thetorontostar--2020-08-14--For Harris, memories of mother guide bid for vice-president

NEW YORK - Speaking from the Senate floor for the first time , Kamala Harris expressed gratitude for a woman on whose shoulders she said she stood .
In her autobiography , Harris interspersed the well-worn details of her resume with an extended ode to the one she calls “ the reason for everything.
” And taking the stage to announce her presidential candidacy , she framed it as a race grounded in the compassion and values of the person she credits for her fighting spirit .
Though more than a decade has passed since Shyamala Gopalan died , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s life as she takes a historic spot on the Democratic ticket besides former Vice-President Joe Biden .
Those who know the California senator expect her campaign for the vice presidency to bring repeated mentions of the woman she calls her single greatest influence .
“ She ’ s always told the same story , ” said friend Mimi Silbert .
“ Kamala had one important role model , and it was her mother.
” EDITOR ’ S NOTE — This story was originally published on May 11 , 2019 , as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Democratic presidential candidates tell about themselves , their families and the origins of their political drive .
This story has been updated to reflect Harris ’ selection by Joe Biden to be his vice-presidential running mate .
Harris ’ mother gave her an early grounding in the civil rights movement and injected in her a duty not to complain but rather to act .
And that no-nonsense demeanour on display in Senate hearings over special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation , Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and more ?
Onlookers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a crusader who raised her daughter in the same mould .
“ She ’ d tell us : ‘ Don ’ t sit around and complain about things .
Do something.
’ So I did something , “ Harris said Wednesday in her first appearance with Biden as his running mate .
Harris ’ parents met as doctoral students at the University of California , Berkeley , at the dawn of the 1960s .
Her father , a Jamaican named Donald Harris , came to study economics .
Her mother studied nutrition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people drawn to activism , they landed on campus from opposite sides of the world just as protests exploded around civil rights , the Vietnam War and voting rights .
Their paths crossed in those movements , and they fell in love .
At the heart of their activism was a small group of students who met every Sunday to discuss the books of Black authors and grassroots activity around the world , from the anti-apartheid Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa to liberation movements in Latin America to the Black separatist preaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of the group , Aubrey Labrie , said the weekly gathering was one in which figures such as Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro were admired , and would later provide some inspiration to the founders of the Black Panther Party .
Gopalan was the only one in the group who wasn ’ t Black , but she immersed herself in the issues , Labrie said .
She and Harris wowed him with their intellect .
“ I was in awe of the knowledge that they seemed to demonstrate , ” said Labrie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family that the senator calls him “ Uncle Aubrey.
” The couple married , and Gopalan Harris gave birth to Kamala and then Maya two years later .
Even with young children , the duo continued their advocacy .
As a little girl , Harris says she remembers an energetic sea of moving legs and the cacophony of chants as her parents made their way to marches .
She writes of her parents being sprayed with police hoses , confronted by Hells Angels and once , with the future senator in a stroller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence broke out .
Sharon McGaffie , a family friend whose mother , Regina Shelton , was a caregiver for the girls , remembers Gopalan Harris speaking to her daughters as if they were adults and exposing them to worlds often walled off to children , whether a civil rights march or a visit to mom ’ s laboratory or a seminar where the mother was delivering a speech .
“ She would take the girls and they would pull out their little backpacks and they would be in that environment , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the marriage , Harris ’ parents divorced .
The senator gives the pain of the parting only a few words in her biography .
Those who are close to her describe her childhood as happy , the smells of her mother ’ s cooking filling the kitchen and the sound of constant chatter and laughter buffeting the air .
The mother ’ s influence on her girls grew even greater , and those who know Harris say they see it reflected throughout her life .
“ You can ’ t know who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was , ” her sister Maya tweeted Tuesday after Biden announced his pick .
“ Missing her terribly , but know she and the ancestors are smiling today.
” As a kindergartner , Stacey Johnson-Batiste remembers Harris coming to her aid when a classroom bully grabbed her craft project and threw it to the floor , which brought retaliation from the boy .
He hit the future politician in the head with something that caused enough bleeding to necessitate a hospital visit , cementing for Johnson-Batiste a lifelong friendship with Harris and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embodies the ethics of her mother .
“ Even back then , ” Johnson-Batiste said , “ she has always stood up for what she thought was right.
” As a teenager , after her mother got a job that prompted a family move to Montreal , Harris began seeing how she could achieve change in ways small and large .
Outside her family ’ s apartment , she and her sister protested a prohibition against soccer on the building ’ s lawn , which Harris said resulted in the rule being overturned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she homed in on a career goal of being a lawyer .
Sophie Maxwell , a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors , said Harris wasn ’ t choosing to eschew activism but rather to incorporate it into a life in law : “ Those two things go hand in hand.
” In college , at Howard University in Washington , D.C. , Shelley Young Thompkins recalls a classmate who was certain of what she wanted to do in life , who was serious about her studies and who put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until her final year even as she made time for sit-ins and protests .
Thompkins and Harris both won student council posts .
In her new friend , Young Thompkins saw a young woman intent on not squandering all that her mother had worked to give her .
“ We were these two freshmen girls who want to save the world , ” she said .
From there , Harris ’ story is much better known : a return to California for law school ; a failed first attempt at the bar ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oakland and San Francisco ; a brazen and successful run at unseating her former boss as district attorney ; election as state attorney general and U.S. senator ; and a run for president that launched with fanfare but dissolved before the first votes were cast .
Each step of the way , friends point to the influence of Gopalan Harris as a constant .
Andrea Dew Steele remembers it being apparent from the moment they sat down to craft the very first flyer for Harris ’ first campaign for public office .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Dew Steele said .
“ When she was alive she was a force , and since she ’ s passed away she ’ s still a force.
” Dew Steele remembers when she finally met Gopalan Harris at a campaign event .
It immediately struck her : “ Oh , this is where Kamala gets it from.
” As much as mother and daughter shared , Gopalan Harris believed the world would see them differently .
Those who knew her say she was dismayed by racial inequality in the U.S. Understanding her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their mixed heritage , she surrounded them with Black role models and immersed them in Black culture .
They sang in the children ’ s choir at a Black church and regularly visited Rainbow Sign , a former Berkeley funeral home that was transformed into a vibrant Black cultural centre .
Though the senator talks of attending anti-apartheid protests in college and frames her life story as being in the same mould as her mother , she opted to pursue change by seeking a seat at the table .
“ I knew part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d seen all my life , surrounded by adults shouting and marching and demanding justice from the outside .
But I also knew there was an important role on the inside , ” she wrote in “ The Truths We Hold.
” To launch her political career , Harris had to unseat a man of her mother ’ s generation — a liberal prosecutor who was the product of a left-wing family , who was active in the civil rights movement and who became a hero to other activists whom he defended in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a tougher-on-crime alternative .
Once in office , bound by the parameters of the law and the realities of politics , Harris ’ choices stirred some to dismiss her claims of progressivism even as many others fiercely defend her .
She frames her philosophy in the example of her mother — concentrating on overarching goals through smaller daily steps .
“ She wasn ’ t fixated on that distant dream .
She focused on the work right in front of her , ” the senator wrote .
Gopalan Harris defied generations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after getting her doctorate , tossing aside expectations of an arranged marriage .
Her daughter portrays her mother ’ s spirit of activism as being in her blood .
Gopalan Harris ’ mother took in victims of domestic abuse and educated women about contraception .
Her father was active in India ’ s independence movement and became a diplomat .
The couple spent time living in Zambia after the end of British rule there , working to settle refugees .
Joe Gray , who was Gopalan Harris ’ boss after she returned from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , struggles to describe how a 5-foot-1-inch woman managed to fill a room with her commanding presence .
Gray , now a professor at Oregon Health and Science University , didn ’ t see Gopalan Harris as a “ crusader in the workplace ” but said she insisted on racial and gender equity , would make known her disapproval to an insensitive comment and was assertive in defending her work in cancer research .
Even from a distance , he ’ s struck by how much Harris reminds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the TV persona , but a lot of Shyamala ’ s directness and sense of social justice , those seem to come through , ” he said .
“ I sense the same spirit.
” Lateefah Simon sensed it , too .
She was a high school dropout-turned-MacArthur fellow Harris hired to join the San Francisco DA ’ s office to head a program for first-time offenders .
Simon was skeptical of taking a role in a criminal justice system she saw as broken and biased , but Harris impressed her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mother as well .
At campaign events , Simon would watch Gopalan Harris , always in the front row , always beaming with pride .
She saw how both mother and daughter were meticulous about tiny details , how they were hard workers but maintained a sense of joy in the labours , how their laugh would echo in the room .
One time , Simon said Gopalan Harris sent her away from a fundraiser because she was wearing tennis shoes , gently reminding her , “ We always show up excellent.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the same message when Harris took a break from her Senate race to support her run for a seat on the Bay Area Rapid Transit District board .
Descending from her campaign bus , Harris was quick with some words of advice for her friend : “ Girl , clean your glasses.
” “ It ’ s her saying , ‘ I believe in you and I want people to see what I see in you , ‘ ” Simon said .
Remembering her brush with the senator ’ s mother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that from Shyamala just in that one moment , can you imagine the many jewels Kamala got from her growing up ?
” It ’ s an influence that far outweighed that of Harris ’ father .
He and her mother separated when she was 5 before ultimately divorcing .
She writes of seeing him on weekends and over summers after he became a professor at Stanford University .
In a piece he wrote for the Jamaica Global website , Harris said he never gave up his love for his daughters , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superhero in her children ’ s book .
But the iciness of their relationship was on display last year when she jokingly linked her use of marijuana to her Jamaican heritage .
Her father labeled the comment a “ travesty ” and a shameful soiling of the family reputation “ in the pursuit of identity politics.
” The senator is curt in responding to questions about him , saying they have “ off and on ” contact .
Labrie said though the father attended his daughter ’ s Senate swearing-in , he wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He thinks the marijuana hubbub worsened their relationship .
“ I think that was the straw that really broke the camel ’ s back , ” he said .
The singularity of her mother ’ s role in her life made her death even harder for Harris .
Gopalan Harris relished roles in her daughter ’ s early campaigns but was gone before seeing her advance beyond a local office .
The senator says she still thinks of her constantly .
“ It can still get me choked up , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It doesn ’ t matter how many years have passed.
” The senator still uses pots and wooden spoons from her mother and thinks of her when she is back home and able to cook .
Her mother ’ s amethyst ring sparkles from her hand .
She finds herself asking her mother for advice or remembering one of her oft-repeated lines .
“ I dearly wish she were here with us this week , “ Harris tweeted Thursday .
She pictures the pride her mother wore as she stood beside her when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She remembers worrying about staying composed as she uttered her mother ’ s name in her inaugural address as attorney general .
She thinks of her mother asking a hospice nurse if her daughters would be OK as cancer drew her final day closer .
“ There is no title or honour on earth I ’ ll treasure more than to say I am Shyamala Gopalan Harris ’ daughter , ” she wrote .
“ That is the truth I hold dearest of all.
” Sedensky can be reached at msedensky @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--EU holding urgent talks on Greece-Turkey energy dispute

ATHENS , Greece - European Union foreign ministers prepared Friday for urgent talks on military tensions between Greece and Turkey as the neighbouring countries ’ navies continued a game of brinkmanship over eastern Mediterranean drilling rights .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would press ahead with its search for oil and gas in the disputed waters until Aug. 23 as planned .
But following a phone call with German ’ s leader , he signalled that Ankara and Berlin had agreed to a “ softening ” of positions after that date .
There was no indication from Athens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed , on the matter .
Erdogan warned , however , that Turkey would strongly respond to any “ harassment ” of its vessels by Greece .
Turkey has a research ship accompanied by two warships prospecting between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete , and Greece deployed its own naval vessels to the area .
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias travelled to Vienna to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg .
The emergency EU meeting , which also has the political crisis in Belarus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by video conference .
Although the meeting is not expected to produce any decisions , Athens is seeking the 27-country bloc ’ s backing and a commitment for potential EU sanctions from its partners in the dispute with Turkey , which comes weeks after a similar confrontation was defused with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ’ s intercession .
Ahead of his meeting with Greece ’ s Dendias , Austria ’ s Schallenberg said he was “ very concerned about the dangerous and alarming situation , which we believe could escalate.
” “ Actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mediterranean ... should lead the European Union to reevaluate its relations with Turkey , “ he said .
So far , only France has responded , pledging to boost its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean and sending two warships to the area Thursday for joint drills with the Greek navy .
France also deployed two fighter planes to Crete .
French relations with Turkey , which is not an EU member , are already bad over Ankara ’ s involvement in Libya ’ s civil war .
Relations between historic regional rivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Turkey have hit a more than two-decade low after Turkey sent a seismic research ship , escorted by warships , to prospect Monday for potential offshore oil and gas in waters Athens claims as its own .
Greece placed its armed forces on high alert and sent warships to the spot , south of Turkey between Crete and the island nation of Cyprus , demanding the vessels ’ withdrawal .
Turkey claims it has every right to prospect in the area , as well as in neighbouring waters Cyprus considers its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas deposits in recent years off Israel , Egypt and Cyprus .
The governments in Athens and Ankara have spoken of the need for peaceful dialogue , though it ’ s unclear how that could happen with each insisting that they will defend their rights .
Meanwhile , with the warships dancing about each other in a relatively small patch of the eastern Mediterranean , there ’ s a real danger of rapid escalation in the case of an accidental collision or hostile act .
Erdogan said that during his call with Merkel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ softening of the issue and to proceed in a more protective understanding.
“ “ We agreed , ” Erdogan told reporters , adding that he hoped the Greek leadership would “ reach the same point.
” Erdogan added : “ We will not leave unanswered the slightest attack against our civilian ships.
” The Turkish leader also said his country had responded to an incident involving the Turkish research ship Oruc Reis .
Greek officials said they were unaware of any incident Thursday , and the Foreign Ministry said Dendias would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the true events during recent days concerning operational incidents in the area.
” In Switzerland meanwhile , Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey does not seek an escalation and called on the EU to convince Greece to act with “ reason.
” He also accused France of engaging in “ bullying ” in the eastern Mediterranean .
“ Instead of indulging Greece and giving unconditional support , the EU should invite ( Athens ) to act with reason , ” Cavusoglu told reporters during a news conference with his Swiss counterpart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid steps that escalate tensions .
Bullying will get it nowhere .
”

Nicholas Paphitis And Suzan Fraser - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Angolan court sentences ex-leader’s son to 5 years in prison

JOHANNESBURG - A court in Angola has sentenced the son of former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos to five years in prison for fraud and other crimes .
The Angolan Supreme Court sentenced Jose Filomeno do Santos , former head of the country ’ s sovereign wealth fund , and three other defendants for crimes that also included embezzlement and influence-peddling , the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported .
Prison terms ranged from five to eight years .
Dos Santos in 2018 was prevented from leaving the oil-rich southern African nation .
He was accused along with the former governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valter Filipe , over an “ irregular ” transfer of $ 500 million to a British bank .
Dos Santos had been appointed board chairman of Angola ’ s sovereign wealth fund while his father was president .
Jose Eduardo dos Santos left office in 2017 after nearly 38 years in power .
Shortly after taking office , current President Joao Lourenco removed dos Santos as the wealth fund ’ s chairman and fired dos Santos ’ daughter — said to be Africa ’ s richest woman — as chair of the powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s former defence minister , also appointed a crop of new ministers to differentiate himself from his predecessor while vowing to tackle the corruption that has long hurt one of Africa ’ s largest oil producers .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Palestinians say UAE deal hinders quest for Mideast peace

JERUSALEM - Israel ’ s agreement to establish diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates marks a watershed moment in its relations with Arab countries , but the Palestinians say it puts a just resolution of the Middle East conflict even farther out of reach .
The UAE presented its decision to upgrade longstanding ties to Israel as a way of encouraging peace efforts by taking Israel ’ s planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank off the table , something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly rebuffed by insisting the pause was “ temporary.
” From the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to stop annexation , which would dash any remaining hopes of establishing a viable , independent state .
It also undermined an Arab consensus that recognition of Israel only come in return for concessions in peace talks — a rare source of leverage for the Palestinians .
“ I never expected this poison dagger to come from an Arab country , ” Saeb Erekat , a senior Palestinian official and veteran negotiator said Friday .
“ You are rewarding aggression .
... You have destroyed , with this move , any possibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump has presented the U.S.-brokered agreement as a major diplomatic achievement and said he expects more Arab and Muslim countries to follow suit .
Israel has quietly cultivated ties with the UAE and other Gulf countries for several years as they have confronted a shared enemy in Iran .
In Israel , the agreement has renewed long-standing hopes for normal relations with its Arab neighbours .
Netanyahu has long insisted , contrary to generations of failed peace negotiators , that Israel can enjoy such ties without resolving its conflict with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have been proven right .
“ It ’ s hard to claim right now that the 53-year-old occupation is ‘ unsustainable ’ when Netanyahu has just proved that not only is it sustainable , but Israel can improve its ties with the Arab world , openly , with the occupation still going , ” wrote Anshel Pfeffer , a columnist for Israel ’ s Haaretz newspaper .
But the Middle East conflict was never between Israel and the United Arab Emirates , which have fought no wars and share no borders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely force the Palestinians to harden their stance and redouble their efforts to isolate Israel .
The Palestinian Authority issued a scathing statement in response to the move , calling it a “ betrayal of Jerusalem , Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian cause , ” language clearly aimed at inflaming Arab and Muslim sentiment worldwide .
The Palestinians have called for an urgent meeting of the Arab League and the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation to condemn the move .
But in those forums they will be pitted against the oil-rich UAE , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region and even more influence in Washington following the agreement with Israel .
The international campaign is “ meant to isolate the Emiratis so that other countries will not take the same step , ” said Ibrahim Dalalsha , a Palestinian analyst .
“ Whether it will succeed in this or not , it remains to be seen.
” Iran and Turkey lashed out at the UAE , a regional rival , accusing it of betraying the Palestinians , Arabs and Muslims .
But the agreement , and the decision to pause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the international community , including Egypt and the Gulf Arab nations of Bahrain and Oman .
Many countries expressed hope it would revive the peace process .
The Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank , east Jerusalem and Gaza , areas seized by Israel in the 1967 war .
Trump ’ s plan would allow Israel to keep nearly all of east Jerusalem , including holy sites sacred to Christians , Jews and Muslims , and annex up to a third of the West Bank .
The Palestinians have angrily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister Heiko Maas reiterated his country ’ s support for a two-state solution when he called to congratulate Israel on the “ historic ” agreement with the UAE .
“ We stand by our position that only a negotiated two-state solution can bring lasting peace to the Middle East , ” Maas said in a statement .
“ Together with our European partners and the region we have campaigned intensively in past months against an annexation and for the resumption of direct negotiations.
” France and Italy issued similar statements .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similarly unbearable status quo , in which Israel rules the West Bank and expands Jewish settlements while the international community calls for peace talks that never materialize .
Any serious negotiations , or lasting solution to the conflict , will require the Palestinians , who feel they have been brushed aside .
“ We ’ re now in a situation where everybody is talking about us and no one is talking to us , “ said Diana Buttu , a former legal adviser to the Palestinian Authority .
It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ as though we are just some problem that needs to be addressed without ever speaking to us.
” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suspended all contacts with the U.S. after it recognized disputed Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017 .
In May , the Palestinians cut all ties with Israel , including security co-ordination , in response to the threat of annexation , and said they would no longer abide by any past agreements with Israel or the United States .
In recent weeks , as the threat of annexation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some had speculated the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority would quietly back down , if only to restore the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes collected by Israel .
Now , in the wake of the UAE agreement , many say that ’ s out of the question .
“ This is not a way for them to climb down from the tree , “ Buttu said .
” It ’ s quite the opposite , I think it keeps them there .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Pompeo to meet head of UN nuclear watchdog as council votes

VIENNA - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Austria , where he will see the head of the United Nations ’ nuclear watchdog as members of the U.N. Security Council vote on a long-shot American bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran .
The vote in New York will likely set the stage for a showdown between world powers over whether international sanctions eased under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal can or should be reimposed on Washington ’ s demand .
Pompeo ’ s meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi on Friday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before results from the Security Council vote are known .
Whatever the result , the IAEA plays a major role in the future of the nuclear deal that it monitors .
“ Iran must provide full , transparent and immediate co-operation with the IAEA , ” Pompeo told reporters at a news conference with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg .
“ We can ’ t allow the world ’ s biggest state sponsor of terrorism to buy and sell weapons .
I mean , that ’ s just nuts.
” “ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
This isn ’ t about the JCPOA , “ he said , using the acronym for the nuclear deal , which is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action .
” This is about whether the world is going to allow Iran to buy and sell weapons systems.
” Before his talks with Grossi , Pompeo met with senior Austrian officials , including Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz , to discuss European energy independence , the security of 5G wireless networks and the threats to both posed by Russia and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third leg of a four-nation tour of eastern and central Europe that has already taken him to the Czech Republic and Slovenia .
He will wrap up the trip in Poland on Saturday .
The U.S. resolution to indefinitely extend the Iran arms embargo , which is due to expire in October under the terms of the nuclear deal that President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018 , is widely expected to fail due to European resistance and strong opposition from veto-wielding council members Russia and China .
The council began voting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic , and results are expected to be announced Friday evening .
It is likely the resolution will not get the minimum nine “ yes ” votes in the 15-member Security Council for Russia and China to use their vetoes .
American officials , including Pompeo , have said failure to extend the embargo will likely be met by the U.S. invoking the so-called snapback procedure that would reimpose all U.N. sanctions lifted by the nuclear deal .
The other participants maintain the U.S. no longer has standing to invoke the snapback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Washington argues that it retains that right as an original participant and permanent member of the Security Council , which endorsed the deal .
The U.S. has circulated to council members a six-page memo from U.S. State Department legal advisers outlining why the United States remains part of the Security Council resolution and still has the right to use the snapback provision .
Pompeo would not be drawn on whether the U.S. would immediately try to invoke the snapback if the resolution fails .
“ We ’ re going to do everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to stop that from happening , he said .
“ We hope that we ’ ll be successful .
When we see the results we ’ ll decide what to do.
” The U.S. initially circulated a resolution to the 15-member council to indefinitely extend the arms embargo that was seven pages long and had 35 paragraphs .
This week , following discussions with council members who voiced objections to a number of provisions , it circulated a revised draft that stripped the resolution to just four paragraphs calling for an indefinite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and China , in separate letters to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council last month , were sharply critical of the U.S. effort to indefinitely extend the arms embargo .
They gave every indication they would veto any such resolution if necessary .
Diplomats from several countries that remain committed to the nuclear deal have expressed serious concern that extending the arms embargo would lead to Iran ’ s exit from the agreement and its hastened pursuit of nuclear weapons .
Trump reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran after he unilaterally withdrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Western powers in May 2018 .
Iran later responded by slowly abandoning nearly every aspect of the agreement , although it still allows U.N. inspectors access to its nuclear sites .
The sanctions have caused Iran ’ s oil exports , the country ’ s main source of income , to fall sharply .
Iran ’ s Foreign Ministry has accused the U.S. of “ economic terrorism .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Thai student rallies continue despite activist’s arrest

BANGKOK - Student activists at Thailand ’ s most prestigious university defied a ban by college administrators and staged an anti-government rally on Friday , as a prominent protest leader was arrested elsewhere for his involvement in a previous demonstration .
Hundreds of students gathered in a hall on the campus of Chulalongkorn University in central Bangkok to hear speeches calling for a new constitution and for the government to resign .
A heavy rain forced a change of venue from an outdoor plaza and may have discouraged attendance .
The rally was banned by the university , which said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given too short notice to ensure safety .
Protest organizers announced they would go ahead with the event anyway , even though those taking part were threatened with possible punishment .
The rally was the latest in a series in several major cities around the country .
Several activists involved in organizing earlier protests have been arrested on various charges , including sedition .
Police on Friday stopped a car carrying Parit “ Penguin ” Chiwarak and arrested him on a sedition charge in connection with a July 18 protest .
His arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he was reportedly travelling to a protest at another university , was shown in a video on his Facebook page .
The protests have been gaining steam for several weeks but took a controversial turn on Monday , when some speakers at another university north of Bangkok openly criticized aspects of Thailand ’ s constitutional monarchy .
The openness of that challenge to what is traditionally the country ’ s most revered institution sent shock waves through the country .
The monarchy is protected by a draconian defamation law that carries a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison .
It also put pressure on the government to crack down harder on the protest movement , at the risk of stoking further discontent among supporters of the student activists .
The wave of protests has pressured Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ’ s government , whose competence to run the economy was already in question before the pandemic , with growth struggling in comparison with Thailand ’ s Asian neighbours .
The growing anti-government agitation has mainly taken aim at its perceived illegitimacy .
Prayuth , a former army commander , originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He retained it last year in an election under rules that opponents say were drawn up to all but guarantee his victory .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Iran FM claims West using Beirut blast to dictate policies

BEIRUT - Iran said Friday that Western countries should not take advantage of the massive explosion in Beirut last week that killed scores and wounded thousands of people to dictate their own policies on the tiny Arab country .
The comments by Iran ’ s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Beirut came as a senior U.S. official and France ’ s defence minister were also in the country .
The Aug. 4 blast at Beirut ’ s port , the result of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate igniting and setting off a massive explosion , killed nearly 180 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage in the capital .
Lebanon ’ s government resigned earlier this week under pressure and consultations between rival groups are ongoing over who will replace Hassan Diab as prime minister .
The blast has swelled popular anger at official corruption and mismanagement and political uncertainty .
Western leaders have said they will send aid directly to the Lebanese people and that billions of dollars will not be pumped into the country before major reforms take place .
During a visit to Beirut last week , French President Emmanuel Macron met political leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a “ new political order.
” Lebanese local media reported that the U.S. wants the new government in Lebanon to exclude the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah group , which is considered a terrorist organization by Washington and its allies .
“ We believe that Lebanon as government and people are the side that decide on this , ” Zarif said after meeting with outgoing Lebanese counterpart Charbel Wehbi .
“ No foreign side should take advantage of the catastrophic conditions and the needs of Lebanon to impose dictates that are in their interests.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dictate and impose a government leaving out major Lebanese political factions as “ inhumane.
” Zarif added that he raised the possibility of co-operation between Tehran and Beirut in the fields of reconstruction and improving Lebanon ’ s crumbling electricity sector .
He said Lebanon “ is sovereign and free ” and should be in charge of the investigation into the blast “ but other parties can help and we are ready to offer help if asked.
” Meanwhile , President Michel Aoun met Friday with U.S .
Undersecretary for Political Affairs David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new government will be to conduct reforms and fight corruption , according to Aoun ’ s office .
On Thursday , Hale said the FBI will join Lebanese and other international investigators in the probe of Beirut ’ s massive explosion .
Earlier on Friday , the U.N. humanitarian affairs agency said in its report that the explosion has affected operations at six hospitals , and damaged more than 20 clinics in the parts of Beirut worst hit by the blast .
“ A preliminary rapid assessment within a 15-kilometre radius @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , out of 55 medical facilities , only half are fully operational and around 40 % have suffered moderate to serious damage and need rehabilitation , ” the report said .
It is still not known what caused the Aug. 4 fire that ignited nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut ’ s port .
But documents have emerged in the wake of the explosion that show the country ’ s top leadership and security officials were aware of the chemicals being stored in the city port .
Lebanon ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency in Beirut in its first session since the tragic explosion last week , granting the military sweeping powers amid rising popular anger and political uncertainty .
Some 120 schools , used by 50,000 students , have been damaged .
More than 1,000 of nearly 50,000 residential units were severely damaged , the U.N. report said .
At east 13 refugees , including at least two Palestinians , were among those killed and more than 170,000 residents ’ apartments were damaged , according to the U.N. report .
Despite damage to the silos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said food shortages are not expected .
The blast struck Beirut in the midst of a crippling financial and economic crisis , and the U.N. predicted people will have difficulties restoring or fixing their homes .
But at least 55 % of buildings assessed were rented , which may allow people to move elsewhere , the U.N. said .
According to the world body , the Beirut port is operating at 30 % capacity and the Tripoli port in the country ’ s north , at 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and goods to continue to flow .
The World Food Program is bringing in a three-month supply of wheat flour and grains .
However , the U.N. humanitarian affairs agency said it is concerned about a surge in coronavirus cases , particularly as social distancing is relaxed during the widespread volunteering to help those affected by the blast and protests against the government and political elite .
Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Postal Service warns states across US about mail voting

WASHINGTON - The U.S .
Postal Service is warning states coast to coast that it can not guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted , even if mailed by state deadlines , raising the possibility that millions of voters could be disenfranchised .
Voters and lawmakers in several states are also complaining that some curbside mail collection boxes are being removed .
Even as President Donald Trump rails against wide-scale voting by mail , the post office is bracing for an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to states raise the possibility that many Americans eligible for mail-in ballots this fall will not have them counted .
But that is not the intent , Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in his own letter to Democratic congressional leaders .
The post office is merely “ asking elected officials and voters to realistically consider how the mail works , and be mindful of our delivery standards , in order to provide voters ample time to cast ballots through the mail , “ wrote DeJoy , a prominent Trump political donor who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were first reported by The Washington Post .
The back-and-forth comes amid a vigorous campaign by Trump to sow doubts about mail-in voting as he faces a difficult fight for reelection against Democrat Joe Biden .
Though Trump and many of his top aides cast their own ballots by mail , he ’ s repeatedly criticized efforts to allow more people to do so , which he argues without evidence will lead to increased voter fraud that could cost him the election .
Meanwhile , members of Congress from both parties have voiced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many will cast their ballots , have abruptly been removed in some states .
At the same time that the need for timely delivery of the mail is peaking , service has been curtailed amid cost-cutting and efficiency measures ordered by the DeJoy , the new postmaster general , who is a former supply-chain CEO .
He has implemented measures to eliminate overtime pay and hold mail over if distribution centres are running late .
The Post Office released letters it sent to all 50 states and the District Columbia on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote-by-mail laws were given a less stringent warning , the majority with more restrictive requirements that limit when a ballot must be cast were told the situation was more dire .
The laws , the letters said , create a “ risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will not be returned by mail in time to be counted.
“ Many state officials criticized the move .
“ This is a deeply troubling development in what is becoming a clear pattern of attempted voter suppression by the Trump administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
“ I am committed to making sure all Virginians have access to the ballot box , and will continue to work with state and federal lawmakers to ensure safe , secure and accessible elections this fall.
” Kim Wyman , the Republican secretary of state in Washington state , where all voting is by mail , said sending fall ballot material to millions of voters there is a “ routine operation of the U.S .
Postal Service.
” “ Politicizing these administrative processes is dangerous and undermines public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
“ This volume of work is by no means unusual , and is an operation I am confident the U.S .
Postal Service is sufficiently prepared to fulfil.
” Meanwhile , the removal of Postal Service collection mailboxes triggered concerns and anger in Oregon and Montana .
Boxes were also removed in Indiana and other states .
In Montana , postal officials said the removals were part of a program to eliminate underused drop boxes .
But after the outcry , which included upset members of Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiative in Montana .
It was unclear if those efforts were also suspended in other states , and Post Office officials did not respond to inquiries .
At least 25 mailboxes were removed in mid-July in Montana with another 30 scheduled to be taken away soon , said Julie Quilliam , president of the Montana Letter Carriers Association .
She rejected the claim that the boxes were removed because of low usage .
“ Some of the boxes scheduled to be removed from downtown Billings are nearly overflowing daily , ” Quilliam wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of Montana ’ s congressional delegation — two of whom are Republican — raised concerns about the removal of mailboxes in letters sent to Postmaster DeJoy .
“ These actions set my hair on fire and they have real life implications for folks in rural America and their ability to access critical postal services like paying their bills and voting in upcoming elections , ” said Sen. Jon Tester , a Democrat .
Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte , both Republicans , raised similar concerns in letters to DeJoy about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have on delivery times .
All three asked for information on how the agency decided which boxes to remove and whether any more removals were planned .
“ During the current public health crisis it is more important than ever the USPS continue to provide prompt , dependable delivery service , ” said Gianforte .
Postal Service spokesperson Ernie Swanson said the Oregon removals were due to declining mail volume and said duplicate mailboxes were taken from places that had more than one .
The Postal Service said four mailboxes were removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail volume has declined significantly in the U.S. , especially since the pandemic , ” Swanson said .
“ That translates to less mail in collection boxes.
“ Separately , the National Association of Letter Carriers , which represents 300,000 current and retired workers , endorsed Biden .
The union said Trump has been hostile to the post office and has undermined it and its workers while Biden “ is — was — and will continue to be — a fierce ally and defender of the United States Postal Service , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Helena , Montana .
Associated Press writers across the U.S. contributed to this report .

Brian Slodysko And Amy Beth Hanson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--UN soundly defeats US demand to extend arms embargo on Iran

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The U.N. Security Council on Friday resoundingly defeated a U.S. resolution to indefinitely extend the U.N. arms embargo on Iran , with the Trump administration getting support from only the Dominican Republic but vowing further action to prevent Tehran ’ s sale and export of conventional weapons .
The vote in the 15-member council was two in favour , two against and 11 abstentions , leaving it far short of the minimum nine “ yes ” votes required for adoption .
Russia and China strongly opposed the resolution , but didn ’ t need to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said repeatedly it will not allow the arms embargo provision in the Security Council resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers to expire as scheduled Oct. 18 .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the defeat of the resolution ahead of a very brief virtual council meeting to reveal the vote .
He said Israel and the six Arab Gulf nations who supported the extension “ know Iran will spread even greater chaos and destruction if the embargo expires , but the Security Council chose to ignore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never abandon our friends in the region who expected more from the Security Council , ” Pompeo said in a statement .
“ We will continue to work to ensure that the theocratic terror regime does not have the freedom to purchase and sell weapons that threaten the heart of Europe , the Middle East and beyond.
” U.S .
Ambassador Kelly Craft said “ the United States stands sickened — but not surprised — as the clear majority of council members gave the green light to Iran to buy and sell all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council ’ s failure today will serve neither peace nor security , ” she warned .
“ Rather , it will fuel greater conflict and drive even more insecurity.
” Pompeo suggested the U.S. would invoke the “ snap back ” mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal that would restore all U.N. sanctions on Iran — and Craft said the United States will go ahead “ in the coming days ” and keep America ’ s “ promise to stop at nothing to extend the arms embargo.
” “ Snap back ” was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be in violation of the accord , under which it received billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program .
President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers , known as the JCPOA , in 2018 .
But the U.S. circulated a six-page memo Thursday from State Department lawyers outlining why the United States remains part of the 2015 Security Council resolution that endorsed the deal and still has the right to use the ` snap back ’ provision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China , United Kingdom , France and Germany — remain committed to the deal , and diplomats from several of these countries have voiced concern that extending the arms embargo would lead Iran to exit the nuclear agreement and speed up its pursuit of nuclear weapons .
China ’ s U.N. ambassador , Zhang Jun , reiterated after the vote the Chinese contention that since the U.S. is no longer party to the 2015 agreement , it is “ ineligible to demand the Security Council invoke a snap back.
” He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe the U.S. attempt has no legal basis.
” “ Should the U.S. insist regardless of international opinion , it is doomed to fail like today , ” Zhang said in a statement , adding that the vote showed “ that unilateralism receives no support and bullying will fail.
” Iranian Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi accused the U.S. of seeking to use the arms embargo “ as a pretext of killing the JCPOA forever through the snap back mechanism.
” “ As we have already stated , imposition of any sanctions or restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be met severely by Iran and our options are not limited .
And the United States and any entity which may assist it or acquiesce in its illegal behaviour , will bear the full responsibility , ” he said .
While voting on the U.S. draft resolution was under way , Russia said President Vladimir Putin called for a meeting of leaders of the five permanent members of the Security Council along with Germany and Iran to avoid escalation over U.S. attempts to extend the Iranian arms embargo .
In a statement released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question is urgent , “ adding that the goal of the video conference would be “ to outline steps to avoid confrontation and exacerbation of the situation in the U.N. Security Council , ” ” If the leaders are fundamentally ready for a conversation , we propose to promptly co-ordinate the agenda , ” Putin said .
“ The alternative is to further build up tension , to increase the risk of conflict .
This development must be avoided.
” French President Emmanuel Macron ’ s office confirmed France ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s proposal .
“ We have in the past deployed initiatives in the same spirit , ” it said .
Whether Trump and the others agree to participate in the meeting remains to be seen .
On Thursday , U.S. envoy Craft said in an interview with The Associated Press that the United States is “ keeping the space open ” for talks with Britain , France and Germany , as well as Russia and China .
She urged the three European nations that support the nuclear deal — Britain , France and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas to extend the expiring arms embargo on Iran , indicating the Trump administration may be willing compromise on its demand for an indefinite extension .
She said they had mentioned a six-month or one-year extension .
European diplomats said the three countries share the U.S. goal of maintaining the arms embargo but need to find a compromise with Russia and China .
The diplomats , speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions have been private , said the Europeans had offered a compromise proposal but the U.S. , Russia and China showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration wants to end the Iran nuclear agreement before the American elections Nov. 3 , the Europeans said , pointing to the time pressure the U.S. is exerting since the arms embargo doesn ’ t expire until October and there would still be time for negotiations .
Germany ’ s deputy U.N. ambassador , Günter Sautter , said after the vote that Germany remains committed to the nuclear deal , but remains deeply concerned about Iran ’ s transfers of weapon to Yemen , Lebanon , Syria and Iraq in violation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been engaging with council members and is ready to continue discussions “ in order to find a pragmatic way forward , which addresses our collective concerns.
“


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Asia Today: S. Korea’s cases jump again, lower in Victoria

SEOUL , Korea , Republic Of - SEOUL , South Korea -- South Korea has reported 166 newly confirmed case of the coronavirus , it ’ s highest daily jump in five months , as health authorities fear transmissions are getting out of control in the greater capital area that ’ s home to half of the country ’ s 51 million people .
The figures announced by South Korea ’ s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Saturday brought the national caseload to 15,039 , including 305 deaths .
The KCDC said 155 of the new infections were local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metropolitan area where authorities scurried to shut down thousands of churches , which have emerged as a major source of COVID-19 cases .
Many of them had failed to properly enforce preventive measures , allowing worshippers to take off their masks , sing in choirs or eat together in diners .
Other clusters have been tied to nursing homes , schools , restaurants , outdoor markets and door-to-door salespeople .
Government officials have expressed concern that transmissions could worsen due to demonstrations planned by anti-government protesters and labour unionists in Seoul on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s liberation from Japanese rule at the end of World War II .
The spike could result in stronger social distancing measures at major cities , which they have so far been reluctant to take because of economic concerns .
They could include a ban on public gatherings , shutdowns of entertainment venues , and removing fans from baseball and other professional sports , which began to partially let in spectators only in late July .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — The Australian state of Victoria continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 infections and deaths in the hard-hit area .
It reported four more deaths and 303 new cases in the past 24 hours .
It ’ s the second-lowest daily figure in Victoria this month after 278 cases on Thursday .
Victoria ’ s daily numbers are gradually decreasing , with the seven-day average down to 344 from 521 a week ago .
But authorities warn there is more progress needed before lockdown restrictions in the city of Melbourne can be eased .
Melbourne residents and those in a nearby shire remain subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on outdoor exercise , distance allowed from home , mandatory public mask wearing and shutdowns of non-essential industries .
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says , “ We could not conceive of opening up with 200 cases a day .
We couldn ’ t do it with 100 cases a day .
We have to head for the lowest possible number.
” The four deaths announced Saturday take the state ’ s toll to 293 and the Australian COVID-19 death total to 379 .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--On V-J Day, UK’s Johnson pays tribute to campaign’s veterans

LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is paying tribute to veterans of the multinational World War II campaign against Japan , which formally ended 75 years ago some three months after Nazi Germany had been vanquished in Europe .
In an open V-J Day anniversary letter released Saturday and addressed to “ Veterans of the Far East Campaign , ” Johnson hailed the courage of those who fought in Asia and the Pacific .
The six-year campaign cost the lives of some 50,000 British and Commonwealth troops , nearly half of whom perished in brutal prison camps .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but your achievements are written in the lights of the glittering capitals of the dynamic region we see today , “ he said .
Following the surrender of the Nazis on May 8 , 1945 , V-E Day , Allied troops carried on fighting the Japanese until an armistice was declared on Aug. 15 , 1945 .
Japan formally surrendered on Sept. 2 , 1945 , but many Pacific War veterans felt their efforts were not fully recognized and dubbed themselves the “ forgotten army.
” Johnson acknowledged their war-time experiences had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict in Europe , “ but he stressed that their service had brought World War II to an end and inaugurated a period of peace and prosperity across southeast Asia that remains intact to this day .
Britain , which had been a colonial power across much of the region , suffered arguably its biggest military defeat to Japanese forces in the early years of World War II .
Overwhelmed troops had to retreat from Malaysia , Singapore and Burma in some of the most inhospitable conditions imaginable .
“ These blows were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break your will to fight on , “ Johnson said in his tribute letter .
“ But you survived the longest retreat in British history , marching almost 1,000 miles from Burma to India , and then you regrouped and reformed.
” The prime minister also highlighted the creation of the “ formidable ” 14th Army , a fighting force that was made up of nearly a million soldiers , including from India and Africa , and which helped “ turn defeat into victory.
“ In the national capital Canberra , Australian Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory that changed the course of our history ” in a 75th anniversary commemoration attended by dignitaries from across the country .
“ A country of 7 million united and became one in a mighty national effort to defend human civilization , ” Morrison said .
“ Everyone played their part .
Australia wasn ’ t alone .
We stood with allies and friends.
” Almost 1 million Australians served in World War II , including 39,000 who died and another 30,000 taken prisoner .
About 12,000 are still alive .
Among those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Pacific ” commemoration was 18-year-old Teddy Sheean , a Royal Australian Navy sailor .
He was approved this week by Britain ’ s Queen Elizabeth II to receive a posthumous Victoria Cross , Australia ’ s highest military honour .
The seaman died in 1942 when the HMAS Armidale was sunk by Japanese bombers in the Timor Sea off the north Australian coast .
Sheean strapped himself to an anti-aircraft gun and fired at enemy planes as the ship went down , and was credited with saving the lives of 49 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Brisbane , Australia , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--75 years later, can Asia shake off shackles of the past?

TOKYO - Northeast Asia doesn ’ t so much repeat history as drag it along like an anchor .
The bombs stopped falling 75 years ago , but it is entirely possible — crucial even , some argue — to view the region ’ s world-beating economies , its massive cultural and political reach and its bitter trade , territory and history disputes through a single prism : World War II and Japan ’ s aggression in the Pacific .
Even as Northeast Asia ’ s tangle of interlinking economic and political webs grows denser by the day , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large now as at any time since 1945 .
Japan in 2020 is unrecognizable to the fascist military machine that once rolled across Asia .
Its military is now legally constrained as a “ self-defence force.
” Its constitution demands peaceful co-operation with the world .
Postwar Japan has pumped trillions of yen ( tens of billions of dollars ) into regional development .
So how does this peaceful , generous , stable nation still enrage so many ?
Why do the crimes of long-dead Japanese politicians and soldiers still loom so large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Koreans and Chinese , there ’ s a dogged perception , long encouraged by their national leaders , that Japan has failed to fully address past atrocities , including the sexual enslavement of Asian women by Japanese troops , the forced labour of Asian men in Japanese factories and mines , and a host of other unresolved insults lingering from Japan ’ s brutal early 20th century push for regional dominance .
Many in Japan , meanwhile , are frustrated that repeated and explicit high-level apologies for wartime actions — not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to former enemies over the years — have seen so little goodwill in return .
It ’ s useful to put the immense scale of the war ’ s horrors in context when examining why , 75 years later , Japan and its neighbours still can ’ t come to terms with what ’ s euphemistically referred to as their “ history problems.
” With its millions dead , injured and displaced , with its grand ideological narratives belying some of the worst brutality in the history of warfare , with its cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as shockingly , rebuilt as glittering , high-tech showpieces , the war in Asia has seared itself into the world ’ s collective consciousness .
Because Japan played such a central role in those years it is jarring to remember what a neglected afterthought it was — isolated , feudal , deeply wary of the outside world — when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry ’ s warships forced the ruling shoguns to open up to trade and commerce with the West in 1854 .
A little less than a century later , Japan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sign surrender papers on the deck of the USS Missouri as it floated in Tokyo Bay .
Japan ’ s breathtaking rise and fall , in that comparatively short period of time , was , according to John Dower ’ s masterful study of the postwar U.S. occupation of Japan , “ swifter , more audacious , more successful , and ultimately more crazed , murderous and self-destructive than anyone had imagined possible .
In retrospect , it seemed almost an illusion — a 93-year dream become nightmare that began and ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those U.S. warships still patrol the same waters , dispatched from permanent American bases in South Korea and Japan .
This infuriates North Korea and China , who use it to justify their own fast-increasing arsenals .
But the anger in North Asia can seem most incandescent when directed at Japan .
The reason the war continues to play such an out-sized role in regional ties is because political leaders in Seoul and Beijing “ see the advantage in keeping these memories alive , not just to honour the dead , which everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ralph Cossa , president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think-tank in Hawaii , said in an email interview .
Most Koreans and Chinese alive today didn ’ t experience the war , and memories of what happened are fading with each passing year .
But “ the narratives of oppression and victimization are central to an identity and cemented through education and popular culture , ” said Daniel Sneider , an expert on East Asia at Stanford University .
“ In that sense , the wartime historical memory also undermines the stability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparison to Asia , Europe has more successfully moved past the trauma of World War II , with Germany now working mostly in partnership with France and Britain , for instance .
This may be because the Soviet threat during the Cold War forced the former European foes to co-operate .
The postwar years in Asia , instead , saw a split that killed collaboration and healing , with Japan and South Korea in the U.S. camp and China and North Korea in the Soviet camp .
The Korean Peninsula was literally split @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The war debate has also divided Japan .
Progressives acknowledge Japan ’ s responsibility for its crimes .
Conservatives , however , say Japan , as it struggled against Western imperialism , was boxed into war by resentful Western powers and then punished by unfair postwar trials .
Those divisions have complicated efforts to address the past and compensate victims .
Many are also exasperated over what ’ s seen in Japan as an unwillingness of China and the Koreas to recognize the efforts Tokyo has made to make amends .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tigers ( and their ) economic miracles would not have happened as quickly , and perhaps not even at all , if Japan had not led the way and provided generous assistance , ” Cossa said .
“ History did not end in 1945 .
There is a second half of the 20th century where no nation was as generous as Japan in helping others.
” Conservative Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe often plays to Japanese frustration with its neighbours .
And much of the anger in South Korea and China centres on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past apologies and crimes and pushing for a stronger military .
So how will Northeast Asia heal its ancient wounds ?
Political leaders , for one , will have to “ resist the temptation to use the past for their own ends .
It also requires a readiness by Japan , and by others , to more fully confront that legacy and reassure Asians and others that they have learned the lessons of the past , ” said Sneider , author of “ Divided Memories : History Textbooks and the Wars in Asia.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any basis for judgment , dealing with the still-painful legacy will not be any easier as a riven Asia moves into the remaining decades of this century .
Foster Klug , AP ’ s news director for Japan , the Koreas , Australia and the South Pacific , has covered Asia since 2005 .
Follow him at www.twitter.com/apklug


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--California wildfires burn amid high risk of brutal blazes

LOS ANGELES - Bone-dry vegetation fueled three wildfires near Los Angeles amid warnings Friday that the risk of new blazes erupting was high as temperatures spike and humidity levels drop during a statewide heat wave .
A huge forest fire that prompted evacuations north of Los Angeles flared up Friday afternoon , sending up an enormous cloud of smoke as it headed toward the California aqueduct in the Antelope Valley .
However , fire crews quickly managed to stop its movement there .
The so-called Lake Fire was just 12 % contained , and after threatening more than 5,400 homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ square miles ( 46.6 square kilometres ) of brush and trees .
Cooler overnight temperatures helped firefighters increase containment .
But the temperature hit 100 degrees ( 38 Celsius ) Friday in the area , and the forecast called for continuing hot , dry weather with dangerous fire conditions because of possible gusty winds .
“ The heat , the weather , that ’ s what made this fire go , “ Nathan Judy of the U.S. Forest Service told KABC-TV .
Record-breaking heat is possible through the weekend , with triple-digit temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state .
Preliminary damage assessments found that at least five buildings burned in the Lake Hughes area north of Los Angeles , but authorities said they believed more had been damaged or destroyed .
There was no containment of a blaze that blackened foothills above the Los Angeles suburb of Azusa .
It churned through 2.3 square miles ( 5.96 square kilometres ) of brush on Thursday and was moving away from homes .
Evacuation orders issued to residents were lifted early Friday .
Another blaze came dangerously close to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ east of Los Angeles , before crews controlled it .
And a Northern California fire in the community of Sloughhouse , near Sacramento , burned about 500 acres ( 202 hectares ) before firefighters stopped its forward spread .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Venezuelan rebels sentenced to prison in failed beach attack

CARACAS , Venezuela - A Venezuelan court has sentenced more than a dozen rebel soldiers to 24 years in prison for a failed beach attack alongside two former U.S. special forces members accused in the armed operation aiming to capture President Nicolás Maduro , officials said Friday .
The ruling against 15 ex-Venezuela soldiers came days after the two ex-Green Berets — Luke Denman and Airan Berry — were sentenced to 20 years in prison for the same operation in early May .
Attorney General Tarek William Saab said in a state TV broadcast that the Venezuelan combatants confessed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They ’ ve admitted responsibility for the acts they ’ re accused of committing , ” Saab said .
“ They ’ re convicted and confessed.
” “ Operation Gideon ” was launched from makeshift training camps in neighbouring Colombia and left at least eight rebel soldiers dead while a total of 82 others have been arrested .
Ex-Green Beret Jordan Goudreau , who operated a Florida-based security firm called Silvercorp USA , claimed responsibility for the failed attack and had hired his two former Army buddies to prepare a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the makeshift camps .
Venezuelan prosecutors have ordered his arrest .
Goudreau is believed to be in the U.S. , where he also is under investigation for possibly violating arms trafficking laws in connection with the botched incursion .
Lawyers for the two former U.S. soldiers have said their clients ’ rights were violated because the private attorneys were not allowed to represent them in the hearing when they pleaded guilty .
Saab rejected the claims , saying the men had public defenders and a translator during the Aug. 7 hearing inside El @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s intelligence police .
The failed raid also prompted claims that U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó had authorized Goudreau through a signed agreement to carry out the attack , executed by two of Guaidó ’ s former political advisers in the United States .
U.S. officials have denied any role in the attack .
Also Friday , an investment firm announced it is resuming satellite TV transmissions for Venezuelans whose service was cut off abruptly due to U.S. sanctions aimed at driving Maduro from power .
The firm , Scale Capital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AT & T subsidiary DirecTV Latin America to take over the subscription service , providing programming to 2 million customers across Venezuela — more than 40 % of the country ’ s subscription TV market .
“ We are very excited about this launch and we want to thank all parties for their support , ” Scale Capital director Jacopo Bracco , said in a statement .
The firm ’ s website lists its address as Santiago , Chile .
Dallas-based AT & T did not immediately respond to a request for comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV service on May 19 , citing U.S. sanctions that prohibited DirecTV from broadcasting channels that were required by Maduro ’ s administration .
Scale Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press asking whether the two channels — Globovision and PDVSA TV — will be aired .
The administration of President Donald Trump is running what it calls a “ maximum pressure ” campaign aimed at ending the socialist leader ’ s rule , saying he has has led the once wealthy oil nation into ruin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement that reconnects millions of Venezuelans to DirecTV despite attempts by his detractors , who he called “ infantile bozos and perverse right-wing coup mongers ” who “ believed that they could can harm Venezuela.
” A coalition of nations including the United States , the European Union and many countries across the Americas published a statement Friday urging a return to democracy in Venezuela repeated a call for fresh presidential elections .
Many of the countries were from the Lima Group and the International Contact Group that formed to help seek a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic crisis that has led to roughly 5 million resident fleeing .
Many of those nations recognize Guaidó as Venezuela ’ s legitimate interim leader , arguing Maduro ’ s reelection was fraudulent .
The statement urged all Venezuelan political parties and institutions to take steps toward creating a transitional government to hold a fresh election .
“ We call for an end to all political persecution and acts of repression , ” the statement said .
“ The current pandemic and Venezuela ’ s overwhelmed public health care system have added urgency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quo.
” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza pushed back , saying the letter was drafted by officials in the Trump administration and ordered subservient nations to agree .
It was written with the intent of sabotaging Venezuela ’ s electoral process , Arreaza said on Twitter .
“ They don ’ t believe in democracy .
Phonies !
”

Scott Smith And Fabiola SáNchez - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Health official thinks the coronavirus has peaked in Mexico

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s point man for the coronavirus pandemic said Friday that he thinks the country reached its peak of infections over the last three weeks .
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell had previously wrongly predicted that infections would peak in May and June , but on Friday he said , “ We have now had a maximum point in the curve.
” But he also predicted that second waves of infections would continue occurring around the world for some time .
“ This is a phenomenon that is going to be with us in the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico rose by 5,618 on Friday to reach 511,369 .
The Health Department reported 615 newly confirmed deaths from COVID-19 , bringing the country ’ s total deaths to 55,908 .
For the first time during the pandemic , Mexico declared one of its state , the Gulf coast state of Campeche , as a medium or moderate-risk area .
New infections in Campeche , one of Mexico ’ s least populated states , have fallen to around 20 per day or less over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began , the state of 900,000 inhabitants has seen just over 5,000 confirmed cases and 646 deaths .
The moderate-risk rating will allow more Campeche businesses to re-open .
Of the remaining states , 25 will continue under a high-risk designation and six have a maximum-risk designation , with tighter restrictions on businesses .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Prosecutors in El Salvador file charges against ex-president

SAN SALVADOR , El Salvador - Prosecutors in El Salvador presented charges of bribery , money laundering and criminal conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ Funes , who has fled to Nicaragua .
The charges allege that Funes , his @ @ @ @ @ , and several others defrauded the government of almost $ 50 million .
Funes , @ @ @ @ @ , allegedly paid the Italian construction company ASTALDI too much money after it stopped contracted @ @ @ @ @ dam .
Funes denies the allegations .
He wrote in his Twitter account that as @ @ @ @ @ decided on the contract or the payments .
In 2019 , Nicaragua granted citizenship to @ @ @ @ @ in that country under political asylum since 2016 and was already wanted back home on @ @ @ @ @ embezzlement .
Funes previously faced four arrest warrants for alleged corruption and the purported diversion @ @ @ @ @ 351 million in state money .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Group vows to stage twin beams of light for NYC 9-11 tribute

NEW YORK - Plans are back on to beam twin columns of light into the Manhattan sky to represent the World Trade Center during next month ’ s anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks .
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Friday that it is working on plans to shine the twin beams during its alternative 9-11 ceremony .
The move comes a day after the National September 11 Memorial & Museum , which organizes the main annual tribute at the trade centre site , cancelled the light display over concerns about work crews during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over lower Manhattan in silent tribute to those lost on 9-11 are an iconic symbol of hope visibly showing that light will always triumph over darkness , ” said Frank Siller , chairman and chief executive of the foundation .
Last week , the foundation decided to hold an alternative 9-11 Never Forget ceremony after the National September 11 Memorial & Museum announced that family members won ’ t read the names of the nearly 3,000 victims this year because of the pandemic .
The foundation ’ s tribute will be held just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will read the victims ’ names , with mask-wearing enforced and podiums being sanitized after each speaker .
The exact location of the twin beams display has yet to be determined , said officials with the foundation , a charity founded to honour the memory of New York City firefighter Stephen Siller , who died in the attacks and was Frank Siller ’ s brother .
It ’ s not clear yet where exactly the light display will be located , foundation officials said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Ex-FBI lawyer to plead guilty in Trump-Russia probe review

WASHINGTON - A former FBI lawyer plans to plead guilty to making a false statement in the first criminal case arising from U.S. Attorney John Durham ’ s investigation into the probe of ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign , his lawyer said Friday .
Kevin Clinesmith is accused of altering a government email about a former Trump campaign adviser who was a target of secret FBI surveillance , according to documents filed in Washington ’ s federal court .
His lawyer , Justin Shur , told The Associated Press that Clinesmith intends to plead guilty to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regrets his actions .
The case against Clinesmith was cheered by President Donald Trump and his supporters as they look to the Durham investigation to lift Trump ’ s wobbly reelection prospects and to expose what they see as wrongdoing as the FBI opened an investigation into whether the Trump campaign was co-ordinating with the Kremlin to sway the outcome of the 2016 election .
“ The fact is they spied on my campaign and they got caught , ” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday .
His political campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of power ” in the Russia investigation “ represent the greatest political crime in American history ” and everyone involved should be held accountable .
Yet the five-page charging document is limited in scope and does not allege criminal wrongdoing by anyone other than Clinesmith , nor does it offer evidence to support Trump ’ s assertions that the Russia probe was tainted by widespread political bias in the FBI .
It makes clear that the FBI relied on Clinesmith ’ s own misrepresentations as it sought to renew its surveillance of former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durham probe , which is also examining the intelligence community ’ s assessment about Russian election interference , has caused concern among Democrats , who view it as a politically charged exercise meant to relitigate an already closed investigation .
They fear that charges or public reports issued so close to the 2020 election could be timed to affect November ’ s vote .
Durham ’ s inquiry has proceeded alongside a parallel effort by Senate Republicans to discredit the Russia probe and as Attorney General William Barr has escalated his own criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Documents released in recent months have called into question the validity of information the FBI relied on , particularly from a dossier of Democratic-funded research , when the agency applied for applications to surveil Page .
Durham , the U.S. attorney for Connecticut , had no comment , a spokesman said .
It remains unclear what additional charges , if any , Durham might bring , though he has been closely scrutinizing how intelligence agencies arrived at the conclusion that Russia had interfered in 2016 to benefit Trump .
Justice Department policy directs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at affecting an election , or that could advantage or disadvantage a candidate .
But Barr has said he does not feel constrained by that policy in part because the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , former Vice-President Joe Biden , is not a target of Durham ’ s investigation .
Durham ’ s work parallels in some respects a separate investigation into the Russia probe by the Justice Department ’ s inspector general office .
That office concluded in a report last December that the Russia investigation was opened for a valid reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and omissions in surveillance applications filed in 2016 and 2017 that targeted Page .
The watchdog office also referred Clinesmith for potential prosecution .
Specifically , the inspector general accused Clinesmith , though not by name , of altering an email to say that Page was “ not a source ” for another government agency .
Page has stated publicly that he was a CIA source .
The inspector general ’ s report and Friday ’ s charging document describe how Clinesmith inquired of another government agency , presumably the CIA , whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that that was a fact that would need to be disclosed as the FBI applied to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to renew its surveillance of Page .
In June 2017 , the documents show , Clinesmith was provided with information about Page ’ s relationship with the agency , which had approved him as an “ operational contact ” between 2008 and 2013 .
When an FBI colleague who was involved in preparing the surveillance application followed up by instant message with Clinesmith on the question of whether Page had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded that Page had “ never been a source , ” according to court documents .
When asked if he had that information in writing , the documents allege , Clinesmith altered an email he had received from the other agency by adding the words “ and not a source ” and then forwarded it to the FBI supervisory special agent .
The FBI relied on those misrepresentations in its final surveillance application and omitted that information about Page , prosecutors allege , even though any relationship between Page and the government would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FISA court to the extent it could help explain interactions Page had had with Russians .
Clinesmith told the inspector general that he had not actually understood Page to be a source , or “ recruited asset , ” for another government agency .
“ Kevin deeply regrets having altered the email , “ Shur said in a statement .
“ It was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues , as he believed the information he relayed was accurate , but Kevin understands what he did was wrong and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor with a history of special assignments from Washington , including leading a Justice Department investigation into the CIA ’ s harsh interrogation techniques of terror suspects and the destruction of videotapes documenting those interrogations .
Barr appointed Durham just weeks after special counsel Robert Mueller concluded his nearly two-year investigation .
Mueller found significant contacts during the 2016 campaign between Russians and Trump associates but did not allege a criminal conspiracy between them .
He also examined multiple episodes in which Trump sought to affect or choke off the Russia investigation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on whether Trump had obstructed justice .
Barr quickly signalled his skepticism with the Russia investigation , concluding that Trump had not obstructed justice even though Mueller had pointedly left that question unresolved .

Eric Tucker And Michael Balsamo - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Popular tourist sites on the Navajo Nation can reopen soon

FLAGSTAFF , Ariz. - Popular tourist destinations on the Navajo Nation , including Canyon de Chelly , can welcome back tourists Monday under the tribe ’ s reopening plan .
Much of the Navajo Nation has been closed since March as the coronavirus swept through the reservation that extends into New Mexico , Utah and Arizona .
The tribe released a plan this week that allows hair salons and barber shops to open by appointment only , businesses to operate at 25 % of maximum capacity , and the reopening of marinas and parks with safeguards .
Overlooks and restrooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be accessible to tourists .
But visitor centres will be closed there and at Hubbell Trading Post National Monument and Navajo National Monument .
Ranger-led hikes also won ’ t be available .
All three sites are managed at least partly by the National Park Service .
“ It ’ s really important for the National Park Service , especially in that area , to follow the lead the Navajo Nation has taken and slowly approach the three openings , ” agency spokeswoman Vanessa Lacayo said .
Staff will be busy this weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media accounts , and preparing for visitors at a time parks are usually bustling with tourists , she saidd .
Goulding ’ s Lodge near Monument Valley also was getting ready for tourists .
It has for months mainly hosted people travelling through the reservation who weren ’ t able to visit the tribal park known for towering sandstone buttes , marketing manager Monica Lafont said .
“ We have never really shut down .
We just jumped into the mindset of 100 % precaution , and our policy and procedures are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribe ’ s plan has four colour-coded phases for reopening — red with the highest restrictions , orange , yellow and green , which has lowest restrictions .
The tribe will operate in the orange phase starting Monday .
Under that phase , casinos , flea markets , gyms and movie theatres will remain closed .
Restaurants and banks still can provide only drive-thru service .
Businesses and tribal executive offices have to show they have met certain standards based on data and input from health experts to open .
Tribal President Jonathan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the making .
The tribe has confirmed 9,394 positive cases of COVID-19 on the reservation since the pandemic begin .
As of Thursday , 478 people have died .
The numbers are a vast change from earlier this year , when the tribe had one of the highest per-capita rates of infection in the U.S .
The tribe has had fewer than 50 cases each day for the past two weeks , it said .
The majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover .
For some people it causes mild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cough .
But for others who contract the virus , especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions , it can cause more severe illness and death .
Nez said the tribe won ’ t rush to reopen fully , recognizing cases could spike if residents become complacent .
The reservation will be under another lockdown this weekend that starts after sundown Saturday and ends early Monday .
A mask requirement also is in place .
“ Through contact tracing , we are learning more about the movement of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not over , but we have to find new ways to move forward , ” Nez said .
Nez this week also urged all schools on the reservation , including those controlled by the states , the Navajo Nation and the federal government , to use online learning this fall to help reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Mourners gather in Houston to remember slain soldier

HOUSTON - Flags from the U.S. , Texas and Mexico flew at half staff Friday as a white , horse-drawn carriage embellished with white flowers brought in the custom green casket that carried the remains of a slain soldier .
Vanessa Guillen , who was last seen on April 22 , was memorialized nearly four months after she is said to have been killed by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood , a U.S. Army base in Texas .
Mourners gathered at Cesar Chavez High School in Houston , where Guillen grew up playing soccer and dreaming of joining the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy where she is next to God and the Virgin Mary , ” Lupe Guillen said .
“ We are not here for justice or politics today .
We are here to remember , honour and respect Vanessa Guillen and her beautiful life , her tender heart and her beautiful face.
” In a private moment just before entering the school ’ s auditorium— where flowers in green and yellow hues , balloons , religious images and pictures of Guillen adorned the stage— family and friends walked behind the casket , accompanying Guillen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she frequented as a teenager .
Guillen ’ s mother and grandmother grasped each other as they prayed over the casket through sobs .
Standing in front of the casket , Guillen ’ s grandmother shared a story about the chocolates she carried in her purse .
She said they were her granddaughter ’ s favourite , and she brought them for her from Mexico every visit .
Her last memory of her granddaughter is from December , when Guillen was leaving to work and turned back , gave her a hug and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a treat , a soda , or something she liked that was just for her to enjoy .
“ Now , I am here to lay these , her favourite chocolates , at my Vanessita ’ s grave , ” Guillen ’ s grandmother said in Spanish .
Guillen ’ s best friend , Jocelyn Sierra , said they met at Cesar Chavez High School five years ago .
She said although it has been 114 days since Guillen died , she feels her presence with her every day .
Sierra said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week before she went missing , when they ate pizza together and watched the movie “ G.I .
Jane.
“ The Roman Catholic service was open to the public and was being streamed online .
The memorial was scheduled to last until 8 p.m. , with praise sessions , prayers and testimonials .
Guests included U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia ( D-TX ) and friends of the Guillen family .
Guillen ’ s remains will be laid to rest after a private ceremony Saturday .
Guillen ’ s story has renewed a push for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual abuse and harassment from Fort Hood to Capitol Hill .
Natalie Khawam , who is representing the Guillen family , said the family is thankful to President Donald Trump because the White House helped to expedite the process of giving Guillen ’ s remains to relatives so they could have a funeral .
Guillen disappeared from Fort Hood , where she was stationed , on April 22 , and Army officials confirmed July 6 that her remains had been found .
Investigators said she was bludgeoned to death on base by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a federal complaint .
Civilian Cecily Aguilar , 22 , is charged with a federal count of conspiracy to destroy evidence in helping dispose of the body .
She has pleaded not guilty and is being held at the Bell County Jail .
Guillen ’ s family has said she was sexually harassed by the soldier suspected of killing her , but the Army has said there is no evidence of that .
The Army is investigating Guillen ’ s death .
Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy ordered an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fort Hood following Guillen ’ s slaying .
Members of Congress have joined advocates for women demanding systemic shifts in military culture .
Some have invoked the hashtag # NiUnaMas , meaning “ not one more woman dead , ” a rallying cry in Mexico against the killing of women .
Acacia Coronado reported from Austin .
She is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Guillen ’ s family has said the solider suspected of killing her also harassed her .

Acacia Coronado And John L. Mone - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Slain North Carolina 5-year-old remembered for big smile

WILSON , N.C. - The North Carolina 5-year-old fatally shot while playing in his front yard carried a big smile and a big heart , the boy ’ s grandfather recalled at his funeral .
Merrill Race joined others at grandson Cannon Hinnant ’ s funeral Thursday night to mourn the boy killed as he rode his bike in the driveway of his family ’ s home Sunday , news outlets report .
“ Cannon was the type of kid that was always polite , kind of laid back , but he was a beautiful little kid , ” Race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s youth pastor , Daryl High , said the boy was always a joy in Sunday school .
“ His smile is huge .
His personality is big .
You could not help to be changed when you met Cannon .
If a word wasn ’ t said , you can ’ t help to be changed , ” High said .
Cannon ’ s father , Austin Hinnant , told The Wilson Times that the boy had been playing with his sisters outside when he heard a gunshot nearby .
Hinnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son lying on the ground .
When he scooped the boy into his arms , he realized his son had a gunshot wound to the head .
“ That is why this is so horrific to me , ” Hinnant said .
“ He was doing something he loved.
” A neighbour , 25-year-old Darius Nathaniel Sessoms , is charged with first-degree murder in Cannon ’ s death .
Hinnant told the newspaper that he and Sessoms were friendly and he always checked in with Sessoms ’ parents , who lived next door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hinnant was grilling chicken , saw Sessoms “ sitting in his car , like he had a lot on his mind ” and asked if he wanted to eat .
The two shared a beer on the front porch , Hinant told the newspaper .
He said he saw no foreshadowing of what was ahead .
“ I have no idea why he did what he did , ” Hinnant said .
“ It was literally out of nowhere .
He puts a gun to my son ’ s head and shoots him.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the community ’ s support , but he ’ s been disturbed by social media posts that suggest race was a factor in Cannon ’ s death .
“ This is no racial issue , ” Austin Hinnant told The Wilson Times .
Cannon was white and Sessoms is Black .
“ It didn ’ t matter what colour , male or female , he just had that love and joy in his heart , ” he said .
“ He loved everyone.
” Sessoms ’ parents said they believe their son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time of the shooting .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--5 recent Alaska ferry passengers test positive for COVID-19

JUNEAU , Alaska - Five people who travelled together on a state ferry in southeast Alaska have tested positive for COVID-19 , a system spokesperson said Friday .
The individuals boarded the ferry Matanuska in Kake Monday morning , with the vessel arriving in Juneau late that night after passing through Sitka , according to a release from the state transportation department .
The state health department believes the individuals were “ likely infectious ” while on the ship , the release states , and the ferry system is notifying the public “ out of an abundance of caution.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matanuska get tested if any symptoms arise ; wear masks in public ; and maintain physical distance from non-household members .
Ferry system spokesperson Sam Dapcevich said the Alaska Marine Highway System has a policy of only allowing passengers to get off at their ports of destination .
He said the five individuals with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were considered close contacts “ only with each other.
” He said the epidemiological investigation of the case continues .
The ship arrived Friday morning in Bellingham , Washington , and crew members will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Georgia park with Confederate sculpture shuts gates to rally

ATLANTA - Suburban Atlanta ’ s Stone Mountain Park , home of a giant sculpture of Confederate leaders , says it will close its gates Saturday in the face of a planned right-wing rally .
The event has sparked fears of violence , especially before an all-Black militia said earlier this week that it would cancel plans to show up .
Other groups were still planning to counterprotest .
Pro-Confederate , white supremacist and other right-wing groups had planned their event in response to a march by the Black militia group on July 4 .
Last year , the park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally organized by white supremacists to go forward .
The organizers were led by an Arkansas group called Confederate States III % , which applied for a permit .
But Stone Mountain Memorial Association spokesperson John Bankhead said the park denied the permit on Aug. 4 .
The denial cited a violent clash between groups in April 2016 .
Bankhead said the park has not received any other permit applications .
He said police would be present to keep demonstrators away .
Bankhead said the park will reopen Sunday .
Officials in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday to stay away from the city all day , residents to stay home and businesses to shut down .
“ Do not confront the protesters , ” the city wrote in a public announcement posted on social media .
“ Please know that the city ’ s local law enforcement agency is managing the situation and has devised a plan for the protection of life and property , ” the announcement continued .
“ Every effort is being made to ensure that any demonstrations conducted within the city ’ s limits are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predominantly Black demonstrators on July 4 spoke out against the huge sculpture depicting Gen. Robert E. Lee , Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Gen. Thomas J .
“ Stonewall ” Jackson .
Carved into a granite mountain , the bas-relief sculpture is the largest Confederate monument ever crafted .
The 100 to 200 protesters , many of whom carried large rifles , were peaceful .
Although the park has historically been a gathering spot for white supremacists , the adjoining city of Stone Mountain has a majority-Black population today .
The park at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theme park rather than a shrine to the “ Lost Cause ” mythology that romanticizes the Confederacy as chivalrous defenders of states ’ rights .
It ’ s a popular recreation spot for many families on the east side of Atlanta , with hiking trails , a golf course , boat rentals and other attractions .
The park has long been known for its laser light shows , but those have been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic .


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Mexico sanctions 1,040 immigration officers for corruption

MEXICO CITY - The head of Mexico ’ s National Immigration Institute said Friday more than 1,040 immigration officers have @ @ @ @ @ affairs office or forced to quit after they were caught demanding bribes and other acts @ @ @ @ @ Francisco Garduño said that the current administration has put cameras in immigration offices , and @ @ @ @ @ , including extortion of migrants by officials .
Slips for appointments at immigration offices were @ @ @ @ @ when they should have been distributed for free , and some employees demanded bribes to @ @ @ @ @ .
Others recommended informal assistants known as “ coyotes ” who charge for services rather @ @ @ @ @ problems .
Garduño said the problem is being addressed , adding that migrants who come @ @ @ @ @ “ deserve all our attentions .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Pennsylvania investigate sex abuse claims at care facility

Philadelphia has stopped sending local children to facilities operated by a non-profit health organization where at least 41 intellectually disabled children have reported sexual assaults over the past quarter-century .
Several City Council members have also demanded that officials remove all 62 local children from campuses of Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health facilities and cancel all contracts with the firm , including a $ 7.5 million agreement it holds with Philadelphia ’ s Department of Human Services .
Meanwhile , Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf has directed the state Department of Human Services to investigate conditions at the firm ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in the wake of an investigative report by The Philadelphia Inquirer , which found Devereux is plagued by inadequate supervision of staff .
The report also noted that at least 41 intellectually disabled children have reported sexual assaults over the past quarter-century .
Devereux , which is headquartered near Philadelphia , treats children with intellectual disabilities , mental disorders and trauma .
It has been in existence for more than 100 years and is now the nation ’ s leading non-profit health organization of its kind .
The newspaper reported Wednesday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 12 and had IQs as low as 50 when they said they were assaulted by staff at Devereux campuses .
Ten said they were assaulted at three suburban Philadelphia campuses , while others said the abuse occurred at facilities in New Jersey , Texas , Florida , Georgia , Connecticut , New York and Arizona .
Devereux leaders , noting that a sexual assault can happen in almost any care setting , have said that in the last two years they have increased safety and reduced risk by adopting safeguards to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @