thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Australians leave homes as heat, winds escalate fire danger

EDEN , Australia - Thousands of people fled their homes and helicopters dropped supplies to towns at risk of nearby wildfires as hot , windy conditions Friday threatened already fire-ravaged southeastern Australian communities .
The danger is centred on New South Wales and Victoria , Australia ’ s most populous states , where temperatures and wind speeds are escalating after a few days of relatively benign conditions .
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service had warned that coastal towns south of Sydney including Eden , Batemans Bay and Nowra could again be under threat weeks after losing homes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the wildfires burning in that region were holding within containment lines , but a strong shift in winds predicted for later Friday could cause them to flare anew , Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters .
“ A long afternoon to go , a long night still to go , for all our firefighters and those affected by the fires , ” Fitzimmons said .
In neighbouring Victoria , evacuation orders were issued in alpine areas , and Premier Daniel Andrews pleaded with residents to heed alerts and avoid complacency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
“ Despite this unprecedented fire activity , we have nobody who is unaccounted for , we have no further people who have died , and we have no further communities who have been cut off , “ Andrews told reporters .
” Now , all of those things can change and that is perhaps the most powerful reminder that we have to remain vigilant .
Please , listen to the warnings and do as you are asked .
If you are told to leave a community , and you can leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented fire crisis in southeast Australia has claimed at least 26 lives , destroyed more than 2,000 homes and scorched an area twice the size of the U.S. state of Maryland since September .
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Australian military was on standby to help firefighters and emergency agencies .
“ I ’ ve given them very clear instructions that they are to stand ready to move and support immediately , ” Morrison said on Friday .
“ In the event that they are needed in the wake of what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we must prepare for today.
” The military has already been involved in the unfolding crisis by clearing roads closed by fallen trees , burying dead cattle and sheep and providing fodder to surviving livestock .
Fire crews throughout the region were bracing for a long , rocky night .
In the southeastern New South Wales town of Candelo , Nathan Barnden , a divisional commander with the Rural Fire Service , was preparing to head to the nearby township of Burragate with his team to protect the community from a fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border .
The fire had breached containment lines in one area , and officials were worried that predicted winds of 60 to 100 kilometres per hour ( 40 to 60 miles per hour ) could push it into populated areas .
“ We ’ re preparing for the inevitable risk that those towns may come under threat and if they do , we ’ ll be there to help defend them through the night , ” Barnden said .
“ We ’ ve been warned that we could be up there ‘ til @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk that we ’ ll be cut off and we ’ ll have to stay there throughout the time.
” In the small village of Towamba in southern New South Wales , most residents had evacuated by Friday , after firefighters warned them that without a solid defence against the blazes , they should get out , said John Nightingale , a volunteer firefighter with the Rural Fire Service .
Last week , some houses in the village were destroyed by a fire that turned the afternoon sky first a deep magenta and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Late at night , you could hear the rumbling of the fire , ” he said .
“ It was very terrifying.
” A wind change from the south was predicted to hit the village on Friday evening , which officials fear could blow the flames in a new direction .
Nightingale said he and the other firefighters would work to snuff out any spot fires that flare up to try and keep them from spreading .
But if conditions became too dangerous , they would need to take shelter at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 25,000 litres ( 6,600 gallons ) of water attached to it .
Alongside the hall is a cleared , grassy area away from trees and shrubs where people can retreat as a last resort .
“ The grass on the oval is very short so there ’ s nothing to carry a strong fire , ” he said .
“ So that ’ s a survival option , basically .
A patch of grass .
And if that happened , we ’ d have trucks and sprinklers going and hoses going , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate it to come to that .
Anything but that.
” Temperatures in parts of the fire-threatened area reached around 40 degrees Celsius ( 104 degrees Fahrenheit ) on Friday , and conditions remained tinder dry .
The wildfire disaster has focused many Australians on how the nation adapts to climate change .
Morrison has come under blistering criticism for downplaying the need for his government to address climate change , which experts say helps supercharge the blazes .
Morrison said on Thursday that a government inquiry into the fires would examine the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday whether he expected fire emergencies of the same magnitude to become more common in the future with climate change , Morrison did not give a direct answer .
“ There ’ ll be the reviews that take place as you ’ d expect and I ’ ve indicated in response to questions that we ’ ll be working closely with state and territory authorities on how they ’ re undertaken , ” Morrison told reporters .
“ The links and implications here have been acknowledged.
” Morrison brushed off criticism over what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detached response to the wildfire crisis .
“ What we ’ ve got here is the single largest federal response to a bushfire disaster nationally that the country has ever seen , ” Morrison said .
“ The government ’ s responding to an unprecedented crisis with an unprecedented level of support.
” The conservation group WWF-Australia estimates that 1.25 billion wild animals had died during the current fire crisis in addition to livestock losses , which the government expects will exceed 100,000 animals .
WWF fears the disasters could lead to local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ species , such as the glossy black-cockatoo and a knee-high kangaroo known as the long-footed potoroo .
WWF conservation scientist Stuart Blanch described the estimate as conservative , and it did not include bats , frogs and insects .
The majority of estimated losses were reptiles , followed by birds , then mammals such as koalas , kangaroos , wallabies , echidnas and wombats .
“ Kangaroos can get away from fires .
But a lot get burnt to a crisp stuck in a fence , ” Blanch said .
WWF estimates there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia before the fire season .
Estimated koala losses in the current emergency include 25,000 on Kangaroo Island off southern Australia and 8,000 in northwest New South Wales .
“ It ’ s a significant loss , but I don ’ t think we ’ ll know for several months , ” Blanch said of the koala deaths .
Associated Press writers Rod McGuirk in Canberra , Australia , and Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--The Latest: Ukraine gets ‘important data’ from US officials

TEHRAN , Iran - The latest on Iran-related developments ( all times local ) : German airline Lufthansa says its Friday flight from Frankfurt to Tehran is cancelled “ as a precautionary measure ” because of the security situation for airspace around the Iranian airport .
The same flight turned back Thursday for the same reason as investigators rush to determine what brought down a Ukrainian airliner this week near Tehran .
All 176 people on board were killed .
“ As soon as we have detailed information , we will decide if and when our Iranian flights can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
Some Western leaders say the plane appeared to have been unintentionally hit by a surface-to-air missile amid tensions between the U.S. and Iran .
Iranian officials have ruled out a missile attack .
The French air accident investigation authority says it has been invited by Iran to join the probe into this week ’ s plane crash near Tehran .
The French authority known by its French acronym BEA said Friday it has been notified by Iran ’ s air accident board .
The BEA in a Twitter post says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigation .
The plane ’ s engine was designed by CFM International , a joint company between French group Safran and US group GE Aviation .
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian earlier Friday told RTL radio that “ it is necessary to establish the truth ” and called for “ total clarity.
” He wouldn ’ t comment on whether the plane could have been hit by an Iranian missile , which the U.S. has asserted .
Sweden ’ s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven says the information that the plane that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been hit by a missile is “ very serious.
” At least 10 Swedes were on board .
Lofven told The Associated Press in an email Friday that he and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke and agreed that “ this information would further increase the need for an urgent , complete and transparent investigation.
” Canada is among the countries saying a missile could have struck the plane that crashed near Tehran and killed all 176 on board , including dozens of Canadians .
The Swedish leader also said he and Trudeau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be able to contribute national expertise as well as provide full transparency in the investigation.
” Lofven also has spoken with Ukraine ’ s president .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says if it ’ s confirmed that the jetliner that crashed in Iran this week was mistakenly shot down by an air defence missile ” then one is honestly left lost for words.
“ Maas also told German broadcaster n-tv that Berlin told Tehran on Thursday it expects other nations to be involved in the investigation .
“ The greatest possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarity and so nothing is swept under the carpet , because that would really not be conscionable given the dimension , ” he said .
He said Iran ’ s invitation to the Americans to help investigate is “ a very important signal “ and he added that “ I think all sides have recognized that the time has passed now for military escalation , that it makes sense to talk to each other.
” France is offering to help Iran investigate this week ’ s crash of a Ukrainian airliner that killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday on RTL radio that “ it is necessary to establish the truth ” and called for “ total clarity.
” He wouldn ’ t comment on whether the plane could have been hit by an Iranian missile , which the U.S. has asserted .
He said France is available to offer expertise .
French air accident investigators have extensive experience with international crashes because they are involved any time an Airbus has an accident .
This week ’ s crash involved a Boeing .
Le Drian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ is not dead.
” Le Drian is meeting Friday with other European diplomats to discuss the deal on curbing Iran ’ s nuclear activities after Tehran said it would no longer abide by any limitation to its enrichment activities .
The head of Iran ’ s investigation team into the plane crash this week that killed all 176 people on board tells state television that Tehran will use expert help from Russia , Ukraine , France and Canada ” if we can not recover data ” from the plane ’ s recorders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data could take more than one month and the entire investigation into the crash could take more than one year .
He also said the flight had been delayed by about an hour because the pilot decided to unload part of the luggage as the flight was overweight .
Western leaders have said the plane appeared to have been unintentionally hit by a surface-to-air missile near Tehran , but Iranian officials have ruled out a missile attack .
Russian lawmakers say statements about a missile hitting a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they accuse the West of prematurely assigning blame to Tehran .
All 176 people on board the plane bound for Ukraine died .
Vladimir Dzhabarov , a lawmaker with Russia ’ s upper house of parliament , said Friday that “ we need to be cautious with conclusions .
Iranians have invited Ukraine to take part in the investigation .
Why would they do it if they knew they had shot ( the plane ) down ?
” Leonid Slutsky , a lawmaker with Russia ’ s lower house of parliament , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cause of the crash could be politically motivated .
“ Facts and solid evidence are needed , rather than vague references to intelligence findings .
So far it has all been groundless , ” Slutsky said .
Western leaders have said the plane appeared to have been unintentionally hit by a surface-to-air missile near Tehran hours after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq to avenge the killing of its top general in an American airstrike .
The Ukrainian president says he is not ruling out the possibility that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iran had been hit a by a missile .
“ The missile theory is not ruled out , but it has not been confirmed yet , ” Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a Facebook post Friday .
All 176 people on board the plane bound for Ukraine died .
Zelenskiy reiterated his call for “ all international partners ” — the U.S. , Britain and Canada in particular — to share data and evidence relevant to the crash .
He also announced plans to discuss the investigation with U.S. Secretary of State Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said the plane appeared to have been unintentionally hit by a surface-to-air missile near Tehran hours after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq to avenge the killing of its top general in an American airstrike .
Iranian officials have ruled out a missile attack but have invited the U.S. accident-investigating agency to take part in the investigation .
Iranian authorities have given Ukrainian investigators access to the fragments of the plane that crashed earlier this week and they were examined late Thursday , according to a statement by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It is too early on in the investigation to reveal specific details , ” the statement says .
The president ’ s office also says DNA is being collected from relatives of Ukrainians who died in the crash in order to identify the bodies .
Iran has invited Boeing to take part in the investigation into the Ukrainian jetliner that crashed and killed all 176 people on board , state media reported Friday .
Iran has invited Boeing to take part in the investigation into a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Washington and Tehran , killing all 176 people on board , state media reported Friday .
The move came after Western leaders said the plane appeared to have been unintentionally hit by a surface-to-air missile near Tehran hours after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq to avenge the killing of its top general in an American airstrike .

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--2020-01-10--Iraqi PM tells US to decide mechanism for troop withdrawal

BAGHDAD - Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has told the U.S. secretary of state to send a delegation to Iraq tasked with formulating the mechanism for the withdrawal of U.S troops from Iraq , according to a statement released Friday .
The statement , from the office of the Iraqi caretaker prime minister , said the request came in a telephone call between Abdul-Mahdi and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday night .
It says Pompeo called the Iraqi premier .
Abdul-Mahdi ’ s comments to Pompeo suggests he was standing by his previous statements that U.S troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de-escalation between Tehran and Washington following the tit-for-tat attacks that brought Iraq to the brink of a proxy war .
Tensions eased on Wednesday when President Donald Trump signalled that Washington was stepping away from escalation .
The Iraqi prime minister said his country rejects all violations against its sovereignty , including the barrage of ballistic missiles that Iranian forces fired targeting against U.S. troops in Iraq and also America ’ s violation of Iraq ’ s airspace in the airstrike that killed a top Iranian general last week .
The Iraqi leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq to prepare a mechanism to carry out the parliament ’ s resolution regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq , ” the statement said .
“ The prime minister said American forces had entered Iraq and drones are flying in its airspace without permission from Iraqi authorities and this was a violation of the bilateral agreements , ” the statement added .
Top American military officials including Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper have said there were no plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iraqi lawmakers passed a non-binding resolution to oust U.S. troops following a strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis last Friday .
The latest escalation was set off when a rocket attack blamed on the Iranian-backed militia group Kataeb Hezbollah , or Hezbollah Brigades , caused the death of an American contractor at a base in Kirkuk province .
The U.S. replied with a barrage of strikes on the militia ’ s bases , killing at least 25 people .
Get more of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest news from the Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now

Samya Kullab And Qassim Abdul-Zahra - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Gunman kills 3, including toddler, in Thailand mall robbery

BANGKOK - Thai police were hunting Friday for a masked assailant who went on a shooting spree at a shopping mall , killing three people , including a 2-year-old boy , and wounding four others as he robbed a jewelry store .
Security camera footage from the Thursday night spree at a Robinson mall in Lopburi province , about 145 kilometres ( 90 miles ) north of Bangkok , shows a man wearing a ski mask , camouflage pants and a backpack across his chest shooting a customer at the shop and a sales clerk .
The man , carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then vaults on the jewelry store counter and grabs several trays of gold necklaces .
A separate security camera video shows the toddler walking hand-in-hand with an adult near the jewelry store when he falls limp to the ground .
“ The robber was merciless .
We are looking for him in every place .
Please trust us , we will definitely get this man and bring him to justice , “ Regional police commander Lt. Gen. Ampol Buaruppon said , adding police were authorized to use lethal force if he resists arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was shot in the head and died after being rushed to a hospital , posted a message to their deceased son on their Facebook page .
“ We love you very much .
We are so sorry that we can not protect you , ” it read .
“ Rest in peace our angel.
” A mall security guard and a jewelry store saleswoman were also killed .
Rewards from police and other sources for information leading to the gunman ’ s capture mounted Friday to 500,000 baht ( $ 16,500 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper reported .
“ We have to admit that the robber is an expert about guns , ” deputy national police chief Gen. Weerachai Songmetta told reporters .
“ He is able to add a suppressor on a normal pistol .
We are still looking for him in Lopburi and adjacent provinces.
” Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up @

Busaba Sivasomboon - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Chicago coyote captured after 2 suspected attacks reported

CHICAGO - Authorities on the hunt for coyotes in downtown Chicago after two reported attacks , including one where passersby said they had to pull a wild canine off of a 6-year-old boy who was bitten in the head , captured one animal Thursday night on the city ’ s North Side .
The reported attacks come amid an increase in sightings of coyotes in the nation ’ s third-largest city , including one in the city ’ s Lincoln Park neighbourhood that briefly prompted the lockdown of two schools on Thursday .
Neither the boy nor a man who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said was a coyote bite suffered life-threatening injuries .
Officials were confident the animal that attacked the boy was a coyote , based on witness interviews , Kelley Gandurski , executive director of the Chicago Animal Care and Control , told reporters .
If true , it would mark the first time in the state that a coyote has attacked a human , according to a wildlife biologist with the Urban Coyote Research Project .
“ The last several times that this occurred , people reported the same thing , that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days and weeks later it turned out through DNA analysis of the victim ’ s clothing it was , in fact , dogs and not coyotes , ” said Chris Anchor , who also works for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County , where Chicago is located .
The 5-year-old was attacked Wednesday while outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park .
Gandurski said the animal may have been surprised by the boy as the child ran along a path .
Two DePaul University track team members were running nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they helped kick the animal away , according to WBBM-TV .
“ We just acted .
Went over there as fast as we could .
Knew something was wrong , ” DePaul sophomore Ryan Taylor told the television station .
“ There was an open CTA bus there .
I told him to get on the bus in case the coyote tries to come back for something else.
” DePaul sophomore Dominic Bruce added : “ I was just trying to make him happy .
I told him you ’ ll have quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go back to school .
Later Wednesday , a man walked into the emergency room at Northwestern Memorial Hospital with a scratch on his behind , police said .
He told police a coyote bit him , but Gandurski could not confirm his account because her staff had not yet interviewed him .
The animal captured on the city ’ s North Side was chased by police and animal control officials over several city blocks and finally captured near an intersection just after 10 p.m. Thursday , according to WMAQ-TV .
Video showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care and Control van after it was apparently shot with a tranquilizer : It was not immediately clear if the animal is connected to either of the reported attacks .
While coyotes don ’ t usually bite humans , there have been confirmed minor attacks in other U.S. cities , Stan Gehrt , a wildlife ecology professor at Ohio State University who helped launch the Urban Coyote Research Project with Anchor in 2000 .
Gandurski said reports of coyote sightings in the city have remained fairly consistent in recent years , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather and a lack of food .
Anchor , who monitors the movements of hundreds of coyotes in the region who have been fitted with electronic collars , said it doesn ’ t mean more of the animals are in Chicago .
Instead , said Anchor , coyotes may have changed their behaviour in ways that make them more visible .
“ They are very smart and when they realize there is nothing to fear from humans because they are not trapped , they begin to ignore humans , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the animals have been living for decades after following train tracks and other routes in search of food , they don ’ t just make their dens in parks and nature preserves , but in nooks and crannies around the city , he said .
They will eat “ whatever is available , ” from small mammals and dead birds to fruit and insects , Anchor added .
Chicago Animal Care and Control urged residents to not leave pets unattended outside and to secure their garbage .
Gandurski said city and county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police and other agencies are taking part in the search for the coyote that attacked the boy .
If captured , the animal will likely be relocated outside the city , she said .
Dr. Tom Wake , the interim administrator of the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control , said the animal would first be tested for rabies , though he noted it ’ s unlikely it would have that disease .
“ There has not been a case of rabies in any other animal except bats since 1954 in Cook County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been corrected to reflect that the boy was 6 years old , not 5 , and to correct all references to Chris Anchor ’ s last name to Anchor instead of Archer .


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Iran denies missile hit plane, calls on West to share data

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran on Friday denied Western allegations that one of its own missiles downed a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed outside Tehran , and called on the U.S. and Canada to share any information they have on the crash , which killed all 176 people on board .
Western leaders said the plane appeared to have been unintentionally hit by a surface-to-air missile just hours after Iran launched around a dozen ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq to avenge the killing of its top general in an American airstrike last week .
“ What is obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say with certainty , is that no missile hit the plane , ” Ali Abedzadeh , head of Iran ’ s national aviation department , told a press conference .
“ If they are really sure , they should come and show their findings to the world “ in accordance with international standards , he added .
Hassan Rezaeifar , the head of the Iranian investigation team , said recovering data from the black box flight recorders could take more than a month and that the entire investigation could stretch into next year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help from international experts if it is not able to extract the flight recordings .
The ballistic missile attack on the bases in Iraq caused no casualties , raising hopes that the standoff over the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani would end relatively peacefully , though Iran has sent mixed signals over whether its retaliation is complete .
If the U.S. or Canada were to present incontrovertible evidence that the plane was shot down by Iran , even if unintentionally , it could have a dramatic impact on public opinion in Iran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership after the killing of Soleimani last Friday , with hundreds of thousands joining the general ’ s funeral processions in several cities , in an unprecedented display of grief and unity .
But sentiments in Iran are still raw over the government ’ s crackdown on large-scale protests late last year sparked by an economic crisis exacerbated by U.S. sanctions .
Several hundred protesters were reported to have been killed in the clampdown .
Those fissures could quickly break open again if Iranian authorities are seen to be responsible for the deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dual Iranian-Canadian citizens .
The state-run IRNA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi as saying Iran “ has invited both Ukraine and the Boeing company to participate in the investigations.
” He later said a 10-member Canadian delegation was heading to Iran to assist victims ’ families .
Iran had initially said it would not allow Boeing to take part in the probe , going against prevailing international norms on crash investigations .
It later invited the U.S. accident-investigating agency to take part in the investigation .
The National Transportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would “ evaluate its level of participation , “ but its role could be limited by U.S. sanctions on Iran .
U.S. officials have also expressed concern about sending employees to Iran because of the heightened tensions .
Under rules set by a United Nations aviation organization , the NTSB is entitled to participate because the crash involved a Boeing 737-800 jet that was designed and built in the U.S .
The French air accident investigation agency , known by the French acronym BEA , is also taking part in the probe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by CFM International , a joint company between French group Safran and US group GE Aviation .
U.S. , Canadian and British officials said Thursday it is “ highly likely ” that Iran shot down the Boeing 737 that crashed near Tehran late Tuesday .
U.S. officials said the jetliner might have been mistakenly identified as a threat .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , whose country lost at least 63 citizens in the downing , said “ we have intelligence from multiple sources including our allies and our own intelligence.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile , ” he said .
The U.S. officials did not say what intelligence they had that pointed to an Iranian missile , believed to be fired by Russian Tor system , known to NATO as the SA-15 .
But they acknowledged the existence of satellites and other sensors in the region , as well as the likelihood of communication interceptions and other similar intelligence .
Western countries may hesitate to share information on such a strike because it comes from highly classified sources .
Ukraine ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missile theory is not ruled out , but it has not been confirmed yet.
“ In a Facebook post , he reiterated his call “ on all international partners ” — the U.S. , Britain and Canada in particular — to share data and evidence relevant to the crash .
He also announced plans to discuss the investigation with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later on Friday .
A preliminary Iranian investigative report released Thursday said that the airliner pilots never made a radio call for help and that the burning plane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airport when it went down .
The Iranian report suggested that a sudden emergency struck the Boeing 737 , operated by Ukrainian International Airlines , just minutes after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport early Wednesday .
Those findings are not inconsistent with the effect of a surface-to-air missile .
Such missiles are designed to explode near aircraft , shredding them with shrapnel .
There is no need to score a direct hit , and a stricken plane may look like it is turning back when in fact it is disintegrating .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had earlier said that by law there is “ full co-ordination ” between the country ’ s air defences and the civil aviation system .
He said authorities have recovered two black box flight recorders , saying they are “ damaged ” but readable , which may shed further light on what caused the crash .
Ukraine said Iranian authorities allowed Ukrainian investigators to examine fragments of the plane late Thursday .
“ It is too early on in the investigation to reveal specific details , ” the statement from the Ukraine president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that DNA is being collected from relatives of Ukrainians who died in the crash in order to identify the bodies .
Krauss reported from Dubai , United Arab Emirates .
Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow and Yuras Karmanau in Minsk , Belarus , contributed to this report .

Nasser Karimi And Joseph Krauss - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Portugal police add big hashish bust to recent cocaine haul

LISBON , Portugal - Police in Portugal on Friday announced their second major drug bust in three days , with @ @ @ @ @ fishing boat off the country ’ s Atlantic coast and apprehended 3.5 metric tons of @ @ @ @ @ said the hashish , which has a street value of more than 8 million euros @ @ @ @ @ , was from North Africa .
After being offloaded in Portugal , it was to @ @ @ @ @ other European countries .
Seven men on the vessel , all but one of them @ @ @ @ @ The Portuguese Air Force and Navy took part in the operation , which was helped @ @ @ @ @ .
The Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis and Operations Center - Narcotics , a joint project by @ @ @ @ @ also had a hand in the operation , the statement said .
Get more of @ @ @ @ @ Never miss the latest news from the Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to @ @ @ @ @ , your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Steyer wants climate change refugees to enter US legally

WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer on Friday unveiled an immigration proposal seeking to make immigrants fleeing the effects of climate change eligible for legal entry into the United States .
Like a lot of his White House rivals , Steyer is promising to use executive action to reinstate Obama administration protections for people brought to the country illegally as children .
He ’ d do the same to nullify President Donald Trump ’ s Muslim ban and end the separation of immigrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border .
The billionaire environmental activist from California also would seek to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress to approve a pathway to citizenship for millions of people in the U.S. illegally .
And Steyer wants to adequately fund agencies that foster legal immigration , which he argues have seen their budgets shrink as previous administrations poured more federal money into border enforcement .
As part of his plan , Steyer says he will help countries cope with the effects of climate change by offering “ funding , equipment and expertise ” designed to bolster disaster response .
But he also wants to establish new categories of legal U.S. immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rising seas and climate-related disasters abroad can enter the U.S. legally .
“ We need to see what we can do to help people in place , “ Steyer said in an interview .
” At the same time , we understand this is going to put massive pressure on our immigration systems.
” Steyer , who launched his 2020 campaign in July , qualified Thursday for next week ’ s Democratic presidential debate , putting him on stage in Iowa alongside five other candidates .
Steyer qualified by hitting polling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game.
” Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Egypt blames Ethiopia for latest failure of Nile dam talks

CAIRO - Egypt is blaming Ethiopia for the failure of the latest round of talks on the construction of a controversial Nile dam , a critical issue for Cairo as it seeks to protect its main source of freshwater for its large and growing population .
The construction of the $ 4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile , which is around 70 % complete and promises to provide much-needed electricity to Ethiopia ’ s 100 million people , has been a contentious point among Ethiopia , Sudan and Egypt , the three main Nile Basin countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three countries concluded a two-day meeting in the Ethiopian capital , Addis Ababa , without reaching an agreement on technical issues related to the dam ’ s construction .
The Blue Nile flows from Ethiopia into Sudan where it joins the White Nile near the capital , Khartoum , to form the Nile River .
Eighty-five per cent of Nile waters originate in Ethiopia from the Blue Nile , which is one of the Nile ’ s two main tributaries .
Egypt ’ s Irrigation Ministry , in a statement released late on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attempts to “ narrow differences ” among the three countries , the Ethiopian government failed to prove that it would take all necessary precautions to ensure that its dam will not affect Egypt ’ s water supply , especially in times of drought .
Earlier , Ethiopian Minister for Water and Energy Sileshi Bekele told reporters that the Egyptian delegation “ was in no spirit of reaching an agreement ” during this last round of talks .
He added that his government would not accept an Egyptian suggestion to extend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 to 21 years .
He said Ethiopia would start filling the dam in July 2020 , at the start of its rainy season .
Months of meetings have so far failed to yield consensus , including on a timetable for filling the reservoir .
Egypt fears the project , set to be Africa ’ s largest hydraulic dam , could reduce its share of the Nile , a lifeline for Egypt ’ s 100 million people .
Ministers from the three countries are now expected to meet in Washington D.C. on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far .
The United States and The World Bank observers are expected to attend the talks .
Last year , Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi had pleaded to the United States and the international community to mediate a solution to the ongoing Nile dispute .
Foreign ministers of the three Nile Basin countries had met in Washington D.C. in November and agreed to resolve the matter by mid-January .


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--India’s top court orders review of all curbs in Kashmir

NEW DELHI - India ’ s top court on Friday ordered the government to review all restrictions , including the suspension of internet service , in Indian-controlled Kashmir within a week , saying the measures amounted to abuse of power .
Defence attorney Vrinda Grover said the Supreme Court also directed the government to make public all orders imposing a lockdown in Kashmir in August after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Hindu nationalist-led government revoked the Muslim-majority region ’ s semi-autonomous status .
The court held that the internet shutdown impacted the freedom of press , which is part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ghulam Nabi Azad , a leader of the opposition Congress party , and Anuradha Bhasin , editor of The Kashmir Times , were the main petitioners in the case .
The Congress party said the court delivered the “ first big jolt of 2020 to illegal activities of Modi ’ s government by stating the importance of the internet as a fundamental right.
” The people of Kashmir were waiting for this judgement , said Azad .
Ehsan Ali , a Kashmiri university student , said the court should have struck down government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic rights is sold to the people as a relief , ’ ’ Ali said .
The decision to abolish Kashmir ’ s special status was accompanied by a extensive lockdown , with New Delhi sending tens of thousands of additional troops to the already heavily militarized region , imposing a sweeping curfew , arresting thousands and cutting virtually all communications .
Authorities have since eased several restrictions , lifted roadblocks and restored landlines and cellphone services .
The internet , however , remains cut off .
Officials also have encouraged students to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but top political leaders from the region continue to be under arrest or detention .
On Jan. 1 , authorities announced that internet service would be allowed in 80 state-run hospitals in the Kashmir valley .
The Press Trust of India news agency said the Supreme Court on Friday ordered the authorities to restore the internet to essential services like hospitals and educational institutions as they reviewed restrictions in the region .
Bhasin said the restrictions had crippled media outlets , essential services and even communications between families , bringing untold miseries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who argued the government ’ s case , said authorities acted based on evidence from intelligence and the military that inflammatory material and speeches , and faked stories , photos and videos were being spread on social media .
Mehta had argued in the court that “ modern terrorism relies heavily on the internet ” and considers social media as its most effective weapon .


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--China mourns native paddlefish scientists say is now extinct

BEIJING - The Chinese paddlefish ’ s sharp , protruding snout made it one of the largest freshwater species in the world .
Since scientists declared it extinct in a research paper published last week , Chinese internet users media outlets have been paying tribute to the hefty creature .
“ It ’ s farewell at first sight , ” said China Youth Daily , noting that many were lamentably unfamiliar with the paddlefish before learning of its demise .
Users shared similar sentiments on the Twitter-like Weibo platform .
So named for its distinctive shape , the Chinese paddlefish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lineage dating back at least 34 million years , scientists believe .
It could grow as long as 7 metres ( 23 feet ) , but in the end , it couldn ’ t survive the overfishing , habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity in its native Yangtze River , according to a research paper in the Science of The Total Environment , a peer-reviewed environmental science journal .
“ As no individuals exist in captivity , and no living tissues are conserved for potential resurrection , the fish should be considered extinct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to criteria for inclusion on the International Union for Conservation of Nation ’ s ( IUCN ) Red List .
The paper was authored by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences , the University of Kent and the University of South Bohemia in the Czech Republic .
Chinese paddlefish populations have declined drastically since the late 1970s , the paper said .
The decline corresponds with major dam construction in the Yangtze .
During that time , the Gezhouba Dam was built on the main stream of the river , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project followed in 2003 — the last year a live Chinese paddlefish was sighted .
A survey in 2017 and 2018 found 332 fish species in the Yangtze , but not a single specimen of Chinese paddlefish .
The researchers estimate that the fish became extinct sometime between 2005 and 2010 .
“ The extinction of the paddlefish is a huge loss and reflects the critical status of the Yangtze River ecosystem , ” said Pan Wenjing , a forest and oceans manager for Greenpeace East Asia .
“ The ecology of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to human activity in past decades , ” Pan said .
“ China has launched its campaign trying to recover the Yangtze River ’ s environment , and some ambitious policies have been introduced , such as the 10-year ban on fishing activity.
” Users on Weibo expressed the wish that a Chinese paddlefish might still resurface in the river .
“ Every time I see the news of another species going extinct , my heart starts to throb , ” wrote one science blogger .
“ Humans should not live alone on @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--N Ireland parties mull deal to restore collapsed government

LONDON - Northern Ireland ’ s main political parties are meeting Friday to decide whether to accept a deal to restore the Belfast-based government that collapsed three years ago .
Northern Ireland ’ s 1.8 million people have been without a functioning administration since the power-sharing government fell apart in January 2017 over a botched green-energy project .
The rift soon widened to broader cultural and political issues separating Northern Ireland ’ s British unionists and Irish nationalists , who shared power in the government .
After several days of intense talks , the British and Irish governments late Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern Ireland Assembly and executive .
The U.K. ’ s Northern Ireland Secretary , Julian Smith , said the political parties had not agreed to all of it , but he was asking the assembly ’ s speaker to reconvene the legislature Friday in hope politicians would back the deal .
“ Now is decision time , ” he said .
“ We have had three years of talks and there is finally a good deal on the table that all parties can support.
” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney also urged acceptance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepped up and fully represented their constituents.
” “ Forget the language of win or lose .
This is a deal filled with compromises , ” he said .
Initial signs were encouraging .
The main pro-British group , the Democratic Unionist Party , said it was “ not a perfect deal , “ but could be supported .
“ On balance we believe there is a basis upon which the assembly and executive can be re-established in a fair and balanced way , “ said DUP leader Arlene Foster .
Irish nationalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s former government partner , said its ruling council would meet Friday afternoon to decide whether to support the deal .
Previous attempts to restore power-sharing between Sinn Fein and the DUP and have come to nothing .
But the U.K. ’ s looming departure from the European Union , due on Jan. 31 , has given new urgency to attempts to restore the government .
Northern Ireland has the U.K. ’ s only border with an EU member country , and Brexit will challenge the status of the currently invisible frontier , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embrace with its southern member , the Republic of Ireland .
Both of the two main parties — the DUP and Sinn Fein — want a say on what happens next .
Northern Ireland also faced a Jan. 13 deadline to restore the government or face new elections for the assembly that could see Sinn Fein and the DUP lose ground to less intransigent parties .
The deal includes promises of financial support from the U.K. for big infrastructure projects if the government is restored , as well as proposals to deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Irish language .


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--EU foreign ministers gather in Brussels to salvage Iran deal

BRUSSELS - European foreign affairs ministers and the NATO secretary general are gathering in Brussels for an emergency meeting during which they are expected to reiterate their support for the nuclear deal brokered with Iran .
Despite calls from U.S. president Donald Trump to break away from the deal , which is aimed at preventing Iran from getting atomic weapons , the European Union remains committed to the treaty amid an escalation of tensions in the region .
Iran struck the deal in 2015 with the United States , France , Germany , the United Kingdom , Russia and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damaged by U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s decision to unilaterally abandon it in 2018 , triggering sanctions that have badly hurt Iran ’ s economy .
Iran has gradually rolled back its commitment to the accord and the recent exchange of hostilities between Iran and the U.S. has dealt further blows to the pact .
After its top general , Qassem Soleimani , was killed in a U.S. drone attack , Tehran announced it would no longer respect limits set under the deal on how many centrifuges it can use to enrich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of the meeting , French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian continued to insist the accord “ is not dead ” and said it ’ s essential to salvage it .
Blaming the U.S. decision to withdraw , Le Drian said Iran could get access to atomic weapons within “ one or two years “ if the deal continues to lose its substance .
In a phone call with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani , U.K. Prime minister Boris Johnson also reaffirmed his support for the treaty , and the EU ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week the deal is “ today more important than ever.
“ Borrell has invited Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to Brussels for talks , but a date for his visit has yet to be set The Council of EU foreign ministers will also assess the crisis in war-torn Libya , and will be briefed by NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg .
The council said in a statement it will be “ focusing on ways to deescalate tensions in the region.
“ Speaking to German broadcaster n-tv , German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talks about conflicts in the region , not just Iraq and Iran but also Syria and Yemen .
He reiterated Germany ’ s position that the fight against IS in Iraq needs to continue .
Frank Jordans in Berlin and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this story .


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Officials: 2 aboard helicopter die in Pennsylvania crash

MECHANICSBURG , Pa. - Two people aboard a helicopter were killed when the aircraft crashed in a Pennsylvania backyard , authorities said .
No one on the ground was injured in the Thursday night crash , Cumberland County spokesman John Bruetsch told news outlets .
The county ’ s coroner , Charley Hall , confirmed that the two fatalities were a result of the crash .
Pictures and video of the crash site from news outlets show a residential neighbourhood that ’ s part of Silver Spring Township , near Mechanicsburg .
The helicopter crashed behind a residence where people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , and there was a large debris field — but the property wasn ’ t damaged .
The helicopter wasn ’ t medical , Bruetsch said , but no further details regarding its provenance were immediately available .
The cause of the crash wasn ’ t immediately clear , and the identities of the two people killed weren ’ t immediately released .
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were to investigate , Bruetsch said .
Bruetsch said the investigation would be a “ long , drawn-out process.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Climate activists target Siemens over Australia coal project

BERLIN - Climate activists are staging rallies Friday outside the offices of German engineering firm Siemens over its involvement in @ @ @ @ @ Australia .
The group Fridays for Future , which has held weekly protests demanding action @ @ @ @ @ a year , wants Siemens to quit the Adani mine project because emissions from coal-fired @ @ @ @ @ warming .
Siemens chief executive Joe Kaeser has offered to meet with representatives of the @ @ @ @ @ takes the activists ’ concerns seriously .
Kaeser also said on Twitter last month that @ @ @ @ @ into the matter.
” Siemens has put in an offer to supply signalling systems for @ @ @ @ @ which is currently battling massive wildfires following months of drought and above-average temperatures , is @ @ @ @ @ s biggest coal exporters .
Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss @ @ @ @ @ Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your @ @ @ @ @ in your inbox Sign Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Unidentified planes hit Iraqi militiamen in Syria, killing 8

BEIRUT - Unidentified planes struck targets in Syria near the border with Iraq on Friday , killing eight Iran-backed Iraqi militiamen , Syrian activists and two Iraqi officials said , an attack that comes amid soaring tensions between the U.S. and Iran .
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the planes targeted positions belonging to pro-Iran militias in the Boukamal area , near the border with Iraq .
The Britain-based organization , which documents the war in Syria through a network of activists on the ground , said the planes struck , among other targets , weapons depots and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraqi security official and another official , from the Iran-backed Iraqi militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces , said warplanes targeted two vehicles carrying missiles on the Syrian side of the border .
The strike was most likely carried out by Israeli warplanes , they said but offered no evidence .
The Israeli military has no immediate comment .
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on the Syria bombing , which comes at a time of high tension between Iran and the U.S .
The Iraqi officials identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the Observatory only said the eight were not Syrians , without giving their nationality .
The death toll could rise further , officials said , as there were also wounded militiamen , some reportedly in serious conditions .
Another Iraqi official said those targeted belong to the Imam Ali Brigades , an Iran-backed faction within the PMF .
The three Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make statements to the media .
Israel has repeatedly struck Iran-linked targets in Syria in recent years and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the frontier .
Deir Ezzor 24 , an activist collective that reports on news in the border area , said that the planes strikes trucks carrying weapons and depots for ballistic missiles in the area .
Omar Abu Laila , a Europe-based activist from Deir el-Zour who runs the group , said the attack triggered “ a huge explosion ” heard in the Syrian-Iraqi border .
The Sound and picture , another activist collective in Syria ’ s eastern Deir el-Zour area , said “ unidentified planes “ struck militia targets in Boukamal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria authorities .
The U.S. carried out military strikes in the area on Dec. 29 , killing 25 members of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia in retaliation to a rocket attack on a military base in Iraq that killed a U.S. contractor .
The U.S. blamed that attack on a Iranian-backed Iraqi militia .
The reported airstrikes came days after a U.S. drone strike killed Iran ’ s most powerful general after he landed at Baghdad airport , drawing angry calls for revenge and escalating tensions to the brink of an all-out war between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing a barrage of missiles at military bases in Iraq that host U.S. troops .
Since then , both sides have signalled they were stepping back from further escalation but tensions remain high and the region on edge .
Amid the soaring tensions , Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to Syria this week for talks with President Bashar Assad in Damascus .
Russia has been a key ally for Assad , offering crucial military and political backing throughout the country ’ s civil war .
The area struck Friday is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that links Iran across Iraq and Syria through Lebanon .
The Observatory report on Friday claimed that Putin had informed Assad during the visit of a U.S. intention to “ close ” the land corridor for good .

Zeina Karam And Qassim Abdul-Zahra - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--On streets of Tehran, relief for now at no wider conflict

TEHRAN , Iran - Iranian newspapers proclaimed the country ’ s attack on U.S. forces in Iraq to be “ a dark night for Americans , ” and Washington ’ s “ first admission of failure in history.
” On the bustling streets of Tehran , however , there was relief Thursday that neither side appeared primed for war .
“ War is not something like the ‘ Call of Duty ’ game , “ said Dara Shojaei , a 23-year-old architecture student .
“ It ’ s not a game you can play to win .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came some mixed feelings about how far Iran should go to avenge the killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleiman , the country ’ s most powerful commander who was slain by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad last week .
His death brought an outpouring of grief across the country , and Iran responded early Wednesday by firing a barrage of ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases housing American troops .
The dramatic blast of more than a dozen missiles caused no casualties at the two bases , although U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence showed that an Iranian anti-aircraft missile probably downed a Ukrainian jetliner near Tehran just a few hours after Iran launched its attack on the Iraqi bases .
They said the strike , which killed all 176 people on board , could have been a mistake .
Investigators from Iran ’ s Civil Aviation Organization offered no immediate explanation for the disaster .
A preliminary Iranian investigative report released Thursday said that the airliner pilots never made a radio call for help and that the aircraft was trying to turn back for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even though American and Iraqi officials said no casualties were sustained in the Iranian missile strikes on the two bases in Iraq , Iranian state TV claimed that some 80 U.S. soldiers were killed — a claim reiterated Thursday by a top Iranian military general , Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh , He offered no evidence .
At the White House , President Donald Trump said Iran “ appears to be standing down , “ while Iran ’ s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the missile attack as “ a slap ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iranian government is positioning its retaliatory strike as a victory .
The hard-line Kahyan newspaper proclaimed Iran ’ s missiles damaged U.S. dignity , while another hard-line daily , Javan , said it was America ’ s first admission of failure in its history .
The reformist daily Aftab Yazd led with the headline : “ Iran ’ s slap makes Trump withdraw and declare peace.
” Another reformist daily paper , Arman Melli , called it “ A dark night for Americans.
” Despite Tehran ’ s claims that the strikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other sources of information .
Although social media sites like Twitter are blocked , Iranians are able to access it and others through virtual private networks , or VPNs .
“ We shouldn ’ t have taken revenge because they could have hit and destroyed us , ” he said .
In somewhat mixed messages Thursday , President Hassan Rouhani warned of a “ very dangerous response ” if the U.S. makes “ another mistake , ” but a senior commander vowed even “ harsher revenge.
” Mohammad Taghizadeh , a 30-year-old resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a “ good start.
” “ As the supreme leader said , it was a slap .
It was not satisfying and bigger things should happen , ” he said .
He also echoed a familiar refrain of deep suspicion toward Washington .
“ Trump is trying to boost the self-confidence of Americans , and I think he is lying , “ Taghizadeh said about U.S. claims of no casualties .
He added that because Trump is running for re-election , he ” can ’ t say that we have had our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s aerospace program , said in remarks carried Thursday by the semi-official Tasnim news agency that the goal of “ Operation Martyr Soleimani , ” as the retaliatory campaign was dubbed , was not to kill anyone , but to “ strike the enemy ’ s military machine.
” Gen. Ali Fadavi , acting commander of the Revolutionary Guard , was quoted by Tasnim as describing the attack as a clear sign of Iran ’ s unique strength .
“ We stand against the enemy and we respond , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) country has the capacity to express its will against the United States.
” Across the country , ordinary Iranians are bracing for even more hard times after Trump vowed to keep up the maximum pressure campaign on Tehran .
Tensions have been running high in the Persian Gulf since Trump pulled the U.S out of Iran ’ s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 and re-imposed punishing sanctions .
The sanctions have made it difficult for Iran to sell its oil internationally , which has affected the government ’ s ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
“ Over the past three days , there was not a single day that we woke up and didn ’ t see negative news , ” said Shabnam Mohtashami , 43 , of Tehran .
“ The thought of what could happen again and what calamities we might suffer is very scary.
” But she said that “ domestic ( economic ) problems put even more pressure on us than if a war will happen or not.
” Iran ’ s government faced widespread protests in November over rising prices , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s foreign spending on interventions in Syria , Lebanon , Iraq and other countries while its own economy falters .
More than 300 people were killed in the anti-government protests , according to rights organization Amnesty International .
During the violence and in the days that followed , Iranian authorities blocked access to the internet .
Soleimani ’ s killing , however , helped rally the public around the leadership again .
Millions of Iranians were stunned by Soleimani ’ s killing , and they poured into the streets as his casket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general was seen by many in Iran as a national hero whose command of the Revolutionary Guard ’ s Quds Force , which oversees Shiite proxy militias , projected Iranian power in the face of U.S. pressure .
Ali Fathollah-Nejad , an Iran expert at the Brookings Doha Center , said the Iranian government has used Soleimani ’ s death to create “ a nationalistic moment “ and keep the flames of conflict with Washington simmering without risking a full-blown war that might endanger the regime ’ s survival .
He said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s traditional base because of Soleimani ’ s state crafted image in recent years as a patriotic hero defending the homeland from Sunni extremists , like the Islamic State group .
“ In the short term this leads to regime stabilization , with the deep-seated socio-economic and political grievances that fueled the protests pushed under the surface at a moment when a lot of Iranians fear a full-blown war , ” Fathollah-Nejad said .
Batrawy reported from Dubai , United Arab Emirates .
Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran contributed .

Mehdi Fattahi And Aya Batrawy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Ghosn’s lawyer slams minister’s gaffe on proving innocence

TOKYO - A lawyer for Carlos Ghosn , Nissan ’ s former chairman who skipped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon , on Friday slammed a gaffe by the Japanese justice minister who said that Ghosn should “ prove “ his innocence .
Francois Zimeray said in a statement addressed to Justice Minister Masako Mori that her mistake reflected Japanese justice , which goes against the human rights principle of presumption of innocence .
Mori has apologized for the error and said she meant to say the suspect should “ assert ” innocence , not prove it .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dignity and rights of defence have been essential components of what constitute a fair trial , ” he said .
“ Japan is an admirable , modern , otherwise advanced country .
It deserves better than an archaic system that holds innocent people hostage .
The onus is on you to abolish it.
“ He stressed it is up to prosecution to prove guilt , not the other way around .
Ghosn , who was awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges , fled Tokyo and appeared in Beirut Dec. 30 .
He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not extradite its citizens .
He reiterated in a news conference in Beirut this week that he was innocent and that he faced trumped up charges because Nissan Motor Co. , prosecutors and Japanese officials sought to block a fuller merger between Nissan and alliance partner Renault SA of France .
Japan ’ s conviction rate is higher than 99 % , and human rights advocates have long questioned the fairness of its judicial system .
Ghosn has said it is rigged and unjust .
Japan ’ s judiciary has come under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his harsh words earlier this week about how he was treated in detention , stuck in solitary confinement and grilled by prosecutors without a lawyer present , as well his bail conditions that barred him from seeing his wife .
Mori has said Japan ’ s system upholds human rights , provides a fair trial and has made for a low crime rate .
She accused Ghosn of “ propagating both within Japan and internationally false information on Japan ’ s legal system and its practice.
” “ That is absolutely intolerable @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Crash may be grim echo of US downing of Iran flight in 1988

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - The Western allegation that Iran shot down a Ukrainian jetliner and killed 176 people offers a grim echo for the Islamic Republic , which found itself the victim of an accidental shootdown by American forces over 30 years ago .
The July 3 , 1988 downing of Iran Air flight 655 by the U.S. Navy remains one of the moments the Iranian government points to in its decades-long distrust of America .
They rank it alongside the 1953 CIA-backed coup that toppled its elected prime minister and secured Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the 1979 Islamic Revolution .
As recently as last week , Iranian President Hassan Rouhani referenced the attack in criticizing President Donald Trump ’ s comments that U.S. forces had picked out 52 targets to be attacked in Iran if needed , one for each of the American hostages held after the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover .
“ Those who refer to the number 52 should also remember the number 290 .
# IR655 , ” Rouhani wrote on Twitter .
“ Never threaten the Iranian nation.
” The attack on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy refers to as Operation Praying Mantis , a daylong naval battle in the Persian Gulf between American forces and Iran during the country ’ s long 1980s war with Iraq .
That battle came after the USS Samuel B. Robertson struck a mine that the Americans later accused Iran of laying in the shipping channels it was trying to keep open for Kuwaiti oil tankers amid the so-called “ Tanker War.
” After the battle , U.S. forces continued to patrol shipping channels while Iran ’ s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard often harassed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s a tactic used even today in the narrows of the Strait of Hormuz , through which 20 % of the world ’ s oil passes .
Just after dawn on July 3 , 1988 , the USS Vincennes sent a helicopter to hover over Iranian speedboats the Navy described as harassing commercial ships .
The Iranians allegedly fired on the helicopter and the Vincennes gave chase , the Navy said .
Unacknowledged for years afterward by the Navy though , the Vincennes had crossed into Iranian territorial waters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian ships there .
As the fighting raged , Iran Air flight 655 took off from Bandar Abbas , Iran , heading for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates .
The Airbus A300 began its ascent as normal , part of a twice-weekly route flown by the airline for over 20 years .
The captain communicated with air traffic controllers in English , His last message was : “ Thank you , good day.
” The Vincennes meanwhile had mistaken the commercial aircraft for an Iranian F-14 , despite having state-of-the-art combat equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Navy made 11 radio warning calls on different frequencies before the Vincennes fired two missiles at the airplane , bringing it down and killing all aboard .
The aircraft ’ s “ black box ” flight recorders were never recovered .
The deaths shocked Iran , even amid the carnage of the war with Iraq , which would kill 1 million people .
Sixty-six of the dead were infants and children .
Authorities lined up wooden caskets of some of the dead in front of parliament in Tehran .
Iran ultimately would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 131.8 million settlement .
The U.S. later would give USS Vincennes Capt .
William C. Rogers the country ’ s Legion of Merit award , further angering Iran .
In the years since , Iran state television airs live footage on the anniversary of mourners wailing from boats at the spot the plane went down , tossing flowers into the warm waters of the Persian Gulf .
In recent years , hard-liners have begun linking the tragedy to Trump ’ s maximalist campaign targeting Tehran , which included unilaterally withdrawing the U.S. from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers and reimposing crushing sanctions .
Trump ’ s decision to include Iran among nations in his still-standing visa bans also angers Iranians with relatives in America or those hoping to study there .
But there ’ s also widespread anger against Iran ’ s government bubbling underneath the surface .
Economic protests have rocked the country , with the last round in November over government-set gasoline prices rising seeing over 300 people reportedly killed .
The Iranian rial , around 32,000 to $ 1 at the time of the 2015 nuclear deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Portraying the U.S. as a menace has helped bolster support of Iran ’ s government in the past .
The U.S. drone strike that killed Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week in Baghdad helped with that , seeing over a million people turn up in Tehran alone for his multi-city funeral procession .
But even that processional ended with a stampede in Soleimani ’ s hometown that killed at least 56 people and injured over 200 more .
That night , Iran launched its ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At dawn , news broke about the crash of the Ukrainian flight .


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Judge allows effort to recall Alaska governor to proceed

JUNEAU , Alaska - An Alaska judge ruled Friday that an effort to recall Republican Gov .
Mike Dunleavy may proceed , a decision that is expected to be appealed .
The decision from the bench by Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth in Anchorage followed arguments in the case and came two months after Gail Fenumiai , director of the state Division of Elections , rejected a bid to advance the recall effort .
Fenumiai has said her decision was based on an opinion from Attorney General Kevin Clarkson that found the reasons listed for recall were “ factually and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has argued that Clarkson ’ s analysis was overreaching and the recall effort should be allowed to move to a second , signature-gathering phase .
The state Department of Law has said the group ’ s claims lack specificity or fail to explain how the alleged conduct resulted in consequences justifying recall .
“ This is not a mere policy disagreement , and the recall sponsors have alleged serious violations of the law “ and constitutional issues , said Jahna Lindemuth , an attorney for the recall group who was an attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Walker .
She earlier argued that a showing of harm is not required .
Grounds for recall in Alaska are lack of fitness , incompetence , neglect of duties or corruption .
The recall group is not alleging corruption .
Margaret Paton-Walsh , an attorney for the state , said the court has to give meaning to terms such as neglect , incompetence and unfitness , and “ if you interpret them in this sort of extraordinarily broad way that the committee does , those terms essentially lose their meaning .
Neglect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to act .
Incompetence becomes any mistake that you might make .
Unfitness becomes doing something that the committee doesn ’ t like .
“ And I think that , in order to maintain a meaningful for-cause recall , those terms have to be given real substance , “ she continued .
Aarseth said it ’ s important to understand that the recall process is “ fundamentally a political process .
This is not an issue for the judicial branch to decide whether the governor should stay in office or not , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a question for the voters.
” He said he believes he does not have discretion to create more stringent definitions than have been used by courts before and said lawmakers have not stepped in to suggest that definitions used previously have been too broad or too liberally applied .
Messages seeking comment were left for the Department of Law and Dunleavy ’ s office .
The recall group , among its claims , said the Republican governor , who took office in late 2018 , violated the law by not appointing a judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state funds for partisan online ads and mailers , and improperly used his veto authority to “ attack the judiciary.
” Aarseth struck an allegation that said Dunleavy improperly used his veto to “ preclude the legislature from upholding its constitutional Health , Education and Welfare responsibilities.
” The judge said while it may be difficult to achieve a veto override , the legislature has that option .
He said petitions should be issued no later than Feb. 10 , unless that date is stayed by the Alaska Supreme Court .
If allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will need to gather at least 71,252 signatures .
Claire Pywell , who manages the recall group , said while celebrating the decision , “ we also recognize that the real work begins , and we ’ ve been headed in the right direction the whole time.
” She called the ruling “ a critical step in allowing the citizens of Alaska to exercise their constitutional right to recall.
” She said the group would move as quickly as possible in collecting signatures .
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have gathered enough signatures to prompt recall elections .
In 2012 , then-Wisconsin Gov .
Scott Walker survived such an election .


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Troopers rescue Alaska man whose cabin burned last month

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - An Alaska man whose remote cabin burned down in mid-December was rescued Friday by Alaska State @ @ @ @ @ 30 , was picked up in good health at his remote homestead 20 miles ( @ @ @ @ @ Skwentna , troopers said .
Skwentna , with a population of 35 , is 70 @ @ @ @ @ northwest of Anchorage .
The temperature at 2:30 p.m. Friday was 2 degrees ( -16.7 @ @ @ @ @ s family members had not heard from Steele for several weeks and requested that troopers @ @ @ @ @ The trooper helicopter crew at about 11 a.m. reached the homestead and saw Steele waving @ @ @ @ @ shelter .
He had stamped an SOS signal in snow .
The mid-December fire had @ @ @ @ @ to communicate , Steele told troopers .
Get more of the Star in your inbox @ @ @ @ @ from the Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to get today 's top stories @ @ @ @ @ lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Lawmakers vote down Tunisia’s new government amid opposition

TUNIS , Tunisia - Tunisian lawmakers voted down the North African country ’ s new government Friday , declaring no confidence in a Cabinet proposed by the moderate Islamist party that has the most parliament seats .
The vote promises more political deadlock in Tunisia , after three months of trying to put together a coalition leadership .
It came just before midnight after a heated , all-day debate in the country that unleashed the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 and has built a new democracy .
Of the 209 lawmakers present for Friday ’ s vote , only 72 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allied group , voted for the government proposed by Prime Minister-designate Habib Jemli .
There were 134 against and three abstentions .
Ennahdha won the most votes in the October parliamentary election , but only 53 of the 217 seats .
Jemli formed a government last week made up of independent figures .
Jemli said the ministers he selected were best-positioned to get through needed reforms after nine years of socioeconomic difficulties .
A dictatorial regime was brought down in the North African country during tumultuous 2011 events that triggered the Arab Spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected as head of state a week after the parliamentary election , ran as an independent outsider with support from Ennahdha .
After Friday ’ s vote , Saied is expected to ask another political figure to try to build support for a majority coalition government .
Prime Minister Youssef Chahed will continue as a caretaker head of government until a new government is approved .
If the impasse drags on , another election could be called .
Ennahdha insisted on the need to form a government soon to help Tunisia cope with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties expressed concern that Ennahdha is trying to seize too much power even though it only holds a quarter if parliament .
Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Can cash buy the Dem nomination? Two billionaires are trying

WASHINGTON - Billionaires Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer are testing an unproven theory in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination : that their vast personal wealth can buy the trophy .
Not since Texas businessman Ross Perot spent $ 63.5 million in 1992 ( more than $ 100 million in today ’ s dollars ) on his run for president as an independent have candidates for the White House banked so much on their massive fortunes alone on delivering results .
Donald Trump spent about $ 65 million of his own money in 2016 .
Bloomberg has spent more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little over two months .
Bloomberg , who founded a financial data and media company and served three terms as New York mayor , and Steyer , a California businessman , have saturated key primary states with hundreds of millions in TV and social media advertising .
They ’ ve also recruited top staff with above-market salaries while offering political figures and groups generous contributions as they work to build networks of support .
To the dismay of many in the party , it might work .
“ People underestimate the billionaires at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Katz , a progressive Democratic strategist in New York .
“ Just because you have all the money in the world doesn ’ t mean you will win the nomination and become president .
But it ’ s a hell of a head start.
” Democrats have long grappled with the sway the wealthy hold over politics , an issue that took on added gravity after the Supreme Court ’ s landmark 2010 Citizens United decision cleared the way for the flood of cash now coursing through the political system .
The party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 contest a referendum on the taint of big money in politics .
They championed small online donations from the grassroots base as the purest indicator of voter enthusiasm .
Bloomberg and Steyer have turned that argument inside out by eliminating the need for donors altogether , though unlike Bloomberg , Steyer does accept campaign contributions .
“ There is no question that the system is set up to benefit people who can self-fund , ” said Jared Leopold , a senior adviser to Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee , who dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling to attract donors .
“ They are twisted rules , but that ’ s the reality.
” Bloomberg and Steyer flirted with presidential bids early last year but pulled back at the last minute .
Yet after no clear front-runner emerged this cycle , Steyer , who is worth an estimated $ 1.6 billion by Forbes , entered the race in July .
Bloomberg — whose net worth Forbes said is greater than $ 50 billion — announced his campaign in November .
By December , Steyer had spent more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tracking firm Advertising Analytics .
Bloomberg , meanwhile , crossed the $ 200 million ad spending threshold Friday morning , the firm announced , a sum that nearly surpasses the $ 222 million spent by the entire rest of the field .
For now , their big-money approach appears to be paying some dividends .
Steyer made waves Thursday when Fox News polls in Nevada and South Carolina measured his support in those states in double digits , though he fell well below that mark in national polls released in December , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire .
Bloomberg has not focused his attention on the early primary and caucus states and has instead zeroed in on the larger delegate-rich states on Super Tuesday and later primaries .
He has registered mid-single-digit support in national polls but has risen steadily along with his advertising .
He has come in below former Vice-President Joe Biden , as well as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , but higher in some polls than either Steyer or some of the established candidates , including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resiliency that other prominent candidates in the race did not enjoy , which hastened their exit , including California Sen. Kamala Harris , New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , former Texas Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke and Inslee .
“ If you are out-of-sight and out-of-mind in the air wars , it ’ s hard to envision a circumstance where you can come back and win the nomination .
That ’ s just the harsh reality of a crowded field , “ said Ian Sams , who was Harris ’ lead spokesman before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ No single factor led to Kamala ’ s exit from this race as much as a lack of financial resources.
” So far , Steyer and Bloomberg have largely avoided the attacks from rivals and intense media scrutiny that can sink a candidacy .
That will change if they become top-tier candidates .
Steyer briefly found himself in an unwanted spotlight in November after The Associated Press revealed a top aide in Iowa was offering campaign contributions in exchange for endorsements .
Bloomberg has had a virtual monopoly on presidential advertising and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional starting-gun states of Iowa and New Hampshire .
In Georgia , which won ’ t vote until after Super Tuesday , he recently donated $ 5 million to a voting rights political group led by Stacey Abrams , a rising star who nearly became Georgia ’ s first black female governor in 2018 , losing a close race .
During an appearance there on Friday , he described himself as a “ middle-class kid ” who was “ lucky enough ” to finish college and find success .
He only glancingly referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he ’ s not accepting contributions from anyone .
Steyer , too , appears to be benefiting from limited competition in states that have yet to draw a glut of advertising from the other candidates , most of whom are more focused on Iowa and New Hampshire .
In Nevada , where Steyer was already known as the man running commercials calling for Trump to be impeached , his face and voice dominate the airwaves — unlike most of the rest of the 2020 field .
He also invested in conspicuous electronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on highways around Las Vegas .
In South Carolina , Steyer has spent more than $ 10 million on ads .
Most of the state ’ s Democratic electorate is black , and he ’ s targeted minority-owned media in particular , spending a half million dollars on black radio .
“ Communicating in a vacuum can move numbers , ” said Leopold , the Inslee adviser .
“ But the question is when people start tuning into other names and seeing other people on their TV set , do they stick with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sugar high ?
” In the meantime , it ’ s drawing him attention , including at an event last month at Allen University , a historically black college in Columbia .
When Steyer took the stage , a student in the audience who up until that moment hadn ’ t been paying attention perked up and exclaimed : “ Oh , it ’ s that guy — I ’ ve seen him on TV.
“ Kinnard reported from Columbia , S.C. , and Price reported from Las Vegas .
Associated Press writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington contributed to this report .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

Brian Slodysko, Meg Kinnard And Michelle L. Price - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Biden seeks to upstage Buttigieg in fight for California

LOS ANGELES - Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg chased California votes on Friday in dueling events , looking to sway Democrats in the state that delivers the largest haul of delegates in the presidential contest .
Appearing at a short-term housing complex for the homeless , Buttigieg promised a new era of help for people living on the streets , while Biden sought to upstage the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor with a formal endorsement from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti attended by firefighters .
The endorsement was initially announced Thursday .
Garcetti called Biden a longtime friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right moment.
” Garcetti was an early supporter of President Barack Obama , in whose administration Biden served as vice-president for eight years .
Buttigieg ’ s stop highlighted the homeless crisis in Los Angeles , where tent cities line downtown streets and freeway underpasses are frequently filled with makeshift communities of people with nowhere else to go .
He listened intently to stories from residents of the so-called bridge home who described their journey from the streets to the shelter , where they are linked with health services , receive assistance restoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permanent housing .
Residents can stay up to nine months .
Jessica Kelly , who said she once had a career in pharmaceutical sales , described how her life unraveled after a string of back surgeries led to opioid misuse and , eventually , a heroin addition .
After several years without a home , finding a bed at the shelter has been “ a blessing for me , ” she told Buttigieg .
Buttigieg has said he will invest $ 430 billion to make affordable housing available for over 7 million families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with children .
The mayor stressed that homeless was a problem that cuts across communities “ of every size , in every climate.
” He has faced criticism in his hometown for being too slow to act , but his campaign said homelessness was cut by 25 % during his tenure .
A small but noisy group of Black Lives Matter protesters shadowed his visit , chanting on a sidewalk outside the shelter that Buttigieg was a “ fake ” and “ anti-black.
” A planned outdoor discussion with residents was moved indoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could still be faintly heard in the room .
“ The people of South Bend feel abandoned , ” said protester Kahmiil Middleton , who lives in South Bend .
Buttigieg told reporters afterward , “ It is important to me that I have the support that I do from black residents of South Bend .
I know that support is not 100 % , and I respect those political differences.
” Candidates are competing for over 400 delegates in California ’ s March 3 primary , though mail-in ballots will be going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time the Iowa caucuses kick off the presidential election .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has a massive volunteer organizing effort underway in California , while billionaire Michael Bloomberg has been spending tens of millions on TV advertising across the heavily Democratic state .
With Garcetti ’ s endorsement , Biden is strengthening his position as the favourite within the Democratic establishment .
President Donald Trump , who lost California by over 4 million votes in 2016 , has called the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles , San Francisco and other big cities disgraceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the problem .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Epstein gave $850,000 to MIT, visited 9 times, report finds

BOSTON - Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein donated $ 750,000 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and visited campus at least nine times as he sought to rehabilitate his image following a 2008 sex crimes conviction , according to findings released Friday by a law firm hired to investigate Epstein ’ s ties with the school .
The firm ’ s report finds that at least three senior leaders at MIT approved Epstein ’ s donations but demanded that they be kept out of the public spotlight in an attempt to protect the elite school ’ s reputation .
They recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report found , even as Epstein continued to flaunt his MIT ties online and in press releases .
Investigators concluded that MIT ’ s leaders made “ significant errors of judgment ” but did not violate any laws or school policies in accepting gifts from a convicted sex offender .
At the time , the school had no formal policy on accepting gifts from controversial donors , leaving officials to make “ ad hoc determinations , ” the report found .
MIT says it will now develop clearer policies around such gifts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was largely cleared in the report , called the findings “ a sharp reminder of human fallibility and its consequences.
” “ An enduring MIT value is the willingness to face hard facts , and as community voices have made clear , this situation demands openness and transparency , ” Reif wrote in a campus letter on Friday .
In total , investigators found that Epstein made 10 donations totalling $ 850,000 to MIT between 2002 and 2017 .
Nearly all of it went to the MIT Media Lab or to Seth Lloyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend of Epstein .
Former Media Lab director Joi Ito resigned last year amid uproar over his ties to Epstein .
He issued a public apology and vowed to raise money for nonprofits that help victims of trafficking .
Lloyd , who has also apologized , was placed on paid administrative leave Friday amid findings that he “ purposefully failed to inform MIT “ about $ 100,000 he accepted from Epstein in 2012 .
He did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Investigators said Epstein contacted Lloyd in 2012 as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his sex crimes conviction .
Epstein was disappointed that other universities were rejecting his money , the report says , and sent an email to Lloyd as a test .
In an email , he told Lloyd , “ im going to give you two 50k tranches to see if the line jingles.
” Lloyd chose not to alert officials about Epstein ’ s criminal past because he knew it would jeopardize the gift , the report found .
He later acknowledged to investigators that he had been “ professionally remiss.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a personal gift from Epstein in 2005 or 2006 , and he received $ 125,000 from the financier in 2017 to support a sabbatical .
In August , Reif announced that MIT would donate an amount equal to its donations from Epstein to a charity that supports victims of sexual violence .
Reif has acknowledged that his signature was on a 2012 letter thanking Epstein for a donation , but Reif said he does not recall signing it .
The review found that Reif was not involved in discussions over Epstein ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 66 , killed himself in his New York City prison cell in August after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges .
The wealthy financier had pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing girls as young as 14 and young women in New York and Florida in the early 2000s .
In lawsuits , women say the abuse spanned decades .
Certain senior leaders at MIT became aware of Epstein ’ s philanthropy after he gave $ 100,000 to the Media Lab in 2013 .
That donation triggered discussions among at least three executives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but later accepted Epstein as a donor as long as his gifts were kept quiet .
A 2013 memo from Jeffrey Newton , who was then vice-president for resource development , requested that officials “ please mark all of Epstein ’ s gifts as anonymous.
” “ We do not want his name appearing on any list of supporters or donors in any form , ” Newton wrote .
“ No acknowledgment letters from the president .
I think this is the best we can do right now.
” Along with Newton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were approved by R. Gregory Morgan , senior vice-president ; and Israel Ruiz , executive vice-president and treasurer .
Morgan has also retired , and Ruiz “ has expressed deep regret , which we believe is sincere , for what he believes was a collective and continued error of judgment , ” the report found .
MIT officials told investigators they knew of no other case in which a donor ’ s gifts were marked as anonymous at the request of the school .
Such demands are typically made by donors , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to conceal his gifts , and even publicized them on his websites despite objections from MIT officials .
As the Media Lab sought more donations from Epstein , it regularly invited him to campus to talk with faculty and researchers .
From 2013 through 2017 he visited campus at least nine times , the review found , usually at the invitation of Ito .
But from early on , staff had concerns .
In 2013 , Ito wrote in an email that some people in the office were “ weirded out ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him “ Voldemort ” or “ he who must not be named , ” investigators found .
Some said Epstein ’ s presence made them feel uncomfortable , especially when he brought female assistants who appeared to be in their 20s .
The visits were arranged without the knowledge of senior officials , the report found , and Ito stopped inviting Epstein in 2017 .
Epstein ’ s last donation to the school was in 2017 .
He gave $ 25,000 to the Media Lab .
MIT rejected $ 25,000 that Epstein tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was being investigated for trafficking .
The $ 25,000 was a gift that Arizona State University had recently returned to Epstein as he faced new scrutiny .
On Friday , Reif promised a slate of changes in response to the findings .
He said the school will create policies guiding decisions on gifts from controversial donors , and he called for new rules to help keep the campus safe from visitors “ who could pose a direct threat.
” “ As all of you demonstrated , there is a great deal that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his campus letter .
“ We must fix what needs fixing and improve what needs improving .
And we must make room for many more voices and perspectives.
“


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--FBI tightening up wiretap protocols after watchdog report

WASHINGTON - The FBI said Friday it was taking steps to improve the accuracy and completeness of its wiretap applications for national security investigations and to provide better training for agents .
The changes were described in a 30-page filing with the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court .
They come one month after the chief judge of that court ordered the FBI to say how it would fix problems identified in a harshly critical Justice Department inspector general report on the bureau ’ s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia .
That investigation found that FBI applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aide omitted key information about the credibility of sources it was relying on .
“ Critically , the FBI must also balance the implementation of these actions with its ongoing responsibility to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States , during a time of ever-present threats to our national security , “ FBI Director Chris Wray said in a statement filed with the court .
“ The leadership of the FBI has devoted — and will continue to devote — a substantial amount of time , thought , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while paying scrupulous attention to its duty of candour to the Court and maintaining the trust of the American people , “ he added .
Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
Sign up for our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-01-10--Mississippi will have Democratic primary for US Senate

JACKSON , Miss .
- Former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy is aiming for a rematch of a U.S. Senate race that he lost to Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi in 2018 , in hopes of reversing the outcome .
To compete with her in November , he will first have to push past two candidates in the Democratic primary .
Friday was the deadline for candidates to qualify for Mississippi ’ s March 10 primaries for U.S. House and Senate .
Nobody filed to challenge Hyde-Smith in the Republican primary , so she moves straight to the Nov. 3 general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a steadfast supporter of President Donald Trump , who came to Mississippi to campaign for her last time .
“ We can not let the liberals win , ” Hyde-Smith said when she filed her qualifying papers Jan. 3 .
Espy announced his candidacy nearly two months ago , and he has been raising money .
He filed qualifying papers Thursday .
“ I want to be a partner in building the ‘ New Mississippi , ’ devoid of all the old stereotypes and symbols that have divided us for so long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Mississippi , ” Espy said in a statement after he filed .
Tobey B. Bartee , who is a former military intelligence officer , and Jensen Bohren , who has been a teacher , also filed to seek the Democratic nomination for Senate .
Both Bartee and Bohren have previously run for the Senate , but neither of them raised much money .
Espy is a Democratic former congressman and was U.S. agriculture secretary during President Bill Clinton ’ s first term in the 1990s .
Espy lost a November 2018 special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointed to the seat months earlier when longtime Republican Sen. Thad Cochran retired .
The special election was to fill the final two years of the six-year term Cochran started .
The 2018 race drew national attention after Hyde-Smith praised a supporter by saying she would attend a public hanging if the man invited her .
Her campaign said it was an expression of regard , but Espy , who is African American , said the remark showed a callousness toward Mississippi ’ s history of racist violence .
Bartee raised and spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special election .
He placed last among the four candidates as Espy and Hyde-Smith advanced to the runoff .
Bartee filed qualifying papers Friday .
In a brief interview , he said he would talk about issues later because he wants in-depth discussion and not “ sound bites.
” “ I make no promise of easy answers or quick solutions because there are no shortcuts , ” Bartee says on his campaign website .
“ History has repeatedly taught us that sustainable progress is the result of deliberate planning and smart , timely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign in 2018 for Mississippi ’ s other Senate seat that ’ s held by Republican Roger Wicker .
Bohren came in last among the six candidates in that Democratic primary .
If primary runoffs are needed , they will be March 31 .
Federal Election Commission documents show Espy raised nearly $ 100,000 through Sept. 30 and had $ 131,000 on hand , while Hyde-Smith raised more than $ 983,000 and had $ 583,000 on hand .

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press