thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Asia Today: Duterte extends virus calamity status by a year

MANILA , Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte says he has extended a state of calamity in the entire Philippines by a year to allow the government to draw emergency funds faster to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and harness the police and military to maintain law and order .
Duterte first placed the country under a state of calamity in March when the number of confirmed infections was approaching 200 with about a dozen deaths .
The country now has more than 290,000 confirmed cases , the highest in Southeast Asia , with nearly 5,000 deaths .
The tough-talking president lashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Monday for accusing his administration of not doing enough to contain the outbreak .
“ What ‘ enough ’ do you want ?
There are hospitals , beds and funeral parlours .
Everything is there , ” Duterte said , specifying Vice-President Leni Robredo , who leads the opposition , in his tirade .
“ You know Leni , if you want , if you really want to do away with COVID , let ’ s spray the Philippines or Manila over with pesticide to kill all .
...
The only thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to wear a mask , wear a face mask , and that ’ s it and wait for the vaccine , ” Duterte said in his southern hometown in Davao city .
The state of calamity in place until September 2021 will be used mainly to draw emergency funds quickly anywhere in the country .
Officials can also control the prices of basic commodities like rice and cooking oil .
Quarantine restrictions such as social distancing remain as they are now .
Duterte also said a ban on the deployment of Filipino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with finalized work contracts abroad has been lifted .
Those without signed contracts remain prohibited from leaving the country to ensure an adequate supply of medical workers amid the outbreak .
The Philippines is a leading source of global labour , including medical personnel .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — Health officials say India will have to exercise caution during its upcoming festive season .
Autumn is the festival season in many parts of India , a nation where religious celebrations and rituals are a big part of peoples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a festival of lights celebrated by Hindus , Sikhs , Jains and others .
Dr. V.K Paul , who heads a coronavirus taskforce , said Indians need to exercise physical distancing and wear masks while celebrating .
He said people congregating during festivals provides the perfect conditions for the virus to spread .
The next two to three months will be critical for India , he said .
India has been forced to relax virus restrictions despite rising cases due to its devastated economy , which contracted nearly 24 % in the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 caused a severe economic crisis .
The festive period is also deeply linked to the economy , with businesses hoping that sales will pick up .
India announced more than 75,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday along with 1,053 more deaths , taking total fatalities to 88,935 .
— South Korea has added 61 coronavirus cases , its lowest daily increase since mid-August amid a downward trend in new infections .
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Tuesday the additional cases took the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including 388 deaths .
It ’ s the third day in a row that South Korea ’ s daily virus tally has stayed below 100 .
South Korea had experienced an uptick in new infections , mostly in the greater Seoul area , since early last month , before its caseload recently began slowing under stringent physical distancing rules .
— South Korea ’ s prime minister tested negative for the coronavirus on Tuesday after a person working in his office was infected .
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun ’ s office said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t come in contact with the staff member since last Wednesday .
Officially , Chung is South Korea ’ s No .
2 official and has been playing a leading role in government-led efforts to contain the coronavirus .
Executive power in South Korea is concentrated in the president .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Dog trapped in 30-foot hole lured to safety with beef jerky

MORGANTON , N.C. - A group of mountain bikers on a North Carolina trail spotted a dog trapped 30 feet ( 9 metres ) down in a sinkhole — and it took a salty snack and some straps to lift him to safety .
The group was riding the Sinkhole Trail at Pisgah National Forest , about 50 miles ( 80 kilometres ) south of Asheville , on Sunday when they encountered the dog , who had apparently been stuck in the hole for several days , according to Burke County Search And Rescue .
The bikers called for help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the stranded animal , where they repelled into the sinkhole , enticed the starving dog with some beef jerky and raised him to safety using a harness , the rescue squad said .
The dog was not injured , but was starving and dehydrated , according to the rescuers .
He was taken to Burke County Animal Services for an examination and named “ Sinker.
” Officials said he did not have a collar or a microchip , and if owners are not found , he could be placed up for adoption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is named for the large sinkhole along its ridge .

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thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Amid China’s bumpy rise, Xi faces delicate moment at UN

TOKYO - The descriptions that China ’ s state media rolled out ahead of leader Xi Jinping ’ s speech Tuesday at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations were hardly unexpected .
The Xinhua news agency lauded him as as a “ champion of the U.N. ethos , ” and commentaries laid out his expectations and plans as he prepared for virtual meetings with his colleagues at the U.N. General Assembly .
All of the propaganda was peppered with assertions of China ’ s long history as a paragon of world co-operation , and of Xi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the international stage .
But scattered clues suggest some unease as China looks to manage its staggering — and staggeringly complex — military , economic and political rise while confronting the aggressive containment strategies of the world ’ s current superpower , the United States , and its friends and allies .
“ Xi Jinping has his work cut out for him at the General Assembly , ” said Mike Mazza , a China analyst at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington .
He pointed to tensions with Europe over trade and investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition to the Trump administration ’ s more consistently confrontational approach to China .
Xi has failed to leverage ill feelings between many European leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump , while a potential detente with Japan has stalled .
Relations with Australia have nosedived over allegations of spying and political manipulation and calls for an investigation into the Chinese origins of the coronavirus outbreak , Mazza said .
Despite distancing itself from Washington in favour of Beijing in recent years , the Philippines recently backed away from a threat to cancel a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , another setback to Beijing ’ s push to dominate the region .
These troubles are , “ by and large , problems of its own making , ” Mazza said of China .
As aggressive as Beijing can seem to its neighbours when using its fast-expanding military and powerful economy to carve out what it sees as its natural sphere of influence in Asia , this is a fragile moment in what ’ s often seen as China ’ s inevitable rise as a superpower .
Beijing has faced criticism over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which originated in China late last year .
Some say Beijing initially attempted to cover up the outbreak before seeking to take advantage of its response for public relations ends .
There ’ s outrage over China ’ s severe restriction of civil rights in Hong Kong following its imposition on the semi-autonomous city of a sweeping national security law , and over widespread accusations of mass detentions and cultural genocide against Muslims in the Xinjiang region .
And there ’ s wariness also over China ’ s rising pressure and military threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Beijing claims as its own territory .
Meanwhile , China ’ s moves to claim nearly the entire South China Sea have led to friction with the United States and with Beijing ’ s neighbours to the south , while a decades-long border dispute with India erupted this year into deadly brawling between the rivals ’ troops and the firing of shots for the first time in decades .
All this has undercut arguments that favour engagement with China as a trade war between Beijing , the world ’ s second-biggest economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to simmer .
“ Xi will find a very mixed international environment when he addresses the UNGA .
Most of the democracies which had previously been very supportive of China ’ s modernization and development are getting uncomfortable with how Xi is steering the rise of China , “ said Steve Tsang , director of the China Institute at London ’ s School of Oriental and African Studies .
Xi , in prepared remarks released before a meeting to commemorate the 75th U.N. anniversary , took veiled but unmistakable aim at Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dominate global affairs , control the destiny of others , or keep advantages in development all to itself , ” Xi said .
“ Even less should one be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon , bully or boss of the world .
Unilateralism is a dead end.
“ This could just as easily be describing China ’ s Asian neighbours ’ feelings at what many see as Beijing ’ s aggressive foreign policy .
“ Beijing is incapable of acknowledging that its own actions may have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to the extent problems are acknowledged , the source will always be someone else , “ said Ralph Cossa , president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think-tank in Hawaii .
The United States and China are now “ locked on a collision course that could potentially result in dangerous military conflict , ” said Brookings Institution China analyst Cheng Li .
An immediate goal of Xi ’ s will be to “ showcase how China has stepped up to the plate to call for multilateralism and address global concerns — from economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and international peace-keeping — while the United States has increasingly left a gaping void in global leadership.
” While many in the world have mixed feelings about China ’ s rise , others will see it as a model of COVID-19 recovery and assistance — in “ glaring contrast ” to the United States , said Brantley Womack of the University of Virginia ’ s Miller Center .
Xi will also likely be appreciated at the U.N. by countries looking for investment and debt relief under China ’ s massive Belt and Road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia .
“ Just as the global financial crisis in 2008 set the stage for China ’ s entrance as a global economic power , the COVID crisis provides a new spotlight for China as a global political power , ” Womack said .
“ In both cases , China ’ s presence is acknowledged but not necessarily welcome , and China ’ s diplomatic challenge is to put its best face forward.
” Foster Klug , AP ’ s news director for the Koreas , Japan , Australia and the South Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UNGA meetings since 2005 .
Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/apklug


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Graham: GOP has votes to confirm Trump court pick by Nov. 3

WASHINGTON - Republicans have the votes to confirm President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court pick before the Nov. 3 presidential election , according to the Senate Judiciary chairman who will shepherd the nomination through the chamber .
“ The nominee is going to be supported by every Republican in the Judiciary Committee , “ Chairman Lindsey Graham told Fox News late Monday .
” We ’ ve got the votes to confirm the justice on the floor of the Senate before the election and that ’ s what ’ s coming.
” Trump is expected to announce his choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by week ’ s end , setting off a monumental Senate battle with Democrats , who contend it ’ s too close to the November election .
The president met with conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett at the White House on Monday and told reporters he would interview other candidates and might meet with Judge Barbara Lagoa when he travels to Florida later this week .
Conversations in the White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s office have been increasingly focused on Barrett and Lagoa , according to a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber and can confirm a justice by a simple majority .
Barrett has long been favoured by conservatives , and those familiar with the process said interest inside the White House seemed to be waning for Lagoa amid concerns by some that she did not have a proven record as a conservative jurist .
Lagoa has been pushed by some aides who tout her political advantages of being Hispanic and hailing from the key political battleground state of Florida .
Barrett , 48 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the 7th Circuit , was a strong contender for the seat that eventually went to Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 .
At the time , Trump told confidants he was “ saving ” Barrett for Ginsburg ’ s seat .
Before joining the 7th Circuit , she had made her mark in law primarily as an academic at the University of Notre Dame , where she received a law degree and later began teaching at age 30 .
She clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antonin Scalia , worked at the Miller , Cassidy , Larroca & Lewin law firm in Washington , D.C. , then returned to Notre Dame .
Barrett has long expressed sympathy with a mode of interpreting the Constitution , called originalism , in which justices try to decipher original meanings of texts in deciding cases .
Many liberals say that approach doesn ’ t allow the Constitution to change with the times .
Trump has said he would choose a woman , and he admitted that politics may play a role .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , Michigan , and White House officials confirmed he was referring to Joan Larsen , a federal appeals court judge there .
The president also indicated that Allison Jones Rushing , a 38-year-old appellate judge from North Carolina , is on his short list .
His team is also actively considering Kate Todd , the White House deputy counsel who has never been a judge but was a clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas .
Democrats , led by presidential nominee Joe Biden , are protesting the Republicans ’ rush to replace Ginsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Election Day , and the winner of the White House should fill the vacancy .
Trump dismissed those arguments , telling TV ’ s “ Fox & Friends “ on Monday , “ I think that would be good for the Republican Party , and I think it would be good for everybody to get it over with.
” The mounting clash over the vacant seat — when to fill it and with whom — injects new turbulence in the presidential campaign with the nation still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger .
Democrats point to hypocrisy in Republicans trying to rush through a pick so close to the election after McConnell led the GOP in refusing to vote on a nominee of President Barack Obama in February 2016 , long before that year ’ s election .
Biden is appealing to GOP senators to “ uphold your constitutional duty , your conscience ” and wait until after the election .
Ginsburg , 87 , died Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer .
She will lie in state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first woman ever accorded that honour .
First , her casket is to be on view midweek on the steps of the high court .
With just over a month before the election , McConnell said the Senate has “ more than sufficient time.
“ No nominee has won confirmation so quickly since Sandra Day O ’ Connor — with no opposition from either party — became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in 1981 .
Both sides are mobilizing for a wrenching confirmation fight punctuated by crucial issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access and even the potential outcome of the coming presidential election .
Some protesters showed up early Monday morning outside the homes of key GOP senators .
At a Trump rally later Monday in Ohio , people chanted , “ Fill the seat !
” As the Senate returned to Washington on Monday , several key GOP senators , including Mitt Romney of Utah , declined to say whether they would agree to a swift vote .
Four Republicans could halt a quick confirmation and Trump criticized Republican Sens .
Susan Collins of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposing a vote before elections .
The president warned they would be “ very badly hurt ” by voters .
Others , including GOP Sens .
Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Cory Gardner of Colorado , declined to join in opposing the president ’ s plan .
Biden has appealed to Republicans to join Murkowski and Collins in opposing a confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election .
He said , “ Let the people speak .
Cool the flames that have engulfed our country.
” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer objected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ utterly craven ” pursuit of Supreme Court confirmation under current circumstances , warning it would shatter Senate norms .
“ It ’ s enough to make your head explode , ” he said .
Jaffe reported from Philadelphia .
Lemire reported from New York .
Laurie Kellman , Mark Sherman , Kevin Freking and Mike Balsamo in Washington , Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Steve Peoples in New York contributed to this report .

Lisa Mascaro, Zeke Miller And Jonathan Lemire - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Black voters in Detroit key for Biden, but are they engaged?

DETROIT - Wendy Caldwell-Liddell is tired of waiting for change in Detroit .
The nation ’ s largest Black-majority city has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic and its ensuing economic fallout .
More than 14,200 COVID-19 cases and 1,500 deaths have been confirmed in the city .
So when the 29-year-old Black mother of two thinks about what ’ s at stake in the November presidential election , her answer is simple : Everything .
She ’ s determined to help defeat President Donald Trump .
“ Trump won Michigan by less than 11,000 votes , ” noted Caldwell-Liddell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a newly formed grassroots organization .
“ And so , our thought process is , if we can just get an additional 15,000 or 20,000 to show up , that could change Michigan ’ s trajectory for the presidential election.
“ Black voters across Michigan will be pivotal in deciding who will win the battleground state in November .
But engaging them at a time of immense uncertainty across the nation because of the pandemic and unrest over the effects of systemic racism has been especially challenging .
Both Trump and Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among Black voters across the state .
Biden visited Detroit earlier this month , and his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , will be in Detroit and Flint on Tuesday holding discussions with potential voters .
Trump ’ s campaign has opened an office on Detroit ’ s west side in the heart of a neighbourhood where local residents say they ’ ve never seen a Republican presence before .
Trump campaign officials said volunteers have been knocking on doors and doing other field activities across the state .
“ Throughout this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paint President Trump as someone he ’ s not in a veiled attempt to hide his own abysmal racist record on Black America , “ Trump deputy national press secretary Ken Farnaso said in a statement .
“ With President Trump in the Oval Office , Black Americans can rest assure that they have a true fighter and advocate working on their behalf.
” But in a city that has always been a Democratic stronghold , Trump ’ s presence is troubling to local officials who say they want to see Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We don ’ t have any type of engagement in Detroit , and it ’ s just mind-boggling , ” said Nicole Small , a Detroit Charter Commission member .
“ And now you have , especially young Black voters and people living in poverty , saying , well , what difference is it going to make if we vote for Biden or if we vote for Trump ?
They ’ re being dismissed and overlooked by the Democratic Party.
“ Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib said she ’ s getting volunteers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 13th Congressional District , which is largely African American .
“ I tell them this is not just about names on the ballot , “ Tlaib said .
” This is about the issues that matter to us .
It ’ s about getting closer to ending the broken systems that have been so oppressive and painful for so many of our communities of colour.
” Biden ’ s campaign and state Democratic Party officials have said they ’ re reaching voters through virtual events and making “ millions of calls and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ ve also invested heavily in television , radio and digital ads across the state and are fulfilling orders for several thousands of campaign signs .
The campaign said it has a field team with a strong African American outreach program and a voter protection team focused on engaging communities of colour .
In an interview this month with longtime Detroit radio host Mildred Gaddis , Biden noted that Michigan , and its Black voters in Detroit , are “ critically important.
“ “ When I was the vice-president , I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit , remember ?
” Biden said .
“ I went in all those neighbourhoods .
We provided tens of millions of dollars to get Detroit back on its feet .
And so there ’ s a whole range of things that I ’ ve been deeply involved in the community , but I ’ m going to be coming back , God willing , in order to be able to make the case why what the president has done to the African American community has been devastating , and what I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uplifting.
” In Wayne County , which is 39 % Black and includes Detroit , Hillary Clinton won 66 % of the vote in 2016 , a noticeable drop from the 80 % President Barack Obama won in 2012 .
About 37,000 fewer people turned out to vote in 2016 than in 2012 .
Democratic state leaders said they learned hard lessons and that the party has worked to connect with Black voters .
“ The excitement is there if you look at the number of folks who participate in our virtual events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to participate in the in-person events that Dr. Jill Biden and Joe Biden himself did here in Michigan , “ said Michigan Democratic Party chair Lavora Barnes .
” People are very enthusiastic about voting for Biden and Harris and turning this president out in November.
” But deep within Detroit neighbourhoods , grassroots activist Ramone Jackson said people are struggling and disengaged from the political process .
“ We are in a dire situation as a Black community so we ’ ve got to understand our power , ” said Jackson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power of voting with a sharp focus on local elections .
“ That power , it ’ s our Congress members , not the president .
We ’ ve got to hold them accountable.
“ But challenges remain in connecting specifically with apathetic voters and with younger Black voters who might have more progressive leanings — key demographics that Branden Snyder , the executive director of Detroit Action , said his organization is trying to reach .
“ We ’ ve got about 48,000 new young people who ’ ve been registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mobilize , ” said Snyder , the previous deputy organizing director in charge of Youth Voting for the Hillary For Michigan 2016 presidential campaign .
“ We ’ re building an army of people that we can engage not just this year in the presidency , but also for 2021 with local elections.
” But Black voters who live in suburban counties , like Oakland County resident Lucell Trammer , a 40-year-old father of two , say it ’ s important for the party to connect with them , too .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re in every single voting bloc , we ’ re in every single county , ” Trammer said , noting that Black voters are not a monolith and represent a swath of classes and backgrounds .
“ We tend to be the bellwether , especially African American women .
I tell people all the time : If you don ’ t listen to any other voting bloc , listen to African American women.
” Kat Stafford is a member of the AP ’ s Race and Ethnicity team .
Follow Stafford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email her at kstafford @ ap.org .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Mother of IS member loses bid to block UK evidence transfer

LONDON - The mother of a British man who is suspected in the beheadings of Westerners taken hostage by the Islamic State group lost a court challenge Tuesday to the British government ’ s decision to share evidence about her son with American authorities .
El Shafee Elsheikh and another British man who admitted joining IS , Alexanda Kotey , are in U.S. custody .
The two are are accused of belonging to a cell of executioners responsible for killing Western captives in Syria .
Surviving captives nicknamed them and two other jihadists they encountered “ The Beatles ” because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elsheikh ’ s mother challenged British Home Secretary Priti Patel ’ s decision to provide information to U.S. prosecutors under a “ mutual legal assistance ” request , arguing that the move was unlawful and incompatible with data protection laws .
Judges rejected the case Tuesday , meaning that British authorities can now hand over the requested evidence to American authorities .
U.S. prosecutors notified the British government last month that they would not pursue the death penalty against the two suspects , removing a hurdle in the men ’ s potential prosecution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively blocked the sharing of evidence with American authorities because the U.S. had not offered assurances that the death penalty was off the table .
The British men , captured two years ago by a Kurdish-led , U.S.-backed militia , are accused of participating in a brutal Islamic State group cell known for beheadings and the barbaric treatment of American aid workers , journalists and other hostages in Syria .
U.S. officials have not announced any charges against the men , but have spoken of their desire to see members of the cell @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--VIRUS DIARY:  As time ran short, a son rushed to say goodbye

RIO DE JANEIRO - No man is an island , the poem says .
But amid pandemic quarantine , when my dad started having episodes of feeling faint , he seemed so isolated .
Coronavirus protocols meant consulting a doctor by video who told him his symptoms weren ’ t worrisome , and he only needed to be careful about falling .
Then he fainted and went into a coma .
My mom wasn ’ t sure that my dad , a physician , would want me or my three brothers risking infection to travel home to Massachusetts .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five months of avoiding airplanes and hospitals , I rushed headlong toward both .
We spent days in the critical care unit , hearing worsening prognoses .
They allowed us all into his room , and one night we huddled to watch a last Red Sox game together with a team blanket draped over Dad ’ s legs .
As the Sox clobbered the Orioles , we muffled cheers .
His late-game snoring made it seem he ’ d dozed off , per usual .
The next day , we each spent time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I knew I ’ d hear his voice when questions about fatherhood eventually arise .
Then we all gathered around him and held hands .
My mom prayed , and he slipped away .
“ Your father had a beautiful death , ” she said to me a few nights later .
My dad was at college when his father passed .
My grandfather had a watch repair shop in Rhode Island .
He suffered a heart attack just after retirement while awaiting an airport taxi for his first-ever vacation , to Bermuda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how time can suddenly run short .
It could explain why he had an uncanny ability to distill joy from small moments .
I keep coming back to the family vacation we ’ d planned for July , and how it would ’ ve been more than just another trip .
The purpose had been to commemorate him surviving open-heart surgery in March .
He wanted a blowout after his recovery — an unsurprising wish from the man who , since retiring last year , had made clear that time spent with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reserved a house on an island off Massachusetts for our first family trip there in almost 20 years .
We ’ d listen to James Taylor , play Scrabble and buy boiled lobsters to eat on the beach while watching the sunset .
It was a reunion to anticipate , and to motivate his recovery .
Then COVID-19 surged .
We held out hope , but as weeks dragged on it became clear that the U.S. hadn ’ t gotten a handle on the virus .
We cancelled the house .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrowed time .
That precious time was squandered by the actions of so many who disregarded experts ’ recommendations — actions that prolonged the pandemic and stole 2020 from us all .
So the memory that will stand as my last visit with my dad was when I came home from Brazil in 2019 for his surprise retirement party .
As he laid eyes on a houseful of friends , you could watch it dawn on him that he was finally in the clear .
I can hear his booming call when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hug .
We toasted his career and honoured him all night with raised glasses .
I recounted a Sox game where I heard him explain how he watches out for his boys above everyone , no matter what .
That was my first glimpse of what fatherhood was all about .
That party was the unintended prelude for an event my family arranged Aug. 28 on a sunny spot of lawn next to a pond outside the colonial Wayside Inn , where my parents held their wedding reception 40 years ago .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attendance beneath the state-mandated limit .
Several dozen more Zoomed in .
Everyone wore masks and kept their distances .
Family and close friends shared joyful stories beneath a weeping willow .
It wasn ’ t the post-surgery celebration of life Dad had envisioned , but it will have to do until we can gather again .
Virus Diary , an occasional feature , showcases the coronavirus pandemic through the eyes of Associated Press journalists around the world .
Follow AP ’ s Brazil news director , David Biller , on Twitter at @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Almost 500 pilot whales stranded on Australian island state

HOBART , Australia - More pilot whales were found stranded on an Australian coast Wednesday , raising the total to almost 500 in the largest mass stranding ever recorded in the island state of Tasmania .
Authorities have been working to rescue survivors among an estimated 270 whales found on Monday on a beach and two sand bars near the remote west coast town of Strahan .
Another 200 stranded whales were spotted from the air on Wednesday less than 10 kilometres ( 6 miles ) to the south , Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service Manager Nic Deka said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t look to be in a condition that would warrant rescue , ” Deka said .
“ Most of them appeared to be dead.
” Further assessment of their condition would be made by boat and crews would be sent if the whales could be saved , he said .
About 30 whales in the original stranding were moved from the sandbars to open ocean but several got stranded again , Deka said .
About a third of the first group had died by Monday evening , and an update on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected later Wednesday .
Tasmania is the only part of Australia prone to mass strandings .
It is the first involving more than 50 whales in Australia ’ s southernmost state since 2009 .
“ In Tasmania , this is the biggest ( mass stranding ) we ’ ve recorded , ” Marine Conservation Program wildlife biologist Kris Carlyon said .
Rescue crews remained optimistic about freeing more whales , Carlyon said .
With cool weather helping , “ We ’ ve got a very good chance of getting more off that sandbar @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--US government executes killer obsessed with witchcraft

TERRE HAUTE , Ind .
- The U.S. government on Tuesday executed a former soldier who said an obsession with witchcraft led him to kill a Georgia nurse he believed had put a spell on him .
William Emmett LeCroy , 50 , was pronounced dead at 9:06 p.m. EDT after receiving a lethal injection at the same U.S. prison in Terre Haute , Indiana , where five others have been executed i n 2020 following a 17-year period without a federal execution .
Lawyers had asked President Donald Trump in a petition to commute LeCroy ’ s sentence to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s brother , Georgia State Trooper Chad LeCroy , was killed during a routine traffic stop in 2010 and that another son ’ s death would devastate their family .
LeCroy , a blue sheet pulled up to this neck , kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling , not turning his head to look at any witnesses behind the death chamber ’ s glass windows .
His spiritual adviser , Sister Barbara Battista , stood a few feet away inside the chamber , her head bowed and reading from a prayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that he didn ’ t want to play into what he called the “ theatre ” surrounding his execution and may not make a statement before he died .
When a prison official leaned over him Tuesday night , gently pulled off LeCroy ’ s face mask and asked if he had any last words , he responded calmly and matter-of-factly .
“ Sister Battista is about to receive in the postal service my last statement , ” he said .
LeCroy kept his eyes open as the lethal injection was administered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his midsection quickly began to heave uncontrollably for a minute or two .
After several more minutes , colour drained from his limbs , his face turned ashen and his lips tinted blue .
After about 10 minutes , an official with a stethoscope entered the chamber , felt LeCroy ’ s wrist for a pulse and then listened to his heart before he was officially declared dead .
Another execution , of Christopher Vialva , is scheduled Thursday .
He would be the first African American on federal death row to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of federal executions this year .
Critics say the Justice Department ’ s resumption of federal executions this year is a cynical bid to help Trump claim the mantel of law-and-order candidate leading up to Election Day .
Supporters say Trump is bringing long-overdue justice to victims and their families .
LeCroy broke into the Cherrylog , Georgia , mountain home of 30-year-old Joann Lee Tiesler on Oct. 7 , 2001 , and waited for her to return from a shopping trip .
When she walked through the door , LeCroy struck her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
He then slashed her throat and repeatedly stabbed her in the back .
LeCroy had known Tiesler because she lived near a relative ’ s home and would often wave to her as he drove by .
He later told investigators he ’ d come to believe she might have been his old babysitter he called Tinkerbell , who LeCroy claimed sexually molested him as a child .
After killing Tiesler , he realized that couldn ’ t possibly be true .
Two days after killing Tiesler , LeCroy was arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a U.S. checkpoint in Minnesota heading to Canada .
Authorities found a note LeCroy wrote before his arrest in which he asked Tiesler for forgiveness , according to court filings .
“ You were an angel and I killed you , ” it read .
“ I am a vagabond and doomed to hell.
” “ Today justice was finally served .
William LeCroy died a peaceful death in stark contrast to the horror he imposed on my daughter Joann , ” the victim ’ s father , Tom Tiesler , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he ever showed any remorse for his evil actions , his life of crime or for the horrific burden he caused Joann ’ s loved ones , “ the statement read .
A few hours before the execution , Battista , waiting near the prison , held a bag of caramel chocolate that she said was LeCroy ’ s favourite .
In conversations with him in the days leading up to the execution , she said he had been contemplating his likely death and sounded resigned .
“ He said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then we are and then we are not , ’ ” she said .
“ He was reflective .
He didn ’ t seem agitated.
” LeCroy joined the Army at 17 but was soon was discharged for going AWOL and later spoke about an interest in witchcraft that began during a previous stint in prison for burglary , child molestation and other charges .
He had ruminated for days before the slaying about how Tiesler was Tinkerbell and that assaulting her would reverse a hex she put on him .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Tiesler ’ s computer to search for books about witchcraft , court filings said .
He was convicted in 2004 on a federal charge of carjacking resulting in death and a jury recommended a death sentence .
LeCroy ’ s lawyers had unsuccessfully tried to halt the execution and argued that his trial lawyers didn ’ t properly emphasize evidence about his upbringing and mental health that could have persuaded jurors not to impose a death sentence .
Their last-minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was also rejected .
Over previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reboot of executions this year , the federal government had executed just three people — all in the early 2000s .
Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was among them .
Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Recorded attack on Black runner is charged as a hate crime

NEW YORK - A woman who was captured on video hurling a bottle and a racial slur at a Black runner in New York City has been charged with attempted assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment , authorities said Tuesday .
Lorena Delaguna , 53 , was arraigned in Queens criminal court on charges stemming from the Aug. 17 confrontation with Tiffany Johnson .
“ Crimes like this , which are fueled by hate , are in a special category for a reason , “ Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a written statement .
” No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vile slur or being attacked simply because of the colour of their skin , their religion , or who they love.
” Judge Jeffrey Gershuny said there was a “ mental health component ” to the case and ordered a psychological evaluation for Delaguna .
Delaguna ’ s attorney , Samantha Diaz , questioned the severity of the charges , noting that Johnson hadn ’ t suffered physical harm .
Katz did not name the victim , but Johnson , 37 , has identified herself as the person being accosted in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and released by the police department last week .
“ It ’ s a hate crime , ” Johnson told the New York Post .
“ It ’ s not acceptable.
“ Katz said that in addition to using the racial slur , Delaguna , of Woodside , Queens , followed the runner for a block and told her to “ go back to Africa .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Historical panel votes to keep Cenotaph in Alamo Plaza

AUSTIN , Texas - A state historical review panel voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against relocating a monument to the 200 Alamo defenders killed by the Mexican army in 1836 .
The killings during the war for Texas independence gave birth to a rallying cry used during the eventual defeat of the Mexican forces .
The Texas Historical Commission voted on Tuesday 12-2 to reject a proposal by the city of San Antonio to repair and relocate the Alamo Cenotaph that has stood since 1939 in Alamo Plaza .
Planners of a $ 450 million Alamo renovation project had wanted to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A commission advisory board had endorsed the relocation proposal by a 6-3 vote earlier Tuesday .
However , Republican Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick spoke out forcefully against the proposal , saying it would “ erase history.
” The 58-foot-tall marble slab has been a focal feature of Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio since 1939 .
The Alamo Defender Descendants Association is fighting to keep the Cenotaph within the area once surrounded by the Alamo ’ s walls .
It hopes to have the monument declared a cemetery in the hope @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Pence’s jet returns to airport after hitting bird on takeoff

WASHINGTON - Vice-President Mike Pence ’ s airplane struck a bird Tuesday on takeoff in New Hampshire , causing the @ @ @ @ @ airport out of caution , the White House said .
Pence was flying home to @ @ @ @ @ at an airport hangar in nearby Gilford , New Hampshire .
When Air Force Two @ @ @ @ @ Airport , it struck a bird .
A senior administration official , who wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity , said the vice-president and his entourage @ @ @ @ @ Pence ended up flying home on a cargo aircraft that the Secret Service uses to @ @ @ @ @ travel .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Attorney: Black man shot by LA deputies wasn’t holding a gun

LOS ANGELES - A Black man shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies wasn ’ t holding a gun when they opened fire , attorneys for his family said Tuesday , contradicting a claim that he had picked up a dropped weapon during a struggle .
Dijon Kizzee , 29 , “ posed no threat “ to deputies when they fired 19 shots at him , civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said at a news conference .
Crump also represents the families of George Floyd and Jacob Blake .
Floyd was killed when a Minneapolis officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was left paralyzed by a police shooting in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
Those incidents prompted nationwide protests .
Kizzee ’ s death also sparked a series of mostly peaceful demonstrations .
“ It is with a heavy heart that I ’ m standing with yet another Black family who has lost a loved one because of the excessive brutal force of the people who are supposed to protect and serve them , ” Crump said .
Kizzee ’ s family stood with Crump and the other attorneys , including his stepbrother and aunts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shirts that said “ Justice for Dijon Kizzee.
” Several wept .
“ All I want is justice for my nephew , ” said Fletcher Fair , Kizzee ’ s aunt , as she called for the deputies to be arrested .
“ He didn ’ t have to be killed like that .
He ’ s no animal .
He ’ s human like we are.
” Kizzee was killed Aug. 31 in South Los Angeles after sheriff ’ s deputies tried to stop him for riding a bicycle in the wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had a weapon wrapped in a piece of clothing he was carrying at the time .
Two deputies told investigators they fatally shot Kizzee after he picked up the handgun he had dropped during a struggle with one of them , authorities said last week .
A video shows him stooping down .
But a wall blocks a full view , and no weapon can be seen .
It doesn ’ t appear the deputies tried to de-escalate the situation before shooting Kizzee .
Authorities previously said Kizzee had only “ made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week reported that the deputies claimed he had picked it up .
Kizzee was shot multiple times in the chest and arms and once in the back , authorities have said .
The full autopsy hasn ’ t been completed yet .
Carl Douglas , another civil rights attorney who is representing Kizzee ’ s family , said witnesses said the deputies fired three or four shots at Kizzee , followed by a pause and then a second volley while he was on the ground .
An independent autopsy commissioned by relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Douglas said .
The attorney said the independent autopsy shows that Kizzee did not die instantly and instead writhed on the ground in pain .
“ We have no comment about the private autopsy results , ” Sheriff ’ s Homicide Bureau Capt .
Kent Wegener said in a statement .
Douglas said 19 gunshots shows poor police training and a pervasive “ warrior mentality ” among law enforcement nationwide .
“ Until we change that warrior mentality to more of a guardian mentality , there ’ s going to be more ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a scourge that patrols the county of Los Angeles.
” The attorneys also questioned why the deputies sought to stop Kizzee while he was bicycling , calling it another example of “ biking while Black ” and racial profiling .
Crump called Kizzee ’ s death part of racial injustice and police brutality that have been part of the U.S. for centuries .
“ We in Black America are dealing with the 1619 pandemic , ” he said , referring to the year when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jamestown , Virginia .
“ This is an epidemic .
The 1619 pandemic has claimed its latest victim .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--China uproots ethnic minority villages in anti-poverty fight

CHENGBEI GAN ’ EN , China - Under a portrait of President Xi Jinping , Ashibusha sits in her freshly painted living room cradling her infant daughter beside a chair labeled a “ gift from the government.
” The mother of three is among 6,600 members of the Yi ethnic minority who were moved out of 38 mountain villages in China ’ s southwest and into a newly built town in an anti-poverty initiative .
Farmers who tended mountainside plots were assigned jobs at an apple plantation .
Children who until then spoke only their own tongue , Nuosu , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s official language .
While other nations invest in developing poor areas , Beijing doesn ’ t hesitate to operate on a more ambitious scale by moving communities wholesale and building new towns in its effort to modernize China .
The ruling Communist Party has announced an official target of ending extreme poverty by the end of the year , ahead of the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2021 .
The party says such initiatives have helped to lift millions of people out of poverty .
But they can require drastic changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel complaints the party is trying to erase cultures as it prods minorities to embrace the language and lifestyle of the Han , who make up more than 90 % of China ’ s population .
At a time when the party faces protests by students in China ’ s northern region of Inner Mongolia over plans to reduce the use of the Mongolian language in schools , officials want to show they are sensitive to minority cultures .
They invited reporters to visit Chengbei Gan ’ en and four other villages — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — that are part of what authorities see as a successful development project for the Yi in Sichuan province ’ s Liangshan prefecture .
The initiative is one of hundreds launched over the past four decades to spread prosperity from China ’ s thriving east to the countryside and west .
Mass relocations still are carried out because some mountainous and other areas are too isolated , said Wang Sangui , president of the China Poverty Alleviation Research Institute of Renmin University in Beijing .
“ It is impossible to solve the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
In Sichuan , which includes some of China ’ s poorest areas , 80 billion yuan ( $ 12 billion ) has been spent to date to relocate 1.4 million people , according to Peng Qinghua , the provincial party secretary .
He said that included building 370,000 new homes and over 110,000 kilometres ( 68,000 miles ) of rural roads .
In Chengbei Gan ’ en , 420 million yuan ( $ 60 million ) was spent to build 1,440 apartments in 25 identical white buildings , a clinic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elderly .
Craftspeople sell silver jewelry , painted cow skulls and traditional clothing that are popular with Han tourists .
Yi women can study to become nannies , a profession in demand in urban China , in classes taught with pink plastic dolls .
Roadside signs call on people to speak the official language .
“ Mandarin , please , after you enter kindergarten.
” “ Speak Mandarin well , it ’ s convenient for everyone.
” “ Everyone speaks Mandarin , flower of civilization blooms everywhere.
” Murals on buildings depict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority in amicable scenes .
One shows a baby holding a heart emblazoned with the ruling party ’ s hammer-and-sickle symbol .
In one village , Xujiashan , annual household income has risen from 1,750 yuan ( $ 260 ) in 2014 to 11,000 yuan ( $ 1,600 ) , according to its deputy secretary , Zhang Lixin .
Development initiatives can lead to political tension because many have strategic goals such as strengthening control over minority areas by encouraging nomads to settle or diluting the local populace with outsiders .
In Inner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over plans to replace Mongolian-language textbooks with Chinese ones .
The party faces similar complaints that it is suppressing local languages in Tibet and the Muslim region of Xinjiang in the northwest .
Xinjiang ’ s Han party secretary said in 2002 the language of the Uighurs , its most populous ethnic group , was “ out of step with the 21st century ” and should be abandoned in favour of Mandarin .
The party boss for Liangshan prefecture acknowledged its initiative isn ’ t purely economic .
Authorities want to eliminate “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lin Shucheng .
He listed complaints about extravagant dowries , too many animals butchered for funerals and poor hygiene .
“ We are fighting against traditional forces of habit , ” he said .
At the same time , ruling party officials say they are preserving Nuosu , a Yi language , through bilingual education in schools and government support for a Nuosu newspaper and TV show .
“ We protect and promote the learning , use and development of the Yi language , ” the provincial party secretary , Peng , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to promote Nuosu because , unlike in Tibet or Xinjiang , the Yi demand no political change , said Stevan Harrell , a University of Washington anthropologist who has spent more than three decades visiting and studying the region .
“ There is no ‘ splittism ’ in Liangshan , ” Harrell said , using the party ’ s term for activists who want more autonomy for Tibet and Xinjiang .
“ So it is kind of safe to have the Yi language as a medium of education , ” said Harrell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government against those people who rightly point out that Uighur and Tibetan languages are being severely suppressed.
” The region , like the rest of China , reeled from the coronavirus outbreak , said Lin , the Liangshan party boss .
But he said anti-poverty work was back on track and authorities were confident they could meet official deadlines .
Older villagers welcome the jump in living standards .
“ You can eat whatever you like now , ” said Wang Deying , an 83-year-old grandmother of five .
“ Now even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yu Bing in Beijing and Chen Si in Shanghai contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--‘Unfathomable’: US death toll from coronavirus hits 200,000

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus topped 200,000 Tuesday , by far the highest in the world , hitting the once-unimaginable threshold six weeks before an election that is certain to be a referendum in part on President Donald Trump ’ s handling of the crisis .
“ It is completely unfathomable that we ’ ve reached this point , ” said Jennifer Nuzzo , a Johns Hopkins University public health researcher , eight months after the scourge first reached the world ’ s richest nation , with its state-of-the-art laboratories , top-flight scientists and stockpiles of medical supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a 9-11 attack every day for 67 days .
It is roughly equal to the population of Salt Lake City or Huntsville , Alabama .
And it is still climbing .
Deaths are running at close to 770 a day on average , and a widely cited model from the University of Washington predicts the U.S. toll will double to 400,000 by the end of the year as schools and colleges reopen and cold weather sets in .
A vaccine is unlikely to become widely available until 2021 .
“ The idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in some respects stunning , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious-disease expert , said on CNN .
The bleak milestone was reported by Johns Hopkins , based on figures supplied by state health authorities .
But the real toll is thought to be much higher , in part because many COVID-19 deaths were probably ascribed to other causes , especially early on , before widespread testing .
Trump said it was “ a shame ” the U.S. reached that number but argued the toll could have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we didn ’ t do it properly and do it right , you ’ d have 2.5 million deaths , ” Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for a campaign rally in Pittsburgh .
He added that the United States is now “ doing well ” and “ the stock market is up.
” He also gave his often-repeated broadside that China was at fault for the pandemic .
In a prerecorded speech to the U.N. General Assembly , he demanded that Beijing be held accountable for having “ unleashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ambassador rejected the accusations as baseless .
On Twitter , Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said , “ It didn ’ t have to be this bad.
“ “ It ’ s a staggering number that ’ s hard to wrap your head around , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a devastating human toll to this pandemic — and we can ’ t forget that.
“ For five months , America has led the world by far in sheer numbers of confirmed infections — nearly 6.9 million as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. has less than 5 % of the globe ’ s population but more than 20 % of the reported deaths .
Brazil is No .
2 with about 137,000 deaths , followed by India with approximately 89,000 and Mexico with around 74,000 .
Only five countries — Peru , Bolivia , Chile , Spain and Brazil — rank higher in COVID-19 deaths per capita .
“ All the world ’ s leaders took the same test , and some have succeeded and some have failed , ” said Dr. Cedric Dark , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicine in hard-hit Houston .
“ In the case of our country , we failed miserably.
” Black and Hispanic people and American Indians have accounted for a disproportionate share of the deaths , underscoring the economic and health care disparities in the U.S. Worldwide , the virus has infected more than 31 million people and is closing in fast on 1 million deaths , by Johns Hopkins ’ count , though the real numbers are believed to be higher because of gaps in testing and reporting .
For the U.S. , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
When the year began , the U.S. had recently garnered recognition for its readiness for a pandemic .
Health officials seemed confident as they converged on Seattle in January to deal with the country ’ s first known case of the coronavirus , in a 35-year-old Washington state resident who had returned from visiting his family in Wuhan , China .
On Feb. 26 , Trump held up pages from the Global Health Security Index , a measure of readiness for health crises , and declared , “ The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was true .
The U.S. outranked the 194 other countries in the index .
Besides its labs , experts and strategic stockpiles , the U.S. could boast of its disease trackers and plans for rapidly communicating lifesaving information during a crisis .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was respected around the world for sending help to fight infectious diseases .
But monitoring at airports was loose .
Travel bans came too late .
Only later did health officials realize the virus could spread before symptoms show up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swept into nursing homes and exploited poor infection controls , claiming more than 78,000 lives .
At the same time , gaps in leadership led to shortages of testing supplies .
Internal warnings to ramp up production of masks were ignored , leaving states to compete for protective gear .
Trump downplayed the threat early on , advanced unfounded notions about the behaviour of the virus , promoted unproven or dangerous treatments , complained that too much testing was making the U.S. look bad , and disdained masks , turning face coverings into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the president predicted the U.S. wouldn ’ t see 100,000 deaths .
That milestone was reached May 27 .
Nowhere was the lack of leadership seen as more crucial than in testing , a key to breaking the chain of contagion .
“ We have from the very beginning lacked a national testing strategy , ” Nuzzo said .
“ For reasons I can ’ t truly fathom , we ’ ve refused to develop one.
” Sandy Brown of Grand Blanc , Michigan , called the death toll “ gut-wrenching.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20-year-old son — Freddie Lee Brown Jr. and Freddie Lee Brown III — died of COVID-19 just days apart in March , when there were fewer than 4,000 recorded deaths in the U.S. “ The thing that really gets to me is ... if things had been done properly , we could have put a lid on this , ” said Brown , who has no other children .
“ Now it ’ s just unbelievable .
It ’ s devastating.
” The real number of dead from the crisis could be significantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people than usual died in the U.S. from all causes during the first seven months of 2020 , according to CDC figures .
The death toll from COVID-19 during the same period was put at about 150,000 by Johns Hopkins .
Researchers suspect some coronavirus deaths were overlooked , while other deaths may have been caused indirectly by the crisis , by creating such turmoil that people with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease were unable or unwilling to get treatment .
Dark , the emergency physician at Baylor , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to look to the United States with a degree of reverence .
For democracy .
For our moral leadership in the world .
Supporting science and using technology to travel to the moon.
” “ Instead , ” he said , “ what ’ s really been exposed is how anti-science we ’ ve become.
” Associated Press writers Kelli Kennedy in Miami and Tammy Webber in Fenton , Michigan , contributed to this story .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--With 95% homes hit, feds say no need for census extension

ORLANDO , Fla. - With the number of U.S. households counted topping 95 % , there is no reason for a judge to order the U.S. Census Bureau to extend by a month the head count of every U.S. resident , government attorneys said Tuesday .
“ Plaintiffs ’ claims of harm in this matter are rapidly evaporating , “ the government attorneys said in court papers ahead of a virtual court hearing in San Jose , California , over whether the 2020 census should stop Sept. 30 or continue through Oct. 31 .
Census Bureau officials say they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaching at least 99 % of U.S. households by the end of the month .
But a coalition of cities , counties and civil rights groups have sued the statistical agency and the Department of Commerce in an effort to extend the 2020 census for another month , saying the shortened schedule will miss minority communities .
Attorneys for the coalition said in court papers Tuesday that the decision to shorten the schedule was forced on the bureau .
Bureau officials knew the shortened scheduled would risk accuracy in the count and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an internal email sent to other top Census Bureau officials in late July , Tim Olson , associate director for field operations , said the bureau was having trouble deploying census takers because “ people are afraid to work for us.
“ “ And this means it is ludicrous to think we can complete 100 % of the nation ’ s data collection earlier than 10/31 ... “ Olson said in the email that was released into the court record Tuesday .
Anyone who thinks that the Census Bureau can turn in numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats each state gets by the end of the year “ has either a mental deficiency or a political motivation , “ Olson said .
The judge in the San Jose case earlier this month issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Census Bureau from winding down 2020 census operations until she could issue a ruling .
Plaintiffs in the San Jose case allege the decision to shorten the schedule was made to accommodate a directive from President Donald Trump .
Trump ’ s order tried to exclude people in the country illegally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for deciding how many congressional seats each state gets in a process known as apportionment .
“ There is a complete lineup in timing between the presidential memo and the decision to cut short the census , ” said Melissa Sherry , an attorney for the coalition , during Tuesday ’ s hearing .
Blaming the presidential memorandum for the shortened census schedule was “ improper , “ said government attorney Alexander Sverdlov .
A three-judge panel in New York blocked Trump ’ s directive earlier this month , saying it was unlawful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court for fast action on its appeal .
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said during Tuesday ’ s hearing that it was clear that Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross , whose agency oversees the Census Bureau , played a critical role in the decision to shorten the schedule .
Before the coronavirus pandemic hit in March , the bureau had planned to complete the 2020 census by the end of July .
In response to the pandemic , it extended the deadline to the end of October .
That changed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate failed to take up a request from the Census Bureau to extend the deadline for turning over the numbers used for apportionment .
As a result , government attorneys say the Census Bureau has no choice but to finish the count by Sept. 30 .
The census helps determine how $ 1.5 trillion in federal spending is distributed annually and how many congressional seats each state gets .
In their court papers Tuesday , the government attorneys said the census operations were being harmed by the temporary restraining order .
If Koh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order mandating the extra month for the census , it should be suspended while the Census Bureau appeals , the government attorneys said .
At the end of Tuesday ’ s hearing , Koh said she would issue a decision in two days and blamed any delays in a ruling on the government ’ s failure to produce requested documents in a timely manner .
When Sverdlov asked the judge to make a decision from the bench so the government could start the appeal process , Koh cut him off .
Moments earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had reached the 99 % goal so far .
Those states are Idaho , West Virginia , Hawaii and Maine .
“ Four out of 50 states have reached the threshold , “ Koh said .
“ Why is the bureau insisting on ending data collection in eight days ?
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Cindy McCain endorses Biden for president in rebuke of Trump

PHOENIX - Cindy McCain endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for president Tuesday in a rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump by the widow of the GOP ’ s 2008 nominee .
Trump has had a fraught relationship with members of John McCain ’ s family since he disparaged the Arizona senator during his 2016 campaign .
But the McCains have until now stopped short of endorsing Trump ’ s rivals .
Cindy McCain cited the decades-long friendship between her family and Biden ’ s and their bond as the parents of children serving in the military .
“ He supports the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who has served , ” McCain said in a phone interview .
“ Not only to love someone who has served , but understands what it means to send a child into combat .
We ’ ve been great friends for many years , but we have a common thread in that we are Blue Star families.
” McCain ’ s backing could help Biden appeal to Republicans disaffected with the GOP president and give the former vice-president a boost in Arizona , a crucial swing state that McCain represented in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained a revered figure since his 2018 death from complications of a brain tumour , particularly with the independent voters whom Biden is courting .
“ I decided to take a stand , and hopefully other people will see the same thing .
Other women particularly , “ McCain said .
“ You may have to step out of your comfort zone a little bit , but Biden is by far the best candidate in the race.
” McCain said she hasn ’ t voted for a Democrat since she was 18 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She remains a registered Republican and has no plans to change , she said .
Biden told donors on Tuesday evening that McCain ’ s endorsement was coming “ because of what ( Trump ) talks about how my son and John and others who are heroes , who served their country .
You know , he said they ’ re ‘ losers , suckers.
’ ” Biden was referring to comments Trump reportedly made mocking the American war dead .
Trump has denied making the remarks , first reported through anonymous sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the comments were later confirmed by The Associated Press .
Cindy McCain had not initially been expected to offer an explicit endorsement of Biden , but she had already gone to bat for his presidential run .
She lent her voice to a video that aired during the Democratic National Convention and was focused on Biden ’ s close friendship with her late husband .
John McCain was assigned to be a military aide for Biden , then a senator , during an overseas trip , and their families formed an enduring friendship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCains to each other , They later shared a grim bond over glioblastoma , an aggressive cancer that killed Biden ’ s son Beau three years before McCain succumbed to the same disease .
John McCain said in 2016 that he couldn ’ t support Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 , citing Trump ’ s demeaning comments about women .
“ It ’ s not pleasant for me to renounce the nominee of my party , ” McCain said during a debate as he sought his sixth term in the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and square.
” A navy pilot , John McCain was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967 .
He was captured , beaten and held prisoner for more than five years , refusing to be released ahead of other American servicemembers .
During his 2016 campaign , Trump said of McCain , “ He ’ s not a war hero .
He was a war hero because he was captured .
I like people who weren ’ t captured.
” McCain later angered Trump with his dramatic thumbs-down vote against repealing Obama ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ daughter Meghan McCain has been outspoken about the pain she feels when the president disparages her father .
Biden consoled Meghan McCain on an appearance on “ The View ” after her father was diagnosed with the cancer that eventually took his life .
She has said Biden often reaches out to her to offer support , after losing his own son Beau to the same cancer in 2015 .

Jonathan J. Cooper - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Senate GOP plans vote on Trump’s court pick before election

WASHINGTON - Votes in hand , Senate Republicans are charging ahead with plans to confirm President Donald Trump ’ s pick to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s Supreme Court seat before the Nov. 3 election , launching a divisive fight over Democratic objections before a nominee is even announced .
Trump said Tuesday he will name his choice Saturday , confident of support .
Democrats say it ’ s too close to the election , and the winner of the presidency should name the new justice .
But under GOP planning , the Senate could vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have all the votes we ’ re going to need , ” Trump told WJBX FOX 2 in Detroit .
“ I think it ’ s going to happen.
” Republicans believe the court fight will energize voters for Trump , boosting the party and potentially deflating Democrats who can not stop the lifetime appointment for a conservative justice .
The Senate is controlled by Republicans , 53-47 , with a simple majority needed for confirmation .
The one remaining possible Republican holdout , Mitt Romney of Utah , said Tuesday he supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early presidential voting already underway in several states , all sides are girding for a wrenching Senate battle over health care , abortion access and other big cases before the court and sure to further split the torn nation .
It is one of the quickest confirmation efforts in recent times .
No court nominee in U.S. history has been considered so close to a presidential election .
And it all comes as the nation is marking the grave milestone of 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic .
During a private lunch meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several Republican senators spoke up in favour of voting before the election .
None advocated a delay .
Elsewhere , as tributes poured in for Ginsburg with vigils and flowers at the court ’ s steps , Democrats led by presidential nominee Joe Biden vowed a tough fight .
The Senate Democratic leader , Chuck Schumer , said “ we should honour her dying wish , ” which was that her seat not be filled until the man who wins the presidential election is installed , in January .
But that seemed no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Republicans have said they oppose taking up a nomination at this time , but no others are in sight .
Under Senate rules , Vice-President Mike Pence could break a tie vote .
While not all Republican senators have said they will support the eventual pick , few appear willing to stand in the way of a top party priority .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made no scheduling announcements .
But hearings could start as soon as Oct. 12 by the Senate Judiciary Committee , with a vote in the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a GOP aide granted anonymity to discuss deliberations .
After Trump met with conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett at the White House on Monday he told reporters he would interview other candidates and might meet with Judge Barbara Lagoa when he travels to Florida later this week .
Conversations in the White House and McConnell ’ s office have been increasingly focused on Barrett and Lagoa , according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private deliberations .
Barrett , 48 , a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by conservatives .
Those familiar with the process said interest inside the White House seemed to be waning for Lagoa amid concerns she did not have a proven record as a conservative jurist .
Lagoa has been pushed by Florida ’ s governor , and aides tout her political advantages of being Hispanic and hailing from the key political battleground state .
Democrats point to hypocrisy in Republicans trying to rush through a pick so close to the election after McConnell led the GOP in refusing to vote on a nominee of President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before that year ’ s election .
Romney , the GOP ’ s 2012 presidential nominee , dismissed that argument , saying “ it was not unfair ” for Republicans to refuse to consider Obama ’ s choice of Merrick Garland .
The Utah Republican backed up his decision by saying it ’ s not “ written in the stars ” that the court should have a liberal bent .
He said Trump ’ s pick will tip the court to become more conservative , and he said that is appropriate “ for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will , centre right , to have a court which reflects a centre right point of view.
” At the private lunch , Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana said , senators advocating swift voting warned of “ too many complications ” if it ’ s delayed until after the election — presumably if Biden wins the White House or Republicans lose the Senate .
Conservative groups pushing for swift approval also argue the election result could be disputed with legal battles dragging on for weeks .
Democrats say voters should speak first , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP senators to “ uphold your constitutional duty , your conscience ” and wait until the president is chosen .
But few Republicans are willing to cross Trump .
The president has criticized Republican Sens .
Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for opposing a Senate vote before elections .
Trump warned they would be “ very badly hurt ” by voters in November .
Collins went further Tuesday saying she would vote against Trump ’ s pick , “ not because I might not support that nominee under normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to the election.
” The parties braced for the fight ahead .
At an evening rally in Pittsburgh , Trump marveled at how important the Supreme Court is to some voters , and at his own opportunity to pick a third justice .
“ Can you imagine ?
” he asked .
“ These sorts of fights bring Republicans together , ” said Sen. Todd Young , R-Ind.
, the party ’ s Senate campaign chairman .
At a memorial on the National Mall marking the 200,000 COVID deaths , House Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned against Trump ’ s coming court challenge to the Affordable Care Act .
“ It ’ s a time for us to vote health , “ she said .
The mounting clash over the vacant seat injects new turbulence in the presidential campaign with the nation still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic and shattered economy , with millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger .
Ginsburg , 87 , died Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer .
She will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol this week , the first woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on view Wednesday and Thursday on the steps of the high court .
No nominee has won confirmation so quickly since Sandra Day O ’ Connor — with no opposition from either party — became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in 1981 .
Associated Press writers Mark Sherman , Andrew Taylor , Matthew Daly , Kevin Freking and Mike Balsamo in Washington , Alex Jaffe in Philadelphia , Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Steve Peoples and Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report .

Lisa Mascaro, Zeke Miller And Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Trump expands ban on US money for certain diversity training

President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued an order that he said will expand a ban on the use of federal money for certain diversity training .
Trump earlier this month ordered his administration to stop paying for critical race theory diversity training in federal agencies .
He said his new order will expand the prohibition on training for the U.S. military , government contractors , and and other federal grantees .
“ A few weeks ago , I BANNED efforts to indoctrinate government employees with divisive and harmful sex and race-based ideologies , ” Trump tweeted shortly before issuing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve expanded that ban to people and companies that do business with our country.
” The initial memo announcing the restrictions by the Office of Management and Budget came as the nation faced a reckoning this summer over racial injustice in policing and other spheres of American life .
Trump in recent months has repeatedly defended the display of the Confederate battle flag and monuments of Civil War rebels from protesters seeking their removal .
It ’ s part of what he has called a “ culture war ” ahead of the Nov. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced plans to establish a commission to promote patriotic education dubbed the 1776 Commission .
The panel , he said , would be tasked with encouraging educators to teach students “ about the miracle of American history ” and plan for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence .
The new order took issue with the Treasury Department for recently holding a seminar that promoted arguments that “ virtually all White people , regardless of how ‘ woke ’ they are , contribute to racism ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a federal entity in suburban Chicago , that included language that racism “ is interwoven into every fabric of America.
” It listed other examples of government training that the administration says runs contrary to the idea that all individuals are created equal and should be allowed an equal opportunity under the law to pursue happiness and prosper based on individual merit .
“ Such ideas may be fashionable in the academy , but they have no place in programs and activities supported by Federal taxpayer dollars , ” the order said @


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--California reopens more widely as infections hit lowest rate

LOS ANGELES - More of California was cleared to reopen additional businesses Tuesday , including most of the San Francisco Bay Area and one of Southern California ’ s largest counties , as coronavirus infection rates have fallen to their lowest level of the pandemic .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , the state health secretary , also said nail salons could resume operations with restrictions statewide , though he cautioned that California ’ s reopening must remain “ slow and stringent ” and residents can not let their guard down as flu season arrives and cases rise in Europe and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of some restrictions in counties that have shown improvement comes as California tries for a second time to recover from the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on business .
An earlier effort to reopen more quickly backfired with a surge in cases and hospitalizations in late spring and early summer .
That forced a second shutdown that was punishing for business owners , but helped bring the infection rate to 2.8 % for the last week .
Hospitalizations dropped to a level not seen since the first week of April .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the most in the country , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
California ranks fourth for deaths nationwide with more than 15,000 .
The state ’ s more conservative approach to reopening is based on the percentage of positive tests and per capita new cases in each of the 58 counties .
Each of the four tiers for reopening include ranges for those categories and a county must meet both for two consecutive weeks before advancing to a higher tier .
If they fail on one or both counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a more restrictive tier that could force closures or restrict indoor operations .
That majority of counties are now out of the most restrictive tier , meaning that places of worship , restaurants , gyms and movie theatres can resume limited indoor operations .
Nail salon owners , who were disappointed when barbershops and hair salons were allowed to reopen indoors last month even under the strictest rules , were relieved to know they could do the same , said Tam Nguyen , owner of Advance Beauty College , which trains manicurists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a life saver , “ he said .
” It ’ s the last bit of hope .
Many salons , unfortunately , have already decided to close down .
Many others are on the brink.
” No county has a double-digit infection rate and even the state ’ s largest — Los Angeles , which has had a disproportionately large number of cases and deaths — is now poised to move out of the most restrictive tier next week .
While about two dozen counties remained in that category , no county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
San Diego , which had a spike in cases tied to an outbreak at San Diego State University that has affected about 850 students , narrowly avoided having to close down or impose new restrictions on businesses .
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said that staying in the same tier was no cause for celebration .
“ There is no business plan for a gym to operate at 10 % capacity or a restaurant to operate at 25 % capacity , ” Desmond tweeted .
“ It ’ s ridiculous that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 person capacity while marijuana shops remain open.
” Under the changes announced Tuesday , the Bay Area counties of Alameda , San Mateo and Solano , and San Luis Obispo and Riverside counties in Southern California moved from the most restrictive tier .
El Dorado , Lassen and Nevada counties improved from substantial to moderate .
Mariposa County improved to the minimal category .
If improvement trends continue , Ghaly said he anticipates restrictions will be eased for more counties next week .
Business owners , however , remain frustrated that their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being throttled by the state .
Hundreds of people protested Monday outside Fresno City Hall vowing to reopen Oct. 1 regardless of whether the county has curbed its infection rate .
About 20 people rallied at the Draft Republic restaurant in Carlsbad , north of San Diego , to promote a petition titled “ Open California Now , ” urging Gov .
Gavin Newsom to allow a quick return to normal operations .
Cohn Restaurant Group , which owns Draft Republic and 23 other restaurants in Southern California and Hawaii , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees in the San Diego area after the pandemic hit .
The 200 who stayed made meals for families of the workers who lost their jobs .
Josh D ’ Amaro , chair of Disney parks , experiences and products , urged California officials to provide guidelines for theme parks to reopen .
“ I encourage you to treat theme parks like you would other sectors , ” he said in a video presentation on Tuesday , adding that tens of thousands of jobs are tied to Disneyland ’ s operations in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more devastating the impact will be.
” Ghaly also announced Tuesday that the state was lifting restrictions on who can get tested for COVID-19 .
Testing had been prioritized to people most at risk for the virus .
But testing is now more widely available , with upwards of 170,000 tests being conducted daily and nearly 70 % of results being returned in 24 hours .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Warrant issued for man accused of driving toward protesters

VIRGINIA BEACH , Va. - An arrest warrant has been issued for a man accused of driving a pickup truck toward a group of people demonstrating against racism and police brutality in Virginia after he failed to show up for his trial a second time .
Virginia Beach General District Court Judge Sandra Menago issued the warrant on Tuesday for Emanuel “ Manny ” Wilder , The Virginian-Pilot reported .
The judge also added another failure to appear charge to the five misdemeanour counts Wilder is facing , which includes reckless driving , abusive language , disturbing the peace , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilder , 20 , is accused of driving toward the protesters near the Oceanfront boardwalk area in Virginia Beach on May 31 as they protested against the police custody death of George Floyd earlier that month in Minneapolis , news outlets reported at the time .
It was not immediately clear if Wilder had an attorney who could comment .
A local Black Lives Matter chapter , which organized the march , posted videos of the incident on social media and called for police to arrest the driver , news outlets said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and released pending trial .
There were no reports of any injuries .
A warrant was issued for Wilder ’ s arrest after he missed a court appearance in July but it was withdrawn when he arrived at the court an hour later , the newspaper reported .
Another judge added a failure to appear charge after Wilder ’ s late appearance in July and rescheduled his trial for September , The Virginian-Pilot reported .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--The Latest: Nigeria urges vaccine to be available to all

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The Latest from the U.N. General Assembly ( all times EDT ) : The president of Africa ’ s most populous country , Nigeria , is calling for the “ uninhibited supply of safe and effective coronavirus vaccines for all.
” African nations have been outspoken in seeking the equitable distribution of any COVID-19 vaccine , while watching anxiously as some of the world ’ s richest countries strike deals with pharmaceutical companies to secure millions of doses of potential vaccines .
President Muhammadu Buhari warns that if the United Nations can ’ t marshal an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it “ would have failed in its core mission of giving expression , direction and solution to the yearnings of the international community.
” The U.N. ’ s health agency , the World Health Organization , has said Africa should receive at least 220 million doses through an international effort to develop and distribute a vaccine known as COVAX .
But Africa ’ s top public health official has said the continent needs at least 1.5 billion doses , enough to cover 60 % of the population for “ herd immunity ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Alberto Fernández is asking the world to think beyond creating a vaccine that will help end the coronavirus pandemic .
In his prerecorded speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday , he challenged leaders to use the health crisis as a moment of inflection to find solutions for other scourges as well .
He says the world needs to “ be capable of dreaming and creating a vaccine against social injustice , environmental destruction and discrimination.
” The centre-left president also urged leaders to treat an eventual COVID-19 vaccine as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
Fernández said the planet is facing an “ historic opportunity ” to unite and that international co-operation “ like we once knew how to do ” is the only path forward .
His call echoes that of other Latin American leaders pressing for more solidarity among nations that have largely faced the pandemic on their own .
Argentina ranks 10th worldwide in the total number of COVID-19 cases .
Some 640,000 have been diagnosed , and nearly 13,500 have died .
As the world ’ s leaders gather remotely this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else looks unusual : All of the speakers on the first day are men .
As the schedule goes , it will take some 50 speakers before President Zuzana Caputová of Slovakia gives prerecorded remarks Wednesday afternoon .
According to tradition , Brazil speaks first and the United States second at the U.N. gathering .
After that , the world body says , “ the speaking order is based on the level of representation , preference and other criteria such as geographic balance.
” Just two other women are set to speak Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeanine Anez , and Simonetta Sommaruga , president of the Swiss Confederation .
Incidentally , the U.N. has never had a female secretary-general , though a spirited campaign pressed for one ahead of the selection of current U.N. chief Antonio Guterres .
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi used his speech to the U.N. General Assembly to call for reforms at the world body , including finding new ways for countries to adhere to its resolutions and expanding the Security Council to better represent African nations .
In prerecorded remarks Tuesday , the leader of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation also slammed the international community for continuing to “ turn a blind eye ” to countries that support terrorism .
While not naming any nation specifically , he accused countries of sending foreign fighters to neighbouring Libya under the aim of “ colonial illusions.
” In the past , El-Sissi has threatened military action against Turkish-backed forces in Libya .
He again threatened to intervene to protect Egypt ’ s western border , warning that any breach “ will be fiercely faced by Egypt in defence of its people.
” Libya has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi .
The country is split west to east with its major cities controlled by rival governments .
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has defended his drug crackdown and dismissed criticism from human rights advocates as he addressed the U.N. ’ s annual gathering of world leaders for the first time .
With the coronavirus taking a toll on the Philippines , the often brash Duterte struck a somewhat conciliatory tone about the organization he ’ s often criticized and at times threatened to leave .
Duterte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.N. General Assembly that “ the Philippines values the role that the United Nations plays in its fight against the pandemic.
” He welcomed the U.N. ’ s launch of a relief fund and called on the international community to ensure potential vaccines are accessible to all .
He also expressed openness to “ constructive engagement ” with the U.N. Duterte often lashes out at what he decries as international meddling in Philippine domestic affairs .
Western governments and human rights groups call it justifiable alarm about an anti-drug crusade that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead .
Colombian President Iván Duque is calling on the international community to reject Venezuela ’ s plans to hold a legislative election in December .
In a prerecorded speech for the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday , Duque called the vote a “ manufactured orchestra ” that “ looks to legitimize the dictatorship.
” He also highlighted a recent U.N. Human Rights Council report accusing Nicolás Maduro ’ s government of committing crimes against humanity , including torture and killings blamed on security forces .
U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó has called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned election to replace National Assembly lawmakers .
Maduro ’ s government has taken over several prominent opposition parties and barred numerous anti-government leaders from running .
The socialist Venezuelan leader is expected to address the U.N. gathering Wednesday .
He is calling on the U.N. to send a mission to observe the vote .
Though about 60 U.N. members back Guaidó , the majority recognize Maduro .
France ’ s president says the coronavirus pandemic should shock nations into working together — and resisting a world order dominated by the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N. General Assembly , French President Emmanuel Macron decried the United Nations ’ failure to vanquish the virus .
In a video recording from Paris , he said , “ No country will come out of this ordeal on its own.
“ He says the pandemic should be an “ an electric shock ” to encourage more multilateral action .
Otherwise the world will be “ collectively condemned to a pas de deux ” by the U.S. and China in which everyone else is “ reduced to being nothing but the sorry spectators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned Russia to reveal what happened to opposition leader Alexey Navalny and called for a U.N. mission to the Chinese region of Xinjiang , where Uighur Muslims have been held in camps .
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is the first world leader at the United Nations ’ ’ annual gathering to mention the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ As a country that has known too well the anguish of institutional racism , South Africa supports the demands for swift actions against racism ” whether it be perpetrated by companies , states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-recorded message to the U.N. General Assembly .
South Africa last year marked a quarter-century since the end of the racist system of apartheid , and Ramaphosa worked closely with Nelson Mandela , the country ’ s first Black president .
South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world .
Like many African nations , it has not escaped the problem of police brutality .
President Donald Trump says the United Nations must hold China “ accountable ” for failing to contain the coronavirus , which has killed about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
Trump is accusing China of not sharing timely information with the world on the new disease in a taped address to the virtually gathered United Nations General Assembly .
Trump says : “ The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions.
” Trump is also using his address to tout a pair of recent international accords he helped to broker— one between Kosovo and Serbia and the other between the United Arab Emirates , Bahrain and Israel — as the United States “ fulfilling our destiny as peacemaker.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the international gathering to oppose “ globalization ” and promote his “ America First ” foreign policy .
His 2020 address is not different , as he admonished other nations that “ only when you take care of your own citizens , will you find a true basis for co-operation.
“


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--World powers clash, virus stirs anger at virtual UN meeting

TANZANIA , Tanzania - Kept apart by a devastating pandemic and dispersed across the globe , world leaders convened electronically Tuesday for an unprecedented high-level meeting , where the U.N. chief exhorted them to unite and tackle the era ’ s towering problems : the coronavirus , the “ economic calamity ” it unleashed and the risk of a new Cold War between the United States and China .
As Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the first virtual “ general debate ” of the U.N. General Assembly , the yawning gaps of politics and anger became evident .
China and Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prerecorded videos from home — and leaders expressed frustration and anger at the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic , which the U.N. chief has called “ the number one global security threat in our world today.
” As he began his speech , the secretary-general looked out at the vast General Assembly chamber , where only one mask-wearing diplomat from each of the U.N. ’ s 193 member nations was allowed to sit , socially distanced from one another .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our annual meeting beyond recognition , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it more important than ever.
” While the six-day mainly virtual meeting is unique in the U.N. ’ s 75-year history , the speeches from leaders hit on all the conflicts , crises and divisions facing a world that Guterres said is witnessing “ rising inequalities , climate catastrophe , widening societal divisions , rampant corruption.
” In his grim state of the world speech , he said “ the pandemic has exploited these injustices , preyed on the most vulnerable and wiped away the progress of decades , ” including sparking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
The secretary-general called for global unity , foremost to fight the pandemic , and sharply criticized populism and nationalism for failing to contain the virus and for often making things worse .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized how “ countries were left on their own ” at the onset of the pandemic , stressing that “ effective multilateralism requires effective multilateral institutions.
” He urged rapid U.N. reforms , starting with the Security Council , the most powerful body with five veto-wielding members — the U.S. , China , Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , whose country has reported the second-highest coronavirus death toll after the U.S. , trumpeted his focus on the economy in dealing with the pandemic .
Bolsonaro lambasted “ segments of the Brazilian media ” for “ spreading panic ” by encouraging stay-at-home orders and prioritizing public health over the economy .
He ’ s downplayed the severity of the coronavirus and repeatedly said shutting down the economy would inflict worse hardship on people .
Guterres told the virtual audience that “ too often , there has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A year ago , he warned about the rising U.S.-China rivalry , saying Tuesday : “ We are moving in a very dangerous direction.
” “ Our world can not afford a future where the two largest economies split the globe in a great fracture — each with its own trade and financial rules and internet and artificial intelligence capacities , ” Guterres said .
“ We must avoid this at all costs.
” The rivalry between the two powers was in full display as President Donald Trump , in a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nations to hold Beijing “ accountable ” for failing to contain the virus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has killed over 200,000 Americans and nearly 1 million worldwide .
China ’ s ambassador rejected all accusations against Beijing as “ totally baseless.
” “ At this moment , the world needs more solidarity and co-operation , and not a confrontation , ” U.N .
Ambassador Zhang Jun said before introducing President Xi Jinping ’ s prerecorded speech .
“ We need to increase mutual confidence and trust , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French President Emmanuel Macron said the pandemic should be “ an electric shock ” to encourage more multilateral action .
Otherwise , he warned , the world will be “ collectively condemned to a pas de deux ” by the U.S. and China in which everyone else is “ reduced to being nothing but the sorry spectators of a collective impotence.
” Tensions with the U.S. also dominated a fiery speech by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani , whose country is facing the worst COVID-19 crisis in the Middle East .
He lashed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country will not submit to U.S. pressure .
Rouhani said the United States can ’ t impose negotiations or war on Iran , stressing that his country is “ not a bargaining chip in U.S. elections and domestic policy.
” He used the May death of Black American George Floyd under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer as a metaphor for Iran ’ s “ own experience ” with the United States .
“ We instantly recognize the feet kneeling on the neck as the feet of arrogance on the neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
U.S.-Iran tensions have run dangerously high this year , and Trump signed an executive order this week to enforce all U.N. sanctions on Iran because it ’ s not complying with a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers — a move he touted in his U.N. speech but that most of the world rejects as illegal .
Similarly , Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the need for multilateral co-operation against the pandemic , urging an end to “ illegitimate sanctions ” against his country and others that he said could boost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African President Cyril Ramaphosa , speaking on behalf of the African Union , said rich nations haven ’ t been generous enough in helping developing countries combat COVID-19 , which is setting back the continent ’ s economy and development .
After the pandemic shut down big parts of the world in March , Guterres called for a global cease-fire to tackle it .
On Tuesday , he appealed for a 100-day push by the international community , led by the Security Council , “ to make this a reality by the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for U.N. reforms , France ’ s Macron said the global body itself “ ran the risk of impotence.
” “ Our societies have never been so interdependent , ” he said .
“ And at the very moment when all this is happening , never have we been so out of tune , so out of alignment.
” Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York and Angela Charlton from Paris


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Man, 77, charged in 1974 murder of Texas teenage girl

FORT WORTH , Texas - A man was arrested and charged in the 1974 killing of a Texas teenage girl after nearly 50 years of investigation and the advancement of DNA technology , police said Tuesday .
Glen McCurley , 77 , of Fort Worth , was arrested early Monday and charged with capital murder in the abduction , torture , rape and slaying of 17-year-old Carla Walker .
He is confined to the Tarrant County Jail with bond set at $ 100,000 .
Online records do not list an attorney for McCurley .
Police had said the Fort Worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her boyfriend outside a Valentine ’ s Day party at a bowling alley the night of Feb. 17 , 1974 , when a man pistol-whipped the boy and grabbed the girl .
Her body was found three days later stuffed in a culvert near Lake Benbrook , which is near where the abduction happened .
McCurley had been one of a number of persons under suspicion since the crime occurred , but investigators had been unable to link him definitively to Walker ’ s death .
“ We had taken his case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology and what evidence we had at the time , ” Detective Jeff Bennett said at a Tuesday news conference .
Only when DNA technology advanced to the point where a complete genetic profile could be developed from evidence gleaned from the girl ’ s brassiere could a solid link be made , Detective Leah Wagner said .