thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Violence escalates in Beirut as protesters clash with police

BEIRUT - Security forces fired tear gas , water cannons and rubber bullets in clashes Sunday with hundreds of anti-government protesters outside Lebanon ’ s Parliament , as violence continued to escalate in a week of rioting .
At least 114 people were injured in the protests , according to the Red Cross and the Lebanese Civil Defence teams , with 47 taken to hospitals for treatment .
Most of the wounds were from rubber bullets , some in the face and upper body , an Associated Press reporter said .
Among the injured from rubber bullets were at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local TV station Al-Jadeed news who was struck in the hand .
Demonstrators threw rocks and other projectiles and even shot a stream of fire from ignited aerosol cans .
Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons before turning to rubber bullets to try to disperse the crowds .
A few protesters tried to climb metal barriers separating them from the riot police .
Hundreds more , some chanting “ Revolution , ” gathered farther down the blocked street that leads to the Parliament in central Beirut .
Army troops were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the violence stopped as protesters cheered the troops .
But the army pulled out minutes later , and the clashes resumed with security forces barricaded behind the barriers .
By late Sunday night , security forces and army troops were deployed in large formations to the blocked streets .
Amid a downpour of rain and the advance of security forces , protesters retreated and the situation calmed in central Beirut .
Army patrols briefly roamed the streets to prevent protesters from returning to outside the Parliament .
During the rioting , protesters smashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outgoing minister from the government they had accused of corruption .
In one of the stores , a telecommunication company , the protesters smashed the windows and trashed the contents of the store as security alarms blared .
Security forces reinforced the metal barriers surrounding the Parliament building earlier in the day , after the worst night of violence since the unrest erupted several months ago .
There were nine hours of street battles with security forces Saturday as some protesters tried to scale the barriers .
Those clashes left at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Lebanese Civil Defence said .
More than 120 were treated in hospitals , including a protester with an eye injury , as well as members of the security forces .
Lebanon ’ s Internal Security Forces said 142 of its members were injured , including seven officers , some with serious concussions .
Lawyers defending protesters said 43 were arrested Saturday , including two minors .
They said 11 were released the same day , and the other 32 were released Sunday , pending investigation .
Most of the detainees were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
The military made a show of force Sunday , with large numbers deployed in downtown Beirut and in southern Lebanon , patrolling ahead of the rallies .
Riot police were in the front line guarding the Parliament .
The clashes took place amid a rapidly worsening financial crisis and an ongoing impasse over the formation of a new government .
Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the rest of the government resigned in late October .
Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab had been expected to announce a new 18-member Cabinet on Sunday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was no announcement after a 90-minute meeting , signalling another delay among the fractious political leaders .
The protests , which began in October , took a violent turn last week as popular frustration began to rise .
Demonstrators say the political elite has ignored their calls for forming an independent government to tackle the deepening crisis .
“ We don ’ t accept the government the way they are forming it .
They are using the old method to form the government ... so it ’ s not acceptable , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want a different way of forming a government.
” Demonstrators have been rallying against those who have held power since the end of the 1975-90 civil war .
They blame politicians for widespread corruption and mismanagement in a country that has accumulated one of the largest debt ratios in the world .
Panic and anger have gripped the public as the Lebanese pound , pegged to the dollar for more than two decades , plummeted in value .
It lost more than 60 % of its value in recent weeks on the black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth and flows of foreign currency dried up in the already heavily indebted country that relies on imports for most basic goods .
Protesters targeted commercial banks , which have imposed informal capital controls , limiting the withdrawal of dollars and foreign transfers .
Interior Minister Raya El Hassan on Saturday condemned the attacks on security forces and public and private property as “ totally unacceptable.
” However , Human Rights Watch described the response by the security forces as “ brutal , “ and called for an urgent end to a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There was no justification for the brutal use of force unleashed by Lebanon ’ s riot police against largely peaceful demonstrators in downtown Beirut , “ said Michael Page , deputy Middle East director at HRW .
Security forces and the military had prepared for more violence by blocking access to some buildings in central Beirut with razor wire , and closing access to areas that included a popular tourist site .
Workers also welded fencing together across roads leading to Parliament .
On Beirut ’ s rain-dampened streets early in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other businesses swept up broken glass and boarded up windows .
Workers at one bank took down a large sign to remove any identification to avoid angering protesters , who smashed the windows and the facade of Lebanon ’ s Banking Association headquarters with metal bars on Saturday night .
The demonstrators widely blame financial institutions , alongside government corruption , for the crippling economic crisis .
Soot and ashes still littered the ground where security forces burned the tents of the protesters who staged a sit-in .
Associated Press writers David Rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Sarah El Deeb And Andrea Rosa - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Bangladesh court sentences 5 ex-cops to death for killing

DHAKA , Bangladesh - A Bangladesh court sentenced five former police officials to death Monday for opening fire on a motorcade of then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina 31 years ago , killing 24 of her supporters during an anti-government rally .
Judge Mohammed Ismail Hossain in southeastern Bangladesh ’ s Chittagong city announced the verdict with four defendants present , said prosecution lawyer Shibu Prakash Biswas .
One defendant has fled , he said .
Hasina is now prime minister of the South Asian nation .
On Jan. 24 , 1988 , police started shooting as Hasina ’ s motorcade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally against then military dictator H.M. Ershad .
He ruled the country for nearly nine years until 1990 , when he was overthrown in an uprising .
The prosecution said the target was to kill Hasina , but her supporters formed “ a human shield , ” surrounding her when the shooting started .
After the killings took place , the bodies were taken to a local crematorium and cremated regardless of religious identities , without giving their families any chance to see them .
A case was filed in 1992 when former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it was shelved for years because Hasina is her arch rival .
Hasina took office when Zia ’ s five-year term ended in 1996 and began the investigation into the killings .
The country ’ s Criminal Investigations Department charged eight policemen with murder .
Three of the defendants have died .
Bangladesh has gone through numerous political upheavals since its independence from Pakistan in 1971 , involving killings , military coups and counter-coups .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Crimes? Impeachment prosecutors, defence lay out arguments

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s defence team and the prosecutors of his impeachment are laying out their arguments over whether his conduct toward Ukraine warrants his removal from office .
Trump ’ s lawyers on Sunday previewed their impeachment defence with the questionable assertion that the charges against him are invalid , adopting a position rejected by Democrats as “ nonsense.
” The trial resumes on Tuesday with what could be a fight over the ground rules .
By then , both sides will have submitted briefs and four Democratic presidential candidates will have been forced back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join every other senator in silence , sans phones , on the Senate floor .
What they ’ re likely to hear in this extraordinary setting is the House Democrats ’ impeachment articles that charge Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress over his pressure on Ukraine for political help .
From the White House , the senator-jurors are expected to hear that Trump committed no crime , the impeachment articles are invalid and he ’ s the victim of Democrats who want to overturn his election .
“ Criminal-like conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a constitutional lawyer on Trump ’ s defence team .
Dershowitz said he will be making the same argument to the Senate and if it prevails , there will be “ no need “ to pursue the witness testimony or documents that Democrats are demanding .
But the “ no crime , no impeachment ” approach has been roundly dismissed by scholars and Democrats , who were fresh off a trial brief that called Trump ’ s behaviour the “ worst nightmare ” of the country ’ s founders .
In their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes and misdemeanours ” is vague and open-ended in the Constitution and meant to encompass abuses of power that aren ’ t necessarily illegal .
The White House is pushing an “ absurdist position , “ said Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , the lead Democratic prosecutor of the impeachment case .
“ That ’ s the argument I suppose you have to make if the facts are so dead set against you.
” Rep. Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , another impeachment prosecutor , called it “ arrant nonsense ” and said evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The back-and-forth came as all concerned agitated for the Senate to get on with the third impeachment trial in the nation ’ s history .
Behind the scenes .
the seven House managers were shoring up which prosecutor will handle which parts of the case and doing a walk-through of the Senate .
.
No senators were more eager to get going than the four Democratic presidential candidates facing the prospect of being marooned in the Senate ahead of kickoff nominating votes in Iowa and New Hampshire .
“ I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Bernie Sanders on New Hampshire Public Radio while campaigning Sunday in Concord .
During the trial , Sanders and other senators are required to sit for perhaps six grueling hours of proceedings daily — except Sundays , per Senate rules — in pursuit of the “ impartial justice ” they pledged to pursue .
But there was scant evidence that anyone ’ s mind was really open about whether Trump earned vindication or ouster .
Mystery , however , abounded over the trial ’ s ground rules .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how the proceedings will follow — and differ from — the precedent of President Bill Clinton ’ s impeachment trial in 1999 .
“ The president deserves a fair trial .
The American people deserve a fair trial .
So let ’ s have that fair trial , ” said Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado , one of the seven impeachment prosecutors .
But what ’ s fair is as vigorously disputed as the basic question of whether Trump ’ s pressure on Ukraine to help him politically merits a Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stakes are enormous , with historic influence on the fate of Trump ’ s presidency , the 2020 presidential and congressional elections and the future of any presidential impeachments .
Whatever happens in the Senate , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , has said , Trump will “ be impeached forever.
” Members of Trump ’ s team countered that if they win a vindication for Trump , it means “ there will be an acquittal forever as well , ” Trump attorney Robert Ray said Sunday .
“ That is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspense over the trial ’ s structure and nature , some clues on what ’ s to come sharpened on Sunday .
The president ’ s lawyers bore down on the suggestion that House impeachment is invalid unless the accused violated U.S. law .
Dershowitz ’ s argument , backed up by Ray , refers to an 1868 speech by Benjamin Curtis , who after serving as a Supreme Court justice acted as the chief lawyer for Andrew Johnson at his Senate impeachment trial .
Johnson was ultimately acquitted by the Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ allege that crimes have been committed , treason , bribery , and things like that , in other words , other high crimes and misdemeanours , ” Ray said Sunday .
Republicans have long signalled the strategy , which has , in turn , been disputed by other scholars .
“ Rubbish , ” said Frank Bowman , a University of Missouri law professor and author of his own book about the history of impeachment for the Trump era .
“ It ’ s comically bad .
Dershowitz either knows better or should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had been Dershowitz ’ s student as a law professor at Harvard .
Even as he made the case for Trump ’ s acquittal , Dershowitz on Sunday distanced himself from the rest of Trump ’ s defence team and said he would merely speak about the Constitution at the trial .
He refused to endorse the strategy pursued by other members of that team or defend Trump ’ s conduct and said he didn ’ t sign onto the White House left brief filed Saturday , which called impeachment a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
“ I ’ m a liberal Democrat ...
I ’ m here as a constitutional lawyer , ” Dershowitz said .
“ I ’ m here to lend my expertise on that issue and that issue alone.
” Democrats , meanwhile , are pushing for witnesses and documents that weren ’ t part of the House proceedings .
A few Republicans said they want to know more before deciding .
It ’ s relevant because new information from Lev Parnas , an indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the same time , Senate Democrats want to call John Bolton , the former national security adviser , among other potential eyewitnesses , after the White House blocked officials from appearing in the House .
With Republicans controlling the Senate 53-47 , they can set the trial rules — or any four Republicans could join with Democrats to change course .
Crow spoke on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” and Dershowitz was on CNN and ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” Ray was on Fox News Channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schiff appeared on ABC and Nadler on CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation.
” Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Hunter Woodall in Manchester , N.H. , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Iraqi officials: At least 13 wounded in violence in Baghdad

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces fired tear gas and live rounds during clashes with anti-government protesters overnight and on Monday morning in Baghdad , wounding at least 13 demonstrators and prompting authorities to close key streets and thoroughfares leading to the city centre , officials said .
The violence is the latest since protests in Iraq reignited last week after a brief lull amid soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran following a U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad earlier this month .
Anti-government protests have similarly resumed in Lebanon after a brief hiatus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger against a worsening economic crisis and politicians ’ inaction mounts .
Hundreds of people were injured over the weekend as security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets in clashes in downtown Beirut .
In Baghdad , the tear gas and live rounds were fired near Sinak Bridge and also the nearby Tayaran Square , which have been the scene of violence in recent days , medical and security officials said .
As smoke rose over the city from the tear gas , tuk-tuks ferried the injured to hospitals .
A statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers were wounded by a group of rock-throwing “ inciters of violence ” while trying to secure the entrance to Tahrir square , the epicenter of the protest movement .
“ Despite these actions our forces continued to exercise restraint and follow up on the security duties assigned to them , ” said the statement .
A security official said at least nine arrests have been made so far after the National Security Council authorized security forces to arrest demonstrators seen blocking main thoroughfares and roundabouts .
The U.N. envoy to Iraq , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resume pushing for reforms and for protests to remain peaceful .
“ Any steps taken so far to address the people ’ s concerns will remain hollow , if they are not completed , “ said Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in a statement issued by the U.N. “ Violent suppression of peaceful protesters is intolerable and must be avoided at all costs .
Nothing is more damaging than a climate of fear.
” In the southern city of Nasiriyah , protesters blocked the highway linking the city to the southern oil-rich province of Basra .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unknown gunmen fired at them from a speeding car , a medical official said .
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations .
On Sunday , protesters in Baghdad and southern Iraq burned tires , blocking main streets .
Clashes in Baghdad wounded at least 27 people .
Iraqi activists gave the government a week ’ s deadline to act on their demands for sweeping political reforms or said they would up the pressure with new demonstrations .
The uprising began on Oct. 1 when thousands of Iraqis took to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , poor public services and a scarcity of jobs .
Protesters are demanding an end to Iraq ’ s sectarian political system , alongside early elections and the stepping aside of its ruling elite .
The mass protest movement had several successes before the U.S. strike diverted public attention .
In December , pressure from demonstrations lead Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani , Iraq ’ s more revered Shiite cleric , to withdraw support for the government of Adel Abdul-Mahdi , prompting the prime minister ’ s resignation .
Later that month , lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would give the people more say in who ’ s elected to office .
But bickering between rival political factions has so far set back talks over the selection of a new premier .
Abdul-Mahdi ’ s ascension was the product of a provisional agreement between rival blocs Saeroon , lead by influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr , and Fatah , lead by Hadi al-Ameri .
Since the protests first erupted in October , at least 500 have died under fire from security forces .
Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj in Baghdad contributed @ @ @ @

Qassem Abdul-Zahra And Samya Kullab - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--2020 Watch: Will impeachment change the primary?

DES MOINES , Iowa - Presidential politics move fast .
What we ’ re watching heading into a new week on the 2020 campaign : With voting to begin in just two weeks , the sprint to the Iowa caucuses is decidedly complicated by the beginning of President Donald Trump ’ s historic impeachment trial in the Senate .
The proceedings will prevent the two leading progressive candidates , Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , from spending as much time in the kickoff caucus state as they ’ d like , giving an advantage to moderate rivals Joe Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the progressive movement is struggling to project a united front after a dispute over gender threatened to splinter the left .
Taken together , the evolving dynamics add yet another layer of uncertainty to the already unsettled Democratic primary fight at a critical moment .
How excited are black voters about these Democrats ?
The week opens with Martin Luther King Jr. Day — and a spotlight on the Democratic Party ’ s critical relationship with African American voters .
The party ’ s best-known black candidates , Kamala Harris and Cory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race .
On paper , Joe Biden has maintained a dominant advantage over the rest of the field among black voters , but the ultimate Democratic nominee will not only need to win black voters in the primary , he or she will need to convince them to turn out in greater numbers in 2020 than they did in 2016 .
We ’ ll be talking to plenty of African American leaders and watching how the candidates are received at multiple forums dedicated to King and racial justice across various states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being written in Washington this week as the Senate begins Trump ’ s impeachment trial on Tuesday .
While the proceedings are not expected to lead to the Republican president ’ s removal , they could play a major role in the first voting contest of the Democratic Party ’ s primary season .
Four Senate Democrats running for president , Amy Klobuchar , Michael Bennet , Sanders and Warren , are required to attend each day of the trial , which will severely limit their ability to rally supporters on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them ?
Will it ultimately help Biden and Buttigieg ?
And stepping back , will it diminish the importance of Iowa ’ s Feb. 3 caucuses ?
Can Trump peel off any Bernie bros ?
All of a sudden , Republicans , led by Trump , are deeply concerned about whether Sanders is being treated fairly by the Democratic Party .
Perpetuating a conservative conspiracy theory , the president claimed last week that establishment Democrats “ are rigging the election ” against Sanders by forcing him to stay in Washington for the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucuses .
The conspiracy ignores the fact that Warren , Klobuchar and Bennet are in the same position as Sanders .
It ’ s laughable to think Trump and GOP leaders are genuinely concerned about Sanders , but it ’ s not quite so crazy to imagine some disaffected Sanders supporters ultimately supporting Trump this fall — or sitting out the election altogether — if Sanders doesn ’ t emerge as the Democratic nominee .
In a general election that may come down to razor-thin margins in a handful of swing states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders supporters to make a real impact .
Less than a week has passed since the progressive alliance between Warren and Sanders was shattered with a “ he said , she said ” dispute tinged with sexism .
The liberal leaders have avoided any further public criticism of each other since the Jan. 14 debate , but tensions remain , particularly among their most passionate supporters .
Democrats can not afford any permanent divisions in their energized left wing if they hope to defeat Trump in the fall .
And rank-and-file primary voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That makes the Sanders-Warren rift a critical dynamic to watch moving forward .
Even before the Warren accusation , it was no secret that many female supporters of Hillary Clinton had been nursing a years-long grudge against Sanders .
They blamed him for not working hard enough to help the party ’ s first female nominee after their divisive 2016 primary battle .
Sanders didn ’ t do himself any favours with those voters on Sunday when he described gender ( and age ) as a political “ problem.
“ It was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question that Sanders should have been better prepared to answer .
Given the decisive role women have played in helping Democrats in the Trump era , Sanders and his party need to do better .
Democrats have yet to prove they can assemble a coalition capable of defeating Trump .
And on the eve of the Iowa caucuses , the party is facing new questions about its leading candidates ’ standing with women , African Americans and far-left activists .
It ’ s risky to assume that Trump ’ s turbulent presidency alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the Democratic nominee in November .
That makes the delicate discussions over gender and race playing out now all the more dangerous .
2020 Watch runs every Monday and provides a look at the week ahead in the 2020 election .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Cases of new viral pneumonia in China surpass 200

BEIJING - China reported a sharp rise in the number of people infected with a new coronavirus on Monday , including the first cases in the capital .
The outbreak coincides with the country ’ s busiest travel period , as millions board trains and planes for the Lunar New Year holidays .
Health authorities in the central city of Wuhan , where the viral pneumonia appears to have originated , said an additional 136 cases have been confirmed in the city , which now has a total of 198 infected patients .
As of the weekend , a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll to three .
Two individuals in Beijing and one in the southern city of Shenzhen have also been diagnosed with the new coronavirus , health commissions in the respective cities said Monday .
The three people had visited Wuhan .
The outbreak has put other countries on alert as millions of Chinese travel for Lunar New Year .
Authorities in Thailand and in Japan have already identified at least three cases , all involving recent travel from China .
South Korea reported its first case Monday , when a 35-year-old Chinese woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus one day after arriving at Seoul ’ s Incheon airport .
The woman has been isolated at a state-run hospital in Incheon city , just west of Seoul , the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement .
At least a half-dozen countries in Asia and three U.S. airports have started screening incoming airline passengers from central China .
Videos posted online show people in protective suits checking one-by-one the temperatures of plane passengers arriving in Macao from Wuhan .
A man surnamed Yang who works for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that such checks are indeed taking place in the southern Chinese region .
Many of the initial cases of the coronavirus had connections to a seafood market in Wuhan , which was closed as an investigation was underway .
As hundreds of people who came into close contact with diagnosed patients were not infected themselves , the municipal health commission maintains that the virus is not easily transmitted between humans , though it has not ruled out limited human-to-human transmission .
China ’ s National Health Commission said experts have judged the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ However , the source of the new type of coronavirus has not been found , we do not fully understand how the virus is transmitted , and changes in the virus still need to be closely monitored , ” the commission said in a statement Sunday .
Coronaviruses cause diseases ranging from the common cold to SARS , or severe acute respiratory syndrome .
SARS first infected people in southern China in late 2002 and spread to more than two dozen countries , killing nearly 800 .
The Chinese government initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SARS epidemic , but its coverup was exposed by a high-ranking physician .
“ In the early days of SARS , reports were delayed and covered up , ” said an editorial in the nationalistic Global Times .
“ That kind of thing must not happen again in China.
” “ We have made great strides in medicine , social affairs management and public opinion since 2003 , ” the editorial said .
China is putting forth its “ utmost efforts to tackle the situation , ” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and maintained close communication with the World Health Organization and other relevant countries and regions , Geng said , adding that Wuhan has adopted measures to control the flow of people leaving the city .
The virus causing the current outbreak is different from those previously identified , Chinese scientists said earlier this month .
Initial symptoms of the novel coronavirus include fever , cough , tightness of the chest and shortness of breath .
On the Weibo social media platform , which is widely used in China , people posted prevention advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
State broadcaster CCTV recommended staying warm , increasing physical activity , eating lightly and avoiding crowded places .
Some people said they had cancelled their travel plans and were staying home for Lunar New Year .
Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing and writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul , South Korea , contributed to this report .

Yanan Wang And Ken Moritsugu - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Police: 2 dead, 15 reportedly injured in Missouri shooting

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
- Police in Kansas City , Missouri , say at least two people are dead and 15 people were reportedly injured in a shooting outside a bar .
The shooting took place shortly before midnight Sunday , Kansas City police said at the scene .
Capt .
David Jackson told news outlets at the scene that responding officers found “ a chaotic scene ” and had to call in help from around the city .
A man and a woman were found dead .
Police believe the shooter is the deceased man , Jackson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooter opened fire on a line of people waiting to enter a bar , but the motive for the shooting wasn ’ t immediately clear .
The shooter was shot by an armed security guard , police said .
During the investigation , police heard that people — at least 15 — were showing up to local hospitals with injuries from the shooting .
At least three people were in critical condition , police said .
The scene was near U.S. Highway 40 .
News outlets at the scene identified the bar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9ine Ultra Lounge .
A Facebook post on the club ’ s page advertised Sunday night ’ s “ Sold Out Sundays ” event , which appeared to be a celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs .
The Chiefs — featured on the event ’ s artwork — beat the Tennessee Titans on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl .
“ It just put such a tragic end to such a wonderful day in Kansas City , ” Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said at the scene , referencing the win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stand here and talk about this kind of tragedy on really one of the best days Kansas City has had in a long time.
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Former German military translator on trial as Iran spy

BERLIN - A German-Afghan man who worked for years as an interpreter and adviser for the German military went on trial Monday on charges of spying for Iranian intelligence .
The 51-year-old man , who has been identified only as Abdul S. in line with German privacy rules , is charged with “ a particularly serious case ” of treason and with breaching official secrecy laws in 18 cases .
Prosecutors have given few details of the case .
Media and the public were excluded from the trial at the Koblenz state court before the indictment was read , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas Bergmann said the trial would be held behind closed doors “ until further notice ” because of security concerns .
The public was later allowed back into the courtroom , but further exclusions were expected during the course of the trial , which is scheduled to last until at least March 31 .
The man ’ s wife , Asiea S. , also a German-Afghan dual citizen , has been charged with being an accessory to treason .
Prosecutors have said she supported his passing of secret documents to Iran from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that support .
Defence lawyer Ulrich Sommer said neither has responded to the charges .
He said he has found “ no direct evidence “ to support them .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Police: 2 dead, 5 injured after shooting in San Antonio club

SAN ANTONIO - The search for a suspect continued Sunday night after two people were killed and five others were injured following a shooting during a concert at a San Antonio club , Texas authorities said .
Police said officers were called shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday to the Ventura , a music venue and bar located along the Museum Reach portion of the San Antonio River Walk .
An argument broke out inside of the club and one person pulled out a gun and started shooting , San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said .
One victim died at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transported to a hospital , where one was pronounced dead shortly after arrival .
The victims have not been identified .
McManus said the victim who died at the club was a 21-year-old man .
He said preliminary information indicated the people shot were all “ patrons , “ not staff .
McManus said he is confident that a suspect will be soon identified and apprehended .
No further information was immediately available .
A since-deleted Facebook event indicated Sunday night ’ s concert at the Ventura was “ Living the DREAM , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Advertisements for the concert were also posted to websites advertising local events and listed performers ’ social media pages .
An email to the apparent promoters wasn ’ t immediately returned .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--South Africa looks again at anti-apartheid activist’s death

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa has opened an inquest into the death of an anti-apartheid activist in police custody nearly four decades ago as pressure for justice in similar cases continues .
Dr. Neil Aggett ’ s body was found hanging in the cells of the John Vorster police station in Johannesburg , which was infamous for the torture and deaths of activists fighting the oppressive racist system of apartheid .
An inquest cleared police of wrongdoing in the 1982 death and concluded that Aggett had killed himself .
His family and human rights lawyers have long disagreed and called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case follows the groundbreaking one of Ahmed Timol , an anti-apartheid activist who also died in police detention at the same police station in 1971 .
Police claimed he jumped to his death , while his family argued he was tortured and killed .
Former policeman Joao Rodrigues is set to go on trial for Timol ’ s murder after a South African court last year declined his application for a permanent halt of his prosecution .
The National Prosecuting Authority said the ruling affirms that people who committed crimes during the apartheid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basis of how long ago the crimes took place .
South Africa ’ s justice minister soon afterward announced that the ministry would authorize inquests into the unsolved murders of other apartheid activists so their families may find justice and closure .
At least 73 political detainees died in police custody in South Africa between 1963 and 1990 .
White minority rule ended in South Africa with all-race elections in 1994 that brought Nelson Mandela to power .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Italy’s Salvini dares lawmakers to vote to put him on trial

ROME - Italy ’ s right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini is daring fellow senators to vote to put him on trial for alleged kidnapping for keeping migrants aboard a rescue ship for days last year when he was interior minister .
The Senate commission on parliamentary immunity meets later Monday to decide .
But no matter the outcome of that decision , no immunity can be lifted until the entire Senate votes in February .
Italy ’ s governing centre-left parties fear Salvini will exploit any lifting of his immunity for sympathy votes in a Jan. 26 regional election where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triumph .
Salvini says as interior minister he acted to safeguard Italy ’ s borders when he refused for six days to allow the coast guard ship Gregoretti to bring 131 rescued migrants ashore to Sicily in July 2019 .
Prosecutors in Sicily investigated him for alleged kidnapping , then decided to shelf the case .
But another judicial body , the Tribunal of Ministers , which has jurisdiction over the handling of alleged crimes by government officials , wants to proceed .
Salvini on Sunday urged League members on the Senate commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he put it , all of Italy can judge his actions through a trial .
Coalition parties in Premier Giuseppe Conte ’ s last week unsuccessfully sought to have the vote delayed until after the regional election .
If the Democrats , a main government party , lose in the ballot in Reggio Emilia , a long-time left-wing stronghold , to the right-wing League , Salvini is likely to resume his press for an early national election .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Populist party could leave Norwegian govt over IS woman

COPENHAGEN - Norway ’ s populist Progress Party could leave the centre-right government coalition over a decision to bring back home an Islamic State group-linked woman and her two children from a detention camp in Syria .
The anti-immigration party , Norway ’ s third-largest , is one of Prime Minister Erna Solberg ’ s four coalition members , together with her Conservatives , the centrist Liberal Party and the Christian Democrats..
The 29-year-old Norweigan woman of Pakistani descent reportedly travelled to Syria in 2013 and married a Norwegian foreign fighter there who was later killed in fighting .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many believe she used her child as a shield to come back to Norway .
There are many in Norway who are displeased by this , not just in the Progress Party , ” said party leader Siv Jensen , who is also Norway ’ s finance minister .
The party felt it was not consulted when the decision was made to bring back the woman and her children to Norway .
She was formally arrested Saturday upon her return and was placed in an Oslo hospital with her two children , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the concern for the child was paramount , ” said Solberg , The mother , who was not named , refused to let the sick child travel alone to Norway , which then allowed her to travel from the Kurdish-controlled camp at Al-Hol where they had been detained since March 2019 .
Solberg and Jensen were to meet later Monday to discuss whether the Progress Party should remain in the government .
The government must muster a majority in the 169-seat Storting , or Parliament .
Solberg has been prime minister of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coalition with the Progress Party .
The parties won renewed support for the steering the country in the 2017 election .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--10 years after Vatican takeover, Legion in new abuse crisis

MEXICO CITY - The administrator of the elite Catholic school in Cancun , Mexico , used to take the girls out of class and send them to the chapel , where the priest from the Legion of Christ religious order would sexually abuse them .
“ As some were reading the Bible , he would rape the others in front of them , little girls aged 6 to 8 or 9 , ” said one of his victims , Ana Lucia Salazar , now a 36-year-old Mexican television host and mother of three .
“ Afterward , nothing was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way it was , ” she said through tears at her home in Mexico City .
Salazar ’ s horrific story , which has been corroborated by other victims and the Legion itself , has sparked a new credibility crisis for the once-influential order , 10 years after the Holy See took it over after determining that its founder was a pedophile .
But more importantly , it has called into question the Vatican reform itself : The papal envoy who ran the Legion starting in 2010 learned about the case nearly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even investigate the priest or the superiors who covered up his crimes , many of whom are still in power and ministry today .
The scandal is not the story line the Legion was hoping for as it opens its general chapter Monday in Rome , a weeks-long gathering to choose new leaders and approve policy decisions going forward .
The assembly was supposed to have shown off the Legion embarking fully on its own after 10 years of Vatican-mandated reform .
The Holy See imposed structural changes after revelations that the Legion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Marcial Maciel , sexually abused at least 60 seminarians , fathered at least three children and built a secretive , cult-like order to cater to his whims and hide his double life .
The Cancun scandal , though , has exposed that the Vatican reform failed to address one key area : to punish known historic abusers and the people who covered for them , and change the culture of coverup that enabled the crimes .
From the outset , the late papal envoy who ran the Legion , Cardinal Velasio De @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superiors accountable or investigate past abusers .
“ De Paolis said there would be no witch hunt , explicitly , and the consequence is that abuse and its coverup have remained unpunished , ” said the Rev .
Christian Borgogno , a former Legion priest who co-founded the “ Legioleaks ” Facebook group where Salazar first went public in May .
Borgogno said De Paolis ’ decision to leave in place Legion superiors , many of whom were close to Maciel , “ made reform impossible.
” “ The only way out was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were even repressed , ” he told AP .
“ That ’ s the main reason why many of us left.
” Salazar , whose story has made headlines in Mexico , goes further : “ What I want is for the pope to get radicalized , “ she said .
“ There ’ s only one position , to be on the side of the violated children , ” not a religious order that has among its priests “ villains , delinquents , rapists , accomplices and victimizers.
“ “ The Legion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ she said , echoing calls from even within the church that the Vatican should have suppressed the order 10 years ago .
“ It ’ s like taking apart a cartel ; you have to remove the ringleaders and dismantle it.
” Legion spokesman the Rev .
Aaron Smith argued that the Legion ’ s leadership had indeed changed over the past decade , noting that 11 priests are participating in the 2020 general chapter for the first time , and that most of the 66 participants are new to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than a dozen others , however , belong to Maciel ’ s old guard .
Smith said the power structure of the Maciel era had been dismantled , with more decentralized authority and systems of checks and balances put in place .
“ It would be practically impossible today to have actions like the ones which occurred during Maciel ’ s tenure to go undetected , ” he said in emailed responses to questions , after declining an on-camera interview .
The scandal has struck the Legion at its core — Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it hurts most : the Legion ’ s prestigious private schools , which cater to Mexico ’ s elite and are the order ’ s main source of income .
Former Legion priests say the scandal is a devastating blow that they long warned about , since a loss of credibility among wealthy Mexicans would deprive the Legion of its key base .
Already , the Mexican bishops conference has ended its silence about the Legion to denounce the newly revealed abuse and the Legion ’ s failure to provide “ a specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims ” even after it acknowledged the crimes , vowed more transparency and pointed to its child protection policies in place now .
The archbishop of Monterrey — a Legion stronghold — denounced the group ’ s “ criminal silence “ and treatment of victims , and led recent calls from Mexican bishops for an end to the statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases .
It was a remarkable turnabout , given that Mexico ’ s Catholic hierarchy long supported the Legion and benefited from the once-wealthy order ’ s largesse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mexico , Monsignor Franco Coppola , broke the Holy See ’ s tradition of diplomatic discretion to publicly criticize the Legion ’ s handling of the case and call for the Vatican to investigate the “ web of coverup ” behind it .
That too was remarkable , given that the Vatican itself has been implicated in the Maciel coverup .
Coppola also echoed calls from victims and the archdiocese of Monterrey for the Legion superiors implicated in the coverup to at least stand down from the general chapter , calling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that to date none has accepted .
Smith , the Legion spokesman , said the order couldn ’ t ask the priests to step aside , but that they could if they chose to .
Asked about the criticism from the Mexican hierarchy , Smith said the Legion welcomed the input as it seeks to improve its handling of past cases of abuse and prevention efforts going forward .
He said the general chapter would evaluate current child protection practices , ensure proper outreach to victims , and could mandate a continuation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of abuse of power by Legion superiors .
However , victims see such promises as nothing more than lip service , and dismissed the letters they received from the leadership after the scandal broke promising reparations and change .
The Legion hasn ’ t yet settled all requests for financial compensation from eight of Maciel ’ s original victims , who made formal requests in 2018 .
Salazar ’ s case is particularly grave since her parents went to the bishop , himself a Legionary , to denounce the priest , Fernando @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told them in late 1992 that he had digitally raped her .
Then aged 8 , she had been jumping on her parents ’ bed one night when she revealed that Martínez would sit her on his lap , pull her panties aside , penetrate her and masturbate himself .
“ My mother says that while I was jumping , it seemed like I was a butterfly , as if I were lifting the weight off , as if I were flying , ” Salazar said .
But Martínez had friends , chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out had sexually abused him .
Martínez was one of nearly a dozen Legion priests who were childhood victims of the founder and went onto molest other minors , a multi-generational chain of abuse that the Legion acknowledged last month .
Last week , the Legion announced that Martínez had asked to be defrocked , after an outside investigation determined he molested at least six girls in Cancun and that a series of Legion leaders , from the original bishop who took Salazar ’ s complaint to De Paolis himself , decided against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vatican .
Martinez had been transferred from Cancun to a seminary in Spain , with no formal restrictions imposed after the Legion received the first reports .
De Paolis , one of the Vatican ’ s top canon lawyers , then essentially became part of the coverup : He had learned of the case between 2011-2013 when he was asked to take action against Martinez since no proper investigation had ever been conducted .
But at the moment in which Martinez could have finally been brought to justice , De Paolis settled on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received , according to the investigation by the Praesidium firm .
Martinez was subsequently transferred to Rome in 2016 .
The current Legion superior , the Rev .
Eduardo Robles Gil , apologized to Salazar for how her case was handled originally and all the subsequent “ deficiencies.
” “ I could have remedied it starting in 2014 , but I followed the decisions that were taken about abuse cases from previous decades , and we didn ’ t reexamine it , ” he wrote her in November .
He forwarded a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her abuser begged her forgiveness “ for the grave harm I caused you.
” He termed his behaviour “ faults ” that were the result of an “ uncontrolled sexuality.
” Salazar was deeply offended by the way the letters diminished the crimes and coverup .
“ It was revictimizing to me , humiliating , disgusting.
“ After Salazar came forward , other Martínez victims broke their silence .
Their stories were no surprise to Beatriz Sánchez , an English teacher at Cancun ’ s Colegio Cumbres in the early 1990s who heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his victims whispering — and weeping — in the bathroom .
“ When one approached me she said : ‘ Miss , each time Father is doing it harder with the littlest ones and we don ’ t want this to happen to them , please help us , ’ ” Sanchez told AP .
She urged them to write it down — and then was promptly fired when she reported him to Martinez ’ s then-superior , the Rev .
Eloy Bedia , who is one of the Legionaries attending the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the school official who used to take the girls out of class to offer them up to Martinez was fired from her job at another Legion school .
One of the young victims was Biani López-Antúnez , whose mother had also reported the abuse to the Legion in 1993 .
Irma Hassey said she hadn ’ t pried for details when her daughter first revealed Martinez ’ s abuse as a child , not wanting to hurt her further , and only learned the full extent in November .
Now , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two years “ I was leaving my daughter at the door of a rapist .
”

Maria Verza And Nicole Winfield - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Nepal rescuers search for 7 as avalanche hits hiking trail

KATHMANDU , Nepal - Special Nepalese army and government rescue personnel continued searching Monday for four South Korean trekkers and their three Nepali guides missing since since an avalanche swept across popular mountain trekking route .
The avalanche hit part of the Mount Annapurna trekking route on Friday after heavy snowfall earlier in the week .
All other trekkers who were in the area have been safely rescued and flown to safer areas , Department of Tourism official Mira Acharya said .
South Korea ’ s foreign ministry said the missing trekkers are two women in their 30s and 50s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are teachers who were staying in Nepal for volunteer work .
In photos taken early last week , sunshine hit bare and grassy mountain slopes .
Two days of snowfall followed , and by Friday , snow was neck-deep and several avalanches had occurred , a veteran mountain guide who was helicoptered out of the area said .
“ We had crossed the area just three hours before the big avalanche hit the area , which has a few rest stops and lodges , ” Phurba Ongel Sherpa told The Associated Press on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said he saw the area from the helicopter where the avalanche had hit and it was covered with snow .
“ There is no way that anyone buried in that pile could have survived , ” he said .
Sherpa has climbed the world ’ s highest and second-highest peaks , Mount Everest nine times and and K2 once .
He said communication was cut off because of the weather .
His family had been worried after news of the avalanche because his team was also comprised of four South Korean trekkers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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Binaj Gurubacharya - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Ex-police chief on trial for role in Catalan secession bid

MADRID - The former head of Catalonia ’ s regional police and three others are standing trial on charges of rebellion and sedition for their alleged roles in the illegal bid by the Catalan regional government to break away from Spain in 2017 .
The trial starting Monday in the National Court could inflame secessionist sentiment again in Catalonia after several weeks of calm in the northeastern region .
It also comes as new Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promises to try to resolve the regional conflict with political talks rather than legal actions .
The state prosecution has asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trapero to be sentenced to 11 years on charges of rebellion for allegedly conniving with regional authorities in the failed secession push led by former Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont and his deputy , Oriol Junqueras .
Puigdemont , now a European Parliament member , fled Spain to Belgium following the push .
Spain is seeking his extradition .
Junqueras and eight other Catalan politicians and activists received prison sentences last October for their roles .
Also charged with rebellion are former Catalan regional interior ministry official , César Puig and former regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional police officer Teresa Laplana is charged with sedition .
The trial is expected to last two months and several of those in prison are expected to testify .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Hail, floods, dust hit Australia amid raging wildfires

CANBERRA , Australia - Dust storms , hail and flash floods have battered beleaguered Australian cities in recent days , extreme weather that has diminished the threat from scores of wildfires that continue to blaze across the country ’ s southeast .
A hail storm in the national capital Canberra on Monday damaged public buildings , businesses , homes and cars , cut power to some suburbs , brought down trees , caused flash flooding and injured two people , emergency services officials said .
To the west , a 300-kilometre ( 186-mile ) wide cloud of red dust was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilometres ( 66 miles ) per hour and descended on the drought-stricken towns of Dubbo , Broken Hill , Nyngan and Parkes , local media reported .
Much of the dust is top soil from New South Wales state farms .
“ It ’ s part and parcel of this record drought we ’ ve got at the moment , ” Dubbo Mayor Ben Shields told Nine Network television .
Hail struck Melbourne , Australia ’ s second-largest city , on Sunday and more hail storms are forecast to return .
The city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires in Victoria state in recent weeks .
Unusually intense storms over the weekend caused flash flooding in the cities of Brisbane and Gold Coast in Queensland state just north of New South Wales , where most of the wildfire destruction has occurred .
The fires have claimed at least 28 lives since September , destroyed more than 2,600 homes and razed more than 10.4 million hectares ( 25.7 million acres ) .
The area burned is larger than the U.S. state of Indiana .
Widespread recent rainfall in New South Wales and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major fires in Australia ’ s two most populous states .
Authorities have warned the fire danger will escalate this week in both states with rising temperatures and drier conditions .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Rising inequality eroding trust in capitalism - survey

DAVOS , Switzerland - Rising income inequality is undermining confidence in capitalism around the world , according to a survey conducted by public relations firm Edelman ahead of the gathering of the elites in the Swiss ski resort of Davos .
Among those surveyed in the report published Monday , 56 % thought that capitalism was doing more harm than good despite another year of solid economic growth and near-full employment in many developed countries .
The stark finding could cause a stir among the business executives and political leaders as they make their way to the annual meeting of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are living in a trust paradox , ” said Richard Edelman , the CEO of Edelman , which has been conducting its survey of trust for 20 years .
“ Since we began measuring trust , economic growth has fostered rising trust.
” Though that relationship between economic growth and faith in the system remains in developing areas such as Middle East and Asia , the survey found that rising inequality in many rich countries has contributed to a weakening in trust in capitalism .
“ Fears are stifling hope , and long-held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobility are now invalid , ” Edelman said .
Corruption , corporate misbehaviour and fake news are eroding trust , Edelman said , as are fears over automation in the workplace , a lack of training , immigration and the gig economy .
According to the survey , 83 % of employees globally are concerned about their jobs .
Business and NGOs are the institutions that people most trust to deal with global issues , a blow to governments riven by populist and partisan politics .
Climate issues are among the most important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brush aside consumer concerns as brands can be quickly tarnished if they are deemed to be unethical .
“ There is a growing risk of brands getting sucked in and CEOs have a mandate from customers and employees to act , “ Edelman said .
Just recently , BlackRock CEO Laurence Fink said his firm , which manages some $ 7 trillion for investors , will put climate change and sustainability at the heart of its investing approach .
And Credit Suisse , following a protest of its activities at a branch in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investing in new coal-fired power plants .
Consumer goods giant Unilever , the maker of Sure deoderants or Comfort fabric conditioners , promised to halve its use of virgin plastic by 2025 .
“ Business is a catalyst for change , ” said Edelman .
The survey involved 30-minute online interviews in 28 countries between Oct. 19 and Nov. 18 with more than 34,000 people worldwide .


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Shooting kills 2 officers before Hawaii homes catch fire

HONOLULU - A Hawaii man with a history of run-ins with police and neighbours was facing eviction when he stabbed his landlord and killed two officers before the house he and two women were believed to be in burned , authorities and neighbours said Sunday .
Police responding to a call for help found a woman who had been stabbed in the leg and resident Jaroslav “ Jerry ” Hanel , in his 60s , opened fire , killing Officers Tiffany Enriquez , a seven-year veteran , and Kaulike Kalama , a nine-year veteran , Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women were inside the house when it caught fire , and Ballard said it could take days for authorities to process evidence and recover any remains .
The fire spread to several other residences , destroying seven homes and leaving multiple others with fire or smoke damage , according to Honolulu fire officials .
The homeowner , Lois Cain , had recently sought to have Hanel evicted , court records showed .
A neighbour told The Associated Press she saw Cain being loaded into an ambulance with knife wounds .
Cain ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the suspect ’ s .
Ballard said Hanel did not have any gun permits .
The normally peaceful neighbourhood where shots were fired is at the far end of the Waikiki Beach between the Honolulu Zoo and the famed Diamond Head State Monument , a volcanic crater that looms above Honolulu and is popular with tourists and hikers .
A regional park is also nearby .
Ian Felix , a Honolulu resident and combat veteran with medical training , told the AP he happened to be walking by when he saw a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pool of blood coming from her leg .
He applied pressure until the first police officer arrived and put a tourniquet on it , Felix said .
Moments later two more officers arrived , and Felix said he then heard two gunshots .
He and the officer picked up the wounded woman and carried her into a neighbour ’ s garage across the street , he said .
“ Defendant does NOT have a Rental Agreement to occupy the premises and Defendant has no ownership interest in said premises , ” read a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week in court .
“ Despite repeated demands , Defendant has failed and refused to vacate the premises.
” Attorney Jonathan Burge has represented Hanel since 2015 in various disputes with neighbours , including temporary restraining orders that three obtained against him .
Hanel , a native of the Czech Republic who used Czech interpreters in court , faced a hearing next week on a charge of misusing 911 services , Burge said Sunday .
Burge said he never knew Hanel to be violent , but that “ he ’ s kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hanel believed the government was watching him and tapping his phone , Burge said .
“ Maybe that ’ s what set him off , ” he said of the eviction .
Hanel lived for free at the home in exchange for handyman work , Burge said .
Cain was supportive of him in his disputes with the neighbours , Burge said , but their relationship had soured lately because Hanel ’ s dog had died and Cain wouldn ’ t let him get a new one .
Nearby resident Dolores Sandvold said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cain being carried to an ambulance .
Kailua resident John Farmer said the fire spread to his sister ’ s nearby house , which burned down .
He said the resident has been described as paranoid and threatening .
Officials across the state began releasing statements mourning the lost lives , with Gov .
David Ige saying , “ Our entire state mourns the loss of two Honolulu Police officers killed in the line of duty this morning.
” Police closed several streets nearby and asked the public to avoid the area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents East Honolulu and is the chairman of the City Council Public Safety Committee , said he was heartbroken by the attack .
“ I am disturbed by the initial reports that the gunman was a troubled individual who terrorized the Diamond Head neighbourhood where this tragedy unfolded , “ Waters said .

Caleb Jones, Jennifer Kelleher And Marco Garcia - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Unhealthy levels of smog choke Thai capital for over a week

BANGKOK - Unhealthy levels of smog have choked Bangkok for more than a week , as the Thai capital ’ s residents fume over the ineffectiveness of government measures to combat the problem .
As thick haze blanketed the city on Monday , pollution levels soared to 95 micrograms per cubic meter of PM 2.5 particle at noon in some areas , according to the government ’ s Pollution Control Department , which described that level as very unhealthy .
The maximum level considered safe by the government is 50 .
PM 2.5 particles are small enough to penetrate deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both short-term bronchial problems as well as serious long-term health issues .
Bangkok ’ s smog crisis results from still air and an excessive amount of ultrafine dust from vehicle emissions and other activities , Pollution Control Department Director-General Pralong Damrongthai explained in a Monday press release .
He said smog is being trapped close to the ground by a blanket of warm air in what meteorologists call an inversion .
Bangkok residents have grown frustrated with the lack of progress in improving the situation .
A survey by the National Institute for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the 1,256 local residents questioned agreed the government is ineffective in solving the problem .
Only 2.7 % of respondents approved of the government ’ s efforts .
The Pollution Control Department issued a 52-page national action plan in October for combating dust pollution problems , but it is unclear how many , if any , of the measures it suggested were implemented .
The plan mostly included guidelines for government agencies , but also discussed possible precautions and ways to measure pollutants .
Burning of fields is cited as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with provinces in the central and northern regions of Thailand also blanketed in haze .
Tara Buakamsri of the environmental group Greenpeace said the current situation shows the government ’ s strategy is failing .
“ They probably think that the situation happens just only few days or few weeks and then it ’ s gone , therefore , no concrete or long-term measures have been launched by the government , ” he said .
Tara also said the official maximum “ safe level ” of PM 2.5 of 50 micrograms per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too high .
“ That level can not protect people ’ s health , ” he said .
He urged the maximum safe level be reduced to 35 , as it is in other places such as the United States .

Busaba Sivasomboon - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Bangladesh sentences 10 to death for 2001 political bombings

DHAKA , Bangladesh - A court in Bangladesh on Monday sentenced 10 members of a banned Islamist militant group to death for a deadly bomb attack on a Communist Party rally in 2001 .
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court Judge Mohammed Rabiul Alam made the decision in a crowded courtroom while four of the defendants were in the dock .
Six of the defendants are not in custody , while another two who are on the run were acquitted .
All of those on trial belong to the banned group Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami .
The group considers the Communist Party an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 , bomb attacks on a party rally in Dhaka killed five people and wounded 50 others .
The judge said investigators found Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami ’ s former leader was responsible for the attack but his name was dropped from the case because he was executed in 2017 over a separate attack .
The group was established in Bangladesh in 1992 by a group of former Bangladeshi Afghan war veterans who fought against then Soviet Union soldiers .
Bangladesh ’ s government banned the group in 2005 due to its ties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it had connection with regional terrorist groups .
Bangladesh , a Muslim-majority nation of 160 million people , has experienced brutal attacks on scholars , atheists and liberals in recent years .
Some radical forces want to establish Sharia law in the South Asian country , which is largely governed by a legal system based on British common law .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Migrants scuffle with Mexican troops along border river

CIUDAD HIDALGO , Mexico - Hundreds of Central American migrants waded across the Suchiate River into southern Mexico on Monday in a new test of U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s Central America strategy to keep them away from the U.S. border .
Some scuffled with national guardsmen on the riverbank while others slipped through Mexican lines and trudged off on a rural highway in small groups .
Immigration authorities nabbed more there and chased others into the brush .
Most , however , remained at the river ’ s edge or stood in its muddy waters trying to decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked from crossing en masse over the border bridge leading to Ciudad Hidalgo .
“ Mexico ’ s president said he would give us work and an opportunity and look , ” said Esther Madrid , a Honduran vendor who left her six children in Honduras .
Sitting on a rock among dozens of people who didn ’ t know what to do next , she offered only one word when asked if she would consider returning to San Pedro Sula : “ Never.
” Mexico ’ s strategy , developed after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to break up the mass of people repeatedly and into increasingly smaller groups appeared to be working .
Over the weekend , government officials convinced about 1,000 people they should enter legally over the border bridge .
On Monday , migrants were detained at the river and along the highway .
Those who continued could expect a gauntlet of highway checkpoints while trying to move north .
After the river crossing Monday , Mexico ’ s National Immigration Institute issued a statement saying that it would detain any migrants without legal status , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who did not legalize their status .
As feared , children suffered most in the clashes .
On the Mexican riverbank an unconscious 14-year-old girl was carried away for medical attention .
A guardsman said she had started convulsing in the commotion .
Later along the highway , a mother sobbed after realizing her youngest daughter had been separated when migrants tried to escape authorities .
Sauri Marubeny Ortega had been walking with her four daughters , ages 5 to 16 .
Another migrant who had been helping her by carrying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrants scattered and she hadn ’ t been able to locate them .
“ When the federales ’ cars began arriving , he ran off that way and I took off after him , ” she said .
But when she saw an agent nab another daughter she didn ’ t know who to help and lost sight of the youngest .
“ I just beg the person who has her to leave her in a safe place and tell the police , ” the mother said as members of Mexico ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loaded her and three of her girls into an ambulance .
“ I don ’ t want to leave here without my daughter.
” The migrants started the day on the bridge connecting Guatemala and Mexico , where they read aloud a letter asking Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for permission to cross Mexico en route to the U.S. border .
Mexican officials replied that free passage not be offered .
They urged the migrants to enter legally , registering at the bridge and seeking protection and work permits if they wished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an offer many migrants viewed with suspicion .
That sent the migrants down to the Suchiate where hundreds forded its shallow waters and soon faced guardsmen .
On the Mexican side , migrants ran from side to side along the river bank , kicking up dust and looking for an opening in the ranks of National Guard troops sent to meet them .
Guardsmen scrambled , too , trying to head off groups and detaining people where they could .
There was pushing and shoving .
Some guardsmen carried plastic riot shields that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they occasionally zipped a rock back into the crowd .
Others jogged to get into position with long staffs .
Still others carried assault rifles .
Many of migrants moved back to the river ’ s edge and a smaller number crossed back to Guatemala .
“ You have two options : You go back to Guatemalan territory or you come with us , ” Mexican immigration agents said to migrants who crossed the river .
They assured those who went with them that they would “ regularize ” their status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Riot police with shields also appeared on the Guatemala side of river , raising questions about what options really remained for the migrants .
While Mexico ’ s government says the migrants are free to enter — and could compete for jobs if they want to stay and work — in practice , it has restricted such migrants to the southernmost states while their cases are processed by a sluggish bureaucracy .
Those who do not request asylum or some protective status would likely be detained and deported .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or apply for protection in Central American countries , effectively removing one of the escape valves for previous caravans .
Under threats of trade or other sanctions from the Trump administration , Mexico has stopped an earlier practice of allowing migrants to cross its territory unimpeded .
The Guatemala government issued new data Monday showing that 4,000 migrants crossed into that country through the two primary crossings used by the migrants last week , and over the weekend nearly 1,700 entered Mexico at two crossings .
It said 400 had been deported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached the U.S. border in 2018 and early 2019 , Mexico began cracking down , and by April 2019 raided the last attempt at a caravan , rounding up migrants as they walked down a highway .
As this week ’ s caravan approached , Mexico sent soldiers to patrol its southern border and monitored the area with drones .
Migrants sometimes travel via caravan because it provides safety in numbers and offers a chance for migrants too poor to pay smugglers .
Amid the chaos of the crossing some found a warmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house and the very kind woman told us to stay there , that they ( auhtorities ) had no right to enter and she gave us food , ” said Bryan Fernández of Honduras .
He said he didn ’ t know what to do now though .
“ If it gets ugly , we don ’ t know which way to go.
” Associated Press writer Maria Verza reported this story in Ciudad Hidalgo , Mexico , and AP writer Sonia Perez D. reported from Tecun Uman , Guatemala .

Maria Verza And Sonia Perez D. - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Justice Dept. memos back defiance of impeachment subpoenas

WASHINGTON - The White House on Monday released Justice Department legal opinions meant to bolster its case for defying subpoenas from Congress in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump .
One opinion , dated Sunday , says Trump administration officials were free to disregard subpoenas sent last fall before the House of Representatives had formally authorized an impeachment inquiry .
That approval , the memo says , is necessary before congressional committees can begin their own investigations and issue subpoenas for documents and testimony .
The opinion says lawmakers acted in “ unprecedented ” fashion by investigating the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and by making “ express threats of obstruction charges and unconstitutional demands “ that officials appear for closed-door testimony about sensitive matters .
“ Absent any effort by the House committees to accommodate the Executive Branch ’ s legitimate concerns with the unprecedented nature of the committees ’ actions , it was reasonable for executive branch officials to decline to comply with the subpoenas addressed to them , ” says the opinion from Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel , who heads the legal counsel office .
The opinion is significant because one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up this week by the Senate accuses Trump of obstructing the congressional investigation into his efforts to get Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden .
Republican allies of the president are likely to seize on the Justice Department conclusion to argue that the White House was on solid legal ground when it directed aides and officials to flout congressional demands for testimony and documents .
Democrats , meanwhile , are unlikely to be persuaded that the administration ’ s defiance of subpoenas and refusal to participate in the impeachment inquiry has any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into his own misconduct , President Trump asserted the prerogative to nullify Congress ’ s impeachment power itself , “ House managers wrote Monday .
“ He placed himself above the law and eviscerated the separation of powers .
This claim evokes monarchy and despotism .
It has no place in our democracy , where even the highest official must answer to Congress and the Constitution , “ they added .
At issue are subpoenas issued last fall after news broke of Trump ’ s July 25 phone call with Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which Trump asked for an investigation into Biden and his son , Hunter .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24 .
Three days later , Democratic-led committees subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Additional subpoenas were issued over the next several weeks to multiple other government officials and diplomats .
Since it wasn ’ t until Oct. 31 that the House adopted procedures governing the impeachment inquiry , subpoenas issued before then — such as to Pompeo — are not valid , according to the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the resolution , the opinion says , the House did not change the legal status of subpoenas issued before Oct. 31 “ because the resolution did not ratify them or otherwise address their terms.
“ “ At the opening of this Congress , the House had not chosen to confer investigative authority over impeachment upon any committee , and therefore , no House committee had authority to compel the production of documents or testimony in furtherance of an impeachment inquiry that it was not authorized to conduct , “ the opinion states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel Pat Cipollone , who is leading the president ’ s legal team in the impeachment trial .
It is one of several the office — which provides legal advice for the executive branch — has recently issued that the Trump administration has pointed to in support of its positions .
Trump ’ s lawyers released two other opinions Monday issued by the same office .
They concluded that Charles Kupperman , a former White House deputy national security adviser , and John Eisenberg , a White House national security lawyer , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune from being forced to testify before Congress .
Kupperman last fall sued in federal court over his subpoena , seeking a court ruling on whether he had to co-operate with Congress or with a White House directive that he not testify .
A judge last month dismissed the case as moot since the House subsequently withdrew the subpoena for him .
All three opinions were included as part of a legal brief the White House filed Monday ahead of opening arguments in the president ’ s impeachment trial .


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Faith, politics mix on holiday

ATLANTA - Against the backdrop of a presidential election year , Monday ’ s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday found leaders still wrestling over how to best embody the slain civil rights leader .
In Atlanta , Republicans told a sometimes cool crowd at Ebenezer Baptist Church , King ’ s onetime church , that they were honouring King ’ s legacy of service and political empowerment .
But Democrats found more favour by highlighting the ways they said the current political and social order calls for more radical action in line with King ’ s principles .
Monday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one slice of the political struggle in Georgia , where Democrats believe they can make further inroads in the Republican controlled state , aided by diverse in-migration and a suburban backlash against President Donald Trump .
Up for re-election this year , Trump sought to stamp his own mark on the commemoration .
He and Vice-President Mike Pence made a brief visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington .
Earlier in the day , Trump sent a tweet noting that it was the third anniversary of his inauguration : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jr DAY .
African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST in the history of our Country , by far .
Also , best Poverty , Youth , and Employment numbers , ever .
Great !
” Black unemployment has reached a record low during the Trump administration , but many economists note economic growth since 2009 has driven hiring .
The most dramatic drop in black unemployment came under President Barack Obama .
Despite economic success , polls find most African American voters regard Trump with distaste .
In Atlanta , Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Brian Kemp , said her upbringing on an Illinois farm was touched by King .
“ Dr .
King ’ s call to service , to sacrifice , to put others first , it shaped our home and inspired us to ask what Dr. King asked the world .
‘ What are you doing for others ?
’ ” Loeffler said .
One of Loeffler ’ s Democratic opponents in a November special election could be the Rev .
Raphael Warnock , the current pastor at Ebenezer , which King and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without mentioning Loeffler by name , said that honouring King means more than just voicing “ lip service ” on one weekend a year .
“ Everyone wants to be seen standing where Dr. King stood .
That ’ s fine , you ’ re welcome , ” said Warnock , who could soon announce a Senate run .
“ But if today you would stand in this holy place , where Dr. King stood , make sure , that come tomorrow , we ’ ll find you standing where Dr. King stood.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ too many people like to remember him and dismember him at the same time , ” calling Georgia “ ground zero for voter suppression ” and citing the failure of the state ’ s Republican leadership to fully expand the Medicaid health insurance program .
Others agreed with him , with keynote speaker Rev .
Howard-John Wesley of Alexandria , Virginia , telling attendees that “ we have lost the radicality ” of King ’ s vision , talking about how King attacked the Vietnam War and the unequal American economy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made no mention of Trump or the Senate impeachment trial , but Democratic U.S. Rep Hank Johnson did , drawing applause when he mentioned impeachment and saying American democracy is “ in grave danger.
” “ Our communities are once again finding themselves on the front lines of fighting to protect our very republic , “ Johnson said .
” And it can be easy , brothers and sisters , in moments like these to despair .
But even in our darkest hours , the legacy of Dr. King is a hope that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Secretary of State , Brad Raffensperger took the stage , seeking to build confidence that his office supports broad voter participation and that the state ’ s new voting machines will guarantee a fair vote .
Democrats led by former gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams have attacked his actions , including a mass purge of inactive voters from the state ’ s voting rolls .
“ Every voter gets one vote .
We all have a voice .
We all count , ” Raffensperger said .
King ’ s daughter Bernice spoke about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service , “ a day on , not a day off.
” She said the holiday needs a broader vision .
“ A day on is not enough .
What we need is a light on , committed to working vigilantly to build the beloved community , “ she said .
“ A light on encompasses a commitment not just to service but to systemic change as well.
” The same kind of wrestling over what King means in the present moment was taking place elsewhere , with Pence speaking Sunday at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence spoke at the Holy City Church of God in Christ about King ’ s religion and how he “ challenged the conscience of a nation to live up to our highest ideals by speaking to our common foundation of faith.
“ Acknowledging the nation ’ s divisions , Pence said that if Americans rededicate themselves to the ideals that King advanced while striving to open opportunities for everyone , “ we ’ ll see our way through these divided times and we ’ ll do our part in our time to form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election looms this fall , divisions rankle , according to recent opinion polls .
Among black Americans , more than 80 % said last year that President Donald Trump ’ s actions in office have made things worse for people like them , while only 4 % said they thought Trump ’ s actions have been good for African Americans in general .
That ’ s according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
This story has been corrected to show that U.S. Sen. Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian Kemp last month , not this month .
Associated Press writer Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Homeless moms evicted from Oakland home may return

OAKLAND , Calif. - Homeless mothers who were evicted last week from an Oakland , California , house where they were squatting plan to move back after speculators agreed to sell the property to a non-profit organization , it was announced Monday .
Wedgewood Inc. will sell the home to the Oakland Community Land Trust , which buys and fixes up property for affordable housing .
The group plans to allow women from the group Moms 4 Housing to return , Mayor Libby Schaaf announced .
The city helped negotiate the agreement with the land trust and Wedgewood after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is what happens when we organize , when people come together to build the beloved community , ” Dominique Walker of Moms 4 Housing said in a statement on the holiday honouring civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. “ Today we honour Dr. King ’ s radical legacy by taking Oakland back from banks and corporations.
” Wedgewood also agreed to work with the city to negotiate a right-of-first-refusal program for all its other Oakland properties , a city statement said .
Wedgewood will give the city , the land trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy the homes “ so they remain permanently affordable , ” said Carroll Fife of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment .
Last week , following a court order , two women from Moms 4 Housing were evicted from the vacant house on Magnolia Street that they and their children had illegally occupied since November .
Sheriff ’ s deputies used a battering ram to enter and arrested the women .
The incident highlighted California ’ s severe housing shortage , soaring housing costs and a rising rate of homelessness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco Bay Area city jumped 47 % in two years to more than 4,000 last year .
The evicted women had said nobody should be homeless when investment companies are buying and fixing up properties to sell at a profit .
Wedgewood , based in Southern California , has flipped 160 homes in Oakland over the past nine years , according to the San Francisco Chronicle .
The company bought the property in the distressed west Oakland at a foreclosure auction last year for just over $ 500,000 .
The Oakland Community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a price not to exceed the appraised value , ” said a statement from the office of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf .
The median house sales price in Oakland is about $ 750,000 .
Wedgewood previously had refused to negotiate with the mothers ’ group or the land trust but the eviction made national headlines and garnered strong political support .
“ They ’ re representing tens of thousands of other mothers , families that are suffering , ” Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom said last week .
“ Wedgewood is thankful for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the illegal occupation of our Oakland property .
We appreciate the local , state and national support for property owners as well as the public ’ s support for non-violent discussion and action , ” the company said in a statement Monday .
“ We are honoured and inspired to collaborate with the City of Oakland on reasonable , thoughtful , and organized actions to address the issue of homelessness and housing , ” the company said .
Misty Cross , one of those evicted , said the group will continue pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t stop until everyone is housed , ” she said .
“ We want housing to be a human right .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Police: 2 dead in Texas club shooting, suspect arrested

SAN ANTONIO - Police have arrested a 19-year-old man in a shooting that left two men dead and at least five people injured at a concert in San Antonio , Texas .
Kieran Christopher Williams will be charged with capital murder for allegedly opening fire during an argument Sunday at a bar on the Museum Reach portion of the San Antonio River Walk , police said Monday .
Officers were called around 8 p.m. Sunday to the Ventura , where they found several people injured and the suspected gunman gone , after what a witness described as a chaotic rush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examiner ’ s officer identified the men killed as Robert Martinez , 21 , and Alejandro Robles , 25 , police said .
A 46-year-old woman and four male teens between the ages of 16 and 19 were hurt but are expected to survive their injuries , police said .
An attorney for Williams could not be immediately reached .
It was not the only shooting at an entertainment venue Sunday night .
Two people were shot and killed and at least 15 were injured in a shooting outside a bar in Kansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Police believe the shooter is one of the two who was killed .
In Texas , an argument broke out inside the club and one person pulled out a gun and started shooting , San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said .
One victim died at the scene , and another six were transported to a hospital , where one was pronounced dead shortly after arrival .
Police said the shooting was “ not a random incident “ and that at least one of the victims knew Williams .
McManus said preliminary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patrons , rather than staff .
ble .
Jacob Flores said he was among the 25 to 30 patrons in Ventura when someone shot toward a performer and the venue turned into “ chaos.
“ “ As soon as everyone heard the shots , everyone bolted out , ” Flores , a 17-year-old musician , told the San Antonio Express-News .
“ My life flashed before my eyes.
” A since-deleted Facebook event indicated Sunday night ’ s concert at the Ventura was “ Living the DREAM , ” a showcase featuring multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also posted to websites advertising local events and listed performers ’ social media pages .
An email to the apparent promoters wasn ’ t immediately returned .


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--California police: Driver rammed into car, killing 3 teens

TEMESCAL VALLEY , Calif. - A Southern California driver intentionally rammed a Toyota Prius with six teenage boys inside , killing three and injuring three others before fleeing , authorities said Monday .
The Prius went off the road and slammed into a tree at around 10:30 p.m. Sunday in Temescal Valley in Riverside County , southeast of Los Angeles .
Anurag Chandra , 42 , of Corona was arrested a short time later in a neighbourhood near the crash site , according to the California Highway Patrol .
“ It was an intentional act , “ CHP Lt. David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although he did not disclose a motive .
“ Our investigation led us to believe Mr. Chandra intentionally rammed the Prius , causing the driver to lose control.
” “ The investigation has now changed from a hit-run collision to homicide , ” he said .
Firefighters freed some teens trapped in the car .
One boy died at the scene and two others were pronounced dead at hospitals .
Their names were not immediately released .
The other victims had moderate injuries , authorities said .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat belts , authorities said .
A witness followed the other car and notified police .
Officers found an Infiniti with front-end damage parked in a neighbourhood near the crash site , Officer Juan Quintero told the Riverside Press-Enterprise .
Chandra was booked on suspicion of murder with malice and assault with a deadly weapon .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Giuliani associate in campaign cash probe seeks Barr recusal

NEW YORK - An associate of Rudy Giuliani charged with illegally funneling foreign money into U.S. political campaigns has asked Attorney General William Barr to recuse himself in the case and appoint a special prosecutor .
The request is made in a letter filed Monday in the docket of the federal campaign finance violation case brought by New York prosecutors against Lev Parnas .
The letter signed by defence lawyer Joseph Bondy came a day before the Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump was scheduled to start .
Parnas is charged along with an associate , Igor Fruman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to further their business interests and political goals that included a campaign to get the U.S. to replace its ambassador to Ukraine .
Both have pleaded not guilty .
Two other men are also charged in a part of the case having to do with attempts to get approval in several states for a fledgling marijuana business .
Both Parnas and Fruman were deeply involved in helping Giuliani , Trump ’ s personal lawyer and former New York City mayor , try to persuade Ukrainian officials to launch an investigation of the business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In recent weeks , Parnas has been giving Congressional Democrats documents and electronic correspondence related to that pressure as part of the impeachment inquiry .
Barr ’ s Justice Department brought the charges against Parnas , but the case is being overseen by the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan , Geoffrey Berman .
The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office declined to comment on Bondy ’ s letter Monday .
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