thetorontostar--2020-02-03--AP VoteCast: Health care, climate are top issues in Iowa

WASHINGTON - Iowa Democrats came to the state ’ s caucuses Monday with two major issues dominating their thoughts : health care and climate change .
More than the economy , immigration or foreign policy , Democrats in the nation ’ s opening round of presidential primaries were mostly focused on access to medical treatment and the health of a planet being rapidly warmed by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities .
About 4 in 10 ranked health care as the most important issue facing the country , while 3 in 10 identified climate change as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic voters were largely supportive of government programs that would improve access to health insurance coverage as well as taxation of carbon emissions in order to limit climate change .
AP VoteCast is a survey of more than 2,700 voters who said they planned to take part in Monday ’ s Democratic caucuses in Iowa , conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago .
Democratic presidential candidates have contested whether its more important to offer an ambitious set of policies or take a more moderate tack that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in key Midwestern states .
Candidates such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren have embraced bolder changes such as universal health care through the government and a wealth tax .
Former Vice-President Joe Biden , former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar have called for more incremental shifts in policy .
But Iowa Democrats are united in their distaste for the sitting president .
An overwhelming majority of caucusgoers — about 8 in 10 — were “ angry “ with the Trump administration .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but not angry.
” Even though the Senate impeachment trial appears certain to close this week with an acquittal for Trump , nearly 8 in 10 Democrats surveyed said they judged the impeachment process to be “ worth it.
” Not surprisingly , nearly every Iowa Democrat said the ability to beat Trump was an important quality for a presidential nominee .
The solid economy , with unemployment at a half-century low , was an afterthought for Iowa Democrats , with just about 1 in 10 saying the economy was the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been rooting his reelection efforts around the economy ’ s growth , yet few Iowa Democrats seem willing to reward him for an expansion that began under his predecessor .
Democrats in Iowa do not feel they ’ re benefiting much from the growing economy .
Roughly two-thirds of Iowa Democrats describe their own financial situations as “ holding steady.
” Slightly more say they are falling behind than say they are getting ahead .
Nearly 9 in 10 described the economy as very or somewhat unfair , a possible sign that many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of wealth and power with the top 1 % of U.S. households .
The concerns about medical care , the fate of the planet and inequality are reflected in overwhelming support among Iowa Democrats for a presidential candidate who could transform the U.S. government .
Nearly two-thirds said it was more important for them to vote for a candidate who will fundamentally change how the political system works , compared with one who will restore Washington to the way it was before Trump ’ s inauguration .
Iowa Democrats under age 45 favoured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
About two-thirds of those age 45 to 64 also considered fundamental change to be the better approach .
But voters over 65 were closely divided in which they preferred .
Significant change could come from how Americans pay for health insurance .
Seven in 10 backed a single-payer health care plan , which would shift all Americans to government-based insurance instead of private plans .
Almost 9 in 10 support a proposal for people having a public option to receive health care through the government .
On climate change , close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carbon-based fuels such as oil , coal and natural gas .
Nearly half were strongly in favour of the proposal .
AP VoteCast is a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for The Associated Press and Fox News .
The survey of 2,795 voters in Iowa was conducted for seven days , concluding as the caucuses began .
Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish .
The survey is based on interviews with a random sample of registered voters drawn from the state voter file .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is estimated to be plus or minus 3.0 percentage points .

Josh Boak And Hannah Fingerhut - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--1 killed, 5 injured when a vehicle hits high school students

MOORE , Okla. - A high school student was killed and five others were injured , three critically , when @ @ @ @ @ into them as they walked down the street outside their suburban Oklahoma City high school @ @ @ @ @ The incident happened shortly after classes were dismissed at 3 p.m. Monday at Moore High @ @ @ @ @ students was walking along heavily travelled North Eastern Avenue outside the school , said police @ @ @ @ @ motorist drove away but was stopped three blocks away and taken into custody , Lewis @ @ @ @ @ immediately filed and a motive was not immediately known .
Lewis said he did not @ @ @ @ @ the five taken to hospitals , but he said three had been in critical condition @ @ @ @ @ more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star @ @ @ @ @ newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more in @ @ @ @ @

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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--1 dead, 5 wounded in shooting on Greyhound bus in California

LOS ANGELES - A man cursing and muttering incoherently opened fire aboard a packed Greyhound bus in Southern California early Monday , killing one person and wounding five others in a seemingly random attack before passengers disarmed him , authorities and a witness said .
The driver of the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco bus pulled off onto the shoulder , where some of those aboard led the killer off the vehicle , and he was quickly taken into custody , California Highway Patrol Sgt .
Brian Pennings said .
The driver continued on to the next exit as passengers performed first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The motive for the shooting was not immediately known , and there was no indication the gunman knew any of the victims , Pennings said .
He said several ammunition magazines were discovered along with the gun .
The bus was travelling on Interstate 5 near the small mountain community of Lebec , about 70 miles ( 113 kilometres ) northwest of Los Angeles , when the passenger started shooting with a semi-automatic handgun shortly before 1:30 a.m. Forty-three people were aboard , including 6- and 8-year-old children , who were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a 51-year-old woman from Colombia .
Two victims were hospitalized with serious injuries , Pennings said .
The remaining passengers were later driven to Northern California on another bus .
Passenger Mark Grabban , 29 , told The Associated Press that the gunman had been sitting with his leg sticking out into the aisle , muttering to himself incoherently .
“ He was just saying weird stuff like ‘ you don ’ t know me like that , ’ ‘ wait til we get to the station , ’ ‘ get away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ ” Grabban said in a series of Instagram messages .
Suddenly , the man started cursing and shooting , Grabban said .
Grabban hid beneath the seat in front of him .
He said the gunman seemed to fire eight or nine shots that “ seemed to go on forever.
” He added : “ I was waiting for one to hit me.
“ “ I thought I was shot because I felt a rush of heat on the back of my head as I went down , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smashed my head on the seat as I went down to the floor.
” Then , silence fell .
The injured passengers began moaning , and others started panicking .
It was dark outside and they couldn ’ t see what the gunman was doing after he got off the bus .
Grabban said the driver of the stopped vehicle asked over the loudspeaker if anyone had been hurt and did not immediately pull away .
“ Everyone was screaming at him to drive off , ” Grabban said .
Pennings said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate and one could say heroic.
” The officer gave no immediate details on how the passengers disarmed the killer or made him get off the bus .
Passengers told Grabban someone wrestled the gun away from the shooter , but he didn ’ t witness it , he said .
No immediate charges were brought against the the suspect , whose name was not released .
Grabban , who was sitting near the back of the bus with his girlfriend , picked up the gun ’ s empty magazine clip and handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended up on Grabban ’ s lap , and he noticed a bullet hole in the floor next to him .
“ I saw the blood on the floor of the aisle , ” Grabban told NBC News .
“ I looked to the woman on the left , and she wasn ’ t responding , wasn ’ t moving or anything .
She was lifeless.
” Authorities were looking into whether a video camera aboard the vehicle captured the attack , which happened when the bus was at the top of Tejon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 4,100 feet ( 1,250 metres ) in Lebec .
Greyhound prohibits passengers from bringing guns , explosives or dangerous chemicals on board its buses or in their luggage , according to its website .
The company declined to answer additional questions about security on its buses .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--BP oil spill cash rebuilds eroded Louisiana pelican island

QUEEN BESS ISLAND , La .
- A Louisiana island that provides a crucial nesting ground for pelicans and other seabirds is being restored to nearly its former size after decades of coastal erosion and a devastating offshore oil spill 10 years ago .
About 6,500 brown pelicans and 3,000 smaller seabirds cram their nests every summer onto Queen Bess Island , which shrank from 45 acres ( 18 hectares ) in 1956 to about 15 acres ( 6 hectares ) of marsh by 2010 , when the Deepwater Horizon spill fouled its beaches with oily gunk .
Until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 hectares ) — most of it along the island ’ s edges and the outlines left by short-lived restorations in the 1990s — was high enough for pelicans to nest , said Todd Baker , a biologist supervising restoration for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries .
Once a mere strip of land , the island now covers 37 acres ( 15 hectares ) , with most of it for the increasingly cramped birds .
“ The walk we just made wouldn ’ t have been possible a few weeks ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said after crossing an expanse of sand bearing tread marks from heavy equipment used to create and grade the land .
A podium was set up before waist-high mangroves that contractors left untouched for pelicans to nest on .
Edwards said the $ 18.7 million project to enlarge and maintain the island is part of $ 550 million that that has restored more than 4,200 acres ( 1,700 hectares ) of coastland and islands .
More than $ 800 million in additional work is expected across Louisiana this year , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the Gulf of Mexico in Barataria Bay , Queen Bess plays an outsize role as one of Louisiana ’ s largest rookeries for brown pelicans , supplying prime real estate for up to a fifth of the state ’ s nests .
It ’ s also where the pelican , the Louisiana state bird , was reintroduced in the 1960s after pesticides had killed off the entire population .
Loss of the small islands where pelicans nest has crowded the big birds into about 10 colonies , fewer than half the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you ’ re a tiny island you ’ re on the front lines of sea-level rise and coastal erosion.
” Funds to restore Queen Bess Island and for future monitoring and upkeep flow from a $ 20 billion settlement that the federal government and the five Gulf Coast states reached with energy giant BP PLC for environmental damage from the 2010 spill .
The offshore explosion and fire that year on BP ’ s leased drilling rig killed 11 people .
The well spewed more than 100 million gallons ( 378 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 87 days .
When the oil reached the island about 45 miles ( 72 kilometres ) south of New Orleans , more than 1,000 birds died .
Brown pelicans and other birds could be seen struggling , their wings weighed down by black muck .
Contractors for Louisiana ’ s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority enlarged the island by dredging up Mississippi River sand and pumping it inside the outlines of rock and other material from the 1990s restoration , which used silt .
The sand , designers hope , will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a line of rock breakwaters 75 to 95 feet ( 23 to 29 metres ) from shore to slow erosion and provide calm water for young birds .
Most of the island is being restored as a pelican habitat , with 7 acres ( 2.8 hectares ) for skimmers , terns and other birds that nest on rocks .
In recent years , Baker said , nests have been so jammed “ you can ’ t hardly step on land without touching a nest.
” He said the crowding has made the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ houses , with nest above nest above nest : perhaps a laughing gull on the ground , an egret or roseate spoonbill in middle branches and a brown pelican nest at the top .
“ It was cool to look at but not necessarily good for those birds , ” Baker said .
In an assist to the birds , The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission designated the island a wildlife refuge in November .
The commission is taking comments on rules that , among other things , would forbid people from stepping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
Restoration work should be completed by Feb. 15 , Baker said .
He added that remaining work includes creating ramps for young birds that still can ’ t fly so they can walk in and out of the water .
Contractors also will plant about 24,000 woody plants for species including night herons and egrets and pelicans to build their nests .
Those are essentially 3-foot-high ( 1-meter-high ) sticks , Baker said .
He noted that while pelicans prefer nesting on scrub-shrubs , they can also build nests on grass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terns , skimmers and gulls are expected use the expanses of bare sand between the plants as well as the rocky area created for them .
Most important for Baker : Will pelicans return to the island where they built nests or were hatched ?
Five hundred were banded last year to help him and other conservationists answer that question .

Janet McConnaughey - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--2 women killed, child hurt in shooting at Texas dormitory

COMMERCE , Texas - Two women were killed and a child was wounded in a shooting Monday morning at a university dormitory in Texas , officials said .
A recommendation for students and employees to shelter in place was lifted early Monday afternoon at Texas A & M University-Commerce , and police said there appeared to be no other threats .
Officials have not identified the suspected shooter .
University police Chief Bryan Vaughn said officers responding to a call at about 10:17 a.m. found two dead women in a room at Pride Rock residence hall on the campus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilometres ) northeast of Dallas .
He said a boy about 2 years old was also in the room and was taken to a hospital , where he was in stable condition .
Vaughn did not take questions after a news conference and did not say if the women were students .
The university cancelled classes after the shooting and later said classes will not resume until Thursday .
The university lifted the shelter-in-place recommendation about an hour and a half after it was announced on Twitter .
But the university said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the residence hall and the surrounding area was still blocked off due to the ongoing investigation .
The university said the student centre would be available for displaced students and that counsellors were available there .
Larry Cooper III , a freshman who lives in the Pride Rock residence hall , told the Dallas Morning News that he left his room Monday just before the shelter-in-place was announced .
He said he was waiting in a friend ’ s room on the first floor of the residence hall .
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other than that we ’ re all just kind of sitting in and waiting on the news to happen , ” Cooper said .
Last October , two people were killed and a dozen others injured in an off-campus shooting at a homecoming and Halloween party involving Texas A & M-Commerce students .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Witness testifies Avenatti had no authority for Nike demands

NEW YORK - A California businessman who enlisted Michael Avenatti to help his friend deal with two corrupt Nike executives testified Monday that he reacted with shock and horror when he learned the attorney was threatening to go public with his information .
Jeffrey Auerbach , an entertainment industry executive and consultant , testified that he mainly wanted to help a friend who had coached his son in basketball repair his relationship with the apparel giant .
Auerbach said he urged the friend — California amateur league coach Gary Franklin — to hire Avenatti last March because he was impressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during his representation of porn star Stormy Daniels .
But he said he never authorized Avenatti to demand millions of dollars for himself from Nike or to release information publicly .
“ That would have been really damaging , counter-intuitive and detrimental to Gary ’ s goals and it ’ s not what you do , ” he said .
“ It ’ s negative , disrespectful , threatening .
You just don ’ t threaten people you are forging and trying to establish a relationship with.
” Avenatti has pleaded not guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prosecutors said he demanded up to $ 25 million to conduct an internal investigation of Nike and a separate $ 1.5 million settlement for Franklin or he ’ d go public with allegations that Nike facilitated payments to elite teenage basketball players and their families .
Auerbach said that he was shocked when he saw a tweet in which Avenatti referenced federal charges in a case nearly two years earlier that exposed corruption by a former Adidas executive and four assistant basketball coaches at major sports colleges .
Then , he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message threatening to stage a news conference to expose Nike corruption .
“ It was just utter shock and horror at seeing this , ” he said .
He said the next day , after Avenatti was supposed to meet with Nike lawyers , he got a phone call from Franklin saying : “ Turn on the TV quick .
You ’ re not going to believe this .
Avenatti ’ s been arrested.
” Auerbach said the coach had wanted Avenatti to restore his relationship with Nike , which had sponsored his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of between $ 72,000 and $ 77,000 and supplied merchandise including shoes that raised the value of the deal to over $ 90,000 .
He said Franklin also wanted the company to fire two executives who had directed him to make payouts to the families of top basketball players and then to falsify invoices and wire payments to associates of players .
Auerbach said Franklin agreed that a $ 1 million payout would compensate the coach for damage to his league , but he said Franklin also wanted to go with Nike to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been going on .
Ultimately , he said , Franklin wanted his relationship with Nike repaired after they had cut his league ’ s sponsorship .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Man sues Honolulu police, city for forced urinal licking

HONOLULU - A homeless man is suing the Honolulu Police Department and the city after he says officers forced him to lick a urinal in a public restroom .
Samuel Ingall was seeking shelter in the restroom in January 2018 when one of the officers told him in an “ aggressive tone ” that the “ only way he could avoid arrest was by licking the urinal in the bathroom , ” the lawsuit said .
Another officer stood in the doorway , propping open the door , then closed it so they wouldn ’ t be caught on video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
It said Ingall , “ against his will , knelt before the urinal and licked the urinal.
“ John Rabago , who remains on restricted duty , pleaded guilty in December to depriving Ingall of his civil rights .
Reginald Ramones , who left the department in August , pleaded guilty to a lesser charge that he knew Rabago committed a civil rights violation but didn ’ t inform authorities .
According to Ingall ’ s lawsuit , Rabago followed him out of the bathroom and laughed as he told other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For now , we ’ ll decline comment on the pending litigation , ” city spokesman Alexander Zannes said .
Rabago wasn ’ t allowed to plead no contest , so he pleaded guilty to accept responsibility , defence attorney Megan Kau said Monday .
The guilty plea “ potentially puts the city at risk because of the civil lawsuit , ” which was expected , she said .
Ramones previously said in court that Rabago persuaded him not to tell authorities what happened and to delete their text messages about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individually as defendants .
Two other officers were placed on restricted duty when police Chief Susan Ballard turned over the case to the FBI in 2018 .
Ingall is in a residential substance abuse program and plans to go into a clean and sober house , said his attorney , Myles Breiner .
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Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Meeting of Sudanese leader, Netanyahu stirs debate in Sudan

CAIRO - A surprise meeting between Sudan ’ s leader and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stirred controversy in Sudan on Tuesday , with the government saying it wasn ’ t notified ahead of time and critics lambasting the talks on social media .
Others said the meeting would improve Sudan ’ s standing with the United States and help Khartoum shed its pariah image .
For Israel , it was a major diplomatic breakthrough with an Arab African state , two days after the Arab League rejected President Donald Trump ’ s Mideast plan .
The Uganda meeting between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sudan ’ s transitional administration , and Netanyahu was kept secret but grabbed headlines late Monday when the Israeli leader announced the two had began talks on normalizing relations between their countries .
Sudan is desperate to lift sanctions linked to its listing by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terror — a key step toward ending its isolation and rebuilding the economy after the popular uprising last year that toppled autocrat Omar al-Bashir and installed the joint civilian-military sovereign council , headed by Burhan .
But Khartoum is also a longtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other members in rejecting Trump ’ s plan at a meeting in Cairo on Saturday .
The U.S. plan , heavily in favour of Israel , would grant the Palestinians limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank , while allowing Israel to annex all its settlements there and keep nearly all of east Jerusalem .
H.A .
Hellyer , a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London , said Khartoum runs the risk of damaging relationships with the wider Arab world — as well as with the opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an extreme Israeli government .
“ It ’ s a cynical choice , ” Hellyer said .
“ Khartoum is in a very bad position , and seemingly expects little help vis-a-vis the U.S. from its Arab brethren.
“ From Uganda , Netanyahu tweeted : “ History !
” while his office said the meeting with Burhan came at the invitation of Uganda .
The statement said Netanyahu “ believes that Sudan is moving in a new and positive direction “ — an apparent reference to a possible removal from the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin co-operation that will lead to normalization of relations between the two countries , ” Netanyahu said .
Palestinian official Saeb Erekat called the Uganda meeting a “ stab in the back of the Palestinian nation and a deviation from the Arab consensus.
” For Israel , there are several upsides beyond the optics of establishing relations with another Arab country and burnishing its diplomatic credentials .
Israel expects to be granted approval to fly over Sudanese airspace , which would greatly shorten flight times to South America , and also hopes it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asylum seekers in Israel .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the Burhan-Netanyahu meeting and “ thanked the Sudanese leader for his leadership in normalizing ties with Israel , ” according to the State Department .
In a phone call a day earlier , Pompeo had invited Burhan to visit the U.S. later in the year .
The State Department said Pompeo and Burhan “ underscored their shared desire to improve Sudan ’ s active participation in the region and international communities and their commitment to work towards a stronger , healthier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some Sudanese denounced the meeting , accusing Burhan of trying to get on the Trump administration ’ s good side through Israel .
Others applauded , arguing that it was good for Sudan ’ s future .
“ Our interest is above everything and Sudan first , “ tweeted Mubarak Ardol , former spokesman of a rebel faction of Sudan People ’ s Liberation Movement-North that was part of the pro-democracy movement that led to al-Bashir ’ s ouster .
Prominent activist Amjed Farid said Burhan had no mandate from the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise of that “ which is not his to give .
Information Minister Faisal Mohamed Saleh , who also serves as the government spokesman , said the Cabinet learned of the meeting through the media and was not consulted beforehand .
“ We will wait for clarifications after “ Burhan returns home from Uganda , Saleh said .
A senior Sudanese military official said the meeting was orchestrated by the United Arab Emirates and aimed at helping remove Sudan ’ s terror listing , which dates back to the 1990s , when Sudan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted militants .
The official , speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media , said Burhan agreed to meet Netanyahu because officials thought it would help “ accelerate ” the process of being removed from the terror list .
He said only a “ small circle ” of top officials in Sudan , as well as Saudi Arabia and Egypt , knew about the meeting .
Sudan hosted the Arab League summit after the 1967 war that became famous for establishing the “ three no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Israel , no to recognition of Israel and no to negotiations with Israel .
That consensus broke down when Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979 , and has further eroded in recent years as Israel has improved ties with Gulf Arab nations that share its concerns about Iran .
Only two Arab states , Egypt and Jordan , have made peace with Israel .


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Trump’s economy: Solid and steady but vulnerable to threats

WASHINGTON - A portrait of a robust U.S. economy is sure to take centre stage Tuesday night when President Donald Trump gives his third State of the Union address .
It is an economy that has proved solid and durable yet hasn ’ t fulfilled many of Trump ’ s promises .
Nine months before the election , the economy keeps growing steadily if only modestly .
Unemployment is at a half-century low .
And consumers , the lifeblood of the U.S. economy , continue to spend .
Average pay is rising faster than when Trump took office three years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now going to lower-wage workers .
Some research has found that this trend , which began in 2015 before Trump ’ s election , partly reflects higher state minimum wages .
Economists warn , though , that the U.S. expansion , now in its record-long 11th year , faces an array of threats .
Most immediately , China ’ s viral outbreak has paralyzed business with the world ’ s second-largest economy .
Starbucks and Apple have closed stores in China , airlines have cancelled flights and companies like General Motors have halted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shave one-half percentage point off annual growth in the first quarter , Goldman Sachs economists forecast , though they expect the slowdown to be offset by a rebound in the second quarter .
Boeing ’ s decision to halt production of its 737 MAX should also weaken growth in the first six months of the year , economists say .
America ’ s manufacturing sector is struggling , a reflection of Trump ’ s trade conflicts .
High corporate debt levels have sparked concerns .
Some analysts also worry that the Federal Reserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed risky bubbles in stocks or other assets .
And leading Democratic presidential candidates , especially Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , have built their campaigns to unseat Trump around the message that the economy remains rife with inequality , with many workers struggling to afford college , housing or health care .
Trump is unlikely on Tuesday night to let any such doubts temper his standard message that under his stewardship , the economy is thriving , unemployment is falling , the stock market is roaring and that the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m proud to declare that the United States is in the midst of an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen before , ” Trump said last month in Davos , Switzerland .
“ America is thriving , America is flourishing , and yes , America is winning again like never before.
” Yet what Trump calls an unprecedented boom is , by many measures , not all that different from the solid economy he inherited from President Barack Obama .
Economic growth was 2.3 % in 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Recession ended a decade ago in the first year of Obama ’ s eight-year presidency .
During the 2016 campaign , Trump boasted that his tax cut plan would boost annual growth to 4 % a year — a brisk pace not seen since the late 1990 ’ s .
Instead , Trump , along with Obama , is one of two presidents since World War II not to have presided over a year of at least 3 % growth .
And few economists think the economy will hit that target this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tax plan helped accelerate growth , just not the way he had promised .
“ The Trump tax cuts were a sugar high that juiced the economy temporarily , ” said Ryan Sweet , an economist at Moody ’ s Analytics .
It put more money in Americans ’ pockets , boosting consumer spending .
The economy grew 2.9 % in 2018 , a healthy pace though the same as in 2015 , the year before Trump ’ s election .
The administration had vowed , though , that the tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans to shop more .
The president ’ s top economists had said the tax cuts would accelerate corporate investment in machinery , computers and plants and office towers .
All the new equipment would make workers more efficient , the argument went , thereby boosting productivity — the amount of output for each hour worked .
Greater productivity is one of the two main drivers of growth ; the other is an increase in the number of U.S. workers .
Both have slowed in the past decade .
Most economists partly blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with China .
The trade conflicts have left American companies much less certain about the economic outlook and reluctant to expand and invest .
Business investment shrank in the final three quarters of last year .
Nor have Trump ’ s business tax cuts and deregulation made the economy more dynamic .
The growth of new companies has remained anemic since the 2008 downturn .
Larger businesses continue to dominate many industries , from technology to retail to finance .
All this is occurring despite significant stimulus .
Trump has assailed Fed Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though the Fed ’ s benchmark rate is now in a range of just 1.5 % to 1.75 % , a very low level historically and one that is considered stimulative .
And increased federal spending has also helped support the economy .
The Congressional Budget Office last week projected that the government ’ s deficit will top $ 1 trillion annually for the next decade .
“ The accelerator is on the floor , but the vehicle is moving surprisingly slowly , “ Larry Summers , Treasury Secretary under President Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama , said in early January .
Trump has also recently highlighted what he calls a “ blue collar boom , ” pointing to solid wage gains for lower-paid workers and healthy hiring in construction and manufacturing .
But manufacturing jobs barely grew last year as factories hunkered down in the midst of the trade wars .
And since Trump ’ s inauguration , manufacturing jobs have grown more slowly than employment overall has .
Ernie Goss , an economics professor at Creighton University in Nebraska , said the Midwest ’ s job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the national pace since Trump took office .
Farmers have also suffered from the trade war , he said , as retaliatory tariffs by China have clobbered exports of soybeans and other commodities .
That , in turn , has hurt manufacturers of farm equipment , including Deere and Caterpillar .
“ Everyone says the economy is going great guns , but that is everything except agriculture and manufacturing , ” Goss said .
What ’ s more , most campaign battleground states in the Midwest , such as Michigan , Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factory jobs in the past year .
Most manufacturing job growth under Trump ’ s presidency has occurred in Southern and Western states , said Dean Baker , senior economist at the liberal Center for Economic and Policy Research .
With fewer union members in those states , those factory jobs generally pay less .
In fact , manufacturing jobs , once a bulwark of the postwar middle class , now pay less on average than private-sector jobs overall , Baker said .
Still , despite modest growth , the record economic expansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also evidence that its durability has , in recent years , finally started to benefit a broader swath of Americans .
More people have come off the sidelines and found jobs , defying most economists ’ predictions .
The proportion of Americans in their prime working years — ages 25 through 54 — who are employed is now higher than before the Great Recession .
And last year , wages rose nearly 5 % for the poorest one-fourth of Americans , far more than for the richest fourth , whose pay rose just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reserve Bank of Atlanta .
Still , richer Americans hold a far greater portion of the nation ’ s wealth , with the top 10 % owning nearly 85 % of the value of all stocks .
The moderate pace of growth has meant that so far , the economy isn ’ t showing evident signs of excess akin to the housing bubble that led to the 2008 financial meltdown .
“ This expansion has been slow and steady , but it could run for a few more years , ” Sweet said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it needs to die .
Sometimes slow and steady does win the race.
“

Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Hong Kong reports virus death as workers strike at hospitals

BEIJING - Hong Kong hospitals cut services as medical workers were striking for a second day Tuesday to demand the border with mainland China be shut completely to ward off a virus that caused its first death in the semi-autonomous territory and that authorities fear could be spreading locally .
All but two of Hong Kong ’ s land and sea crossings with the mainland were closed at midnight after more than 2,000 hospital workers went on strike Monday .
But on Tuesday , health authorities reported two additional patients without any known travel to the virus epicenter , bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four .
Chuang Shuk-kwan , who heads the communicable disease branch at the Center for Health Protection , said the growing caseload “ indicates significant risk of community transmission ” and could portend a “ large-scale ” outbreak .
According to the Hospital Authority Employees ’ Alliance , the strike organizer , more than 7,000 members joined the strike today to demand closure of the border across which tens of thousands of people continue to travel daily .
Hong Kong ’ s Hospital Authority said it was cutting back services because “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from duty ” and “ emergency services in public hospitals have been affected.
” Hong Kong was hit hard by SARS , or severe acute respiratory syndrome , in 2002-03 , an illness from the same virus family as the current outbreak .
Trust in Chinese authorities has plummeted following months of anti-government protests in the Asian financial hub .
The territory ’ s beleaguered leader Kerry Lam criticized the strike action and said the government was doing all it could to limit the flow of people across the border .
“ Important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ including cancer treatments and care for newborns , Lam told reporters .
“ So I ’ m appealing to those who are taking part in this action that let ’ s put the interests of the patients and the entire public health system above all other things.
” Also Tuesday , the leader of the nearby gambling enclave of Macao asked the city ’ s casino bosses to suspend operations to prevent further infections after a worker at one of the resorts tested positive for the virus .
Macao has recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s latest figures of 425 deaths and 20,438 confirmed infections of the new coronavirus were up from 361 deaths and 17,205 cases the previous day .
Outside mainland China , at least 180 cases have been confirmed , including two fatalities , one in Hong Kong and the other in the Philippines .
The patient who died in Hong Kong was a 39-year-old man who had travelled to Wuhan , the mainland city that has been the epicenter of the outbreak , before being hospitalized .
The Hospital Authority said Tuesday he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give details .
Hong Kong later reported two other people were confirmed to have the virus , with countries from Belgium to Vietnam also reporting new cases .
A growing list of countries from the U.S. to Iran have arranged flights to return their citizens home from China .
Most cases of the illness have been mild , and many who died have been older people with other ailments such as diabetes or heart disease .
China has struggled to maintain supplies of masks to filter out the virus , along with protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seeks to enforce temperature checks at homes , offices , shops and restaurants , require masks be worn in public and keep more than 50 million people from leaving home in Wuhan and neighbouring cities .
To help meet demand , the European Union office in Beijing said member states have shipped 12 tons of protective equipment to China , with more on the way .
Late Monday , China ’ s President Xi Jinping presided over a special meeting of the top Communist Party body for the second time since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched a people ’ s war of prevention of the epidemic.
” Other countries are continuing evacuations and restricting the entry of Chinese or people who have recently travelled in the country .
Germany ’ s Lufthansa became the latest international airline to suspend flights to China , and several countries are barring Chinese travellers or people who passed through China recently .
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways also said they were suspending or cutting back on flights from Japan to several Chinese cities from mid-February to late March .
In Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new 1,000-bed hospital that officials hope will improve isolation to stem the virus ’ s spread .
It was built in just 10 days , its prefabricated wards equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and ventilation systems .
A 1,500-bed hospital also specially built for patients infected with the new virus is due to open within days .
Elsewhere in Wuhan , authorities were converting a gymnasium , exhibition hall and cultural centre into hospitals with a total of 3,400 beds to treat patients with mild symptoms of the virus .
Television footage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rows in large rooms without dividers or any barriers to keep patients isolated .
Authorities hope that will help relieve what is being described as an overwhelmed public health system in Wuhan and surrounding areas .
One man , Fang Bin , said he saw wards so crowded during a visit to the city ’ s No .
5 Hospital on Saturday that some patients were forced to sit on the ground for lack of seating .
“ There are too many patients , it ’ s overcrowded , ” Fang told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken from his home and questioned by police after he posted a video of what he ’ d seen online , a reflection of the communist government ’ s instinctive impulse to control all information about politics and public emergencies .
“ There aren ’ t enough beds at all these hospitals , ” Fang said .
Such scenes have revived memories of the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS that began in China and spread worldwide .
The new virus is believed to be much less virulent , however , with experts putting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 2 per cent .
Most victims were over 60 years and many had pre-existing medical problems .
With no end to the outbreak in sight , authorities in Hubei and elsewhere extended the Lunar New Year holiday break , due to end this week , well into February to try to keep people at home and reduce the spread of the virus .
All Hubei schools are postponing the start of the new semester until further notice , as a many in Beijing , Shanghai and elsewhere .
Chinese scientists said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bats .
In a study published in the journal Nature , Shi Zhen-Li and colleagues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology reported that genome sequences from seven patients were 96 % identical to a bat coronavirus .
On Tuesday , the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a 42-year-old South Korean woman tested positive for the virus , days after she returned from a trip to Thailand with chills and other symptoms .
It is South Korea ’ s 16th case .
Thailand has confirmed 19 cases , mostly Chinese tourists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A passenger on a Japanese-operated cruise ship tested positive after leaving the vessel while it was in Hong Kong , and Japanese officials were conducting medical checks on the more than 3,000 people on board Tuesday .
Associated Press writers Maria Cheng in London , Alice Fung in Hong Kong and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Phone data leads to rescue of kayaker missing in Everglades

NAPLES , Fla. - A kayaker who went missing during a solo trip in the Florida Everglades was found alive after his cellphone washed up on a riverbank and authorities were able to recover data showing where he ’ d been .
A helicopter crew then spotted Mark Miele , 67 , and led a marine unit to his location , the Collier County Sheriff ’ s Office posted on Facebook .
He was being treated Monday afternoon at a Naples hospital .
Miele embarked on a solo kayaking trip in Everglades National Park on Jan. 22 and was due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He never returned , but a bag containing his wallet and phone washed up Sunday on the bank of the Lopez River .
National Park Service rangers found the belongings and asked the sheriff ’ s office to assist in a search .
Deputies downloaded data from Miele ’ s phone Sunday night , officials said .
His most recent location had been recorded Friday , giving the sheriff ’ s aviation unit a place to target its search .
A helicopter crew eventually spotted Miele floating in the water face-up and wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his belongings were found .
Boats soon reached the area and took Miele to safety .
Officials didn ’ t immediately say how or when Miele lost his kayak .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Lebanon’s only English-language daily stops print edition

BEIRUT - Lebanon ’ s only English-language newspaper announced on Tuesday that it was temporarily suspending its print edition because of financial challenges as the country passes through its worst economic crisis in decades .
The Daily Star said its website and social media platforms would continue work as usual “ to offer first-rate news coverage and content from Lebanon , the Middle East and beyond.
” The Daily Star is the latest among several Lebanese newspapers that stopped printing in recent years in a struggle to compete with digital media , a struggle that worsened with Lebanon ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Days earlier , Radio One , a popular music radio station , went off the air after 37 years as a result of the crisis .
The tiny Mediterranean country is in the midst of a crippling economic and financial crisis , the worst since the end of Lebanon ’ s 1975-90 civil war .
The situation has deteriorated further since Oct. 17 , when nationwide protests erupted against the political elite , blamed for decades of corruption and mismanagement .
Some organizations have let go of employees and cut salaries , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Star said in a statement that a drop to virtually no advertising revenues in the last quarter of 2019 and January this year “ compounded the already dire financial situation that has ravaged Lebanese newspapers with the rise of digital media.
” “ The Daily Star apologizes to readers of its print edition and remains hopeful that it can ride out this storm , ” it said , adding that they hope to relaunch the paper version and return to newsstands as soon as possible .
The paper has been struggling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike in December protesting that they have not been paid for months .
Some local TV stations have been struggling as well , giving employees half their salary .
Last year , the daily Al-Mustaqbal , which was owned by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri ’ s family , ceased its print edition and turned into a digital newspaper .
In 2017 , Lebanon ’ s leading daily As-Safir went out of print after 42 years of publication while another daily Al-Anwar closed down a year later .
The Daily Star was founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Arab world .
It stopped printing during Lebanon ’ s 15-year civil war , before relaunching in 1996 .


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--In embarrassing twist, Democrats have no Iowa caucus results

DES MOINES , Iowa - Democratic party officials in Iowa worked furiously Tuesday to deliver the delayed results of their first-in-the-nation caucus , as frustrated presidential candidates claimed momentum and plowed ahead in their quest for the White House .
Technology problems and reporting “ inconsistencies ” kept Iowa Democratic Party officials from releasing results from Monday ’ s caucus , the much-hyped kickoff to the 2020 primary .
It was an embarrassing twist after months of promoting the contest as a chance for Democrats to find some clarity in a jumbled field with no clear front-runner .
Instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no official results and many fresh questions about whether Iowa can retain its coveted “ first ” status .
State party officials said final results would be released later Tuesday and offered assurances that the problem was not a result of “ a hack or an intrusion.
“ Officials were conducting quality checks and verifying results , prioritizing the integrity of the results , the party said in a statement .
The statement came after tens of thousands of voters spent hours Monday night sorting through a field of nearly a dozen candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year fighting to win the opening contest of the 2020 campaign and , ultimately , the opportunity to take on President Donald Trump this fall .
The candidates didn ’ t wait for the party to resolve its issues before claiming , if not victory , progress and moving on to next-up New Hampshire .
“ It looks like it ’ s going to be a long night , but we ’ re feeling good , “ former Vice-President Joe Biden said , suggesting the final results would “ be close.
” Vermont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good feeling we ’ re going to be doing very , very well here in Iowa ” once results were posted .
“ Today marks the beginning of the end for Donald Trump , “ he predicted .
“ Listen , it ’ s too close to call , ” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said .
“ The road won ’ t be easy .
But we are built for the long haul.
” And Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , was most certain .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results , but we know by the time it ’ s all said and done , Iowa , you have shocked the nation , ” he said .
“ By all indications , we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.
” Democrats faced the possibility that whatever numbers they ultimately released would be questioned .
And beyond 2020 , critics began wondering aloud whether the Iowa caucuses , a complicated set of political meetings staged in a state that is whiter and older than the Democratic Party , are a tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has tried to accommodate critics , this year by promising to report three different data points about voters ’ preferences , presumably improving transparency .
But the new system created new headaches .
State party spokeswoman Mandy McClure said it had “ found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results , “ forcing officials to try to verify results with “ underlying data ” and the paper trail .
Some of the trouble stemmed from issues with a new mobile app developed to report results to the party .
Caucus organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glitches .
Des Moines County Democratic Chair Tom Courtney said the new app created “ a mess.
” As a result , Courtney said precinct leaders were phoning in results to the state party headquarters , which was too busy to answer their calls in some cases .
Organizers were still looking for missing results several hours after voting concluded .
Shortly before 2 a.m. , the state party was making plans to dispatch people to the homes of precinct captains who hadn ’ t reported their numbers .
That ’ s according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room who was not authorized to share internal discussions publicly .
Earlier in the night , Iowa Democrats across the state cast their votes , balancing a strong preference for fundamental change with an overwhelming desire to defeat Trump .
At least four high-profile candidates vied for the lead in a contest that offered the opening test of who and what the party stands for in the turbulent age of Trump .
It ’ s just the first in a primary season that will span all 50 states and several U.S. territories , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention in mid-July .
For Democrats , the moment was thick with promise for a party that has seized major gains in states since Trump won the White House in 2016 .
But instead of clear optimism , a growing cloud of uncertainty and intraparty resentment hung over the election as the prospect of an unclear result raised fears of a long and divisive primary fight in the months ahead .
One unsurprising development : Trump won the Republican caucus , a largely symbolic victory given that he faced no significant opposition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Democrats ’ problems .
“ Democrats are stewing in a caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history , “ Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said .
“ It would be natural for people to doubt the fairness of the process .
And these are the people who want to run our entire health care system ?
” Pre-caucus polls suggested Sanders entered the night with a narrow lead , but any of the top four candidates — Sanders , Biden , Warren and Buttigieg — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Amy Klobuchar , who represents neighbouring Minnesota , was also claiming momentum , while outsider candidates including entrepreneur Andrew Yang , billionaire activist Tom Steyer and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard could be factors .
“ We know one thing : We are punching above our weight , ” Klobuchar said late Monday , promising to keep fighting in New Hampshire .
About one-quarter of all voters reported that they were caucusing for the first time , according to AP VoteCast , a survey of voters who said they planned to take part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The first-timers were slightly more likely to support Sanders , Warren or Buttigieg , compared with other candidates .
At the same time , VoteCast found that roughly two-thirds of caucusgoers said supporting a candidate who would fundamentally change how the system in Washington works was important to their vote .
That compared to about a third of caucusgoers who said it was more important to support a candidate who would restore the political system to how it was before Trump ’ s election in 2016 .
Not surprisingly , nearly every Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an important quality for a presidential nominee .
VoteCast found that measure outranked others as the most important quality for a nominee .
The 2020 fight has already played out over myriad distractions , particularly congressional Democrats ’ push to impeach Trump , which has often overshadowed the primary and effectively pinned several leading candidates to Washington at the pinnacle of the early campaign season .
Meanwhile , ultrabillionaire Mike Bloomberg , the former mayor of New York City , is running a parallel campaign that ignored Iowa as he prepares to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field come March .
The amalgam of oddities was building toward what could be a murky Iowa finale before the race pivoted quickly to New Hampshire , which votes Feb. 11 .
For the first time , the Iowa Democratic Party planned to report three sets of results : a tally of caucusgoers ’ initial candidate preference ; vote totals from the “ final alignment ” after supporters of lower-ranking candidates were able to make a second choice ; and the total number of State Delegate Equivalents each candidate receives .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same winner when they ’ re ultimately released .
The Associated Press will declare a winner based on the number of state delegates each candidate wins , which has been the traditional standard .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

Steve Peoples, Thomas Beaumont And Alexandra Jaffe - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--The Latest: Singapore reports 6 more virus cases

BEIJING - The Latest on the outbreak of a new virus from China ( all times local ) : Hong Kong has reported two new local cases of the virus , bringing its total infection to 17 .
Chuang Shuk-kwan , who heads the communicable disease branch at the Center for Health Protection , says the two have no travel history to mainland China and are believed to have contracted the virus locally .
This brings locally transmitted cases in the city to four , with no clear source of infection .
Chuang says it “ indicates significant risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ large-scale ” outbreak .
One of the new cases is a 64-year-old woman who works in a boutique while the other is a 60-year-old retired man .
She says the man had seen four private doctors before he was hospitalized and tested positive for the virus .
Doctors initially didn ’ t think he had the virus as his symptoms were mild and similar to seasonal influenza , she said .
Hong Kong ’ s leader , Carrie Lam , shut on Monday all but two land and sea border crossings with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to stem the spread of the virus .
Authorities in Indonesia ’ s tourist island of Bali have rejected East Timor ’ s request to quarantine its 17 citizens due to be evacuated from Wuhan following the deadly virus outbreak in China .
Ketut Suarjaya , who heads Bali ’ s Health Provincial Office , says an official response was sent to East Timor ’ s government on Tuesday through the Indonesian embassy in Dili .
Bali Vice Gov .
Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati told reporters earlier that East Timor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s assistance in quarantining its 17 nationals , all students , in Bali for up to three weeks when they land on the resort island .
Sukawati says that “ tourism stockholders in Bali did not agree because we would maintain Bali as a safe place for tourism.
” Indonesia ’ s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Sunday that the government would temporarily suspend all flights to and from the Chinese mainland as of Wednesday .
She also said the country has officially suspended the visa-free and on-arrival visa policy for all Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The ban also applies to foreign nationals who have travelled to China in the past 14 days .
The government decision to quarantine Indonesian nationals evacuated from Wuhan on a remote Natuna island has sparked anger among residents .
Hundreds of people burned tires during weekend protests near the naval base where some 238 evacuees were brought Sunday and are being isolated for 14 days .
Japan Airlines says it is cancelling some flights to and from China and reducing seats on other flights because of a virus outbreak that has led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and growing global travel restrictions .
JAL says in a statement that flights to China will be reduced from 98 to 43 flights per week between Feb. 17 and March 28 , and some flights prior to Feb. 16 may also be affected .
The flights connect Tokyo with Beijing and Shanghai , as well as other cities such as Guangzhou , Dalian and Tianjin .
Separately , All Nippon Airways said Tuesday that it will temporarily decrease or suspend flights to and from Chinese cities .
ANA says that the seven roundtrip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be cancelled from Feb. 10 through March 29 The 14 weekly round-trip flights connecting Haneda and Beijing will be reduced to seven a week over the same period .
Cambodia ’ s leader said Wednesday he will visit Wuhan , the Chinese city at the centre of a new virus outbreak , to meet with students from his country studying there .
Prime Minister Hun Sen said on his Facebook page that he would fly Wednesday to Wuhan from South Korea ’ s capital , Seoul .
He initially said Chinese authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ updated his posting to say he was awaiting permission .
There are no commercial flights currently operating from Seoul to Wuhan , and Hun Sen didn ’ t explain how he would get there .
He is in Seoul for a conference organized by a private group .
Hun Sen said he plans to give moral support to the students in Wuhan and tell them not to fear the virus .
A number of other countries have evacuated their citizens from the city .
He told Cambodians in a television broadcast last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he would not ban flights from China .
The virus has sickened more than 20,600 people worldwide , most of them in China .
More than 420 have died .
Belgium has reported its first case of a new virus in a person who was repatriated from the Chinese epicenter of the outbreak .
The health ministry said Tuesday the person was in good health and does not show any symptoms of the disease .
The individual was among nine Belgians repatriated from Wuhan , China , over the weekend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ special hospital for further care while the other returnees remain under observation .
More than 180 cases of the new type of coronavirus have been confirmed beyond mainland China , which has more than 20,000 cases .
The Singapore Airshow will proceed next week despite the withdrawal of South Korea ’ s air force team and 16 exhibitors because of a new virus .
Experia Events said Tuesday an aviation conference that is part of the airshow will be cancelled as the would-be participants instead focus on handling the outbreak .
Experia said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from other countries couldn ’ t participate in the Feb. 11-16 event due to Singapore ’ s ban on all Chinese visitors and company bans on employee travel .
Experia said temperature screenings and other measures will be used at the exhibition centre and a medical team will be on standby .
The new type of coronavirus has infected more than 20,000 people , mostly in China .
Several Asian countries have reported cases , including Singapore , which has 18 .
More than 100 Malaysians have been quarantined after being evacuated from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a viral outbreak .
An AirAsia plane carrying 107 Malaysians and their non-Malaysians spouses and children from Wuhan landed at the Kuala Lumpur airport early Tuesday .
They immediately underwent medical screenings , and the National Disaster Management Agency said two people who didn ’ t pass the screenings were immediately taken to the hospital .
Its statement said the others were sent to a surveillance centre in southern Negeri Sembilan state to be quarantined for 14 days .
Malaysia has recorded eight cases of the new type of coronavirus , all involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macao is asking the city ’ s casinos shut for two seeks after a worker at one of them tested positive for the new virus sweeping China .
Ho Iat Seng made the request on Tuesday as the total number of cases in mainland China surged past 20,000 .
Macao ’ s more than two dozen casinos account for about half of the local economy and are hugely popular with Chinese visitors , generating more than four times the revenue of those in Las Vegas .
Macao has so far recorded 10 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would meet with heads of the casinos to discuss details .
Public transport and other services were also being cut back to the minimum needed to deal with emergencies , Ho said .
He urged residents to stay home and leave only to buy necessities such as food .
With more than 20,000 cases reported , China has begun moving patients suffering from a new virus into rapidly built or adapted facilities , although the degree of medical isolation among them appears to vary widely .
The first 50 patients were moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structure on the outskirts of the city of Wuhan , the epicenter of the outbreak .
Earlier footage appeared to show the 1,000-bed facility equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment , including negative-pressure isolation wards to prevent the virus from breaking the air seal .
A second hospital , Leishenshan , is due to be ready soon and will add another 1,600 beds .
Elsewhere in Wuhan , authorities are converting a gymnasium , exhibition hall and cultural centre into hospitals with a total of 3,400 beds to treat patients with mild symptoms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities showed beds placed in tight rows in large rooms without dividers between them .
Japanese health officials are conducting extensive medical checks on all 3,700 passengers and crew of a cruise ship that returned to the country after one passenger tested positive for the new coronavirus .
Japanese officials say a number of people on board are ill , though no one else has yet tested positive for the fast-spreading virus that emerged in China last December .
The U.S.-operated Diamond Princess returned to a port in Yokohama , near Tokyo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during which it stopped at Hong Kong and several other Asian ports before returning to Japan .
Japanese government and tour company officials say they were notified by Hong Kong that an 80-year-old male passenger who got off the boat on the island tested positive for the virus .
The ship ’ s captain said Monday night that Hong Kong ’ s health authorities notified the ship about the passenger ’ s infection on Saturday , according to a recording of the announcement tweeted by a passenger .
According to the announcement , @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Beer maker Carlsberg sees 2019 profits rise on strong sales

COPENHAGEN - Danish brewer Carlsberg says its 2019 net profit rose nearly 24 % to 6.6 billion kroner ( $ 977 million ) on strong beer sales in major markets , but noted it had lost market share in Russian due to tough competition .
The company said Tuesday its revenue increased 5.4 % to 65.9 billion kroner ( $ 9.76 billion ) .
The brewer said it “ delivered well ” despite “ experiencing a continued difficult competitive environment in Russia.
” The Russian market saw low-single-digit growth and Carlsberg said it had lost market share , adding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ At the same time , we are facing a more volatile business environment including the current coronavirus outbreak in China , of which the full impact is not yet known , ” the group said , adding its Chinese business continued to deliver strong performance .
CEO Cees ‘ t Hart said he was “ pleased with our results in 2019 ” and said its operating profit outlook for 2020 was “ mid-single-digit percentage organic growth.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Holocaust survivor seeks teens to bear witness for future

DRANCY , France - The girls and boys in the room were just a little older than Victor Perahia was when he was finally freed in 1945 , his body wracked with tuberculosis and typhus , his mind anguished by the suffering and death he had seen .
After 40 years of self-imposed silence , he now returns time and again to bear witness at Drancy , the transit centre from where the French government deported tens of thousands of Jews into the hands of Nazis .
“ From the day of my arrest to the day of my liberation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Perahia said .
He sat with his back to the window overlooking the Drancy housing project , where he spent 21 months .
It was the last place in France his father and grandfather saw before they were loaded into a train bound for the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp .
The students from a middle school in nearby Livry Gargan held their breaths , their eyes fixed on Perahia ’ s lined face .
Perahia spoke to the students last week amid a series of events to mark the 75th anniversary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years , including one released this year , show young people in France and elsewhere in Europe increasingly question the scale of the Holocaust , although outright denial is rare .
Perahia told the students he was 9 when six German soldiers stomped upstairs to the family apartment in the coastal town of Saint-Nazaire .
They kept him hostage while his mother ran to fetch his father , who demanded to know what was happening .
“ We are here for a simple identity check .
You will follow us , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in 48 hours , you will be home again , ” the officer told his father .
The lie was revealed two days later .
They were in a detention camp near the city of Tours when still more German officers separated men from women and children , Perahia told the teens , his voice steady .
The room fell utterly silent as he spoke .
“ My father looked me deep in the eyes , as if he felt that it was going to be a difficult moment to live through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be the last time that we would see each other.
” Perahia paused briefly .
“ I ’ ll tell you right away , that was the last time I saw my father… Because he was deported in convoy Number 8.
” Convoy Number 8 , like nearly all the convoys from Drancy , was bound for Auschwitz .
The students from Livry Gargan — a town about 7 kilometres ( 4 miles ) away — by then already had learned from their history teacher , Valérie Maloberti , that the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drancy perished at the Nazi death camp .
But here before them was a man for whom this was not history but bitter memory .
He told them about the children he had known , the teens who took care of babies whose parents were deported , before they themselves were gathered up and told they would join their families .
He described what they experienced , nearly minute by minute , after they arrived on the platform at Auschwitz , where German soldiers greeted them with dogs and shouts , where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shower and instead walked into a gas chamber .
And where every last one of them died .
“ I who knew them , I who loved these children , I always talk about them with a lot of emotion , and I talk about them freely because it feels like when I talk about them again , it brings them back to life a little , ” he said .
By now , Malaberti ’ s students were wiping tears from red eyes , thinking of their parents , their siblings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the French national railway like the one they could see through the window .
Perahia and his mother barely survived the Bergen Belsen labour camp and were liberated by Russian soldiers on their way to Berlin .
“ When we returned home , we thought we would reconnect with the past , rediscover an identity deeply altered by three years in the camps .
But no one was waiting for us .
We were confronted with an incredulous society , incapable of understanding us , ” he said .
“ So for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personally could not speak for 40 years , not even to my family , not even to my children , who had questions that I could not answer.
” he said .
Finally , he decided that he owed it to his family and to the future to speak .
In the French equivalent of ninth grade , classes spend about eight hours on World War II , which includes around two hours devoted to the Holocaust , Maloberti said .
But visiting Drancy is different .
“ It seems unreal to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s true , it really existed , ” she said .
“ The numbers are there .
The buildings , the documents are there .
I have never had a student who denied the information once we gave it.
” But what Perahia was after was something more powerful than just teaching the truth .
An atheist , he has visited Auschwitz repeatedly to intone the Jewish prayer for the dead for his father and grandfather who died there .
And for the children listening to him on this day , organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jewish umbrella organization CRIF , it seemed he had succeeded in leaving something behind .
“ Victor Perahia will leave a mark .
That ’ s the thing that will leave a mark , what I will tell my family , my children , if I have any .
This will surely stay with me the rest of my life , ” said Iness Boubaajat-Lebreton .
By now , the light was fading but Perahia said he would join the class outside .
More than two dozen teens surrounded him , slowing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the buildings where he had spent almost two years of his life , before being deported to Bergen Belsen .
The transit camp buildings were converted into apartments almost immediately after the war for people whose homes had been bombed .
This troubled some of the students , but not Perahia .
“ After all you have survived , all you have gone through , are you happy ?
” came one of the final questions of the day .
“ I am happy , ” Perahia said .
“ But it is @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Belarus leader boasts about US ties to bargain with Moscow

MINSK , Belarus - The leader of Belarus boasted Tuesday about warming ties with the United States as his officials discussed alternative energy imports as part of efforts to win concessions from Russia .
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has prodded his main ally and sponsor , Russia , to continue providing low-priced oil and gas to shore up his nation ’ s Soviet-style economy .
But the Kremlin has cut energy subsidies , arguing that Belarus should accept closer economic and political integration to keep getting cheap oil and gas .
Lukashenko said he expects to meet with Russian President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of talks .
Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the meeting was planned .
The two leaders met twice in December but failed to resolve their differences , resulting in Russia cutting oil supplies to Belarus at the start of the year .
The transit shipments of Russian crude to Europe via Belarus have continued unimpeded , but the Belarusian oil refineries have been reduced to a minimum capacity .
In the past , Belarus has cashed in on exports of petroleum products made from cheap Russian oil .
Lukashenko is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month Belarus purchased a shipment of crude from Norway .
On Tuesday , Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius visited Minsk to talk about possible future oil supplies .
The Belarusian president , meanwhile , hailed his weekend meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , as a sign of warmer ties with Washington .
“ Russia has grown worried , ” Lukashenko said while visiting a factory .
“ Belarus determines its own foreign policy as a sovereign and independent nation.
” Pompeo , the first Secretary of State to visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. could provide Belarus with 100 % of its oil and gas and noted that it wants to help Belarus uphold its sovereignty .
Lukashenko has run the ex-Soviet nation with an iron hand for more than a quarter century , showing little tolerance to dissent and extending his rule through votes the West has criticized as flawed .
He has increasingly reached out to the West in recent years amid tensions with Russia , and the U.S. and the European Union have lifted some of their sanctions as Belarus freed political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kremlin pressure , charging that some Russian officials want to push Belarus into surrendering its sovereignty .
Russia and Belarus signed a union agreement in 1997 that envisaged close political , economic and military ties , but stopped short of forming a single nation .
Many in Belarus fear that Putin , who has been in power for two decades , could be seeking a merger with Belarus as a way to stay at the helm of the new union state after his current Russian presidential term expires in 2024 .
Vladimir Isachenkov @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--All aboard: Amsterdam-London nonstop train service to start

THE HAGUE , Netherlands - A nonstop train from Amsterdam to London will begin services at the end of April , the Dutch government announced Tuesday .
Roger van Boxtel , president-director of Dutch rail company NS , said the new service will improve transport ties between the Netherlands and Britain despite the U.K. ’ s departure from the European Union last week .
“ Brexit or not , from April 30 London is getting closer , ” he said in a statement .
Passengers can already travel nonstop from London to Amsterdam , but people going in the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through passport formalities in Brussels .
A new agreement between the Netherlands , Belgium , France and the United Kingdom means that passengers will now go through passport checks in Amsterdam before boarding the train .
“ The direct connection makes the train journey to London easier and in particular quicker , ” said Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Cora van Nieuwenhuizen .
She said that cutting the travel time by about an hour means that “ the train will really become a viable alternative to the airplane.
” The train will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amsterdam Central Station to St. Pancras in London , via the tunnel under the English Channel .
A direct service from the port city of Rotterdam to London will begin May 18 .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Trump faces accusers: What to watch during his big speech

On the brink of his Senate acquittal , President Donald Trump will be unleashing “ relentless optimism ” during his third State of the Union address , a speech designed to pivot from his impeachment to his drive for reelection .
Trump is speaking from a position of strength , with nearly complete control of the Republican Party .
The theme of his speech : “ The Great American Comeback.
” It ’ ll be a different experience for Democrats , nearly all of whom voted for Trump ’ s impeachment in the House .
Where Trump will point to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Democrats and their difficult nomination will be on display after a long night of uncertainty in Iowa ’ s kickoff caucuses .
The contrast with Trump ’ s State of the Union address last year will be stark .
Then , Democrats were triumphant just a few days after taking control of the House .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi had forced Trump to reopen the government .
Her smirking clap , eye-to-eye with him , mocked the president of the United States in front of the world .
What to watch during Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday : They haven ’ t spoken since Pelosi stood up , pointed at Trump across a table at the White House and bluntly suggested he is controlled by the president of Russia .
“ All roads lead to Putin , ” she said , before stalking out .
The extraordinary moment last October was captured in a now-famous photograph that Trump released and Pelosi slapped across the top of her Twitter page .
At other times , she ’ s questioned his “ manhood ” and he ’ s called her “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pelosi last week said Trump will never have a true acquittal because the Senate did not hold a real trial with witnesses .
But , she ’ s said with relish , “ He ’ ll be impeached forever.
” Trump , meanwhile , is poised to claim vindication in yet another “ witch hunt ” by Democrats who , he says , just wanted to overturn the 2016 election .
Watch them for any spark of civility .
Pelosi and many Democratic women are expected to wear suffragette white to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week to look for “ can-do optimism in the face of unjustified pessimism we are hearing from some in Congress.
“ But officials would not guarantee that Trump will stick to his speech .
The president will be in the same room as his accusers at a moment of impending victory .
He has a strong and often-stated sense of grievance and is known for going off-script .
Look for roaring applause and cheers from Republicans , who have almost completely stuck with the retribution-loving president .
Trump is sure to use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what he ’ s accomplished .
The White House would not say whether it is modeling Trump ’ s speech on President Bill Clinton ’ s in 1999 , amid his own impeachment trial .
Clinton never mentioned the I-word .
Look for Trump , like Clinton , to promote a strong economy .
Trump is expected to lead with talk about what the White House calls a “ blue-collar boom.
” There have been gains in blue-collar wages under Trump , though some of those gains have faded as Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see if Trump can stick to the high road rhetorically , in his own style .
Clinton ended his by asking the nation to envision a State of the Union speech 100 years from that night , from the “ mountaintop of the American Century.
” “ Let it be said of us then that we were thinking not only of our time , but of their time ; that we reached as high as our ideals .
That we put aside our divisions and found a new hour of healing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve and strengthen the land we love.
“ At the time , some said his rhetoric was over the top .
Will Trump even mention Ukraine ?
Republicans have started to come out and agree that the president had “ inappropriately ” tried to get political help from that country while he held up military aid .
The House impeached him for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for his actions in response to the House investigation .
The issue clearly puts Republicans in a bind .
Several have said that House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , the wrongdoing didn ’ t rise to the level of impeachment or removal from office .
Will he make any mention of the new coronavirus ?
“ We ’ ve offered China help , but we can ’ t have thousands of people coming in who may have this problem , the coronavirus , “ Trump said Sunday .
At the same time , the president has tried to avoid angering China by being too outspoken , according to confidants .
Under new rules , U.S. citizens who have travelled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be re-routed to one of eight designated airports , where they will undergo enhanced health screening procedures .
Trump is focused on re-introducing himself to Americans as a president who has made the country — and voters ’ lives specifically — better .
So listen for any mention of foreign policy and national security issues .
Trump ’ s Mideast peace plan is a good test .
Trump said that his efforts to solve the long-running conflict between Israel and the Palestinians would gain support because it ’ s a “ win-win ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s plan favours Israel on key contentious issues and attaches nearly impossible conditions for granting the Palestinians their hoped-for state .
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the plan as “ nonsense.
” If Trump says nothing about the plan during the speech , that could signal that Trump knows it ’ s in trouble .
Listen for how harsh Trump is on Tehran in the wake of Iran ’ s bombing that injured U.S. soldiers in Iraq .
The attack was retribution for the U.S. killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uneasy quiet has settled over the region .
Will Trump suggest he ’ ll eventually want to sit down and talk with the Iranians , signal the door is closed for talks , or poke Tehran ?
The White House said to expect Trump ’ s tone to be “ determined ” and “ forceful.
” The Taliban want U.S. and other coalition forces to leave .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says a deal is close , but it won ’ t happen without a reduction in violence and a pathway for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a peaceful way forward for the nation .
There ’ s always some suspense over who shows up and who stays away .
Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren ’ s campaign said late Monday it was unlikely that the Massachusetts senator will attend Trump ’ s speech , coming the day after the Iowa caucuses .
Another Democratic contender , Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , has an event in New Hampshire scheduled earlier Tuesday evening .
Other legislators have their own reasons for attending — or not .
“ That means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not acknowledge .
I ’ m just there as a witness , ” she said .
Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--German nurse in morphine babies case freed after test mix-up

BERLIN - A nurse at a German hospital who was arrested on suspicion of administering morphine to five young babies has been released after new tests showed that investigators ’ initial findings were wrong , prosecutors said Tuesday .
The five babies at the University Hospital in the southwestern city of Ulm all suffered serious breathing problems early on Dec. 20 .
Hospital staff intervened quickly and officials say the children , who were between one day and one month old , aren ’ t expected to suffer permanent health damage .
The hospital subsequently found traces of morphine in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
Investigators concluded the powerful painkiller must have been given to them during a night shift Dec. 20 and questioned medical staff who were on duty .
All denied involvement .
They found a syringe containing what appeared to be breast milk in a locker at the ward belonging to one of the nurses .
An initial test concluded that the liquid contained morphine , and the nurse was detained Wednesday .
Prosecutor Christof Lehr said Tuesday that both a new sample from the mother whose milk was in the syringe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been mixed tested positive for morphine .
Regional authorities then asked investigators in the neighbouring state of Bavaria to conduct new tests on the samples ; in those tests , the milk showed no trace of morphine but the solvent tested positive .
The nurse was released on Sunday evening after a test on a morphine bottle in the ward also found no traces of her DNA , Lehr said .
He called her on Monday and expressed his “ regret ” that she spent four days in custody .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-04--Bloodied but determined, Lebanese protesters take stock

BEIRUT - At a Beirut hospital ward , five Lebanese protesters with bandaged eyes and faces huddled in a circle , their arms wrapped around each other , and they vowed to be back on the streets soon , despite their wounds from recent clashes with police .
“ We are coming back , ” said one of them , 20-year-old Charbel Francis .
Such resolve by some protesters signals that demands for sweeping government reforms won ’ t be squashed easily , even as security forces throw up cement barriers and resort to more violent means of crowd control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recent descent into clashes after three months of peaceful protests has also triggered introspection and divisions among the demonstrators about their next moves .
More than 500 people , including over 100 security forces , have been injured in confrontations outside the parliament building in downtown Beirut last month .
Most of the injuries occurred on Jan. 18 .
For hours , protesters hurled stones , firecrackers and flares at police who responded by firing tear gas , water cannons and shooting rubber bullets .
More than 150 people were injured that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head and eyes .
It was a shocking reversal for a popular uprising against a corrupt political class that started in mid-October and had been characterized by its striking peacefulness — particularly compared to the bloodbath in Iraq , where a similar uprising has resulted in the death of more than 500 protesters since October , most of them shot dead by security forces .
The violence in Lebanon has ebbed since then , particularly since a new government was formed on Jan. 21 and protesters take stock .
Although they reject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it should be given a chance to enact urgent reforms to avoid complete collapse amid a crippling economic and financial crisis .
Others have been discouraged and disgusted by the rioting and the violence .
As banks increase capital controls and the economic situation worsens , most agree it ’ s only a matter of time before the protests ignite again .
For wounded protesters , their injuries have only increased their resolve .
Francis considers himself lucky .
A tear gas canister hit him above his left eye at a protest last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ One of the security forces looked me straight in the eye .
He was 3 metres away , he pointed at my head and fired , ” he said .
Lina Labake , his mother , was at the emergency room with him Wednesday for an appointment to remove his stitches .
“ May God forgive them .
Would they allow this to happen to their kids ?
” she said , holding back tears .
Not everyone was as lucky .
With him in the same ward were four other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bandaged over , waiting for word if they would keep their sight .
One of them , 17-year-old Abdurrahman Abdul-Jabbar came to Beirut from his hometown in the Bekaa Valley with a couple of friends on Jan. 18 unbeknownst to his parents .
He was shot in the right eye by a rubber bullet .
Doctors gave him only a 10 % chance of keeping vision in the eye .
Even if he loses his sight , he hoped doctors don ’ t remove the eye — “ I hope it stays as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said it ’ s worth losing his eye “ for the nation ” and was keen to return to the streets .
The crumbling economy has hit him hard : he dropped out of school because his family couldn ’ t afford tuition , and the struggling restaurant where he worked fired him .
“ I ’ m trying to change something .
I am asking to live with dignity , “ he said .
Francis and his mother debated over whether he ’ d go back to protests , but she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wry grin and nodded , “ He will return.
” He patted her back and said , “ It was a really tough scene for her , something no mother should witness .
But she knows we have no other choice .
We want electricity , clean water , to marry and live normal lives — is this too much to ask ?
” Under a tent in the rain at the epicenter of the protests in downtown Beirut , Abboud sat in a plastic chair , a New York Yankees cap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sling .
The 22-year-old used to manage a snack shop in the northern Akkar district , but his salary plunged from $ 1,200 a month to $ 500 .
Despairing , he quit and came to Beirut to join the protests on Oct. 17 .
As arrests and assaults by police grew in December , he became convinced the only way to be heard was through force .
On Jan. 18 , he confronted police at a roadblock on a major highway linking Beirut with the south .
At the front lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the leg by rubber bullets .
Falling to the ground , he noticed a bomb rolling in his direction .
“ I thought it was a tear gas bomb so I grabbed it to try and throw it back , but it was a sound bomb .
It exploded in my hands and my finger flew off , ” he said .
“ I didn ’ t feel anything but just grabbed my fallen thumb and held onto it.
” He spoke on condition he be identified by first name only because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just 10 minutes before he was hit , his girlfriend had sent him a WhatsApp message with a sad face emoji , writing , “ Please take care of yourself .
You don ’ t have to be there.
” He disagrees , insisting that sacrifices need to be made for revolutions to succeed .
At the nearby “ restaurant of the revolution ” tent , Bilal Allaw apologized as he turned back a tray of macaroni that was served to him .
“ The painkillers I ’ m taking fill me up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
A nose splint and a black eye marked his face .
Since the uprising broke out , Allaw has become a familiar face , known for his unmitigated temerity in confronting politicians and police .
On Oct. 17 , he was one of the protesters who punched and kicked the car of the education minister as he passed through downtown Beirut .
The 25-year-old left his job as a chef in the coastal city of Byblos to join the movement .
Now he sleeps in a tent downtown .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past month .
“ The first time , an officer slammed his helmet on my head .
Three days later , they shot me with a rubber bullet in my leg .
Then , I was hit with a rock , ” he said .
Just over a week ago , anti-riot police threw a rock at his face , breaking three bones in his nose and cheek .
He said he initially believed the protest movement needed to remain peaceful , but now believes violence is the only way the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolution not a carnival .
They need to face the consequences .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--WADA asks sports court to open Russia case to public hearing

GENEVA - The World Anti-Doping Agency wants a rare public hearing for sport ’ s highest court to judge a four-year slate of punishments faced by Russia for persistent cheating .
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is preparing a hearing expected within weeks for the blockbuster case in Switzerland .
“ It is WADA ’ s view — and that of many of our stakeholders — that this dispute at CAS should be held in a public forum to ensure that everybody understands the process and hears the arguments , ” the Montreal-based agency ’ s director general , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Urged on by President Vladimir Putin , Russia ’ s anti-doping agency , known as RUSADA , is formally challenging a WADA ruling in December to declare it non-compliant after key data from the Moscow testing laboratory was corrupted .
The CAS panel of three judges will have power to enforce WADA-recommended sanctions including a ban on Russia ’ s team name , flag and anthem at Olympic Games and world championships .
WADA also wants Russian athletes to compete as neutrals at the Olympics and major events only if they pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drug testing and possible involvement in lab coverups of positive tests .
CAS hearings can be opened to media and public observers in some cases when both parties consent .
The court held its first public hearing for 20 years in November when WADA appealed a ruling by swimming ’ s world body not to ban China ’ s three-time Olympic gold medallist Sun Yang for alleged doping rule violations .
Evidence was heard over almost 10 hours in a lakeside hotel ballroom at Montreux , Switzerland , with media attending and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s website .
A verdict is expected this month .
However , it is unclear if the WADA vs. Russia case fits the limited scope of CAS cases which can be heard in public .
The Sun Yang case is a more traditional appeal in a disciplinary case involving a single athlete .
The latest Russian case is an arbitration dispute between two institutions .
The years-long saga of Russian state-backed doping was intended to make a big step toward being resolved when Russia handed over the Moscow lab ’ s doping data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central demand in exchange for WADA sanctions against RUSADA being lifted in September 2018 .
However , WADA investigators found evidence Russia edited the data in the weeks before the handover to remove signs of failed drug tests , and detailed an apparent attempt to smear former lab director Grigory Rodchenkov .
He has become a key witness for WADA since leaving Russia to enter a United States witness protection program .
Russia has produced its own report arguing that any editing was the result of illicit changes made from abroad , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A verdict in the CAS process is due in May , about two months before the Tokyo Olympics begin .


thetorontostar--2020-02-04--South African court issues arrest warrant for ex-leader Zuma

JOHANNESBURG - A judge in South Africa issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for former president Jacob Zuma for failing to appear in court on a corruption case that he has sought to avoid for months — now by asserting that he is ill .
The National Prosecuting Authority requested the warrant , the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported .
The warrant does not come into effect until the case resumes on May 6 .
Reports have said Zuma is in Cuba seeking treatment .
The NPA requested Zuma ’ s medical records as evidence of his claim , the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Pietermaritzburg High Court that Zuma ’ s team has said he will be out of the country for treatment until mid-March , local media reported .
Zuma ’ s legal team asserted that the former president had two operations in early January before going abroad .
But the judge questioned a letter from a military hospital in the capital , Pretoria , explaining Zuma ’ s absence , noting it had no date .
Zuma , whose past court appearances were marked by defiant speeches and singing and dancing for crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ background as his legal challenges to the corruption charges have faltered .
A court late last year dismissed Zuma ’ s attempt to appeal a ruling that cleared the way for him to be prosecuted .
He is accused of receiving bribes from French arms manufacturer Thales through his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik , who was convicted of fraud and corruption in 2005 .
Zuma denies charges of corruption , money laundering and racketeering related to the controversial 1999 arms deal when he was deputy president .
He has alleged his case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matter to trial .
He also has alleged political interference .
The charges were thrown out by prosecutors nearly a decade ago in a contentious decision that opened the way for Zuma to become president .
Prosecutors returned to the case after his rocky presidency .
Zuma , who took office in 2009 , resigned in 2018 under pressure from the ruling African National Congress after widespread public outcry over separate allegations of mismanagement and corruption that severely affected state-owned companies .
The corruption is estimated to have cost South Africa billions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy , the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa , have continued to struggle to recover under Zuma ’ s successor , President Cyril Ramaphosa , who has apologized for the past mismanagement and vowed reforms that some critics have said are long in coming .
The scandals sparked outrage and have badly hurt the reputation of the ANC , which has ruled South Africa since the end of the harsh system of white minority rule known as apartheid in 1994 .