was designed to ingest small pebbles less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Scientists were stunned to find massive rocks and chunky gravel all over the place when the spacecraft arrived in 2018 .
And pebbles were occasionally seen shooting off the asteroid , falling back and sometimes ricocheting off again in a cosmic game of ping-pong .
With so much rough terrain , engineers scrambled to aim for a tighter spot than originally anticipated .
Nightingale Crater , the prime target , appears to have the biggest abundance of fine grains , but boulders still abound , including one dubbed Mount Doom .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and final touch-and-go dress rehearsal for the spacecraft to August .
That pushed the sample grab to October .
“ Returning a sample is hard , ” said NASA ’ s science mission chief , Thomas Zurbuchen .
“ The COVID made it even harder.
” Osiris-Rex has three bottles of nitrogen gas , which means it can touch down three times — no more .
The spacecraft automatically will back away if it encounters unexpected hazards like big rocks that could cause it to tip over .
And there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but fail to collect enough rubble .
In either case , the spacecraft would return to orbit around Bennu and try again in January at another location .
With the first try finally here , Lauretta is worried , nervous , excited “ and confident we have done everything possible to ensure a safe sampling.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Thai protesters carry on demonstrations despite warnings

BANGKOK - Thousands of mainly young Thais were back on the streets of Bangkok on Sunday for a fifth straight day of protests demanding sweeping political change , with demonstrations also taking place at several other locations around the country .
The demonstrators , who are protesting despite a state of emergency banning them from doing so , received a new warning from police that they are violating the law .
On Saturday , however , few people had been arrested as peaceful rallies were held at several points around Bangkok , the capital , with several thousand taking part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for the prime minister ’ s resignation , a more democratic constitution and a reformed monarchy — began in March at universities around the country .
After a lull due to the coronavirus crisis , it was revived in late July , building up strength , particularly in Bangkok .
On Sunday , rallies were called in at least a dozen provinces , including Chiang Mai , a popular tourist destination in northern Thailand .
Social media spread the word , though the government said it would seek legal action against accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies in Bangkok again drew large crowds , perhaps as many as 10,000 in all , despite the official warnings and intermittent rain .
“ If we are together we have a better chance to win , but if we let people fight alone there will be less chance to win , “ a 24-year-old protester who called herself Pear said at a rally at the busy Asoke intersection , located in the commercial heart of the capital .
“ So we are here to express ourselves , what we are wanting and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well.
” The larger rally in Bangkok was held at Victory Monument , a popular meeting point that anchors a traffic circle on a main thoroughfare .
The atmosphere there was jumpy due to occasional rumours that police had been spotted nearby .
The authorities tried in vain to keep people from gathering by selectively shutting down stations on Bangkok ’ s elevated and underground mass transit lines .
On Saturday , after protest organizers urged followers to meet at the city ’ s Skytrain stations , they had ordered all stations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The current cycle of confrontations began before dawn Thursday , when police broke up an overnight rally outside Government House , which hosts the offices of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha .
It led Prayuth to declare a state of emergency , banning gatherings of more than five people and allowing the government extra powers to keep the peace .
Protesters ignored the emergency decree and gathered Thursday night in large numbers at a major intersection in Bangkok ’ s central shopping district , overcoming half-hearted resistance by thin lines of police .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ intersection was crushed by a large force of riot police backed by truck-mounted water cannons .
The use of force was condemned by rights organizations .
Police made no efforts to break up Saturday ’ s gatherings , which ended peacefully at 8 p.m. , as scheduled by organizers .
A statement issued late Saturday night by Prayuth ’ s office said the government had acted within the law in seeking to stop the rallies and did not intend to deny people their rights .
“ The situation is very dynamic at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phatanacharoen said at a Sunday morning news conference .
“ There is no formula as to what we do or what we don ’ t do.
” He said that if people failed to obey the law , police would be compelled to enforce it .
The protesters charge that Prayuth , who as army commander led a 2014 coup that toppled an elected government , was returned to power unfairly in last year ’ s general election because laws had been changed to favour a pro-military party .
The protesters say a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a referendum in which campaigning against it was illegal is undemocratic .
The protest movement became particularly controversial when it adopted reform of the monarchy as a demand .
The protesters want it to act within the checks and balances of democracy .
The monarchy has long been considered sacrosanct in Thailand , and is protected by a law that makes defaming the royal institution punishable by a prison term of three to 15 years .
The issue has angered Thailand ’ s conservative establishment , especially the army , which considers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its main duties .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--France demonstrations pay tribute to beheaded teacher

PARIS - Demonstrators in France on Sunday took part in gatherings in support of freedom of speech and in tribute to a history teacher who was beheaded near Paris after discussing caricatures of Islam ’ s Prophet Muhammad with his class .
Samuel Paty was beheaded on Friday by a 18-year-old Moscow-born Chechen refugee who was shot dead by police .
Political leaders , associations and unions demonstrated Sunday on the Place de la Republique in Paris holding placards reading “ I am Samuel , ” that echoed the “ I am Charlie ” rallying cry after the 2015 attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad .
Demonstrators also gathered in major cities including Lyon , Toulouse , Strasbourg , Nantes , Marseille , Lille and Bordeaux .
French authorities , meanwhile , say they have detained an 11th person following the killing .
Anti-terrorism prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said an investigation for murder with a suspected terrorist motive was opened .
At least four of those detained are family members of the attacker , who had been granted 10-year residency in France as a refugee in March , was armed with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires plastic pellets .
His half-sister joined the Islamic State group in Syria in 2014 , Ricard said .
He didn ’ t give her name , and it wasn ’ t clear where she is now .
The prosecutor said a text claiming responsibility and a photograph of the victim were found on the suspect ’ s phone .
He also confirmed that a Twitter account under the name Abdoulakh A belonged to the suspect .
It posted a photo of the decapitated head minutes after the attack along with the message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dogs from hell who dared to put Muhammad down.
” The beheading has upset moderate French Muslims .
A group of imams in the Lyon region are holding a special meeting Sunday to discuss together what the group called “ the appalling assassination of our compatriot by a terrorist who in the name of an uncertain faith committed the irreparable.
” The attack has provoked global condemnation .
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the killing Saturday night from a political rally in Janesville , Wisconsin .
“ On behalf of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my really sincere condolences to a friend of mine , President ( Emmanuel ) Macron of France , where they just yesterday had a vicious , vicious Islamic terrorist attack — beheading an innocent teacher near Paris , “ he said .
“ France is having a hard time and Macron ’ s a great guy .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Los Angeles-area community reels as shootings kill three in less than 24 hours

LOS ANGELES—The community of Willowbrook in Los Angeles County on Saturday was grappling with the aftermath of back-to-back deadly shootings : one involving the deputy shooting of a Black man on Friday afternoon , and the other involving two teenage boys found shot to death after a car crash the night before .
As Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s detectives investigated the shootings , tensions ran high among many area residents who struggled to cope with the anxiety over the burst of violent crime in their neighbourhood southeast of downtown .
Throughout the day Saturday , dozens of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rap music across the street from usually placid Mona Park and a neighbourhood fence where Fred Williams III , 25 , was shot and killed by a sheriff ’ s deputy after a brief chase .
Among them was Sandy Hendrix , 57 , a neighbour who had known Williams since he was a young boy .
Nodding toward the park playground and trying not to cry , she recalled , “ I used to push him on the swing right over there .
He loved that , and so did I.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day be fatally shot by police less than a block away from that swing set.
” Another was Lisa Smith , 52 , a witness who referred to Williams as “ my baby.
” “ A lot of us were just chilling in the park parking lot when deputies rolled up in a squad car , ” she said .
Assuming their arrival spelled trouble for the group , she said , “ we started running.
” “ A policeman started running on foot after Fred and , seconds later , Fred disappeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Then I heard four shots .
Pop , pop , pop , pop.
” Sheriff ’ s officials say deputies were conducting a routine patrol check of Mona Park when they noticed a group of 10 to 15 people , one of whom “ was holding a firearm in his hand.
” “ When the suspect saw the deputies , ” a spokesperson for the department said , “ he immediately ran out of the parking lot headed south.
” “ One of the deputies chased the suspect down a driveway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residence , ” he said .
“ The suspect then engaged the deputy by pointing his firearm at him at which point the deputy-involved shooting occurred.
” Williams died at the scene , authorities said .
A semi-automatic handgun was later recovered at the scene by homicide investigators .
At a nearby house where Williams had been living , his father , Fred Williams Jr. , 44 , anguished over an unanswered question : Why wouldn ’ t detectives explain to him the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting of his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that my son was shot once in the shoulder , ” he said , his eyes filled with tears .
“ Was he shot in the front or the back ?
I do not know .
They won ’ t tell me.
” His son had been released from prison a month ago after serving time for a robbery conviction , relatives said .
He was looking forward to starting a new job as a security guard on Tuesday .
Williams ’ father is not satisfied with the sheriff ’ s explanation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and out of the back seat of police vehicles since I was 12 years old , ” he said .
“ What else do you need to know ?
” “ We ’ re getting killed by police , ” he added .
“ The big question is this : When will it stop ?
” The trouble in Willowbrook started at about 11 p.m. Thursday in the 12200 block of Maple Avenue , when the two male teens were shot and killed while driving down a street in search of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s department .
The victims were among five teens in the car when an assailant approached them and opened fire , authorities said .
The car slammed into a vehicle parked at the intersection of Maple Avenue and East 124th Street .
Deputies who responded found two teens in the front seats dead at the scene .
Three teens in the back were unharmed , authorities said .
“ The car appears to have been shot several times , ” said Sheriff ’ s Lt. Brandon Dean , and “ both decedents appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upper torso.
” The victims were identified by family members as Millyon Colquitt , 16 , and Jamele Hill , 17 .
Colquitt was an 11th-grader at Centennial High School , and Hill was a senior at Gardena High School .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Despite past Democratic wins, Trump making a play for Nevada

LAS VEGAS - Democrats have kept Nevada in their column in every presidential election since 2004 .
In the 2018 midterm election , Democrats delivered a “ blue wave , ” flipping a U.S. Senate seat and bolstering their dominance of the congressional delegation and Legislature .
But this year , political strategists and organizers warn Nevada is still a swing state .
And it could swing .
“ I don ’ t know where this state goes , ” said Annette Magnus-Marquart , executive director of the Nevada progressive group Battle Born Progress .
“ Nevada is still a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battleground .
No matter what your party is , you have to fight when you ’ re running in this state.
” President Donald Trump , who narrowly lost here in 2016 , scheduled a campaign rally Sunday night in Carson City , his second in the state in as many months as the first big wave of voting kicks off .
Nevada ’ s Democrat-controlled state government is automatically mailing ballots to all active registered voters because of the coronavirus pandemic , but in-person voting that started Saturday is typically when most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remain a popular choice this year , with long lines forming at several sites Saturday .
Democrat Leigh Natale , a 65-year-old retired paralegal , waited outside a polling place tent set up in a parking lot south of the Las Vegas Strip , She called Trump “ a crazy man ” and said his handling of the pandemic “ just exacerbated what was already a really horrible administration.
” A Joe Biden supporter , Natale said , ” It ’ s time we had some forward-looking policies and got back on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back of the line , 55-year-old Tom Johnson , a corporate trainer who says he is an unaffiliated voter , was going to vote for the president .
“ He ’ s doing better than anybody else could ” in fighting the virus , Johnson said .
The pandemic has pummeled the tourism-dependent economy .
The unemployment rate is the highest in the nation .
For the vaunted Democratic political machine , it ’ s shifted in-person campaigning and knocking of voters ’ doors to a virtual effort for much of this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ format for a few months and have been working hard , with a staff twice as big as their 2016 effort .
They ’ re making inroads with a diverse electorate and trying to redirect economic frustrations away from the president and onto the state ’ s Democratic governor , Steve Sisolak .
Though Trump lost Nevada in 2016 , he performed better than Mitt Romney in 2012 or John McCain in 2008 .
The state also has has a higher percentage of noncollege educated whites , who have made up the base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other pivotal states , including Florida , Arizona , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
Recent polls suggest that Biden is ahead in Nevada , though some show narrower margins than others .
But the state has a strong independent streak and is notoriously difficult to poll .
The hospitality industry , including the gambling-resort hub of Las Vegas , has a significant slice of night and shift workers and a highly transient population moving in , out and around the state .
Those same factors can make door-knocking particularly important for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spring , Republicans have consistently added more voters to their rolls than Democrats each month , narrowing their voter registration deficit in September to 5 percentage points — 1 point narrower than in 2016 .
Biden ’ s campaign has maintained that it can effectively organize digitally , but earlier this month it resumed door-to-door canvassing .
The former vice-president and his running mate , California Sen. Kamala Harris , made their own visits to Las Vegas this month .
Rory McShane , a Nevada-based Republican political strategist , said the state has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit from voters who may be frustrated with Sisolak ’ s virus-related restrictions and a hobbled state unemployment system that still has tens of thousands of residents who ’ ve been waiting for assistance since spring .
Democrats aren ’ t buying that theory .
They say the Trump administration ’ s handling of the pandemic , the economic fallout and the president ’ s disregard of his own government ’ s health and safety guidelines will all hurt him .
William Jordan , 57 , said as he waited to vote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has handled the crisis “ very horribly , ” which added to Jordan ’ s decision to vote for Biden .
Jordan , a Democrat who says he aligns with Republicans on economic issues , said he had recovered from COVID-19 .
His 82-year-old mother survived the virus but he has had two friends who have died from it .
Jordan also cited the president ’ s rhetoric on race as one of the big reason ’ s he ’ s voting Democratic .
“ The country has been pulled apart so drastically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a Black man and for my kids , growing up and just people in general , “ he said .
” It ’ s depressing , to be honest with you.
” Trump ’ s campaign has been courting the state ’ s diverse demographic groups , including Black voters , a fast-growing population of Asian American and Pacific Islanders and Latinos , who make up 29 % of the population .
In Nevada , Latinos in particular have been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 and make up almost half of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group is more motivated than the 60,000-strong casino worker ’ s Culinary Union .
About half of the heavily Latino , heavily female union is currently out of work and 50 of its members or family members have died from COVID-19 .
The union has endorsed Biden and says it has turned its political organizing and canvassing program on earlier than ever and bigger than ever , with 350 people currently in the field .
Geoconda Argüello-Kline , the union ’ s secretary-treasurer , said her members will work “ until the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last person to go vote , ” and feel “ the only way we ’ re going to get out from this mess is to remove President Trump .
”

Michelle L. Price - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Black officers break from unions over Trump endorsements

PHILADELPHIA - Police unions nationwide have largely supported President Donald Trump ’ s reelection , amid mass demonstrations over police brutality and accusations of systemic racism — but a number of Black law enforcement officers are speaking out against these endorsements , saying their concerns over entering the 2020 political fray were ignored .
Trump has touted his support from the law enforcement community , which includes endorsements from national , city and state officers ’ unions — some of which publicly endorsed a political candidate for the first time .
He ’ s running on what he calls a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tapping into a strain of anger and frustration felt by law enforcement who believe they are being unfairly accused of racial discrimination .
There are more than 8,000 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. , with large departments holding sway nationally .
The number of minority officers in policing has more than doubled in the last three decades , but many departments still have a smaller percentage of Black and Hispanic officers compared to the percentage of the general population those communities make up .
Many fraternal Black police organizations were formed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also to focus on how law enforcement affects the wider Black community .
There have often been tensions between minority organizations and larger unions , like in August , when the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers issued a letter condemning use of deadly force , police misconduct and abuse in communities of colour .
While support for the Republican incumbent does not strictly fall along racial lines , many Black officers say the endorsements for Trump don ’ t fairly represent all dues-paying members .
“ We are members of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take into consideration our feelings about Donald J. Trump , then they don ’ t care about us and ... they don ’ t care about our dues , ” said Rochelle Bilal , the recent past president of the Guardian Civic League of Philadelphia , calling the National Fraternal Order of Police ’ s Trump endorsement an “ outrage.
” Bilal , who was elected as Philadelphia ’ s first Black female sheriff last year , spoke at at an early October news conference with other Black law enforcement groups in Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they say ignored their concerns over what they perceived to be racist remarks , support for white supremacist groups and a lack of respect for women from Trump .
But national union leaders say the process is designed to give everyone a voice and the endorsement represents the majority of officers .
The Fraternal Order of Police represents close to 350,000 officers nationally , but does not track racial demographics .
“ I am a Black American and a Black law enforcement officer , “ said Rob Pride , the National Fraternal Order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s been emotionally a rollercoaster ride for me since the George Floyd incident .
It was horrific.
” Pride , who oversees the vote that leads to the organization ’ s presidential endorsement , says the May 25 police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis and the political climate “ is tearing America apart ” and having a similar effect on the FOP .
National FOP leaders said they have heard from members who don ’ t agree with the Trump endorsement — and they ’ re open to talking over concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orders of Police chapters that cast a ballot voted for Trump .
Pride said the whole process starts locally , with lodges passing out candidate survey answers and ballots and then voting at a statewide meeting .
State delegates then voted at the national meeting .
“ We could probably have an hourlong conversation about why some folks feel President Trump is racist and why others disagree , ” he said .
“ But there are a lot of officers of all races of all backgrounds who feel he best represents and supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local level , police reform bills driven by protests against police brutality in the wake of Floyd ’ s killing have also stoked local unions ’ endorsements of candidates for state offices at higher rates this year — some issuing endorsement for the first time in decades .
While many union leaders say the endorsements aren ’ t based on political parties , they have largely been for Republicans challenging candidates who have voted for what unions call “ anti-police ” reform bills .
Philadelphia ’ s FOP Lodge 5 President John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group , which represents 6,500 members , did not make an endorsement in the presidential race , and deferred to its parent union ’ s endorsement .
But members said that despite being the largest lodge in the state , they weren ’ t given a chance to vote or be counted by the state or national delegates .
Denouncing the endorsement processes , The Guardian Civic League has asked its about 1,200 members to be prepared to withdraw their dues from the national FOP , as has the Club Valiants of Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minority firefighters — from the Local 22 of the International Fire Fighters and Paramedics Union .
In endorsing Trump , Local 22 broke from its parent organization , which endorsed Democrat Joe Biden .
Valiants leaders said the Local 22 ’ s endorsement was based on survey responses from about 500 of the union ’ s nearly 5,000 members .
Local union leaders said a redo survey is being sent to members in response to the backlash and its endorsement will be revised if necessary by the end of the month .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are out there voting now .
What is it going to do to rescind the endorsement days before the election ?
” said John Elam , a Philadelphia firefighter and Valiants member .
“ We want a fair process .
We wanted a fair process from the beginning.
” In New York City , Patrick Lynch — the head of the Police Benevolent Association that represents about 24,000 officers — announced the union ’ s endorsement of Trump at August ’ s Republican National Convention , something members said they had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Guardians Association said the Black and minority officers the group represents felt blindsided by Lynch ’ s endorsement and wished the union had stayed neutral .
Lynch said it was the union ’ s first presidential endorsement in at least 36 years .
“ That ’ s how important this is , ” Lynch said to the crowd during an event at Trump ’ s golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey , telling the president : “ You ’ ve earned this.
” During September ’ s presidential debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt he had support from law enforcement .
“ I have Florida , I have Texas , I have Ohio , ” he said .
“ Excuse me , Portland , the sheriff there just came out today and said , ‘ I support President Trump.
’ ” That sheriff — Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese — quickly took to Twitter to deny any support .
Terrance Hopkins , president of the Black Police Association of Dallas , said a handful of officers left the Dallas Police Department ’ s largest union , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and had joined his organization .
“ A lot of these officers feel like they aren ’ t being considered .
A lot of the issues that push them to that point border along racial lines , “ Hopkins , a 30-year veteran officer , said .
“ And it ’ s not just here .
I got a call from some Black officers in Kansas City , Missouri , who wanted to join my organization because they don ’ t have any other outlet and they don ’ t feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writers Susan Haigh in Hartford , Connecticut , and Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Hard hit by virus, airlines push for tests over quarantines

FRANKFURT - What will it take to get people flying again ?
International air traffic is down 92 % this year as travellers worry about catching COVID-19 and government travel bans and quarantine rules make planning difficult .
One thing airlines believe could help is to have rapid virus tests of all passengers before departure .
Scattered experiments on improving safety are under way around the world , and a UN organization is leading talks to set guidelines .
There is a lot at stake .
With no end in sight to the pandemic , the near total halt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to bounce back from recession and return to normal levels of business activity .
Millions of jobs - at airlines , airports and travel related businesses such as hotels and restaurants - are affected .
Here ’ s a look at some of the key issues .
WHY IS THE FOCUS ON TESTING ?
One major factor keeping people from taking long-haul flights is the fear they will be seated next to someone with COVID-19 , according to a survey by the International Air Transport Association .
While flying helped carry the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves have so far not been proven to be super-spreader locations the way business conferences and meat-packing plants have been .
Most people are also reluctant to fly into a quarantine that restricts their activities for up to two weeks after arrival .
Quarantines themselves aren ’ t perfect in terms of stopping the virus from spreading , as in some cases they ’ re not strictly enforced .
“ Testing all passengers will give people back their freedom to travel with confidence .
And that will put millions of people back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , IATA ’ s director general and CEO .
Initial trials focus on testing passengers before departure , either at the airport or remotely .
Information about the test result could be documented through a smartphone app .
Newer tests can give results in less than an hour .
WHAT DO HEALTH AUTHORITIES SAY ?
They are open to the idea but are still assessing how effective it would be .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control noted that testing technology , capacity and access to testing is improving .
It added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assess the risk reduction , determine what a feasible testing regime for air travel may look like , and gain some level of agreement on standards for a harmonized approach to testing globally in air transportation.
” WHO ’ S GOING TO DECIDE THIS ?
The IATA is calling for rapid , accurate and scalable testing for all passengers .
After airline executives appealed for help on this from the European Union and the White House ’ s COVID-19 task force , the issue appears to have moved to a United Nations forum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Montreal .
The ICAO is working on guidelines based on scientific advice that countries could use in establishing testing regimes .
The issue is on the agenda for an Oct. 29 meeting , but that ’ s not a guarantee that guidelines will be approved .
WHAT TRIALS ARE UNDER WAY ?
Various forms of testing have been tried for weeks in different places .
What airlines want is a larger-scale international approach .
For instance , China requires a time-consuming negative polymerase chain reaction test before departure .
At Frankfurt ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been offering tests to non-symptomatic people for 59 euros ( $ 69 ) for a result within 12 hours and 139 euros for six hours .
A doctor ’ s certificate - for another 25 euros - can help avoid quarantine restrictions .
The Switzerland-based Commons Project Foundation and the World Economic Forum are holding trials this month for CommonPass , a digital health pass that lets travellers securely document compliance with COVID-19 test requirements through a QR code on their smartphones or on paper .
The idea is to get around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which may be from unfamiliar labs or in a language that those inspecting them don ’ t know .
Cathay Pacific has trialled CommonPass with volunteers on a Hong Kong-Singapore flight and United Airlines will test it between London Heathrow and Newark Liberty International .
The CDC ’ s Martin S. Cetron , head of the global migration and quarantine division , says it is “ eager to learn ” from the trials and that CommonPass “ could be one of the many potential tools.
” CommonPass could be adopted by individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are a lot of moving parts to any testing regime .
First off , the test must be accurate , fast and cheap enough to deploy on a large scale .
Governments must agree to accept the results ; while governments are represented in the ICAO , the organization ’ s guidelines will not be mandatory .
There has to be a way of certifying the result , while at the same time protecting privacy of passenger medical information , and a procedure for handling people who test positive .
Scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of some rapid tests .
People can test negative for a couple of days after being infected .
People can be infectious before they show symptoms , and these people may also test negative .
IS TESTING THE ONLY SOLUTION ?
The International Air Transport Association advocates a layered approach .
In addition to testing , that means : social distancing at the airport , touchless check-in , wearing masks in flight , and limiting passenger movement in the cabin .
In a survey published in May , consulting firm McKinsey asked 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the confidence to book travel .
Seventy-five per cent said they would want a vaccine , while 39 % said testing .
McKinsey said business travel spending exceeded $ 1.4 trillion in 2018 , or 21 % of the global travel and hospitality sector .
Business travellers drive 55 % to 75 % of the profit at top airlines - even though they make up less than 10 % of passengers .
David Koenig in Dallas , Texas , and Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Bolivia’s vote a high-stakes presidential redo amid pandemic

LA PAZ , Bolivia—Bolivians vote Sunday in a high-stakes presidential election redo that could determine the country ’ s democratic future and bring a return of socialism at a time when it is struggling with a raging pandemic and protests over last year ’ s annulled ballot .
Bolivia , once one of the most politically volatile countries in Latin America , experienced a rare period of stability under former president Evo Morales , the country ’ s first Indigenous president who resigned and fled the country late last year after his claimed election win was annulled amid allegations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later his ouster set off a period of unrest that caused at least 36 deaths .
Morales called his ouster a coup .
Sunday ’ s vote is an attempt to reset Bolivia ’ s democracy .
“ Bolivia ’ s new executive and legislative leaders will face daunting challenges in a polarized country , ravaged by COVID-19 , and hampered by endemically weak institutions , ” said the Washington Office on Latin America , a Washington-based human rights advocacy organization .
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged Bolivians to respect the electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result .
Ballots and other materials were delivered to polling stations Saturday by police and military units without incident , officials said .
Police and soldiers took to the streets hours later seeking to ensure calm .
The country ’ s Supreme Electoral Court announced late Saturday that it had decided unanimously against reporting running preliminary vote totals as ballots are counted .
It said it wanted to avoid the uncertainty that fed unrest when there was a long halt in reporting preliminary results during last year ’ s election .
Council President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official count , which could take five days .
To win in the first round , a candidate needs more than 50 per cent of the vote , or 40 per cent with a lead of at least 10 percentage points over the second-place candidate .
A runoff vote , if necessary , would be held Nov. 28 .
Bolivia ’ s entire 136-member Legislative Assembly also will be voted in .
The election was postponed twice because of the coronavirus pandemic .
On a per capita basis , few countries have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Nearly 8,400 of its 11.6 million people have died of COVID-19 .
The election will occur with physical distancing required between masked voters — at least officially , if not in practice .
The leading contenders are former economy minister Luis Arce , who led an extended boom under Morales , and former president Carlos Mesa .
a centrist historian and journalist who was second to Morales in the disputed returns released after last year ’ s vote .
Trailing in all the polls has been Luis Fernando Camacho , a conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s uprising , as well as a Korean-born evangelist .
Overshadowing the vote is the absence of Morales , who led Bolivia from 2006 until 2019 and was a key figure in the bloc of leftist leaders who held power across much of South America .
Morales , now exiled in Argentina , was barred from running for the presidency or even the Senate by electoral authorities following his ouster .
He chose Arce as his stand-in for the Movement Toward Socialism party , and a win by the party would be seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s left .
A boyhood llama herder who became prominent leading a coca grower ’ s union , Morales had been immensely popular while overseeing an export-led economic surge that reduced poverty during most of his term .
But support was eroding due to his reluctance to leave power , increasing authoritarian impulses and a series of corruption scandals .
He shrugged aside a public vote that had set term limits , and competed in the October 2019 presidential vote , which he claimed to have narrowly won outright .
But a lengthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud and nationwide protests broke out .
When police and military leaders suggested he leave , Morales resigned and fled the country .
Conservative Sen. Jeanne Áñez proclaimed herself president and was accepted by the courts .
Her administration , despite lacking a majority in congress , set about trying to prosecute Morales and key aides while undoing his policies , helping prompt more unrest and polarization .
She dropped out at as a candidate for Sunday ’ s presidential election while trailing badly in polls .
Most polls have shown Arce with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid a runoff .
There is a strong chance the next president will struggle with a divided congress — and perhaps worse , an opposition that refuses to recognize defeat .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Egypt releases comedian after more than 2 years in prison

CAIRO - Egyptian authorities released a comedian , who was working for a popular satirical television program , after more than two years in prison without trial , a rights lawyer said Sunday .
Attorney Mokhtar Mounir said Shady Abu Zaid was released from a Cairo police station late Saturday , but as part of his terms of release must report to a police station twice a week .
His sister , Roula Abu Zaid , confirmed the news in a Facebook post and shared a photo of the siblings and their friends at home after his release .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plain-clothed security officers raided his house in Cairo .
He was charged with joining an outlawed group , a reference to the banned Muslim Brotherhood , and disseminating false news .
Earlier this month , a court ordered his conditional release after he exceeded the allowed two-year period for pretrial detention .
Abu Zaid was working on camera for a satirical program whose host was a puppet named Abla Fahita .
The show has since been cancelled .
Before his arrest , he also produced a show called “ The Rich Content ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2016 , he attracted controversy for handing out balloons made of inflated condoms to police officers on the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak and had been aimed at reforming the state ’ s heavy-handed security apparatus .
Abu Zaid was one of many government critics behind bars in Egypt amid a years-long crackdown by the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on the media .
More than 60 journalists are in jail in Egypt , according to the International Press Institute , with the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jailers of journalists .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Melbourne eases lockdown as COVID-19 cases decline; India reports 1,033 new deaths

MELBOURNE , Australia—Australia ’ s second-largest city , Melbourne , has loosened lockdown restrictions as new and active COVID-19 continue to decline .
From midnight Sunday , Melbourne residents will no longer face limits on the time they can spend away from their homes for education or recreation .
Previous restrictions allowing Melburnians to travel only five kilometres from home will increase at midnight to 25 kilometres .
Outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people from two households will be allowed and golf and tennis can resume .
Victoria state reported only two new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases dropped to eight , the lowest in four months .
There were only 137 active cases across Victoria state on Sunday with 12 people receiving hospital treatment , none in intensive care .
Regulations will be further loosened on Nov. 2 with the partial reopening of shops , bars and restaurants .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : —Thailand has closed all border crossings between its northern province of Tak and Myanmar after five people in the Thai border town of Mae Sot tested positive for the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms , are the first locally transmitted cases confirmed in Thailand since early September , when a prison inmate tested positive .
All five are members of a family of Myanmar nationals residing in Thailand .
Two were initially confirmed to be affected and added to Saturday ’ s total of Thai cases , while three were officially added Sunday .
Along with cases found among people quarantined after arriving from abroad , seven additions on Sunday brought Thailand ’ s total number of cases to 3,686 , including 59 deaths .
—India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past 24 hours , raising its total to about 7.5 million .
The Health Ministry on Sunday also registered 1,033 new fatalities , taking the death toll to 114,031 .
The country is continuing a downward trend in new cases , but virus-related fatalities jumped after recording the lowest daily figure of 680 in nearly three months on Friday .
Some experts say India ’ s numbers may not be reliable because of poor reporting and inadequate health infrastructure .
India is also relying heavily on antigen tests , which are faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Health officials have warned about the potential for the virus to spread during the religious festival season beginning later this month .
New Delhi is also bracing for high air pollution levels , making the coronavirus fight more complicated in upcoming months .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked officials to prepare cold storage chains and distribution network for vaccine delivery along the lines of conducting elections , involving all levels of government and citizen groups .
According to Indian officials , three vaccines are in advanced stages of development .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--China passes new law restricting sensitive exports

BEIJING - China has passed a new law restricting sensitive exports to protect national security , allowing Beijing to reciprocate against the U.S. as tensions mount between the sides over trade and technology .
The law , which will apply to all companies in China , was passed Saturday by the National People ’ s Congress Standing Committee and will take effect on Dec. 1 .
Under the law , China can take “ reciprocal measures ” toward countries or regions that abuse export controls and threaten its national security and interests .
Export controls under the law will apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as goods , technologies and services related to national security .
A list of controlled items will be published “ in a timely manner ” in conjunction with relevant departments , according to the law .
The new law allows Beijing to retaliate against the U.S. , which in recent months has attempted to block Chinese technology firms such as telecommunications gear supplier Huawei , Bytedance ’ s TikTok app and Tencent ’ s messaging app WeChat on grounds of posing a national security threat , including the data they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Companies and individuals who endanger national security by breaching the new export control law , including those outside of China , could face criminal charges .
Violations of the law , such as exporting items without a permit , could result in fines of 5 million yuan ( $ 746,500 ) , or up to 20 times the business value of the illegal transaction .
The new law adds to the growing uncertainty of Bytedance ’ s deal to sell its video app TikTok to U.S. firm Oracle Corp .
In August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , text analysis and content recommendation to its list of regulated exports .
President Donald Trump had earlier ordered Bytedance to sell its U.S. operations of TikTok to an American firm or face a block in the country .
The new export control laws adds to China ’ s growing regulatory toolkit that allows it to take action against countries such as the U.S .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--China threatens to detain Americans if U.S. prosecutes Chinese scholars

WASHINGTON—Chinese officials have told the Trump administration that security officers in China might detain U.S. citizens if the Justice Department proceeds with prosecutions of arrested scholars who are members of the Chinese military , U.S. officials said .
The Chinese officials conveyed the messages starting this summer , when the Justice Department intensified efforts to arrest and charge the scholars , mainly with providing false information on their visa applications , the U.S. officials said .
U.S. law enforcement officials say at least five Chinese scholars who have been arrested in recent months did not disclose their military affiliations on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to conduct industrial espionage in research centres .
U.S. officials said they thought the Chinese officials were serious about the threats .
The State Department has reiterated travel warnings as a result , they said .
Western officials and human rights advocates have said for years that the Chinese police and other security agencies engage in arbitrary detentions .
The threats are another striking escalation in tensions between the United States and China , which have been rising for years and have surged sharply since the coronavirus pandemic began in central China last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Beijing say the Chinese government is trying to avoid any serious provocations against the United States before the elections in November .
And some Chinese officials are aiming to cool the temperature of U.S.-China relations , whether President Donald Trump wins another term or Joe Biden , the Democratic challenger and former vice-president , takes over in the White House .
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on whether Chinese officials had delivered warnings about plans to detain U.S. citizens to retaliate for prosecutions of Chinese scholars .
The threats were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are aware that the Chinese government has , in other instances , detained American , Canadian and other individuals without legal basis to retaliate against lawful prosecutions and to exert pressure on their governments , with a callous disregard of the individuals involved , ” John Demers , head of the Justice Department ’ s national security division , said in a statement .
“ If China wants to be seen as one of the world ’ s leading nations , it should respect the rule of law and stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xijin , chief editor of Global Times , a nationalistic newspaper linked to the Chinese Communist Party , wrote on Twitter that the detentions in the United States of Chinese scholars on spying charges were “ not good ” for the “ safety of some US nationals in China.
” “ Does Washington need to be warned ?
” he wrote .
“ It ’ s common sense .
In my view , hegemony has turned some US elites stupid , or they ’ re pretending to be stupid.
” In recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work of Chinese researchers at U.S. universities and other scientific institutions .
U.S. officials have also criticized programs run by the Chinese government to recruit scientific and technical experts .
Demers and other U.S. officials have long said that Beijing uses a wide range of tools to gather intelligence at U.S. research centres .
The Trump administration announced in late May that it was barring Chinese students at the graduate level or higher who had ties to some military institutions from entering the United States .
In late July , the State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houston , saying it was a centre of research theft in the United States .
Justice Department officials said that Chinese officials in other missions also took part in industrial and scientific espionage and that the closure was meant to deter Beijing from continuing the actions .
At that time , U.S. authorities were also seeking to arrest a Chinese student or researcher , Tang Juan , who had gone into hiding in the San Francisco consulate after being questioned by the FBI .
The FBI arrested Tang on July 23 and accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She has pleaded not guilty to charges of visa fraud and making false statements .
The Chinese government has denied accusations that members of its military are in the United States for scientific and industrial espionage .
State Department representatives declined to discuss any recent threats of detentions of Americans made by Chinese officials .
But for months , department officials have been stressing harsh actions taken by Chinese security agencies against Americans .
On Sept. 14 , the department updated travel advisories for mainland China and Hong Kong , saying that Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 and risk arising from “ arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
” In June , Chinese officials charged two Canadians — Michael Kovrig , a former diplomat , and Michael Spavor , a businessman — with espionage .
Security officers had detained the two men 18 months earlier .
Canadian and U.S. officials widely believe the men are being held because of a Justice Department case against Meng Wanzhou , a top executive of Chinese technology company Huawei , who was arrested in Canada in December 2018 and might be extradited to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security officers prevented a Koch Industries executive from leaving China for some days .
And in a hotel lobby in Beijing , officers tried to take a former U.S. diplomat away for questioning .
He was in China to attend a forum on artificial intelligence that he had helped organize .
The U.S. Embassy in Beijing intervened , and the Chinese officers backed off .
The State Department has also denounced the practice by Chinese officials of “ exit bans , ” or refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal or business disputes .


thetorontostar--2020-10-18--Millions more virus rapid tests, but are results reported?

WASHINGTON - After struggling to ramp up coronavirus testing , the U.S. can now screen several million people daily , thanks to a growing supply of rapid tests .
But the boom comes with a new challenge : keeping track of the results .
All U.S. testing sites are legally required to report their results , positive and negative , to public health agencies .
But state health officials say many rapid tests are going unreported , which means some new COVID-19 infections may not be counted .
And the situation could get worse , experts say .
The federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the newest rapid tests to states for use in public schools , assisted living centres and other new testing sites .
“ Schools certainly don ’ t have the capacity to report these tests , ” said Dr. Jeffrey Engel of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists .
“ If it ’ s done at all it ’ s likely going to be paper-based , very slow and incomplete.
” Early in the outbreak , nearly all U.S. testing relied on genetic tests that could only be developed at high-tech laboratories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people had to wait about two to three days to get results .
Experts pushed for more “ point-of-care ” rapid testing that could be done in doctors offices , clinics and other sites to quickly find people who are infected , get them into quarantine and stop the spread .
Beginning in the summer , cheaper , 15-minute tests — which detect viral proteins called antigens on a nasal swab — became available .
The first versions still needed to be processed using portable readers .
The millions of new tests from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are even easier to use : they ’ re about the size of a credit card and can be developed with a few drops of chemical solution .
Federal health officials say about half of the nation ’ s daily testing capacity now consists of rapid tests .
Large hospitals and laboratories electronically feed their results to state health departments , but there is no standardized way to report the rapid tests that are often done elsewhere .
And state officials have often been unable to track where these tests are being shipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Minnesota , officials created a special team to try and get more testing data from nursing homes , schools and other newer testing sites , only to be deluged by faxes and paper files .
“ It ’ s definitely a challenge because now we have to do many more things manually than we were with electronic reporting , ” said Kristen Ehresmann , of the Minnesota Department of Health .
Even before Abbott ’ s newest BinaxNOW rapid tests hit the market last month , undercounting was a concern .
Competitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well over 35 million of their own quick tests since June .
But that massive influx of tests hasn ’ t showed up in national testing numbers , which have mostly ranged between 750,000 and 950,000 daily tests for months .
Besides tallying new cases , COVID-19 testing numbers are used to calculate a key metric on the outbreak : the percentage of tests positive for COVID-19 .
The World Health Organization recommends countries test enough people to drive their per cent of positives below 5 % .
And the U.S. has mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since mid-September , a point that President Donald Trump and his top aides have touted to argue that the nation has turned the corner on the outbreak .
The figure is down from a peak of 22 % in April .
But some disease-tracking specialists are skeptical .
Engel said his group ’ s members think they aren ’ t getting all the results .
“ So it may be a false conclusion , ” he said .
One of the challenges to an accurate count : States have wildly different approaches .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ together in one report , some don ’ t tabulate the quick antigen tests at all and others don ’ t publicize their system .
Because antigen tests are more prone to false negatives and sometimes require retesting , most health experts say they should be recorded and analyzed separately .
But currently the vast majority of states do not do that and post the results online .
The federal government is allocating the tests to states based on their population , rather than helping them develop a strategy based on the size @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s just lazy ” said Dr. Michael Mina of Harvard University .
“ Most states won ’ t have the expertise to figure out how to use these most appropriately.
” Instead , Mina said the federal government should direct the limited test supplies to key hot spots around the country , driving down infections in the hardest-hit communities .
Keeping tighter control would also ensure test results are quickly reported .
Johns Hopkins University researcher Gigi Gronvall agrees health officials need to carefully consider where and when to deploy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tests will catch up , she said .
“ I think having the tools to determine if someone is infectious is a higher priority , “ she said .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .