thetorontostar--2020-01-12--World leaders travel to Oman to meet its newly named sultan

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - World leaders travelled Sunday to Oman to meet the country ’ s new sultan , named just a day earlier after the death of the nation ’ s longtime ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Charles were among those who arrived in Muscat to meet Oman ’ s new ruler , Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said .
Other leaders included Kuwait ’ s ruling emir , Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah , as well as Qatar ’ s ruling emir , Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s culture minister before being named as the successor to Sultan Qaboos , the Middle East ’ s longest-ruling monarch whose death was announced Saturday .
He died at the age of 79 after years of an undisclosed illness .
Sultan Haitham , 66 , has pledged to follow Sultan Qaboos ’ example of promoting peace and dialogue in the Mideast .
Oman has served as an interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. , which are facing a level of unprecedented tensions .
Iran ’ s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif travelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet Sultan Haitham .
Oman sits on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Hong Kong rally seeks voting rights, international support

HONG KONG - More than a thousand people attended a rally in Hong Kong on Sunday to urge people and governments abroad to support the city ’ s pro-democracy movement and oppose China ’ s ruling Communist Party .
Representatives of allied activist groups from Canada , Europe and Taiwan made remarks and led the attendees in chants of “ Fight for freedom !
Stand with Hong Kong !
“ Speakers also celebrated the results of Saturday ’ s presidential election in Taiwan that saw the Democratic Progressive Party ’ s Tsai Ing-wen voted to a second term in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong , a semi-autonomous Chinese territory , have driven home to many in Taiwan the contrast between their democratically governed island and authoritarian mainland China .
A former British colony , Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 .
Under the framework of “ one country , two systems , “ the city enjoys greater democratic rights than those on the mainland , but protesters say those freedoms have been steadily eroding under Chinese President Xi Jinping .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Aramco’s ‘greenshoe option’ pushes IPO to record $29.4B

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco announced Sunday that its initial public offering raised a record $ 29.4 billion , a figure higher than previously announced , after the company used a so-called “ greenshoe option ” to sell millions more shares to meet investor demand .
The company said that the sale of an additional 450 million shares took place during the initial public offering process .
The oil and gas company , which is majority owned by the state , began publicly trading on the local Saudi Tadawul exchange on Dec. 11 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a share on the second day of trading .
This gave Aramco a market capitalization of $ 2 trillion , making it comfortably the world ’ s most valuable company .
Aramco ’ s additional sales mean the company has publicly floated 1.7 % of its shares .
It ’ s IPO , even before the added sales , was the world ’ s largest ever .
The shares sold in the over-allotment option “ had been allocated to investors during the bookbuilding process and therefore , no additional shares are being offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Company shares traded down on Sunday , dipping to around 34.7 riyals , or $ 9.25 a share , amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf between Iran and the United States .
Aramco was a target of rising tensions over the summer when a missile and drone attack , which Saudi Arabia and the U.S. blame on Iran , temporarily halved its production .
Sunday ’ s trading figures value Aramco at $ 1.85 trillion , still well ahead of Apple , the second largest company in the world after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trillion mark sought by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Germany: Mass evacuation underway before WWII bomb defusing

BERLIN - Thousands of people had to evacuate Sunday in the western Germany city of Dortmund as experts prepared to @ @ @ @ @ bombs from World War II .
Authorities already had evacuated two hospitals Saturday and opened @ @ @ @ @ to leave their homes .
Some 14,000 people were asked to leave the areas where @ @ @ @ @ be buried .
The city ’ s train station was shut down and , starting @ @ @ @ @ trains would be rerouted .
By noon Sunday , authorities hoped to begin with the @ @ @ @ @ years after the end of the war , unexploded bombs are frequently found in Germany @ @ @ @ @ entails large-scale evacuations as a precaution .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Tripoli says Hifter’s forces violate truce on its 1st day

BENGHAZI , Libya - Libya ’ s east-based forces have announced that they will abide by a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that is to start Sunday .
If it holds , the ceasefire would be the country ’ s first break in fighting in months , and the first brokered by international players .
It comes as Libya is on the brink of a major escalation , with foreign backers of the rival Libyan governments stepping up their involvement on the ground .
A spokesman for the self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces , which are led by ex-general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement that the ceasefire would take effect starting early Sunday .
Spokesman Ahmed al-Mosmari said any violations of the ceasefire by their fighters would be dealt with “ severely.
” It was not immediately clear if Hifter would also agree to a withdrawal of forces from around the capital .
His rival , Fayez Sarraj , who is prime minister of the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli , had demanded previously such a pull out as the truce ’ s condition .
Libya is governed by dueling authorities , one based in the east @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , led by Sarraj .
Each rely on different militias for support .
Hifter ’ s eastern-based forces launched a fresh offensive to take the capital in April , sparking international efforts to try to contain the crisis in the North African nation .
Earlier this week , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin released a joint statement after a meeting in Istanbul calling for a Jan. 12 truce .
They did not specify what the conditions would be .
The calls for a ceasefire between the warring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a flurry of diplomatic activity by European powers .
The west-based government welcomed the calls for a stop to the fighting .
A spokesman for Hifter ’ s forces said initially that they would continue their push to take the seat of their rivals , Tripoli , from “ terrorist groups.
” A U.N. peacekeeping body has welcomed the development .
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya said in a statement that it hopes all parties will demonstrate “ complete adherence ” to the agreement to stop the violence .
The United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libya ’ s allies in the region , have been calling for a peace summit to happen in Berlin early this year that would bring together the leaders of the rival governments .
The east-based government , backed by Hifter ’ s forces , is supported by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt , as well as France and Russia .
The western , Tripoli-based government receives aid from Turkey , Qatar and Italy .
The fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into violent chaos rivaling the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade since the ouster and death of Gadhafi , the oil-rich nation has increasingly become a setting for proxy battles between regional players vying for influence in the Mediterranean region .
Russia and Turkey , with their support of the eastern- and western-based Libyan governments , have become the latest additions .


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Lawmaker, son of ex-president, to be Malta’s next premier

VALLETTA , Malta - A lawyer whose father was Malta ’ s president has been chosen to be the country ’ s prime minister .
The count on Sunday showed Robert Abela received nearly 58 % of votes cast by members of the governing Labour Party eligible to choose the new leader .
Abela , 42 , will replace Joseph Muscat , who is stepping down midway through his second term as prime minister amid demands for accountability over the 2017 murder of an anti-corruption journalist .
The date of the premier-designate ’ s swearing-in hasn ’ t been announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party Sunday afternoon .
A close aide to Muscat was questioned in connection with journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia ’ s murder , denied wrongdoing and was released while still under investigation .
A Maltese hotelier , who denies involvement , has been accused of complicity in the killing .
Three other men , accused of triggering the car bomb , are under arrest .
Before being chosen as Labour leader , Abela said he would work to restore Malta ’ s reputation for rule of law .
European Union lawmakers had criticized the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Muscat had beaten Abela ’ s father in the race for the party leadership in 2008 .
George Abela was later appointed president , serving from 2009 until 2014 .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Iran braces for protests after admitting plane shootdown

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - Iran deployed riot police in the capital on Sunday expecting possible protests after its Revolutionary Guard admitted to accidentally shooting down a passenger plane at a time of soaring tensions with the United States .
Riot police and plainclothes officers could be seen massing in Vali-e Asr Square in Tehran as calls circulated for protests later in the day .
A large black banner unveiled in the square bore the names of those killed in the plane crash .
The plane crash early Wednesday killed all 176 people on board , mostly Iranians and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure , authorities finally admitted to accidentally shooting it down in the face of mounting evidence and accusations by Western leaders .
The plane was shot down as Iran braced for retaliation after firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing American forces .
The ballistic missile attack , which caused no casualties , was a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani , Iran ’ s top general , in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad .
Iranians have expressed anger over the downing of the plane and the misleading explanations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tragedy .
A candlelight ceremony late Saturday in Tehran turned into a protest , with hundreds of people chanting against the country ’ s leaders — including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — and police dispersing them with tear gas .
Police briefly detained the British ambassador to Iran , Rob Macaire , who says he went with the intention of attending the vigil and did not know it would turn into a protest .
“ Can confirm I wasn ’ t taking part in any demonstrations !
” he tweeted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vigil for victims of # PS752 tragedy .
Normal to want to pay respects — some of victims were British .
I left after 5 mins , when some started chanting.
” He said he was arrested 30 minutes after leaving the area .
Britain said its envoy was detained “ without grounds or explanation ” and in “ flagrant violation of international law.
” “ The Iranian government is at a cross-roads moment .
It can continue its march towards pariah status with all the political and economic isolation that entails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and engage in a diplomatic path forwards , ” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement .
Iran ’ s Foreign Ministry said it was awaiting a police report on the arrest .
The semi-official Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed official as saying the ambassador was suspected of organizing and provoking the protesters , which it said was in violation of diplomatic protocol and justified his arrest on national security grounds .
It said he was taken to the Foreign Ministry , which later released him .
Alaeddin Boroujerdi , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on national security and foreign policy , also accused the ambassador of organizing protests and called for his expulsion .
Iranian media meanwhile focused on the admission of responsibility for the crash , with several newspapers calling for those responsible to apologize and resign .
The hardline daily Vatan-e Emrouz bore the front-page headline , “ A sky full of sadness , ” while the Hamshahri daily went with “ Shame , ” and the IRAN daily said “ Unforgivable .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Muslims pray for peace in Islamic congregation in Bangladesh

TONGI , Bangladesh - Hundreds of thousands of Muslims raised their hands and prayed for the welfare of the world as they joined a final prayer Sunday in wrapping up a three-day Islamic congregation near Bangladesh ’ s capital .
The Biswa Ijtema , or World Congregation of Muslims , is one of the largest gatherings of Muslim devotees , held on the sandy banks of the River Turag at Tongi , just north of Dhaka .
The congregation , which is believed to have begun in 1949 as a gathering of Sunni Muslim preachers , draws hundreds of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is apolitical , and the sermons deal with an interpretation of Islam that advocates peace , harmony and brotherhood .
“ Oh my Allah , please save Muslims , please pour your blessings , please end all bloodshed through your blessings , ” cried an imam who led the final prayer .
Many of the devotees burst into tears seeking blessings .
Security was tight , with agencies setting up watchtowers , control rooms and CCTVs .
The second phase of the gathering begins on Friday .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Tiny Philippine volcano ejects smoke and ash, villagers flee

MANILA , Philippines - A tiny Philippine volcano that draws many tourists because of its picturesque setting amid a lake belched steam , ash and small rocks Sunday , prompting residents to flee from nearby villages and authorities to raise the danger level .
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Taal Volcano in Batangas province south of Manila blasted steam and ash up to 1 kilometre ( about half a mile ) into the sky amid signs of its growing restiveness in recent months .
There were no immediate reports of injuries or tourists being stranded in affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Heavy ashfall in outlying areas prompted authorities to advise residents to wear masks .
Authorities have also recorded a swarm of earthquakes , some of them felt with rumbling sounds , and a slight inflation of the volcano edifice , the institute said in a statement .
The institute raised the danger level around Taal two notches on Sunday to Level 3 , indicating “ magmatic intrusion that is likely driving the current activity.
” Level 5 , the highest , indicates an ongoing eruption .
The institute warned the public to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of the lake where the volcano lies and asked nearby coastal communities “ to take precautionary measures and be vigilant of possible lake water disturbances related to the ongoing unrest.
” Taal , one of the world ’ s smallest volcanoes , is among about two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines , which lies on the so-called Pacific “ Ring of Fire , ” a seismically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Idaho tourism areas rely on ‘essential’ work-travel program

KETCHUM , Idaho - On a Saturday afternoon in December , Mariana Santini opened her locker in the basement of the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum .
It was her first week of work as a food runner .
She greeted co-workers in Spanish , and then went upstairs to the lobby to begin her shift .
“ I prepare silverware , I pick up dishes , “ Santini told Boise State Public Radio as she scurried from table to table , tending to guests .
Santini is 21 years old .
She ’ s from Argentina , and she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Work Travel visa .
This is Santini ’ s second time working at the Limelight during her summer break .
She came to work here to have an adventure and to get better at English , she said .
Each year about 100,000 students come to the U.S. through the Work Travel program .
Those in the southern hemisphere come during their summer , which is our winter .
When it ’ s summer here , students mostly come from Europe to take their places .
Established the same year as the Peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended to promote international understanding .
Au pairs and camp counsellors come to the U.S. on these visas .
But Summer Work Travel students like Santini who work in the leisure and hospitality sectors make up the majority of the visa ’ s recipients .
Despite J-1 ’ s origin to promote cultural exchange , a report out last summer by the International Labor Recruitment Working Group ( ILRWG ) finds it has become more of a temporary guestworker program .
For employers , J-1 visas help fill labour gaps , especially when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tourism-based economies in places like Idaho are increasingly relying on the program to fit their needs .
Work Travel employees nearly doubled in Idaho between 2015 , when there were 382 students , to 2018 , when 684 students got jobs through the program , according to the U.S. State Department .
Data made available by ILRWG ’ s FOIA requests , and shared with Boise State Public Radio , show Sun Valley Resort as the top employer of J-1 Work Travel workers in Idaho , as of 2015 , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received company-specific data .
“ The program is irreplaceable , and without it , businesses like mine would struggle , “ said John Curnow , the General Manager of the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum , which is owned by the Aspen Skiing Company .
Curnow said the company tries to hire locally , but that ’ s a challenge , Ketchum City Councilman Michael David said , for low-wage positions in a high-rent town .
“ You can open the classifieds section of the newspaper at any time of the year and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of help-wanted ads in the service industry , ” David said .
Ruslan Mukhamadiev was finishing up a housekeeping job at the Mountain Village Resort last September in Stanley , another resort town an hour north .
“ To pay for this program , I needed to sell my car , ” he said outside the resort ’ s restaurant , facing the Salmon River .
Coming to the U.S. through the Work Travel program is expensive .
There ’ s the visa , money owed to third-party sponsors , the plane tickets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mukhamadiev , who is from Russia , said it cost him around $ 5,000 .
“ Yeah , everybody found a second job , ” he said .
Councilman David , back in Ketchum , said the visa recipients help lessen a whole community ’ s hiring burden when they pick up second and third jobs at grocery stores , restaurants or landscaping companies .
“ It ’ s essential , “ David said .
” It keeps this tourist-based economy going.
” After arriving in Stanley , Mukhamadiev took a second job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a third one at the ice cream shop , Stanley Scoops .
The ice cream shop was his favourite job , he said , because of the interactions he had with Americans .
“ Everybody is talking with you ; everybody is asking , ‘ Where are you from ?
” “ What are you doing here ?
’ ” It ’ s the type of experience the ILRWG said many work-travel students miss out on when they work behind the scenes in housekeeping or at places like Six Flags and McDonald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employers of work-travel students .
Another issue , according to the group ’ s report from last summer , is the U.S. State Department manages the J-1 visa program .
Catherine Bowman , who requested and analyzed the data for the report and for her dissertation at the University of Colorado , Boulder , said State Department is not set up to oversee a jobs program for potential exploitation or discrimination .
“ Most other programs of this nature where low-wage work is happening would be overseen by the Department of Labor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an entire appartus set up to inspect workplaces , and to take action if there are problems .
A few years ago , the State Department proposed reforms to the Work Travel program , which include additional requirements for companies that place students in jobs , and more formalized cultural exchange activities .
The department sent the proposed changes to the White House last summer , where they ’ re still under review .
And it ’ s not the only scrutiny the J-1 program has faced .
In 2017 , President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hire American ” executive order , which included plans to trim the number of temporary work visas available .
Though data are not available for 2019 , the total number of Work Travel visas stayed relatively flat over the past few years .
Still , these proposed federal actions have people like Ketchum councilman David thinking about the future on a local level .
“ I would be really worried about the sustainability of our economy without the J-1s as an essential piece of it , ” he said .
In the meantime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using the visa program , and the students also want to keep coming .
Take Mariana Santini who returned for a second year — she convinced a friend to come along this time .
By the end of Mukhamadiev ’ s visa , he said he liked the experience , but was looking forward to going home .
“ Everybody ’ s tired because all day , every day , ( we ’ re ) working , working , working , ” he said .
But as tourist activity started to slow down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some more time .
They had been looking forward to rafting on the Salmon River all summer .
“ We wanted to go rafting , but the company said Monday was the last day for rafting , so we ( couldn ’ t ) , ” Mukhamadiev said .
The rafting company had just closed for the season .
Mukhamadiev went home in September .
He wants to return to Stanley someday and maybe make it down the river .


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Thousands run against ‘dictatorship’ in Thai capital

BANGKOK - Thousands of anti-government protesters took part in the “ Run Against Dictatorship ” in the Thai capital Sunday in the biggest political demonstration in years .
Organizers said 10,000 people registered to join the run , which included slogans demanding Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha , the leader behind a 2014 coup , stand down .
In a sign of rising political tensions , government supporters held their own event in a downtown park .
Last year ’ s general election was meant to restore full democracy , five years after the military staged the coup .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pro-military party .
The government ’ s sluggish economic performance has added to a growing sense of discontent .
“ Everything ’ s worse , ” one participant , an office worker who gave his name only as Sakdinan , said through a face mask .
“ The economy is worse and people are facing difficulties including freedom of expression.
” The trigger for Sunday ’ s rally were moves by courts to dissolve a popular , new progressive political party .
The Future Forward Party came from nowhere to become the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats .
Their anti-military agenda made many younger Thais flock to their banner in a challenge to the deeply conservative ruling elite .
The party ’ s rise in popularity has been met with legal cases , through the Election Commission and the constitutional Court , for a number of alleged breaches of the law .
Many now assume the party will be found guilty and dissolved , possibly even this month .
The party ’ s charismatic leader , Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit , has emerged as the galvanizing figure behind the growing protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he was delighted by the numbers who came to show their support .
“ The people show great awareness of the political situation , ” he said , in between posing for selfies with excited supporters .
“ I believe that in order for Thailand to be able to be a democratic country again , the first step is that General Prayuth has to get out and the people here today I think we share that feeling .
This is the demonstration of the anger of the people.
” Similar runs were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many to wonder whether Thailand is heading for another prolonged bout of street politics .
Rival camps have occupied parts of Bangkok , and sometimes fought running battles , several times over the last 14 years .
The unrest has triggered two coups and led to more than a hundred deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Drone flies over pedophile cardinal’s Australian prison

MELBOURNE , Australia - Disgraced Cardinal George Pell has been transferred from a Melbourne prison after a drone illegally flew overhead in a suspected attempt to photograph the famous inmate , a newspaper reported on Sunday .
The most senior Catholic to be convicted of child sex abuse had been transferred from the Melbourne Assessment Prison where be has been held since February last year on convictions of molesting two choirboys at the city ’ s cathedral in the late 1990s , the Herald Sun newspaper reported .
The move came after a drone flew over a prison garden where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employed weeding and watering plants , the newspaper reported .
The Justice Department on Sunday confirmed “ an incident involving a drone flying over the Melbourne Assessment Prison on Thursday , ” but would no comment on the 78-year-old cleric ’ s whereabouts .
Pell had been transferred to the maximum-security Barwon Prison near Geelong , southwest of Melbourne , the newspaper reported .
Flying a drone within 120 metres ( 394 feet ) of a Victorian prison is an offence that carries a potential two-year prison sentence .
The incident has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made .
Pell has been sentenced to six years in prison and is no longer a member of Francis ’ Council of Cardinals or a Vatican official .
A state appeals court in August rejected the cardinal ’ s application to overturn the convictions in a two-to-one majority decision .
Seven judges of Australia ’ s High Court will hear his challenge to that decision in March .
The court is Pell ’ s last avenue of appeal .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Australian village ready for ‘The Beast’ to burn on through

BURRAGATE , Australia - As the sky darkened and the smoke billowed through the village , it seemed to those hunkering at the fire station that “ The Beast ” would finally roar through .
But the wildfire only crept closer , prodding forward a few tentative fingers before falling asleep again as the winds died .
The weary volunteer firefighters of Burragate returned to bed early Saturday after a week of worry and false alarms .
Many have had enough .
If the fire is going to burn through their southeast Australian town , they say , then they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job so they can start cleaning up .
“ I ’ d prefer it not to come , but if it ’ s going to come , stop teasing , ” said resident Joe Seamons , who has taken to describing what ’ s officially called the Border Fire as “ The Beast.
” Resident Joe Alvaro put it more bluntly .
“ I just want to get it bloody over and done with , ” he said .
Across Australia , wildfires have killed at least 27 people , including a firefighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 2,000 homes since September .
They have focused international attention on climate change and caused political problems for Prime Minister Scott Morrison , who has been criticized for his lacklustre response .
The wildfires have lurked near Burragate for over a week , filling the sky with noxious smoke that is burning people ’ s eyes and making them cough .
The sun has turned red and distant hills have disappeared behind a shroud of haze .
The village in New South Wales is tiny , with about 100 residents , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locals say there are fewer than half that .
With no shops or bars , the fire station has become the focal point for the community .
Sometimes they hold movie nights there .
On Friday , the station was filled with stacks of donated goods , more carrots and toothbrushes than people knew what to do with .
On Friday night , with strong winds expected to make the fire flare up , a convoy of trucks — including some from the army and others carrying a strike team of volunteer firefighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , more than 30 people were at the station , hoping to save lives and homes but prepared to retreat inside if the flames were too intense .
Among them was Bill King , an operations section chief from the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado .
He ’ s part of a reciprocal arrangement in which more than 250 Americans are being posted to Australia to help battle the blazes .
He ’ s also the dad of a 3-month-old daughter , and jokes that he ’ s sleeping better on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved on to other towns , the local volunteers remained , drinking espresso made from an overworked machine and poring over maps .
Seamons , who is retired , said he and his wife moved to Burragate because they didn ’ t want to live in a crowded town any longer .
But he said their lifestyle has been affected by three years of drought , with his garden plants dying and his apple trees not producing any fruit .
Lately he ’ s taken to sitting inside with the fan going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places in Australia have recorded air quality worse than in New Delhi or Beijing as a result of the fires .
Seamons said he has had enough of The Beast .
“ Hopefully it gets sick of hanging around Burragate , ” he said .
“ But I don ’ t wish it on anyone else , either.
” Alvaro said that on Friday , he was ready for the fire .
“ When I saw the smoke and everything , I was relieved , ” he said .
“ I thought , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s hoping that with favourable weather forecast for the next week , fire crews will finally be able to move from playing defence against the fires to attacking them .
He said he just hopes he doesn ’ t have to go through the stress of another night on high alert .
And if the fire does come , he said , he ’ s going to fight it all the way .
“ We ’ re a pretty close-knit community .
There are some beautiful people here , “ Alvaro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth protecting .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--AP Exclusive: Dozens allege abuse at youth detention centre

PORTSMOUTH , N.H. - More than two dozen men and women say they were physically , sexually and emotionally abused as children at New Hampshire ’ s state-run youth detention centre over the course of three decades , according to attorneys who have filed a class action lawsuit on their behalf .
The lawsuit filed Saturday in Merrimack County Superior Court comes six months after two former counsellors were charged with repeatedly raping a teenage boy at the Youth Development Center in Manchester in the late 1990s .
The victim in that case is now the lead plaintiff in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who say they were abused between 1982 and 2014 .
The lawsuit alleges that hundreds of children were likely harmed , based on the centre ’ s population census over the years and the length of time the alleged perpetrators were employed .
“ This lawsuit seeks to hold the state of New Hampshire and others responsible for the lives they forever destroyed and to bring about system change so that this can never happen again to another child in New Hampshire , ” the lawsuit states .
The victims who have come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , and the perpetrators were both men and women , attorney Rus Rilee told The Associated Press .
Of the 36 , approximately 30 allege they suffered sexual , physical and emotional abuse , were deprived of an education and kept in solitary confinement , while the rest fall into one or more of those categories , Rilee said .
They were terrorized into keeping quiet , and even those who sought help while sporting black eyes , swollen faces and bleeding genitals were told that the abuse had not occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are boys and girls that were taken into state custody and then beaten , raped and tortured by state employees whose sole duty was to protect them , ” Rilee said .
“ The people that were in charge knew what was going on , and they covered it up.
” The Associated Press doesn ’ t generally identify victims of sexual assault , but David Meehan , who is now 38 , said he wanted to come forward publicly after realizing that he and others were harmed not just by individual staffers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t do anything they were supposed to do to protect me as a person or any of my rights as a human being , ” Meehan said .
“ The juvenile justice system needs some type of oversight .
I understand the need for privacy to protect the children , but they have put such a canopy over everything that we don ’ t know if the kids are safe.
” The lawsuit names a dozen defendants , including the state , the detention centre and the agencies overseeing it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing criminal charges — Jeffrey Buskey and Stephen Murphy — and four other men who worked at the centre , which houses children who have been ordered to a secure institution by the juvenile justice system .
The Department of Health and Human Services does not comment on pending litigation , and referred questions to the attorney general ’ s office , which in July announced a broad criminal investigation into the youth centre .
A spokeswoman for that office did not respond to a request for comment Saturday , nor did attorneys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was at the detention centre from December 1995 to January 1999 , declined to discuss his time there because of the ongoing criminal case .
But the lawsuit describes years of alleged abuse , starting about a year after his arrival .
Buskey is accused of gaining Meehan ’ s trust by giving him snacks and coveted work assignments , and arranging for him to play basketball with a local high school team .
But by early 1998 , he and Murphy were allegedly raping and beating him almost daily .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raped Meehan once while another employee stood guard .
Another staffer is accused of holding Meehan down during assaults , and a supervisor is accused of denying him help .
According to the lawsuit , the supervisor saw Meehan crying with a black eye and split lip , but when Meehan said he had been beaten and raped , cut him off and said , “ Look little fella , that just doesn ’ t happen.
” Around the same time , a nurse who observed Meehan crying , with his face bruised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuries appeared to be self-inflicted , according to the lawsuit .
In a post on a fundraising website he appears to have written in August , Buskey , 53 , of Boston , said he is innocent and described himself as “ a doting grandfather , a loving father , and a kind person.
” Murphy , 50 , of Danvers , Massachusetts , worked until July as a clubhouse attendant for the Boston Red Sox , which has suspended him without pay .
His attorney has said he doesn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meehan said he landed in the detention centre after running away from a physically abusive home and joining what he described as a biker gang of thieves .
After one arrest , he said he was being transported back to a pre-trial holding facility when another teen already at the centre told him about being raped and beaten .
Meehan said they persuaded the sheriff ’ s deputy to stop for a bathroom break and then fled , still wearing their handcuffs .
They were on the run for two weeks before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older brother , looking out for me , ” he said .
“ He was telling me that he wasn ’ t going to allow me to walk into that.
” Since his release , Meehan has married and raised three children , and for years owned a roofing and residential construction company .
But he ’ s also been arrested for drunken driving and for burglaries , which he says he committed to pay for what at times was a $ 500-per-day heroin habit .
The drinking and drugs allowed him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
His wife , Erin Meehan , whom he began dating as a teenager , said she knew nothing of the abuse until 2017 , when he told her , “ They raped me.
” In a lengthy interview that included some tears , David Meehan said he is determined to stand up for other victims .
“ It ’ s about holding people accountable for their own actions , “ he said .
” I personally have to face judgment for things I ’ ve done wrong , which seem petty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why should any of us survivors carry the burden of their dirty secret anymore ?
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Storms sweep southern US, Midwest as death toll rises to 11

HOUSTON - Severe storms sweeping across southern portions of the U.S. and up into the Midwest were blamed Saturday in the deaths of at least 11 people , including two first responders , as high winds , tornadoes and unrelenting rain battered large swaths of the country .
Storm-related fatalities were reported in Texas due to icy weather , in Alabama from a deadly tornado and in Louisiana , where winds were so strong that a trailer home was lifted off its foundation and carried several hundred feet .
A man drowned in Oklahoma and the storms even touched the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an icy highway in Iowa .
Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power from Texas to Ohio , parts of highways were closed in Oklahoma and Arkansas due to flooding and hundreds of flights were cancelled at Chicago ’ s international airports .
Arkansas Gov .
Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency to assist crews working to restore power around the state .
Two first responders were killed and another was critically injured in Lubbock , Texas , Saturday morning after they were hit by a vehicle while working the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , officials said .
Police Officer Nicholas Reyna , 27 , who had been with the department for one year , died at the scene .
Firefighter Lt. David Hill , 39 , was taken to a local hospital where he later died .
Firefighter Matthew Dawson , 30 , was hospitalized in critical condition .
Lubbock Police Chief Floyd Mitchell called it an “ extremely tragic day ” for the city .
“ If people would respect road conditions , things like this wouldn ’ t have to happen , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another person had died in Texas Friday night when a car flipped into a creek in Dallas as severe thunderstorms passed through .
Lightning from Friday ’ s stormy weather was suspected of causing fires that burned two houses but caused no injuries in the North Texas cities of Burleson and Mansfield .
A man drowned near Kiowa , Oklahoma , after he was swept away in floodwaters , the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Saturday .
Randall Hyatt , 58 , of Wardville , was overwhelmed by rushing water while getting out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patrol said roads were caked with ice early Saturday when a semitrailer on Interstate 80 overturned , killing a passenger in the truck east of Iowa City .
In Alabama , three people were confirmed killed near Carrollton in Pickens County , the National Weather Service in Birmingham tweeted .
The Alabama Emergency Management Agency said the deaths were caused by an “ embedded tornado within a long line of intense thunderstorms.
“ Earlier Saturday , in northwestern Louisiana , firefighters found the bodies of Jerry W. Franks , 79 , and Mary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demolished trailer in Benton , the Bossier Parish Sheriff ’ s Office said via Facebook .
The winds were so strong the home of the couple , who were the in-laws of a parish deputy , was moved 200 feet ( 61 metres ) from its foundation .
Willie Davis owns a barn near where the Franks lived .
He told KTBS-TV that this wasn ’ t the first time he ’ d seen storms like this .
“ Four or five times that I ’ ve known that ( storms ) have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees and the barn and stuff like that , ” Willie Davis said .
“ But that ’ s about all it normally does every time , ... this is the first time we ’ ve had any casualties.
” The National Weather Service in Shreveport said a tornado with winds of around 135 mph ( 217 kph ) had touched down in Bossier Parish .
Drone footage showed smashed buildings , a large vehicle flipped on its side , toppled trees and debris scattered over a large area .
Also in Louisiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in his bed when a tree fell on his home in Oil City , crushing him , according to the Caddo Parish Coroner ’ s Office .
About 67,000 customers were without power in Alabama on Saturday night , according to Alabama Power .
PowerOutage.us said Georgia had about 98,000 power outages Saturday evening , with tens of thousands of outages also reported in Mississippi and Louisiana .
Outages occurred from Texas to Ohio .
In Tennessee , damage was widespread throughout Shelby County , the state ’ s most populous county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous downed trees and power poles , some of which will need to be replaced , according to the utility .
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation said portions of several highways in the southeastern part of the state were closed due to flooding .
The Arkansas Department of Transportation reported that portions of several state highways across the state , particularly in southeastern Arkansas , were closed due to downed trees , power lines and flooding .
Many streams were already at or near flood levels because of earlier storms , and heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region , forecasters said .
Parts of Arkansas , Tennessee , Mississippi , Missouri , Illinois and Indiana were under flash flood warnings or watches on Saturday .
The storm , bringing the threat of ice and snow to the Chicago area , prompted the cancellation of more than 1,200 flights Saturday at Chicago ’ s two main airports .
Most cancellations occurred at Chicago ’ s O ’ Hare International , according to the Chicago Department of Aviation ’ s online flight-tracking website .
The weather service issued a winter weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning for the Chicago metropolitan area for Saturday and a winter storm warning for adjacent areas of northwestern Illinois .


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Rent deal means it’s not last call for historic NYC tavern

NEW YORK - A 190-year-old New York City tavern where scenes from the movie “ Goodfellas ” were filmed will stay open thanks to a deal reached Friday by the bar ’ s owner and his landlord , city officials said .
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Queens Chamber of Commerce announced “ a handshake agreement ” between Loycent Gordon , the owner of Neir ’ s Tavern , and property owners Ken and Henry Shi .
“ I ’ m proud to have helped keep the doors open so New Yorkers can continue to enjoy a place that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the years .
Cheers to another 190 years !
” de Blasio , a Democrat , said in a statement .
Thomas Grech , president of the Queens Chamber of Commerce , said , “ It would be a shame to lose an institution with as much history as Neir ’ s , and we ’ re thrilled the bar will continue to serve its patrons for years to come.
” Gordon announced earlier this week that Sunday would be the the last call for the pub in the Woodhaven neighbourhood of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said a rent increase and other rising costs had made it impossible to stay in business .
De Blasio promised to help save Neir ’ s when Gordon called into WNYC ’ s weekly “ Ask the Mayor ” radio show Friday morning , and the mayor joined bar patrons to celebrate the deal later Friday .
A video posted on Twitter by Queens Eagle managing editor David Brand shows de Blasio toasting the tavern ’ s owner with a chant of “ Loy !
Loy !
Loy !
” Neir ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue Pump House and has operated at the same location under several different names .
It has been featured in several movies including “ Goodfellas , ” Martin Scorsese ’ s 1990 mob classic starring Robert De Niro , Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--China says world should stick to ‘One China’ after Tsai win

BEIJING - China said Sunday that the world should abide by the idea that there is only one China , ruled by the Communist Party , after Taiwan reelected its democratic leader .
“ We hope and believe that the international community will continue adhering to the One China principle , understand and support the just cause of Chinese people to oppose the secessionist activities for ‘ Taiwan independence ’ and realize national reunification , “ said a statement from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang .
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party won in a landslide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kuo-yu .
Her victory speech warned China not to threaten force against the self-governed island .
Taiwan ’ s voters “ have shown that when our sovereignty and democracy are threatened , the Taiwan people will shout out determination even more loudly , “ Tsai said .
Taiwan has developed its own identity since separating from China during civil war in 1949 , but has never declared formal independence .
Beijing still claims sovereignty over the island of 23 million people and threatens to use force to seize control if necessary .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taiwan island , the basic facts — that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China — will not change , “ Geng said .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Police shooting in South Beach; Miami Beach officer stabbed

MIAMI - A shooting in Miami Beach ’ s tourist-filled South Beach neighbourhood left a police officer injured with a @ @ @ @ @ person hospitalized Saturday night .
Miami Beach police tweeted that the shooting occurred on Ocean @ @ @ @ @ s famous Art Deco Historic District Authorities later said the officer had been stabbed and @ @ @ @ @ Police said the other person was hospitalized in critical condition .
Investigators did not say @ @ @ @ @ Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the @ @ @ @ @ our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more @ @ @ @ @ Now


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Iran’s admission on jet brings rage in Ukraine and protests in Tehran

KYIV , UKRAINE—Iran ’ s stunning admission that its forces errantly downed a Ukrainian jetliner — reversing three days of denial — did little to quell growing fury inside the country and beyond on Saturday as the deadly tragedy turned into a volatile political crisis for Tehran ’ s leaders and overshadowed their struggle with the United States .
Ukrainian officials criticized Iran ’ s conduct , suggesting that the Iranians would not have admitted responsibility if investigators from Ukraine had not found evidence of a missile strike in the wreckage of the crash , which killed all 176 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Iranian cities as dumbfounded citizens found a new reason to mistrust Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , Iran ’ s supreme leader , and other officials .
Protest videos even showed some shouting “ Khamenei is a murderer !
” and anti-riot police tear-gassing violent demonstrators .
Khamenei said he had ordered subordinates to be honest about Iran ’ s responsibility for the disaster .
Both he and President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said they had not learned the true cause until an internal military investigation was completed Friday .
But that assertion raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders in the hierarchy — Khamenei is the commander-in-chief — could not have known .
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine , in his first reaction to Iran ’ s announcement , said his country would “ insist on a full admission of guilt ” by Tehran .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada , home to many of those aboard the destroyed jetliner , demanded a “ full and complete investigation ” and said “ Iran must take full responsibility.
” Both spoke by phone with Rouhani .
Contradictions and miscues complicated Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility for the downing of the plane , Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 , a Boeing 737-800 that was only a few years old.. Iran ’ s military , in its initial admission early Saturday , said the flight ’ s crew had taken a sharp , unexpected turn that brought it near a sensitive military base — an assertion that was immediately disputed by the Ukrainians .
Hours later , an Iranian commander who accepted full responsibility for the disaster agreed that the Ukrainians were right .
“ The plane was flying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and everybody was doing their job correctly , ” said the commander , Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh , who leads the airspace unit of Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guard — a powerful , hard-line military force .
“ If there was a mistake , it was made by one of our members.
” The Ukrainians further accused Iran of having recklessly permitted commercial flights during a security emergency and of having violated universally accepted procedures for a post-crash investigation .
Bulldozers had heaped debris from the plane into piles on the ground .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Oleksiy Danilov , the Ukrainian security official overseeing the crash inquiry , said in an interview with The New York Times , referring to how Iranian authorities had handled the site of the crash .
Within Iran , as citizens vented anger toward their government , officials offered a mix of contrition and an insistence that Iran was not solely to blame .
Rouhani called the error an “ unforgivable mistake.
” Hajizadeh , whose forces were responsible , said he had wished death upon himself because of the blunder .
Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zarif , wrote in an apology posted on Twitter : “ Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster.
” But the official expressions of remorse did nothing to mollify angry Iranians who only a few days earlier were united in outraged grief over the American killing of a storied Revolutionary Guard leader , Gen. Qassem Soleimani .
Now they were once again out en masse protesting their government .
Some protest images posted on Iranian social media even showed torn photos of Soleimani .
“ Death to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dictator !
” shouted Iranians gathered in squares in the capital Tehran , videos shared on social media showed .
“ You have no shame !
” shouted several young men , and the crowd joined in a chorus .
In another tense spillover from the protests , Iranian authorities briefly seized Britain ’ s Tehran ambassador , Rob Macaire , for what news accounts in Iran called his “ involvement in provoking suspicious acts ” at a protest .
Britain ’ s foreign secretary , Dominic Raab , denounced the seizure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law.
” Many protesters carried candles and placed flowers at the gates of the universities and other public places in Tehran .
Conservatives and supporters of the government accused the authorities of having intentionally misled the public about what had brought down the plane .
Its passengers included many young Iranians on their way to Canada for graduate study .
Criticism directed at Iran ’ s leadership came from all factions inside the country .
Even hard-line conservatives who exalt the military questioned its competence and what they called the deliberate decisions by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hamideh Zarabadi , a member of Parliament from the conservative city of Qazvin , said Iran should hold a state funeral for the victims , prepare 176 coffins “ and write on each of them , 80 million times , damn to war.
” Zarabadi ’ s comments were a slap at Khamenei and conservatives who had until Friday boasted about war with the U.S. and their plan for “ maximum pressure ” to avenge Soleimani ’ s death .
Mehdi Karroubi , a leader of the opposition Green Movement who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued a statement telling Khamenei that he no longer had the moral qualifications to be supreme leader .
And the editor in chief of the official Tasnim News Agency , Kian Abdollahi , said that lying to the public was as catastrophic as the plane tragedy and that all officials who lied must be prosecuted .
The criticism of Iran over the crash now threatens to eclipse whatever international sympathy Iran has garnered in its escalating confrontation with the Trump administration , which has faced widespread criticism over stoking a violent confrontation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , an outspoken Iran critic who was among the first U.S. officials to accuse the country of shooting down the Ukrainian jetliner , posted a message on Twitter that clearly alluded to the outrage in Iran on Saturday .
“ The voice of the Iranian people is clear , ” Pompeo wrote .
“ They are fed up with the regime ’ s lies , corruption , ineptitude and brutality.
” Later Trump , in his own Twitter message , warned against what he called “ another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an apparent reference to the deadly repression of demonstrators there in November .
The plane went down in fiery destruction just a few minutes after having departed Tehran ’ s Imam Khomeini airport Wednesday morning , only hours after Iranian military forces had fired a barrage of missiles at bases in Iraq housing American troops in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani by a U.S. military drone in Baghdad on Jan. 3 .
Iran ’ s aerial defense forces , worried about possible American reprisals for the missile attack , were on alert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was allowed to proceed normally .
For three days after the crash , Iranian officials not only denied their military forces were responsible but blamed what they called the aircraft ’ s mechanical problems and said suggestions of Iranian culpability were U.S. propaganda .
Satellite surveillance and video clips of the plane strongly suggested Iran ’ s own air defense missile system blasted the plane out of the sky .
The newly critical language by Ukrainian officials in the aftermath of Iran ’ s admission stood in sharp contrast to more cautious statements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the frustrations in a country that had been thrust in the middle of the conflict between the United States and Iran .
Danilov , the Ukrainian security official , said Iran had been forced into conceding its military had brought down the jet because the evidence of a missile strike had become overwhelmingly clear to international investigators .
He said Ukrainian experts on the ground in Iran had gathered such evidence since their arrival on Thursday despite apparent Iranian efforts to complicate the investigation , including by sweeping debris into piles rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catastrophe happens , everything is supposed to stay in its place , ” he said .
“ Every element is described , every element is photographed , every element is fixed in terms of its location and coordinates .
To our great regret , this was not done.
” Zelenskiy ’ s office posted on Facebook photos of plane wreckage and a Canadian man ’ s passport showing small piercings — consistent with the hypothesis that shrapnel from a surface-to-air missile hit the plane .
“ We expect Iran to assure its readiness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring those responsible to justice , to return the bodies of the victims , to pay compensation , and to make official apologies through diplomatic channels , ” Zelenskiy said in a post on his Facebook page .
“ We hope that the investigation will continue without artificial delays and obstacles.
” Rouhani , in a statement cited by the Fars News Agency , offered condolences to the victims ’ families and said that “ the terrible catastrophe should be thoroughly investigated.
” The Iranian expressions of remorse were met with frustration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling since the crash to get meaningful information from Iran about what had actually happened .
“ Even in the statement of Iran there is a hint that our crew was acting independently , or that it could have acted differently , ” said the airline director , Yevhenii Dykhne .
The crew received no warning before leaving Tehran , Ukrainian officials said .
The plane took off as Ukrainian flights from Iran had dozens of times before , and followed the same departure routes as other airliners leaving that morning , Ihor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations , told journalists .
“ There was no deviation from any routes that some are hinting at , ” he said .
The crew maintained normal radio contact with the tower in Tehran , he said , and followed a standard departure procedure for the airport .
After having reached an elevation of 6,000 feet , they were instructed to make a slight northerly turn .
In the last communication , he said , one of the pilots read back this instruction from the tower , saying “ turn and climb.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have sent a plane to Iran at all , in light of tensions in the region , the airline officials said it was Iran ’ s responsibility to close airspace if it had intended to fire missiles .
Danilov said Iran had no choice but to admit to shooting down the plane because the facts had become apparent to Ukrainian experts on the ground and to the international community .
The “ cherry on top ” in Ukraine ’ s probe , he said , came on Friday evening Iran time , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the airplane cabin that had been pierced by what appeared to be the shrapnel of a missile warhead .
“ As we saw it , Iran had to face the reality that there ’ s no way they ’ ll get out of this , ” Danilov said .
In the hours immediately after the crash , Danilov said , Iran was resistant to letting Ukraine conduct its own investigation .
He said the possibility that international aviation authorities might shut down passenger flights to Tehran also placed enormous pressure on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sorry , this was a technical error , either due to the pilots or the technical condition of the airplane.
’ We said : ‘ Let us have a look.
’ They said : ‘ We won ’ t let you , ’ ” Danilov said .
“ It took rather concerted efforts of our diplomats and our consul working there in order to make sure everything went well for our specialists.
” Zelenskiy spoke by phone to President Emmanuel Macron of France , and both agreed that French specialists would help decode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorders .
Hajizadeh , the Iranian official who accepted responsibility for the missile strike , said the plane had been misidentified as a cruise missile and was shot down with a short-range missile that exploded near the plane .
Asked why Iranian airspace was not shut to commercial air traffic while Iran ’ s defense forces were on alert for attacks , Hajizadeh had no clear answer .
“ I wish I was dead , ” Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by local news outlets .
“ I accept all responsibility for this @ @ @

Anton Troianovski - Andrew E. Kramer and Farnaz Fassihi, The New York Times


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--US to send home some Saudi military students after shooting

WASHINGTON - The United States is preparing to remove more than a dozen Saudi military students from a training program and return them to their home country after an investigation into a deadly shooting by a Saudi aviation student at a Florida navy base last month , a U.S. official told The Associated Press .
The 21-year-old Saudi Air Force officer , 2nd Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani , opened fire at the base in Pensacola , killing three U.S. sailors and injuring eight other people .
The Justice Department has been investigating the incident as an act of terrorism .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting , where he and others watched videos of mass shootings .
The gunman had also apparently taken to Twitter before the shooting to criticize U.S. support of Israel and accuse America of being anti-Muslim , another U.S. official told the AP last month .
Alshamrani , who was killed by a sheriff ’ s deputy during the rampage at a classroom building , was undergoing flight training at Pensacola , where members of foreign militaries routinely receive instruction .
It was not immediately clear on what grounds the students were being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official said they were not suspected of having played any role in the attack .
The precise number of students being removed was also not clear .
The officials discussing the case spoke on condition of anonymity to speak about details involved in an ongoing investigation .
The FBI declined to comment on Sunday .
The Justice Department said Attorney General William Barr and Deputy FBI Director David Bowdich would provide an update on the investigation at a news conference Monday afternoon .
The plan to remove the students was first reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how well international military students are screened before they attend training at American bases .
Some lawmakers , including a top Republican ally of President Donald Trump , have called for Saudi Arabia to be suspended from an American military training program .
Trump called for the program to be reviewed .
But Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , said the program needed to be reevaluated after the attack .
A Saudi commanding officer had ordered all students from the country to remain at one location at the base after the attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brien said in an interview on Fox News that the shooting “ showed that there had been errors in the way that we vetted “ the students .
The actions being taken by the Justice Department and Defence Department to remove the Saudi students are to “ protect our service men and women , ” he said .
Federal officials are still investigating the shooting and examining evidence .
Earlier this week , FBI asked Apple to help extract data from two iPhones that belonged to the gunman .
Investigators have been trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPhone 7 and an iPhone 5 — but have been unable to access them because the phones are locked and encrypted , according to a letter from the FBI ’ s general counsel , Dana Boente .
The FBI has received a court authorization to search the phones and the devices have been sent to the bureau ’ s lab in Quantico , Virginia , he said .
The investigation is considered a “ high-priority national security matter , ” Boente said in the letter .
FBI officials have sought help from other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigators have been trying to guess the passwords , but those efforts have been unsuccessful , according to the letter .
Apple said in a statement that it has already provided investigators with all the relevant data held by the company and would continue to support the investigators .
At least one of the phones was shot by a sheriff ’ s deputy during the attack , but investigators believe they may still be able to extract data from the device , according to a person familiar with the matter .
The person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ongoing investigation .

Eric Tucker And Michael Balsamo - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Sanders wins major New Hampshire union endorsement

MANCHESTER , N.H. - Bernie Sanders has won a coveted union endorsement in New Hampshire as he faces the challenge of earning a repeat victory in the 2020 New Hampshire presidential primary .
The Vermont senator ’ s presidential campaign announced Sunday that SEA/SEIU Local 1984 is endorsing Sanders once again , after earlier throwing support behind the lawmaker when he ran for president during the 2016 cycle .
The organization bills itself as the state ’ s “ second largest union with over 10,000 public and private sector members.
” After winning a 22-point blowout victory over Democrat Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sanders is facing a more crowded field in his quest for the 2020 Democratic nomination with New Hampshire ’ s primary looming on Feb. 11 .
Other major 2020 contenders in New Hampshire including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg also publicly courted SEA/SEIU Local 1984 members for support at candidate town halls last year .
Sanders also held a town hall with the union and publicly supported the state employees association during a stop on his “ End Corporate Greed ” tour of New Hampshire in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Sanders has represented the interests of workers all across this country , and during these past few months , he has taken the time to support SEA/SEIU Local 1984 specifically , ” SEA/SEIU Local 1984 President Rich Gulla said in a statement provided by the Sanders campaign .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Australia turns from defence to offence in wildfire battle

BODALLA , Australia - Crews battling Australia ’ s wildfires said Sunday that they have been able to turn from defence to offence for the first time in weeks thanks to a break in the weather .
Dale McLean , who is helping manage the response to a fire near the town of Bodalla in New South Wales state , was part of team that was bulldozing down small trees and burning scrub ahead of the fire ’ s projected path to try to stop it from reaching a major highway by starving it of fuel .
“ This fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight days ago , and with the weather changing now , the weather settling down , the fire has settled down , ” he said .
“ The fire behaviour has changed .
So we ’ re able to get in front of the fire now , get on the offensive.
” Other workers echoed McLean ’ s comments , saying cooler temperatures and mild winds have finally offered them a chance to make progress .
The weather is expected to remain benign for the next week , although any deterioration in conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up again .
While battling the blazes , volunteer firefighting veteran Mick Stain found some moth larvae , or “ witchetty grubs , ” and turned them into what ’ s known in Australia as bush tucker by roasting them directly on the fire ’ s burning coals .
“ Bit creamy and nutty , but they ’ re all right , “ Stain said .
“ They ’ re not spew-worthy , so they ’ re pretty good.
” Meanwhile , U.S. tennis star Serena Williams donated her $ 43,000 winner ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ASB Classic to the fundraising appeal for victims of the wildfires , joining many other tennis stars to pledge money , including Ash Barty , Nick Kygrios , Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova .
Also on Sunday , news came that another firefighter had been killed .
Bill Slade — one of the few professionals among mainly volunteer brigades battling blazes across southeast Australia — died after being hit by a falling tree on Saturday near Omeo in eastern Victoria state , Forest Fire Management Victoria Executive Director Chris Hardman said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November for 40 years of service with the forestry agency .
“ Although we do have enormous experience in identifying hazardous trees , sometimes these tree failures can ’ t be predicted , ” Hardman said .
“ Working on the fire ground in a forest environment is a dynamic , high-risk environment and it carries with it significant risk.
” The tragedy brings the death toll to at least 27 in a crisis that has destroyed more than 2,000 homes and scorched an area larger than the U.S. state of Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been firefighters .
The crisis has brought accusations that Prime Minister Scott Morrison ’ s conservative government needs to take more action to counter climate change , which experts say has worsened the blazes .
Thousands of protesters rallied Friday in Sydney and Melbourne , calling for Morrison to be fired and for Australia to take tougher action on global warming .
The prime minister said Sunday that his government was building resilience to the fire danger posed by climate change .
He said the government was developing a national disaster risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Affairs that will deal with wildfires , cyclones , floods and drought .
“ This is a longer-term risk framework model which deals with one of the big issues in response to the climate changing , “ Morrison said .
He said his government accepted that climate change was leading to longer , hotter and drier summers , despite junior government lawmaker George Christensen posting on social media over the weekend that the cause of the latest fires was arson rather than man-made climate change .
Another junior lawmaker , Craig Kelly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change and fire crisis .
State authorities have said a minority of fires are deliberately lit .
“ The government ’ s policy is set by the Cabinet .
Our party room has a broad range of views , ” Morrison said of those within government ranks who reject mainstream climate science .
Morrison also announced that 76 million Australian dollars ( $ 52 million ) would be spent on providing psychological counselling for firefighters and fire-affected communities as part of a previously announced AU $ 2 billion ( $ 1.4 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a deep scar in the landscape that has been left right across our country , ” Morrison said .
“ But I am also very mindful , as is the government , of the very real scars that will be there for quite a period of time to come for those who ’ ve been exposed to the trauma of these bushfires.
” While the fire threat is most acute in rural communities , wildfire smoke that has choked some of Australia ’ s largest cities is a reminder to many urban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writer Rod McGuirk in Canberra , Australia , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--4 Iraqi servicemen wounded by rocket attack on air base

BAGHDAD - Four members of Iraq ’ s military were wounded Sunday in a rocket attack targeting an air base just north of Baghdad where American trainers were present until recently , Iraqi security officials said .
The attack by at least six rockets came just days after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq that house U.S. forces , causing no casualties .
There are no Americans currently at Balad air base and there were none during the the attack , according to a coalition spokesperson .
The base had hosted American trainers , advisers and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aircraft , according to an Iraqi defence official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .
Recent heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran were sparked last month when a rocket attack killed an American contractor at a base in Iraq .
The U.S. has blamed that attack and others on Iran-backed militias .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet Sunday that he was “ outraged ” by the attacks .
“ Outraged by reports of another rocket attack on an Iraqi airbase , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed recovery of the injured and call on the government of Iraq to hold those responsible for these attacks accountable.
” “ These continued violations of Iraq ’ s sovereignty by groups not loyal to the Iraqi government must end , ” he added .
Sunday ’ s attack wounded an Iraqi air force officer and three enlisted men , Iraqi security officials said .
They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .
Some rockets fell on a restaurant inside the airbase , the officials said .
No group claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is located some 50 miles ( 80 kilometres ) miles north of Baghdad .
A statement from the Iraqi army ’ s official media office confirmed the attack but said eight rockets hit the base , and that two officers had been wounded .
The difference in accounts could no immediately be reconciled .
The U.S. and Iran recently stepped back from escalating tensions following the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani , Iran ’ s top general , in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad .
A senior Iraqi leader of an Iran-backed militia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retaliatory attack for Soleimani ’ s death hit two Iraqi bases , Ain al-Asad and Irbil , where American troops are based .
The limited Iranian strikes appeared to be mainly a show of force , and deescalated tensions that had threatened to turn Iraq into a proxy battlefield .

Qassem Abdul-Zahra - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Oregon girl dead, boy missing after being swept into ocean

CANNON BEACH , Ore. - A 7-year-old girl is dead and her 4-year-old brother is missing after they and their father were swept into the ocean on the Oregon coast amid a high-surf warning .
The father was holding the two children when a wave swept all three into the water at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the Falcon Cove area , near the small coastal community of Cannon Beach , authorities said .
Jeremy Stiles , 47 , of Portland and his daughter were taken by ambulance to a hospital in the nearby city of Seaside , while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the boy .
A police officer initially found the man struggling to get out of the water , while the girl was farther offshore .
She was pronounced dead at the hospital .
The father ’ s condition was not immediately available .
The hours-long search for the boy was suspended once it became dark .
The National Weather Service had issued a high-surf warning in the area for Saturday , as large waves made for dangerous surf topping 30 feet ( 9.1 metres ) .
On Sunday , the weather service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned of sneaker waves that could suddenly pull people into the water and be strong enough to lift and roll logs .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Philippines evacuating residents, watching for tsunami after Taal volcano spews ash

MANILA—The Philippines is bracing for a major eruption from one of its most active volcanoes amid escalating agitation on Sunday that sent ash spewing as far as the capital and prompted the evacuation of thousands .
The column of ash released from the Taal volcano in Batangas province , almost two hours south of the capital by car , rose 10 to 15 kilometers .
Two hours later , the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert status to “ Level 4 , ” which means that a “ hazardous explosive eruption ” was expected within hours to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Level 5 , reserved for ongoing magma eruption .
The agency also warned that surrounding areas were at risk of a volcanic tsunami .
A volcano can “ displace a great volume of water and generate extremely destructive tsunami waves in the immediate source area , ” according to the International Tsunami Information Center.
” Waves will impact the coastline , ” said Renato Solidum , director of the volcanology institute .
“ Sometimes , if there are boats or structures there , these can be destroyed.
” Tens of thousands are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towns .
The Philippine Red Cross deployed thousands of volunteers and at least nine ambulances in three surrounding provinces .
“ Senior citizens must be taken care of , especially those with respiratory diseases , ” said Richard Gordon , a senator who serves as chairman of the Philippine Red Cross .
Ash clouded visibility on highways and coated cars and streets as far as Manila .
Flights to and from the capital were cancelled as ash accumulated on the runways .
Drugstores quickly run out of face masks .
From her residence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amante , 22 , said the air smells “ like sulphur and there ’ s a constant rumble in the distance.
” She said her family had just evacuated from a lakeside municipality and had noted that there were only “ minutes between quakes.
” Yvette Herras , 54 , said her house in the town of Silang in Cavite province was right in the danger zone .
By the time she , her husband and three of their children left , there was no electricity or clean water .
“ Our umbrellas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scary , the air was orange ( and ) grey , ” Herras said , speaking in English .
“ We could hear explosions , thunder-like … We decided to leave because it was impossible to get out if we decide to go later.
” It took the family four hours to reach Manila , hitching a jeepney ride and then catching a bus .
Herras said her daughter lives in the city , and they were spending the night with her .
“ It ’ s still shocking for us , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we were watching a postapocalyptic movie.
” According to the NASA Earth Observatory , Taal consists of multiple stratovolcanoes .
Its primary feature is the five-kilometer-wide Volcano Island , which has 47 craters and sits in a lake .
The volcano has 33 recorded eruptions , the latest of which was in 1977 .


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--‘I lost my legs’: Wounded in Iraq, veteran Chris Levi sued Iran

MELVILLE , N.Y.—Chris Levi ’ s fellow soldiers were sure he was dead .
The Humvee he commanded in Baghdad had been torn apart by a projectile , and so had his body .
When he awoke several minutes later , he followed his training , trying to assess his injuries .
“ I tried to wiggle my toes , and I couldn ’ t move them , ” he recalled .
Fearing he had been paralyzed , he reached down to feel his lower body .
“ It ’ s kind of hard to describe , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I knew I lost my legs.
” The device that nearly killed Levi in 2008 was an improvised bomb called an explosively formed penetrator , or EFP — a weapon that blasted a teardrop-shaped slug of molten copper through the passenger door of his armoured Humvee .
Though it was fired by Shiite militia members in Iraq , Levi has sought for years to hold another party responsible : Iran .
He and dozens of other soldiers injured during the Iraq War , as well as the families of hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in federal court .
They sued Iran ’ s government in an effort to prove that the attacks that took their limbs and loved ones were aided by Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guard .
Their fight was little noticed , with limited hope of recovering significant damages despite a ruling last year in their favour .
Then another form of justice came this month , when an American missile killed the man they hold most responsible , Gen. Qassem Soleimani .
His name may not have been well known to most Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus of anger for many wounded veterans and families of those killed in Iraq .
U.S. officials have blamed Soleimani for a campaign of roadside bombs and other attacks that they say killed hundreds of troops at the height of the Iraq War , which took the lives of nearly 4,500 American service members and left more than 30,000 wounded .
“ He was the leader of the group that killed Dad , ” Kelli Hake , whose husband died in an EFP attack , recalled telling her 13-year-old son when she saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flash on television .
Since 2007 , the U.S. military has said that Iran , and specifically the Revolutionary Guard ’ s Quds Force , commanded by Soleimani , provided Iraqi militias with the projectile weapons and the training needed to use them .
Last week , as White House claims that the general was killed to ward off imminent attacks on Americans were called into question , the administration sought to bolster its justification for the missile strike by also focusing on his role during the Iraq War .
President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soleimani had “ viciously wounded and murdered thousands of U.S. troops.
” The claim that Iran was partly responsible for losses in Iraq is at the heart of the lawsuit filed in February 2016 by more than 300 wounded veterans or relatives of dead service members .
The plaintiffs say the attacks at issue all had something in common : specialized weaponry or other materials or support provided by Iran .
Primarily , that meant components for EFP weapons , one of the most lethal devices wielded against Americans during the Iraq War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dense metal projectile at several times of the speed of sound , they could punch through the armour of almost any military vehicle .
Hake said she was skeptical when lawyers first approached her about the lawsuit .
Although she might never see much money , she said she decided to join as a way to bring attention to Iran ’ s role in the attacks on her husband and others .
“ I want it to be out there and known , ” she said .
Her son , Gage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his father , Staff Sgt .
Christopher Hake , was killed by an EFP that pierced the fuel tank of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle , setting it ablaze .
Hake remembers feeling grateful that her son was too young to remember his father ’ s death , but also devastated that he would not remember his life .
The death of Soleimani brought some of those emotions back , she said , but it also gave her a feeling of relief .
“ It ’ s not that he physically killed Chris himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was the one who put those motions into action.
” So far , the case has focused on six specific EFP strikes that killed and maimed troops , including Levi and Hake , in Baghdad between 2005 and 2009 , as well as a January 2007 kidnapping operation carried out by militiamen in central Iraq that resulted in the deaths of five service members .
In 2018 , Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia conducted a three-day trial to closely examine who was behind the seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran to defend the case , which the plaintiffs filed under a law that allows Americans to seek damages from other countries for deaths and injuries caused by torture , terrorism and related acts .
Levi , who was a specialist in the Army , took the stand and described the day that the copper projectile tore through his Humvee , shattering his right arm and slicing his legs off above the knees .
Over the next two years , he endured more than 100 operations at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legs and used a metal plate and screws to hold his arm and hand together .
Now , when he wants to play with his two small dogs , Marley and Remy , or when he expects a visit from his young nieces , Levi straps on a shorter set of prosthetics that give him a low centre of gravity .
“ I love being able to throw those ‘ feet ’ on and be the same height as my nieces , ” he said .
He also wears them when he hikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home on Long Island , which was built by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and is filled with amenities to help him live independently .
At the trial , Levi often engaged in what the judge described as “ gallows levity.
” But he sometimes broke down while listening to testimony about the deaths of other soldiers , including Hake .
“ I couldn ’ t stop crying , and I couldn ’ t leave , ” Levi said , adding that it was important for the world to know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible .
“ It ’ s something other people needed to hear , ” he said .
In August , in an initial ruling for the plaintiffs , Kollar-Kotelly said that evidence gathered by U.S. military investigators and intelligence officials clearly showed that “ material support ” for the seven attacks she examined had “ flowed through ” Soleimani ’ s Quds Force .
The general ’ s name appeared throughout her opinion , as she described the role he played as the head of Quds Force and the fact that he reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
Now , in a new phase of the litigation , the judge is looking at evidence from more than 80 other attacks , most of them involving EFPs , and will decide whether those strikes were also aided by Iran .
Then a special master would recommend the amount of damages owed to each plaintiff .
There is little chance that Iran could be made to pay up directly .
But plaintiffs like Levi and Hake may be able to receive money from a federal fund set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said their lawyer , Gary Osen .
Just how many troops were killed or wounded by Iranian-supplied weaponry during the Iraq War remains in dispute .
The U.S. military said in 2015 that during a six-year stretch , EFP attacks killed 196 American troops and wounded 861 others .
More recently , the Pentagon has given an estimate of 600 American troop deaths from roadside bombs and various other attacks supported by Iran during the war .
Some experts , like Joe Cirincione , who was a longtime Democratic staff member in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to blame Soleimani for 600 deaths or the “ thousands ” of casualties that Trump is now citing .
But he said there was no question that Iran bears considerable responsibility .
“ Can you pin every single EFP attack on Soleimani ?
No , that ’ s going too far , ” said Cirincione , who is now the president of Plowshares Fund , a global security foundation .
But , he said , “ I ’ ve never heard anyone claim the Iranians did not supply these weapons.
” Soleimani once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 2007 , the general told Jalal Talabani , the Iraqi president at the time , that his hands were clean , according to an American diplomatic cable later revealed by WikiLeaks .
“ I swear on the grave of Khomeini I haven ’ t authorized a bullet against the U.S. , ” the general said .
Patrick Farr , another plaintiff in the suit , does not believe him .
Farr ’ s son , Clay , a soldier on his first deployment in Iraq , was injured by a roadside bomb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The next day , he called his father from a hospital bed .
It was the last time they talked .
A week later , he was back in the field , and an EFP struck the Humvee he was driving , killing him .
“ He was all I had , ” Farr said in an interview from California City , California .
On the night the missile strike killed Soleimani , he celebrated with his wife after reading the news on his phone .
“ He changed our lives forever , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do take comfort that the last thing he heard was the sound of a United States missile coming down on his head .
”

Richard A. Oppel Jr. - The New York Times,Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Officials propose California butterfly for threatened list

SAN DIEGO - The U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed adding a California butterfly to the list of threatened species , officials said .
The agency wants the Hermes copper butterfly added to the list in recognition of the threats it faces in its home region of San Diego County , The San Diego Union-Tribune reports .
The service filed its proposal Jan. 8 , estimating it will take a year to finalize the listing and draw up critical habitat plans for the butterfly .
A public comment period for the listing is expected to run through March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Mexico ’ s Baja California and California ’ s San Diego County , which has a high concentration of endangered species , federal wildlife officials said .
The butterfly is among a suite of local species suffering from urban sprawl and wildfires that have altered the landscape in recent decades , officials said .
The San Diego Biodiversity Project and the Center for Biological Diversity first petitioned to list the Hermes copper in 1991 .
The brown and orange butterfly is adapted to the fire-prone habitat of San Diego , said Tara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre .
During earlier regimens of smaller , scattered fires , the Hermes copper would move between burned areas and blossoming sites , Cornelisse said .
“ It can maintain that , but with urban development in San Diego and the presence of more wide-ranging fires , its habitat is more degraded , ” Cornelisse said .
“ That ’ s what has caused it to become endangered.
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thetorontostar--2020-01-12--In Australia, the air poses a threat as people rush to hospitals in cities choked by smoke

Jenny Edwards didn ’ t want to go back home to Canberra , the Australian capital .
She added seven days to a five-day family vacation “ specifically to stay out of the smoke.
” But it didn ’ t matter .
Within a day of returning , her eyes were irritated , her chest felt tight , her head hurt and a small but persistent cough couldn ’ t clear a tickle in her throat .
Three massive fires were still burning about 60 miles away , and even though the heaviest smoke had momentarily lifted , the misery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Air quality in Canberra on New Year ’ s Day was among the worst of any major city in the world .
Australia ’ s bush fires have blanketed parts of the continent with pollution , affecting hundreds of thousands of people who are not in immediate danger from the flames .
Government agencies and medical officials say distress calls , ambulance runs and hospital emergency room visits have surged .
Even some federal departments in the capital had to temporarily shutter offices and tell non-essential staff to stay away .
Stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filtration masks , and in recent days government officials have begun rationing them to particularly vulnerable people , including pregnant women , the elderly and those with chronic heart and lung conditions .
On Facebook , residents have posted pictures of doors and windows sealed with thick tape in an effort to keep smoke out their houses .
And 7News Sydney posted a “ Ciggie Index ” — the equivalent number of cigarettes each resident consumes daily from inhaling smoke .
In east Sydney , it ’ s 19 .
A key question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year continue to burn , in some cases merging into megafires : What are the long-term health implications of so many people exposed to thick smoke for so long ?
Wildfire smoke that lingers for weeks doesn ’ t just get into people ’ s eyes and the pores of their skin , researchers say .
It enters their minds , settles in their thoughts and affects their mental health .
That was a finding from studies following the deadly Black Saturday fires in Victoria in 2009 , when both firefighters and residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m predicting that the effect is going to be far greater than before because the fires have been burning for such a long time , ” said Mirella Di Benedetto , a researcher and clinical psychologist at RMIT University in Melbourne .
The 2009 fires were isolated to Victoria , but the current fires are burning nationwide , near Australia ’ s largest cities .
“ Even where there are no fires , smoke is moving down to these areas , ” Di Benedetto said .
“ The air quality is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health and physical health impact will be huge in the months to come.
” Little research exists about the long-term consequences of exposure to wildfire smoke , but Kari Nadeau and Mary Prunicki , scientists at Stanford University , are working to change that .
They ’ re closely following hundreds of people affected by devastating wildfires in California , taking blood samples and asking them about everything from their use of air filters to their psychological responses to the experience .
Earlier research has linked air pollution from wildfires to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , heart ailments and strokes , but Nadeau and Prunicki hope to solve a deeper mystery .
“ Are there irreversible consequences over time ?
” said Nadeau , director of Stanford ’ s Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research .
The work is urgent , Prunicki said , not only because existing research is limited , but also because the rapidly warming climate is likely to make the unprecedented fires in Australia only more common there and elsewhere around the globe .
“ They are not going to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia , the smoke is affecting cities in unexpected ways .
At one of Canberra ’ s public hospitals , workers kept the hospital ’ s exterior doors shut to keep smoke from clouding the hallways and patient rooms , said David Caldicott , an emergency room physician .
Some nurses wore breathing masks , and the smoke temporarily incapacitated some local MRI machines , he said .
At his own house , the smoke detector kept blaring one day until Caldicott finally muffled it with a towel at 3 a.m .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a wildfire season , he said , the past weeks have been unlike any he has experienced .
“ It ’ s sort of like medicine meets ‘ Mad Max , ’ “ Caldicott said , referring to the vintage Australian action movie about a dystopian , postapocalyptic future .
In the state of New South Wales , home to Sydney , health officials said emergency room visits for asthma and breathing problems increased more than 34 per cent in the period from Dec. 30 and Jan. 5 compared to a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were also higher , about 2,500 compared to the five-year average of about 1,900 .
Similarly , hospital admissions increased to more than 430 , surpassing the five-year average of 361 .
Four of Australia ’ s five largest population centres are experiencing the effects of the fires .
At least 25 people have died , nearly 2,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 14 million acres have burned .
So much smoke has been produced , there ’ s evidence that some is circumnavigating the planet and has reached South America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atmospheric Administration .
Bush fires are a known trigger for asthma attacks , said Bruce Thompson , dean of the School of Health Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne .
“ This is a very significant health concern .
Here in Australia , we ’ re making sure people are moving themselves from the outdoors as best they can , ” Thompson said .
Inside bushfire smoke , water vapour intermingles with tiny particles measured in micrometers .
It also contains gases such as carbon dioxide , nitrogen oxides and carbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and chemicals from melted tires and scorched steel also hitch a ride .
Particles as large as 5 micrometers “ stick in your nose ; you wake up with a runny nose and itchy eyes , ” Thompson said .
Particles as small as 2.5 micrometers — known by researchers as PM 2.5 — are scarier , he said .
“ They can get to the very edges of the lungs , ” Thompson said .
“ We had a coal mine fire a few years ago and it ’ s been demonstrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the plume had worse lung function .
So this is bad.
” Smaller particles in smoke can hinder cardiac function in adults .
Thompson said the developing lungs of children can be permanently damaged in varying degrees .
“ The lung becomes inflamed , and you cough as the lung tries to adjust , ” Thompson said .
“ The lung is bad at repairing itself .
It tries to get rid of particles by making you cough , but it produces scar tissue , and you don ’ t want that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efficiency of the lung.
” Fay Johnston , an environmental health professor at the University of Tasmania ’ s Menzies Institute for Medical Research , said most people exposed to the smoke won ’ t be harmed — as long as the fires end soon .
“ If the smoke goes away , a healthy person can withstand it , ” said Johnston , who specializes in the health effects of bushfire smoke .
“ Healthy people will come through it without any long-term harm.
” But relief from the yearly rainy season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like other researchers , Johnston worries about what will happen if the fires continue , particularly for old and young asthma sufferers .
“ What ’ s the long-term legacy of it ?
” she said .
“ We really don ’ t know.
” Few studies have delved into the consequences of long-term exposure to bush fires .
Johnston and other researchers conducted the study Thompson referenced , on health impacts on children and mothers in the wake of a 2014 fire at a Victoria coal mine that burned for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Morwell with smoke .
Young children exposed to the smoke were more likely to get an antibiotic prescription in the year after the fire , and pregnant women were more likely to develop gestational diabetes , Johnston said .
Bin Jalaludin , a professor at the University of New South Wales and chief investigator at the Centre for Air Pollution , Energy and Health Research , said government officials and academics in Australia already have been brainstorming ways to study the long-term health implications of the “ truly unprecedented ” fires .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is things like ER visits , deaths , hospitalizations , ambulance call-outs for respiratory problems , birth outcomes — do women who are pregnant and exposed to high levels of smoke , does it have an impact on the newborn ?
” he said .
“ It will take time , although we are trying to expedite it and get some of this work done quickly.
” Meanwhile , south of Sydney in Bowral , Peggy Stone said she ’ s fighting off feelings of depression .
“ We haven ’ t seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The sky is sometimes fiery orange , sometimes smoky grey .
The day she spoke , she said , “ The sun is trying to penetrate the smoke .
Occasionally it might try to get through and we get a little ray.
” Farther south in Canberra , Jenny Edwards , who has asthma , made an appointment to see a doctor .
“ I ’ m quite worried about the next couple of months , ” Edwards said .
“ Air quality is so hard to predict with so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility of new ones starting.
” She ’ s thinking of leaving Canberra — again .
But she knows that option is also risky because it ’ s hard to escape the reach of the fires .
“ I am considering returning to stay with my mother-in-law near Lake Macquarie , ” she said .
“ Mind you , there are big fires inland from there , and while staying there last week we had three small fires break out within 10 kilometres of us .
”

Darryl Fears - The Washington Post,Brady Dennis