thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Bomber’s brother gets 55 years for Manchester concert attack

LONDON - The brother of the suicide bomber who set off an explosion at a 2017 Ariana Grande concert in Manchester , England , killing 22 people and injuring hundreds , was sentenced Thursday to a minimum of 55 years in prison .
Hashem Abedi , 23 , had denied helping plan the attack at Manchester Arena but was found guilty of murder , attempted murder , and conspiring to cause explosions .
His sentencing had been postponed due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic .
His elder brother Salman Abedi , who set off the bomb , died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of the concert .
Hashem Abedi refused to attend court for the sentencing hearing .
Judge Jeremy Baker said during Abedi ’ s sentencing hearing that the two brothers were “ equally culpable for the deaths and injuries caused by the explosion.
” “ Although Salman Abedi was directly responsible , it was clear the defendant took an integral part in the planning , ” Baker said .
The judge said that had the younger brother been over age 21 at the time of the explosion , he would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , he was sentenced to serve a minimum of 55 years before parole may be considered .
“ The defendant should clearly understand the minimum term he should serve is 55 years .
He may never be released , ” Baker added .
He added that there was a “ significant degree of premeditation ” and that the motivation for the brothers was “ to advance the ideology of Islamism .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Ex-official says former Mexico president directed corruption

MEXICO CITY - In some of the most explosive accusations in recent Mexican political history , the former head of the state-owned oil company directly accused former President Enrique Peña Nieto and his treasury secretary of directing a scheme of kickbacks and embezzlement directly from the president ’ s office .
Emilio Lozoya , the former head of Petroleos Mexicanos who himself faces corruption charges , alleges Peña Nieto and Luis Videgaray used the state-owned Pemex as a conduit to “ fulfil promises made during the ( 2012 ) campaign , ” among other allegations he makes in a leaked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexican authorities Wednesday .
“ Enrique Peña Nieto and Luis Videgaray Caso created a scheme of corruption in the federal government , in which the common denominator was that all the people who supported in some way the presidential campaign had to be recompensed or repaid , ” usually in the form of cushy government contracts , Lozoya wrote .
Lozoya also accused Peña Nieto and Videgaray of extortion , fraud and embezzlement .
“ The president and the aforementioned treasury secretary used me to create a criminal conspiracy aimed at enriching themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government funds , but also by extorting money from individuals and companies , fraud and deceit , ” he wrote .
The Associated Press obtained a copy of Lozoya ’ s testimony , and its authenticity was confirmed first by two people with knowledge of the investigation and then by the federal Attorney General ’ s Office .
Lozoya was captured in southern Spain in February and extradited to Mexico in July to face charges he took over $ 4 million in bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht .
But Mexican prosecutors announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which he could avoid jail in return for testifying about corruption in Peña Nieto ’ s 2012-2018 administration .
Lozoya worked as international relations co-ordinator of Peña Nieto ’ s campaign in 2012 , and he told investigators the bribes paid by Odebrecht to Mexican officials were aimed at not only winning more lucrative public works contracts for the construction giant , but also at influencing Mexico ’ s planned sweeping energy reform , enacted once Peña Nieto was in office .
Lozoya ’ said his job on the campaign was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used to pay foreign and Mexican consultants and to help position Peña Nieto ’ s image internationally .
In early 2012 , Videgaray , who was Peña Nieto ’ s campaign manager , allegedly told Lozoya to request $ 6 million from Odebrecht and tell the company it would be rewarded when Peña Nieto won .
Part of that reward would presumably be the openings for private companies contained in the 2013 energy reform of the state-controlled sector .
“ As part of the approval of the Pact for Mexico reforms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told me in February 2013 that large quantities of money would have to be paid to the opposition so that they would vote in favour of certain structural reforms of interest for President Enrique Pena Nieto , ” Lozoya wrote .
The cash was to be distributed in transparent plastic bags , so the politicians could see the bills , and in fact a video leaked earlier this week appeared to show one such transaction .
Lozoya named at least a dozen leading opposition figures as participating in bribes , including the 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party , José Antonio Meade , who had enjoyed a friendly relationship with López Obrador .
Lozoya said about $ 300,000 was given to Meade and other politicians .
Meade wrote in his Twitter account Wednesday : “ I will not contribute to media scandals .
...
I have devoted my public life to building a better country , always with absolute honour and legality.
” The opposition politicians mentioned by Lozoya include a half dozen former senators , among them the current governor of the border state of Tamaulipas , Francisco García @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then-congressman Ricardo Anaya , who went on to become the 2018 presidential candidate for the conservative National Action Party , and other leading National Action figures .
Lozoya said former President Carlos Salinas de Gortari also participated , allegedly acting on behalf of National Action , known as the PAN , though the ex-president was a member of Peña Nieto ’ s Institutional Revolutionary Party .
Lozoya wrote that “ the attitude of the PAN members in obtaining resources ( money ) was brutal , “ and that the party ’ s members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from one company .
There has been wide speculation the case would tar opponents of current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , who has termed the case a “ historic ” step in his fight against corruption .
National Action responded in a statement Wednesday that “ Emilio Lozoya is a strategic ally of the president to denigrate the PAN , because it is an alternative to the failure ” of López Obrador ’ s policies .
“ Regarding the leaked testimony , we repeat our stance : If there is compelling evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the party stated , a reference to previous promises to expel any member caught in acts of corruption .
Neither Videgaray nor his assistant at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have responded to emails seeking comment .
Peña Nieto ’ s former chief of staff also did not respond .
The Tamaulipas governor , García Cabeza de Vaca , did not respond to an email seeking comment .
Lozoya said Peña Nieto and Videgaray personally questioned him about a deal to buy an outdated fertilizer plant at an excessive price from one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting at the president ’ s office in 2013 “ why is it taking so long.
” He said the two were particularly interested in the deal and that Videgaray rushed through a review of the deal and told him not to worry about the price being paid , which ended up being several times the plant ’ s real value .
Lozoya said he was “ surprised ” by their level of interest in the deal , and said Peña Nieto and Videgaray negotiated the purchase with the plant ’ s owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Videgaray Caso had a personal interest in getting the deal done , either because he would obtain some possible illicit benefit , or to pay off favours from the past.
” It was an apparent attempt by Lozoya to shift the blame from himself .
According to charges filed against Lozoya earlier this year , the Mexican firm , Altos Hornos de Mexico , sold the overpriced old fertilizer plant to Pemex after allegedly paying Lozoya around $ 3.4 million in bribes 2012 .
According to prosecutors , the money went though accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they used most of it to buy a house in an upscale neighbourhood in the capital .
In the testimony , Lozoya claimed he was “ intimidated ” into signing off on the purchase of the fertilizer plant , known as Agronitrogenados , by the president and Videgaray .
“ Luis Videgaray Caso took over leadership of the decisions regarding the purchase of Agronitrogenados , arguing , and I quote ‘ This is the president ’ s business , you just do what you are told .
I speak for him.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kickback scheme was meant to finance future campaigns by the Institutional Revolutionary Party , which governed Mexico for 70 years in the 20th century and returned to power in 2012 after a 12-year absence .
“ Sometimes they ( businessmen ) had to give money back after the deals to benefit future PRI electoral campaigns , or for the personal benefit of Enrique Peña Nieto and Luis Videgaray Caso , “ according to the document .
Associated Press writers Mark Stevenson , E. Eduardo Castillo and Christopher Sherman contributed to this report .

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thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Berlin security services: Highway attacker wasn’t on radar

BERLIN - German authorities said Thursday that a 30-year-old man accused of deliberately driving his car into other vehicles along a major Berlin highway wasn ’ t previously on the security services ’ radar .
The Iraqi citizen crashed into a car , two motorcycles and a motor scooter on Tuesday night before he stopped his vehicle and eventually detained .
Six people were injured , three of them severely .
He has been charged with at least three counts of attempted murder and moved to a psychiatric jail .
“ He was not on the radar , ” a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interior said , the German news agency dpa reported .
While intelligence services in the German capital weren ’ t aware of the man , he was known to police for assault and resisting officers .
Berlin prosecutors said Wednesday that the suspect , who was born in Baghdad in 1990 and came to Germany as an asylum-seeker several years ago , may have been motivated by Islamist ideology .
Authorities said “ a religiously motivated background can not be excluded ” as a motive for his actions , but there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems .
A Berlin prosecutor said Thursday that the suspect had undergone a psychiatric evaluation and may suffer from “ bizarre , religious delusion.
” The man has not talked to investigators yet , prosecutor Martin Steltner said .
Investigators did not reveal the man ’ s identity , as is customary in Germany , but local media identified him as Sarmad A. Berlin officials said the suspect ’ s asylum request had been rejected in 2017 , but he was not deported because Germany didn ’ t deport people back to Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities said a city firefighter who was one of the three people severely injured in Tuesday ’ s collisions remained in intensive care Thursday .
“ His condition is serious , ” a fire department spokesman told dpa .
“ We are with him in our thoughts and hope for the best .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Russia’s Navalny in coma in ICU after alleged poisoning

MOSCOW - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny is in a coma and on a ventilator in a hospital intensive care unit after falling ill from suspected poisoning that his allies believe is linked to his political activity .
The 44-year-old foe of Russia ’ s President Vladimir Putin felt unwell on a flight back to Moscow from Tomsk , a city in Siberia , and was taken to a hospital after the plane made an emergency landing in Omsk , Navalny ’ s spokeswoman , Kira Yarmysh , said on Twitter .
She told the Echo Moskvy radio station he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drank at an airport cafe before boarding the plane early Thursday .
During the flight , Navalny started sweating and asked her to talk to him so that he could “ focus on a sound of a voice.
“ He then went to the bathroom and lost consciousness , and has been in a coma in grave condition ever since .
Other opposition figures were quick to suggest Kremlin involvement .
“ Looks like Putin is doing really badly — was handed some data on protest sentiment growing explosively — if he made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the politician ’ s close ally Vladimir Milov said in a tweet .
Doctors at the Omsk ambulance hospital ?
1 , where the politician is being treated , remain tight-lipped about his diagnosis and only said they were considering a variety of theories , including poisoning .
Navalny ’ s wife Yulia arrived at the hospital in the afternoon , but medial workers would not let her see her husband because she did not have their marriage certificate and the patient did not consent , according to Yarmysh .
“ They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the patient has not agreed to a visitor.
’ They ’ re literally saying that , ” Yarmysh said .
Navalny ’ s doctor Yaroslav Ashikhmin told the independent Meduza outlet that he is trying to arrange his transfer to a clinic in Hanover or Strasbourg .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday said it was necessary to wait for the test results showing what caused Navalny ’ s condition .
State news agency Tass reported that police were not considering deliberate poisoning , citing an anonymous source in law enforcement who said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drank or consumed something yesterday himself.
” Yarmysh on Twitter bristled at that suggestion : “ Of course .
It ’ s just the tea was bad .
This is what the state propaganda is going to do now — yell that there was no deliberate poisoning , he ( did something ) accidentally , he ( did something ) himself.
” The widow of Alexander Litvinenko , the Russian agent who was killed in London by radioactive poisoning in 2006 , voiced concerns that Navalny ’ s enemies within Russia may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use a “ new tactic.
” Marina Litvinenko told The Associated Press from Sicily , Italy , that it was “ obvious ” that Navalny would not stop trying to expose corruption or oppose the Kremlin despite numerous stays in prison or periods of house arrest .
“ It was obvious he would not be stopped , ” she said .
“ Maybe they decided to do a new tactic not to stop him just with an arrest but to stop him with poison .
It looks like a new tactic against Navalny.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , Navalny has been frequently detained by law enforcement and harassed by pro-Kremlin groups .
In 2017 , he was attacked by several men who threw antiseptic in his face , damaging one eye .
Last year , Navalny was rushed to a hospital from prison where he was serving a sentence following an administrative arrest , with what his team said was suspected poisoning .
Doctors then said he had a severe allergic attack and discharged him back to prison the following day .
Navalny ’ s Foundation for Fighting Corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including some at the highest level .
Last month , he had to shut the foundation after a financially devastating lawsuit from Yevgeny Prigozhin , a businessman with close ties to the Kremlin .
Belarus ’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko accused Navalny last week of organizing unprecedented mass protests against his re-election that have rocked Russia ’ s ex-Soviet neighbour since Aug. 9 .
He did not , however , provide any evidence and that claim was one of many blaming foreign forces for the unrest .
The most prominent member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to challenge Putin in the 2018 presidential election , but was barred from running .
He set up a network of campaign offices across Russia and has since been promoting opposition candidates in regional elections , challenging members of Russia ’ s ruling party , United Russia .
One of his associates in Khabarovsk , a city in Russia ’ s Far East that has been engulfed in mass protests against the arrest of the region ’ s governor , was detained last week after calling for a strike at a rally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yarmysh said she believed the suspected poisoning was connected to this year ’ s regional election campaign .
Vyacheslav Gimadi , a lawyer with Navalny ’ s foundation , said the team is requesting Russia ’ s Investigative Committee open a criminal probe .
“ There is no doubt that Navalny was poisoned because of his political stance and activity , ” Gimadi said in a tweet on Thursday .
Commentators say Navalny has become increasingly dangerous for the Kremlin as Putin ’ s approval has plummeted this year to a record low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and growing public frustration with the declining economy .
Navalny ’ s ability to mobilize voters against pro-Kremlin candidates poses a particular challenge ahead of the 2021 parliamentary elections , points out Abbas Gallyamov , former Kremlin speechwriter-turned-political analyst .
“ The Duma elections are particularly important for the Kremlin , ” as the new Duma will be operating in 2024 , when Putin ’ s current presidential term expires and he may announce running for re-election , Gallyamov told the AP .
“ Imagine if now the parliament in Belarus announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ This would be the end of the regime.
“ “ That ’ s why controlling the next State Duma is crucially important for the Kremlin .
Navalny really makes it harder for the Kremlin to establish that control , ” Gallyamov added .
At the same time Navalny , who rose to prominence by exposing corruption all over Russia , could have other enemies , Gallyamov said , and may have been targeted by people featured in one of his investigations , if he had indeed been deliberately poisoned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come down with a mysterious poisoning .
In 2018 , Pyotr Verzilov , a member of Russia ’ s protest group Pussy Riot , ended up in an intensive care unit after a suspected poisoning and had to be flown to Berlin for treatment .
Opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza was hospitalized with poisoning symptoms twice — in 2015 and 2017 .
Both said they believed they were poisoned for their political activity .
Prominent journalist Anna Politkovskaya was poisoned in 2004 — two years before being murdered .


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--The Latest: Booker warns of Trump ‘dirty tricks’ in voting

WASHINGTON - The Latest on the Democratic National Convention ( all times local ) : Sen. Cory Booker says that “ there may be dirty tricks ” from President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 general election vote and that the nation ’ s voters should be stalwart in their determination to cast ballots .
On ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America ” on Thursday , the Democratic New Jersey senator said that as a Black man he “ hopes that Americans press on and are not deterred ” by distractions involving the voting process , such as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding and access to voting by mail .
The Republican president has warned repeatedly without evidence about potential fraud in mail-in voting even though voter fraud is exceedingly rare .
Booker speaks on the fourth and final night of Democrats ’ virtual convention Thursday , ahead of former Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s first address as the party ’ s official nominee .
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas says he doesn ’ t think he heard “ many or even any reasons to vote for Joe Biden ” at the convention on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama , Biden running mate Kamala Harris and 2016 Trump opponent Hillary Clinton spoke .
Cotton says Democrats “ have to explain why America would be better off with Joe Biden as our president .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--American Airlines will drop flights to 15 cities in October

American Airlines will drop flights to 15 smaller U.S. cities in October when a federal requirement to serve those communities ends .
The airline blamed low demand during the coronavirus pandemic , which has triggered a massive slump in air travel .
Airlines and their labour unions are seeking billions in taxpayer relief .
American said its schedule covering Oct. 7 through Nov. 3 will drop flights to cities including Sioux City , Iowa ; New Haven , Connecticut ; and Springfield , Illinois .
“ This is the first step as American continues to evaluate its network and plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , ” the airline said in a prepared statement .
A massive pandemic-relief measure approved in March set aside up to $ 50 billion in cash and low-interest loans for the nation ’ s passenger airlines .
American was the largest recipient — $ 10.7 billion if a pending loan wins final approval from the U.S. Treasury Department .
In return for taxpayer dollars , airlines were barred from furloughing workers and were required , in most cases , to continue serving destinations they had before the pandemic .
Both of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their labour unions are lobbying for an additional $ 25 billion to keep paying workers and avoid furloughs through next March .
Cargo airlines and contractors would get $ 7 billion .
The push by airlines and labour has received significant support in Washington .
A majority of the Democratic-controlled House endorsed the additional money , so did 16 Senate Republicans .
President Donald Trump spoke favourably about helping the airlines when asked about the proposal .
However , the provision is wrapped up in discussions over a larger virus-relief package that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats hope , aid to cities and state governments .
The fate of that measure is unclear after negotiations between congressional Democrats and the White House broke down more than a week ago .
An American Airlines executive cited the stalemate in Washington for the airline ’ s decision to cut service to some destinations , before they were announced Thursday .
“ We have been holding off , hoping that we would come to some sort of agreement that would extend ( the payroll money ) and would extend the service requirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be stalled , and this is an unfortunate casualty of that , “ said the executive , who spoke on condition of anonymity to explain private discussions about the decision .
Without more federal money , airlines may lay off or furlough tens of thousands of workers as early as Oct. 1 .
American has warned 25,000 workers they could lose their jobs .
United Airlines has sent notices covering 36,000 employees .
The final number of cuts will depend on how many employees take offers of buyouts , early retirement or long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routes that airlines flew before the pandemic has been unpopular with airlines because many of them carry few passengers .
The Transportation Department agreed to let airlines drop a few cities if other carriers continued flying there , but many other requests were denied .
American Airlines lost more than $ 2 billion in its most recent quarter .
Industry analysts believe American did not simply axe cities with the fewest flights or seats .
The airline likely considered other factors , such as competition and important customers , they said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nightmare to pull out of a city , ” said Jim Ogden , a product director at aviation data firm Cirium and a former network planner for American .
“ When you close down a city , you ’ re cutting those customers off to your entire network.
” American could continue to serve the smaller cities in a limited capacity , through flights at nearby airports or by selling tickets to flights operated there by another carrier , a practice called code-sharing .
Other cities that American dropped from the October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dubuque , Iowa ; Florence , South Carolina ; Greenville , North Carolina ; Huntington , West Virginia ; Joplin , Missouri ; Kalamazoo-Battle Creek , Michigan ; Lake Charles , Louisiana ; New Windsor , New York ; Roswell , New Mexico ; Stillwater , Oklahoma ; and Williamsport , Pennsylvania .
David Koenig can be reached at www.twitter.com/airlinewriter


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--US officials install cable barrier along Canadian border

LYNDEN , Wash. - A cable barrier was installed along a section of the border between Washington state and Canada @ @ @ @ @ “ dangerous criminal enterprises , ” according to a statement from the U.S. Border Patrol @ @ @ @ @ U.S.-Canada border has been closed to all non-essential travel since March to help limit the @ @ @ @ @ The section of the border near Lynden , Wash. , where the barrier is being @ @ @ @ @ as a meeting place for families and friends during the coronavirus pandemic .
The new @ @ @ @ @ vehicles either “ accidentally , or purposefully , crossing the boundary and endangering citizens in @ @ @ @ @ statement said .
“ This safety cable barrier not only protects people in the United @ @ @ @ @ it also aids in securing this portion of the border by deterring illegal vehicle entries @ @ @ @ @ said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Tony Holladay in a statement .


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Analysis: UAE-Israel ties may get Abu Dhabi advanced weapons

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - A U.S.-brokered deal that saw Israel and the United Arab Emirates begin to open diplomatic ties may end up with Abu Dhabi purchasing advanced American weaponry , potentially upending both a longstanding Israeli military edge regionally and the balance of power with Iran .
Despite public objections by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , President Donald Trump on Wednesday told reporters that the Emiratis had expressed interest in buying “ quite a few ” F-35 stealth fighter jets and such a deal was “ under review.
” Meanwhile , the UAE has sought for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something now potentially allowed as the Trump administration loosened rules governing those purchases just last month .
Complicated arms deals take time to negotiate and it would take years for the jet fighters and drones to reach the hands of foreign militaries , who then have to train their own pilots to fly them .
There ’ s also the question of the November election and whether a possible Joe Biden administration would agree to such a sale .
But Trump has used arms sales as a metric to judge America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UAE fighter jets that cost over $ 100 million a plane fits that pattern .
“ They ’ ve definitely got the money to pay for it , ” Trump said of the oil-rich Emirates on Wednesday .
Netanyahu repeatedly and strenuously denied there was any link between arms deals and opening ties to the Emirates .
That was met with skepticism in Israel , particularly amid accusations that he bypassed Israel ’ s defence establishment in agreeing to a past German sale of advanced submarines to Egypt .
Critics have accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is believed to have clinched the deal for the UAE .
Netanyahu ’ s defence minister and governing partner , former military chief Benny Gantz , said he was kept in the dark about the UAE deal until the last minute .
Good governance groups also have called for an investigation .
As a rule , Israel opposes the sale of F-35s and other advanced weapons to any country in the Middle East to maintain what it calls its “ qualitative military edge.
” That includes Egypt and Jordan , the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomatic ties with Israel , out of the memory of the multiple wars it has fought since the country ’ s creation in 1948 .
Israel also fears sparking a regional arms race .
“ Israel must never forget , not even for a split second , that any dent in its strength is liable to pull the rug out from under its feet in the long term , “ wrote Amos Gilead , director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center .
“ Intentions are fluid and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general and former top Defence Ministry official , Gilead added in his essay Thursday in the Yediot Ahronot daily newspaper : “ Iran used to be Israel ’ s soul mate , and today is a bitter and dangerous enemy.
” For the UAE , its pilots have seen the F-35 in action as U.S. Air Force squadrons flying the stealth fighter have rotated in and out of Al-Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi since 2019 .
The Emirati air force has dozens of F-16s and French-made Mirage 2000s already in service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ edge over Iran , whose air force largely dates back to purchases made before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and includes some locally built aircraft .
The F-35 ’ s stealth capability also make it far more difficult for Iranian anti-aircraft batteries , already internationally criticized for shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet in January , to pick up .
The UAE also has repeatedly sought to purchase armed American Reaper drones .
It already has used Chinese-made armed drones on the battlefield in Yemen , where the Emirates joined a Saudi-led coalition fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital .
That war , which began in 2015 , has become the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
Responding to questions Thursday about its efforts to purchase the F-35 , the Emirati Foreign Ministry said the UAE-Israel agreement will eventually include “ a security and defence aspect.
” “ There is no doubt that this accord removes any political impediment that stands against the co-operation of the defence forces , ” the ministry said .
In the region , only Israel now flies the fighter jet as a planned purchase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system .
Anwar Gargash , the Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs , has repeatedly said the UAE ’ s decision to open diplomatic ties with Israel had nothing to do with Iran .
In Tehran , state television only mentioned the F-35 in passing online as a “ reward for peace , “ without elaborating .
However , the UAE ’ s autocratic government long has considered Iran its top regional threat and recent tensions between Tehran and Washington have seen a series of incidents near it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one major Dubai highway remain pointed north toward Iran .
Since Trump unilaterally withdrew from Iran ’ s 2015 nuclear deal , Tehran has slowly broken every limit on its atomic program .
While Iran insists its program is peaceful , Western nations fear it could be used to develop nuclear weapons .
Abu Dhabi ’ s crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , who serves as the UAE ’ s day-to-day ruler , long has warned Israel may strike first to destroy Iran ’ s nuclear program if it isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a regional war that would see Tehran target the Emirates , he ’ s repeatedly told U.S. officials .
“ This is the Middle East and we will do what we need to do , “ Sheikh Mohammed was quoted in a February 2009 U.S. diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks .
” When the Iranians fire their missiles we will go after them and kill them.
” That sounds a lot like Netanyahu , who stood in front of an Israeli F-35 last year to issue a similar warning over Iran .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destruction of Israel , ” Netanyahu said at the time .
“ It would do well to remember that these planes can reach anywhere in the Middle East , including Iran and certainly Syria.
” EDITOR ’ S NOTE — Jon Gambrell , the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press , has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries , Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006 .
Correspondent Aron Heller , based in Jerusalem , has covered the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Jon Gambrell And Aron Heller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Strike at Belarus’ state TV erodes government control

MINSK , Belarus - In a new challenge to Belarus ’ authoritarian ruler , hundreds of employees of state television have gone on strike amid a rising tide of protests , calling for his resignation after a vote the opposition saw as rigged .
The journalists ’ action this week has shaken the government ’ s control of the media , helping further erode President Alexander Lukashenko ’ s grip after 26 years of iron-fisted rule .
Vyacheslav Lomonosov , one of Belarusian TV employees who joined the labour action , said he and his colleagues could no longer tolerate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a brutal crackdown on protests that has stoked international outrage .
“ There are people killed , raped , thousands are protesting , while they ’ re saying everything ’ s fine in the country and nothing is going on , ” he said .
“ It can ’ t be like that , people need to get the truth from TV.
” Police brutally dispersed massive protests challenging Lukashenko ’ s victory in the Aug. 9 vote with rubber bullets , stun grenades and clubs , injuring hundreds and arresting nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many of the detainees reported savage beatings and other abuse in police custody .
The fierce clampdown fueled outrage and caused protests to swell , with an estimated 200,000 rallying around the Belarusian capital ’ s central square on Sunday in the largest protest the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million ever saw .
Since Monday , factory workers , medical workers , actors , musicians and other workers have gone on strike to demand Lukashenko ’ s resignation .
The walkout of about 300 employees of Belarusian state TV has dealt a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has relentlessly stifled independent media since coming to power in 1994 and relied on state-controlled television and other media to shape public opinion .
The state television workers were joined by journalists from the leading daily Zvyazda , who put out a statement demanding an end to censorship .
Facing the massive protests , the government has sought to tighten controls over information .
In the first four days of protests after the vote , police deliberately targeted journalists from independent Belarusian news outlets and foreign media , detaining scores , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment and seizing memory cards .
Boris Goretsky , vice-president of the Belarusian Association of Journalists , said 72 journalists were detained while covering the protests .
He said that the authorities have blocked many online independent news media and denied accreditation to hundreds of foreign journalists , who have been eager to come to the country to cover the protests .
Goretsky pointed at the allegations that the government turned to Russia for help to keep the state television running , and some of the striking TV employees have been reportedly replaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports that Russian journalists were invited to take the place of their striking colleagues , and started working on producing stories , ” he said .
Follow AP ’ s coverage of the political turmoil in Belarus at https : //www.apnews.com/Belarus


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Rights groups sound alarm on jump in Iraqi activist killings

BASRA , Iraq - Human rights monitors sounded the alarm over a recent spike in assassinations targeting civil rights activists in Iraq ’ s south on Thursday , ahead of a much anticipated meeting between the prime minister and the U.S. president as part of ongoing strategic talks .
Mustafa al-Kadhimi departed for an official trip to Washington this week and is expected to meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday to conclude strategic talks expected to shape the future of Iraq-U.S. ties .
Back home , rockets have continued to target the seat of his government , while assassination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month in southern Iraq , compared to the period at the height of the protest movement in October , monitors said .
Iran-backed militia groups are widely suspected of perpetrating both .
Tens of thousands of Iraqis took to the streets in October to decry rampant government corruption , poor services and unemployment in Baghdad and across Iraq ’ s south .
Hundreds died as Iraqi forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds .
Activist Reham Yacoub was gunned down in the southern Iraqi province of Basra on Wednesday by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights watcher said , marking the second such killing in the span of a week .
The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .
Activist Tahseen Osama was killed Friday , prompting dozens to take to the streets and block roads .
Police responded by firing live rounds at the demonstrators .
Yacoub was a respected activist who took part in many protests in 2018 and October .
“ It seems that there is a well programmed cleansing of activists who were influential in the last protest movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the semi-official Iraqi Independent High Commission for Human Rights .
Al-Bayati said the government was also complicit in the killings because of its “ silence ” and “ inability to take real action to stop it.
” According to the commission , there have been six assassination attempts targeting activists with two killed in Basra in the month of August alone .
That represents a jump as the commission recorded 16 attempted targeted killings in the 10 months after the uprising started in October .
A recent government investigation said 560 protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October movement .
The probe drew criticism from activists who said it fell short of naming the perpetrators , who are widely suspected of having links to Iran-backed militia groups .
Al-Kadhimi fired the Basra police chief on Monday and ordered a new probe into the killing of Osama .
In Washington , talks are expected to focus on the future of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq .
Coalition troops have left most bases in a planned drawdown .
U.S. officials have also voiced concern over the presence of Iran-backed militia groups .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Wednesday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that armed groups outside of state control “ have impeded our progress.
“ Key energy deals were also signed between Iraq and U.S. companies on the sidelines of the meeting , including with General Electric , Honeywell and Stellar Energy , according to a State Department statement .
after Baghdad detailed recent efforts to increase domestic gas supply to reduce reliance on Iran .

Nabil Al-Jurani And Samya Kullab - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--DNC Day 4: Joe Biden to accept Democratic presidential nomination

Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Donald Trump is a “ coward in chief ” who has proved himself unfit to lead the U.S. armed forces .
The Illinois Democrat and military veteran lost her legs during a helicopter crash while serving in Iraq .
She said at Thursday ’ s Democratic National Convention that Joe Biden understands the sacrifices military families make .
Duckworth says , “ Joe knows the fear military families live because he ’ s felt that.
“ Biden ’ s late son Beau served as a major in the Army National Guard .
Duckworth says Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , doesn ’ t read his daily briefing and has been manipulated by dictators who are enemies of the U.S. She says , “ Donald Trump doesn ’ t deserve to call himself commander in chief for another four minutes , let alone four more years.
” HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THURSDAY ’ S DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION : — What to watch : Joe Biden ’ s big moment at the DNC — ‘ Best that we can do ’ : DNC viewers adjust to virtual format HERE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin is sharing her struggles with a childhood illness to tout the importance of health coverage for preexisting conditions .
Baldwin said at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday that she was hospitalized for three months as a 9-year-old .
Her grandparents were her caregivers , and their insurance did not cover her .
Baldwin says she then struggled to get health insurance as an adult .
She asks : “ Do we want to be a country where medical bills bury people in debt ?
” Baldwin is touting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Affordable Care Act .
It allows young people to stay on their parents ’ insurance until they are 26 .
Baldwin spoke from Milwaukee , the city where the convention was set to be held before the coronavirus pandemic forced most of the events to be held virtually .
The final night of the Democratic convention was designed to be Joe Biden ’ s moment to soar .
But actor and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus , the master of ceremonies on Thursday , gave him a run for his money , uncorking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ American carnage , ” she said , referring to the dominant theme of Trump ’ s inaugural speech .
“ I assumed that was something he was against , not a campaign promise.
” Invoking Biden ’ s Catholic faith , she mocked a recent Trump photo op outside a church during protests against police brutality .
“ Just remember : Joe Biden goes to church so regularly , that he doesn ’ t even need tear gas and a bunch of federalized troops to help him get there , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on voting , she quipped : “ If we all vote , there is nothing Facebook , Fox News or Vladimir Putin can do to stop us.
” Cory Booker has evoked the memory of his late grandfather to argue that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can bolster unions and empower the middle class .
“ Joe Biden and Kamala Harris know the dignity of all working Americans , ” the New Jersey senator said Thursday on the final night of the virtual Democratic National Convention .
“ They know the urgency and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the Trump administration ’ s policies have left “ working people under attack ” and the middle class shrinking .
Booker says , “ He has failed us.
” Booker added of his grandfather , “ If he was alive , Joe and Kamala , he would be so proud of you.
” “ And he ’ d tell us , take another by the hand , and another , and let ’ s get to work , ” Booker said .
“ This dream ain ’ t free , you got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keisha Lance Bottoms has invoked the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis as she encourages people to vote .
“ Congressman Lewis would not be silenced , and neither can we , ” Bottoms said .
“ We can not wait for some other time , some other place , some other heroes.
” Lewis represented the Atlanta area in Congress for decades .
He was among a group of freedom riders who were beaten by Alabama State Police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma in 1965 .
Before he died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an essay encouraging people to exercise their right to vote .
Bottoms said Lewis was a “ God-fearing man who did what he could to fulfil the as-of-yet-unfulfilled promise of America.
” And she urged others to live up to his call .
“ We must register and we must vote , ” Bottoms said .
Democrats are opening the fourth and final night of their convention with a not-so-subtle dig at Republicans mispronouncing Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris ’ first name .
“ I can not wait to see her debate our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is it Paints ?
” said actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus , referring to Vice-President Mike Pence .
After Democrat Andrew Yang suggested it was “ Ponce , ” Louis-Dreyfus responded , “ Oh , some kind of weird foreign name.
” Harris is the child of immigrants , and her first name reflects her Indian heritage .
Her name is pronounced “ comma-la , ” like the punctuation mark .
But President Donald Trump and other members of his party have been saying it wrong , even after they have been corrected .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who ran in the Democratic primary .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom says wildfires raging in his state should give pause to anyone who denies climate change .
Newsom spoke at the virtual Democratic National Convention on Thursday from a forest near California ’ s Central Coast after visiting a nearby Red Cross evacuation centre .
More than two dozen major wildfires were blazing across California , blanketing cities and towns in smoke and putting tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders .
Newsom recorded the video after choosing to scrap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I confess this is not where I expected to be speaking here tonight , ” he said in a video recorded on a cellphone .
He added , “ If you are in denial about climate change , come to California.
” Newsom criticized President Donald Trump for working to roll back vehicle emission standards meant to curb climate change and for threatening to withhold funding from California .
Joe Biden is set to make his case for his White House candidacy on the fourth and final night of the all-virtual Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night from Wilmington , Delaware , as he accepts the Democratic nomination in his third bid for the presidency .
He will be joined by some of his former rivals for the Democratic nomination , as well as some of the women he considered as running mates .
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg will speak early Thursday night , followed later in the evening by Andrew Yang , whose outsider presidential campaign was marked by a buzzy online following and a platform to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several women who were considered potential running mates for Biden are also slated to appear : Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth .
Other speakers include California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , Delaware Sen. Chris Coons and members of the Biden family .
President Donald Trump says “ Joe Biden is no friend of Pennsylvania ” as he criticizes the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee near his childhood hometown of Scranton .
Trump isn ’ t laying low during the Democratic National Convention .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for supporting trade policies that he says resulted in manufacturing job losses .
Trump is attempting to frighten voters about the future of their retirement investments as well if Biden is elected , and he bragged that markets are up despite the coronavirus .
He ’ s also evoking images of violence in some of the nation ’ s biggest cities during his own presidency , saying it will only spread if Biden is elected .
He says that if voters “ want a vision of your life under a Joe Biden presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ the violent anarchy of Portland ” coming to every city .
“ There ’ s only one thing standing between your family and the radical left-wing mob , ” he says .
“ And that ’ s your vote this November.
” Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign manager , Robby Mook , says former President Barack Obama issued an important warning to Democrats at their national convention that they can ’ t be complacent in 2020 .
Mook said Thursday in an appearance on CBS that Clinton lost because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ was trying to do ” in his speech Wednesday on the third day of the convention was “ send out that call -- that beacon -- to everybody to say , ‘ We can ’ t sit back.
’ ” Mook says he worries that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden ’ s lead in the polls could change and he thinks “ it was very important to put people on notice ” that “ we all got ta do our part.
” Mook was joined on CBS by Reince Priebus , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief of staff .
Priebus accuses Democrats of repeating their 2016 playbook by painting Trump as too divisive .
Priebus says the American people rejected that message and voted for Trump .
He also says that , generally , few persuadable voters watch the conventions , so “ What matters is how does the news play the next day.
” Thursday is the fourth and final night of Democrats ’ virtual convention .
Biden is set to make his first address as the party ’ s official nominee .
Sen. Cory Booker says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” from President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 general election vote and that the nation ’ s voters should be stalwart in their determination to cast ballots .
On ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America ” on Thursday , the Democratic New Jersey senator said that as a Black man he “ hopes that Americans press on and are not deterred ” by distractions involving the voting process , such as the recent dispute over U.S .
Postal Service funding and access to voting by mail .
The Republican president has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mail-in voting even though voter fraud is exceedingly rare .
Booker speaks on the fourth and final night of Democrats ’ virtual convention Thursday , ahead of former Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s first address as the party ’ s official nominee .
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas says he doesn ’ t think he heard “ many or even any reasons to vote for Joe Biden ” at the convention on Wednesday night , when former President Barack Obama , Biden running mate Kamala Harris and 2016 Trump opponent Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to explain why America would be better off with Joe Biden as our president .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Report: Chinese mining company used COVID-19 vaccine in PNG

CANBERRA , Australia - A Chinese mining company in Papua New Guinea claims to have immunized employees against COVID-19 in an apparent vaccination trial , a newspaper reported on Friday .
The South Pacific island nation ’ s Health Minister Papua Jelta Wong said his department was investigating the claim by Ramu NiCo Management ( MCC ) Ltd. , The Australian reported .
National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning banned COVID-19 vaccine testing or trials in Papua New Guinea on Thursday and later noted the Department of Health had not approved any trials .
“ Any vaccines imported into PNG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go through vigorous vaccine trials , protocols and procedures “ and must be pre-qualified by the World Health Organization , Manning said in a statement on Friday .
Wong did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday .
Ramu ’ s office in the Papua New Guinea city of Madang could not be contacted .
A document on company letterhead entitled “ Vaccination Statement ” said 48 Chinese employees “ have been vaccinated with SARS-COV-2 vaccine ” on Aug. 10 .
The statement was sent to the Papua New Guinea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could cause false-positive test results in those who received it , the newspaper said .
Manning has written to Chinese Ambassador Xue Bing seeking “ immediate clarification of the Chinese government ’ s position regarding the vaccination statement.
” Australia , which is Papua New Guinea ’ s nearest neighbour and largest provider of foreign aid , had learned the China may have begun trialing a coronavirus vaccine in the region using employees of state-owned enterprises , the newspaper reported .
Australian government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--At least 3 people killed in Northern California wildfires

SANTA CRUZ , Calif. - Dozens of wildfires raging throughout Northern California have now claimed at least three lives and threaten tens of thousands of homes , authorities said Thursday .
The death of a resident in Solano County , in the northeastern San Francisco Bay Area , was reported Thursday by Sheriff Thomas A. Ferrara , although he didn ’ t have any additional details .
A Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker assisting with advance clearing was found dead Wednesday in a vehicle in the Vacaville area between San Francisco and Sacramento .
A pilot on a water-dropping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when his helicopter crashed .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom addressed the wildfires , calling them clear evidence of climate change , in a last-minute video recorded for the Democratic National Convention from a forest near Watsonville after he visited an evacuation centre .
“ If you are in denial about climate change , come to California , ” he said “ I confess this is not where I expected to be speaking here tonight , ” he said into what appeared to be a cellphone camera .
Newsom had recorded an earlier , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the convention ’ s prime-time hours but decided it didn ’ t bring the right tone amid his state ’ s disasters , said Dan Newman , one of his political advisers .
More than two dozen major fires were scorching California and taxing the state ’ s firefighting capacity , sparked by an unprecedented lightning siege that dropped nearly 11,000 strikes over several days .
The fires have destroyed 175 structures , including homes , and are threatening 50,000 more , said Daniel Berlant , an assistant deputy director with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In all , 33 civilians and firefighters have been injured .
At least two people were missing .
Most of the activity is in Northern California , where fires have chewed through about 500 square miles ( 1,250 square kilometres ) of brushland , rural areas , canyon country and dense forest surrounding San Francisco .
More than 10,000 firefighters are on the front lines , but fire officials in charge of each of the major fire complexes say they are strapped for resources .
Some firefighters were working 72-hour shifts instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state has requested 375 engines and crew from other states .
“ That ’ s going to allow our firefighters that have have been on the front line since this weekend to have an opportunity to take some rest , “ Berlant said .
In Marin County , just north of San Francisco , where a smaller fire is burning near the Pacific Ocean , county fire chief Jason Weber said he is waiting for assistance from Montana to arrive this weekend .
He said in his 25 years in fire service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of draw-down ” from co-operating agencies , as there is heavy competition in the western United States for equipment and people .
In the coastal mountain regions south of San Francisco , where 26,000 people were under orders to evacuate , the CZU complex fire grew overnight to 62 square miles ( 160 square kilometres ) .
Officials warned it has the potential to grow significantly in the next day .
Given depleted resources , one of the best tools firefighters have for public safety is to get people out of harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused when officers went door-to-door Wednesday night , Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said .
“ With the resources that we are lacking , we ask you to help us to help us to do our jobs and to keep the public safe , ” he said .
Kevin Stover , 42 , was struggling with indecision early Thursday when a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the rugged and small town of Felton outside the beach city of Santa Cruz .
“ I don ’ t want to leave , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now driving for Door Dash and Lyft because of the pandemic .
His car , loaded with important papers , his father ’ s urn and some arrowheads that meant a lot to him , had a flat tire .
“ I ’ m trying to figure out if I should cut these original oil paintings out of the frame to salvage them , ” he said .
The unusually large size and number of simultaneous fires , other fires throughout the West and the loss of inmate firefighting crews because inmates were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus , have created the perfect storm for firefighting .
“ Our agency is taxed to the limit , ” said Incident Commander Mike Smith at the fire near Santa Cruz .
Officials there are awaiting help from other states , but they are having to look further afield than usual , meaning it will take days for crews to arrive , he said .
The U.S. Forest Service can ’ t help because they are busy fighting fires on federal lands .
“ This is a very dangerous fire .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 per cent , which is very high .
Embers are travelling as far as mile and igniting trees and brush , “ Smith said .
In addition to about two dozen major blazes , small fires kept erupting , though most were quickly stopped .
Crews were also battling blazes in the Sierra Nevada and Southern California wild lands .
In Monterey County along the coast , about 9,000 people have been evacuated for a fire that ’ s now 52 square miles ( 136 square kilometres ) .
Two fires in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents near the Russian River Wednesday .
Residents of Healdsburg , with a population of about 12,000 , were warned Wednesday night to be ready to flee .
Fires in that region destroyed more than 100 buildings , including some homes , and threatened 25,000 people across five counties .
Tim Edwards , president of the union representing 7,000 Cal Fire firefighters , said lawmakers need to allocate more money at a time when firefighters are working 40 to 50 days at a time without real relief .
“ Here we are , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak fire conditions , and we don ’ t have enough resources throughout the whole state because we ’ re stretched so thin , “ he said .
Travis Air Force Base ordered non-mission-essential personnel to evacuate .
Residents in nearby Vacaville , a city of 100,000 , were roused before dawn Wednesday by orders to flee .
California State Parks announced full or partial closures of more than two dozen parks , including Big Basin Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains , where the park headquarters and other facilities were damaged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast redwoods dates to 1902 and is the state ’ s oldest .
In Southern California , firefighters worked in high heat to increase containment of fires in mountains north and east of Los Angeles .
A huge fire also burned in the remote Mojave National Preserve .
Har reported from San Francisco .
Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Juliet Williams in San Francisco and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report .
This story has been corrected to show that the county where the Russian River is located @ @ @ @ @ @

Janie Har And Martha Mendoza - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Biden seeks Democratic, national unity in convention finale

WILMINGTON , Del .
- Joe Biden is accepting the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night , achieving the pinnacle — so far — of his nearly five-decade political career on the final night of the most unorthodox national convention in modern history .
The former vice-president is hoping the night helps the Democrats make progress toward not only unifying the diverse party but a deeply divided America struggling through a global pandemic as well .
Biden was to be feted by family and former foes as he becomes the Democratic Party ’ s official standard bearer in the campaign to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The night ’ s keynote address was the speech of a lifetime for Biden , who at 77 would be the oldest president ever elected .
The convention leaned on a younger generation earlier in the night to help energize his sprawling coalition .
Cory Booker , only the ninth African American senator in U.S. history , said Biden believes in the dignity of all working Americans .
Andrew Yang , a 45-year-old Asian American political outsider whose love of math inspired millions during the primaries , cast Biden as a leader capable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep dark hole.
” And Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms cast Biden as a man of character .
“ We know how important it is that we elect real leaders like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris , people of honour and integrity , who hold justice close to their hearts and believe that the lives of my four black children matter , ” Lance Bottoms said .
She spoke ahead of a tribute to the late John Lewis , the Georgia congressman and civil rights leader who devoted much of his life to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Above all , Biden was to focus on uniting the nation as Americans grapple with the long and fearful health crisis , the related economic devastation , a national awakening on racial justice — and Trump , who stirs heated emotions from all sides .
Biden ’ s positive focus expected Thursday night marks a break from the dire warnings offered by former President Barack Obama and others the night before .
The 44th president of the United States warned that American democracy itself could falter if Trump is reelected , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton declared that Americans ’ lives and livelihoods are at risk .
Throughout their convention , the Democrats have summoned a collective urgency about the dangers of Trump as president .
In 2016 , they dismissed and sometimes trivialized him .
In the days leading up to Biden ’ s acceptance speech , they cast him as an existential threat to the country .
Beyond Biden ’ s highly anticipated speech , Thursday ’ s program was designed to highlight the diversity of the Democratic Party and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speakers included four former rivals : Pete Buttigieg , who was trying to become the nation ’ s first openly gay president ; New York ultra-billionaire Michael Bloomberg ; Booker and Yang .
“ We are in a deep dark hole and we need leaders who will help us dig out , ” Yang said .
“ We must give this country , our country , a chance .
And recovery is only possible with a change of leadership and new ideas.
” Biden ’ s Democratic Party has sought this week to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and policy priorities , highlighting efforts to combat climate change , tighten gun laws and embrace a humane immigration policy .
They have drawn a sharp contrast with Trump ’ s policies and personality , portraying him as cruel , self-centred and woefully unprepared to manage virtually any of the nation ’ s mounting crises and policy challenges .
Voting was a prime focus of the convention on Thursday as it has been all week .
Democrats fear that the pandemic -- and the Trump administration -- may make it difficult for voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail .
Comedian Sarah Cooper , a favourite of many Democrats for her videos lip syncing Trump ’ s speeches , put it bluntly : “ Donald Trump doesn ’ t want any of us to vote because he knows he can ’ t win fair and square.
” Biden ’ s call for unity comes as some strategists worry that Democrats can not retake the White House simply by tearing Trump down ; Biden needs to give his sprawling coalition something to vote for .
That ’ s easier said than done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disparate factions that span generation , race and ideology .
For that reason , Thursday ’ s program , like much of the convention , emphasized Biden ’ s personal values like decency , honesty and empathy more than any single policy proposal or achievement .
The pandemic has also forced Biden ’ s team to abandon the typical pageantry and rely instead on a highly-produced , all-virtual affair that has failed to draw the same television ratings as past conventions .
The silence was noticeable Wednesday night , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history in a cavernous hall inside the Chase Center in downtown Wilmington .
She was flanked by American flags but no family , and her audience consisted of a few dozen reporters and photographers .
It ’ s Trump ’ s turn next .
The Republican president , who abandoned plans to host his convention in North Carolina and in Florida , is expected to break tradition and accept his nomination from the White House lawn next week .
In the meantime , he ’ s seeking to take attention from Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing-state tour on Thursday with a stop near Biden ’ s birthplace of Scranton , Pennsylvani a .
While he is trying to stay on offence , the president has faced a series distractions of his own this week , many of his own making .
Trump on Wednesday praised a conspiracy-theory group that believes the president ’ s political opponents support satanism and pedophilia .
On Thursday , a federal judge ruled that prosecutors could access his long-hidden tax returns .
Also Thursday , New York prosecutors announced the indictment of Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager and White House chief counsel , who was charged with fraud .
Wednesday night , Harris , a 55-year-old California senator and the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants , addressed race and equality in a personal way Biden can not when he formally accepts his party ’ s presidential nomination .
“ There is no vaccine for racism .
We have got to do the work , ” Harris declared .
Beyond the carefully scripted confines of the virtual convention , there have been modest signs of tension between the moderate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Party .
In particular , some progressives complained that pro-Biden Republicans such as Ohio Gov .
John Kasich have been featured more prominently than the party ’ s younger progressive stars like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .

Steve Peoples And Alexandra Jaffe - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Venezuela deploys security forces in coronavirus crackdown

CARACAS , VENEZUELA—Venezuelan officials are denouncing people who may have come into contact with the coronavirus as “ bioterrorists ” and urging their neighbours to report them .
The government is detaining and intimidating doctors and experts who question the president ’ s policies on the virus .
And it is corralling thousands of Venezuelans who are streaming home after losing jobs abroad , holding them in makeshift containment centres out of fear that they may be infected .
President Nicolás Maduro has tackled the coronavirus much as he has any internal threat to his rule : by deploying his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commandeered hotels , disused schools and cordoned-off bus stations , Venezuelans returning home from other countries in Latin America are being forced into crowded rooms with limited food , water or masks .
And they are being held under military guard for weeks or months for coronavirus tests or treatment with unproven medications , according to interviews with the detainees , videos they have taken on their cellphones and government documents .
“ They told us we ’ re contaminated , that we ’ re guilty of infecting the country , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital , Caracas , who said he spent 70 days in centres after he returned from Colombia in March .
In one major city , San Cristóbal , governing party activists are marking the homes of families suspected of having the virus with plaques and threatening them with detention , residents said .
In another city , Maracaibo , police are patrolling the streets in search of Venezuelans who re-entered the country without official approval .
Local opposition politicians whose constituencies register an outbreak say they are threatened with prosecution .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where having COVID is a crime , ” said Sergio Hidalgo , a Venezuelan opposition activist who said he had come down with symptoms of the disease , only to find police officers at his door and government officials accusing him of infecting the community .
As the pandemic tore through neighbouring countries , overwhelming health care networks far more prepared than Venezuela ’ s collapsed system , Maduro took a hard-line approach , treating the coronavirus as a national security threat that could destabilize his bankrupt nation and jeopardize his grip on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a threat to the government because it shows the precariousness of its resources , ” said John Magdaleno , a Venezuelan political scientist in Caracas .
“ The priority is not dealing with the pandemic .
It is short-term political survival.
” In his seven years in power , Maduro has overseen the collapse of Venezuela ’ s health care system , the destruction of the national economy and a marked increase in the country ’ s international isolation .
With dwindling resources to prepare the nation ’ s broken hospitals or help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Maduro has turned to bare-bones detention facilities , repression and coercion to try to stop the virus from overwhelming the country , political analysts said .
The government ’ s heavy-handed approach may be keeping more people at home and slowing the virus ’ spread , but it is also discouraging those who may be sick from seeking help .
That , in turn , is making the pandemic even harder to fight , doctors in Venezuela said .
“ When people feel sick , they think they have a legal or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were delinquents , ” said Julio Castro , a Venezuelan doctor who advises the opposition-controlled Congress on health care .
“ So they prefer to hide.
” The true scope of the pandemic in Venezuela , a country that stopped releasing health statistics as basic as infant mortality years ago , is nearly impossible to determine .
But with 20 top officials reporting that they had tested positive and some doctors warning that their hospitals were near capacity , the situation may be far worse than the official tally of 288 deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggests .
Doctors and journalists who have questioned official statistics say they have been threatened .
At least 12 Venezuelan doctors and nurses have been detained for making public comments on the coronavirus , according to medical unions .
Venezuelan migrants who return home after losing their jobs abroad in the wake of the pandemic are particularly targeted .
According to the Colombian government , about 95,000 Venezuelans have crossed back into their home country since March , and 42,000 are waiting their turn along the border .
Only 1,200 are allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crossing , under Venezuelan government guidelines , forcing others to wait for months in makeshift camps .
Those who use illegal trails to cross the porous land border are publicly labelled threats .
On Twitter , the armed forces of Venezuela urged the population to report so-called bioterrorists , referring to Venezuelans who had evaded government border controls and returned home .
The Times interviewed seven Venezuelans who were held in containment centres .
Several said they had been crammed into rooms without beds , hot food , windows or sufficient drinking water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone for help , because the only thing you got was abuse , ” said Aristizabal , the nurse , who was shuttled among several centres after he returned from visiting his mother in Colombia .
During his detention , Aristizabal said he had slept on the ground at times — on the asphalt of a bus station or on the floor of a windowless hotel room that he shared with five other people .
Some said that they had been detained with babies just one year old , with no special provisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they had been obliged to take the medications outlined in Venezuela ’ s official protocol for treating anyone who has , or is suspected of having , the coronavirus , even without showing any symptoms .
The drugs listed in the government guidelines are unproven for treating the coronavirus and could have dangerous consequences .
The treatments include hydroxychloroquine , which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned can cause dangerous heart rhythm abnormalities in coronavirus patients , and an anti-parasite drug called ivermectin , which the World Health Organization said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness .
Videos taken by Venezuelans in confinement centres showed unsanitary conditions .
Several people said they were not getting treatment for pre-existing conditions , were given a single mask for their stay and were unable to practice social distancing .
But the worst part , they said , was that they had no idea of how long they would be held .
In one video published by an opposition lawmaker , five older men and women wrapped in dirty blankets are shown crammed into a small , windowless room with dilapidated chairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they said was a government-run first-aid station in Caracas .
“ Please take me out of here , ” said one visibly distraught man .
“ I ’ m dying here .
I feel worse every day.
” Maduro ’ s crackdown on returning Venezuelan migrants contrasts with the freedom enjoyed by the country ’ s governing elite , who are weathering the lockdown on closed Caribbean islands , hillside mansions and lavish , invitation-only restaurants .
Top party officials who contract the coronavirus seek treatment in private clinics or at Caracas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few thousand dollars , wealthy returning travellers can skip the mandatory quarantine and go straight home .
Luxury bulletproof SUVs without license plates zip through Caracas ’ upmarket neighbourhoods at night , while a few miles away , armed pro-government militias enforce the lockdown in the poorest communities .
Maduro claims that his rapid response — he locked down the country March 17 , right after the first two coronavirus cases were confirmed — has prevented the devastation endured by nearby countries .
Officially , Venezuela boasts one of the region ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus was detected , the number of daily deaths , according to the government , has never surpassed 12 .
“ You ’ re given care that ’ s unique in the world , humane care , loving , Christian , ” said Maduro in a national address Aug. 14 .
But health experts say the low official figures are the result of extremely low testing rates .
Accurate coronavirus tests are scarce and take weeks to process in one of the two laboratories approved by the government , according to eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this article .
The doctors did not want to reveal their names for fear of government persecution .
Most patients with COVID-19 symptoms are never tested or die before they receive their results , so they are never included in the official statistics , the doctors said .
In the western state of Zulia , the government said 70 people had died from COVID-19 by the second week of August .
But a group of doctors who track mortality in the state said that in a single hospital — Zulia ’ s largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms by then .
Days before Venezuela confirmed its first coronavirus case , the governor of Zulia , Omar Prieto , said in a public address that he ordered military counter-intelligence to question a prominent doctor for alerting about potential infections .
“ This is an issue of national security , and this man has to be investigated , ” Prieto said about the doctor , Freddy Pachano .
Zulia ’ s capital , Maracaibo , has since become the epicentre of Venezuela ’ s pandemic .
One crematory in Maracaibo went from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day to 20 bodies by June , before its oven broke from overwork , according to the facility ’ s manager , who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal .
Officials in Maracaibo have since opened a common grave in the municipal cemetery .
Prieto , the governor , tested positive for the coronavirus but recovered at a private clinic .
Pachano , who tried to sound the alert about the impending crisis , has fled to Colombia to avoid arrest .
“ It ’ s not possible to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you don ’ t really know what is happening , ” he said .

Anatoly Kurmanaev - The New York Times,Isayen Herrera,Sheyla Urdaneta


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Takeaways from the final night of the Democratic convention

A convention without a roaring crowd , confetti cannons , funny hats — a gathering in name only — delivered the Democratic presidential nomination to Joe Biden on Thursday , the culmination of a lifelong pursuit that comes at a time of crisis .
Here are key takeaways from the final night of the Democratic National Convention .
On the night he was to officially accept the Democratic nomination for president , Joe Biden put faith front and centre , making a point not to cede the issue to Republicans .
Sen. Chris Coons , who represents nominee Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a “ private ” faith that is personally defining for Biden , a practicing Roman Catholic .
Coons said the nominee “ believes in the power of prayer ” and in “ the dignity of all people ” because they are “ made in the image of God.
” Simone Campbell , of the social justice activist group Nuns on the Bus , delivered the invocation .
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms praised the late civil rights icon John Lewis as a “ God-fearing man.
” Another segment from historian Jon Meacham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s final sermon .
A video from a CNN town hall in February showed Biden explaining his faith as he discussed the 2015 killings of nine Black men and women by a white supremacist at a historically Black church in Charleston .
“ They forgave him , ” Biden said of the victims ’ families .
“ The ultimate act of Christian charity .
They forgave him.
” Emcee Julia Louis-Dreyfus lightened the moment but drove home the point with a dig at President Donald Trump ’ s photo op during racial justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remember , ” she said , “ Joe Biden goes to church so regularly that he doesn ’ t even need tear gas and a bunch of federalized troops to help him get there.
“ Trump maintains an overwhelming advantage among white evangelicals .
But marginal shifts to Biden among that group and mainline Protestants and Catholics could be key in battleground states .
When Biden celebrated his crucial South Carolina primary victory on Feb. 29 , he boomed proudly , “ I ’ m an Obama-Biden Democrat !
” Indeed , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still the Obama-Biden party .
What that actually means , in terms of policy and politics , is , however , less clear .
Through four nights and eight hours of programming , the speakers who claimed the most airtime besides Biden and his vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris : former President Barack Obama and his wife , Michelle .
And ’ s it really not close .
Obama was the only former president to speak live , and he spoke nearly four times longer than former President Bill Clinton -- a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed out Monday night with a keynote almost twice as long as the combined time awarded to 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , the first women ever to reach those pinnacles .
It ’ s a sobering reminder for the Democratic old guard that , even with a 77-year-old white man as nominee , the future of the party looks more like the first Black president , his wife and Biden ’ s running mate .
The question is whether Democrats are leaning too heavily on the Obamas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be leveraged in the coming fall campaign .
Democrats quite consciously played up empathy , compassion and a bit of righteous anger , all traits they associated with Biden .
On Thursday , it was Brayden Harrington , a 13-year-old who shared his story of bonding with Biden over their shared stutter .
The night before , there was the Sanchez family of North Carolina telling of how Trump ’ s immigration policies threaten them .
On Tuesday , Biden ’ s name was placed in nomination by an elevator operator who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with The New York Times Editorial Board .
On Monday , Kristin Urquiza offered one of the week ’ s most memorable lines , as she recounted losing her father to coronavirus : “ His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump — and for that he paid with his life.
” Some Republicans might call it exploitative .
Some independents might see it as the obvious , even stale play for the major party that unabashedly advocates for more government action in the economy and society .
But Democrats saw added punch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matchup at the top of the ticket .
Trump ’ s calling card is the say-anything , etiquette-be-damned approach that infuses his rhetoric and , Democrats argue , his policies .
Biden , beyond having Democrats ’ usual liberal safety net slate , is the once-stuttering schoolboy who ’ s endured immense grief as a father who ’ s lost two children .
In short , Democrats are betting that a majority of voters simply want what former Republican President George H.W .
Bush once called for : “ a kinder , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jolt to the 2016 Democratic Convention , when the billionaire former Republican mayor of New York unloaded on Trump and tried to show opposition to the reality show star came from all sides of the political spectrum .
But on Thursday he speaking after spending $ 1 billion on an ill-fated bid for the Democratic party ’ s nomination , after he which he was sued by former staffers for cutting their health insurance during a pandemic .
There ’ s a deep current of unease among party operatives about him now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ validator of Biden as a champion of capitalism rather than socialism , heading off a Trump line of attack .
And he promised to spend generously to help elect Democrats this year — as he did in 2018 — even if he didn ’ t win the nomination .
So far , Bloomberg hasn ’ t opened his checkbook too widely , but a prime-time speaking slot may be the final push needed to revive his generosity .
Indeed , he has promised to spend $ 60 million — on top of about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far this year to the party — to further expand the Democrats ’ House majority .
Bloomberg made the promise for $ 60 million on the first day of the Democratic National Convention .
The dirty little secret of modern political conventions is that they have relatively little impact on the presidential election .
Conventions usually lead to a boost of in the polls for the ticket .
But that boost often fades .
Case in point : Massachusetts Gov .
Mike Dukakis led then-Vice-President George H.W .
Bush by as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Convention in 1988 .
Bush won the election by nearly 8 percentage points .
If Democrats want a more recent reminder , Hillary Clinton came out of the 2016 Democratic National Convention with a lead of about 8 points , and we know what happened to her .
Most political professionals are dismissive of any poll conducted until two weeks or so after the conventions , when a more meaningful assessment of the race begins to emerge .
The uncertainty is even greater this year because the pandemic forced the events online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent Democratic National Conventions , and it ’ s hard to know whether online viewing has made up for that .

Bill Barrow And Nicholas Riccardi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Kamala Harris’ father, a footnote in her speeches, is a prominent economist

In a warm , encyclopedic tribute to her family Wednesday night , as she formally accepted the vice-presidential nomination , Sen. Kamala Harris skimmed past any discussion of her father , Donald Harris , a Jamaican-born professor of economics at Stanford University .
The reason is common to many of Harris ’ generation : She is a child of divorce , raised by a single mother who became her most profound influence .
As Harris has stepped into the national spotlight , Donald Harris , now 81 and long retired from teaching , has remained mostly silent .
His only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Jamaican website run by an acquaintance , express a combination of pride in his daughter and bitterness over their estrangement .
He scolded her in a letter , which has since been removed from the site , for joking in an interview that , growing up in a Jamaican family , it was natural that she had smoked marijuana .
“ Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family , we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty , ” he wrote .
Donald Harris did not respond to requests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low profile in the election cycle , Harris is not an obscure figure .
He was the first Black scholar to receive tenure in Stanford ’ s economics department , and a prominent critic of mainstream economic theory from the left .
The Stanford Daily , reporting in 1976 , described him as a “ Marxist scholar , ” and said there was some opposition to granting him tenure because he was “ too charismatic , a pied piper leading students astray from neo-Classical economics.
” One of his former students at Stanford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of economics at American University , said Harris ’ work questioned orthodox assumptions about growth — for instance that lower wages would increase employment rates , or that lower interest rates always result in increased investment .
“ He was certainly very outspoken and prominent in the profession at one time , but not in a public way , ” Blecker said .
“ He was certainly not shy .
When I saw Kamala grill Judge Kavanaugh at his hearing , ” during his confirmation for the U.S. Supreme Court , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone in a seminar.
” Donald Harris was raised in a landowning family on the north coast of Jamaica by a paternal grandmother whom he described as “ reserved and stern in look , firm with ‘ the strap , ’ but capable of the most endearing and genuine acts of love , affection and care.
” Reserved and highly intelligent , he was more cut out for academia than activism , contemporaries said .
He arrived at the University of California , Berkeley , as a graduate student in 1961 .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian graduate student his age , who was pursuing a PhD in nutrition and endocrinology .
Kamala Harris , their eldest daughter , has written that the two “ fell in love at Berkeley while participating in the civil rights movement , ” and described learning about protests from a “ stroller ’ s-eye view.
” When the children were very young , Donald Harris got a series of teaching jobs at colleges in Illinois and Wisconsin , moving the family repeatedly .
The couple separated in 1969 , when Kamala Harris was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In “ The Truths We Hold , ” her 2018 memoir , Kamala Harris wrote that “ had they been a little older , a little more emotionally mature , maybe the marriage could have survived .
But they were so young .
My father was my mother ’ s first boyfriend.
” The divorce was bitter .
Kamala Harris recalls inviting both her parents to her high school graduation , “ even though I knew they wouldn ’ t speak to each other , ” and initially fearing that her mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did , in a “ very bright red dress and heels , ” Kamala Harris wrote . )
Donald Harris , in his 2018 essay , said his early , close contact with his daughters “ came to an abrupt halt ” after a contentious custody battle .
He said the divorce settlement had been “ based on the false assumption by the State of California that fathers can not handle parenting ( especially in the case of this father , ‘ a neegroe from da eyelans , ’ was the Yankee stereotype @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his children for breakfast ! )
Nevertheless I persisted , never giving up on my love for my children.
” This friction did not slow Donald Harris ’ professional rise , and he was granted tenure first at the University of Wisconsin and then at Stanford University .
Harris ’ 1978 book , “ Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution , ” is dedicated “ to Kamala and Maya.
” His work was followed closely in Jamaica , said Renee Anne Shirley , who was an adviser to Jamaica ’ s prime minister in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris served as an economic consultant to the government .
She recalled reading Harris ’ dispatches from the United States as far back as 1965 , when he published a lengthy article about Malcolm X in The Sunday Gleaner .
“ In three years , he got tenure — think about it , a Black man — and then he left and went to go to Stanford ?
He is a big thing for us , ” Shirley said .
“ He pushed the boundaries .
He was way ahead of his time.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentor .
Lisa Cook , now a professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University , recalled visiting him at Stanford in the 1980s , when she was weighing whether to pursue a doctorate in economics .
She said he treated her with unusual deference , inviting her to join him for a meal in the faculty club .
“ I went to each one of the top 10 programs in the country , and nobody else took me to the faculty club , ” Cook said .
Harris also stood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the historically Black college she had attended .
Perhaps , she said , this was because his daughter Kamala had enrolled at Howard University , studying economics .
“ Everybody wants the best for their children , ” she said .
“ I ’ m sure he was hoping someone at Howard was taking Kamala under their wing .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Hawaii’s unemployment rate drops slightly to 13.1% in July

HONOLULU - Hawaii ’ s unemployment rate declined slightly last month but large numbers of people continue to be out @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .
The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said Thursday Hawaii had @ @ @ @ @ of 13.1 % in July , down from 13.4 % in June .
That compares @ @ @ @ @ 2.4 % in March .
Hawaii had 105,000 fewer non-agricultural jobs in July compared to @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a 16 % drop .
The pandemic has forced many hotels to close @ @ @ @ @ that is the state ’ s biggest employer .
The department said the tourism industry @ @ @ @ @ July but the education and health services sectors added workers .
Hawaii ’ s unemployment @ @ @ @ @ 23.8 % in April .
That was the first full month after the governor issued @ @ @ @ @ requiring travellers from out of state to quarantine themselves for 14 days .


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--At least 1 resident killed in Northern California wildfire

SANTA CRUZ , Calif. - Authorities say at least one resident has died in wildfires that are raging through Northern California and threaten tens of thousands of homes .
Solano County Sheriff Sheriff Thomas A. Ferrara announced the man ’ s death Thursday , but he didn ’ t have additional details .
At least two other people have died in the dozens of major fires that have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes in the San Francisco Bay Area , wine country and portions of the Sierra Nevada .
A Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday in a vehicle in the Vacaville area between San Francisco and Sacramento .
A pilot on a water-dropping mission in central California also died Wednesday when his helicopter crashed .
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE .
AP ’ s earlier story follows below .
More than two dozen major fires were scorching California on Thursday and taxing the state ’ s firefighting capacity , sparked by an unprecedented lightning siege that dropped nearly 11,000 strikes over several days .
The fires have destroyed 175 structures , including homes , and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an assistant deputy director with the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
In all , 33 civilians and firefighters have been injured , and two people have died .
Most of the activity is in Northern California , where fires have chewed through about 500 square miles ( 1,250 square kilometres ) of brushland , rural areas , canyon country and dense forest surrounding San Francisco .
More than 10,000 firefighters are on the front lines , but fire officials in charge of each of the major fire complexes say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firefighters were working 72-hour shifts instead of the usual 24 hours .
The state has requested 375 engines and crew from other states .
“ That ’ s going to allow our firefighters that have have been on the front line since this weekend to have an opportunity to take some rest , “ Berlant said .
In Marin County , just north of San Francisco , where a smaller fire is burning near the Pacific Ocean , county fire chief Jason Weber said he is waiting for assistance from Montana to arrive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 years in fire service , “ we ’ ve never seen this level of draw-down ” from co-operating agencies , as there is heavy competition in the western United States for equipment and people .
In the coastal mountain regions south of San Francisco , where 26,000 people were under orders to evacuate , the CZU complex fire grew overnight to 62 square miles ( 160 square kilometres ) .
Officials warned it has the potential to grow significantly in the next day .
Given depleted resources , one of the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get people out of harm ’ s way .
But some people refused when officers went door-to-door Wednesday night , Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said .
“ With the resources that we are lacking , we ask you to help us to help us to do our jobs and to keep the public safe , ” he said .
Kevin Stover , 42 , was struggling with indecision early Thursday when a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the rugged and small town of Felton outside the beach city of Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to leave , ” said Stover , a camera operator and rigger now driving for Door Dash and Lyft because of the pandemic .
His car , loaded with important papers , his father ’ s urn and some arrowheads that meant a lot to him , had a flat tire .
“ I ’ m trying to figure out if I should cut these original oil paintings out of the frame to salvage them , ” he said .
The unusually large size and number of simultaneous fires , other fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inmate firefighting crews because inmates were released from prisons to prevent the spread of coronavirus , have created the perfect storm for firefighting .
“ Our agency is taxed to the limit , ” said Incident Commander Mike Smith at the fire near Santa Cruz .
Officials there are awaiting help from other states , but they are having to look further afield than usual , meaning it will take days for crews to arrive , he said .
The U.S. Forest Service can ’ t help because they are busy fighting fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very dangerous fire .
The probability of an ember igniting something is 100 per cent , which is very high .
Embers are travelling as far as mile and igniting trees and brush , “ Smith said .
In addition to about two dozen major blazes , small fires kept erupting , though most were quickly stopped .
Crews were also battling blazes in the Sierra Nevada and Southern California wild lands .
In Monterey County along the coast , about 9,000 people have been evacuated for a fire that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilometres ) .
The fires have claimed two lives , including a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker assisting with advance clearing who died at a fire in the Vacaville area between San Francisco and Sacramento .
The worker was found Wednesday in a vehicle and CPR was performed , but he was pronounced dead at a hospital , Cal Fire said .
In central California , a pilot on a water-dropping mission in western Fresno County died Wednesday morning when his helicopter crashed .
Two fires in Sonoma County prompted evacuation orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
Residents of Healdsburg , with a population of about 12,000 , were warned Wednesday night to be ready to flee .
Fires in that region destroyed more than 100 buildings , including some homes , and threatened 25,000 people across five counties .
Tim Edwards , president of the union representing 7,000 Cal Fire firefighters , said lawmakers need to allocate more money at a time when firefighters are working 40 to 50 days at a time without real relief .
“ Here we are , we ’ re not even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t have enough resources throughout the whole state because we ’ re stretched so thin , “ he said .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom , who pulled out of speaking at the Democratic National Convention Thursday , said that California received a federal grant to reimburse some of its firefighting costs .
Travis Air Force Base ordered non-mission-essential personnel to evacuate .
Residents in nearby Vacaville , a city of 100,000 , were roused before dawn Wednesday by orders to flee .
California State Parks announced full or partial closures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Big Basin Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains , where the park headquarters and other facilities were damaged .
The park featuring towering stands of ancient coast redwoods dates to 1902 and is the state ’ s oldest .
In Southern California , firefighters worked in high heat to increase containment of fires in mountains north and east of Los Angeles .
A huge fire also burned in the remote Mojave National Preserve .
Har reported from San Francisco .
Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Juliet Williams in San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this report .
This story has been corrected to show that the county where the Russian River is located is Sonoma , not Solano .