thetorontostar--2020-02-22--After learning of Whitey Bulger LSD tests, juror has regrets

EASTHAM , Mass .
- One of the jurors who convicted notorious crime boss James “ Whitey ” Bulger says she regrets her decision after learning that he was an unwitting participant in a covert CIA experiment with LSD .
Bulger terrorized Boston from the 1970s into the 1990s with a campaign of murder , extortion , and drug trafficking , then spent 16 years on the lam after he was tipped to his pending arrest .
In2013 , Janet Uhlar was one of 12 jurors who found Bulger guilty in a massive racketeering case , including involvement in 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mobster was helped by corrupt agents in the Boston office of the FBI .
But now Uhlar says she regrets voting to convict Bulger on any of the murder charges .
Her regret stems from a cache of more than 70 letters Bulger wrote to her from prison .
In some , he describes his unwitting participation in a secret CIA experiment with LSD .
In a desperate search for a mind control drug in the late 1950s , the agency dosed Bulger with the powerful hallucinogen more than 50 times when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison — something his lawyers never brought up in his federal trial .
“ Had I known , I would have absolutely held off on the murder charges , ” Uhlar told The Associated Press in a recent interview .
“ He didn ’ t murder prior to the LSD .
His brain may have been altered , so how could you say he was really guilty ?
” At the same time , Uhlar says she would have voted to convict Bulger on the long list of other criminal counts , meaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison .
Uhlar has spoken publicly about her regret before but says her belief that the gangster was wrongly convicted on the murder charges was reinforced after reading a new book by Brown University professor Stephen Kinzer : “ Poisoner in Chief : Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control.
” The book digs into the dark tale of the CIA ’ s former chief chemist and his attempts to develop mind control techniques by giving LSD and other drugs to unsuspecting individuals , including colleagues , and observing the effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wasn ’ t losing my mind , thinking this was important , ” Uhlar said .
“ It told me , this is huge .
I mean , how many lives were affected by this ?
We have no idea.
” Gottlieb ’ s secret program , known as MK-ULTRA , enlisted doctors and other subcontractors to administer LSD in large doses to prisoners , addicts and others unlikely to complain .
In Bulger ’ s case , the mobster and fellow inmates were offered reduced time for their participation and told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research into a cure for schizophrenia .
“ Appealed to our sense of doing something worthwhile for society , ” Bulger wrote in a letter to Uhlar reviewed by the AP .
But nothing could have been further from the truth .
“ The CIA mind control program known as MK-ULTRA involved the most extreme experiments on human beings ever conducted by any agency of the U.S. government , ” Kinzer said .
“ During its peak in the 1950s , that program and it ’ s director , Sidney Gottlieb , left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shattered minds across three continents.
” After Bulger was found guilty by Uhlar and the other jurors , a federal judge sentenced him to two life terms plus five years .
But his life behind bars ended a little more than a year ago , at age 89 , when he was beaten to death by fellow inmates shortly after arriving in his wheelchair at the Hazelton federal prison in Bruceton Mills , West Virginia .
No criminal charges have been filed .
Although much had been written about the CIA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial , Uhlar said she knew nothing about them until she began corresponding with the renowned gangster following his conviction .
Uhlar started writing Bulger , she said , because she was troubled by the fact that much of the evidence against him came through testimony by former criminal associates who were also killers and had received reduced sentences in exchange for testifying against their former partner in crime .
“ When I left the trial , I had more questions , ” she said .
After Bulger started returning her letters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time he had started writing in his tight cursive style .
“ He always seemed to be writing at one , two , or three in the morning and when I asked him why , he said it was because of the hallucinations , ” Uhlar said .
When Uhlar asked him to explain , Bulger revealed what he had already told many others : that since taking part in the LSD experiments at a federal prison in Atlanta , he ’ d been plagued by nightmares and gruesome hallucinations and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few hours at a time .
“ Sleep was full of violent nightmares and wake up every hour or so — still that way — since ’ 57 , ” he wrote .
“ On the Rock at times felt sure going insane , ” he wrote in another letter , referring to the infamous former prison on Alcatraz Island , in San Francisco Bay , where he was transferred from Atlanta .
“ Auditory & visual hallucinations and violent nightmares — still have them — always slept with lights on helps when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nightmares.
” The mobster also recalled the supervising physician , the late Carl Pfeiffer of Emory University , and the technicians who would monitor his response to the LSD , asking him questions such as , “ Would you ever kill anyone ?
Etc.
, etc.
” That question struck a nerve with Uhlar .
After hearing from Bulger about MK-ULTRA , “ as if I should have known about it , ” she visited him at a Florida federal prison on three occasions to discuss the experiments and started reading everything she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , she reviewed the 1977 hearings by the U.S. Senate Committee on Intelligence , which was looking into MK-ULTRA following the first public disclosures of the top-secret program .
The hearings included testimony from CIA director Stansfield Turner , who acknowledged evidence showing that the agency had been searching for a drug that could prepare someone for “ debilitating an individual or even killing another person.
” “ That ’ s just horrifying , in my opinion , ” Uhlar said .
“ It opens up the question of whether he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to at least two of the several books written about Bulger and his life of crime , associates including corrupt former FBI agent John Morris said they assumed Bulger would use the LSD experiments to mount an insanity defence , if he were ever caught and tried .
But in 2013 Bulger ’ s Boston attorneys , J.W .
Carney Jr. and Hank Brennan , unveiled a novel defence in which they admitted Bulger was a criminal who made “ millions and millions of dollars ” from his gangland enterprise , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially those in Boston office of the FBI .
Neither Carney nor Brennan would comment on their decision — attorney client privilege outlasts a client ’ s death .
But Anthony Cardinale , a Boston attorney who has represented numerous organized crime defendants , said he would have opted for an insanity defence , in part because of the abundant evidence against Bulger .
“ I would have had him come into court like Harvey Weinstein , all disheveled , and in a wheelchair , ” he said .
Still , Cardinale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presenting an insanity defence , including the fact that Bulger spent 16 years outwitting several law enforcement agencies , before he was captured in 2011 in Santa Monica , Calif. , where he ’ d been living quietly with his longtime girlfriend while on the FBI ’ s Ten Most Wanted List .
“ The problem is , he lived for a very long time on the lam in a very secretive and a very smart way , ” Cardinale said .
“ But that doesn ’ t diminish the notion that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the doses he was experiencing , he could have convinced himself of things that were not true , including that he had immunity from prosecution and could do whatever he wanted.
” To his dying day , Bulger insisted he ’ d received criminal immunity from a deceased federal prosecutor who once headed the New England Organized Crime Strike Force .
John Bradley , a former Massachusetts federal prosecutor and assistant district attorney , agreed that defence lawyers would have faced high hurdles waging an insanity defence , noting that most end in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that jurors are sometimes swayed by morality more than legality , ” he said .
“ The whole shtick that the government played a role in creating this monster , uses him as an informant and then goes after him — that ’ s an argument that could affect one or two jurors.
” And it only takes one to vote not guilty on all the criminal charges to produce a hung jury , Bradley noted , forcing prosecutors to decide whether to retry a case .
Given Bulger ’ s decades as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office of the FBI , paying cash and doing favours in exchange for information that helped him thwart multiple investigations , a retrial would have been a near certainty .
Nevertheless , Cardinale said , a hung jury in the Bulger case “ would have been a monster victory ” for the defence .
Even if Bulger were convicted on the other criminal charges and received a sentence that would have kept him behind bars for life , a refusal to find him guilty on the murder charges would have meant anguish for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As in any case involving a tragic murder , a conviction of the perpetrator helps family member obtain closure and move on with their lives , ” said Paul V. Kelly , a former federal prosecutor who has represented the family of one of Bulger ’ s murder victims .
“ An acquittal of Whitey Bulger on the murder charges would have just caused additional pain and anguish.
” Uhlar has written about the Bulger trial in “ The Truth be Damned , ” a fictionalized account she published in 2018 and advertises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasional talks on the trial at community centres and libraries .
During her correspondence and visits with Bulger , Uhlar said , she grew fond of the gangster , though he often warned her that he was a criminal and “ master manipulator.
” When asked if Bulger might have manipulated her , she said , “ I ’ ve asked myself that many times .
I ’ ll finish reading a letter and say , ‘ Could he have ?
’ “ Bulger often wrote to Uhlar as if she were a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in one letter he also enclosed a more menacing message inscribed to her on the back of a photo taken of him on “ the Rock , ” at a time when he was fending off LSD-induced nightmares while contemplating his return to Boston ’ s violent criminal underworld .
“ At end of Alcatraz , getting more serious and capable of about anything , ” he wrote .
“ Hard time makes hard people.
” AP investigative researcher Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-22--Serbia offers support to China in ‘battle’ with new virus

BELGRADE , Serbia - Waving Chinese flags , several dozen people gathered Saturday in Serbia ’ s capital to show support for China as it struggles to contain a new virus that started in the Asian country but has spread globally .
Serbian officials and China ’ s ambassador attended a concert and gave speeches at the event held among light installations that were set up for Chinese New Year last month in a park in central Belgrade .
Globally , nearly 78,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus in 29 countries , and more than 2,300 have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the globe amid fears of further spread of the disease .
“ Belgrade is thinking about China , “ Deputy Mayor Goran Vesic said .
“ We will be by your side so you can overcome these difficulties .
When China is well , Serbia will be well also.
” Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo thanked the Balkan country for the support .
” Chinese people will not be defeated , “ she said .
“ China will be stronger after it overcomes the epidemic.
” No Serbian citizens so far have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has led to an effective lockdown of about a dozen towns in northern Italy .
Serbia ’ s government has close political and economic links with China .
China has sided with Serbia in its refusal to accept the Western-backed independence of the former province of Kosovo , while Serbia is part of China ’ s ambitious ‘ Belt and Road ’ investment initiative designed to boost its economic clout .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-22--Adapting to rising seas, schools in Philippine town move to the rafters and cats swim

BATASAN , PHILIPPINES—When the floods invade her home at night — and they always do , a little higher each year — Pelagia Villarmia curls up on her bed and waits .
Someday soon , she knows , the water will creep past the bamboo slats of her bed .
It will keep rising , salty and dark and surprisingly cold .
The seawater has covered the walls of Villarmia ’ s home with murals of mildew .
It has gnawed at the legs of furniture and frozen a DVD player with its tray ajar .
A corroded picture of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hangs on the wall , from back when they were young , hopeful and unaware of the sea ’ s hunger .
What is happening to Villarmia and her neighbours on Batasan , an island in the Philippines , is a harbinger of what residents of low-lying islands and coastal regions around the world will face as the seas rise higher .
In 2013 , Batasan was convulsed by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake .
Thousands of aftershocks followed , and the local topography was thrown off-kilter .
Batasan and three neighbouring islands collapsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surrounding water .
Now climate change , with its rising sea levels , appears to be dooming a place that has no elevation to spare .
The highest point on the islands is less than two metres above sea level .
When the floods are bad , Villarmia has learned to subsist on cold rice and coffee .
She has grown skilled at tying up her valuables so they don ’ t float away .
She is 80 , and she knows the logic of actuarial tables .
“ I will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ But Batasan will also disappear.
” Around the time of every new and full moon , the sea rushes soundlessly past the trash-strewn shores , up over the single road running along the spine of Batasan , population 1,400 , and into people ’ s homes .
The island , part of the Tubigon chain in the central Philippines , is waterlogged at least one-third of the year .
The highest floods are taller than any man here , and they inundate the basketball court .
They drown a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school , adding verisimilitude to the cartoonish renderings of grinning sharks and manta rays .
When the tides come , Batasan , densely packed with houses and shacks , smells not of clean sea air but of a deeper rot — sodden sofas , drowned documents and saturated sewers that expel human waste into the brine washing through houses .
Only a few of Batasan ’ s coconut palms have survived .
The rest have been choked by seawater .
“ People say this is because of the Arctic melting , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job is to measure the water levels in Batasan each year .
“ I don ’ t understand , but that ’ s what they say.
” A year after the 2013 earthquake , the local government proposed moving the islanders to new homes an hour ’ s boat ride away .
Few took the offer .
“ They wanted us to go to a hilly farming place , ” said Rodrigo Cosicol , 66 , shaking his head at the affront .
“ We are fishermen .
We need fish .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anymore , ” Cosicol added .
“ This is our way of living.
” This unwillingness of people on Batasan to abandon their homes — instead choosing to respond , inch by inch , to a new reality — may hold valuable lessons for residents of other vulnerable island states .
Rather than uprooting an entire population , with the enormous trauma and cost that entails , the more workable solution might be local adaptations .
“ The climate refugee message is more sensational , but the more realistic narrative from the islanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Laurice Jamero , who has researched the Tubigon islands for five years and runs the climate and disaster risk assessment efforts at the Manila Observatory , a research institute .
And Batasan ’ s residents have adjusted .
They have rolled up their hems .
They have placed their houses on blocks of coral stone .
They have tethered their goats to sheds on stilts .
They have moved most plant life from floodable patches of land to portable pots .
There are other concessions .
The Roman Catholic priest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer have to kneel for prayer when the tides are high .
“ We will find a way to do things because this is our home , ” said Annie Casquejo , a local health committee member who once worked off the island but has , like many others , returned to Batasan .
Nature ’ s constant threat has imprinted resilience on the Philippine DNA .
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries on Earth , victim to typhoons , earthquakes , floods , landslides and tsunamis , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taal Volcano sent plumes of ash into the sky , threatening Manila .
“ Practically speaking , the entire Philippines is a hazardous landscape , so people can not just move somewhere else and be totally safe , ” said Dakila Kim Yee , a sociologist at the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College .
“ We have developed this culture of adaptation and recovery.
” More than 23,000 people in the Philippines died from natural hazards from 1997 to 2016 , according to the Asian Development Bank .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with environmental challenges like typhoons or tsunamis , ” said Jamero , of the Manila Observatory , referring to Tubigon islanders in particular and Filipinos in general .
“ Climate change has a severe impact , but this is not totally alien to them , so they have the capacity.
” On Ubay , an island of 160 residents that is 20 minutes by boat from Batasan , raised walkways connect a warren of shacks .
At the primary school , the floor has been lifted higher than many adults , leaving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a metre and a half of space .
“ Our teachers have to be very short , ” said John Alipoyo , a local councilor in Ubay .
“ The students already are.
” Before the renovation , children would sit in class and slosh their feet in the tides as they studied .
Their attention drifted , parents said .
Even as such adaptations help people deal with the effects of the flooding , life on these tiny and hot islands , spread across the Cebu Strait , remains challenging .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the coral and sand , refracting into a hard light that gives many islanders a permanent squint .
In 2016 , it did not rain for four months .
Dynamite fishing and coral bleaching from climate change have robbed the sea of some of its life .
There is no source of fresh water , so residents depend on rainwater or drinking water brought in from elsewhere .
People can grow a few herbs and vegetables , but there ’ s no proper farming .
Protein comes from the sea — sleek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and cheap cans of fatty corned beef .
Children on Batasan who are lucky enough to own bikes have one option — up and down the main road , the only road .
The concrete strip runs for less than two-thirds of a mile , then peters out in a mangrove swamp near the home of Alma Rebucas , where thigh-high waters regularly infiltrate .
She secures the family ’ s utensils lest they float away .
Her dog and goats are swimmers .
So is the cat .
Rebucas said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The local government is constructing new buildings nearby , a vote of confidence — even if it ’ s one that rests on raised cinder blocks .
She oversees a fishing business , plucking sea cucumbers , crabs and grouper from the shimmering sea .
Life here is a like a magic trick , Rebucas said : making something from nothing .
“ We don ’ t need much land , ” she said .
“ We have the whole sea .
”

Hannah Beech - The New York Times,Jes Aznar


thetorontostar--2020-02-22--South Sudan’s rivals form unity government meant to end war

JUBA , South Sudan - South Sudan opened a new chapter in its fragile emergence from civil war Saturday as rival leaders formed a coalition government that many observers prayed would last this time around .
A day after President Salva Kiir dissolved the previous government , opposition leader Riek Machar was sworn in as his deputy , an arrangement that twice collapsed in fighting during the conflict that killed nearly 400,000 people .
Kiir declared “ the official end of the war , and we can now proclaim a new dawn.
” Peace is “ never to be shaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that he had forgiven Machar and asking for Machar ’ s forgiveness , to applause .
He called on their respective Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups to do the same .
The world ’ s youngest nation slid into civil war in 2013 , two years after winning a long-fought independence from Sudan , as supporters of Kiir and Machar clashed .
Numerous attempts at peace failed , including a deal that saw Machar return as vice-president in 2016 — only to flee the country on foot months later amid fresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most recent peace deal in 2018 .
Pope Francis in a dramatic gesture kissed the feet of Kiir and Machar last year to coax them into putting differences aside .
Saturday ’ s ceremony began with a presentation to them of that photo as a reminder .
Exasperation by the United States , South Sudan ’ s largest aid donor , and others grew as Kiir and Machar in the past year pushed back two deadlines to take the crucial step of forming the coalition government .
But with less than a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a key concession .
Kiir announced a “ painful ” decision on the politically sensitive issue of the number of states , and Machar agreed to have Kiir take responsibility for his security .
On Thursday , they announced they had agreed to form a government meant to lead to elections in three years ’ time — the first vote since independence .
“ Finally , peace is at our doorstep , ” a reporter with the U.N.-backed Radio Miraya declared from Bor in long-suffering Jonglei state .
In Yambio , youth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I rejoice with the South Sudanese , especially the displaced , hungry and grieving who waited so long , ” the archbishop of Canterbury , Justin Welby , tweeted .
Hugs and applause followed Machar ’ s swearing-in .
He vowed to South Sudanese to work together “ to end your suffering.
” And both he and Kiir thanked the pope for his gesture .
“ We are proud to report to him that we have also reconciled , ” Kiir said .
“ We were greatly humbled and challenged ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as citizens breathed a careful sigh of relief , aid groups , analysts and diplomats warned of major challenges ahead .
In a likely sign of caution , no heads of state aside from Sudan ’ s leader , Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan , attended the swearing-in .
“ While much work remains to be done , this is an important milestone in the path to peace , ” the U.S. Embassy said in a message of congratulations .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it a “ significant achievement.
” Tens of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a single army , a process that the U.N. and others have called behind schedule and poorly provisioned .
And observers have stressed that this new government must be inclusive in a country where fighting has often occurred along ethnic lines and where several armed groups operate .
Not all have signed on to the peace deal .
Kiir and Machar have said outstanding issues will be negotiated under the new government .
Other vice-presidents named by Kiir on Friday include Taban Deng Gai , a former ally of Machar who switched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was sanctioned by the U.S. over involvement in serious human rights abuses .
Another is Rebecca Garang , the widow of John Garang , who led a long fight for independence from Sudan .
The humanitarian community , which has seen more than 100 workers killed since the civil war began , hopes the new government will lead to far easier delivery of food and other badly needed support as roughly half of South Sudan ’ s population of 12 million remain hungry .
Some 40,000 are in famine conditions , a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major locust outbreak in East Africa has arrived .
Another more than 2 million people fled South Sudan during the civil war , and Kiir has urged them to come home .
The U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warns that serious abuses continue .
“ Civilians are deliberately starved , systematically surveilled and silenced , arbitrarily arrested and detained and denied meaningful access to justice , ” its latest report said Thursday .
It said scattered deadly violence , the use of child soldiers and sexual violence imperil the fragile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team that has alleged corruption among some South Sudanese officials , urged the international community to keep up pressure .
“ Years of conflict have bred deep distrust among South Sudan ’ s politicians , heightening the potential for a return to civil war , ” it said Friday .
“ The ability to hold South Sudan ’ s politicians accountable throughout the process , rather than waiting until it is too late , is essential to the survival of the peace agreement.
” As some analysts said the threat of further sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once more , envoys from neighbouring Sudan , Kenya and Uganda in remarks after the swearing-in called for the lifting of existing sanctions , to applause .


thetorontostar--2020-02-22--Couple who vanished during California getaway found alive

INVERNESS , Calif. - An academic couple who vanished during a getaway in the woods of Northern California was found Saturday by search-and-rescue workers who spent almost a week looking for them and gave up hopes of finding them alive .
The Marin County Sheriff ’ s office tweeted that two helicopter crews airlifted Carol Kiparsky , 77 , and Ian Irwin , 72 , to a hospital .
Authorities did not immediately provide details on their conditions and where they were located .
Kiparsky and Irwin were last seen Feb. 14 at a vacation cottage near Inverness , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to Point Reyes National Seashore .
The couple from Palo Alto never checked out the next day as planned and failed to show up for an appointment on Feb. 16 , which sheriff ’ s officials said was highly out of character for them .
When housekeepers went to the cottage to clean up , they found the couple ’ s phones and wallets .
Their vehicle was parked outside .
Sheriff ’ s officials and a volunteer team combed the woods and waters around Inverness for several days with the help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipped with radar and sonar .
On Thursday , they shifted the operation to a “ recovery mission ” when they received four independent alerts from cadaver dogs around Shell Beach , about 2 miles ( 3.2 kilometres ) from the cottage , and felt they had exhausted all possible leads .
“ We believe that our extensive search efforts with every resource that has been available to us would have located Carol and Ian if they were responsive or in an area accessible by foot on land , ” the sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Irwin is a leading Parkinson ’ s disease researcher .
He was a chemist on the team that originally identified an agent responsible for the outbreak of Parkinsonism among heroin addicts in 1982 , according to the Marin Independent Journal .
Kiparsky is a prominent linguist and author of several books on language , including 1975 ’ s “ The Gooficon : A Repair Manual for English.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-22--US drops plan to sell leases near famed Utah bike trail

SALT LAKE CITY - U.S. officials have dropped plans to sell energy leases in a popular Utah recreational area that ’ s renowned for its mountain biking trails .
The reversal by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management comes after local businesses , officials and Gov .
Gary Herbert raised concerns about potential effects to the Slickrock Trail near Moab .
The two lease parcels would have covered about two-thirds of the 10.5-mile ( 17-kilometre ) trail and been barely a mile ( 1.5 kilometres ) from Arches National Park .
The 9,000-acre Sand Flats area that includes the trail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many of them drawn to the undulating , rocky trails that pose a challenge to mountain bikers .
The U.S. land agency co-manages the recreation area with Grand County , an arrangement in place since 1994 .
Under President Donald Trump , the amount of acreage leased for oil and gas in Western states has been sharply increasing , raising concerns among conservationists about potential damage to the environment .
Bureau of Land Management officials said in a Friday announcement that local officials and businesses had raised legitimate issues about the proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anonymously nominated for sale in November .
“ Recreation access is a priority of ours — as well as responsible energy development — and both provide important economic benefits to Utah , “ said land agency acting Canyon Country District Manager Brian Quigley .
” As a resident , recreator and manager of public lands in Moab , I understand the public ’ s concerns.
” The Grand County council had raised concerns about effects on water supplies , and Herbert asked the agency to put off the sales .
Moab Mayor Emily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency ’ s decision on the leases showed federal officials can be responsive to local needs , even if they don ’ t align with Trump ’ s pro-development agenda .
“ Let ’ s celebrate this decision , because they are listening , ” Niehaus said .
“ The state of Utah is doing a good job of balancing the economic implications of our public lands .
This move says to me we have a partner in the governor ’ s office .
We have a partner in the BLM.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar reversal in 2017 after the governor and Washington County officials objected to proposed leases outside Zion National Park .


thetorontostar--2020-02-22--North Macedonia police find 47 migrants in abandoned truck

SKOPJE , Macedonia - Police in North Macedonia say officers on border patrol found 47 migrants in an abandoned truck in the country ’ s southeast , near the borders with Bulgaria and Greece .
The parked truck was discovered late Friday with the driver gone and migrants from Afghanistan , Pakistan and Iraq inside , police said in a statement issued Saturday .
The migrants were transferred to detention centres in North Macedonia ’ s capital of Skopje and in the southern border town of Gevgelija , police said .
They entered North Macedonia from Greece , and authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police say officers intercepted a total of 1,365 migrants who entered North Macedonia illegally in the first three weeks of the year .
In a separate case , a criminal court in Skopje gave a two-year suspended sentence to a German man and an Italian woman convicted of trying to smuggle three people into North Macedonia from Greece last month with fake ID documents .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-22--Afghan truce worry: 1 militant could threaten peace process

WASHINGTON - Hopes for ending America ’ s longest war hinge on maintaining a weeklong fragile truce in Afghanistan that U.S. officials and experts agree will be difficult to assess and fraught with pitfalls .
What if one militant with a suicide vest kills dozens in a Kabul market ?
Or , if a U.S. airstrike targeting Islamic State insurgents takes out Taliban members instead , does that destroy the deal ?
The agreement , which took effect Friday , calls for an end to attacks around the country , including roadside bombings , suicide attacks and rocket strikes between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But in a country that has been wracked by violence for more than 18 years , determining if the agreement has been violated will be a tough task .
And there are a number of other groups and elements in the country that would love to see the deal fall through .
“ The reason this is a challenge is this is a very decentralized insurgency , ” said Seth Jones , a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an Afghanistan expert .
“ There are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any militia commander , element of the Taliban , the Haqqani network , and other local forces who don ’ t want to see a deal , to conduct violence.
” The Haqqani network is an insurgent group linked to the Taliban .
According to one defence official , any attack will be reviewed on a “ case-by-case ” basis .
And much will depend on how well U.S. military and intelligence officials in Afghanistan can quickly determine two things : Who was responsible for the attack , and can any of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly the group ’ s leaders who have been participating in the negotiations .
The Taliban issued a statement late Friday saying their military council has instructed commanders and governors to stop all attacks against foreign and Afghan forces .
The council has a web of commanders and shadow governors across the country .
U.S. officials have made it clear that “ spoilers ” — such as militants associated with the Taliban who are not in favour of the peace talks — could launch an attack in a deliberate attempt to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. military has tried to get a good layout of where all the insurgent groups are operating so it will be able to determine where any attack comes from and who likely was responsible .
And U.S. military officials said they were prepared and ready to make quick assessments .
If successfully implemented , the weeklong “ reduction in violence ” agreement , which began at midnight Friday local time ( 1930 GMT , 2:30 p.m. EST ) , will be followed by the signing of a peace accord on Feb. 29 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18-year war and begin to fulfil one of President Donald Trump ’ s main campaign promises : to bring U.S. troops in Afghanistan home .
The U.S. will continue to have surveillance aircraft and other assets overhead to monitor events and help to determine who is responsible for any attack .
One senior U.S. official also said that the U.S. , Afghans and Taliban will have a channel through which they will be able to discuss any issues that arise .
Another U.S. official said that communications between the groups will allow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deny involvement with an attack .
But in all cases , officials said the U.S. military — led by Gen. Scott Miller in Afghanistan — will be responsible for investigating incidents and figuring out who is at fault .
The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the private negotiations .
Once Miller reaches a conclusion , officials said it will be up to the White House and State Department to make a final determination about whether an attack constitutes a violation of the truce and if it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Pentagon has made it clear that U.S. troops may continue to conduct operations against Islamic State and al-Qaida militants as needed .
But officials also noted that all sides want the peace agreement to be successful , so they will try to avoid anything that might scuttle it .
The Pentagon has said for months that it is poised to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from the current number of more than 12,000 to 8,600 .
That reduction is likely to be triggered once the peace agreement is finalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take several months for any troop cuts to begin .
Jones expressed some skepticism , saying the Taliban has expressed little interest in laying down arms or integrating into a government run by someone other than the group itself .
“ This is a first down , we ’ re at the 10-yard line , ” said Jones .
“ We have 90 more to go and I don ’ t know that we ’ ll ever get the touchdown.
” The agreement mapping out a plan for peace follows months of negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have broken down before .
Both parties , however , have signalled a desire to halt the fighting that began with the U.S. invasion after the Sept. 11 , 2001 , attacks by Osama bin Laden ’ s Afghanistan-based al-Qaida network .
The only other cease-fire the Taliban had agreed to was for three days in 2018 over the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr .
Then fighting ceased completely and Taliban and Afghan security forces were even filmed taking selfies together and laughing .
The Taliban military leaders chastised its fighters at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the enemy .
AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington and Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed .


thetorontostar--2020-02-22--Fashion college probes runway show criticized as racist

NEW YORK - The Fashion Institute of Technology has commissioned an investigation into a controversial runway show that reminded some observers of blackface .
The college apologized for the accessories donned at the show , which was heavily criticized on social media .
The accessories included large prosthetic ears and oversize plastic red lips , but the college said Friday they were not “ aimed at invoking or provoking racial implications.
” “ This moment , in our minds , is not about closing a chapter and letting wounds heal .
It is the beginning of accountability .
And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us without a full examination of how this came about , “ FIT President Joyce Brown said in a statement .
The investigation will examine “ what led up to “ the Feb. 7 event , which coincided with New York Fashion Week .
Model Amy Lefévre , 25 , who is black , refused to wear the exaggerated lips and ultimately walked the runway without them .
“ I stood there almost ready to break down , telling the staff that I felt incredibly uncomfortable with having to wear these pieces and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told the New York Post .
“ I have never felt like that in my life.
” Brown said the college ’ s dean of the School of Graduate Studies and chair of the MFA Fashion Design Department were placed on administrative leave pending the investigation .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Nine dead in Turkey as 5.7 earthquake strikes western Iran

ANKARA , Turkey - Eight people were killed in Turkey in a magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck western Iran early Sunday morning , Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu said .
The quake centeredwest of the Iranian city of Khoy and affected villages in the Turkish province of Van .
Soylu told a news conference that three children and four adults were killed in Turkey ’ s Baskule district .
He later said another person had died .
No one remained trapped under fallen buildings , Van Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez said .
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said at least 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are in a critical condition .
Emergency teams have been sent to the remote mountainous region .
Iran ’ s official IRNA news agency said the earthquake affected 43 villages in the mountainous Qotour area .
It reported some residents were injured but didn ’ t say any were in critical condition .
According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center ( EMSC ) , the quake , which happened at 9:22am local time ( 0552GMT ) , had a depth of 5 kilometres ( 3 miles ) .
The region has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quake centred on the eastern Turkish city of Elazig killed more than 40 people .
Turkish broadcaster NTV showed images of locals and soldiers digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings as families fearing further tremors sat in snowy streets .
The EMSC reported several further quakes that measured up to magnitude 3.9 .
The effects of the quake hit four villages in Van.Sevenof the fatalities occurred in Ozpinar village , where Soylu said search and rescue teams had arrived.He added that the quake caused 1,066 buildings to collapse while the Education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damaged .
Koca said 25 ambulances , a medical helicopter and 13 emergency teams had been sent to the region .
The Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate ( AFAD ) said 144 tents for families had been dispatched .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Iran raises death toll from new virus to 8, infections to 43

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran ’ s health ministry raised Sunday the death toll from the new virus to 8 people in the country , amid concerns that clusters there , as well as in Italy and South Korea , could signal a serious new stage in its global spread .
There were now 43 confirmed cases of the illness in Iran , Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told state TV .
The outbreak in Iran has centred mostly on the city of Qom , but spread rapidly over the past few days to people in four cities , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were shut for two days starting on Sunday .
Iran reportedits first cases of the virus on Wednesday , announcing that same day that two people died in Qom from it .
Jahanpour said the 15 newly confirmed cases included 7 in Qom , four in Tehran , two in the northern Gilan province , one in the central Markazi province , and one from town of Tonekabon in the northern Mazandaran province , who died of the illness .
Iran ’ s Health Minister Saeed Namaki told state TV that officialswere nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in central Iran .
He also saidthat among those who ’ ve died from the viruswas a merchant who regularly shuttled between the two countries using indirect flights in recent weeks , after Iran stopped direct passenger flights to China .
He did not say when the merchant had returned from China to Iran nor what steps health officials had taken to quarantine and check on those he ’ d come into contact with .
Namaki , however , defended the government ’ s handling of the outbreak , saying it was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help make face-masks and sanitizers available for Iranians , amid concerns that stocks were running low in the capital ’ s pharmacies .
Iran is also producing kits for diagnosis of the infection , he added .
Namaki urged people not to visit Qom , which is a major destination for Shiite pilgrims from inside Iran and abroad .
“ We obviously do not recommend travelling to Qom and other pilgrimage cities , “ Namaki said .
The government has closed down schools and religious seminaries in Qom , where the virus first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schools and some universities in Tehran and six other cities were also closed fortwo days starting Sunday .
Football matches and shows in movie theatres were further suspended , and authorities have begunsanitizing Tehran ’ s metro , which is used by some 3 million people , and public transportation cars in the city on a daily basis .
Iran has also set up 36 screening stations at different ports of entry to the country to check for possibly infected travellers , he added .
Iraq and Pakistan , which share borders with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to limit the spread of the virus from Iranian travellers .
Officials in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan , which shares a long frontier with Iran , have declared an emergency as they seek to stop the spread of the virus .
They have suspended almost all traffic across the Taftan border crossing with Iran there .
Infected travellers from Iran already have been discovered in Lebanon and Canada .
Lebanon ’ s first case of the new virus was discovered on a flight from the Iranian city of Qom this week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran to wait at least 14 days before entering the kingdom as it seeks to prevent the spread of the virus to the Muslim pilgrimage sites of Mecca and Medina.It has also barred its residents and citizens from travelling to Iran and China .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--More Russian weapons for Serbia despite US sanction threats

BELGRADE , Serbia - Serbia has received a sophisticated anti-aircraft system from Russia , despite possible U.S. sanctions against the Balkan state , which is formally seeking European Union membership .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told the pro-government TV Prva on Sunday that the Pantsir S1 air-defence system was purchased after suggestions from Russian President Vladimir Putin .
“ Buy Pantsir , it showed its best efficiency in Syria , ” Vucic quoted Putin as saying during one of their recent , frequent meetings .
“ This anti-aircraft system is very efficient for targeting drones which are becoming crucial in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite seeking to join the EU , Serbia under Vucic ’ s populist leadership has strengthened close political and military ties with its Slavic ally Russia .
Serbia has pledged to stay out of NATO and refused to join Western sanctions against Russia for its policies in Ukraine .
Russia ’ s arming of Serbia is watched with unease in the West amid growing tensions in the Balkans which went through a devastating civil war in the 1990s .
NATO intervened in Serbia to stop a bloody Serb crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoken about introducing sanctions against Serbia in case Moscow sells more arms to the country , especially with weapons that could jeopardize the security of neighbouring NATO-member states .
Vucic said he hoped there would be no sanctions because he has spoken openly about the Pantsir purchase .
He said he believed the sanctions threat was focused on possible purchase of the S-400 anti-aircraft systems that have a much larger range and are more offensive weapons .
The delivery on Saturday of two of the purchased six Russian missile systems comes just days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sergei Shoigu , visited Belgrade where he declared that the military co-operation between the two states has reached a “ fundamentally ” new level .
Pantsir is a rapid-fire missile system intended for defence against cruise missiles , drones and low flying aircraft with a range of about 20 kilometres ( 12 miles ) .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Egypt upholds sentence of top customs official on corruption

CAIRO - Egypt ’ s top appeals court on Sunday upheld a 10-year jail term for the head of the country ’ s customs authority who was convicted of corruption .
Egypt ’ s highest anti-graft agency , the Administrative Control Authority , arrested Abdel-Azim in June 2018 , while taking bribes from an unnamed businessman .
Abdel-Azim is one of a few senior government officials detained over corruption allegations in recent years .
Abdel-Azim was referred to trail and the criminal court in the Mediterranean province of Port Said in April last year , where he was sentenced him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conviction for profiteering and squandering public funds .
The court also fined him more 750,000 Egyptian pounds ( more than $ 48,000 ) .
Abdel-Azim then appealed his case before the Court of Cassation which upheld the verdict on Sunday .
Authorities also arrested the governor of the Nile Delta province of Menoufia in 2018 .
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting bribes to award public works contracts .
The deputy governor of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria was also arrested in 2017 , and sentenced last year to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profiteering and squandering public funds .
Egyptians have long complained about high-level corruption , one of the central grievances of the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak .
The corruption watchdog Transparency International ranked Egypt 106 of 180 countries in its worldwide index in 2019 .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Iran’s state TV: Hardliners win all seats for Tehran in vote

TEHRAN , Iran - Iranian hardliners have won all 30 parliamentary seats in the capital , Tehran , state TV reported on Sunday , but officials have yet to announce the voter turnout from the nationwide elections two days ago .
State TV also said that former Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf , a top contender for the post of parliamentary speaker , was the top winner in the capital , with more that 1.2 million votes .
Voters had limited options on Friday ’ s ballot , as more than 7,000 potential candidates had been disqualified , most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disqualified were 90 sitting members of Iran ’ s 290-seat Parliament who had wanted to run for re-election .
Officials have still not released any figures for voter turnout , which is widely seen as a measure of how Iranians view the country ’ s embattled theocratic government .
A low turnout could signal widespread dissatisfaction with Iran ’ s clerical rulers and the system they preside over .
Iranian officials usually release turnout figures a day after elections .
The official IRNA news agency said ballot counting had come to an end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided .
The seven relatively small constituencies will be decided in a run-off election later in April .
Iran ’ s supreme leader early Sunday accused enemy “ propaganda ” of trying to dissuade people from voting by amplifying the threat of the coronavirus .
A range of crises has beset Iran in the past year , including widespread anti-government protests in November and U.S. sanctions piling pressure on the plunging economy .
In remarks from his office in Tehran , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the “ negative propaganda ” of Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from voting in Friday ’ s elections .
“ Their media did not ignore the tiniest opportunity for discouraging people and resorting to the pretext of diseases and the virus , “ he said .
Iran reported its first case of the virus two days before the national polls , and eight deaths have been reported due to the virus since then .
That ’ s the highest death toll from the virus outside of China , where the outbreak first emerged a couple months ago .
Iran has confirmed 43 cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the capital , Tehran , where some pharmacies have already run out of masks and hand sanitizer .
Schools were shut down in Tehran and six other cities for two days , starting Sunday , to prevent the spread of the virus .
Authorities have also suspended football matches and stopped shows in movie theatres and other venues .
Officials across Iran encouraged people to vote in the days leading up to the election , even as concerns over the virus ’ spread began to rise .
On the eve of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five election officials and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed the election as a “ sham.
” Meanwhile , authorities in Iran said they would begin disinfecting Tehran ’ s metro , which is used by some 3 million people , to stymie the spread of the virus .
The government has also closed down schools and religious seminaries in the holy city of Qom , where the virus first killed two elderly patients last week .
Iraq and Pakistan , which share borders with Iran , have taken preventive measures to limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travellers .
Infected travellers from Iran already have been discovered in Lebanon and Canada .
Saudi Arabia has ordered anyone travelling from Iran to wait at least 14 days before entering the kingdom as it seeks to prevent the spread of the virus to the Muslim pilgrimage sites of Mecca and Medina .
Also on Sunday , Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif joked about shaking hands with his visiting Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg and told reporters : “ We have to shake hands with them , don ’ t worry I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Schallenberg said that he would travel to Tehran amid efforts by European countries to keep alive Iran ’ s nuclear agreement with world powers .
Regional tensions have steadily risen since the U.S. withdrew from the landmark deal .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Berlin starts controversial rent freeze on 1.5 million homes

Berlin is freezing the rents of 1.5 million apartments for the next five years starting this Sunday in a controversial move to control the exploding costs that have forced many to move outside Germany ’ s capital city .
Berlin is the first German city to influence the rental prices so directly and the law has been both celebrated as a step toward more fairness by its supporters and ripped apart as a socialist method by critics .
“ It is correct that Berlin tries to stop the spiraling rent costs , ” Ulrich Ropertz , the head of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency dpa .
“ The federal legislature has missed the opportunity to pass effective measures in recent years.
“ Only a minority of Berliners own their homes or apartments — as in the rest of the country , the majority of people traditionally rent their homes .
The German capital had been a low-rent mecca after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 opened the gates to the economically depressed former communist east of the city .
That gave rise to an influx of artists and others seeking a more bohemian way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , rents have skyrocketed in the city of more than 3.7 million inhabitants , pushing middle class families from Berlin ’ s central residential neighbourhoods like Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg to the outskirts .
Even traditionally working class and immigrant neighbourhoods like Neukoelln or Kreuzberg have become so gentrified that long-time tenants can no longer afford therisingrents .
In addition there is an overall housing shortage in Berlin , which makes it even more difficult for newcomers or those who get pushed out of their homes due to the rent spike to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rent freeze is supposed to keep rents for apartments that were built before 2014 at the current level for the next five years .
Critics have pointed out that the rent freeze will keep landlords from investing any money into much-needed renovations of homes , because they can not raise the rent afterward .
Tenants , who think their rent isover-priced , have been encouraged by pro-tenant organizations to ask their landlords for a reduction in rent .
However , the controversial law has been taken to court by its opponents and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the extra money that they may now be saving on the side , in case the rent freeze is eventually overturned in court .
The rent freeze , which was implemented by Berlin ’ s left-leaning coalition government , has been strongly criticized by Chancellor Angela Merkel ’ s more conservative Christian Democrats , who are in the opposition in Berlin ’ s city-state government .
In a statement Sunday , the Berlin faction of the Christian Democrats wrote that , “ the law is not a solution for the continuing housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody if , in the end , saved rent has to possibly be paid back.
“

Kirsten Grieshaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Israel says it shot Gazans placing bomb along border; 1 dead

JERUSALEM - The Israeli military said Sunday it shot two Palestinian militants trying to place an explosive device along the border with Gaza — one of whom was killed according to a Palestinian official .
Israel blames the Islamic militant group Hamas , which rules Gaza , for ongoing fire emanating from the Gaza Strip , including a spate of explosive balloons launched from Gaza that have damaged Israeli properties .
The Israeli military said it targeted a squad belonging to the Islamic Jihad group that previously placed explosives along the border aimed at harming Israeli troops .
Islamic Jihad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighters .
Amateur video showed dozens of Palestinians later hurling stones at an Israeli bulldozer as it was lifting up an apparently lifeless body from the scene .
The military said it was removing the body in a way that prevented further danger to those around .
However , Fawzi Barhoum , a spokesman for the Hamas militant group , accused the Israeli military of abusing the corpse , saying that it “ bears the consequences of the ugly crime.
” Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett rejected the criticism , noting that Hamas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli soldiers since they were killed in the 2014 Gaza war .
“ I back the military , which killed the terrorists and collected the body , ” he said .
“ That ’ s what should be done and that is what was done.
” The incident comes amid a relative lull along the security fence separating Israel from Gaza .
Last week , Israel announced it would provide hundreds of additional work permits for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip , in a new step aimed at solidifying an informal cease-fire with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gazans used to work in Israel .
But Israel virtually sealed the border when it joined Egypt in imposing a crippling blockade on Gaza after Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007 .
The blockade , along with three wars between Hamas and Israel , has devastated the economy in Gaza , where unemployment is over 50 % .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Big jump in virus cases in Italy’s north despite lockdowns

ROME - Italy ’ s number of cases of the new corona virus leaped upward , with dozens of new confirmed cases reported in Lombardy , the northern region which includes the country ’ s financial capital , Milan .
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy had reached 115 on Sunday , state TV said following an announcement by Lombardy Gov .
Attilio Fontana that there are 89 cases in his region .
Most of those cases have popped up in small towns in the countryside , although Milan has at least one case .
Almost all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the north , with roughly a dozen towns on lockdown — meaning that people are not allowed to enter or leave the towns ’ boundaries .
After Lombardy , the next hardest-hit region is Veneto , in the northeast , with at least 17 cases .
Italians ’ cherished Sunday routines – from soccer to church-going – were being touched by the spread of the contagion , almost entirely based in the north .
Sports events in the affected northern areas , including local kids ’ sports team practices to three Serie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matches , were cancelled .
Bishops in several dioceses in northern Italy issued directives that holy water fonts be kept empty , that communion wafers be placed in the hands of the faithful and not directly into their mouths by priests celebrating Mass and that congregants refrain from shaking hands or exchanging kisses during the symbolic Sign of the Peace ritual .
In a coincidence , the Vatican official in charge of the office dealing with propagating the faith hails from one of the hardest-hit towns , Codogno .
Archbishop Rino Fisichella , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to dramatize the measures .
“ It ’ s obvious that we need to use all necessary prudence ” to avoid spreading the virus among the faithful , he said .
Italy ’ s first cases — that of a married Chinese couple who were on vacation in Rome — surfaced in early February .
To date , two deaths — of elderly persons in the north — have been reported .
Of those hospitalized in Italy , at least 18 people were in intensive care on Sunday , according to officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Virus closes doors at Armani, but other Milan shows go on

MILAN - After Giorgio Armani ’ s last-minute decision to show his latest collection in an empty theatre due to concerns about the new virus , the rest of Milan ’ s runway shows scheduled for Sunday are to go ahead as planned , fashion officials confirmed .
The Italian National Fashion Chamber said in a statement there were no indications from health officials that changes were called for in the face of a new virus that has put dozens of towns in northern Italy on virtual lockdown .
It said it was up to individual brands to decide if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overnight that as a precaution , his runway show on Sunday would be conducted in an empty showroom and streamed for the fashion public on the internet .
It was the first time the 45-year-old Milan fashion house has taken such a step out of public health concerns .
The fashion chamber said it respected Armani ’ s decision , adding that it had no news of any other fashion houses changing their plans .
Dolce & Gabbana , which is not part of the fashion chamber , was scheduled to go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
Tuscan brand DROMe was preparing models for its morning show , one of eight shows scheduled for Sunday .
Creative director Mariana Rosati said she did not believe there was reason to fear , as models sat nearby waiting for hair and make-up .
‘ ’ I am very sorry what is going on .
I know it is not predictable and obviously we need to be careful .
But I actually think a lot of panic has been spread for not enough reasons , ’ ’ Rosati said .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for the morning show , which had been overbooked .
“ I hope the people are brave and not just succumbing to panic , ’ ’ Rosati said .
‘ ’ We will try to bring good vibes in this moment.
” Soon all the seats were filled and the show started with a packed standing room only audience .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Indian authorities scramble to give Trump a mega-rally

AHMEDABAD , India - The sun-baked city of Ahmedabad was jostling with activity Sunday as workers cleaned roads , planted flowers and hoisted hundreds of billboards featuring President Donald Trump , a day ahead of his maiden two-day visit to India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised him a boisterous public reception .
Hundreds of thousands of people in the northwestern city are expected to greet Trump on Monday for a road show leading to a massive rally at what has been touted as the world ’ s largest cricket stadium .
Trump ’ s motorcade will travel amid cheers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vetted Modi loyalists and workers from his Bharatiya Janata Party who will stand for hours alongside the neatly manicured 22-kilometre ( 14-mile ) stretch of road to accord Trump a grand welcome .
Tens of thousands of police officers will be on hand to keep security tight and a new wall has come up in front of a slum , apparently to hide it from passers-by .
Monday ’ s event is the second act of growing bonhomie between Trump and Modi after they shared a stage last year in Houston at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” that featured flashy Bollywood musical and dance numbers and was organized by a non-profit group with Hindu nationalist links .
Modi ’ s Hindu nationalist government is pulling out all the stops , at an expense of more than $ 14 million , to woo the president and first lady Melania Trump .
But experts have said that very little of substance will be achieved for either side beyond the pageantry and symbolism .
For Modi , however , the event could be a reprieve from opposition in the country against some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy and ongoing protests over a new citizenship law that excludes Muslims .
Experts say a U.S.-India trade pact , which has been in the works from the last three years , seems off the table .
“ They ’ ve been hitting us very hard for many , many years , ” Trump said this week , while quickly adding , “ I really like Prime Minister Modi.
” The slick extravaganza , to the annoyance of some locals , has not gone well for Modi ’ s rivals , who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit India but is aimed at boosting the American economy .
Jaiveer Shergill , a spokesman for the main opposition Congress party , said Saturday that relations between the two countries “ should be weighed on scales of targets achieved ” and need to remain beyond “ hugs and handshakes.
” The pomp and show around the rally seem to have gotten to Trump , who on Sunday tweeted a mashup video from a blockbuster Indian movie .
The video had his face superimposed on the protagonist and showed the president as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Look so forward to being with my great friends India !
” Trump said in the tweet .
Trump on Monday is also expected to travel to the 17th century monument to love , the Taj Mahal .
On Tuesday , he will participate in ceremonial events and meet with government officials , business leaders and U.S. Embassy staff , followed by a dinner at the presidential palace in New Delhi .
But his visit to Ahmedabad , Modi ’ s home turf , is seen as an important moment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may help displace his association with deadly anti-Muslim riots in 2002 that landed him a U.S. travel ban .
Muslim leaders and human rights groups say that as chief minister of Gujarat state , Modi did little to stop the 2002 anti-Muslim riots , a charge he has denied .
Suspicions that Modi quietly supported the riots led the U.S. to deny him a visa , which has since been reversed .
Government investigators eventually ruled there was no evidence to charge him .
Ahmedabad is also the city where Modi rose up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Hindu nationalist group with millions of followers that eventually gave rise to Modi ’ s Bharatiya Janata Party .
Associated Press videojournalist Rishabh R. Jain in Ahmedabad contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Germany’s Hamburg city in elections marked by climate issues

BERLIN - Voters in Hamburg , Germany ’ s second-biggest city , go to the polls Sunday to pick a new regional assembly in an election that ’ s been dominated by the issue of climate change .
The city state has been governed by a coalition of the centre-left Social Democrats and the environmentalist Green party for the last five years .
They are the two leading parties , according to polls .
Days before the vote , incumbent mayor Peter Tschentscher of the Social Democrats unveiled plans to shut down a modern coal-fired power plant and make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a solid lead of 15 percentage points in recent polls , though the Greens look to double their share of the vote compared with 2015 .
The Green party has pledged to make the city of 1.8 million people climate neutral by 2035 — far sooner than the national goal of ending greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 .
Its local leader Katharina Fegebank joined students and Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg at a protest Friday calling for action to curb global warming .
Hamburg , which is also one of Germany ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in combating climate change .
Rising sea levels and more violent weather could imperil the port city , where a devastating storm surge in 1962 remains part of the collective memory .
The city is investing hundreds of millions of euros ( dollars ) in raising dikes and recently agreed to a climate action plan that includes requiring all new buildings to have solar panels from 2023 .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--2nd person in days killed by Mardi Gras float in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - A man was struck and killed by a Mardi Gras float during a raucous Saturday night street parade in New Orleans , becoming the second person in days killed along a parade route during this year ’ s Carnival season , authorities said .
The man was fatally injured just before 7 p.m. as the popular Krewe of Endymion was rolling , New Orleans police said in a statement .
He was pronounced dead at the scene , and the Orleans Parish Coroner ’ s Office was to release his name and cause of death after completing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The remainder of Endymion ’ s parade was scrapped Saturday evening .
Police said 13 floats had already gone ahead when the accident occurred with the 14th float in the formation .
Remaining floats that followed , along with marching groups , were diverted from the accident scene on Canal Street , a wide route popular with parade viewers in the Mississippi River port city .
New Orleans police said first responders swiftly converged on the site , tweeting out calls for crowds to avoid the area .
The float , with its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off by police on horseback and on foot .
All around , streets were strewn with tossed bead necklaces and trinkets thrown from the floats , along with other party debris .
A sombre mood had taken hold of members of the parade group , TV stations reported .
The fatality came as New Orleans was still mourning the death of a 58-year-old woman who — witnesses said — was run over by a parade float Wednesday night .
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Saturday night that the south Louisiana city was grieving .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second time at the height of our Carnival celebrations seems an unimaginable burden to bear .
The City and the people of New Orleans will come together , we will grieve together , and we will persevere together , ” Cantrell said in a statement .
“ Our hearts break for those lost and for their loved ones , and our prayers and deepest sympathies are with them.
“ Wednesday ’ s fatality had occurred during the parade of the Mystic Krewe of Nyx , an all-female Carnival group .
Witnesses said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmouche , had apparently tried to cross between two parts of a tandem float and tripped over a hitch connecting the sections .
Tandem floats are multiple floats connected together and pulled by one tractor .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if a tandem float was involved in Saturday night ’ s fatality , but city agency NOLA Ready tweeted that tandem floats would not be allowed for the few days remaining in the 2020 festival season.Each float will require its own tractor , The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported NOPD Superintendent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is nearing its traditional all-out Fat Tuesday celebration , the raucous climax of a week or more of parades , merrymaking and partying .
The Krewe of Bacchus will split its tandem floats for its Bacchus Sunday evening parade , per the city ’ s request , the group said in a statement .
A statement from the Krewe of Orpheus said it would follow the city ’ s safety recommendations for its parade Monday .
The deaths also come just a year after a car sped into a bicycle lane near a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing two bicyclists not far from where the Krewe of Endymion formation had just passed .
A man identified as the driver was subsequently charged with two counts of vehicular homicide .
Before this year , the most recent Carnival float-related fatality in Louisiana happened in 2009 , when a 23-year-old rider fell from a float and in front of its wheels in Carencro , about 120 miles ( 195 kilometres ) west of New Orleans .
In 2008 , a rider getting off a three-part float after the Krewe of Endymion parade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ float lurched forward and the third section ran over him , police said .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Israel’s Lieberman stills holds keys to future government

JERUSALEM - Israel finds itself in a familiar place after a tumultuous election campaign — with maverick politician Avigdor Lieberman still seemingly in control of the country ’ s fate .
The run-up to Israel ’ s third election in less than a year saw criminal charges filed against the prime minister , an American Mideast plan unveiled and various party mergers and machinations .
Yet once again , opinion polls suggest that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his chief challenger Benny Gantz will be able to form a coalition without Lieberman .
Lieberman remains cagey about his intentions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up forcing yet another election .
Lieberman ’ s nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party bolted from Netanyahu ’ s right-wing camp last year to spark the unprecedented stalemate in Israeli politics .
Though Lieberman has all but ruled out sitting in a government led by his one-time mentor Netanyahu , saying his “ era is over , ” he has also driven a hard bargain with Gantz and has taken out campaign ads against the former military chief .
Lieberman insists a future coalition can not include Arab-led parties , whose lawmakers he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Israel ’ s adversaries and refused to condemn attackers .
He has also ruled out governing jointly with ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties that he says have long wielded disproportionate power that has harmed Israel ’ s secular majority and , in particular , his base of immigrants from the former Soviet Union .
Lieberman himself immigrated to Israel in the 1970s from the former Soviet republic of Moldova .
His preferred solution after the last election was to play matchmaker between Gantz ’ s centrist Blue and White party and Netanyahu ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
But that option appears off the table even if the numbers don ’ t seem to add up to any other realistic alternative .
Gantz refuses to partner with the indicted Netanyahu and Likud appears unwilling to part ways with its longtime leader , even as he goes on trial next month .
Still , Lieberman , who declined interview requests , insists this vote will produce a breakthrough and he ’ ll be the one to dictate how it all plays out .
“ The reality is different .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This time we will pick a side , ” said Eli Avidar , a lawmaker from Lieberman ’ s party who often serves as his voice to foreign audiences .
Avidar , a former diplomat , said that with Netanyahu heading to trial on March 17 , other options have emerged across Israel ’ s fractured political landscape .
For starters , Lieberman has indicated a newfound openness to sitting in government with left-wing parties he once shunned and has hinted that other nationalists could follow suit to give Gantz the edge he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that with Iran believed to be pursuing nuclear weapons and a huge deficit to overcome , there was simply too much at stake to risk dragging on the government paralysis any longer .
Israel ’ s attorney general charged Netanyahu in November on three counts of bribery , fraud and breach of trust .
The trial begins two weeks after the election , and just as the new parliament is sworn in and coalition negotiations will be getting under way .
Opinion polls show Likud and Blue and White in a tight race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and emerges as the most dominant party , Netanyahu ’ s precarious legal position will make it difficult for him to form a new coalition .
“ It ’ s not a game , ” Avidar said .
“ The minute Netanyahu shows up to court people will finally realize that it ’ s over for him and it ’ s time to move on.
” If this indeed is the end of the road for Netanyahu , it would carry no small degree of irony that Lieberman was the one to finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a top Netanyahu aide in the 1990s and as Netanyahu ’ s chief of staff during his first term in office later that decade .
He then embarked on a political career of his own as a nationalist hard-liner and champion of fellow former Soviet Union immigrants .
Over the next two decades , the pair enjoyed a roller-coaster relationship in which Lieberman held a series of senior Cabinet posts under Netanyahu and often served as a staunch partner and defender , while occasionally emerging as a rival , critic and thorn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resigned as defence minister in 2018 because Netanyahu kept blocking his plans to strike hard against Gaza militants .
He passed up the chance to return to the post following last April ’ s election when he refused to join Netanyahu ’ s emerging coalition and forced the do-over vote .
He stuck to his guns after the September vote as well and helped prevent Netanyahu from securing the parliamentary immunity he sought to avoid an embarrassing trial .
If , as polls forecast , Netanyahu fails to secure a 61-seat majority in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s longest-ever leader may be out of cards to play .
With another deadlock looming , Lieberman leaves observers pondering what he ultimately hopes to achieve .
Israeli commentator Nahum Barnea said he believes Lieberman isn ’ t driven by political ambition at this stage , noting he has already held a number of senior Cabinet posts .
“ There ’ s nothing out there that truly charms him , ” he said .
“ I think he mostly wants to prove that Israel can have a government without Netanyahu.
” The 61-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following of both immigrants and native-born Israelis drawn to his straight-talking persona and his dual nationalist-secular credo .
Perhaps more than any other Israeli political leader , he exercises complete control over his party .
That gives him great leverage in coalition negotiations .
But Barnea says Lieberman may have overplayed his hand by “ creating too many enemies ” in ruling out both the Arab-led and ultra-Orthodox parties .
Even so , polls still have his party as a tipping point that could block Netanyahu from staying in power .
“ Lieberman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he turned into the king-slayer , ” Barnea said .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Sanders wins Nevada caucuses, takes national Democratic lead

LAS VEGAS - Bernie Sanders scored a commanding victory in Nevada ’ s presidential caucuses , cementing his status as the Democrats ’ national front-runner but escalating tensions over whether he ’ s too liberal to defeat President Donald Trump .
As Sanders celebrated Saturday night , Joe Biden was in second place with votes still being counted .
Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren trailed further behind .
They were all seeking any possible momentum heading into next-up South Carolina and then Super Tuesday on March 3 .
Nevada ’ s caucuses were the first chance for White House hopefuls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voters in a state far more representative of the country as a whole than Iowa and New Hampshire .
Sanders , a 78-year Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist , won by rallying his fiercely loyal base and tapping into support from Nevada ’ s large Latino community .
In a show of confidence , Sanders left Nevada for Texas , which offers one of the biggest delegate troves in just 10 days on Super Tuesday .
“ We are bringing our people together , “ he declared .
“ In Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , multiracial coalition which is not only going to win in Nevada , it ’ s going to sweep this country.
” Saturday ’ s win built on Sanders ’ victory earlier this month in the New Hampshire primary .
He essentially tied for first place in the Iowa caucuses with Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , who has sought to position himself as an ideological counter to Sanders ’ unabashedly progressive politics .
But for all the energy and attention devoted to the first three states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the delegates needed to capture the nomination .
After South Carolina , the contest becomes national in scope , putting a premium on candidates who have the resources to compete in states as large as California and Texas .
While Sanders ’ victory in Nevada encouraged his supporters , it only deepened concern among establishment-minded Democratic leaders who fear he is too extreme to defeat Trump .
Sanders for decades has been calling for transformative policies to address inequities in politics and the economy , none bigger than his signature “ Medicare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replace the private insurance system with a government-run universal program .
Trump gloated on social media , continuing his weeks-long push to sow discord between Sanders and his Democratic rivals .
“ Looks like Crazy Bernie is doing well in the Great State of Nevada .
Biden & the rest look weak , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Congratulations Bernie , & don ’ t let them take it away from you !
” Buttigieg congratulated Sanders , too , but then launched an aggressive verbal assault on the senator as too divisive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Sanders in our one shot to take on this president , let ’ s take a sober look at what is at stake for our party , for our values and for those with so much to lose , “ he said .
“ Senator Sanders believes in an inflexible , ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats , not to mention most Americans.
” For Biden , a second place finish in Nevada could be the lifeline he needed to convince skeptics he still has a path to the nomination as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He took aim at Sanders and billionaire Mike Bloomberg , who wasn ’ t on the Nevada ballot , but has emerged as a threat to Biden in contests that begin next month .
Warren , who desperately needed a spark to revive her stalled bid , ignored Sanders and instead took a shot at Bloomberg ’ s height as she thanked Nevada “ for keeping me in the fight.
” Rallying supporters in Seattle , she said she wanted to talk about “ a big threat — not a tall one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg.
” Also still in the fight : Billionaire Tom Steyer , who spent more than $ 12 million on Nevada television and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , who hoped to prove her strong New Hampshire finish was no fluke .
Klobuchar , campaigning in her home state of Minnesota Saturday night , claimed Nevada success no matter her poor showing .
“ As usual I think we have exceeded expectations , ” she said .
The first presidential contest in the West tested the candidates ’ strength with black and Latino voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevada ’ s population aligns more with the U.S. as a whole , compared with Iowa and New Hampshire : 29 % Latino , 10 % black and 9 % Asian American and Pacific Islander .
Bloomberg , the former New York mayor who dominated the political conversation this week after a poor debate-stage debut , wasn ’ t on the ballot .
He ’ s betting everything on a series of delegate-rich states that begin voting next month .
The stakes were high for Nevada Democrats to avoid a repeat of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it appeared Saturday ’ s contest was largely successful .
Unlike state primaries and the November election , which are run by government officials , caucuses are overseen by state parties .
Nevada Democrats sought to minimize problems by creating multiple redundancies in their reporting system , relying on results called in by phone , a paper worksheet filled out by caucus organizers , a photo of that worksheet sent in by text message and electronic results captured with a Google form .
In addition , it appeared Nevada Democrats were able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding early voting to the caucus process .
Nearly 75,000 people cast early ballots over a four-day period , and the party was able to process those in time for Saturday so they could be integrated into the in-person vote .
At the Bellagio casino caucus site , 41-year-old Christian Nielsen , a scuba diver for the Cirque du Soleil show “ O , ” said he backed Sanders because he believes the country needs a “ major change in the White House.
” “ We need somebody in the White House who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history for their entire career , somebody who stands with the working class , and will make things more fair for everybody , ” Nielsen said .
The Democrats ’ 2020 nomination fight shifted beyond Nevada even before the final results were known .
Only Biden , Buttigieg and Steyer were still in the state when news of Sanders ’ victory was announced .
Sanders and Klobuchar spent the night in Super Tuesday states , and Buttigieg was headed to a third , Virginia .
Warren , who began Saturday in Las Vegas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington state , which hosts its election on March 10 but has already begun offering early voting .
Peoples and Slodysko reported from Washington .
Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe in Washington , Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta and Yvonne Gonzalez , Ken Ritter and Nicholas Riccardi in Nevada contributed to this report .

Steve Peoples, Michelle L. Price, Jonathan J. Cooper And Brian Slodysko - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Sanders on top: Key takeaways from the Nevada caucuses

LAS VEGAS - Sen. Bernie Sanders cruised to victory in the Nevada caucuses , heartening his supporters and stoking alarm among moderates who fear he is too liberal and would lose to President Donald Trump .
Sanders ’ convincing win means there is no longer an asterisk next to his status as the front-runner in the race .
He proved his strength with a broad coalition that included Latino voters , union members and African Americans .
Now Sanders claims three victories in a row heading into South Carolina next Saturday , and more important , Super Tuesday on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed for the nomination are at stake .
The biggest prizes that day , California and Texas , look a lot like Nevada demographically .
Another advantage : His opponents remain splintered and , with the exception of billionaire former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg , under-funded to compete across such a vast terrain .
But now there will be extraordinary pressure to try to consolidate moderate support in an effort to stop Sanders ’ rise .
And Sen. Elizabeth Warren will have a decision to make on how much she tries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both competing for the progressive vote .
There is at least one strong note of caution about Sanders ’ success .
In Iowa and New Hampshire he didn ’ t seem to grow the electorate substantially .
Data is still out in Nevada .
Former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg ran well behind Sanders , but he tried to cast himself as the strongest alternative to Sanders .
In language uncharacteristically blunt , Buttigieg issued a warning to Democrats about the perils of nominating Sanders , whom he characterized as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American mainstream .
“ Sen .
Sanders believes in an inflexible , ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats , not to mention most Americans , ” Buttigieg told supporters .
He held himself out as the only viable alternative .
“ We can prioritize either ideological purity or inclusive victory , ” Buttigieg said .
He added : “ Sen .
Sanders sees capitalism as the root of all evil .
He ’ d go beyond reform and reorder the economy in ways most Democrats — let alone most Americans — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forceful argument , there ’ s a serious risk to Buttigieg in the upcoming calendar .
He will have to win over black voters in South Carolina , then pivot to a multistate primary with comparatively limited resources .
Buttigieg put out a plea for $ 13 million from donors before Super Tuesday .
The former mayor of a city of 100,000 has repeatedly defied the odds in the presidential nominating contests , but the odds are getting longer .
BIDEN HAS HIS BACK AGAINST A FIREWALL Former Vice-President Joe Biden was hoping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a disastrous showing in Iowa and then New Hampshire .
He argued that he ’ d do better in a more diverse state .
But Biden again lost badly even as he told supporters at a union hall , “ We ’ re alive and coming back and we ’ re gon na win.
” His last and best hope may be to win in South Carolina next Saturday .
He ’ s counting on his support among the state ’ s black voters — they could make up two-thirds of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If Biden doesn ’ t win South Carolina , the rationale for his candidacy will much harder to maintain .
In Las Vegas , he tried out a new rallying cry : “ I ain ’ t a socialist .
I ain ’ t a plutocrat .
I ’ m a Democrat .
And I ’ m proud of it.
” Party loyalty may be all Biden has left .
MAYBE CULINARY ISN ’ T ALL-POWERFUL AFTER ALL The 60,000-member Culinary Workers Local 226 represents workers in the casinos on the Las @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routinely described , correctly , as the most powerful force in the state ’ s Democratic politics .
But it ’ s not omnipotent .
Culinary didn ’ t want Sanders to win .
It has strongly opposed his “ Medicare for All ” plan , warning its members that it would eliminate their own generous health plan .
Some observers thought the union might end up backing Biden .
But after the former vice-president ’ s embarrassing performances in Iowa and New Hampshire , Culinary instead stayed neutral .
The calls from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had strong showings in some caucuses in casinos where crowds of Culinary members chanted the Vermont senator ’ s name and powered him to wins in most casinos .
Culinary is driven by its members , many of whom are Sanders supporters , and there was no consensus among the rest about what they should do .
Leadership decided to refrain from a divisive fight , helping pave the way for Sanders ’ win .
It ’ s a reminder that even in places like Nevada with strong political institutions , those institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Amy Klobuchar produced one of the few surprises of the race when she surged to a third-place finish in New Hampshire , announced that she had raised more than $ 12 million , and vowed to prove her doubters wrong .
Her momentum proved short-lived .
She finished well behind the leading candidates , and in the process , prompted questions about her viability .
But in a speech to supporters in her home state of Minnesota , she was defiant and said she would continue .
She even tried to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioned her name at a rally .
“ By the way , for the first time ever , he mentioned me at a rally , ” she said .
“ You know I ’ ve arrived now .
You know they must be worried.
” Probably not .
Time is running out for candidates who haven ’ t finished higher than third in any contest .
That also applies to Warren , also desperately needs a win .
Her strong debate performance came after much of the state had already cast early votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made his fortune running a hedge fund , bet heavily in Nevada , more than $ 12 million on advertising , and lost big , finishing sixth .
Steyer has made strong appeals to minority voters , but in Nevada , failed decisively .
But Steyer ’ s impact on the race could come next week in South Carolina , where he has spent even more money .
Polls show that he has made significant inroads among African American voters .
That would not be good news for Biden , who is counting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Nicholas Riccardi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Schumer raises security concerns on TSA’s use of TikTok app

WASHINGTON - The Senate ’ s top Democrat is raising questions about the Transportation Security Administration ’ s use of the China-owned video app TikTok , citing potential national security concerns and a ban by the Department of Homeland Security .
Sen. Chuck Schumer raised the concerns in a letter Saturday to TSA Administrator David Pekoske , months after news reports that the U.S. government launched a national security review of the app , which is popular with millions of U.S. teens and young adults .
In his letter , Schumer said national security experts have raised concerns about TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data and personal information , locations and other content .
He also noted in the letter that Chinese laws compel companies to co-operate with China ’ s government and intelligence collection .
The New York Democrat also pointed to a Department of Homeland Security policy that prohibits TikTok on department-issued cellphones .
“ Given the widely reported threats , the already-in-place agency bans , and the existing concerns posed by TikTok , the feds can not continue to allow the TSA ’ s use of the platform to fly , ” Schumer said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Over the last few months , the agency has posted a number of videos on TikTok — some of which have been re-shared on other social media platforms like Twitter and amassed hundreds of thousands of views .
Some of the videos are musical parodies about what can and can ’ t be brought on an aircraft , while others advertise services like TSA ’ s expedited screening program known as PreCheck .
In one of the videos , a TSA spokeswoman with Nutella spread on her face is showing different containers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one can be brought in carry-on luggage .
A spokesperson for the TSA did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Demand up for riverboat tours along private border wall

MISSION , Texas - The Riverside Club is a popular South Texas hangout for retirees and Winter Texans who want to enjoy a taste of Americana while gazing at another country from the banks of the Rio Grande .
The laid back , honky tonk-style bar has for years appealed to seniors in cowboy hats , boots and shorts who enjoy sipping drinks while hootin ’ and hollerin ’ on the concrete dance floor .
But nowadays , a surprising number of patrons are packing the restaurant ’ s riverboat tours — many eager to see a newly built private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple from Nebraska said they hadn ’ t visited the area in 12 years and were shocked by the restaurant ’ s newfound popularity .
They now winter in Arizona but said they drove to South Texas “ on a whim ” in hopes of seeing the border wall .
The couple said they didn ’ t tell their children so they wouldn ’ t “ get in trouble for making the drive.
” In years past , the restaurant operated one daily ride on the “ Riverside Dreamer , ” a 55-foot-long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon trip up and down the river often got cancelled if the weather was bad or there weren ’ t enough riders .
On Tuesday , however , at least four riverboat tours were completely booked — including two , two-hour rides .
In fact , all of the riverboat rides for the remainder of the week are sold out , according to the owner whose restaurant serves up traditional diner fare like burgers and chicken-finger baskets .
Riverboat tours cost up to $ 13 an hour or $ 24 for two , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The owners of the Riverside Club did not want to be interviewed but did acknowledge that their business has had a definite uptick since border-wall construction began in October on private riverfront property nearby .
Even though federal plans have their own property behind the government-built border wall , the restaurant owners have been notably mum , compared with the vocal opposition from many of their neighbours .
Outcry against a border wall at some nearby properties — like Historic La Lomita Chapel , and the National Butterfly Center — has even prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ construction .
Nevertheless , the club ’ s owner told Border Report on Tuesday they don ’ t give media interviews , and they did not allow cameras in their restaurant .
Tommy Fisher , the Fisher Sand & Gravel Company CEO who built the controversial 3-mile-long private border wall , said the restaurant owners have told him business is booming , in part because of curiosity about the wall .
“ The gentleman who runs the Riverside Club told me his business has been super huge since we built the wall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The boat tours run constantly up and down the river now.
” Fisher said his 18-foot-tall galvanized steel border wall is already built , but crews are waiting for the concrete to dry on the adjacent road they laid next to the bollards .
Fisher wants to sell the border wall to the Department of Homeland Security for $ 14 million , or $ 16.5 million with 10 years of upkeep included .
So far , they have not made an offer .
That could change , however , because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiving federal procurement rules relating to border wall construction .
How , and if , that pertains to purchase of a private border wall , however , is yet to be seen .
If Fisher manages to sell this showcase private border wall to the government , he said he has 50 to 100 private landowners that have given him “ firm commitments ” for him to build private border walls on their property up and down the Rio Grande .
“ We ’ ve signed option agreements with them so the moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ready to go , ” Fisher said Tuesday , adding that this includes landowners in the Texas counties of Cameron , Hidalgo , Starr and Zapata .
“ We ’ re working our way all the way to Del Rio.
” “ I just really feel comfortable in the product that we built and it ’ s the right thing to do .
It can be built faster , it ’ s more economical and lasts longer and I believe it truly provides a high-security value to the nation because it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Fisher has twice taken Border Report onto his construction site and each time boats , kayaks , canoes and even rafts could be seen traversing the area .
With 176 patrons riding on Tuesday , it ’ s clear that the river tours are now a viable business .
One waiter said there is such demand to see the border wall that the boats are even filling up in cold and rainy weather .
Tuesday was 90 degrees and sunny and many patrons showed up before the scheduled boat tour only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” sign at the bar .
One boy stomped out mad as an elderly gentleman tried to explain to him that although they could see boats , no tickets were available to ride .
The child did not seem to understand the concept as he kicked a rock in the packed parking lot .
Another family from North Dakota tried to convince a waiter to help them get tickets because their children were only in town visiting for a week .
“ I ’ m sorry , ” the restaurant staffer responded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ride next week if you want .
”