thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Rajapaksa brothers win by landslide in Sri Lanka’s election

COLOMBO , Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka ’ s powerful Rajapaksa brothers secured a landslide victory in the country ’ s Parliamentary election , according to results released Friday .
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is most likely to be sworn in the same position by his younger brother , President Gotabaya Rajapaksa .
The election results could enable them to change the constitution and strengthen dynastic rule .
“ Sri Lanka People ’ s Front has secured a resounding victory according to official results released so far , ” Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in a Twitter message .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a Parliament that will enable the implementation of my ‘ vision for prosperity ’ policy will be reality tomorrow , ” he said .
The Rajapaksas ’ Sri Lanka People ’ s Front won 128 seats out of the total 196 seats while its main opponent had obtained only 47 seats , the election commissions ’ results showed .
Sri Lanka ’ s parliament has 225 seats , of which 196 members are directly elected while 29 are named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ party will get more seats from the national list , which will be announced later Friday .
The brothers need 150 seats or control of two-thirds of seats in Parliament to be able to change the constitution .
However , analysts say any attempt by Gotabaya Rajapaksa to push for changes that will strengthen presidential power at the expense of those of the prime minister may trigger sibling rivalry .
Sri Lanka had been ruled by powerful executive presidents since 1978 .
But a 2015 constitutional amendment strengthened Parliament and the prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of judiciary appointments , police , public services and the conduct of elections .
Gotabaya was elected president last November after projecting himself as the only leader who could secure the country after the Islamic State-inspired bombings of churches and hotels on Easter Sunday that killed 269 people .
Since being elected , he has said he had to function under many restrictions because of the constitutional changes .
However , Mahinda Rajapaksa is unlikely to cede any of his powers that might shrink his influence as he works on promoting his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three other members of the Rajapaksa family contested the election and are likely to control key functions in the new administration .
The landslide victory also raises fears of weakening government institutions such as independent commissions for elections , police and public service .
Votes were counted Thursday after the election on Wednesday , which was held under an election commission that emphasized following health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
More than 70 % of the country ’ s more than 16 million eligible voters cast ballots .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it was twice postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Sri Lanka has largely contained the spread of the virus with 2,839 confirmed cases , including 11 deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Cambodian butcher quits dog meat trade, shuts slaughterhouse

CHI MEAKH , Cambodia - Animal rights activists in Cambodia have gained a small victory in their effort to end the trade in dog meat , convincing a canine slaughterhouse in one village to abandon the business .
Buth Pith and his wife Khath Hach this week shut down the small abattoir they had operated for about seven years after animal protection groups agreed to provide them an alternate living by building a small convenience store for them .
Animal activists are taking the 15 dogs that had been caged at the slaughterhouse to an animal shelter in the capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after which they will be offered for adoption , either in Cambodia or abroad .
The closure Wednesday in Chi Meakh village in Kampong Thom province follows a bigger victory in the northwestern province of Siem Reap , a popular tourist destination , which in July outlawed the buying , selling and butchering of dogs for food .
But animal lovers still have a long way to go .
Dog is famously part of the cuisine in neighbouring Vietnam , while eating dog meat was traditionally shunned in Cambodia , considered by an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In recent years , however , it has become popular .
An estimated 2 million to 3 million dogs are killed annually in Cambodia for their meat , according a recent report by the groups Four Paws International , based in Austria , and Animal Rescue Cambodia .
They say that not only is killing the dogs inhumane , but eating them is a health risk that can spread rabies .
The practice also hurt the tourist industry , they say .
Katherine Polak , Four Paws ’ head of stray animal care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press that the Cambodian government at both the national and provincial level takes an interest in the dog meat issue because they “ do not view this as Khmer ( Cambodian ) culture .
They view this as a Vietnamese import in terms of culinary preference and ... dogs play a really critical role in national peacekeeping , in mine detection.
” Buth Pith , the 38-year-old dog butcher in Chi Meakh , explained why he entered the trade .
“ Before I was a seller of freshwater fish , but when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a better income , I switched my job to start butchering dogs instead , ” he said .
He has no idea how many dogs he has killed , but said he usually butchered five to eight a day .
His wife Khath Hach , 37 , said she never was comfortable with the business but it was necessary to support their family , including two children .
She said many villagers complained when they heard the sounds of the dogs suffering before they died , and her own parents told her that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would bring bad luck and , according to Buddhist theories of reincarnation , bode ill for their future lives .
Another villager , Rouen Veasna , said he ate dog occasionally when he was younger , but it became a habit after the local slaughterhouse opened , and he would have it for lunch or dinner , and sometimes while drinking with friends .
Prum Nhenh , who operates a small restaurant that serves dog meat , said it would be difficult to afford medicine for her 80-year-old mother without the money the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened her restaurant more than a year ago and initially just sold items such as soft drinks , beer and eggs .
But she put dog on the menu and it proved popular , allowing her to sell meat from as many as four dogs a day .
“ The price of pork , the price of beef is expensive and does not sell as well , reducing my income , while dog meat is cheaper , and people like to consume it , ” she said .
Khath Hach , the butcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits more important than money to be gained from giving up the dog meat trade .
She said after she opens the family ’ s new convenience store , other villagers will no longer look down on them and they won ’ t have the taint of sin from killing animals .

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thetorontostar--2020-08-06--‘See you in court’: ACLU files nearly 400 cases versus Trump

NEW YORK - The day after Donald Trump ’ s election in November 2016 , the American Civil Liberties Union posted a message to him on its website : “ See you in court.
” As president , Trump hasn ’ t personally squared off against the ACLU from the witness stand , but the broader warning has been borne out .
As of this week , the ACLU has filed nearly 400 lawsuits and other legal actions against the Trump administration , some meeting with setbacks but many resulting in important victories .
Among other successes for the ACLU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court case blocking the administration from placing a citizenship question on the 2020 census .
It also spearheaded legal efforts that curtailed the policy of separating many migrant children from their parents .
“ The assault on civil liberties and civil rights is greater under this administration than any other in modern history , ” said the ACLU ’ s executive director , Anthony Romero .
“ It ’ s meant we ’ ve been living with a three-alarm fire in every part of our house.
” Since the day Trump took office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breakdown it provided to The Associated Press — has filed 237 lawsuits against the administration and about 160 other legal actions , including Freedom of Information Act requests , ethics complaints and administrative complaints .
Of the lawsuits , 174 have dealt with immigrant rights , targeting the family separation policy , detention and deportation practices and the administration ’ s repeated attempts to make it harder to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border .
The other lawsuits address an array of issues high on the ACLU ’ s agenda : voting rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
In one long-running case , the ACLU succeeded in blocking the administration ’ s policy of barring young immigrant women in government custody from getting abortions .
“ Donald Trump has provided a full employment program for ACLU lawyers on all of our issues , ” Romero said .
The White House , in response to the new tally of ACLU legal actions , said the organization had become preoccupied with opposing Trump to the detriment of its historical mission .
“ Instead of fighting for the most vulnerable and those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blatantly and fully incorporated itself as a member of the Democratic party and the radical Left , ” said White House spokesperson Judd Deere .
To put the new tally in perspective , the ACLU says it filed 13 lawsuits and other legal actions against president George W. Bush ’ s administration in his first term , mostly alleging encroachments on civil liberties related to counter-terrorism policies .
Many of the ACLU ’ s recent lawsuits remain unresolved .
Of those that have been decided , Romero said , the ACLU has won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though a precise breakdown was unavailable .
Among the setbacks , ACLU national legal director David Cole said , one of the most disappointing involved Trump ’ s efforts to ban foreign nationals from several predominantly Muslim countries .
Lawsuits by the ACLU and its allies successfully blocked implementation of the first two versions of the ban , but the Supreme Court allowed a third version to go into effect in 2018 .
By a similar 5-4 vote , the Supreme Court also allowed the implementation of the Trump administration policy barring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lower courts had supported efforts by the ACLU and other groups to scrap the ban .
Another LGBTQ rights case recently ended in a major victory for the ACLU and its allies when the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in June that gays , lesbians and transgender people were protected from employment discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 .
One of the ACLU ’ s clients , Aimee Stephens , was fired from her job at a Michigan funeral home because she was transgender ; she died just a few weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour .
There ’ s no question the ACLU has caught the attention of Trump and his administration .
The Republican president , at an “ Evangelicals for Trump ” rally in January , derided the ACLU as a “ group of beauties ” who had filed a lawsuit accusing public schools in Smith County , Tenn. , of improperly promoting Christian religious beliefs .
“ We will not allow faithful Americans to be bullied by the hard left , ” Trump said .
In a May 2018 speech , then-attorney general Jeff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that led to a drop in stop-and-frisk arrests by Chicago police .
“ If you want crime to go up , let the ACLU run the police department , ” Sessions said .
Recently , the ACLU has drawn criticism from a longtime supporter , George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley .
He worries that the organization is aligning too closely with the Democratic party and is now less willing than in the past to support unpopular causes , such as the free-speech rights of far-right activists .
In an email , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ torrent of lawsuits ” against the Trump administration .
“ The result was less of a sniper strategy and more of a saturated bombing strategy , ” he wrote .
Even as it spars with the administration , the ACLU notes that Trump ’ s presidency has been beneficial in some respects — fuelling huge increases in donations and membership .
Romero says the ACLU national office and its state affiliates received about $ 175 million in donations in the three months after Trump ’ s election .
It says it has increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now has 122 attorneys , up from 84 in November 2016 .
Membership has soared from about 400,000 to more than 1.8 million .
Romero says many of the newcomers have been asking how they can help as volunteers in bolstering voting rights , immigrants ’ rights and other causes .
Demonstrating its increased interest in electoral politics , the ACLU had directed $ 28 million ( U.S. ) of its national funds to its affiliates in battleground states such as Florida , Arizona and Texas .
Since 2016 , Romero said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to double its budget to $ 8.5 million and its staff to 65 employees .


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Commission rejects Trump push to add debate against Biden

WASHINGTON - The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has rejected a request from the Trump campaign to either add an additional general election debate or move up the calendar for the contests .
In a letter to Trump private attorney Rudy Giuliani , his liaison to the commission , the commission wrote that it is committed to its existing schedule of three debates between Trump and his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , saying it would consider adding a fourth debate only if both sides agree to it .
Both major party nominees have agreed to participate in the three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If the candidates were to agree that they wished to add to that schedule , the Commission would consider that request but remains committed to the schedule of debates it has planned as reflected in the attached release , ” the commission wrote in a letter obtained by The Associated Press .
Giuliani wrote to the debate commission Wednesday requesting that the schedule be moved up on account of expanded early and mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump ’ s campaign has highlighted that 16 states will have started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled debate on Sept. 29 .
“ There is a difference between ballots having been issued by a state and those ballots having been cast by voters , who are under no compulsion to return their ballots before the debates , ” the commission responded .
“ While more people will likely vote by mail in 2020 , the debate schedule has been and will be highly publicized , ” the commission said .
“ Any voter who wishes to watch one or more debates before voting will be well aware of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Giuliani called on Biden to join the Trump campaign in calling for an earlier debate , and insisted that Biden appear in person at the three scheduled contests .
“ We must insist on a commitment that the two candidates will definitely appear on stage , in person — whether in a television studio without an audience or elsewhere — and not through separate , online transmissions where Mr. Biden could rely on notes , teleprompter , or handlers , ” he said .
Biden campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled debates .
“ As we have said for months , the commission will determine the dates and times of the debates , and Joe Biden will be there , ” he said .
“ Now that Donald Trump ’ s transparent attempt to distract from his disastrous response to the virus is over , maybe now he can focus on saving American lives and getting our economy back on track.
” Giuliani , in his initial letter , supplied a list of suggested moderators for the debates .
The commission wrote that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedure of selecting the debate moderators .
It will do so with great care , as always , to ensure that the selected moderators are qualified and fair.
“


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--India cricket board suspends IPL deal with Chinese sponsor

NEW DELHI - India ’ s cricket board has suspended its Indian Premier League title sponsorship deal with Chinese mobile @ @ @ @ @ 2020 tournament .
The decision comes as Indian troops are in a tense standoff with @ @ @ @ @ in the Himalayas .
In June , India banned 59 apps with Chinese links , @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s sovereignty , defence and security .
“ The Board of Control for @ @ @ @ @ Mobile India Pvt Ltd have decided to suspend their partnership for Indian Premier League in @ @ @ @ @ Trust of India quoted a BCCI statement as saying .
Vivo had the title sponsorship @ @ @ @ @ 2018 to 2022 for India ’ s lucrative Twenty20 league .
The BCCI is now @ @ @ @ @ for new IPL title sponsors , PTI reported .
The 2020 IPL season has been @ @ @ @ @ United Arab Emirates because of the coronavirus pandemic in India .
The league , which @ @ @ @ @ over the world , is set to start Sept. 19 .


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Senegal president offers condolences to Denver fire victims

DENVER - The president of Senegal offered his condolences on Thursday after five people who immigrated to Colorado from the West African country were killed in a suburban Denver house fire that authorities say they suspect was intentionally set .
President Macky Sall tweeted in French that he was also monitoring the investigation closely , and he wished the surviving victims a speedy recovery .
Three people escaped Wednesday morning ’ s fire by jumping from the home ’ s second floor and are recovering from non-life-threatening injuries .
Investigators say a toddler , an older child and three adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Valley Ranch neighbourhood , a relatively new development of tightly packed homes near Denver International Airport .
Police , fire officials and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives are investigating the fire because there are indications that it may have been arson , said Joe Montoya , division chief of investigations for Denver police .
Montoya would not elaborate Wednesday on the evidence because he said he did not want to compromise the investigation .
The Denver coroner ’ s office has not released the names or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Senegal in recent years .
Senegal Consul General Elhadji Ndao flew to Denver on Thursday at the request of his country ’ s leaders and said he is looking forward to the investigation .
“ We trust and have confidence in the legal system in this country and this city , and we have confidence that the investigation will take its course and what is proper in terms of diligence will be done , ” he said , standing in front of the remnants of the charred home .
Ndao , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community who gathered to mourn the victims , added , “ It ’ s unfortunate that a whole family was gone in this tragic event.
” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said he has met with the family of the victims and vowed to bring whoever may be responsible to justice .
“ You better best believe that this is something that none of us in this city or this state or in this nation should stand for , ” he said .
Denver Fire Department Capt .
Greg Pixley said the victims ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire , which was first reported by a police officer at 2:40 a.m. Wednesday .
Neighbour Maria Mendoza said she was awakened by noise and someone screaming , “ Get the baby out !
Get the baby out !
” about that time .
She ran to a window and saw flames and plumes of smoke rising from the home just down the street .
“ I awoke my husband , and he ran outside to see if he could help .
But there was nothing he could do .
The fire was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A police officer trying to rescue people was pushed back by the fire ’ s heat .
It appears that those who died were all on the first floor .


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Judge orders COVID-19 tests at California detention centre

SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge Thursday ordered coronavirus testing of everyone held at a California immigration detention centre , saying authorities had shown “ deliberate indifference to the risk of an outbreak.
“ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has “ lost the right to be trusted “ that the agency will take safety measures at the Mesa Verde Detention Center in Bakersfield , U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria said , according to the San Francisco Chronicle .
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment , the newspaper said .
Mesa Verde is owned by a private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or awaiting deportation proceedings .
At least nine detainees and 14 staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus , Bree Bernwanger of the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco told the Chronicle .
Several judges have ordered the release of detainees who may be medically vulnerable to the virus from Mesa Verde and other facilities .
However , emails from ICE officials to the contractor , GEO Group , said the agency wanted to avoid universal testing because it didn ’ t have room to quarantine all those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The judge said evidence shows that officials “ have avoided widespread testing of staff and detainees at the facility , not for lack of tests , but for fear that positive test results would require them to implement safety measures that they apparently felt were not worth the trouble.
” Chhabria issued a temporary restraining order requiring weekly tests of all detainees with methods that provide rapid results .
The judge also banned new admissions to Mesa Verde and ordered ICE to set aside a dormitory for people who test positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled for the judge to decide whether to extend the order .


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Panama charges 12 Haitian migrants for protest

PANAMA CITY - A judge in Panama ordered 12 Haitian migrants held for trial Thursday on charges related to an Aug. 1 protest in which rocks were thrown at Panamanian border service officers and tents holding supplies were burned .
The migrants face charges of injuring officers , theft and arson .
Migrants are demanding they be allowed to continue their journey toward the U.S. border , and have protested conditions at the remote camps where they have been stuck due to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Panama said last week it has proposed giving some Haitian migrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camps in Panama ’ s southern Darien province also house some Cuban and African migrants , but about 80 % of the 2,000 migrants there are from Haiti .
Many migrants hike up through the jungles of Darien from South America , hoping to travel through Central American and Mexico .
Many Haitians were already in South America after taking refuge there following Haiti ’ s 2010 earthquake .
Economic downturns have motivated them to try to reach the United States .
But some Central American countries have imposed border restrictions to halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--For Hiroshima survivor, day of horror led to lifelong peace mission

On the morning of Aug. 6 , 1945 , Setsuko Thurlow , then just 13 , reported for her first full day of duty in Japan ’ s increasingly desperate war effort .
Together with 30 other girls , she had been recruited to assist with code-breaking at a military office in Hiroshima .
The major in charge of the unit was exhorting the teenagers to demonstrate their patriotism when , at 8:15 a.m. , a blast detonated over the city .
Out the window , Thurlow saw a burst of bluish-white light .
She was then thrown into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to , it was dark and silent , and she was pinned under parts of the wooden building .
“ I ’ m going to die here , ” she thought to herself .
More than 150,000 people are thought to have perished in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima 75 years ago this month .
Thurlow survived , but the attack would shape the rest of a life spent fighting for the abolition of nuclear weapons — work for which she jointly accepted a Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 .
Less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thurlow arrived in Virginia from Japan to study sociology .
Local reporters asked what she thought of a U.S. hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific that year that had killed a Japanese fisherman .
Thurlow — then named Nakamura — did not hesitate .
“ I feel angry , ” she said .
It was 1954 , nine years after the levelling of Hiroshima , followed by Nagasaki ’ s destruction three days later .
Many survivors were reluctant to share their stories , much less say anything that could be construed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had occupied Japan after the war .
But Thurlow described how she had jumped over dead bodies to cross the city on that horrific day .
“ It was hell on earth , ” she told the reporters .
Since then , Thurlow , now 88 , has insistently told her story in unflinching detail to thousands of people at protests , conferences , schools and even on cruise ships .
Three years ago , she delivered an acceptance lecture in Oslo , Norway , when the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peace Prize .
Speaking on a video call from her home in Toronto last month , Thurlow said that “ I am one of those who can tell a first-hand story of human suffering that the bomb caused .
To me that was a very important moral imperative.
” She shares her memories not only to bear witness to what it is like to survive a nuclear bomb but also to put political pressure on governments to get rid of atomic weaponry for good .
In advance of the 75th anniversary of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote to 197 heads of state asking them to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons , which was formally adopted at the United Nations three years ago .
The world ’ s nine nuclear-armed countries have refused to sign the treaty on the grounds the weapons are necessary for deterrence .
During a two-hour interview , Thurlow said she was particularly disappointed that Japan and her adopted country , Canada , also had not signed the treaty , although neither possesses nuclear weapons .
“ Japan is overly subservient to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart , ” she said .
“ We survivors have been abandoned by our own country.
” In return for her criticism , Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has given her the cold shoulder , rebuffing requests to meet her when she has travelled to Japan .
Even after the Nobel Peace Prize , Abe did not acknowledge her .
There are fewer than 137,000 survivors — known in Japanese as hibakusha — of the atomic bombings still alive in Japan .
An additional 2,887 survivors , like Thurlow , live outside the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an anti-nuclear activist in Canada — the home country of her late husband , James Thurlow , a teacher she met in Japan in the 1950s — Thurlow has offered an emotional counterpoint to otherwise dry policy negotiations over the weapons .
“ It is so easy for nuclear weapons to become an abstract theory , ” said Beatrice Fihn , executive director of ICAN .
“ But even though I have heard Setsuko speak so many times , always some part of her story just hits me hard.
” On that summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowly regained consciousness after the blast , she started to hear the whispers of some of her classmates .
“ Mother , help me , ” they moaned .
Then , a stronger voice and someone shaking her shoulder : “ Don ’ t give up , ” she heard , and a soldier urged her to crawl toward sunlight , where he freed her .
She was three kilometres from ground zero of the blast .
She walked out into a hellscape , where a procession of people trudged on the roads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own eyeballs .
“ They didn ’ t look like human beings , ” she said .
Thurlow ’ s favourite sister and four-year-old nephew died in the bombing , and she saw their bodies tossed into a pit and cremated en masse .
Her father , who was out fishing in Hiroshima Bay that morning , survived .
So did her mother , after being rescued from the family ’ s collapsed house .
Just two months after the bombing , Thurlow returned to her Christian girls school .
She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profiled by journalist John Hersey in “ Hiroshima , ” his book about the bombing and its aftermath .
After the bombing , Thurlow said , she questioned the God worshipped by so many Americans .
But at the school and with Tanimoto , she was surrounded by Christian adults who supported her emotionally .
“ Because of them , I was able to deal with that crisis and came out of that trauma , ” she said .
Three years after the blast , she converted .
On a volunteer expedition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hokkaido , Japan ’ s northernmost island , she met her future husband .
Having learned English in school , she decided she wanted to study social work in the United States and earned a scholarship to what is now known as the University of Lynchburg in Virginia .
After she arrived and told reporters of her anger about the U.S. hydrogen bomb tests , she received unsigned hate mail , some of it demanding she go back to Japan .
“ How am I going to live in this new land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t put a zipper over my mouth.
” When she appeared at a Lions Club meeting later that autumn to speak , the headline in the local newspaper read , “ Jap Girl in Plea Against A-Bomb ’ s Use , ” according to archival research by Charlotte Jacobs , a Stanford medical professor who is writing a biography of Thurlow .
Offensive headlines were only part of the racism she experienced after coming to the United States .
When her husband , who had remained in Japan teaching , arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibited in Virginia .
So the couple married in Washington and moved to Toronto , where they raised two sons .
For the 30th anniversary of the bombings , Thurlow staged a photo exhibition at the University of Toronto .
She also worked with Toronto ’ s Roman Catholic archdiocese and the mayor ’ s office to develop the Peace Garden at city hall in co-operation with the city of Hiroshima .
Such opportunities might not have been open to her had she remained in Japan , particularly in a culture where women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Canada , “ she got confident and was very connected at very high levels to political people , ” said Akira Kawasaki , who serves on the executive committee of Peace Boat , a Japanese non-profit group that operates socially conscious cruises that have hosted Thurlow as a speaker .
Thurlow is not afraid to confront political leaders .
At a 2014 conference in Vienna , Toshio Sano , then Japan ’ s disarmament ambassador , said experts were being “ pessimistic ” when they testified that relief organizations would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event of a nuclear bombing .
Thurlow tracked the ambassador down on a lunch break and , in front of Japanese news cameras , sharply challenged him .
“ What exactly do you mean ?
” she asked , noting that nuclear weapons were now so powerful that few would survive a bombing and benefit from aid .
And in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , she asked that Canada apologize for its role in contributing uranium to the Manhattan Project , which developed the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s request , Adam Austen , a spokesperson for Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne , said , “ Canada remains committed to constructively advancing the nuclear disarmament process and salutes the tireless efforts of activists — including Setsuko Thurlow — for their work in drawing attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons.
” Japan ’ s Foreign Ministry , in response to Thurlow ’ s criticism of the country ’ s decision not to sign the nuclear weapons treaty , said , “ Large-scale military power including nuclear force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In order to ensure national security in such a severe security environment , it is necessary to rely on deterrence , including that of nuclear weapons of the United States.
” Having witnessed such horrors in her childhood , Thurlow embraces pleasures where she finds them .
As recently as February , she was still travelling internationally .
At a stop in Madrid with Kathleen Sullivan , a co-founder of Hibakusha Stories , a non-profit that brings survivors to speak in New York schools , Thurlow suggested they try bocadillo de calamares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Plaza Mayor .
Thurlow knows how to “ grab the opportunity right in the moment and do what other people are doing around you because it looks like fun , ” Sullivan said .
That ’ s “ why we work for the continuation of life on earth.
” Some critics said hibakusha like Thurlow can succeed in their disarmament message only if they talk about the atrocities committed by Japan during the war as well .
“ Somehow you have to universalize your message , ” said Yuki Tanaka , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute , “ not just talk about your own sadness and pain.
” Thurlow said the power of a true , human story could inspire commitment to a cause .
She puts faith in the young students and activists she has met .
“ I enjoy talking to young people , ” she said .
“ They really listen to me like dried sponges getting water .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Macron promises help, Beirut residents vent fury at leaders

BEIRUT - Residents of Beirut vented their fury at Lebanon ’ s leaders Thursday during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron , blaming them for the deadly explosion that ravaged the capital .
Shouting “ Revolution !
” they crowded around the visiting leader who promised to press the politicians for reform .
The blast Tuesday , which appeared to have been caused by an accidental fire that ignited a stockpile of ammonium nitrate at the port , rippled across the Lebanese capital , killing at least 135 people , injuring more than 5,000 and causing widespread destruction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday ’ s blast said 16 employees of Beirut ’ s port , where the explosion took place , had been detained .
He said 18 had been questioned , including port and customs officials , according to the state news agency .
But while investigators focus on port officials , many Lebanese put the blame squarely on the political elite and the corruption and mismanagement that even before the disaster had pushed the country to the brink of economic collapse .
The Cabinet was previously warned by a security agency that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ port was dangerous , Lebanon ’ s customs chief told the Associated Press — a report that could raise questions of high-level neglect .
That stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate set off the massive blast , apparently when touched off by a fire at the port .
The chemical had been left sitting in a warehouse ever since it was confiscated from an impounded cargo ship in 2013 .
The explosion , powerful enough to be felt in Cyprus across the Eastern Mediterranean , killed more than 130 people , wounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two days later , some 300,000 people — more than 12 % of Beirut ’ s population — can ’ t return to their homes , officials estimate .
Damaged hospitals are still struggling to deal with the wounded .
Dozens are still missing .
Officials have estimated losses at $ 10 billion to $ 15 billion .
Furthermore , the disaster struck at a time when people ’ s savings have melted away , and unemployment and poverty have mounted in the financial crisis .
Few have capacity to rebuild homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scraping for dollars .
After talks with Lebanese leaders , France ’ s Macron announced his country will organize a conference in the next few days with European , American , Middle Eastern and other donors to raise money for food , medicine , housing and other urgent aid .
But he warned Lebanon ’ s political elite that he wouldn ’ t give “ blank checks to a system that no longer has the trust of its people.
” He called on them to create a “ new political order.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” so that the aid goes directly to the population and aid groups .
In startling scenes , Macron — whose country once was Lebanon ’ s colonial ruler — presented himself as a champion for the Lebanese to push change on their leadership .
After visiting the devastated port , Macron walked through one of the worst-hit neighbourhoods , Gemmayzeh , down a street lined with wrecked buildings .
On the narrow street , a crowd gathered around him and shouted their anger , chanting , “ Revolution !
” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime !
” — slogans used at mass protests last year .
Macron told them he would propose “ a new political pact ” when he met the government later .
Then , he added , “ I will be back on the first of September and if they can ’ t do it , I will keep my responsibility toward you.
” He also promised that French aid would be given out with transparency and “ will not go into the hands of corruption.
” One woman shouted at Macron , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been manipulating us for the past year.
” He replied , “ I ’ m not here to help them .
I ’ m here to help you.
” They then hugged .
Notably , none of Lebanon ’ s top politicians have toured residential areas damaged by the blast , though President Michel Aoun and others did visit the port .
Hours after Macron left Gemmayzeh , Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm tried to visit , only to be driven out by protesters .
“ Resign , you criminal !
Would you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among those killed ?
” one protester shouted at her .
As she was about to respond , another sprayed her with a water hose .
She left as protesters chanted , “ Revolution !
” and “ Resign.
” By Thursday evening , after Macron left Lebanon , dozens of protesters held an angry rally in central Beirut , on the roads leading to the government building and the parliament — pelting security forces with stones , setting tires on fire and shouting against the political elite .
The security forces pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rounds of tear gas to disperse the crowd .
Beirut ’ s hospitals remained overwhelmed by the wounded , and there were fears of a spike in coronavirus cases .
In one hospital , 4-month-old Sophie Ajoury , perhaps the smallest survivor of Tuedsay ’ s blast , was fighting for her life .
She suffered head injuries while breastfeeding from her mother near a window with the shock wave hit .
Her nurse said external bleeding had stopped , and the baby girl was awake and eating , and they were monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid was starting to come into Lebanon , with European , Arab and Asian countries sending doctors , medical supplies or field hospitals .
The United Nations said Thursday it was releasing $ 9 million from its emergency fund for Lebanon to strengthen hospitals and intensive care units .
However , the international community has been reluctant in past years to offer support to the notoriously dysfunctional government .
The same factions — and in most cases the same figures — have ruled Lebanon since the 1975-1990 civil war , including Iranian-backed Hezbollah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up among the factions , which use them as patronage generators for themselves and their supporters .
That means they tend to turn a blind eye to corruption , petty or major , and little actual development is put into the institutions .
Even basic services like electricity and trash collection are a shambles .
For more than a decade , officials , watchdog groups and Lebanon ’ s media have reported on widespread corruption at the Port of Beirut , including bribery and hiding of merchandise from custom duties or taxes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the port cost the state more than $ 1 billion a year in revenues .
The investigation into the blast is focusing on how the chemical stockpile came to be stored in the port ’ s Warehouse 12 and why it was never dealt with .
Authorities have promised to issue results within days , and President Michel Aoun promised whoever was responsible would be punished .
Lead investigator , military judge Fadi Akki , said 16 port employees have been detained and 18 people have been questioned so far , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in charge of maintenance at the warehouse where the ammonium nitrate was stored .
The investigators on Friday will interview the port ’ s general manager , Hassan Koraytem , and Ghazi Aridi , who was public works and transport minister in 2013 , when the ship was impounded , a person familiar with the investigation said .
The Central Bank also froze the bank accounts of several figures , including Koraytem and the head of the customs department , Badri Daher .
Daher told the AP that State Security , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had been investigating the stockpile over the past year .
During that investigation , State Security sent reports to the Cabinet , state prosecutor and other state institutions about the danger of the material .
Security officials were not immediately available for comment .
But if correct , it would be the first evidence that top level officials were notified of the danger so close to residential areas .
Daher confirmed to the AP that he had sent a letter in 2017 to a judge warning of the danger from the ammonium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with the material .
He said he and his predecessor sent six letters but never got a response .
” I don ’ t know who they answered but we did not get any answers , ” he said , adding that it wasn ’ t his job to deal with the stockpile but that he sent the letters out of safety concerns .
He said the port is run by an agency known as the Management and Investment of Port of Beirut .
Asked if it took any measures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had they done anything the problem would have had been solved.
” Associated Press writers Thomas Adamson in Paris and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed .

Bassem Mroue And Sarah El Deeb - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--South Korean doctors strike over med school plan amid pandemic

SEOUL , KOREA , REPUBLIC OF—Thousands of young doctors in South Korea began a strike Friday in protest of government medical policy , causing concerns about treatment of patients amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The striking doctors are interns and resident doctors , who oppose the government ’ s plan to expand admissions to medical schools to resolve the shortage of doctors in South Korea .
The doctors call the plan “ a populist policy ” that would waste taxpayers ’ money and nurture low-quality medical schools .
In a statement posted on their website , they accused the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practicing programs and said that they work with an extremely low salary .
“ We should unite as one people to fight together and cope with issues thoroughly , ” Park Ji-hyun , head of the Korean Intern Resident Association , said in a speech during a rally that drew thousands of masked people , mostly young doctors .
About 70-80 per cent of the association ’ s 16,000 members were taking part in Friday ’ s one-day strike , South Korean media reported .
There were no immediate reports of major disruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus briefing Friday , Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said the government viewed the strikes as “ very regrettable.
” He urged doctors to avoid an “ extreme measure ” that would cause harms to patients .
Kim said the government has let hospitals use alternative medical personnel and take other steps to prevent a possible “ medical vacuum.
” Earlier Friday , South Korea reported 20 additional coronavirus cases , taking the country ’ s total to 14,519 with 303 deaths .
South Korea ’ s virus outbreak has gradually eased since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late February and March .
In recent weeks , the country has recorded roughly 20-60 cases each day .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Winfrey demanding justice for Breonna Taylor with billboards

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - First , Oprah Winfrey put Breonna Taylor on the cover of O , The Oprah Magazine .
Now the media mogul is spreading her message with billboards demanding justice for the Kentucky woman shot to death during a police raid .
Twenty-six billboards are going up across Louisville , Kentucky , demanding that the police officers involved in Taylor ’ s death be arrested and charged , according to news outlets .
That ’ s one billboard for every year of the Black woman ’ s life .
Taylor , an emergency medical tech studying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times March 13 when police officers burst into her Louisville apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation .
The warrant to search her home was in connection with a suspect who did not live there and no drugs were found .
Kenneth Walker , Taylor ’ s boyfriend , was originally charged with attempted murder after he fired a shot at one of the officers who came into the home .
Walker has said he didn ’ t know who was entering the apartment and was firing a warning shot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests on behalf of Taylor , George Floyd in Minnesota and others have been part of a national reckoning over racism and police brutality .
Tensions have swelled in Taylor ’ s hometown and beyond as activists , professional athletes and social media stars push for action while investigators plead for more patience .
The decision whether to bring state-level criminal charges against the Louisville officers rests with Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron .
He took the Taylor case after a local prosecutor recused himself from reviewing the matter .
Cameron , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kentucky , has declined to put a timetable on his decision since taking over the case in May .
Cameron told the Courier Journal in a Thursday interview that his office is waiting for information on ballistics tests the FBI has been conducting .
“ An integral part of this investigation is : What will those ballistics tests show ?
And so we are in the process of trying to get that information back from the FBI , ” he told the Louisville newspaper .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Searchers in Beirut recover more bodies days after blast

BEIRUT - Rescue teams pulled more bodies from the rubble of Beirut ’ s port Friday , nearly three days after a massive explosion sent a wave of destruction through Lebanon ’ s capital , killing nearly 150 people and wounding thousands .
Outside the port area , women cried as they waited for news about missing relatives .
Among the four bodies recovered in the last 24 hours was that of 23-year-old Joe Akiki , a port worker missing since Tuesday ’ s explosion .
His body was found in the rubble near a grain silo that was shredded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The explosion also devastated nearby residential neighbourhoods , blowing out windows and wrecking facades for miles around .
French and Russian rescue teams with dogs searched the port area Friday , a day after French President Emmanuel Macron visited the site , promising aid while demanding reform from Lebanon ’ s long-entrenched political leaders .
“ Our experience shows that we can find people alive until up to 72 , 75 or 80 hours after an explosion or an earthquake , so for now we are still in time and we cling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Col. Vincent Tissier , head of the French team .
The blast apparently was caused by the ignition of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate , a chemical used for explosives and fertilizer that had been stored at the port since it was confiscated from an impounded cargo ship in 2013 .
An investigation has been started by the government , which has come under mounting criticism after many Lebanese blamed the catastrophe on negligence and corruption .
Several countries have sent search and rescue teams to Beirut , where dozens are still missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that began work Thursday has found four bodies , according Vincent , of the French Civil Protection .
Lebanese firefighters are also working at the demolished port , where bulldozers and excavators churned through the rubble .
An initial government assessment said 300,000 people — more than 12 % of Beirut ’ s population — had to leave homes damaged or left uninhabitable by the explosion .
Many of them have since returned , or are staying in second homes or with friends and relatives .
Officials have estimated losses at $ 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals , already strained by the coronavirus pandemic , are still struggling to deal with the wounded .
The investigation is focusing on port and customs officials , with 16 employees detained and others questioned .
But many Lebanese say it points to much greater rot that permeates the political system and extends to the country ’ s top leadership .
For decades , Lebanon has been dominated by the same political elites — many of them former warlords and militia commanders from the 1975-1990 civil war .
The ruling factions use public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to supporters .
Thirty years after the civil war ended , power outages are still frequent , trash often goes uncollected and tap water is largely undrinkable .
Even before the blast , the country was mired in a severe economic crisis that was also widely blamed on the political class .
Unemployment was soaring , and a collapse of the local currency wiped out many people ’ s savings , That will make the task of rebuilding after the blast even more daunting .
Macron said France would lead international efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blank checks to a system that no longer has the trust of its people.
” France , which has close ties to its former colony , has also sent a team of 22 investigators to help probe the cause of the blast .
Based on information from Lebanon so far , France ’ s No .
2 forensic police official , Dominique Abbenanti , said Friday the explosion “ appears to be an accident ” but that it ’ s too early to say for sure .
In an interview with The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll will grow.
” French investigators are involved at the request of Lebanon and also because one French citizen was killed and at least 40 were injured in the blast .
French police could later question witnesses or suspects , said Eric Berot , chief of a unit involved in the investigation .
For now , the French team is dividing up zones to cover with their Lebanese counterparts and will use drones to study the area .
“ The zone is enormous .
It ’ s a titanic job , ” Berot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the huge scale of the damage and “ the Lebanese situation , ” he said , referring to the political and economic crisis .
The U.N. human rights office called for an independent investigation , insisting “ victims ’ calls for accountability must be heard.
” Rupert Colville , a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights , cited the need for the international community to help Lebanon with both a quick response and sustained engagement .
He said Lebanon is facing the “ triple tragedy of the socio-economic crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colville urged Lebanese leaders to “ overcome political stalemates and address the grievances of the population.
“ Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed .

Zeina Karam And Andrea Rosa - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--China sentences fourth Canadian to death on drug charges

BEIJING - China has sentenced a fourth Canadian citizen to death on drug charges in less than two years following a sharp downturn in ties over the arrest of an executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei .
Ye Jianhui was sentenced Friday by the Foshan Municipal Intermediate Court in the southern province of Guangdong .
Ye had been found guilty of manufacturing and transporting illegal drugs , the court said in a brief statement .
Another suspect in the case was also given the death penalty and four others sentenced to between seven years and life in prison , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to China ’ s highest court for review .
Ties between Canada and China have nosedived over Canada ’ s late 2018 arrest of Meng Wanzhou , a company executive and the daughter of Huawei ’ s founder , at Vancouver ’ s airport at the request of the U.S. , which wants her extradited to face fraud charges over the company ’ s dealings with Iran .
Her arrest enraged Beijing , which calls it a political move aimed at constraining China ’ s rise as a global technology power .
Ye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow Canadian Xu Weihong was given the death penalty by the Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate Court , also in Guandong province .
Convicted Canadian drug smuggler Robert Schellenberg was sentenced to death in a sudden retrial shortly after Meng ’ s arrest , and a Canadian citizen identified as Fan Wei was given the death penalty in April 2019 for his role in a multinational drug smuggling case .
China also detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor weeks after Meng ’ s arrest , accusing them of vague national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on various Canadian exports to China , including canola seed oil , in an apparent attempt to pressure China into releasing Meng , who is residing in one of her Vancouver mansions under a form of house arrest .
The court statement gave no further details of the charges against Ye and the others .
However , the website of the Yangcheng Evening News based in the neighbouring metropolis of Guangzhou said Ye and co-defendant Lu Hanchang conspired with others to manufacture and transport drugs between May 2015 and January 2016 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pounds ) of white crystals infused with the designer drug MDMA from a room used by the two , and found another 9.84 grams of the drug in bags and residences used by Lu and others , the newspaper said .
China , like many Asian nations , hands out harsh punishments for making and selling drugs , and the country ’ s rising wealth and transformation into a centre for world trade has attracted growing numbers of foreigners to its domestic market for illegal substances .
In December 2009 , Pakistani-British businessman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of smuggling heroin , despite calls for clemency on the grounds that he was mentally disturbed .
China is believed to execute more criminals each year than all other nations combined .
Although the actual figure is a state secret , estimates put it at around 2,000 .
Asked Friday about Ye ’ s sentencing , Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China “ is a country under the rule of law and relevant judicial organs handle the case independently in strict accordance with the law.
“ Wang added that Meng ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident “ and again called for her release .
“ Regarding China-Canada relations , China is not responsible for the difficulties that the current China-Canada relationship is facing , “ Wang said .
“ The Canadian side knows very well the crux of the problem .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Trump bans dealings with Chinese owners of TikTok, WeChat

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump has ordered a sweeping but vague ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of popular social media apps TikTok and WeChat on security grounds , a move China ’ s government criticized as “ political manipulation.
“ The twin executive orders Thursday — one for each app — add to growing U.S.-Chinese conflict over technology and security .
They take effect in 45 days and could bar the apps from the Apple and Google app stores , effectively removing them from U.S. distribution .
China ’ s foreign ministry said it opposed the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retaliate .
Earlier , Trump threatened a deadline of Sept. 15 to “ close down ” TikTok in the United States unless Microsoft Corp. or another company acquires it .
TikTok , owned by Beijing-headquartered ByteDance Ltd. , is popular for its short , catchy videos .
The company says it has 100 million users in the United States and hundreds of millions worldwide .
The Trump administration has expressed concern Chinese social media services could provide American users ’ personal information to Chinese authorities , though it has given no evidence TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Communist Party ’ s ability to compel co-operation from Chinese companies .
U.S. regulators cited similar security concerns last year when the Chinese owner of Grindr was ordered to sell the dating app .
In a statement , TikTok expressed shock at the order and complained it violates U.S. law .
The company said it doesn ’ t store American user data in China and never has given it to Beijing or censored content at the government ’ s request .
TikTok said it spent nearly a year trying to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration “ paid no attention to facts “ and tried improperly to insert itself into business negotiations .
TikTok said it would “ pursue all remedies ” available to ensure the company and its users are “ are treated fairly.
” On Friday , shares of WeChat ’ s owner , Tencent Holding Ltd. , declined 5 % in trading in Hong Kong .
Tencent , Asia ’ s most valuable tech company with a market capitalization of $ 650 million , makes most of its money from online games and entertainment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Mike Pompeo announced an expansion of the U.S. crackdown on Chinese technology to include barring Chinese apps from U.S. app stores , citing alleged security threats and calling out TikTok and WeChat by name .
The Chinese foreign ministry accused Washington of “ political manipulation ” and said the moves will hurt American companies and consumers .
“ The United States is using national security as an excuse , frequently abuses national power and unreasonably suppresses companies of other countries , ” said a ministry spokesman , Wang Wenbin .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China is firmly opposed to it.
” Wang , who didn ’ t mention TikTok or any other company by name , called on the Trump administration to “ correct its wrongdoing ” but gave no indication how Beijing might respond .
Trump ’ s orders say the Chinese-owned apps “ threaten the national security , foreign policy , and economy of the United States.
“ They cite the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act and call on the Commerce secretary to define the banned dealings by Sept. 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weixin , is a hugely popular messaging app that links to finance and other services .
It has more than 1 billion users .
Around the world , many people of Chinese descent use WeChat to stay in touch with friends and family and to conduct business in mainland China .
Within China , WeChat is censored and expected to adhere to content restrictions set by authorities .
The Citizen Lab internet watchdog group in Toronto says WeChat monitors files and images shared abroad to aid its censorship in China .
Tencent also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Epic Games , publisher of Fortnite , a major video game hit , and Riot Games , which is behind League of Legends .
The Trump administration already was embroiled in a tariff war with Beijing over its technology ambitions .
Washington has blocked acquisitions of some U.S. assets by Chinese buyers and has cut off most access to American components and other technology for Huawei Technologies Ltd. , a maker of smartphones and network equipment that is China ’ s first global tech brand .
China-backed hackers have been blamed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credit agency Equifax .
In China , the Communist Party limits what foreign tech companies can do and blocks access to the Google search engine , Facebook , Twitter and other social media , along with thousands of websites operated by news organizations and human rights , pro-democracy and other activist groups .
The ruling party has used the entirely state-controlled press to encourage public anger at Trump ’ s actions .
“ I don ’ t want to use American products any more , ” said Sun Fanyu , an insurance salesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic substitute products.
” Leading mobile security experts say TikTok is no more intrusive in its harvesting of user data and monitoring of user activity than U.S. apps owned by Facebook and Google .
“ The U.S. thinking is that anything that is Chinese is suspect , ” said Andy Mok , a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing .
“ They ’ re being targeted not because of what they ’ ve done , but who they are.
” The order doesn ’ t seem to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be nearly impossible to enforce , said Kirsten Martin , a professor of technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame .
“ This is a pretty broad and pretty quick expansion of the technology Cold War between the U.S. and China , ” said Steven Weber , faculty director for the Berkeley Center for Long Term Cybersecurity .
AP reporters Barbara Ortutay in Oakland , Calif. , Mae Anderson in New York , Frank Bajak in Boston , Joe McDonald in Beijing and Zen Soo in Hong Kong contributed to this @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--President’s virus swagger fuels anger ahead of Belarus vote

MINSK , Belarus - As Kseniya Milya ’ s grandfather lay dying of COVID-19 at a hospital in Belarus ’ capital of Minsk , the country ’ s authoritarian leader was blithely dismissing the pandemic as “ psychosis , ” and recommending an unusual remedy : Have a regular shot of vodka and work hard in the fields .
Like many other Belarusians angry with the government ’ s cavalier approach to the pandemic , Milya joined large opposition protests ahead of Sunday ’ s presidential vote in which President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking a sixth term .
The outpouring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge yet to Lukashenko after 26 years in office .
Milya said her 86-year-old grandfather , Ivan Shelesny , believed Lukashenko and took no precautions as the pandemic swept through the ex-Soviet nation .
“ ( He ) trusted Lukashenko and TV , who said that COVID-19 doesn ’ t exist , and he died , ” said Milya , a 26-year-old movie producer .
“ That was a result of the government ’ s policy.
” “ He was attending veterans ’ meetings and visiting street markets , ” she added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he tested positive.
” Milya ’ s grandfather died of coronavirus-induced pneumonia at a hospital in March , after a week on a ventilator .
“ On the day they called me from intensive care to say that my granddad has died of confirmed COVID-19 , I switched on the TV and saw the president saying that no one has died of the virus in Belarus , ” Milya told The Associated Press .
It wasn ’ t until April that the government reported the country ’ s first COVID-19 deaths .
Milya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and couldn ’ t attend the funeral .
Her 46-year-old father spent a month on a ventilator and barely survived , and her mother-in-law has remained in intensive care since April .
“ The government was refusing to recognize the virus ’ existence or provide assistance , wasting time , ” she said .
She said when her father was hospitalized , no one bothered to test him for COVID-19 .
Only after a week did authorities do a CT scan and put him on a ventilator for 31 days .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World Health Organization ’ s call for a lockdown .
Instead , the 65-year-old former state farm director advised Belarusians to “ kill the virus with vodka , ” go to saunas and work in the fields to avoid infection .
“ Tractors will cure everybody !
” he proclaimed .
Lukashenko has refused to impose any restrictions , making Belarus the only country in Europe to keep holding professional soccer games with fans in the stands while the outbreak was in full swing .
Religious services and other mass gatherings continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was held in May to mark the 75th anniversary of the Nazi defeat in World War II .
Last month , Lukashenko abruptly announced that he got the virus himself but had no symptoms and allegedly recovered quickly thanks to doing sports .
He has staunchly defended the government response , claiming that extensive testing helped prevent the uncontrolled spread of the disease and arguing that a lockdown would have been deadly for the economy .
His approach , combined with a painful economic fallout from the global pandemic , has helped swell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Previously apolitical , Milya was among the tens of thousands who flocked to campaign rallies for Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , a 37-year-old former teacher and the wife of a jailed opposition blogger who is challenging Lukashenko in Sunday ’ s vote .
“ The offer to use tractors and vodka was like spitting in people ’ s faces , ” Tsikhanouskaya told the AP in an interview .
“ That disrespectful , disdainful attitude ... had a strong impact at a time when people badly needed help amid the pandemic .
And all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country of 9.5 million has reported more than 68,500 confirmed infections and 580 deaths .
Critics have accused authorities of manipulating the figures .
“ No one , even the authorities themselves , trusts Belarus ’ official statistics , “ said Pavel Paleichik , an ambulance doctor from the western city of Lida who was handed a seven-day jail term and lost his job after complaining — at an opposition rally — about the lack of protective gear .
Paleichik claimed that authorities urged doctors to attribute COVID-19 deaths to other reasons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack protective gear , people have to wait for an ambulance for 3-4 hours , ” Paleichik told the AP .
“ I didn ’ t want to tolerate that and keep silent like others .
And I faced harsh reprisals from the authorities because of that.
” While the authorities have sat back , a broad volunteer movement has spread across the country to collect money for doctors and to help expand public awareness of the pandemic .
“ The outbreak has shown that the Belarusians are capable of strong solidarity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the BYCOVID-19 volunteer group that has collected money and protective gear for medical workers .
The volunteers have collected $ 350,000 for the hospitals and provided medical workers with 450,000 respirators , hazmat suits and other protective gear .
“ Everybody is equal in the face of the coronavirus , we have offered protective means to the military and police as well , “ Tkachev said .
Authorities in Belarus have seen the volunteer movement as a challenge .
Andrei Strizhak , one of the leaders of BYCOVID-19 , had to flee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threats .
“ The coronavirus has become an impulse that triggered massive discontent with the government , and specifically with Lukashenko , ” Tkachev said .
“ Many people have grown tired of being afraid and keeping silent.
” Although Belarus didn ’ t impose a lockdown , its economy has still been badly battered by the global pandemic .
Russia , which buys the bulk of Belarus ’ exports , is in recession , and other export markets also have shrunk .
Amid economic disputes , Moscow this year withdrew a steep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenko ’ s government of an estimated $ 700 million in annual revenues from exporting oil products made of cheap Russian crude .
Speaking outside the Minsk Tractor Plant where he works , 24-year-old Kirill Egotin lamented stagnant wages and mounting consumer prices .
“ I have grown up under Lukashenko , but increasing poverty , stagnation and helplessness in the fight against the coronavirus have undermined trust in his government , “ said Egotin , who makes the equivalent of $ 415 a month .
” Everybody has got sick of him @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Monsoon flood, mudslide kill 15 in India, disaster team sent

NEW DELHI - A mudslide triggered by heavy monsoon rain and flooding killed at least 15 people and buried 20 homes of tea plantation workers in southern India on Friday , police said .
Twelve people have been rescued , said police officer Eldhose Madhai , adding that more than 50 people were unaccounted for in the region .
Kerala state ’ s top elected official , Pinarayi Vijayan , confirmed 15 deaths and said a 50-member rescue team has been sent to Rajamalai area in Idukki equipped with nighttime equipment for rescue efforts .
The Press Trust of India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers were already in the area .
Communication links and electricity lines were snapped and a bridge in the area was washed away .
The meteorological office issued a red alert with more rain expected in the region .
A Hindu temple in Ernakulam district on the bank of the Periyar River was almost submerged as water levels rose after sluice gates of a dam were opened .
The Muthirapuzha River also flooded low-lying areas of Munnar , also in Iddiki district .
Annual monsoon rains hit South Asian from June to September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crops planted during the season but often cause extensive damage .
More than 550 people have died in India , Bangladesh and Nepal and over 9.6 million people have been displaced across South Asia since the flooding began in June , according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Fuel loading begins at 1st nuclear plant in Belarus

MINSK , Belarus - Loading of nuclear fuel started Friday at Belarus ’ first nuclear plant , which has raised concern in neighbouring Lithuania .
The plant in Astravets near the border has been built by Russia ’ s state nuclear corporation Rosatom .
Rosatom and Belarusian authorities have insisted that the 1,200-megawatt reactor is safe , but Lithuania has described the plant as a threat to the environment and public health .
The loading of uranium fuel will last about three months before the reactor starts generating electricity .
Rosatom said the construction of the plant ’ s second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The construction of a nuclear plant in Belarus was planned during Soviet times , but the plans were cancelled after the April 26 , 1986 explosion at the Chornobyl nuclear plant in neighbouring Ukraine .
Belarus suffered badly from the world ’ s worst nuclear accident that rendered vast portions of its land uninhabitable and unsafe for agricultural production .
The Chornobyl explosion forced 138,000 Belarusians closest to the plant to be resettled , while 200,000 others living nearby moved out voluntarily .
The radiation fears caused by the Chornobyl catastrophe have gradually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been any protests against the nuclear plant ’ s construction in Belarus .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Power outage leaves large swaths of Manhattan in the dark

NEW YORK - A power outage cast darkness across large swaths of Manhattan early Friday , as tens of thousands @ @ @ @ @ of New York City were still without electricity in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias @ @ @ @ @ Edison said Friday ’ s blackout started at 5:13 a.m. in Manhattan , the Upper @ @ @ @ @ East Side and affected about 180,000 customers .
The outage lasted about a half-hour , @ @ @ @ @ customers lost power in a separate outage in Queens .
The cause of Friday ’ @ @ @ @ @ immediately known .
Crews have been working around the clock to restore power across the @ @ @ @ @ battered the East Coast earlier this week .
More than 60,000 customers in the boroughs @ @ @ @ @ and the Bronx were still without power Friday and Con Edison says many of them @ @ @ @ @ until Sunday night .
Live video showed few lights across Manhattan during the early morning @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Bulgaria: Police remove tent camps, protesters vow to stay

SOFIA , Bulgaria - Bulgarian police on Friday removed dozens of tent camps that had blocked key city intersections across the country as part of anti-government protests .
Police said they cleared away tents in the capital of Sofia during the early morning hours and briefly detained 12 people .
Police Commissioner Toni Todorov said authorities respect and guarantee the rights of citizens to protest peacefully but that the such activity can not be done in a way that violates the rights of other Bulgarians .
“ We have ensured the right to free movement of all citizens who dissent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The protesters , however , vowed to erect even more road blockades .
One of their leaders , Nikolay Hadjigenov , said the government ’ s order for police to dismantle the protest camps would backfire .
“ They provoked anger that will sweep them away .
The dictatorship is to come to an end .
We won ’ t tolerate this anymore , “ he said .
Demands for the resignations of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the country ’ s chief prosecutor , Ivan Geshev , have been at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the European Union ’ s poorest member nation .
The mostly young protesters accuse those in power of links to the mafia , refusing to fight corruption and suppressing freedom of speech .
Borissov , who has held office since 2009 and whose third term is scheduled to end in March , offered Wednesday to step down if that would keep his troubled coalition government in place .
Following talks with the leaders of two nationalist parties that are junior partners in the governing coalition , it became clear Friday that Borissov ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until his term ends .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Turkish president slams Egypt-Greece deal, drilling resumes

ISTANBUL - Turkey ’ s president has called a maritime deal between Greece and Egypt “ worthless , ” saying Turkey will resume oil and gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean .
Egypt and Greece on Thursday signed a maritime deal that sets the sea boundary between the two countries and demarcates an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights .
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , speaking after Friday prayers in the recently reconverted Hagia Sophia mosque , said the deal was a response to Turkey ’ s maritime agreement with Libya ’ s Tripoli-based government last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal spiked tensions in the East Mediterranean region and was dismissed by Egypt , Cyprus and Greece as an infringement on their economic rights in the oil-rich sea .
Erdogan also said Turkey had paused research in disputed waters with Greece after a request from German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
“ I told ( Merkel ) we ’ ll pause drilling for three to four weeks if you trust Greece and the others … but I don ’ t trust them and you will see , ” Erdogan said .
But that appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greece and Egypt .
“ We have immediately resumed exploration activities , ” Erdogan said and appointed Turkish research vessel Barbaros Hayreddin , which is sailing off the western coast of Cyprus .
Turkey has accused Greece of trying to exclude it from the benefits of oil and gas finds in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean , arguing that sea boundaries for commercial exploitation should be divided between the Greek and Turkish mainlands and not include the Greek islands on an equal basis .
Athens counters that Turkey ’ s position is @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--The Latest: Pope Francis sends donation to Church of Lebanon

BEIRUT - Pope Francis has sent a 250,000-euro ( nearly $ 300,000 ) donation to the Church of Lebanon to @ @ @ @ @ the explosion .
The Vatican described that donation as “ initial aid ” that is @ @ @ @ @ the pontiff ’ s “ fatherly closeness to people in serious difficulty.
” The Vatican @ @ @ @ @ were among the buildings destroyed by the blast in the port .
Already underway is @ @ @ @ @ first aid response ” including medical care , shelters for the displaced and centre of @ @ @ @ @ the church through various Catholic charities , the Vatican said in announcing the papal donation @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--US adds 1.8 million jobs in a sign that hiring has slowed

WASHINGTON - The United States added 1.8 million jobs in July , a pullback from the gains of May and June and evidence that the resurgent coronavirus is stalling hiring and slowing an economic rebound .
With confirmed viral cases still elevated in much of the nation and businesses under continued pressure , many employers appear reluctant or unable to hire .
Even counting the hiring of the past three months , the economy has now recovered only about 42 % of the 22 million jobs it lost to the pandemic-induced recession , according to the Labor Department ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate did decline in July from 11.1 % to 10.2 % , though that still exceeds the highest rate during the 2008-2009 Great Recession .
The acceleration of the viral outbreak that began in late June more than doubled the daily U.S. confirmed case count by mid-July , though the rate of new reported cases has since declined .
The outbreaks have led many states and cities to close bars and other businesses for a second time and have dampened confidence , causing many consumers to continue limiting their shopping , travelling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July ’ s job gain was much lower than June ’ s 4.8 million and May ’ s 2.7 million jobs , both of which were revised slightly .
The economy is struggling to emerge from the devastating recession that caused the economy to shrink at a nearly 33 % annual rate in the April-June quarter , the worst quarterly fall on record .
Employers slashed their work forces , consumers cut spending and corporations pulled back on investment and expansion .
The economy has since started to grow again , and many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the July-September quarter , though not nearly enough to offset the second quarter ’ s dizzying fall .
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE .
AP ’ s earlier story is below : Just how severely has the resurgence of the coronavirus pummeled the U.S. economy ?
The jobs report for July being released Friday will provide the clearest answer yet .
Economists have forecast that employers added 1.6 million jobs , according to a survey by data provider FactSet .
That would normally be a scintillating gain .
Yet it would still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4.8 million increase and May ’ s 2.7 million gain .
And it would mean that the economy has regained only about 40 % of the jobs that were lost when the pandemic intensified in March and triggered a deep recession and tens of millions of layoffs .
The unemployment rate is expected to have declined from 11.1 % to 10.5 % , which would still exceed the highest rate during the 2008-2009 Great Recession .
Some economists say Friday ’ s report could even show that the nation lost jobs in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much larger .
The pandemic has so disrupted the economy that the range of predictions by experts has become much wider — and less accurate — than it typically was before .
The economy cratered in the April-June quarter , shrinking at a nearly 33 % annual rate , as the viral outbreak shut down businesses and consumers pulled back sharply on dining out , travelling and shopping .
Growth rebounded in May and June .
But the viral outbreak re-intensified in late June , doubling the nation ’ s daily confirmed case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts have declined somewhat in recent weeks .
Yet the new outbreaks have forced most states to pause or reverse their re-openings — closing bars , discouraging travel and limiting shopping and indoor dining for a second time , all of which has likely slowed hiring .
Even when the economy does rebound , it ’ s likely to do so , at least initially , with fewer jobs .
Once an economy starts to recover , companies typically try to derive as much production from their existing employees as they can before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Institute for Supply Management reported in two surveys this week that both manufacturing and service sector companies expanded output and sales faster in July than in June .
Even so , companies in both surveys reported that they were still cutting jobs .
Some other recent data points to a weak month for hiring .
The Census Bureau has found in weekly experimental surveys that the number of people with jobs fell 6.7 million in July , which points to a huge drop in the official figures .
In June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gain of 5.5 million , close to the government ’ s official figure .
The Census report isn ’ t adjusted for seasonal trends , though , and many schools typically cut jobs in the summer , which has led economists to say that the Census figures might be exaggerating the losses .
Some reports suggest that businesses still added workers in July , albeit at a slower pace .
Kronos , a company that makes work management software for small companies , said the number of shifts worked at its clients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicating that some previously laid-off workers are still being recalled .
But that ’ s much smaller than the total gain of 32 % in the previous 11 weeks combined .
Two bright spots for the economy , though , have been housing and auto sales .
Ultra-low interest rates , produced in part by the Federal Reserve ’ s ultra-low interest rates , fueled sharp increases in sales of new and existing homes in June .
Lower interest rates have also boosted auto sales , though both home and auto sales remain @ @ @ @

Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Indian court rejects plea to end trial of 2 Italian marines

NEW DELHI - India ’ s Supreme Court on Friday declined an Indian government plea to end the prosecution of two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012 until it has heard from the victims ’ families on the issue of Italian compensation .
Government attorney Tushar Mehta sought the court ’ s permission following a ruling by an international arbitration court in July that Italy , not India , has jurisdiction in prosecuting the marines .
The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ordered Italy to pay compensation to India for the loss of life , material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the surviving crew of the fishing ship .
It invited the two countries to enter into negotiations to reach a final financial settlement .
Italy had argued that the men were Italian government employees acting in their official capacities when the fishermen were shot .
On Friday , Indian Chief Justice S.A. Bobde told the government attorney to let Italy pay compensation to the victims ’ families and the court will allow the withdrawal of prosecution of the marines .
India had accused Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre of killing the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assigned to anti-piracy duties aboard an Italian commercial ship .
The shooting , and India ’ s claim of jurisdiction in the case , strained relations between the two countries .
Italy said the marines thought the fishermen were pirates , that they fired warning shots , and that the shooting occurred in international waters .
Italy took the case to international arbitration after India arrested the men and detained them without charge for years .
After the ruling by the arbitration court in July , the Italian Foreign Ministry said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had established .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Albermarle County votes to remove Confederate statue

CHARLOTTESVILLE , Va. - Virginia ’ s Albemarle County has voted to remove a statue of a Confederate soldier .
The Daily Progress in Charlottesville reports that the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday to remove the 111-year-old bronze statue .
It stands on Albemarle County Courthouse property in Charlottesville .
The monument depicts a life-size Confederate soldier in uniform and includes a cannon and three cannon balls .
The statue went up in 1909 .
It was paid for by the county , the city of Charlottesville and the United Daughters of the Confederacy .
Board Chairman Ned Gallaway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ statue and his accessories to the history books.
” State law will require the county to consider offers to relocate the statue from museums , historical societies or military battlefields .
The statue will be taken down and stored in early September .
Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley said Confederate statues should not be in front of a courthouse .
“ These were made to intimidate , “ she said .
” As Americans , we don ’ t intimidate .
You can ’ t intimidate us .
Yet , someone put these up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That can not stand.
” Confederate statues have been coming down throughout the southern United States in the wake of protests against racism and police brutality .
The demonstrations were sparked by the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Georgia DA who charged officers faces tough primary runoff

ATLANTA - Against the backdrop of protests over racial injustice and police brutality and with allegations of misconduct emboldening challengers , the top prosecutor in Georgia ’ s most populous country is fighting to keep his job .
After two decades of running unopposed , Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard placed second in the June Democratic primary and faces a tough runoff election Tuesday .
The extended primary contest has unfolded as Atlanta rocked with protests sparked by the killing of an African American , George Floyd , by a white police officer in Minneapolis .
In Georgia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for quickly bringing charges against officers accused of using excessive force against Black people .
Challenger Fani Willis , who worked in Howard ’ s office for 16 years until several years ago and has also been a defence attorney and a judge , has raised more money and snagged key endorsements .
She won the primary but failed to get more than 50 % of the vote , the necessary threshold to avoid a runoff in the three-way race .
With no Republican qualified for the general election , the race will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Howard was the first African American district attorney elected in Georgia when he took office in 1997 .
He touts a 70 % drop in violent crime and a 50 % reduction in the county jail population as his main accomplishments .
He also said he ’ s proud that about 60 % of his staff is Black and about 65 % female , with women holding 84 % of supervisory positions .
But he ’ s been dogged by allegations of misconduct .
Three past or present female employees have filed lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the legality of a salary supplement he received from the city of Atlanta that was administered through one of two non-profit organizations he controlled .
He agreed to pay a state ethics fine Thursday for failing to note on financial disclosure forms that he headed the organizations .
The GBI is also investigating whether he properly issued subpoenas in one of the high-profile cases against police officers .
Howard dismisses the harassment and discrimination allegations , saying they ’ re baseless and politically motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by city leaders and handled transparently , and the subpoenas were properly issued , he said .
“ What I ’ ve asked people to do is to look at the record , “ he said .
” Doesn ’ t it seem kind of suspicious that all of those issues arrive during this election season ?
” No criminal charges have been filed , and Howard insists he will be fully exonerated .
But those allegations likely encouraged challengers who might not otherwise have taken on a sitting district attorney , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie said .
Any time something surfaces “ that might help voters question the ethics of a candidate or an incumbent , they shouldn ’ t be surprised if challengers sense vulnerability and choose to run campaigns against them , ” she said .
That was the case for Willis , who said that out of respect for her former boss , she long ignored calls for her to challenge Howard .
But the allegations of harassment and her belief that he mismanages his office pushed her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He really let me down and disappointed me , ” she said .
If elected , Willis said , she would put more resources into investigating cases prior to making charging decisions , implement pre-indictment diversion programs and increase transparency in police use-of-force cases .
In a nod to recent protests , Howard said police reform is a top priority .
“ I ’ m asking people to please put me back in office so we can confront this problem dealing with brutality , institutional racism , so that we can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , ” he said .
Atlanta police in mid-June responded to a report of a man sleeping in a car in a Wendy ’ s drive-thru .
After about 40 minutes of calm conversation , Rayshard Brooks resisted when officers tried to arrest him .
He struggled with officers and fired a Taser at one of them as he fled , and the officer fatally shot him .
Five days later , Howard brought charges against the two officers , including a murder charge against the one who killed Brooks .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against six officers after dramatic video showed police using Tasers on two college students and pulling them from their car as they were caught in traffic caused by protests .
Howard held news conferences in each of those cases , laying out the charges in detail and allowing the victims ’ attorneys to speak .
The victims and their attorneys , as well as some activists , applauded Howard ’ s quick action .
But others , including police officials , police unions and the officers ’ attorneys , condemned him for failing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges and accused him of making inflammatory and false statements .
Willis and other critics argue Howard has a history of allowing officer use-of-force cases to languish for years without taking action and rushed charges in these two cases to bolster his bid for reelection .
Howard said the availability of video evidence and witnesses made it possible to bring charges quickly , while other cases involving officers take longer because of a lack of evidence or co-operating witnesses .
Much of the criticism has been driven by the police union , Howard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s endorsement of Willis and suggested she would refrain from prosecuting officers .
Christian Wise Smith , who placed third in the primary , cited the union ’ s endorsement of Willis as one of the reasons he endorsed Howard in the runoff .
Willis countered that she enjoys a diverse base of support , and she scoffed at the idea that an endorsement or campaign contribution would keep her from prosecuting anyone .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--India surpasses 2 million cases as health volunteers strike

NEW DELHI - As India hit another grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic on Friday , crossing 2 million confirmed cases and more than 41,000 deaths , community health volunteers went on strike complaining they were ill-equipped to respond to the wave of infection in rural areas .
Even as India has maintained comparatively low mortality rates , the disease has spread widely across the country , with the burden shifting in recent weeks from cities with robust health systems to rural areas , where resources are scarce or nonexistent .
The Health Ministry reported 62,538 cases in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s confirmed total to 2,027,074 .
It said 886 more people had died , for a total of 41,585 .
But the ministry said that recoveries were growing .
India has the third-highest caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil .
It has the fifth-most deaths but its fatality rate of about 2 % is far lower than the top two hardest-hit countries .
The rate in the U.S. is 3.3 % , and in Brazil 3.4 % , Johns Hopkins University figures show .
The caseload in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government began lifting a monthslong lockdown hoping to jump-start a moribund economy .
India is projecting an economic contraction in 2020 .
Life cautiously returned to the streets of the capital of New Delhi and the financial hub Mumbai , which appear to have passed their peaks .
In Mayur Vihar , a neighbourhood in east Delhi , shopkeeper and pharmacist Rajiv Singhal described the daily phone calls he received when he tested positive for COVID-19 from officials within the Delhi state government , the Delhi police and the federal government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our huge population and rampant illiteracy , if we have only 2 million cases so far , it shows that the government has played a big role in reducing the spread , ” he said .
But authorities elsewhere in India were reimposing lockdowns after sharp spikes in cases , including in Uttar Pradesh , a state of 220 million residents where infections in every district are weighing heavily on the fragile health system .
After fully reopening in June , the state reimposed a weekend lockdown in July .
Shachindra Sharma , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital of Lucknow , only leaves his house for a weekly grocery shop .
“ I do not fear the disease but I do fear the government system , which has crumbled , ” he said .
Around 900,000 members of an all-female community health force began a two-day strike on Friday , protesting that they were being roped in to help with contact tracing , personal hygiene drives and in quarantine centres , but weren ’ t given personal protective equipment or additional pay , according to organizer A.R .
Sindhu .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social Health Activists , or ASHA , which means ‘ hope ’ in several Indian languages , have been deployed in each village on behalf of the Health Ministry .
Their work ranges from escorting children to immunization clinics to counselling women on childbirth .
But while their regular work hasn ’ t reduced , they are increasingly being involved by state governments in the fight against the pandemic , said Sindhu .
“ But ASHA workers don ’ t have masks or PPEs or even sanitizers , ” she said .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and become more dangerous , their salaries remain static at roughly 2,000 rupees ( $ 27 ) per month And the families of at least a dozen women who she said died from the virus didn ’ t receive compensation from India ’ s federal insurance for front-line health care workers because their deaths were not recorded as COVID-19 deaths .
Manisha Verma , a spokesperson for the Health Ministry , did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
In Mumbai , the capital of central Maharashtra state , cases had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But rural parts were seeing an opposite trend .
Dr. S.P .
Kalantri , the director of a hospital in the village of Sevagram in Maharashtra , about 74 kilometres ( 46 miles ) from the city of Nagpur , said that younger people were cavalier about social distancing and masks .
Fatigue and increased familiarity with the disease , which has been most fatal to Indians above the age of 60 with comorbidities , had resulted in people not being as vigilant , he said .
“ Everyone thinks it won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Like in much of the rest of the world , many Indians appeared to be counting on a therapeutic treatment or a vaccine to contain the spread of the disease .
India has launched two of the world ’ s dozen and a half prospective vaccines into human trials , with vaccine-maker Zydus Cadila announcing it had completed phase 1 trials of its DNA-based vaccine on Thursday .
The country will be vital to global vaccination efforts , regardless of whether its own attempts work .
The world ’ s largest vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central city of Pune , has ramped up capacity to manufacture as many as a billion doses in development by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford , which is in phase 2 trials in India and England , and phase 3 trials in Brazil and South Africa .
Researchers are hoping to launch the Oxford vaccine for emergency use by October .
The Serum Institute said Friday that with financial help from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , it will be able to provide vaccines to India and other low- and middle-income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dose .
Associated Press writers Rishabh R. Jain and Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi and Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow , India , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-07--Turkish lira hits another historic low amid pandemic

The Turkish lira dropped to 7.3677 against the dollar before making a recovery .
The lira is down about 19 @ @ @ @ @ since the beginning of the year .
It was trading around 7.17 at 11:45 GMT @ @ @ @ @ by high inflation , a wide current account deficit and the Turkish government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ drive an economy that was already fragile before the COVID-19 pandemic hit .
Analysts have @ @ @ @ @ of Turkey ’ s reserves and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’ s aversion to @ @ @ @ @ had been hoping for an influx of foreign currency through exports and tourism revenues , @ @ @ @ @ undermined the tourism industry and disrupted global commerce .
Speaking after Friday prayers at the @ @ @ @ @ , Erdogan said that “ there are serious zigzags in the global economy after the @ @ @ @ @ “ I believe the Turkish lira will fall into place ... these are temporary fluctuations.
@