thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Texas resumes executions after 5-month delay due to pandemic

HUNTSVILLE , Texas - A Texas inmate received lethal injection Wednesday evening for fatally shooting an 82-year-old man nearly three decades ago , ending a five-month delay of executions in the nation ’ s busiest death penalty state because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Billy Joe Wardlow was put to death at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the June 1993 killing of Carl Cole at his home in Cason , about 130 miles ( 209 kilometres ) east of Dallas in the East Texas piney woods , near the Louisiana and Arkansas borders .
The U.S. Supreme Court declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ execution .
Wardlow was the first inmate in Texas to receive a lethal injection since Feb. 6 and the second in the U.S. since the nation began reopening following pandemic-related shutdowns .
Strapped to the death chamber gurney , Wardlow declined to make a final statement when asked by the warden .
He did nod and smile broadly , mouthing words to several friends who watched through a window from an adjacent witness room .
As the lethal dose of the powerful sedative pentobarbital was administered , he took three deep breaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shallow breaths before all movement stopped .
He was pronounced dead 24 minutes later , at 6:52 p.m. CDT .
A judge had moved Wardlow ’ s execution date from April 29 to Wednesday after Morris County District Attorney Steve Cowan requested the change citing the statewide disaster declaration due to the virus .
In Texas , the number of confirmed COVID-19 virus cases and hospitalizations have risen in recent weeks .
But state prison officials say safety measures they ’ ve put in place will help executions to go forward .
Execution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gloves .
All prison officers and officials wore masks .
Wardlow did not have one .
Six executions scheduled in Texas for earlier this year were postponed by the courts because of the outbreak .
Two others were delayed over different issues .
Wardlow was 18 at the time of the slaying , and his attorneys have argued that one of the issues Texas jurors have to determine before imposing a death sentence — whether a defendant will be a future danger — can ’ t be reliably made for people younger than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brains are still developing .
Wardlow ’ s attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his execution , saying he committed a “ poorly-thought-out and naively-motivated robbery ” to steal a truck so he could run away with his girlfriend .
“ The science really supports precluding the death penalty for anyone under 21 because brain development is still happening , ” said Richard Burr , one of Wardlow ’ s attorneys .
Prosecutors argued there was no constitutional error when the jury considered the issue of future dangerousness and society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the point where it draws the line for many distinctions between childhood and adulthood .
“ Wardlow senselessly executed elderly Carl Cole to steal his truck , something that could have been taken without violence because the keys were in it , ” the Texas attorney general ’ s office said in a petition filed with the Supreme Court .
The court also denied petitions from Wardlow over claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and related to the dismissal of a previous appeal in state and federal court .
On Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned down his clemency petition .
Wardlow ’ s petition on brain development had its roots in a 2005 decision in which the Supreme Court banned the execution of offenders younger than 18 when they commit crimes .
The Supreme Court pointed to research showing that character and personality traits of juveniles are not fully formed like adults .
Since that ruling , scientific research has established that the brains of those between the ages of 18 and 20 are functionally indistinguishable from someone who is 17 , making their executions a violation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusual punishment , , Burr said .
In a clemency petition to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles , Burr argued that as Wardlow grew older on death row , “ kindness and compassion have been his defining characteristics.
” Two jurors who condemned Wardlow had asked the board to commute his sentence to life without parole .
A group of academics and professionals in neuroscience and brain imaging had also asked the Supreme Court to stop the execution , saying the prediction of Wardlow ’ s future dangerousness “ was scientifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character today.
” But the attorney general ’ s office pointed out that Wardlow had previously threatened to shoot an officer and threatened jail staff and other inmates after his arrest .
They also noted that in his written confession , Wardlow said Cole “ was shot like an executioner would have done it.
” Wardlow was the third inmate put to death this year in Texas and the seventh in the U.S .

Juan A. Lozano And Michael Graczyk - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Maryland governor: Probably time to change Redskins name

ANNAPOLIS , Md .
- Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan said Wednesday he believes the name of Washington ’ s professional football team “ probably should be changed , “ though he supported the team ’ s name when he ran for governor in 2014 .
Hogan , a moderate Republican and a critic of President Donald Trump , was asked on NBC ’ s “ Today ” show whether he thought the NFL team should change its name .
“ I think the time is probably right , “ Hogan said .
” I ’ m glad that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe the name will be changed.
” Hogan told The New York Times this week he is considering a run for president in 2024 .
The second-term governor remains popular in his heavily Democratic state , and his position on the Washington Redskins is another wedge between him and Trump , who said the team was considering a name change “ in order to be politically correct.
” The Redskins play in Landover , Maryland .
Hogan grew up in the area as a fan of the team .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the name , but I understand it ’ s a hurtful name , and in today ’ s context it probably should be changed , “ Hogan said .
When Hogan ran for governor in 2014 , he expressed support for the team ’ s name .
That year , he criticized a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decision to cancel the Redskins ’ trademark registration , saying the the decision about what to call the team should be left to team owner Dan Snyder .
In 2014 , Hogan told The Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them the Washington Redskins , ” and he added that he didn ’ t think government should have a role in determining what a business should call itself .
The team announced this month that it has begun a “ through review ” of the nickname , which experts and advocates call a “ dictionary-defined racial slur.
” Asked by “ Today ” host Craig Melvin on Wednesday whether he acknowledged the name was a slur , Hogan said “ absolutely.
” Snyder has not shown a willingness to change the name since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent national conversation on race has renewed opposition to the name , prompting the team to conduct the formal review .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Singapore governing party set to extend power in elections

Singaporeans vote Friday in Southeast Asia ’ s first election since the coronavirus pandemic began , with the health crisis and a grim economy expected to bolster Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ’ s party and extend its unbroken rule .
While victory seems secure for Lee ’ s People Action Party , the entry of his estranged younger brother into the political fray has given the opposition some hope of expanding its toehold in parliament .
His brother , Lee Hsien Yang , joined an opposition party last month but decided not to contest the election , saying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee.
” Their father , Lee Kuan Yew , was Singapore ’ s first prime minister and during 31 years in office turned the resource-poor nation into an affluent city-state .
Lee Hsien Loong is the country ’ s third prime minister and has led the government since 2004 .
Lee Hsien Yang accused the PAP of turning into an elitist party and called for a more transparent and accountable government , Still , a strong showing by the opposition will be a tall task with the country facing its worst recession this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slog for the opposition in any time , more so in a crisis , ” said Bridget Welsh , honorary research associate at Malaysia ’ s University of Nottingham .
Lee Hsien Yang has “ helped set the tone for the opposition , calling into question some aspects of PAP governance , especially his brother ’ s leadership ... but the flight to safety argument on the economy favours the PAP , ” she said .
Singapore ’ s elections follow polls in Mongolia last month and in South Korea in April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resounding victories .
Singapore ’ s elections come just weeks after the country emerged from a two-month lockdown aimed at controlling one of Asia ’ s worst virus outbreaks .
The tiny nation of 5.8 million people has reported more than 45,000 cases , most of them foreign workers living in crowded dormitories that were overlooked in the early phase of its crisis management .
While infections have mostly declined , new daily cases still top 100 .
But the government says the elections can be held safely with more polling stations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eligible voters to cast their ballots .
Physical rallies were banned during the nine-day campaign that ended Wednesday , in which both sides took their battle to social media .
Candidates sparred over how to keep jobs and propel the economy forward in televised debates and delivered strong online video speeches .
Some wore shirts with QR codes so residents could scan them and get instant access to their social media pages .
The two Lees , who have been embroiled in a public spat since 2017 over the fate of their family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hawker markets and public housing estates , but with masks and without the usual handshakes with voters .
With the economy forecast to shrink this year by between 4 % and 7 % , the PAP has touted its strong track record in propelling the nation into one of the world ’ s richest .
Prime Minister Lee said the polls aren ’ t about his family feud but the nation ’ s future , and appealed to voters for a strong mandate to navigate Singapore through the crisis and beyond .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ packages totalling nearly 100 billion Singapore dollars ( $ 71.7 billion ) .
The stakes are higher this time for Lee , who has said he plans to retire in two years at age 70 .
His deputy and finance minister , Heng Swee Keat , is his designated successor and some see the election as a vote of confidence in the new leadership .
“ Ultimately , it is how voters view the PAP government ’ s handling of COVID-19 in all aspects that could play a big role in whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Eugene Tan , law professor at Singapore Management University .
“ If the PAP is able to secure about 65 % of the popular vote and not lose additional seats , then I think they can claim to have a very good general election.
” The popular vote for the PAP has never slipped below 60 % .
In 2015 , the PAP won 69.9 % of the total vote and 93 % of parliamentary seats , riding on the nation ’ s 50th anniversary and the death that year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the 10 small opposition parties appear united against the PAP .
All 93 parliamentary seats are being contested , mostly on a one-on-one basis against the PAP .
The opposition has pitched itself as a check-and-balance , urging voters to deny the PAP its two-thirds super majority in parliament that allows it to amend the constitution .
While praised for its economic management , the PAP has also been criticized for muzzling the media and dissenting voices , and for its government-knows-best stance .
In recent weeks it used a new anti-fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The maze we live in today is the result of having a single party in charge with no checks and balances , no transparency or accountability .
Only ‘ ownself check ownself.
’ This is dangerous for the future of Singapore , ” Lee Hsien Yang said in a final election message on Facebook .
He urged Singaporeans to vote fearlessly to send a “ wake up call ” to PAP .
“ End the PAP ’ s supermajority ... no more blank check , ” he said .
No matter the outcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeated top opposition candidates to be offered non-constituency parliamentary seats to ensure there are 12 opposition lawmakers , up from six previously .
But opposition parties slam such an arrangement as a ploy to deny them elected seats .

Eileen Ng And Ee Ming Toh - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Facebook removes false accounts linked to Brazil’s Bolsonaro

SAO PAULO - Social media giant Facebook said Wednesday that it has removed dozens of accounts , some used by employees of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and two of his lawmaker sons .
The company said its decision was based on the creation of false profiles that engaged in “ co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour.
” “ We could see that there were employees of these offices engaged , ” Nathaniel Gleicher , the company ’ s head of cybersecurity policy , said in a call with journalists .
“ We can not see evidence and we do not see evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic co-ordination and direction from the leadership of those offices or not.
” Gleicher added that some of the content posted by the accounts had already been taken down for community standards violations , including hate speech .
There was no comment from Brazil ’ s presidential office about Facebook ’ s action .
Facebook ’ s decision comes as Brazil ’ s president careens from crisis to crisis , with different investigations drawing close to him , his family and allies .
Bolsonaro has faced growing political isolation since the start of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected his popularity .
He frequently denounces the media for undermining his administration , and often opts to speak directly to his supporters -- whether on Facebook or in person , as they livestream his comments to their followers .
Brazil ’ s Supreme Court is investigating a network of Bolsonaro supporters who have targeted justices , politicians and the media .
Some of them were jailed in June and early July as the investigations moved forward .
The country ’ s top electoral court is also looking into the accusation that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financed the spread of false news online .
Gleicher said in a statement that 73 Facebook and Instagram accounts , 14 pages and one group were removed .
About 883,000 accounts followed one or more of the Bolsonaro-linked pages and an additional 917,000 followed one of more of the Instagram accounts that were removed .
“ This network consisted of several clusters of connected activity that relied on a combination of duplicate and fake accounts — some of which had been detected and disabled by our automated systems — to evade enforcement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post content , and manage pages masquerading as news outlets , ” Gleicher said in the statement .
He said the accounts were linked to the Social Liberal Party , which Bolsonaro left last year after winning the 2018 presidential election , and to employees of the president , two of his sons , Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro and congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro , and two other lawmakers .
Atlantic Council , a research firm used by Facebook , said a third son of the president , Rio de Janeiro city council member Carlos Bolsonaro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the members of the network .
It said the only operator of the accounts that is directly employed by the presidency is Tercio Arnaud Tomaz , a former staffer of Carlos Bolsonaro in Rio ’ s city council and a member of the president ’ s digital team in the 2018 presidential campaign .
Tomaz did not reply to a request for comment .
Bolsonaro ’ s allies have previously been accused by adversaries of running information operations , but this is the first time their staffers have been connected to inauthentic accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network steered a significant and longstanding operation , stretching back to at least the 2018 presidential campaign and having amassed an audience of millions , that fused political spin and disinformation with targeted online harassment , ” the research firm said .
The Social Liberal Party ’ s spokesperson Luiz Passos denied any responsibility over the removed accounts .
He also said the accounts belong to employees of lawmakers who are at odds with the party and are close to switching to another that is led by staunch supporters of the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ it is impossible to evaluate what kind of profile was banned and if the platform crossed or not the limits of censorship.
” Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro did not comment .
Facebook suspended three other networks on Wednesday , including one it attributed Roger Stone , a longtime ally of U.S. President Donald Trump .
Associated Press writer David Klepper in Providence , Rhode Island , contributed to this report .

Mauricio Savarese - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--‘A hot mess’: Americans face testing delays as virus surges

AUSTIN , Texas - With a cough and shortness of breath , it took Austin , Texas , resident Sam Lee three tries to get a COVID-19 test .
The first time , he showed up an hour before the public testing site was set to close and was told they had reached capacity .
He was turned away from a second centre when rain shut it down , and voluntarily left a third after someone ahead of him said they had been waiting in line for more than three hours .
“ If you have symptoms and you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure out how you can get a test , for people who are positive , it is not ideal , ” said Lee , who finally got a test on June 29 after he showed up at a site before dawn and waited for more than two hours .
Another five days passed before he was able to view the results online , and he didn ’ t receive a text with the results until seven days after being tested .
Four months , 3 million confirmed infections and over 130,000 deaths into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans confronted with a resurgence of the scourge are facing long lines at testing sites in the summer heat or are getting turned away .
Others are going a week or more without receiving a diagnosis .
Some sites are running out of kits , while labs are reporting shortages of materials and workers to process the swabs .
Some frustrated Americans are left to wonder why the U.S. can ’ t seem to get its act together , especially after it was given fair warning as the virus wreaked havoc in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York .
“ It ’ s a hot mess , ” said 47-year-old Jennifer Hudson of Tucson , Arizona .
“ The fact that we ’ re relying on companies and we don ’ t have a national response to this , it ’ s ridiculous .
… It ’ s keeping people who need tests from getting tests.
” It took Hudson five days to make an appointment through a CVS pharmacy near her home .
She booked a drive-up test over the weekend , more than a week after her symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headache and sore throat — first emerged .
The clinic informed her that her results would probably be delayed .
Testing has been ramped up nationwide , reaching about 640,000 tests per day on average , up from around 518,000 two weeks ago , according to an Associated Press analysis .
Newly confirmed infections per day in the U.S. are running at over 50,000 , breaking records at practically every turn .
More testing tends to lead to more cases found .
But in an alarming indicator , the percentage of tests coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rise across nearly the entire country , hitting almost 27 % in Arizona , 19 % in Florida and 17 % in South Carolina .
While the U.S. has conducted more tests than any other nation , it ranks in the middle of the pack in testing per capita , behind Russia , Spain and Australia , according to Johns Hopkins University .
“ I am stunned that as a nation , six months into this pandemic , we still can ’ t figure out how to deliver testing to the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Dr. Ashish Jha , director of Harvard ’ s Global Health Institute .
“ It is an abject failure of leadership and shows that the federal government has not prioritized testing in a way that will allow us to get through this pandemic.
” Testing alone without adequate contact tracing and quarantine measures won ’ t control the spread of the scourge , according to health experts .
But they say delays in testing can lead to more infections by leaving people in the dark as to whether they need to isolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases in the U.S. hit 3 million Wednesday by Johns Hopkins ’ count , health officials have said that because of inadequate testing and the many mild infections that have gone unreported , the real number is about 10 times higher , or almost 10 % of the U.S. population .
— A crowd of thousands attending President Donald Trump ’ s campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , in late June , along with large groups of people who showed up to protest , “ likely contributed ” to a dramatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said Wednesday .
Tulsa County reported 261 confirmed cases on Monday , a new record one-day high , and another 206 confirmed cases on Tuesday .
A spokesman for the Trump campaign didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment .
— Most New York City students will return to school in the fall two or three days a week and learn online the rest of the time under a plan announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio .
He said schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at any one time and maintain social distancing .
The school system in New York is the biggest in the nation , with 1.1 million students .
It has been closed since March .
In New York City , the most lethal hot spot in the nation during the spring , testing was scarce early on but is now widely available .
As many as 35,000 tests are conducted daily through a combination of private health organizations and city agencies , according to the city Health Department .
“ Widespread testing holds the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” de Blasio said .
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week said it will open free “ surge testing ” sites in three hard-hit cities : Jacksonville , Florida ; Baton Rouge , Louisiana ; and Edinburg , Texas .
The sites will be able to conduct as many as 5,000 tests a day in each city , with results in three to five days , officials said .
In Georgia , one of the states where cases are surging , officials are rushing to expand testing capacity as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around Atlanta , said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond .
“ If you project this out over the next three weeks , we can ’ t handle it , ” he said .
In New Orleans , people were turned away from a free testing site for a third consecutive day after it reached its daily allotment of tests .
Health care providers are running low on trays and chemicals needed to run machines used in the tests .
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego called the situation there “ desperate ” as residents have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 hours to get drive-thru testing .
Robert Fenton , head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency , said FEMA is doubling the testing supplies it plans to ship to Arizona .
Patrick Friday , a United Methodist minister in Alabama , went to several hospitals and clinics in Birmingham this week to get checked after his school-age son tested positive .
But he was told that unless he had a preexisting condition , he didn ’ t qualify .
Finally , he ended up at a site offering rapid-result tests and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are several months into this , “ he said .
” How can it be that we can ’ t go in and get a test ?
” Coronado is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .
Associated Press reporters from around the world contributed to this report .
Follow all of AP ’ s pandemic coverage at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Christopher Weber And Acacia Coronado - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--COVID hits more legislators amid rapid spread in Mississippi

JACKSON , Miss .
- At least 26 legislators and 10 others who work at Mississippi ’ s Capitol have tested positive for the coronavirus , a public health official said Wednesday , as the governor implored residents to take precautions amid a rapid rise in confirmed cases statewide .
The 174-member Legislature ended its annual session July 1 , and many people in the Capitol did not wear masks or maintain distance between themselves and others during the last few weeks .
Lt. Gov .
Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Philip Gunn are among those who publicly acknowledge testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantined at home .
The number of people infected at the Capitol could actually be higher .
The reported number only reflects those who were tested recently in Jackson , said the state ’ s top public health official , Dr. Thomas Dobbs .
Some legislators have also been tested since returning to their hometowns .
Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves — who has tested negative — said he will not issue a statewide order for people to wear masks , as some other governors have done .
But , he hinted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or other places if people don ’ t stop congregating in large groups .
Reeves said some hospitals are at or near capacity for intensive care beds .
The state is limiting elective surgeries in a few counties to keep hospital beds open for COVID-19 patients .
“ The situation that we have feared is upon us , ” Reeves said Wednesday during a news conference with Dobbs .
“ Please protect yourself .
Please protect your loved ones .
Please wear masks .
Please try to stay home as much as possible.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Mississippi — with a population of about 3 million — has had at least 32,888 confirmed cases and 1,188 deaths from the coronavirus as of Tuesday evening .
That was an increase of 674 confirmed cases and 30 deaths from numbers reported a day earlier .
The number of coronavirus infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people with existing health problems , it can cause severe symptoms and be fatal .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Mali leader promises court changes in bid to quell protests

BAMAKO , Mali - In a televised midnight speech , Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita promised early Thursday to reform the country ’ s constitutional court in a bid to quell another round of protests calling for his resignation .
The change to the court ’ s makeup is among the demands being sought by Keita ’ s opponents , who already have taken to the streets twice in recent weeks in a show of his mounting unpopularity .
Another demonstration was scheduled for Friday .
It was not immediately clear whether the 75-year-old president ’ s overtures would satisfy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Assembly to be dissolved among other demands .
“ In the hours and days to come , the constitutional court will be reconvened and put into operation as soon as possible , ” Keita said in his address .
The court is at the heart of the growing political dispute because it declared official results after legislative elections were held in April .
Several dozen candidates maintain the court ’ s official results differed from polling station tallies .
A mission from the regional bloc known as ECOWAS already has suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where results are contested .
The opposition also has been fueled by anger over the Malian government ’ s inability to quell violence in the north more than seven years after a French-led military operation ousted Islamic extremists from power .
The army has suffered a wave of deadly attacks over the past year on its outposts .
Keita , who is due to step down in 2023 , became president the year after Mali ’ s president of a decade was overthrown in a coup .
That crisis created a power vacuum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold in Mali ’ s north .
The coup leader later handed over power to a civilian transitional government but only after international pressure to do so .


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Vindman retiring from Army, lawyer blames Trump

WASHINGTON - Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , a national security aide who played a central role in President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment case , announced his retirement from the Army on Wednesday in a scathing statement that accused the president of running a “ campaign of bullying , intimidation , and retaliation.
” The statement from attorney David Pressman said Vindman , 45 , was leaving the Army after more than 21 years after it had been made clear “ that his future within the institution he has dutifully served will forever be limited.
” “ Through a campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the President of the United States attempted to force LTC Vindman to choose : Between adhering to the law or pleasing a President .
Between honouring his oath or protecting his career .
Between protecting his promotion or the promotion of his fellow soldiers , “ read the statement , first obtained by CNN .
Vindman ’ s name was on a promotion list sent to Defence Secretary Mark Esper earlier this year , according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter .
But that list was delayed for weeks because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Vindman , one of the officials said .
The Pentagon did a review and found that any suggestion of misconduct was unfounded .
One official said the list was resent to Esper about a month ago , but again was delayed .
A senior defence official said the list was held up by a routine personnel review , not related to Vindman .
Esper received the final promotion list Monday and approved it , with Vindman ’ s name included , and it was expected to be sent to the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defence official said .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal personnel matter .
It ’ s not clear whether Esper already knew of Vindman ’ s plan to retire before he signed the list , or whether the White House would have approved the promotion list .
The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Pressman said Vindman “ did what the law compelled him to do ; and for that he was bullied by the President and his proxies.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said , “ has cost him his career .
Today our country loses a devoted soldier , but it is incumbent upon all of us to ensure it does not lose the values he represents.
” Trump in February ousted Vindman from his job on the National Security Council , where he served as an expert on Ukraine , just two days after the president ’ s acquittal by the Senate .
Vindman ’ s lawyer said then that his client had been told to leave in retaliation for “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twin brother , Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman , was also asked to leave his job as a White House lawyer .
Both men were reassigned to the Army .
Vindman had testified that he didn ’ t think it was “ proper ” for Trump to “ demand that a foreign government investigate ” former Vice-President Joe Biden and his son ’ s work for the energy company Burisma in Ukraine .
And he told impeachment investigators that he twice raised concerns over the administration ’ s push to have Ukraine investigate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon leaders insisted that Vindman would not see any retaliation as a result of the testimony .
Talking to reporters in November , Esper said the department has protections for whistleblowers .
Vindman ” shouldn ’ t have any fear of retaliation .
That ’ s DOD ’ s position , ” Esper said , adding that he flatly rejected suggestions that the soldier ’ s career was over .
He said he had spoken with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy about the matter .
McCarthy said in February that Vindman was not under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an Army headquarters job and would go on to senior service college in the summer .
In gripping testimony , Vindman also spoke of his family ’ s story and his father bringing them to the U.S. from the Soviet Union when he was a young child .
“ Dad , my sitting here today in the U.S. Capitol , talking to our elected officials , is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to United States of America in search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he testified .
“ Do not worry , I will be fine for telling the truth.
“ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said in a statement Wednesday , “ History will remember Lieutenant Colonel Vindman as an American patriot.
” She said his firing from the White House “ was a clear and brazen act of retaliation that showcases the President ’ s fear of the truth , which continues to this day.
” Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , the Intelligence Committee chairman who led the impeachment probe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ I hope that you are able to reflect on these events , unprecedented as they are , and find solace in knowing that you did the right thing.
” Sen. Tammy Duckworth , D-Ill , blamed Esper for his “ failure to protect a decorated combat veteran against a vindictive Commander in Chief.
” Duckworth , a a former Army helicopter pilot who lost both legs during a 2004 attack in Iraq , said last week that she was blocking Senate confirmation of 1,123 senior military promotions until Esper confirmed whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s promotion .
“ Secretary Esper ’ s failure to protect his troops sets a new , dark precedent that any Commander in Chief can interfere with routine merit-based military promotions to carry out personal vendettas and retaliation against military officers who follow duly-authorized subpoenas while upholding their oath of office and core principles of service , ” Duckworth said in a statement Wednesday .
Vindman , who served in Iraq and later was assigned to the National Security Council as the director for European affairs , appeared at the congressional hearing wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Purple Heart he earned for wounds suffered in a roadside bomb attack .
When a soldier requests retirement , it must be approved by the Army ’ s Human Resources Command , and normally it can take months to process before the person actually leaves the military .
It was also not clear Wednesday if Vindman ’ s brother was on the promotion list .

Jill Colvin And Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Officer to Floyd: ‘It takes ... a lot of oxygen to talk’

MINNEAPOLIS - As George Floyd told Minneapolis police officers that he couldn ’ t breathe more than 20 times in the moments before he died , the officer who pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck dismissed his pleas , saying “ it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk , “ according to transcripts of body camera video recordings made public Wednesday .
The transcripts for the body camera videos of officers Thomas Lane and J. Kueng provide the most detailed account yet of what happened as police were taking Floyd into custody on May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was said after Floyd , a Black man who was handcuffed , was put on the ground .
“ You ’ re going to kill me , man , ” Floyd said , according to a transcript of Lane ’ s body camera video .
“ Then stop talking , stop yelling .
It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk , ” said Derek Chauvin , the white officer who held his knee to Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes , even after Floyd stopped moving .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ ll kill me .
I can ’ t breathe .
I can ’ t breathe , “ Floyd said .
Chauvin ’ s attorney , Eric Nelson , had no immediate comment Wednesday .
The transcripts were made public Wednesday as part of Lane ’ s request to have the case against him dismissed .
Lane ’ s attorney , Earl Gray , said in a memorandum that there isn ’ t probable cause to charge his client , based on all of the evidence and the law .
Gray painted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trusted Chauvin , a senior officer , after Floyd had been acting erratically , struggling and hurting himself during an arrest .
Gray said that once Floyd was on the ground , Lane had asked twice if officers should roll Floyd on his side , and Chauvin said no .
Gray also submitted the body camera footage itself , but that was not immediately made public .
The transcripts show Floyd appearing co-operative at times but becoming agitated as he begged not to be put in a squad car , saying repeatedly he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God don ’ t leave me man , please man , please man , ” he begged , later adding : “ I ’ ll do anything y ’ ll tell me to , man .
...
I ’ m just claustrophobic , that ’ s it.
“ Gray wrote that Floyd started to thrash back and forth and was “ hitting his face on the glass in the squad and began to bleed from his mouth.
” Officers brought Floyd to the ground and , “ the plan was to restrain him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt himself anymore , ” Gray wrote .
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder , third-degree murder and manslaughter .
Lane , Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter .
Lane was holding Floyd ’ s legs at the time , Kueng was at Floyd ’ s midsection and Thao was watching nearby bystanders .
All four officers were fired .
A message left with an attorney for Floyd ’ s family wan ’ t immediately returned .
A spokesman for the attorney general ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the motion to dismiss .
As part of his court filing , Gray also submitted a transcript of Lane ’ s interview with state investigators and police department training materials on restraint holds .
Gray wrote that all of the evidence exonerates his client and that it is not “ fair or reasonable ” for Lane to stand trial .
Gray said in a memorandum that his client ’ s body camera video shows the encounter with Floyd from the time Lane got on the scene to the point where Floyd was put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ambulance and helped with CPR , according to the transcript .
Lane repeatedly told Floyd to show his hands , and he told investigators he drew his gun at first because Floyd was reaching for something , but holstered it once Floyd showed his hands .
Body camera video transcripts show Floyd initially said he had been shot before , and begged police not to shoot him .
Gray said Floyd was acting erratically and had foam at his mouth .
According to the body camera video transcripts , when asked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something , Floyd said he was scared and had been playing basketball .
As officers struggled to get Floyd into the squad car , Floyd said : “ I can ’ t breathe ” and “ I want to lay on the ground , “ the transcripts say .
Once Floyd was on the ground , Lane told the other officers “ he ’ s got to be on something.
” and he asked twice whether officers should roll Floyd onto his side — Chauvin said no .
“ Lane had no basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that decision , ” Gray wrote .
Bystanders told officers repeatedly to check Floyd ’ s pulse , and after Kueng did he said , “ I can ’ t find one.
” “ Huh ?
” Chauvin said , according to the transcript of Keung ’ s body camera video .
Lane told state investigators that Chauvin was not Lane ’ s field training officer , but that he had trained Kueng and was someone Lane had previously gone to for guidance .
According to a transcript of that interview , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s gut was telling him something wasn ’ t right with the way Floyd was being restrained .
“ Yeah .
I would say felt like it maybe could have been handled differently or we should be reassessing what we ’ re doing , I think is what I was kind of coming to , ” Lane said .
Gray argued in his memorandum that in order to charge Lane with aiding and abetting , prosecutors must show Lane played a knowing role in committing a crime .
He said there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or knew Chauvin was committing a crime , namely assault .
“ The decision to restrain Floyd was reasonably justified , “ Gray wrote , adding : “ Based on Floyd ’ s actions up to this point , the officers had no idea what he would do next – hurt himself , hurt the officers , flee , or anything else , but he was not co-operating.
” Gray wrote that Lane ’ s trust in Chauvin was “ reasonable and not criminal .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Boat tours of Pearl Harbor’s USS Arizona Memorial to resume

HONOLULU - Some boat tours to the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii ’ s Pearl Harbor will resume this week , the National Park Service said .
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial will open for limited boat tours to the USS Arizona on Friday , the park service said in a statement Wednesday .
The USS Arizona sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Hawaii .
The site has been closed for months because of the coronavirus pandemic .
National parks across the U.S. are reopening on as case-by-case basis and in a phased approach , the statement said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45-minute program that includes a ride aboard a U.S. Navy vessel to the site where the USS Arizona sank .
A memorial stands above the sunken ship in the harbour .
The tours will be limited to 50 people at a time and reservations need to be made in advance .
While the number of tours will be limited , people will be allowed to stay at the memorial site longer than usual .
All guests must wear face masks and memorial officials are following federal health guidance for mitigating the spread of @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Feds seek to keep guns seized after West Texas mass shooting

DALLAS - Prosecutors are seeking to keep dozens of guns and firearm accessories seized from a man whose home was searched last year following a mass shooting in West Texas that left more than 20 people injured and seven dead .
Lawyers for the Justice Department have asked a federal court to grant the government permanent possession of 29 pistols , rifles and gun parts taken from the Lubbock home of Marcus Anthony Braziel .
Court records value the guns at more $ 11,000 .
The search of Braziel ’ s home last September came days after another man drove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 140 miles ( 225 kilometres ) south of Lubbock , shooting people before being shot dead by police .
At the time , a federal law enforcement official did not identify Braziel by name but said the home searched was that of a man who agents believed sold a semi-automatic rifle to the alleged gunman , 36-year-old Seth Aaron Ator .
The civil forfeiture complaint filed last week states Braziel spent years buying , selling and building guns without a license , and in 2016 sold an AM-15 rifle to an Odessa resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case is against the seized firearms , not Braziel , and there is no record of a criminal case against him .
It was first reported by KLBK-TV .
A person who answered a phone number associated with Braziel hung up when asked about the case and did not respond to a subsequent voicemail seeking comment .
A lawyer for Braziel could not be immediately identified .
“ The criminal investigation involving Mr. Braziel is ongoing , ” said Erin Dooley , a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gun he used in the shooting in a private sale , allowing him to evade the type of background check that blocked him from getting a gun in 2014 due to a “ mental health issue , ” a federal official told The Associated Press last year .
Private sales , which some estimates suggest account for 25 % to 40 % of all gun sales , are not subject to a federal background check in the United States .
If the person selling the firearm knows the buyer can not legally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be violating the law .
But they are not required to find out if the person can possess a firearm and are not required to conduct a background check .


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Records: Man accused of killing Tulsa officer threatened him

TULSA , Okla. - A man suspected of killing a Tulsa police officer had threatened to kill the officer during the man ’ s run-in with local police years prior , according to police records .
David Anthony Ware , 32 , is being held in the Tulsa County jail on multiple charges in connection to the fatal shooting of Tulsa Police Sgt .
Craig Johnson , 45 , in June and the shooting of Officer Aurash Zarkeshan , 26 .
In 2006 , Ware encountered Johnson when he was first arrested as an adult at the age of 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were called to an apartment complex where they reportedly found an intoxicated Ware urinating outside .
The backup officer who accompanied Johnson wrote in his report that Ware kicked at and threatened to harm Johnson , the Tulsa World reported .
“ The subject also continued to threaten violent acts upon Officer Johnson saying that he was going to kill Officer Johnson , “ the officer added to his report , which the newspaper obtained through sources .
Prosecutors and Tulsa police declined to comment on whether Ware might have recognized Johnson as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tulsa County prosecutors have charged Ware in 10 other cases in the 14 years before his arrest , according to public court documents .
Seven were allegations of felony offences , and three were misdemeanours .
Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said many charges have been dismissed .
“ Oftentimes , cases that come to the District Attorney ’ s Office present themselves with facts and circumstances that would justify the filing of a criminal charge .
As those cases move through the criminal process , there are many instances in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they actually put that case on in front of a judge or jury and have a reasonable expectation of conviction ?
” Kunzweiler told the newspaper .
Matthew Nicholas Hall , 29 , has also been arrested in connection with the shootings .
Prosecutors allege he was the driver of a getaway car Ware used to leave the scene .
Hall is charged with being an accessory to murder and a separate count of being an accessory to a felony .


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Minneapolis council members pledge thoughtful police revamp

MINNEAPOLIS - Members of the Minneapolis City Council are pledging a thoughtful approach to their proposal to dismantle the city ’ s police department following the killing of George Floyd .
Council members sought Wednesday to reassure the Minneapolis Charter Commission , with some commissioners expressing concerns that the council was rushing to push through the proposal so voters can decide it in the November election .
The proposal would eliminate the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a new agency , the Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention .
The commission needs to sign off on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be possible to make the November ballot .
Council member Alondra Cano told the Charter Commission that the council has tried to reform the police department for the past five years , and she saw all of that work “ go down the drain ” when Floyd , a handcuffed Black man , died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes .
Floyd ’ s death sparked protests around the world .
Commissioner Andrea Rubenstein asked how the council would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process is rushed and lacks details and planning .
“ What we ’ re actually describing is a much more planful and intentional process than has often been portrayed , ” answered council member Steve Fletcher , a co-author of the proposal .
He said council staff should come back July 24 with a plan for engaging the public on the proposal .
Council member Jeremiah Ellison said the proposed charter amendment would “ allow us to reimagine public safety entirely “ and would “ change the culture of public safety ” by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a response to every situation.
” Commissioner Dan Cohen said the Charter Commission should hear from the police rank-and-file and its union representative .
The amendment would still allow for armed police officers as part of a division of licensed peace officers who would answer to the new department ’ s director .
“ I don ’ t think this should be framed as an anti-police initiative , ” Cano said .
She said officers are welcome to be part of the conversation .
The 15-member commission will hold two public hearings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 15 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--1 person dies, 2 rescued after boat capsizes near Homer

HOMER , Alaska - One person died and two others were rescued after their boat capsized near Homer , officials said Wednesday .
A 14-foot skiff carrying three people overturned near Gull Island in the mouth of a bay popular for salmon dipnetting , said Harbormaster Bryan Hawkins and Deputy Harbormaster Matt Clarke .
Hawkins said tide currents and winds can make travelling in the area dangerous .
Hawkins said the incident was reported around 10 a.m .
Boats in the area responded , the Homer News reported .
Homer Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mark Kirko said two of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ramp when brought to the harbour .
A third person was in serious condition and taken to South Peninsula Hospital , Kirko said .
Homer Police Lt. Ryan Browning confirmed the man later died .
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Angela Hollis was on board a vessel , the F/V Casino , that planned to participate in an emergency drill but diverted after she and others heard about the accident over the radio .
She said the three had been pulled aboard another boat when they arrived and one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of those rescued .
The Casino aided in the transport back to the harbour , she said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-08--Houston scraps Texas GOP’s in-person convention due to virus

Houston officials on Wednesday cancelled the Texas Republican Party ’ s in-person convention , saying the spread of the coronavirus made it impossible to hold the event as scheduled .
Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city ’ s lawyers exercised provisions in the contract that the Texas GOP signed to rent the downtown convention centre for a three-day event to have started July 16 , with committee meetings earlier in the week .
Turner , a Democrat , previously resisted calls to cancel the convention and insisted Wednesday that his decision wasn ’ t driven by politics .
State Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weighing its legal options and accused Turner of trying to deny the GOP ’ s “ critical electoral function.
” The fight over whether thousands of Republican supporters will converge on downtown Houston as the city ’ s hospitals are overwhelmed is a snapshot of the broader political tensions that have underscored Texas ’ handling of the pandemic .
Gov .
Greg Abbott , the state ’ s top Republican , had publicly deferred to state party leaders who last week voted by a 2-to-1 margin to go forward with an in-person event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attending the convention .
Abbott has faced pressure from both sides while managing a coronavirus crisis that has surged in recent weeks .
In May , he lifted restrictions on gatherings and began to reopen business over the objections of Democratic leaders in several Texas cities .
The numbers of confirmed virus cases and deaths began to spiral in June and reached new daily highs this week .
Last week , Republican Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick said he was through listening to the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what he ’ s talking about ” over comments that some states reopened too fast .
But even Patrick , who is chairman of Trump ’ s reelection campaign in Texas , expressed misgivings about his party pressing forward with the convention .
The Texas Medical Center , a consortium of Houston hospitals , has moved into surge capacity for its intensive-care beds .
Texas reported more than 10,000 new confirmed cases statewide for the first time on Tuesday .
The Texas Medical Association had already withdrawn as a convention sponsor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick .
Abbott in recent weeks has moved to close bars again , restrict the size of outdoor gatherings , and institute a broad mandate requiring people to wear masks in public .
Dickey said in his statement Wednesday that organizers had planned to institute daily temperature scans , provide masks , and install hand sanitizer stations .
Echoing the criticism among some conservatives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dickey argued attendees at any convention would have more protection than the tens of thousands of protesters who gathered in downtown Houston following the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knew into Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes .
Turner “ does not want Houston to get back to work , “ Dickey said .
” He is not able to move forward and rise to these new challenges.
“ Speaking Wednesday afternoon , the mayor said he waited to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would cancel the event on their own .
He added that he thought of his late mother , who worked as a hotel maid , and whether others in her position would face a heightened risk of infection if the convention went forward .
“ No one wanted to step in and be the heavy and to say no , and then run the risk of being accused of being political , ” he said .
“ But if after all of that , you still refuse to recognize the public health danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still the mayor.
” If all other efforts for a face-to-face convention fail , Dickey said a convention “ using online technologies ” would be held .
“ In the coming days , we will evaluate all legal remedies available to us to fight back against the unequal treatment Mayor Turner has chosen to inflict on conservatives .
We will keep our delegates , alternates , and other convention attendees posted as we pursue those remedies , “ Dickey said .
Meanwhile , hours after Turner ’ s announcement , the chief administrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s conservative suburbs , offered to host the convention instead .
The national Republican Party is also pushing to have an in-person convention this year , moving the event from Charlotte , North Carolina , to Jacksonville , Florida , after North Carolina officials would not provide guarantees sought by President Donald Trump .
But in recent days , a growing number of Republican senators said they would skip the convention .
Texas Democrats held an online convention in June , and national Democrats plan to hold an almost entirely virtual convention @ @ @

Nomaan Merchant And Paul J. Weber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Serbia bans mass gatherings after virus lockdown protests

BELGRADE , Serbia - Serbia ’ s authorities on Thursday banned gatherings of more than 10 people in the capital Belgrade after two nights of violent clashes between police and thousands of demonstrators protesting coronavirus lockdown measures .
Serbia ’ s government crisis team said the restriction is intended to prevent the virus ’ further spread following the clashes , where social distancing was barely observed and only a minority of people wore face masks .
In addition to limiting gatherings , businesses in closed spaces , such as cafes , shopping malls or shops , have been ordered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system in Belgrade is close to breaking up , ” Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said .
“ That is why I can ’ t understand what we saw last night and the night before.
” The clashes followed an announcement earlier this week from President Aleksandar Vucic that further lockdown measures were likely as the outbreak in the country has intensified .
Vucic has been accused by many in Serbia for allowing the crisis to spin out of control in order to hold an election on June 21 that tightened his grip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures don ’ t include the originally planned weekend curfew , the limit on gatherings effectively equates to a ban in protests .
Over the previous two evenings , rock-throwing demonstrators fought running battles with special police forces , who used tear gas , horses and armoured vehicles to disperse them .
Both protests started peacefully , but then far-right nationalist groups started hurling objects at the policemen .
The U.S. Embassy said in a statement Thursday it is “ deeply concerned “ by the violence .
“ We condemn all violence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-ordinated attacks on police seemingly intended to provoke overreactions as well as what appeared to be the use of excessive force by police , “ it said .
Dozens of people were injured in clashes in Belgrade and other cities .
Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said that 10 police officers were injured on Wednesday evening , including one who sustained two broken legs .
Stefanovic said police were as restrained as possible and only fought back when in danger , but some rights groups warned that police were overstepping their authority and using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that appeared on social networks appeared to show police severely beating up protesters .
One piece of footage purported to show a protester being hit and kicked by several officers and dumped to the sidewalk , seemingly unconscious .
The authenticity of the video can not be independently verified .
An opposition leader , Bosko Obradovic , who reportedly was slightly injured during protests , accused the police of “ needless brutality ” and Vucic of a readiness to “ trample on anyone ” to retain “ absolute power.
” “ This can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had enough , ” Obradovic said .
Opponents blame the autocratic Vucic for contributing to the spike in deaths and new cases after he entirely lifted the previous , very tight lockdown measures .
Mass gatherings at soccer and tennis matches and nightclubs were allowed despite warnings by experts that it could lead to a spike in cases .
Under apparent pressure from the protesters , the president backtracked Wednesday on his new lockdown plans , claiming the measure can not be implemented without proclaiming a nationwide state of emergency .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane taking him on an official visit to France — Vucic said the state will curb unrest , and urged his followers not to confront violent demonstrators .
“ I promised that we will know how to preserve peace and stability despite criminal hooligan violent attacks that have shocked us all , “ he said .
Vucic has accused foreign intelligence services of being behind the unrest .
He has described the protests as “ political “ and aimed at weakening Serbia in its talks with Kosovo , a former province whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognize .
Although Vucic stopped short of identifying the alleged foreign spy agencies , tabloids closely under his control on Thursday accused pro-Russia far-right groups of fueling the violence .
The Russian ambassador to Serbia on Thursday vehemently denied accusations that Moscow is behind the unrest .

Jovana Gec And Dusan Stojanovic - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Valdez joins Alaska communities mandating face coverings

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - The city of Valdez has mandated the use of face coverings in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The City Council passed the rule Tuesday for all indoor areas outside the home where social distancing can not be maintained , including public transportation , taxis and ride sharing services .
The rule expected to go into effect Friday requires protective masks or cloth facial coverings , which include homemade masks , bandanas , scarfs , and handkerchiefs .
There are exceptions for people with health concerns , children under 5 years old , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people with disabilities that prevent them from wearing masks .
Exceptions are also allowed while people are eating or drinking .
The Prince William Sound community has experienced a growing number of visitors as the summer progresses , both for tourism and work at the terminus of the trans-Alaska pipeline , officials said .
Two residents and four nonresidents have tested positive for COVID-19 in Valdez , municipal officials said .
“ We do have a small hospital but our medical capacity is limited here , ” city spokeswoman Allie Ferko said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a large outbreak — they don ’ t want to get to that point.
” Republican Gov .
Mike Dunleavy recommended wearing masks but declined to require them , saying he trusts people will “ do the right thing ” including covering their faces in crowded public places .
Other Alaska communities with at least temporary mask mandates include Cordova , Seward and Napaskiak , while the state court system began mandating them June 1 .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three weeks .
But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Wisconsin Supreme Court OKs GOP-authored lame-duck laws

MADISON , Wis. - The conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Republican-authored lame-duck laws that stripped power from the incoming Democratic attorney general just before he took office in 2019 .
The court rejected arguments that the laws were unconstitutional , handing another win to Republicans who have scored multiple high-profile victories before the conservative court in recent years .
The ruling marks the second time that the court has upheld the lame-duck laws passed in December 2018 , just weeks before Gov .
Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul , both Democrats , took office .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing control of the governor ’ s offices in Michigan in November 2018 and in North Carolina in 2016 .
Democrats decried the tactics as brazen attempts to hold onto power after losing elections .
The Wisconsin laws curtailed powers of both the governor and attorney general , but the case ruled on Thursday dealt primarily with powers taken away from Kaul .
The Supreme Court previously rejected a lawsuit that challenged the legality of the lame duck session itself .
Thursday ’ s ruling involved a case filed by a coalition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Union .
The coalition argued that the laws give the Legislature power over the attorney general ’ s office , a violation of the separation of powers doctrine in the state constitution .
The doctrine grants each branch of government core powers : the Legislature writes laws , the executive branch enforces them and the judicial branch interprets them .
The laws at issue prohibit Evers from ordering Kaul to withdraw from lawsuits ; let legislators intervene in lawsuits using their own attorneys rather than Kaul ’ s state Department of Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permission from the Legislature ’ s Republican-controlled budget committee before setting lawsuits .
That last provision has proven the most divisive .
Kaul has said settlement discussions are confidential and has refused to share details of cases with the committee , putting tens of millions of dollars in potential settlement revenue in jeopardy .
In recent months the committee has signed off on a handful of settlements after the litigants allowed Kaul to share details of the deals , however .
Democrats and liberal groups have been trying to push back against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had little success .
Liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now persuaded a federal judge in January 2019 to block language in the law that restricted in-person early voting to the two weeks before an election .
The League of Women Voters and other groups filed a state lawsuit arguing the laws as a whole were invalid because Republican lawmakers passed them after the Legislature ’ s regular session had ended months earlier .
The justices ruled last year that lawmakers can meet whenever they wish .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Health consortium to offer free virus testing in Alaska city

SITKA , Alaska - All residents of an Alaska city will be offered free coronavirus screening tests to help prevent the spread of the illness .
The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium announced Monday that it will provide tests to everyone living in Sitka regardless of whether they exhibit symptoms , The Daily Sitka Sentinel reported .
Free testing by self-swab nasal collection will be available 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at a drive-up testing centre , the health consortium said .
People who are walking or on bicycles are also welcome , said Maegan Bosak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing has been funded through a grant from the U.S. Indian Health Service .
“ We have been wanting to provide asymptomatic testing for quite some time and finally have the resources to do so , ” Bosak said .
The consortium plans to offer additional testing in other Southeast Alaska communities beginning later this month , including Wrangell and Juneau .
Free testing of asymptomatic individuals in Juneau will be limited to tribal beneficiaries , the consortium said .
“ Asymptomatic testing will be a reality in the coming weeks and paint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penetrated our region , “ said Dr. Elliot Bruhl , the consortium ’ s senior vice-president and chief medical officer .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--COVID-19 pandemic in Africa is now reaching ‘full speed’

JOHANNESBURG - The coronavirus pandemic in Africa is reaching “ full speed ” and it ’ s good to prepare for the worst-case scenario , the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief said Thursday , after a South African official said a single province is preparing 1.5 million graves .
Just a day after confirmed virus cases across Africa surpassed the half-million milestone the total was over 522,000 and climbing , with more than 12,000 deaths .
With testing levels low , the real numbers are unknown .
South Africa has the most confirmed cases with over 224,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province — home to Johannesburg and the capital , Pretoria — has the country ’ s most cases with over 75,000 , or 33 % .
Provincial official Bandile Masuku , a medical doctor , startled South Africans when he told reporters Wednesday that Gauteng is preparing over 1.5 million graves .
“ It ’ s a reality that we need to deal with , ” he said , and it ’ s the public ’ s responsibility “ to make sure that we don ’ t get there.
” The province in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying it “ does not have over a million already open dug graves ” and the number refers to the potential capacity .
It also said six members of Gauteng ’ s COVID-19 War Room have tested positive for the virus .
Asked about the comments , Africa CDC chief John Nkengasong said “ there ’ s absolutely no harm to think ahead ” and prepare for the worst-case scenario .
’ We ’ ve crossed a critical number here , ” he said of the half-million milestone .
“ Our pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more mask-wearing , saying “ this battle will be won or lost at the community level.
” He also called for more testing , as just 5.7 million tests for the new virus have been conducted across the continent of 1.3 billion people .
With painful memories of many people dying in Africa while waiting for accessible HIV drugs years ago , the Africa CDC on Thursday launched a consortium aimed at securing more than 10 late-stage COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials on the continent as early as possible .
“ We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find ourselves in the 1996 scenario where HIV drugs were available but it took almost seven years for those drugs to be accessible on the continent , ” Nkengasong said .
With any COVID-19 vaccine , a “ delay in Africa of even one year would be catastrophic , ” he said .
He said the new consortium of African institutions will engage with the GAVI vaccine alliance and other entities outside the continent amid efforts to ensure that a vaccine is distributed equitably from the start .
Those efforts are challenged by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deals with vaccine makers to secure supplies in advance .
The African Union last month said governments around the world should “ remove all obstacles ” to swift and equitable distribution of any successful COVID-19 vaccine , including by making all intellectual property and technologies immediately available .
Africa in recent days has begun taking part in COVID-19 vaccine trials in the face of increasing misinformation on the continent .
Trials have begun in South Africa and Egypt , but Nkengasong said a “ continent of 1.3 billion people deserves more than just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the only weapon to allow our lives to return to normal , ” he said .
Conducting clinical trials in Africa is crucial to see how a vaccine performs in a local context — “ extremely important , “ the World Health Organization ’ s Africa chief , Matshidiso Moeti , told reporters Thursday .
Many life-saving vaccines have lagged between five and 20 years from the time they become available in high-income countries to when they ’ re available in low-income ones .
That ’ s in part because local data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principal investigator of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trial in South Africa .
Africa has some 17 % of the world ’ s population and less than 3 % of its clinical trials , he said .
“ If anything , the criticism right now shouldn ’ t be about the possibility of using Africans as guinea pigs.
” Africa sees few trials “ because there ’ s very little financial incentive on the part of industry , ” Madhi added .
“ So the entire conversation needs to be flipped on its head @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Rallies planned around Greece against new protest law

ATHENS , Greece - Demonstrations are being planned in Athens and around 40 other Greek cities and towns to oppose @ @ @ @ @ to restrict public protests .
Many of the rallies planned for later Thursday have been @ @ @ @ @ Party , while labour unions and Greece ’ s left-wing main opposition party have also @ @ @ @ @ Kyriakos Mitsotakis ’ year-old conservative government says it is determined to stop small protest gatherings @ @ @ @ @ activity .
“ The right to hold peaceful gatherings must be protected ... but it @ @ @ @ @ way that will not interrupt the activity of an entire city , ” Mitsotakis told @ @ @ @ @ final day of debate .
Critics of the proposed reforms include the Athens Bar Association @ @ @ @ @ legislative review committee .
They argue that plans to prosecute protesters attending unsanctioned rallies and @ @ @ @ @ for damage caused if rallies turn violent are legally troublesome .
The government said it @ @ @ @ @ the bill to address those concerns .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Layoffs stuck at high level as 1.3 million seek jobless aid

WASHINGTON - More than 1.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week , a historically high pace that shows that many employers are still laying people off in the face of a resurgent coronavirus .
The persistently elevated level of layoffs are occurring as a spike in virus cases has forced six states to reverse their move to reopen businesses .
Those six — Arizona , California , Colorado , Florida , Michigan and Texas — make up one-third of the U.S. economy .
Fifteen other states have suspended their re-openings .
Collectively , the pullback has stalled a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is likely triggering additional layoffs .
Thursday ’ s report from the Labor Department showed that the number of applications for unemployment aid fell from 1.4 million in the previous week .
The figure has now topped 1 million for 16 straight weeks .
Before the pandemic , the record high for weekly unemployment applications was fewer than 700,000 .
The total number of people who are receiving jobless benefits dropped 700,000 to 18 million .
That suggests that some companies are continuing to rehire workers .
An additional 1 million people sought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for self-employed and gig workers that has made them eligible for aid for the first time .
These figures aren ’ t adjusted for seasonal variations , so the government doesn ’ t include them in the official count .
Americans are seeking unemployment aid against the backdrop of a disturbing surge in confirmed viral cases , with increases reported in 38 states .
Case counts have especially accelerated in four states that now account for more than half of reported new U.S. cases : Arizona , California , Florida and Texas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions have slowed economic activity in much of the country and may be weighing on hiring .
The government ’ s jobs report for June showed a solid gain of 4.8 million jobs and an unemployment rate that fell to 11.1 % from 13.3 % .
Yet even so , the economy has regained only about one-third of the jobs that vanished in March and April .
And the June jobs report reflected surveys of Americans that were conducted in the middle of that month — before the pandemic flared up again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on credit and debit cards issued by Bank of America fell in the week that ended June 27 compared with the previous week .
Auto and existing-home sales have slowed .
Restaurant visits have also levelled off nationally , including in states that haven ’ t begun to close down again , according to data from OpenTable , the reservations website .
“ This suggests that renewed fears about the virus , rather than government restrictions , are driving the pullback in activity , ” said Andrew Hunter , senior U.S. economist at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Data from Kronos , which produces work-scheduling software for small businesses , reinforces evidence that the recovery of the job market is faltering .
In the week that ended July 4 , layoffs among Kronos ’ clients actually rose and hirings declined .
Companies are now laying off an average of nearly three workers for every new hire , the company ’ s data shows .
And in the retail industry , the number of shifts worked changed little last week after steady increases in previous weeks .
David Gilbertson , a vice-president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumer demand in many cases hasn ’ t picked up enough to justify more employees .
“ Everything that ’ s going to be open is open , ” Gilbertson said .
“ Now , we just need more people to come in and start spending money before things can pick up again.
” Several companies have warned in recent days that more layoffs are coming .
Levi ’ s , the iconic jeans maker , said it will cut 700 corporate jobs .
United Airlines has warned 36,000 of its employees -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could lose their jobs in October .
( Airlines aren ’ t allowed to cut jobs until then as a condition of accepting billions of dollars in government rescue aid . )
The renewed threat of job losses is arising just as a federal program that provides $ 600 a week in unemployment benefits , on top of whatever jobless aid each state provides , is to expire at the end of this month .
Congressional leaders have said they will take up some form of a new rescue package when lawmakers return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Administration officials have expressed support for additional stimulus .
But Senate Republicans have opposed extending the $ 600 a week in unemployment benefits , mainly on the ground that it discourages laid-off people from returning to work .
House Democrats have pushed to extend the $ 600 a week through January .

Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Police: 9-year-old boy, 2 others wounded in Atlanta shooting

ATLANTA - Three people , including a 9-year-old boy , were shot and wounded in Atlanta , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ in East Atlanta Village around 9:30 p.m. , news outlets reported .
Atlanta police spokesman @ @ @ @ @ found one man with a gunshot wound in his buttocks , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported @ @ @ @ @ people were shot during the incident .
A man and a 9-year-old boy were later @ @ @ @ @ The man was shot in the hand and the boy suffered gunshot wounds to both @ @ @ @ @ three victims were expected to survive .
Police believe an argument lead to the shooting @ @ @ @ @ custody .
The shooting comes after 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and killed over the @ @ @ @ @ Atlanta .
Four other people were killed over the weekend , prompting Georgia Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ state of emergency and deploy up to 1,000 National Guard troops .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--WHO chief taps ex-leaders to head COVID-19 response panel

GENEVA - The head of the World Health Organization said Thursday that former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark will head a new panel tasked with giving “ an honest assessment ” of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , whose agency is facing a U.S. pullout following Trump administration complaints about its early handling of the virus emergency , announced the appointments to the newly created Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response .
“ I can not imagine two more strong-minded , independent leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning process to help us understand what happened — an honest assessment — and to help us understand also what we should do to prevent such a tragedy in the future , ” Tedros said .
The WHO chief reiterated his calls for global unity and decried a general lack of leadership , but he made no reference to the Trump administration giving formal 1-year notice this week of its intent to withdraw the United States from the U.N. health agency .
The United States is the WHO ’ s biggest donor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years .
“ My friends , make no mistake : The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself .
Rather , it ’ s the lack of leadership and solidarity at the global and national levels , ” Tedros said at a weekly meeting of member states , which unusually was made public for the announcement of the panel appointments .
He said he would convene a special meeting of the WHO ’ s executive board in September , before hosting the assembly of its 194 member states in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually held in May , was cut short and held online this year due to the pandemic .
“ We must be readying ourselves for future global outbreaks and the many other challenges of our time , such as anti-microbial resistance , inequality and the climate crisis , “ Tedros said .
” COVID-19 has taken so much from us .
But it ’ s also giving us an opportunity to break with the past - and build back better.
” The assembly in May called for a comprehensive evaluation of the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the outbreak , and after repeated Trump administration criticism of the U.N. health agency over its handling of the pandemic and alleged deference to China , where COVID-19 first emerged .
Tedros suggested the panel would have an independent administration , update member states regularly on its progress and hold monthly meetings .
“ This can not be another blue-ribbon panel that issues a report that goes up on the bookshelf , “ he said .
” We must come together in a global conversation to take these hard-won lessons and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope is that the defining crisis of our age will likewise remind all people that the best way forward and all the only way forward is together , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--UN: World could hit 1.5-degree warming threshold by 2024

GENEVA - The world could see annual global temperatures break a key threshold for the first time in the coming five years , the U.N. weather agency said Thursday .
The World Meteorological Organization said forecasts suggest there ’ s a 20 % chance that global temperatures will be 1.5 degrees Celsius ( 2.7 Fahrenheit ) higher than the pre-industrial average in at least one year between 2020 and 2024 .
The 1.5 C mark is the level countries agreed to cap global warming at in 2015 .
While a new annual high might be followed by several years with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be seen as further evidence that international efforts to curb climate change aren ’ t working .
Scientists say average temperatures around the world are already at least 1 C higher now than from 1850-1900 because of man-made greenhouse emissions .
The Geneva-based WMO said there ’ s a 70 % chance that the 1.5-degree mark will be exceeded in a single month between 2020 and 2024 .
The five-year period is expected to see annual average temperatures that are 0.91 C to 1.59 C higher than pre-industrial averages , it said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual climate outlook based on several long-term computer models compiled under the leadership of the United Kingdom ’ s Met Office .
WMO chief Petteri Taalas said the study shows “ the enormous challenge ” countries face in meeting the goals of the 2015 Paris accord .
The agreement sets a goal of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius ( 3.6 Fahrenheit ) , ideally no more than 1.5 C. The agency noted that the models used for the forecast don ’ t consider the impact that the coronavirus pandemic might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as carbon dioxide .
“ The industrial and economic slowdown from COVID-19 is not a substitute for sustained and co-ordinated climate action , ” Taalas said .
“ Due to the very long lifetime of CO2 in the atmosphere , the impact of the drop in emissions this year is not expected to lead to a reduction of CO2 atmospheric concentrations which are driving global temperature increases , ” he said .

Jamey Keaten And Frank Jordans - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Pro-India leader, 2 family members killed in Kashmir

SRINAGAR , India - Unidentified assailants fatally shot a pro-India politician in Kashmir along with his father and brother , police said , in the first major attack against members of India ’ s ruling party in the disputed region .
Police blamed militants fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir for the attack late Wednesday .
Militants fired at Sheikh Wasim Bari , a leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Bharatiya Janata Party in northwestern Bandipora town , police said in a statement .
It said “ during indiscriminate firing , “ Bari , his brother and father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital .
Bari ’ s brother and father also were BJP members .
The shooting was the first major attack against members of India ’ s ruling Hindu nationalist party in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley .
Bari , who was about 35 years old , was an executive council member of the party in the region .
He helped the BJP strengthen its base in the region and was considered the face of the party in Bandipora district .
According to police , at least two assailants fired at the three outside their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) from the town ’ s main police station .
Bari was guarded by at least eight police officers , but it was unclear whether they were present at the time of the shooting .
Government forces cordoned off the area and launched a search for the attackers , police said .
Ram Madhav , the party ’ s national general secretary , said in a tweet that he was “ shocked and saddened ” by the killings .
No rebel group claimed responsibility for the attack .
Rebels have been fighting Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of lives lost , including civilians , militants and government forces .
Muslim Kashmiris generally support the rebels ’ goal of uniting the territory , either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country .
Earlier Wednesday , Indian and Pakistani soldiers barraged each other with mortar shells and gunfire along the highly militarized frontier in Kashmir , killing a woman and wounding another in the Indian-controlled portion of the Himalayan region , officials said .
Pakistani troops hit Indian positions at two places in southern Poonch district along the Line of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Indian army spokesman Lt. Col. Devender Anand said .
Anand called it an “ unprovoked violation ” of a 2003 cease-fire accord between the two nuclear-armed rivals .
He said Indian troops “ retaliated befittingly , ” and the fighting continued for 45 minutes .
The 60-year-old woman was hit by shrapnel while visiting relatives near the de facto border , civil administrator Rahul Yadav said .
Another woman was injured and was being treated at a hospital .
Pakistan did not immediately comment .
In the past , each side has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region , which both claim in its entirety .
There has been almost daily fighting over the last several months along the rugged and mountainous frontier between Indian and Pakistani soldiers , leaving dozens of civilians and soldiers dead on both sides .
Indian military says Pakistan has so far this year committed more than 2,500 cease-fire violations .
India and Pakistan have been on maximum alert since February 2019 , when Pakistan said it shot down two Indian warplanes in Kashmir and captured a pilot in response to an airstrike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
India said the strikes targeted Pakistan-based militants responsible for a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir .
Relations between the two countries have been further strained over Kashmir since last August , when New Delhi revoked the Muslim-majority region ’ s decades-old semi-autonomous status , touching off anger on both sides of the frontier .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Bolsonaro now ‘poster boy’ for dubious COVID-19 treatment

RIO DE JANEIRO - After months of touting an unproven anti-malaria drug as a treatment for the new coronavirus , Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is turning himself into a test case live before millions of people as he swallows hydroxychloroquine pills on social media and encourages others to do the same .
Bolsonaro said this week that he tested positive for the virus but already felt better thanks to hydroxychloroquine .
Hours later he shared a video of himself gulping down what he said was his third dose .
On Wednesday , he was again extolling the drug ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his political opponents were rooting against it .
A string of studies in Britain and the United States , as well as by the World Health Organization , have found chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine ineffective against COVID-19 and sometimes deadly because of their adverse side effects on the heart .
Several studies were cancelled early because of adverse effects .
U.S. President Donald Trump has promoted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 but chloroquine — a more toxic version of the drug , produced in Brazil — has been even more enthusiastically promoted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely unavoidable and , what is more , not a serious medical problem .
“ He has become the poster boy for curing COVID with hydroxychloroquine , ” said Paulo Calmon , a political science professor at the University of Brasilia .
“ Chloroquine composes part of the denialist ’ s political strategy , with the objective of convincing voters that the pandemic ’ s effects can be easily controlled.
” Trump first mentioned hydroxychloroquine on March 19 during a pandemic briefing .
Two days later , and a month after Brazil ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of his only big actions to fight the coronavirus .
He announced he was directing the Brazilian army to ramp up output of chloroquine .
The army churned out more than 2 million pills — 18 times the country ’ s normal annual production — even as Brazil ’ s intensive care medicine association recommended it not be prescribed and doctors mostly complied .
The White House on May 31 said it had donated 2 million hydroxychloroquine pills to Brazil .
Two weeks later the U.S. Food & Drug Administration revoked authorization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side effects and saying it is unlikely to be effective .
Brazil ’ s audit court on June 18 requested an investigation into alleged overbilling from local production of chloroquine , which it called unreasonable given the drug ’ s ineffectiveness and cited the FDA decision .
Meantime , stocks of sedatives and other medications used in intensive care ran out in three states , according to a late-June report from Brazil ’ s council of state health secretariats .
A former defence minister , Aldo Rebelo , told The Associated Press that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrongly blamed for its involvement in production of a drug that most experts call ineffective against the coronavirus .
“ All they did was to follow a legal order and produce the pills , ” said Rebelo .
“ The problem is the health ministry and the decision that the president made.
” Brazil ’ s interim health minister , an army general with no health experience before April , endorsed chloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment days after assuming the post in May .
His predecessor , a doctor and health consultant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brazil ’ s death toll continued to climb — nearing 68,000 on Wednesday , the second-most in the world — the health ministry distributed millions of chloroquine pills across Brazil ’ s vast territory .
They have reached small cities with little or no health infrastructure to handle the pandemic and even a far-flung Indigenous territory .
“ They ’ re trying to use the Indigenous people as guinea pigs to test chloroquine , use the Indigenous to advertise for chloroquine like Bolsonaro has done on his live broadcasts , like a poster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an executive co-ordinator of the Indigenous organization APIB , said by phone from Brazil ’ s capital , Brasilia .
In Brazil ’ s largest city , Sao Paulo , three doctors treating COVID-19 in different hospitals told AP that patients routinely requested chloroquine as the pandemic spread , often citing Bolsonaro .
In recent weeks , inquiries about the drug were less frequent after scientific doubts arose about its effectiveness , two physicians said .
All say they worry Bolsonaro ’ s cheerleading will spur a new wave of desperate patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I tell them that I don ’ t prescribe it because there ’ s no study proving it improves patients , that there are important risks with the indiscriminate use of this drug , ” said Dr. Natalia Magacho , an attending physician at the Hospital das Clinicas .
“ Some even get angry at first .
But all prescriptions are the doctor ’ s responsibility and , as the risk outweighs the benefit , I don ’ t prescribe it.
” Most doctors oppose any protocols for the use of chloroquine or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe and have pressured local authorities to permit its use , said João Gabbardo , the former No .
2 official at Brazil ’ s health ministry .
“ This issue has been framed in a very polarizing , politicized manner , “ said Gabbardo , who is now executive co-ordinator of Sao Paulo ’ s COVID-19 contingency centre .
” We are moving away from the discussion of science , of scientific evidence , toward a discussion of political positions.
” Bolsonaro ’ s supporters and aides have amplified his message .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ son and a federal lawmaker , said his father will beat the disease because he is taking the anti-malarial drug .
“ Treatment with chloroquine is rather effective at the start of the illness ( and should be available for any Brazilian who needs it ) , ” the younger Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter , without distinguishing between the two types of the drug .
Margareth Dalcolmo , a clinical researcher and prominent respiratory medicine professor at the state-funded Oswaldo Cruz Foundation , said she has no objection to Bolsonaro and his doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said , is broadcasting that information to an impressionable public that , if he recovers , will believe a potentially dangerous drug was responsible .
Dalcolmo treats patients and contracted COVID-19 herself .
Before she bounced back , some friends asked if she would authorize administration of either chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine were she unable to grant consent .
“ Over my dead body , dear , ” she said .
“ I said if I ’ m in a coma , intubated , none of you are authorized to put me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its use on me .
And I haven ’ t used it on my dozens of patients .
”

David Biller, Marcelo De Sousa And Mauricio Savarese - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Seoul mayor missing, his phone turned off, search underway

SEOUL , KOREA , REPUBLIC OF—The mayor of South Korean capital Seoul is missing Thursday after leaving a verbal message that his daughter described as sounding like a will , police said .
A massive search operation is underway for him .
Police officers said they are looking for Mayor Park Won-soon at a small hill in Seoul ’ s Sungbuk neighbourhood where his mobile phone signal was last detected .
They said Park ’ s mobile phone was currently turned off .
His daughter called police on Thursday afternoon and said her father left “ a will-like ” message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours earlier .
The daughter didn ’ t explain the contents of the message , said one of the officers at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency who is responsible for Park ’ s search operation .
The daughter said she decided to call police because she couldn ’ t reach her father on the phone , the officer said , requesting anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to media on the matter .
About 150 officers , a drone and a police dog have been mobilized for Park ’ s search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government , confirmed that Park did not show up for work on Thursday because of unspecified reasons and cancelled all his schedules , including a meeting with a presidential official at his Seoul City Hall office .
A longtime civic activist and human rights lawyer , Park was elected as Seoul mayor in 2011 and became the city ’ s first mayor to be voted into a third term in June last year .
A member of President Moon Jae-in ’ s liberal Democratic Party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopeful for the liberals in the 2022 elections .
Park has mostly maintained his activist colours as mayor , criticizing what he described as the country ’ s growing social and economic inequalities and the traditionally corrupt ties between large businesses and politicians .
During the earlier part of his terms , Park established himself as a fierce opponent of former conservative President Park Geun-hye and openly supported the millions of people who flooded the city streets in late 2016 and 2017 , calling for her ouster over a corruption scandal .
Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 2017 and is currently serving a decades-long prison term on bribery and other charges .
Seoul , a city with 10 million people , has been a new epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea since the Asian country eased its rigid social distancing rules in early May .
Authorities are struggling to trace contacts amid surges in cases linked to nightclubs , church services , a huge e-commerce warehouse and door-to-door sellers .

Hyung-Jin Kim - The Associated Press,Kim Tong-Hyung


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--3 Turkish military police killed in fireworks truck blast

ISTANBUL - A truck carrying fireworks exploded in northwestern Turkey on Thursday , killing three military police officers and wounding 12 others .
The fireworks and explosives , which were from a factory where a blast last week killed seven people , were being transported to be destroyed in a controlled explosion in Sakarya , the Interior Ministry said in a statement .
The material exploded as it was being taken off the truck at a quarry , and two of the dead were from the bomb disposal unit of the military police , the ministry said .
Interior Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the truck driver was in critical condition and 11 military police officers were wounded .
He said 15 tons of explosives had already been disposed of and the explosion took place when an estimated 1.5 tons remained .
The explosion would be investigated , Soylu said .
The explosion follows a huge blast July 3 at the fireworks factory in Sakarya that killed seven people and injured more than 120 .
The cause of the explosion at the factory , which is away from residential areas , was under investigation .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Greece: Forest fire leads to evacuation of children’s camp

ATHENS , Greece - Hundreds of children were being evacuated from a summer camp in Greece as a precaution after @ @ @ @ @ near Corinth and strong winds fanned the blaze .
The fire department said more than @ @ @ @ @ planes and one helicopter were sent to tackle the fire near Corinth in south-central Greece @ @ @ @ @ were blowing in the area , hampering efforts to extinguish the blaze .
Authorities said @ @ @ @ @ 400 children was being evacuated .
Wildfires fires are common in Greece during the country @ @ @ @ @ summers .
In 2018 , more than 100 people died when a fast-moving forest fire @ @ @ @ @ of Mati , northeast of the Greek capital , Athens .