thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Afghan troops kill senior Islamic state militant

KABUL - The Afghan intelligence service says it has killed a high ranking official with the Islamic State affiliate in an operation in eastern Afghanistan .
A statement released by the National Directorate of Security late Saturday said Assadullah Orakzai was an intelligence leader for the Islamic State and special forces killed him near Jalalabad .
Orakzai was suspected of being involved in several deadly attacks against both military and civilian targets in Afghanistan .
Last week , a United Nations report said Afghanistan saw a 13 % drop in the number of civilians killed and wounded in violence across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the year , compared to the same period last year .
The report credited the drop in casualties in part to the reduction of operations by international forces — which now only act when called upon and in support of the Afghan forces — and also to a decrease in the number of attacks by the Islamic State group .
The report said the U.N. had recorded 17 attacks by IS causing civilian casualties during the first six months of 2020 , down from 97 attacks in the same period last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people were killed in violence in the first six months of 2020 in Afghanistan and 2,176 were wounded .
In March , a lone Islamic State gunman rampaged through a Sikh house of worship in the heart of the Afghan capital , killing 25 worshipers and wounding eight .
The gunman held many worshipers hostage for several hours while Afghan special forces , helped by international troops , tried to clear the building .
At least one of the dead was a child .
Within hours , the Islamic State group claimed responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces rescued at least 80 worshipers who had been trapped inside the Sikh house of worship , known as a Gurdwara , as the gunman lobbed grenades and fired his automatic rifle into the crowd .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Bayou Bagz offers fun, practice for cornhole ‘Kid Wonder’

MONROE , La .
- The first time Eian Cripps came to Bayou Bagz to play cornhole , he asked if they were going to make him throw from the kids ’ line .
American Cornhole League regional director Beaux Ishee told Eian he could throw from anywhere he wanted , so the 10-year-old went back the full 27 feet to where the adults compete and started throwing bags straight into the hole on the board — air mail .
The room went quiet and everyone started watching Eian , Ishee said .
“ None of us have really been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not competitively .
And so we were all starting to think that we were probably getting pretty salty , then a kid comes in here and just dominates , and he ’ s dominated from the word go since , ” Ishee said .
Fondly called “ Kid Wonder , ” Eian picked up the game less than a year ago .
Next month , he ’ ll be playing in the American Cornhole League Pro Qualifier in South Carolina against more than 200 adults .
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said one of his uncles brought a game on a family trip last year .
Eian had been playing on plastic boards .
Then another uncle had a “ real ” set around the house , and Eian was hooked .
He asked for a set of boards for Christmas .
His mom wasn ’ t aware of how popular the sport is .
It ’ s broadcast on ESPN and is gaining popularity .
She never would have guessed this would be her son ’ s passion .
“ Normally , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now he ’ ll carry on a conversation with everybody .
He doesn ’ t meet a stranger , ” Brandi said .
Ishee said he ’ s quiet until you get him playing , then he ’ ll talk all kinds of trash .
He jokes Eian was playing with his emotions when the two paired off recently .
The goal in cornhole is to reach 21 before your opponent .
Each person takes turns and throws four bags total .
One in the hole counts for three points , just being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you can ’ t get your bag in the hole , you can try to knock your opponent off the board .
And scores cancel out each round .
So if you get 10 points , but the opposition gets eight , you add two points to your cumulative score .
Ishee was leading Eian 20-11 .
He noticed Eian made a few shots that didn ’ t seem to show smart strategy .
In fact , he was giving away points , so he asked Eian about it .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry , I ’ m fixin ’ to win.
’ And he did .
...
He came back and beat me from 11 to 20 .
I only needed one freaking point , and I won .
I couldn ’ t beat him , ” Ishee said .
If you ask Eian what he likes best about the game , he ’ ll tell you “ just the fun of the game , just having fun.
” When Eian ’ s not playing , he ’ s watching videos of pro matches .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any player ’ s signature move .
( Eian ’ s next favourite thing to do is fish , but he ’ s mostly cornhole obsessed . )
“ I don ’ t think he ’ s ever played against just kids , really , ” Brandi said .
He played a few online tournaments after the COVID-19 shutdown .
Eian ’ s winning cash prizes , and his parents are encouraging him to save smart .
Since January , he ’ s won four single competitions .
Three were competitive and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching Eian .
Ishee said crowds flock to the Kid Wonder ’ s tournaments at regional tournaments .
People are sending him cornhole bags and merchandise at this point .
Nick said his son has about 26 or 27 sets of bags , and Eian only bought about a dozen of those .
Aug. 9 is the Pro Qualifier , and he has to be in the Top 32 to make pro .
He ’ ll be competing against more than 200 adults in Rock Hill , South Carolina .
“ The cornhole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ ve been amazing , ” Brandi said .
To fund the trip , the family has a raffle set up for locally donated prizes .
A company that makes boards has donated a custom set in another raffle , and , of course , people can just donate .
If Eian goes pro , the prize pots get bigger and more eyes will be on him .
But he ’ s not letting success go to his head , and his advice for beginners applies to anyone of any age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game , just keep on throwing and practicing if you want to get good at it , ” he said .
Eian was already good before he started going to Bayou Bagz , but he loves spending time with other players .
He heard about the league on the radio and asked his parents to take him .
Brandi wasn ’ t initially enthused because she knew it would be a bunch of men , but they called Ishee , who said to bring him .
Ishee and a financial backer started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been playing for about a decade , and many of his friends have played for years in backyards and at tailgate parties .
But he wanted to do something bigger .
They started with boards and scoreboards that meet ACL standards and about 10 sets of house bags .
Bayou Bagz was sharing a building with a business that used it during the day , and they played at night .
Then the business expanded into nighttime hours , and Bayou Bagz was briefly in limbo .
They started meeting at The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ishee said local businesses have been great about sponsoring them , and the club has almost totally recouped the initial investment .
Once Bayou Bagz is in the clear .
He ’ s planning to expand .
The popularity has been growing , and the ability to win cash doesn ’ t hurt .
In addition to tournaments , there are air mail competitions .
Ishee ’ s regional director status with the ACL lets him hold events that can draw people from states away .
Since Sept. 1 , he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tournaments and eight regional competitions .
He said the shutdown to halt coronavirus dented regular attendance , but there are many who come every week .
The ACL , he said , developed safety regulations before mandates rolled out .
It ’ s a game you can play from a safe distance .
Ishee ’ s main goal is to create a family friendly environment where any skill level can have a great time .
People will get hooked , he said , if they just come to play .
Dakota Minchew had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall ; then she threw some bags for something to do when she came with her boyfriend .
She ’ s really taken to the game on her own .
At the end of the season , the league honoured her as the most improved player with a custom koozie and a sash .
“ It felt good because I did come so far in it .
I didn ’ t know how to hold a bag , throw a bag or anything .
I couldn ’ t even throw it that far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practicing and got better and then I started learning how to control the bag and everything , ” she said .
Cornhole involves some strategy and largely boils down to muscle memory once you get the hang of the distances and how to throw from either side of the board .
Ishee said the beauty of the sport is in the relationships you make with other players .
It ’ s all about fellowship .
“ It ’ s real fun to come up here and play , ” Eian said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too if you don ’ t know it.
” He ’ s still getting in all the practice throwing and trash talking he can .
“ I ’ m real excited , ” Eian said of the Pro Tour .
He ’ s just planning to have fun and try to make it Pro .

Bonnie Bolden, Monroe News-Star - AP Member

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thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Ethiopians celebrate progress in building dam on Nile River

ADDIS ABABA , Ethiopia - Ethiopians are celebrating progress in the construction of the country ’ s dam on the Nile River , which has caused regional controversy over its filling .
In joyful demonstrations urged by posts on social media and apparently endorsed by the government , tens of thousands of residents flooded the streets of the capital Addis Ababa on Sunday afternoon , waving Ethiopia ’ s flag and holding up posters .
People in cars honked their horns , others whistled , played loud music , and danced in public spaces to mark the occasion .
Similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethiopia .
Ethiopia ’ s Deputy Prime Minister , Demeke Mekonnen , called on the public to rally behind the dam and support the completion of its construction .
“ Today is a date in which we celebrate the beginning of the final chapter in our dam ’ s construction , ” Demeke told scores of people who gathered at a hall in the capital .
“ We want the construction to complete soon and began solving our problems once and for all.
” Hashtags like # ItsMyDam , # EthiopiaNileRights and # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media users .
Ethiopians around the world contributed to the festivities on social media .
Sunday ’ s celebration , called “ One voice for our dam , ” came after Ethiopian officials announced on July 22 that the first stage of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ’ s reservoir was achieved due to heavy rains .
Officials in the East African nation say they hope the $ 4.6 billion dam , fully financed by Ethiopia itself , will reach full power generating capacity in 2023 .
With 74 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contentious for years and raised tensions with neighbouring countries .
Ethiopia says the dam will provide electricity to millions of its nearly 110 million citizens and help them out of poverty .
The dam should also make Ethiopia a major power exporter .
Downstream Egypt , which depends on the Nile River to supply its farmers and booming population of 100 million people with fresh water , asserts that the dam poses an existential threat .
Sudan , between the two countries , is also concerned about its access to the Nile waters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multiyear drought occurs and how the countries will resolve any future disputes .
Negotiations to resolve the differences have broken down several times , but now appear to be making progress .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--SpaceX capsule and NASA crew make 1st splashdown in 45 years

CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. - Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic , retro-style splashdown , their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk ’ s SpaceX company .
It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years , with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit .
The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year .
Test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dragon capsule named Endeavour , less than a day after departing the International Space Station and two months after blasting off from Florida .
The capsule parachuted into the calm gulf waters about 40 miles off the coast of Pensacola , hundreds of miles from Tropical Storm Isaias pounding Florida ’ s Atlantic coast .
“ Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX , ” said Mission Control from SpaceX headquarters .
“ It ’ s a little bit overwhelming to see everybody here considering the things that have gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been off planet , “ Hurley said after arriving back home in Houston Sunday evening where they were greeted by a small masked-gathering of family and officials , including Musk .
Musk had rushed to Houston from SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne , California , to welcome them .
He was clearly moved — and relieved — while addressing the group .
“ I ’ m not very religious , but I prayed for this one , ” he said .
The astronauts ’ ride back to Earth was fast , bumpy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside .
The spacecraft went from a screaming orbital speed of 17,500 mph ( 28,000 kph ) to 350 mph ( 560 kph ) during atmospheric reentry , and finally to 15 mph ( 24 kph ) at splashdown .
Peak heating during descent was 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit ( 1,900 degrees Celsius ) .
The anticipated top G forces felt by the crew : four to five times the force of Earth ’ s gravity .
Within a half-hour of splashdown , the scorched and blistered 15-foot capsule was hoisted aboard a SpaceX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 40 , including doctors and nurses .
To keep the returning astronauts safe in the pandemic , the recovery crew quarantined for two weeks and were tested for the coronavirus .
The opening of the hatch was held up briefly by extra checks for toxic rocket fumes outside the capsule .
After medical checkups , the astronauts were flown by helicopter to Pensacola and then to Houston .
There was one unexpected problem that could have endangered the operation : Once the capsule was in the water , private boats “ just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and got too close , said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine , promising to do better next time at keeping sightseers on pleasure boats safely away .
NASA video showed one vessel flying a large campaign flag for President Donald Trump .
The Coast Guard in Pensacola said it had deployed two vessels to keep the public at least 10 miles away from the capsule .
Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence , who both attended the launch , congratulated the SpaceX and NASA teams .
“ Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thank you to all !
” Trump tweeted .
The last time NASA astronauts returned from space to water was on July 24 , 1975 , in the Pacific , the scene of most splashdowns , to end a joint U.S.-Soviet mission known as Apollo-Soyuz .
The Mercury and Gemini crews in the early to mid-1960s parachuted into the Atlantic , while most of the later Apollo capsules hit the Pacific .
The lone Russian “ splashdown ” was in 1976 on a partially frozen lake amid a blizzard following an aborted mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gemini and Apollo astronaut Thomas Stafford — the commander of the last crew to splash down — watched the reentry on TV from his Florida home .
While pleased with the crew ’ s safe return , he wasn ’ t overly impressed .
“ It ’ s what we did over 50 years ago , “ he said .
Its throwback splashdown aside , SpaceX made history with the mission , which launched May 30 from NASA ’ s Kennedy Space Center .
It was the first time a private company launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch of NASA astronauts from home turf in nearly a decade .
Hurley was the pilot of NASA ’ s last space shuttle flight in 2011 and the commander of this SpaceX flight .
NASA turned to SpaceX and also Boeing to build capsules and ferry astronauts to and from the space station , following the retirement of the shuttles .
Until Hurley and Behnken rocketed into orbit , NASA astronauts relied on Russian rockets .
SpaceX already had experience hauling cargo to the space station , bringing those capsules back to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new era of human spaceflight where NASA is no longer the purchaser , owner and operator of all the hardware .
We ’ re going to be a customer , one customer of many , “ Bridenstine said from Johnson Space Center in Houston .
” I would love to see a fleet of crew Dragons servicing not just the International Space Station but also commercial space stations.
” SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell called the mission a springboard to “ doing even harder things , ” like collaborating on astronaut flights to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s no question , it was an enormous relief after months of anxiety making sure we could bring Bob and Doug back home safely , ” Shotwell said .
SpaceX needs six weeks to inspect the capsule before launching the next crew around the end of September .
This next mission of four astronauts will spend a full six months aboard the space station .
Hurley and Behnken ’ s capsule will be refurbished for another flight next spring .
A Houston company run by a former NASA official , meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three customers to the space station in fall 2021 .
“ It took years to get here , we brought the capablity back to America , and we came home safely to our families , and it took a lot of people a lot of time to make that happen , “ Behnken said back in Houston .
Boeing doesn ’ t expect to launch its first crew until next year .
The company encountered significant software problems in the debut of its Starliner capsule , with no one aboard , last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Southwest desert .
By beating Boeing , SpaceX laid claim to a small U.S. flag left at the space station by Hurley and the rest of the last shuttle crew .
Minutes after splashdown , Musk tweeted a flag emoji followed by “ returned.
“ Also on board : a toy dinosaur named Tremor , sent into space by the astronauts ’ young sons .
The two boys recorded a wake-up call for their fathers Sunday morning .
“ Don ’ t worry , you can sleep in tomorrow , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was promised a puppy after the flight .
“ Hurry home so we can go get my dog.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Isaias strengthens slightly as it crawls up Florida coast

VERO BEACH , Fla. - Bands of heavy rain from Isaias lashed Florida ’ s east coast Sunday , with the tropical storm strengthening slightly in the evening on its way up the Eastern seabord .
Officials dealing with surging cases of the coronavirus in Florida kept a close watch on the storm that was weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Saturday afternoon , but still brought heavy rain and flooding to Florida ’ s Atlantic coast .
The National Hurricane Center advised at 8 p.m. EDT Sunday that the storm was about 55 miles ( 89 kilometres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , and about 385 miles ( 620 kilometres ) south of Myrtle Beach , South Carolina .
It strengthened slightly earlier in the evening with maximum sustained winds just under a Category 1 hurricane , taking a north-northwest path , according to the centre .
“ Don ’ t be fooled by the downgrade , ” Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis warned at a news conference after the storm — pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs — spent hours roughing up the Bahamas .
Upper-level winds took much of the strength out of Isaias , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hurricane centre in Miami .
“ We were expecting a hurricane to develop and it didn ’ t , ” Stewart said Sunday .
“ It ’ s a tale of two storms .
If you live on the west side of the storm , you didn ’ t get much .
If you live east of the storm , there ’ s a lot of nasty weather there.
” Authorities closed beaches , parks and virus testing sites , lashing signs to palm trees so they wouldn ’ t blow away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power outages and asked residents to have a week ’ s supply of water , food and medicine on hand .
Officials wrestled with how to prepare shelters where people can seek refuge from the storm if necessary , while also safely social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus .
In Palm Beach County , about 150 people were in shelters , said emergency management spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda .
The county has a voluntary evacuation order for those living in mobile or manufactured homes , or those who feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We don ’ t anticipate many more evacuations , ” she said , adding that the evacuees are physically distant from each other and are wearing masks , due to the virus .
In Indian River County , north of West Palm Beach , Florida , emergency shelters were clearing out Sunday after Isaias was downgraded to a tropical storm .
Officials told TCPalm newspapers that 38 people registered at three schools used as shelters .
Those areas now must be cleaned to ensure no traces of the coronavirus remain as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the upcoming school year .
No one checked in with COVID-19 symptoms .
Temperature checks were done at the door , officials said , and isolation rooms were designated in case anyone came in with symptoms .
The storm ’ s maximum sustained winds declined steadily throughout Saturday , and were at 65 mph ( 100 kph ) at 2 p.m .
ET Sunday , before crawling back up to 70 mph a few hours later , the hurricane centre said .
“ The centre of Isaias will move offshore of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday , move inland over eastern North Carolina Monday night and move along the coast of the mid-Atlantic states on Tuesday , ” according to the hurricane centre .
A Tropical Storm Watch has been extended northward to Watch Hill , Rhode Island , including the Chesapeake Bay , Delaware Bay , Long Island and Long Island Sound .
The storm did not affect the successful return of two astronauts aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule , which splashed down into calm waters in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Behnken rode the capsule back to Earth less than a day after departing the International Space Station and two months after blasting off from Florida .
Isaias already has caused destruction in the Caribbean : On Thursday , before it became a hurricane , it uprooted trees , destroyed crops and homes and caused widespread flooding and small landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico .
One man died in the Dominican Republic .
In Puerto Rico , the National Guard rescued at least 35 people from floods that swept away one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Isaias snapped trees and knocked out power as it blew through the Bahamas on Saturday .
With coronavirus cases surging in Florida recently , the added menace of a storm ratcheted up the anxiety .
State-run virus testing sites closed in areas where the storm might hit because the sites are outdoor tents , which could topple in high winds .
Natalie Betancur , stocking up at a grocery in Palm Beach Gardens , said that the storm itself doesn ’ t cause her a great amount of concern .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel that the public is really panicking because it ’ s a hurricane and we ’ re in the middle of a pandemic , “ she said .
Officials in the Bahamas opened shelters for people in Abaco island to help those who have been living in temporary structures since Dorian devastated the area , killing at least 70 people in September 2019 .
Coto reported from San Juan , Puerto Rico .
Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg , Cody Jackson in Palm Beach County , Florida , and Julie Walker in @ @ @ @

Wilfredo Lee And DáNica Coto - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Heavy rains and floods destroy houses, dam, kill 5 in Sudan

CAIRO - Women and children slept in the open amid heavy rainfall after flooding inundated hundreds of homes in Sudan ’ s Blue Nile province and left five people dead across the country , authorities said Sunday .
Bout , a town of 100,000 people , has been severely hit by heavy rains and floods over the past week with at least 1,200 houses destroyed , the Sudanese Red Crescent said .
More than 120 houses in the nearby town of Wed Abuk were also destroyed .
Footage circulated online showed floodwaters cutting off roads and sweeping away houses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of agricultural land in the area were also flooded .
Most in the region are internally displaced people who live off agriculture and are vulnerable to the annual flooding , according to resident Musab Sharif .
Hundreds of families were left sleeping in the open amid rain that lasted till late Saturday , he said .
The heavy rainfall also caused the collapse of the Bout Dam , local official Nusaiba Farouk Kalol , told The Associated Press over the phone .
At least 600 families remained stranded amid flooding caused by both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dam , she said .
“ The water surrounded them .
There was no access to those families as the water flooded the area from three directions , ” she said .
Kalol warned about a massive wave of displacement in Bout , which is 180 kilometres ( 111 miles ) from the provincial capital , al-Damazin .
In the capital Khartoum , floods triggered by heavy rainfall inundated around 1,000 houses , said Interior Minister Lt. Gen. al-Tarifi Idris .
Across the country , at least 2,380 houses were destroyed or damaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
Over two dozen schools and mosques along with 78 shops and storehouses were also damaged , he said .
The floods left five people dead ; four from the collapsing houses while the fifth drowned , the interior minister said .
He didn ’ t say when or where those people died .
Last year , flooding killed a total of 78 people in 16 of Sudan ’ s 18 provinces , between July and August , according to the United Nations .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Mexico arrests violent gang leader known for emotive videos

MEXICO CITY - Mexican police and military forces on Sunday arrested the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima gang who spread violence through north-central Mexico and fought a years-long bloody turf battle with the Jalisco cartel .
The armed forces and officials in the state of Guanajuato said they had captured José Antonio Yépez Ortiz , better known by his nickname “ El Marro , ” which means “ The Sledgehammer.
” Yépez Ortiz was unusual among gang leaders because he posted videos with emotional calls to his followers , including one in June showing him appearing to cry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were arrested .
In another video around the same time , he threatened to join forces with the Sinaloa cartel to defeat Jalisco , Mexico ’ s fastest-rising drug cartel .
The turf battle with Jalisco turned the industrial hub of Guanajuato , with its foreign auto plants and parts suppliers , into the most violent state in Mexico , with 2,293 murders in the first six months of this year .
The Santa Rosa gang has been blamed by some observers for the July attack on a drug rehabilitation centre in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were killed .
But Mexico ’ s top civilian security official , Alfonso Durazo , said Yépez Ortiz would be charged with organized crime and fuel theft , not murder .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — whose administration has said its main goal is no longer to detain gang leaders — praised the arrest , calling it “ important , very important , ” noting that 15 % of Mexico ’ s murders in recent months had happened in Guanajuato .
“ Of course , we have to continue addressing the root @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that poverty be eliminated , “ said López Obrador , adding “ second , that there be no more corruption , ” noting that gangs like Yépez Ortiz ’ s could not have grown into such a problem without “ the complicity , the co-operation of local and state authorities.
” Yépez Ortiz had been the subject of massive manhunts for years , and was caught along with five other suspects allegedly holding a kidnapped businesswoman .
He was among Mexico ’ s most wanted suspects , trailing Jalisco cartel leader Nemesio “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada .
His Santa Rosa gang was not a drug cartel , but rather a powerful , violent gang that grew up in a farming hamlet of the same name in north-central Guanajuato state by stealing fuel from government pipelines and refineries and robbing freight from trains .
The Santa Rosa gang was also unusual in that it tried to build a support network among local residents by allowing them to take a minor share in the spoils of the robberies .
But when authorities stepped up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last two years , the gang turned to extortion and kidnapping .
The gang would move sector to sector , systematically demanding extortion payments from businesses like tortilla shops or car dealerships .
However , the gang ’ s reign never affected the major companies that have built dozens of plants in Guanajuato , attracted by investor-friendly policies and excellent rail and highway links .
True to his humbler circumstances , the short , round-faced Yépez Ortiz was shown wearing a gray hoodie , ripped jeans and construction boots in official photographs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The army said in a statement that he was caught in a raid near Santa Rosa de Lima , based on intelligence work that indicated members of the gang were at two houses .
Yépez Ortiz was detained along his security chief , four other gang members , five rifles , three pistols and a grenade launcher .
A lot of mythology had grown up around “ El Marro , ” including the belief that he and a close band of supporters had been able to escape police for years by encouraging townspeople @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him enough time to escape over dirt roads on ATVs .
One ATV was found during Sunday ’ s raid .
Guanajuato state Security Commissioner Sofia Huett said earlier this year the gang may have called itself a cartel , but largely operated only in Guanajuato , jumping from one illegal activity to another .
“ At one time they were gangs , not big cartels , that robbed trains , ” Huett said .
After security forces cracked down on that , the gang started to drill illegal taps into fuel pipelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with gasoline or diesel .
Always known for a propensity for violence , the Santa Rosa de Lima gang started stealing fuel directly from government oil refineries by the truckload .
But when the government began stepping up security , they turned to other crimes .
“ With less access to gasoline , these groups migrated to other crimes , like street-level drug dealing and auto theft and extortion , ” Huett said .
Santa Rosa de Lima was precisely the kind of local gang that the Jalisco cartel has deftly taken over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across Mexico , co-opting local gang members in a sort of franchise scheme .
There are reports that Oseguera sent a nephew to Guanajuato in 2017 to negotiate a deal with the Santa Rosa gang which would allow Jalisco to traffic drugs in the state while the local gang would keep the fuel theft business .
But the pugnacious Yépez Ortiz — his videos are punctuated by cursing — vowed never to let in the cartel from neighbouring Jalisco state .
A deadly feud ensued .
It was unclear if the arrest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now be poised to roll into Guanajuato as it has in so many other states .
In July , the Jalisco cartel posted a video that Mexican defence officials said was apparently filmed near the border of Jalisco and Guanajuato states .
Officials said the video showed a column of about 75 Jalisco cartel gunmen dressed in military-style fatigues with a dozen homemade armoured pickup trucks , an anti-aircraft gun , nine belt-fed machine-guns , 10 sniper rifles , six grenade launchers and 54 assault rifles .

By Mark Stevenson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Mexico arrests ‘El Marro,’ gang leader at the centre of a bloody cartel war

MEXICO CITY—Mexican authorities on Sunday arrested the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel , a gang known for stealing millions of dollars of fuel from government pipelines and for turning once-peaceful Guanajuato state into one of the most dangerous regions in the country .
Videos show the pre-dawn capture by federal and state authorities of Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz , who is known by the alias “ El Marro , ” which means “ the Sledgehammer.
” He was detained along with five others in a raid that authorities said also freed a kidnapped businesswoman .
The capture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most high-profile arrests by the Mexican government in years , highlights the contradictory nature of the security policies pushed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador , who has vowed to fight crime by eradicating poverty and break with the militarized strategies of his predecessors but who in practice has not always done so .
It also casts a focus on the changing nature of Mexico ’ s criminal organizations , which have branched out far beyond transnational drug trafficking and are now engaged in cargo robbery , domestic drug sales and control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the avocado trade .
Yepez Ortiz , 40 , first made headlines for allegedly stealing more than a million dollars ’ worth of fuel a day from the many pipelines radiating from a government-owned oil refinery in the city of Salamanca .
His cartel became the most powerful of the country ’ s many fuel-theft gangs , known as huachicoleros , and later branched out into other illegal enterprises , including extortion and local drug sales .
In 2017 , his group ran afoul of the Jalisco New Generation cartel , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes , known as El Mencho .
Mexican media have reported that the Jalisco cartel , which is a leading smuggler of methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States , originally tried to make a deal with Yepez Ortiz : Keep the lucrative fuel-theft business but allow Jalisco ’ s drug mules to ferry their product through the state .
Yepez Ortiz not only rejected the offer , but also allegedly ordered the killing of the nephew of the Jalisco group ’ s leader , setting off a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in violence .
There were 3,540 killings in Guanajuato last year , a more than threefold increase since 2016 .
With 2,293 more killings in the first half of this year , Guanajuato is on pace to set a new record .
Among the many brutal acts recorded in the state in recent months was the massacre of 27 people at a drug rehabilitation centre in the city of Irapuato , which authorities believe was carried out by the Santa Rosa gang .
Last year , Yepez Ortiz escaped a raid by authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underground complex of tunnels .
Authorities did not say where Yepez Ortiz was arrested Sunday .
A video that appeared to be leaked from somebody present at the raid showed him , in a grey sweatshirt and tan work boots , being taken toward a helicopter by heavily armed security forces .
Mexican Security Secretary Alfonso Durazo said Yepez Ortiz would be charged with organized crime and fuel theft .
Mexican and U.S. authorities praised the arrest of Yepez Ortiz , with U.S .
Ambassador Christopher Landau tweeting in Spanish : “ Criminals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the end us good guys will always win.
” But others questioned whether it might actually fuel more violence .
The Jalisco cartel last month posted a video apparently filmed near the border of Jalisco and Guanajuato states that showed dozens of its members outfitted with assault riffles and machine guns as well as an anti-aircraft missile .
“ Experience leads us to be cautious , ” tweeted former congressman Fernando Belaunzaran .
“ Dozens of leaders have been captured in Mexico and it has not caused a reduction in violence.. ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cartel capos , known as the “ kingpin strategy , ” which has been a key element of Mexican security efforts since 2006 , when the country , aided by the United States , first deployed soldiers , marines and federal police officers in the country ’ s war on the gangs .
While some security analysts argue that such strategies helped stop Mexico from becoming a narco state , they also unwittingly unleashed a wave of violence as would-be kingpins fought for control of cartels .
For example , Mexico has recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrest and extradition of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin ( El Chapo ) Guzman in 2017 .
Lopez Obrador , who was elected in a landslide victory in 2018 in part on his pledge to bring peace to this violence-weary nation , has repeatedly renounced the militarized approach of his predecessors , for whom capturing cartel leaders was a priority .
He has vowed to tackle organized crime by fighting poverty instead , a strategy he has dubbed “ hugs , not bullets.
” Yet those promises have not translated to concrete changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office a year and a half ago , armed federal forces have continued to pursue leaders of criminal groups , including a botched operation to capture Guzman ’ s son last fall .
Federal troops briefly detained the young drug boss , but later decided to release him after the Sinaloa cartel took large parts of the northern city of Culiacan hostage .
Lopez Obrador said the decision to release the younger Guzman was made to save innocent lives .
“ We will no longer fight violence with violence , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer a war against drug traffickers.
” The arrest of Yepez Ortiz led some to question whether that was really the case .
“ Hadn ’ t they said they weren ’ t after the bosses anymore ?
” asked Sergio Sarmiento , a columnist for Reforma newspaper , on Twitter .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Trump plans ‘emergency’ to stay in office, top Democrat says

U.S. President Donald Trump has no intention of “ peacefully ” transferring power if he loses the November election , according to House Majority Whip James Clyburn .
Trump , who floated the idea of delaying the vote last week over fraud concerns , neither plans to leave the White House nor hold “ fair and unfettered elections , ” the Democratic Representative from South Carolina said Sunday on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union.
” “ I believe that he plans to install himself in some kind of emergency way to continue to hold onto office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s why the American people had better wake up.
” Trump stirred outrage with a Twitter message on Thursday suggesting it might be best to “ Delay the Election until people can properly , security and safely vote ?
?
?
” The comment was roundly criticized across the political spectrum .
A U.S. president can ’ t alter the election date without the consent of lawmakers , who ’ ve already rejected the idea .
Clyburn ’ s reaction on Sunday was one of the strongest to date .
Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election ” with “ strong-arm tactics , ” he said , comparing him to a dictator .
Trump suggested delaying the vote until after the coronavirus — and its risks of becoming infected while in public places — eases .
He argued without evidence that mail-in voting will be subject to widespread fraud .
Trump later said he wasn ’ t really suggesting a delay but was warning that it would be days “ or even years ” until the nation knew the outcome if mail-in balloting was used .
White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBS that “ if we try to transform this and start mailing in ballots all across the country , all 50 states , what we will see is a delay because they ’ re just not equipped to handle it.
” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday that “ each state ought to decide ” how best to conduct its elections .
“ Custom-crafted election systems in each of the 50 states is consistent with the constitution , ” McConnell said on Gray TV ’ s “ Full Court Press .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Rentals remain available for last-minute Sturgis rally-goers

RAPID CITY , S.D .
- The COVID-19 pandemic apparently is not discouraging as many visitors as previously expected , but home rentals , campground spaces and hotel rooms remain available for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that starts Aug. 7 .
“ It ’ s the 80th rally , so people are coming , ” said Kimberly Roberts , owner of Kickstands Campground and Venue outside Sturgis .
Roberts said some primitive tent camping and self-contained RV spaces are still open because of cancellations , but full-service RV spots are full .
“ This is our fourth rally .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is people are trickling in .
People are showing up , ” she told the Rapid City Journal .
Gina Huiet , manager of Sturgis RV Park in Sturgis , said that park is usually fully booked by October for the following summer ’ s rally .
The park rents sites for five or 10 days at a time .
As of Friday , July 24 , the park had some openings because Canadian travellers were forced to cancel due to COVID-19 border closures .
“ Yes , I have had some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those spots , we ’ ve booked them , ” Huiet said .
“ People are coming anyway.
” “ We do have an overflow camping lot .
We do allow one- and two-night stays for motorcycles and tents .
We ’ ve never filled it up before but it could happen this year , ” she said .
“ All those people that waited until the last minute , the only good thing about COVID-19 is it opened a rally spot for you.
” As of Friday , July 24 , sturgis.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the Black Hills .
Options ranged from high-end luxury homes to rustic cabins and campsites .
Meanwhile this week , Airbnb.com shows its rentals throughout the Black Hills are 81 % booked during the rally .
Several entire houses for rent during the rally have not yet been reserved .
Julie Schmitz Jensen , executive director of Visit Rapid City , said she ’ s optimistic about visitor numbers this summer .
“ Nothing about this year is normal , but I think there are some that had already made reservations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Jensen said .
“ We all know things could change overnight ; we ’ re keeping our fingers crossed.
” By mid-July , she said Rapid City area hotels , motels and campgrounds were reporting between 65 % and 85 % reservation rates during the rally , with the two weekends being more booked than midweek .
“ There have been some cancellations recently because some states are implementing stay-at-home rules .
… I ’ m not seeing that as a huge trend yet , ” Jensen said .
“ Canadians have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rally market so ( with the border closure ) Canadian numbers are either nonexistent or way down .
“ We ’ re all dipping our toes into regional marketing .
We ’ re not telling the world to come visit this summer .
We are telling ( those who are within driving distance ) we are open , we are safe , we are following all the Centers for Disease Control regulations , ” Jensen said .
“ We are coming back up .
We ’ re aren ’ t out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting back .
… We ’ re getting a lot of interest.
” Meanwhile , at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip , last-minute guests are always invited .
“ We always have room at the Chip for more people and this year is no different , ” said Buffalo Chip founder and President Rod Woodruff .
“ We ’ d welcome anybody that makes up their mind at the last minute .
We always have a lot of people who make up their minds at the last minute.
” The Buffalo Chip has RV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cabins there are fully booked .
The Buffalo Chip also rents campers and if it runs out will work with a camper company to bring in more from out of state .
The Buffalo Chip also has added a new garage and will have mechanics on site to help visitors whose motorcycles break down .
“ We always have room for another million , ” Woodruff said .
“ We ’ re conscious of COVID-19 so we ’ re changing the amphitheatres ( for the concerts ) to accommodate for COVID , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reservations have been increasing for the past couple of months , he said .
“ South Dakota has fresh air , lots of space , beautiful roads , nice little mountains and wide open prairies ” that visitors love , Woodruff said .
“ People are wanting to get back to living a normal life and we ’ re sitting pretty well out here .
… It ’ s good to see people getting out and goofing off.
” Woodruff said he ’ ll encourage people to “ goof off responsibly ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chip everyone ’ s going to focus on fun .
“ We call it partying like it ’ s 1982 .
The folks that are worried about COVID-19 aren ’ t going to come .
The people that are coming are coming to have a good time , see other people and socialize , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Iran hits hawkish US expert with symbolic sanctions

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran on Sunday imposed symbolic sanctions on a hawkish former expert with the White House National Security Council , Iranian state media reported .
A statement from Iran ’ s Foreign Ministry said the sanctions on Richard Goldberg were implemented because of his role in what it called “ U.S .
economic terrorism against interests of the Islamic Republic and its citizens , “ the IRNA news agency reported .
Goldberg will not be eligible for Iranian visas or accounts in Iranian financial institutes , nor will he be qualified to have any financial transactions with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Today I gain a new badge of honour : ‘ sanctioned ’ by Iran for co-ordinating @ realDonaldTrump ’ s maximum pressure campaign , “ Goldberg tweeted Sunday .
Goldberg has been an advocate for tough measures against Iran , and until January worked on Iranian issues at the National Security Council .
He now works with the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies , a Washington think-tank that ’ s long advocated a maximalist approach against Iran .
Tehran sanctioned the think-tank and its CEO last August for their role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called “ economic terrorism ” against Iran .
President Donald Trump reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran after he unilaterally withdrew America from the nuclear accord between Iran and Western powers in May 2018 .
Iran later responded by slowly abandoning nearly every aspect of the agreement , although it still allows U.N. inspectors access to its nuclear sites .
The sanctions have caused Iran ’ s oil exports , the country ’ s main source of income , to fall sharply .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Homes evacuated as Southern California wildfire grows

BANNING , Calif. - Thousands of people were under evacuation orders Sunday after a wildfire in mountains east of Los Angeles exploded in size as crews battled the flames in triple-digit heat .
The blaze straddling Riverside and San Bernardino counties consumed about 60 square kilometres of dry brush and timber , according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
There was zero containment early Sunday .
The cause is under investigation .
The blaze began as two adjacent fires reported Friday evening in Cherry Valley , an unincorporated area near the city of Beaumont about 137 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flames leapt along brushy ridge tops and came close to homes while firefighters attacked it from the ground and air .
One home and two outbuildings were destroyed , Cal Fire said .
No injuries were reported .
Evacuation orders and advisories were issued for mountain , canyon and foothill neighbourhoods .
Campgrounds and hiking trails were closed in the San Gorgonio Wilderness area of the San Bernardino National Forest .
A huge smoke plume was visible for miles around and contributed to poor air quality .
The mercury hit 41 C Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weather Service said “ dangerously hot conditions ” were expected to continue because of high pressure over much of Southern California .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Islamic State gunmen, suicide bomber attack Afghan prison

KABUL - The Islamic State group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a complex attack by a suicide car bomber and multiple gunmen against a prison in eastern Afghanistan , which Afghan officials said killed at least three people and injured 24 others .
The hourslong gunbattle between Afghan security forces and insurgents in Jalalabad , the capital of Nangarhar province , was still ongoing Sunday evening , and casualties were likely to rise , according to Attaullah Khogyani , spokesman for the provincial governor .
Tariq Arian , spokesman for the Interior Ministry , said at least three people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman for the provincial Health Ministry , provided the figure of 24 wounded .
The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan , known as IS in Khorasan province , claimed responsibility for the attack .
The IS affiliate is headquartered in Nangarhar province .
Sunday ’ s attack comes a day after the Afghan intelligence agency said a senior IS commander was killed by Afghan special forces near Jalalabad .
The Taliban ’ s political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told The Associated Press , “ We have a cease-fire and are not involved in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” but said he was not aware of the details of the Jalalabad attack .
The Taliban declared a three-day cease-fire starting Friday for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha .
The Taliban had also denied involvement in a suicide bombing in the eastern Logar province late Thursday , which killed at least nine people and wounded at least 40 , authorities said .
Afghanistan has seen a recent spike in violence , with most attacks claimed by the local IS affiliate .
A United Nations report last month estimated there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that while the group is in “ territorial retreat ” and its leadership has been depleted , it “ remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks in various parts of the country , including Kabul.
” Efforts to get peace talks underway between the Taliban and the Kabul government have stalled after the Taliban and the U.S. signed a deal in February , seen as a blueprint to ending Afghanistan ’ s decades of war .
That deal was struck to allow the U.S. to end its 19-year involvement in Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guarantee its territory will not be used by terrorist groups .
The deal is also expected to guarantee the Taliban ’ s all-out participation in the fight against IS .
Still , a United Nations report last week said Afghanistan saw a 13 % drop in the number of civilians killed and wounded in violence across the country in the first six months of the year , compared to the same period last year .
The report credited the drop in casualties in part to the reduction of operations by international forces — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in support of the Afghan forces — and also to a decrease in the number of attacks by IS .
The report said the U.N. had recorded 17 attacks by IS that caused civilian casualties during the first six months of 2020 , down from 97 attacks in the same period last year .
Overall , the U.N. said 1,282 people were killed in violence in the first six months of 2020 in Afghanistan and 2,176 were wounded .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--RNC: Decision on private Trump renomination vote not final

WASHINGTON - The vote to renominate President Donald Trump is set to be conducted in private later this month , without members of the press present , a spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention said on Saturday , citing the coronavirus .
However , a Republican National Committee official contradicted that assessment Sunday , emphasizing that no final decisions have been made and that logistics and press coverage options were still being evaluated , The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
While Trump called off the public components of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiking cases of the virus across the country , 336 delegates are scheduled to gather in Charlotte , North Carolina , on Aug. 24 to formally vote to make Trump the GOP standard-bearer once more .
Nominating conventions are traditionally meant to be media bonanzas , as political parties seek to leverage the attention the events draw to spread their message to as many voters as possible .
If the GOP decision stands , it will be the first party nominating convention in modern history to be closed to reporters .
“ Given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the state of North Carolina , we are planning for the Charlotte activities to be closed press Friday , August 21 – Monday , August 24 , ” a convention spokeswoman said .
“ We are happy to let you know if this changes , but we are working within the parameters set before us by state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.
“ The decision was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette .
Privately some GOP delegations have raised logistical issues with travelling to either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurisdictions imposing mandatory quarantine orders on travellers returning from states experiencing surges in the virus .
The subset of delegates in Charlotte will be casting proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 official delegates to the convention .
Alternate delegates and guests have already been prohibited .
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Israel downs rocket launched by Gaza militants

JERUSALEM - The Israeli military said it intercepted a rocket fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ punctuating months of relative calm .
Air raid sirens sounded in the southern Israeli city @ @ @ @ @ said the Iron Dome missile defence system downed an incoming rocket .
There were no @ @ @ @ @ Israeli media reported damage to a vehicle .
Sunday ’ s attack was the first @ @ @ @ @ the Palestinian enclave in nearly a month .
In early July , Gaza militants fired @ @ @ @ @ resulting in no casualties .
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the rocket @ @ @ @ @ have largely maintained an informal cease-fire agreement in recent months after three wars and numerous @ @ @ @ @ Strip , which has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt since the Hamas militant group @ @ @ @ @ forces in the strip in 2007 .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Venezuelan coalition opposed to Maduro rejects upcoming vote

CARACAS , Venezuela - A coalition of political parties in Venezuela led by U.S.-backed Juan Guaidó said Sunday that it won ’ t participate in upcoming congressional elections called by officials loyal to President Nicolás Maduro .
A group of 27 opposition parties rejected the Dec. 6 election as “ fraud.
” The vote would determine control of the National Assembly led by Guaidó and the only branch of Venezuela ’ s government that Maduro doesn ’ t control .
“ We will fight together to choose the fate of our country , ” Guaidó tweeted Sunday .
“ Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live with dignity .
Together we ’ re going to beat the regime !
” The coalition has invited Venezuelans to unite behind a fresh push against what they call Maduro ’ s “ dictatorship.
” It has also asked for international help in the campaign against Maduro .
Maduro didn ’ t immediately respond Sunday to the opposition ’ s decision , but he has said that it is important for his allies to win back control of the National Assembly .
He has accused opposition leaders who control the congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Venezuela is in a political and economic crisis during which roughly 5 million people have fled the nation in recent years .
The once-wealthy oil nation lacks basic goods , including a reliable supply of gasoline and a decent health care system , which is especially fragile as the coronavirus surges .
The opposition coalition rejected the December election , citing unfair conditions orchestrated by Maduro .
They said 30 opposition lawmakers have been stripped of immunity guaranteed by law , while dozens more have been driven into exile and five are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — loyal to Maduro — recently appointed a new elections commission , including three members who have been sanctioned by the U.S. and Canada , without participation of the opposition-led congress , as the law requires .
The court also took over three leading opposition parties , appointing new leaders the opposition accuses of conspiring to support Maduro .
Opposition leaders say they will only participate in an election if there is a fairly seated election commission and qualified national and international observers overseeing all aspects of the voting process .
Guaidó launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , but the socialist president still has control over the military and other major institutions .
Maduro also has international support from Russia , China , Iran and Cuba .
It remains unclear how Guaidó , following the election , would maintain his legitimacy as Venezuela ’ s interim president , a position he claimed under the constitution in early 2019 from his position as head of the National Assembly .
President Donald Trump was among the first of more than 50 nations to support Guaidó .
His administration has hit Maduro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while Trump ’ s confidence in Guaidó appears to be fading .
However , Elliott Abrams , Trump ’ s special representative for Venezuela , said recently that the U.S. continues to support Guaidó , and the administration will impose more pressure on Maduro .
The opposition leaders denied in their statement that they were abstaining from the upcoming congressional election .
“ We ’ re not abstaining , ” the statement said .
“ There ’ s no abstaining when they call something that doesn ’ t qualify as an election @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--El Paso marks Walmart shooting anniversary amid pandemic

When Stephanie Melendez , her husband and two young daughters tested positive for the coronavirus , the person she most wanted to call was her father .
“ I ’ m married .
I have my family .
He was still the one I called when I got sick and he ’ d bring me Gatorade , ” said Melendez , 32 .
“ So when we get this virus that ’ s been all over the news — oh — my dad ’ s not there for me to call .
It just kind of hits home a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was shielding his wife and granddaughter when a gunman who authorities say was targeting Latinos at a crowded Walmart in the Texas border city of El Paso fatally shot him and 22 other people .
It was a shockingly violent weekend in the U.S. , with another shooter hours later killing nine people in a popular nightlife area in Dayton , Ohio .
Events to mark the anniversary of the Aug. 3 , 2019 , shooting in El Paso , a largely Hispanic city of 700,000 , have taken on a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lit with lanterns that people can walk or drive through ; private tours for victims ’ families at a museum exhibit of items preserved from a makeshift memorial ; and residents being asked to show support with online posts .
When Guillermo “ Memo ” Garcia died in April , nine months after he was shot in the Walmart parking lot while fundraising for his daughter ’ s soccer team , he became the shooting ’ s 23rd victim .
Masked mourner s gathered in a hospital parking lot to mark his death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that we ’ re in the middle of a healing process that we ’ re now being overwhelmed by COVID , ” said El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego , the county ’ s top executive .
A service for victims ’ relatives will be held Sunday in a sprawling park , allowing for social distancing .
The service will be livestreamed .
Afterward members of the public can drive through the park as music plays and lanterns float on the lake .
“ It ’ s going to be solemn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of life , ” Samaniego said .
“ We can ’ t allow a shooter to define who we are , and we ’ re not going to allow a virus to define who El Paso is , ” Samaniego said .
Melendez said her family will attend that ceremony and mark the anniversary with a dinner at her father ’ s favourite steak house .
Melendez said that as the anniversary of the shooting approaches , she feels the support of the city .
“ Even if we can ’ t all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there , there are still ways , ” she said .
El Paso residents describe the friendliness of the city , which has one of the lowest crime rates in the U.S .
Many people have roots in both the U.S. and Mexico , frequently crossing the border .
Several of those killed at the Walmart had come from Mexico to shop .
Authorities say Patrick Crusius confessed to driving to El Paso from his home near Dallas to target Mexicans , and just before the attack posted a racist screed online .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder charges , and a federal hate crime and gun case that could likewise bring a death sentence if he ’ s convicted .
Dr. Jose Burgos , who was working as shooting victims arrived at University Medical Center and now helps co-ordinate care for COVID-19 patients , said his alarm that Hispanics were targeted lingers .
“ The feeling is definitely still there , you ’ re more aware of the fact that you may be looked at a bit differently , that you might be targeted .
That ’ s still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning of the shooting , Melendez ’ s parents took their granddaughter Kaitlyn to the Walmart to get new clothes and a basketball .
They were at the checkout when the gunman fired , and David Johnson pushed his wife and granddaughter under the conveyor belt .
Johnson was not Hispanic , but his wife and granddaughter are .
“ That was always his priority , was his family , and he always put others first .
That showed that day , ” Melendez said .
Struggling to deal with the aftermath , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit her stride again after switching to a smaller school .
Then it closed because of the pandemic .
This summer , Kaitlyn was set to go to a camp for kids with post-traumatic stress disorder when she , her parents and her three-year-old sister tested positive for COVID-19 .
They recovered in about a week and no one had severe symptoms .
But , Melendez said , the worry that one of them might get worse was overwhelming .
“ You ’ re like , ‘ How can I do this again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We survived one thing and then we get hit with something else and it ’ s just — literally for me it ’ s like , OK , get through one day , get to the next .
And a lot of it is : What would my dad do right now ?
”

Jamie Stengle - The Associated Press,Cedar Attanasio


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--Sheriff: Burger King worker shot, killed in waiting dispute

ORLANDO , Fla. - Authorities in Florida say a Burger King worker was fatally shot after a dispute over a @ @ @ @ @ .
The Orange County Sheriff ’ s Office identified the shooter in a news release @ @ @ @ @ Tormes .
Authorities said he is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm , destruction @ @ @ @ @ a firearm by a convicted felon .
The victim was identified as 22-year-old Desmond Armond @ @ @ @ @ only recently begun working at the restaurant .
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the Saturday @ @ @ @ @ between Joshua and a woman over the length of time it took for a drive-through @ @ @ @ @ .
The woman was refunded her money , then left and returned with Rodriguez Tormes @ @ @ @ @ a scuffle , deputies say Joshua was shot in the parking lot and later died @ @ @ @ @ records Sunday did not list an attorney for Rodriguez Tormes .


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--4 bears hit by vehicles, 2 killed, in Yosemite National Park

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK , Calif. - Officials are urging drivers to slow down after four bears were struck by vehicles @ @ @ @ @ Yosemite National Park in recent weeks , according to a newspaper report .
The surviving @ @ @ @ @ seriously injured after being hit by vehicles going faster than the 25 mile-an-hour ( 40 @ @ @ @ @ the Fresno Bee reported Saturday .
The National Park Service estimates over 400 bears have @ @ @ @ @ Yosemite dating back to 1995 , the newspaper said .
Wildlife protection zones were established @ @ @ @ @ and help protect animals .
Officials are asking guests to tell park rangers if they @ @ @ @ @ cars .
Yosemite is open during the coronavirus pandemic , but only to guests who @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-02--8 dead and at least 19 wounded in weekend Chicago shootings

CHICAGO - Gun violence continued to plague Chicago , with eight people killed , including a 9-year-old boy , and at least 19 other people wounded so far this weekend , police said Sunday .
From Jan. 1 through the end of July , there were 440 homicides in Chicago and 2,240 people were shot , a number that includes those killed , according to the Chicago Police Department .
The latest fatal shooting occurred early Sunday , when two men were killed as they sat in a vehicle parked on Chicago ’ s West Side .
Both were shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to police .
The first reported fatal shooting of the weekend occurred Friday evening in the Cabrini-Green neighbourhood , where 9-year-old Janari Ricks was playing when he was fatally shot in the chest .
Police said the boy was not the intended target .
No arrests have been made in that case .
“ He wanted to help rebuild the community , rebuild something that the kids can enjoy later down the line , “ the boy ’ s mother , Jalisa Ford told the Chicago Sun-Times .
“ It ’ s gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Homicides and shootings have surged in Chicago during the first seven months of the year .
The 440 homicides and 2,240 people shot by the end of this July compares to 290 homicides and 1,480 shootings in Chicago in the same period last year .
July was especially violent ; the city recorded 105 homicides and 584 shootings .
Violent crime has risen in many U.S. cities this year .
President Donald Trump recently announced he was sending federal agents to some of them , including Chicago , as part of what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight such crime .
Although federal agents in Chicago are primarily assisting police in investigating violent crime , an Alcohol .
Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives agent intervened when he saw an attempted carjacking Friday , firing on the suspect .
ATF spokeswoman Kimberly Nerheim said the agent , a regular full-time Chicago Field Division staffer who is not part of Operation Legend , did not wound anyone and the suspect or suspects got away .
ATF ’ s Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting a use-of-force investigation , and Chicago police are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-08-03--Afghan troops retake prison attacked by IS group; 29 killed

JALALABAD , Afghanistan - Afghan forces said they retook a prison in the country ’ s east on Monday afternoon , following an hours-long battle a day after the facility was targeted by the Islamic State group in an attack that killed 29 people .
The prison is believed to be holding hundreds of IS members .
The attack highlighted the challenges ahead for Afghanistan , even as U.S. and NATO forces begin to withdraw following America striking a peace deal with the Taliban .
Defence Ministry spokesman Fawad Aman said the prison was taken back in the afternoon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounded .
Even as Afghan troops seized the prison in Jalalabad , the capital of Nangarhar province , some 115 kilometres ( 70 miles ) east of Kabul , IS militants continued to fire on Afghan security forces from a nearby neighbourhood .
Sporadic gunfire rang out from nearby residential buildings in central Jalalabad , an area of high security near the provincial governor ’ s office .
As security forces swept through the prison , they found the bodies of two Taliban prisoners apparently killed by the Islamic State group , showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battling each other in eastern Afghanistan .
The 29 dead included civilians , prisoners , guards and Afghan security forces , said Attaullah Khogyani , the provincial governor ’ s spokesman .
The attack began Sunday , when an Islamic State suicide bomber drove a car laden with explosives up to the prison ’ s main gate , detonating the bomb .
Islamic State militants opened fire on the prison ’ s guards and poured in through the breach .
The IS affiliate in Afghanistan , known as IS in Khorasan province and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility for the attack .
Some of the 1,500 prisoners held at the prison in Jalalabad escaped during the fighting .
Khyogyani said about 1,000 prisoners who earlier escaped had been found by security forces across the city .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if any prisoners were still at large .
The attack came a day after authorities said Afghan special forces killed a senior Islamic State commander near Jalalabad .
Several hundred prisoners in Jalalabad are believed to be Islamic State members .
While the Islamic State group has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria eliminated after a yearslong campaign , the group has continued fighting in Afghanistan .
The extremists also have battled the Taliban in the country , whom the U.S. overthrew following the 2001 American-led invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks .
The Taliban ’ s political spokesman , Suhail Shaheen , told The Associated Press that his group was not involved in the Jalalabad attack .
The U.S. struck a peace deal with the Taliban in February .
A second , crucial round of negotiations between the Taliban and the political leadership in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban had declared a three-day cease-fire starting last Friday for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha .
The cease-fire expired at 12 a.m. Monday , though it wasn ’ t immediately clear if it would be extended as the U.S. pushes for an early start to intra-Afghan negotiations that have repeatedly been delayed since Washington signed the peace deal with the Taliban .
“ We have a cease-fire and are not involved in any of these attacks anywhere in the country , ” Shaheen said .
The Taliban also had denied being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Logar province late Thursday that killed at least nine people and wounded 40 .
Afghanistan has seen a recent spike in violence , with most attacks claimed by the local IS affiliate .
Faiez reported from Kabul , Afghanistan .
Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report .

Rahmat Gul And Rahim Faiez - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-03--Man fatally shot at 8-year-old son’s funeral; suspect held

DAVENPORT , Iowa - A suspect has been arrested and charged after a man was fatally shot in the parking lot of an eastern Iowa funeral home where he was attending the funeral of his 8-year-old son , who died of cancer , police said .
Jeramie Shorter , 26 , of Davenport , was shot Saturday morning outside Weerts Funeral Home in Davenport and later died , the Quad-City Times reported .
Shorter was there for the funeral of Jermier Leon Shorter , of St. Paul , Minnesota .
A possible motive for the shooting wasn ’ t immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting said officers spotted the suspect in an Infiniti sedan without plates and attempted to pull the car over .
But the car sped off , and police disengaged for fear that a high-speed chase through residential areas could injure bystanders .
Police later found the suspect , who fled on foot , but was caught and arrested .
During the chase , the suspect — later identified as Nuemonei Tre Vonne Laster , 24 , of Davenport — threw a bag containing a gun over a fence , police said .
Laster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of felony convictions from 2018 .
Laster appeared in court Sunday on charges of first-degree murder , eluding , being felon in possession of a firearm and interference with a weapon .
He is being held on a $ 300,000 cash bond .
The public defenders office has been appointed to represent Laster , but no public defender was listed Monday morning for him .


thetorontostar--2020-08-03--Poland’s top court confirms Duda’s election for president

WARSAW , Poland - The Supreme Court of Poland on Monday upheld the reelection of President Andrzej Duda after deciding that complaints about the validity of the country ’ s presidential election were insufficient to void the results .
The ruling paves the way for Duda to take the oath of office before both chambers of parliament on Thursday .
The court evaluated some 6,000 election complaints from voters and from the team of the candidate Duda faced in a runoff , liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski .
Duda won 51.03 % of the vote and Trzaskowski 48.97 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 92 of the alleged violations justified , but said the irregularities did not affect the election ’ s outcome .
The justices said the complaints from Trzaskowski team lacked necessary evidence about the time and location of the alleged breaches .
They said the Trzaskowski team ’ s complaint also touched on campaigning , which is beyond the bounds of an electoral protest .
Many voters also complained about being unable to vote from abroad because their ballots arrived too late .
Originally scheduled for May , the presidential election was postponed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a runoff two weeks later , due to the coronavirus pandemic .


thetorontostar--2020-08-03--Judge decries shooting that killed son, injured husband

NEW BRUNSWICK , N.J. - A federal judge from New Jersey is publicly speaking out about a shooting at her home last month in which authorities say a misogynistic lawyer killed her son and seriously wounded her husband .
In a video statement issued Monday , Judge Esther Salas called for more privacy for federal judges in the wake of the July 19 attack at her home in New Brunswick .
She noted that serving as judge involves “ making tough calls ” that sometimes leave people angry and upset .
But she said judges should not have to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because personal information , such as home addresses , can be easily obtained by anyone seeking to them or their families harm .
Authorities have said Roy Den Hollander , a men ’ s rights lawyer , posed as a FedEx delivery person and fatally shot 20-year-old Daniel Anderl and wounded his 63-year-old father , Mark Anderl .
Salsa , who was not injured , referred to Den Hollander as “ a madman ” in her statement .
Den Hollander , 72 , was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities believe he also shot and killed a fellow attorney in California in the days before the attack at Salas ’ home .


thetorontostar--2020-08-03--Where mask-wearing isn't gospel: Colorado churches grapple with reopening

COLORADO SPRINGS , COLO.—The lights dimmed .
Guitars thrummed .
And a nine-piece band kicked off what amounted to a rock concert inside an amphitheatre of a church .
`` Shout for joy to the Lord , '' one musician called out , quoting Scripture .
Any such shout could release the coronavirus to congregants .
With some 500 people singing along , though , any concern about a deadly virus circulating was hard to find other than the spaced-out chairs in the 6,000-person hall .
Although Colorado 's governor had issued a statewide order days earlier mandating masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Life Church obeyed .
`` I 'm finding this to be true at churches all over America : If they 're told they have to wear a mask , they 'll stay home , '' said Brady Boyd , senior pastor of the 15,000-member New Life Church , a non-denominational megachurch that meets in five locations across the Pikes Peak region .
Long considered one of the country 's evangelical strongholds , Colorado Springs returned to church in ways both guarded and full of gusto after the state lifted lockdowns June 4 with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But as the county 's coronavirus cases and hospitalizations climb to their highest levels in months , many of the city 's largest and most well-known congregations remain undeterred — openly flouting the new statewide mask order and , in at least one instance , threatening not to stop holding in-person services again if ordered .
It all comes as church leaders across the nation navigate a growing set of political pressures : For months , President Donald Trump urged them to resume services despite pleadings from public health officials for caution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
That pressure is particularly acute here at the base of Pikes Peak .
Long the conservative bastion of Colorado , this city and surrounding El Paso County , home to about 720,000 people , overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2016 .
( The county last voted for a Democratic candidate for president in 1964 . )
The Republican sheriff has vowed not to enforce the statewide mask order that Democratic Gov .
Jared Polis issued July 16 .
And several churches are as openly defiant .
But any indoor activities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly high risk for coronavirus transmission even with masks , especially when they include singing , said Dr. Jonathan Samet , the Colorado School of Public Health 's dean .
While coughing or sneezing can spread larger respiratory droplets , singing and talking release smaller infectious particles that can hang in the air and circulate in enclosed spaces .
`` The circumstances of having large groups of people together without masks and doing things like singing is a setup that people talk about for superspreading events , '' Samet said .
In Arkansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people died and dozens of others tested positive in March after two people showed up at a church function with COVID-19 symptoms .
And in Washington state , dozens of choral group members were infected after a single symptomatic person attended a 2 1/2-hour practice .
Two people died .
The New Life Church , where at least 9 in 10 parishioners went without masks on the first Sunday after Colorado 's order began , was certainly not unique .
Nearly all of the roughly 100 people gathered at Church for All Nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicked off his sermon there by questioning statements about masks from Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's top infectious disease expert with the National Institutes of Health .
`` We are not the mask police , '' Cowart said , before warning state officials against trying to restrict their gatherings .
`` If they come trying to tell us we ca n't meet anymore , or we ca n't sing , or we ca n't have a Bible study anymore , that 's not going to go , '' Cowart said to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God does not want us to allow that to happen . ''
Colorado health officials recently warned several counties that large worship services could be restricted if the rise in infections does n't ease .
Average daily confirmed cases across the state more than doubled in July , rising from 215 a day in June to 451 as of the third week in July , according to a state database .
The rise in COVID-19 cases comes as residents disregard social-distancing guidelines .
A recent report by the Colorado COVID-19 Modeling Group found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 87 per cent in May to 41 per cent in late June .
Across the Pikes Peak region , dozens of pastors and parishioners described an intense and deeply spiritual desire to return to worship with their fellow believers .
Meeting in person provides a unique opportunity to hug , to know they are not alone during such trying times .
`` The church is n't really a place — it 's a gathering of people , '' said Brian Bone , while meeting with a dozen others at Woodmen Valley Chapel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent visit .
`` We get comfortable coming to a place we call church , but really it 's being with other people physically that 's important . ''
And some ministers fear that not meeting regularly in person could lead to apathy among parishioners , causing them to drift away .
Not all congregations in Colorado Springs have been averse to the state 's new mask order .
And the myriad approaches to reopening highlight the difficulty of placing a single label on churchgoers during the pandemic .
For the Rev .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian thing to do .
`` A lot of this stuff has been caught up in partisan politics , and I 'm not interested in that , '' Williamson said .
`` I 'm interested in keeping our people safe .
We 're one of those churches that believes science . ''
At Grace and St. Stephen 's Episcopal Church , Williamson has forsaken his pulpit for the front lawn .
There , on a recent Sunday , dozens of church members sat in folding chairs spaced 6 feet apart , inside white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congregants sang .
Everyone wore masks .
Nearby on North Tejon Street , more parishioners sat in parked cars , listening with their radios as the service was broadcast via a shortwave transmitter .
And , before attending , everyone was urged to provide their names and phone numbers , in case someone tests positive and public health contact tracers need to find those who may have been exposed .
`` It just seems , as religious people , Christians , we would want to do our best for the common good , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Across town , Payne Chapel AME Church also has opted not to gather indoors out of concern for its predominantly Black congregation , because Blacks have been experiencing higher rates of hospitalization and death from the coronavirus .
Church members recently met in their vehicles in the church 's parking lot , waving to one another through car windows and singing hymns together on a teleconference line .
For that 300-member African Methodist Episcopal church , to have met indoors also would have been `` between ridiculous and stupid , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the congregation .
However , Calvary Worship Center , which has a racially diverse congregation , is meeting indoors and not enforcing the mask order , even though two staff members were confirmed to have COVID-19 .
Instead , the church , led by a team of Black and white pastors , only recommends they be worn .
For Joshua Stephens , 29 , the key to staying healthy is his faith .
The pandemic hit just as he wrapped up earning a degree from Charis Bible College , headquartered in Woodland Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cease-and-desist letter in early July from the Colorado attorney general 's office for hosting a conference with 300 to 500 people in violation of the state 's lockdown orders that limited gatherings to 175 people .
Nevertheless , the college 's pastor had vowed to ignore the order .
Stephens , who attends Church for All Nations , said his belief in God informs his approach to the pandemic , after saying he was miraculously cured of cancer four years ago .
`` My personal conviction is , I do n't get sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not wearing a mask .


thetorontostar--2020-08-03--Ukrainian police detain man with explosives at Kyiv bank

KYIV , Ukraine - Ukrainian police on Monday detained a man who threatened to blow up an explosive device at a bank in the nation ’ s capital .
The man , identified as Sukhrob Karimov , a 32-year-old citizen of the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan , entered a bank office in Kyiv and said he had explosives in his backpack .
He let bank clerks go and demanded that the authorities invite journalists so that he could make a statement .
Police burst into the room while the man was talking to journalists and detained him .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did in fact have explosives .
The incident follows last month ’ s hostage-taking drama when an armed assailant seized 13 hostages on a bus in the western city of Lutsk and held them for more than 12 hours before surrendering to police .
The assailant agreed to release the hostages following a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , who agreed to post a video urging all Ukrainians to watch “ Earthlings , ” a 2005 American documentary exposing humanity ’ s cruel exploitation of animals .
A few days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grenade forced a senior police officer to drive him for hours through the countryside , chased by police .
More than six hours after the pursuit began , the man left his hostage in the car and fled into a forest .
Efforts to apprehend the assailant have been unsuccessful so far .


thetorontostar--2020-08-03--Some autopsies remain secret for years or decades. Families of those killed by police want that chan

Some autopsies remain secret for years or decades. Families of those killed by police want that changed

LOS ANGELES—It is a roster of tragedy and violence , a list populated with those famous in life and those plucked from obscurity by the exceptional circumstances of their death .
Elizabeth Short , known as the Black Dahlia , is an enduring member of the list .
Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman are still there , as is Susan Berman , the writer whom Robert Durst is charged with killing at her Benedict Canyon bungalow .
The Notorious B.I.G .
was on the list for about 15 years after being killed in a drive-by shooting .
The vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andres Guardado , the 18-year-old fatally shot in June by a Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputy in Gardena .
These are people whose deaths have been under a so-called “ security hold ” by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner ’ s office , a status that prevents public disclosure of their autopsies , often for months , years or , in some cases , indefinitely .
At any given time , more than 100 cases are under a security hold .
This sealing was considered a routine procedural function , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police or prosecutors , to provide a shroud of secrecy during the investigation of complex , high-profile , mysterious or unusual deaths .
Usually , the hold is lifted only when the requesting police or prosecuting agency gives the green light .
But in recent years , the practice has been thrust into the spotlight when on-duty police officers have killed members of the public — cases in which anger and skepticism have fuelled calls for accountability and transparency , and in which the security hold has only compounded flaring distrust .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office at the centre of an impassioned debate that came to a head with the death of Guardado , who was working as a security guard at an auto body shop June 18 , when he was approached by officers and ran , his family said .
Deputies said Guardado produced a firearm during the chase .
His killing spurred days of protests and demands for justice and answers .
After Guardado ’ s family publicly shared the results of an independent autopsy , Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner Dr. Jonathan Lucas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff ’ s Department and released the full coroner ’ s report , confirming that the 18-year-old was shot five times in the back .
“ I believe that government can do its part by being more timely and more transparent in sharing information that the public demands and has a right to see , ” Lucas said in a statement .
Sheriff Alex Villanueva was furious and swiftly rebuked the disclosure , saying it jeopardized the ongoing investigation as well as any “ future criminal or administrative proceedings , ” even tainting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds are essential for preserving the integrity of cases , and for the families of many homicide victims , the practice has been largely without controversy .
The families often form close bonds with detectives or district attorneys and have a greater degree of trust as authorities try to prosecute a killing .
But for the relatives of those killed by police , the security hold is one in a series of ways in which they are treated differently , blocked from officially knowing the details of their loved one ’ s final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a way of harassing them , making their loss more difficult because they couldn ’ t have a determination into how their loved one was killed , ” said Lael Rubin , a retired L.A. County prosecutor who serves on the civilian commission overseeing the Sheriff ’ s Department .
She noted cases in which security holds have been in place for two years or longer .
“ The official word was , ‘ We request a security hold for further investigation , ’ but it does seem suspicious , ” Rubin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t completed your investigation in two years , what are you doing ?
” Under state law , coroner ’ s reports are public record .
The packet is often three reports in one : toxicology tests , an autopsy and an investigative summary .
The documents can be incredibly detailed , with a medical history , a listing of prescription drugs the person took and the doctors who issued the pharmaceuticals , descriptions of the person ’ s anatomy and the manner in which they perished .
Photos or videos from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a report can include a diagram of a body , along with descriptions of tattoos and piercings .
A hold means the death does not show up in the coroner ’ s online database , and staff at the office have “ limited access to case information , ” Sarah Ardalani , spokesperson for the Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner , said .
The security hold has become a standard feature in the aftermath of a celebrity ’ s death , including singer Whitney Houston , actress and writer Carrie Fisher , actor Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blake .
In these cases , the hold prevents salacious tidbits from reaching tabloids and is usually lifted in three to six months , when the full report is complete .
“ Its main role is to ensure that the facts of the case are held until the investigation can be thoroughly vetted , ” said Dr. Mark Fajardo , the chief forensic pathologist of Riverside County and former coroner of L.A. County .
Of the 8,000 or so deaths reviewed each year by the L.A. County coroner ’ s office , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It buys a little time , ” said Craig Harvey , the longtime chief of investigations for the county coroner , who retired in 2015 .
Harvey said detectives and prosecutors may consider confidentiality as essential to identifying a suspect who had information that only the killer could know .
For example , Los Angeles Police Department Detective Meghan Aguilar said in a statement , the autopsy report may detail whether the victim was sexually assaulted and whether evidence of this was recovered — information that detectives and prosecutors would want to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The autopsy may also reveal if there was a struggle before a person died and what type of injuries on the body would reflect this , Aguilar said .
Why the Simpson and Goldman autopsies remain under a hold is unclear .
The LAPD said the 1994 killings are still considered unsolved , warranting the hold , but Judge Lance Ito , who presided over the criminal trial of O.J .
Simpson , also appears to have effectively sealed the autopsies .
The coroner ’ s office confirmed that the autopsies were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order .
“ It is my recollection this was agreed to by both the prosecution and defence , ” Ito told the Los Angeles Times via email .
Ito , who has retired , declined to explain why he sealed the autopsies , but he noted that photos of the autopsy were displayed and details of the victims ’ cause of death were aired in open court by medical experts .
Security holds might also prevent “ inflammatory ” information from reaching the public without proper context ; for example , a description @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s back , Harvey said .
“ Because of the trauma that a bullet does to the body , it doesn ’ t necessarily mean the police shot someone in the back , ” he said .
“ People may get worked up over something .
But it may be explained , and it can make sense , and it can be presented to the grand jury or district attorney.
” For more than a year , the family of Paul Rea , 18 , waited anxiously to learn more about how he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County sheriff ’ s deputy during a routine traffic stop in East L.A .
Prosecutors concluded in May that the deputy acted lawfully , then closed their investigation .
Rea ’ s family learned this from a Times journalist .
Until late last month , the autopsy remained under a security hold .
Grainy security footage that captured part of the June 27 , 2019 , encounter appears to show Rea breaking from the deputy before he was shot four times .
Deputy Hector Saavedra said he felt a gun in Rea ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it out , according to a report by the district attorney ’ s office .
“ I want the whole thing .
I want to read everything , ” said Julie Diaz-Martinez , Rea ’ s grandmother .
“ As a family member , the autopsy is important , because you wonder , was he still breathing when they took him into the hospital ?
You wonder , how lethal was the first shot ?
How long did he suffer ?
Could it really have been prevented ?
” A yearlong wait for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when people are killed by police , but the hold can stretch on for two years or longer .
“ They ’ re looking for answers about how their loved ones died , and the coroner ’ s autopsy often is one of the few repositories of objective information about that , and it ’ s hidden from them , ” said Sean Kennedy , a member of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission .
He proposed that the coroner lift holds and make the documents public after a reasonable period of time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former public defender who served as the police watchdog for San Jose and deputy inspector general for the L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department , said the delays go to the very heart of how those killed by law enforcement are viewed .
“ They are not treated like victims of a crime .
The whole mindset is : Whoever is shot by the police is the suspect , and the law enforcement officer who used force is the victim , ” Katz said .
“ That ’ s how the homicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not every case in which an on-duty police officer fatally shoots a civilian receives a security hold , according to local law enforcement agencies .
LAPD Capt .
Gisselle Espinoza said in a statement that security holds are “ based upon the confidential , legal and the sensitive nature of a case.
” She cited other factors , including protection of evidence and proper review by the district attorney ’ s office .
“ If autopsy results are released during an active investigation , it can taint follow-up interviews from victims , witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prez , a spokeswoman for Long Beach Police Department .
The LAPD has kept a security hold on the autopsy for Melyda Corado for more than two years .
Corado was working on July 21 , 2018 , at the Trader Joe ’ s in the Silver Lake neighbourhood when Gene Atkins rolled up , hostage in tow , after leading two officers on a lengthy car chase .
Atkins stopped the car ; ran toward the store , which was crowded with shoppers ; and shot at officers .
Police returned fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corado , killing her .
“ Mely Corado was not someone engaged with police .
She was not a suspect in a crime , ” said John Taylor , the attorney representing the Corado family in their wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and the LAPD .
“ So to have a security hold on her case has been baffling and confusing .
“ If there ’ s something that ’ s on the body as evidence that would be known only to the perpetrator of the crime , I can understand , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ruled that the officer who fired the shot that killed Corado acted in accordance with LAPD policy .
Atkins has been charged under the “ provocative act ” murder doctrine for allegedly setting off the events that led to Corado ’ s death .
The security hold has remained .
Albert Corado , a community organizer who now lives in his late sister ’ s apartment in the Atwater Village neighbourhood , said he felt the secrecy was part of a campaign to block information .
Last year , the Corado family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her autopsy ; the coroner ’ s office denied their request and referred her family to an LAPD detective , according to court records .
The family then successfully persuaded an L.A. County Superior Court judge to order the autopsy ’ s release .
The city did not oppose the move in court but did not lift the security hold , either .
Albert Corado said he reviewed the report , and it confirmed what he already knew — his sister died from a gunshot wound — making its secrecy a source of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they make it to give out information in the run-up to trial is to make you want to give up , ” he said .
The LAPD told the Times last week that it had directed the investigating officer in the Corado case to remove the security hold .
In a statement , the department said the report should be made available to the public this month .

Matt Hamilton - Los Angeles Times,Alene Tchekmedyian


thetorontostar--2020-08-03--U.S. Marines ID all 9 people killed in sea-tank sinking

SAN DIEGO - The U.S. Marine Corps has identified all nine people killed when a Marine landing craft sank in hundreds of feet of water off the Southern California coast .
Only one of their bodies was found , despite an intense days-long search involving helicopters and boats ranging from inflatables to a Navy destroyer .
Found at the scene was Lance Cpl .
Guillermo S. Perez , 20 , of New Braunfels Texas .
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit announced on Sunday that the others , from California , Texas , Wisconsin and Oregon , are “ presumed dead.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ J. Baltierra , 19 , of Corona , California ; Lance Cpl .
Marco A. Barranco , 21 , of Montebello , California ; Pfc .
Evan A. Bath , 19 , of Oak Creek , Wisconsin ; U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem , 22 , of Stockton , California ; Pfc .
Jack Ryan Ostrovsky , 21 , of Bend , Oregon ; Cpl .
Wesley A. Rodd , 23 , of Harris , Texas ; Lance Cpl .
Chase D. Sweetwood , 19 , of Portland , Oregon ; and Cpl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Riverside , California .
“ Literally every asset we have available “ was mobilized in the search for seven Marines and a Navy corpsman , Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman , commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force , said Friday .
They were aboard an amphibious assault vehicle that was heading back to a Navy ship Thursday evening after a routine training exercise when it began taking on water about a half-mile ( 0.8 kilometres ) from Navy-owned San Clemente Island , off San Diego .
Other assault vehicles quickly responded but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tank-like vehicle from quickly sinking , Osterman said .
“ The assumption is that it went completely to the bottom ” several hundred feet below , Osterman said .
That was too deep for divers , and Navy and Coast Guard were discussing ways to reach the sunken vehicle to get a view inside it , Osterman said .
Seven other Marines were rescued from the water ; two were in stable condition at a hospital , authorities said .
All the Marines were attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit , based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in age from 19 to early 30s and all were wearing combat gear , including body armour , and flotation vests , Osterman said .
The vehicle , known as an AAV but nicknamed an “ amtrac , “ for “ amphibious tractor ” is used to take Marines and their gear from Navy ships to land .
The sunken craft , one of 13 involved in the exercise , was designed to be naturally buoyant and had three water-tight hatches and two large troop hatches , Osterman said .
The vehicles have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refurbished .
Marine Corps officials said Friday they did not know the age or other details of the one that sank .
The Marine Corps commandant , Gen. David Berger , suspended waterborne operations of more than 800 amphibious assault vehicles across the branch until the cause of the accident is determined .
This is the third time in recent years that Camp Pendleton Marines have been injured or died in amphibious assault vehicles during training exercises .
In 2017 , 14 Marines and one Navy sailor were hospitalized after their vehicle hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire that engulfed the landing craft at Camp Pendleton .
In 2011 , a Marine died when an amphibious assault vehicle in a training exercise sank offshore of the camp .