thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Auschwitz survivor who was just 2 at liberation nurses scars

MUNICH - Only 2 years old and so ill she had to stay on for weeks after liberation , Eva Umlauf was one of the youngest prisoners to be freed from Auschwitz .
Although she has no conscious memories stretching so far back , her early childhood in the Nazi death camp was to cast a dark shadow over her entire life .
“ Auschwitz is deeply burned inside my body and soul , ” Umlauf said on a January day almost 75 years after Auschwitz was freed by the Soviet Red Army .
A petite woman with a pageboy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp tattoo on her arm , the 77-year-old doctor reminisced about her post-war childhood .
“ There was an emptiness growing up after Auschwitz , so many of our family members were gone , “ she said .
“ It was just my mom , my sister and me who survived , ” Umlauf added in a calm , measured voice , sitting in her elegant apartment on the outskirts of Munich .
“ We saw my father for the last time at the ramp at Auschwitz when we were taken off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Umlauf survived the death camp in German-occupied Poland .
More than 1.1 million people , mostly Jews , were murdered there by the Nazis and their henchmen .
In all , about 6 million European Jews died during the Holocaust .
When families from across Europe reached Auschwitz in cramped windowless cattle trains , the Nazis selected those whom they could still use as forced labourers .
The others , old people , many women and especially children and babies , were gassed to death soon after arrival .
But the gassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eva , her pregnant mother and father arrived in November 1944 f rom the labour camp Novaky in Slovakia .
Germany was losing World War II and the Red Army was drawing ever closer to the camp .
“ Our transport was the first one that didn ’ t go straight to the gas , ” Umlauf said .
She was still tattooed on arrival — and promptly fainted .
The blue number on the inside of her lower left arm remains visible today : A-26959 .
The trained pediatrician and psychotherapist still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times per week .
While many other remaining Auschwitz survivors are frail and ailing , Umlauf is energetic and active even though she has also suffered several severe illnesses — likely effects of her months in Auschwitz .
When Auschwitz was liberated on Jan. 27 , 1945 , Umlauf was very sick .
A fellow prisoner and pediatrician who looked after her at the hospital ward , told Umlauf ’ s mother Agnes Hecht : “ Forget your child , she won ’ t survive.
” But Hecht , who had lost her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unwilling to give up on her daughter .
She stayed on at Auschwitz for several weeks after liberation because Eva was too weak to even walk .
She also gave birth to Eva ’ s younger sister Leonore there , and finally , one summer day in 1945 when Eva was a bit healthier , she took the two little girls back to her home in Trencin , western Slovakia .
“ We lived a seemingly normal life , ” Umlauf remembered as she looked through old black-and-white family photos that are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ My mom barely talked about the Holocaust and I never asked questions , ” Umlauf said .
Nevertheless , the loss was unmistakable .
When other children went to visit their grandparents during summer vacations , Eva and her sister stayed at home with their mother — they didn ’ t have any grandparents .
When a young Christian mother in Trencin died in childbirth , Umlauf ’ s mother stood on the curb watching the funeral procession and muttered , “ They should also know what it ’ s like when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glad they also get to experience what that ’ s like.
” And once the mother told her daughters , “ I ’ d give an entire closet if only one of my relatives would come back.
” Agnes Hecht had been born into an affluent Jewish-Slovakian family , but its fortune was lost in the war and she was very poor .
For her , a closet was her most precious possession .
Despite growing up in poverty and often falling ill , Umlauf did well at school and was able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 1967 , she moved to Germany to join her husband , a Polish Holocaust survivor who had settled in Munich .
At that time , the memories of Auschwitz were mostly subdued by daily routine — building a home , raising her children and working in the hospital .
But off and on the horror would force its way to the surface .
When Umlauf was pregnant with her third child , she had nightmares of babies being thrown into fire alive and gas chambers full of dead babies .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had grown up and she had semi-retired that she finally turned her full attention to the silenced past .
Umlauf travelled to archives across Europe and Israel to seek glimpses of the fates of the family members she was never able to meet .
In the end , she wrote her autobiography , which includes stories about relatives who perished in the Shoah .
It was published in 2016 in Germany under the title , “ The number on your lower arm is as blue as your eyes “ — a line from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote about her .
“ There are a lot of dead I have to live with , ” she said .
“ It made me fall terribly ill when I was writing.
” However , the project also brought closure .
“ The book was healing , not just for me but for my entire family , ” she said .
As Holocaust survivors from around the world prepare to travel back to Auschwitz for Monday ’ s commemorations of the camp ’ s liberation , Umlauf has decided to also return for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three adult sons .
“ You can feel the emptiness there , “ she said .
” You feel the dead .
You feel the burned earth .
You feel that something atrocious has happened there.
” See all of the AP ’ s coverage of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz at https : //apnews.com/Auschwitz

Kirsten Grieshaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Battle for India’s new citizenship law moves to top court

NEW DELHI - India ’ s top court on Wednesday began hearing dozens of petitions seeking the revocation of amendments to the citizenship law following nationwide protests and a security crackdown that led to more than 20 deaths .
The Supreme Court would not grant a stay before hearing from the government , which has argued the law is a humanitarian gesture allowing citizenship for people fleeing religious persecution in Muslim-majority Pakistan , Bangladesh and Afghanistan .
Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde , the head of a three-judge panel , told the courtroom he will make a decision in four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the petitions .
He also asked a larger , five-judge constitutional panel to take part in the decision .
The law Parliament approved in December sparked vehement opposition .
Protesters , political opponents and constitutional lawyers have said it is discriminatory because it excludes Muslims .
The nationwide protests numbering in the tens of thousands appear to be the fiercest public criticism Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Hindu nationalist-led government has faced .
Modi ’ s party has downplayed the protests as orchestrated by political opponents .
His powerful Home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not retreat on the law .
“ Those who want to protest may continue doing so , ” Shah said Tuesday at a public rally in Lucknow .
Most of the petitions argue that by excluding Muslims , the law undermines the first sentence of the preamble to the Indian Constitution , which defines the country as secular , and violates Article 14 , which guarantees equality before the law .
“ We believe the court will certainly take into consideration the views expressed by all these sections of people , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is against the Constitution of India , ” said petitioner K.M .
Kader Mohideen .
Modi ’ s government and proponents of the changes say Muslim immigrants still could attain citizenship through the existing naturalization process .
“ Because it is a well-drafted legislation , with a specific purpose , for a specific group of people , there is really no problem on it passing the muster , ” said Aishwarya Bhati , a senior advocate at the Supreme Court who supports the government ’ s move .
Those who oppose the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not based on an immigrant ’ s religion , but on religious persecution in the three countries .
“ If you discriminate on the grounds of religion , that itself is prohibited in the constitution , ” said Colin Gonsalves , a senior advocate at the Supreme Court and founder of the Human Rights Law Network , which filed two of the petitions .
Gonsalves , however , said it is unlikely judges will strike down or alter the law , echoing the fears of many Indians who oppose the measure and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Supreme Court is no longer the beacon light of democracy in India , ” Gonsalves said .
“ Judges today are political , liaised , in a wrong way , that is , towards government.
” Jay Panda , the national vice-president and spokesman of Modi ’ s party , said that many of the protesters were students or poor , illiterate people , many of whom had not read the amendment and were being misled by “ provocateurs.
” “ Some people are deliberately provoking them , ” said Panda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of Muslim women , many of them homemakers , on the outskirts of India ’ s capital .
Critics also say that the new citizenship law discriminates because it lowers the minimum residence requirement to five years for Hindu , Sikh , Buddhist , Jain , Parsi and Christian migrants , while keeping it at 11 years for Muslims and other religious groups .
India has a vast , undocumented immigrant population among its 1.3 billion people , with many of them living in the country for generations .
In the northeastern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes-violent opposition to immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh , the government last year said 1.9 million people had failed to prove their Indian citizenship .
Those people must make their case for citizenship in front of quasi-legal tribunals , and could be detained or deported if the tribunals deem them foreigners .
___ Associated Press writers Emily Schmall and Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report .

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thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Trump to hold news conference before leaving Davos forum

DAVOS , Switzerland - President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will hold a news conference before he leaves Switzerland @ @ @ @ @ where his impeachment trial is under way .
He announced the unexpected availability during a @ @ @ @ @ Salih .
“ We ’ ve had tremendous success in Davos , “ referring to @ @ @ @ @ Economic Forum .
“ We ’ ll do a quick news conference.
” Trump arrived @ @ @ @ @ He addressed the forum and over two days has held meetings with leaders from the @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan , among others .
The Republican president said in most of his meetings that @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s impeachment trial in the Senate reconvened on Tuesday .
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Darlene Superville - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Cases of new viral respiratory illness rise sharply in China

BEIJING - Chinese health authorities urged people in the city of Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings , after warning that a new viral illness that has infected more than 400 people and killed at least nine could spread further .
The appeal came ahead of a World Health Organization meeting in Geneva later Wednesday to determine whether the outbreak should be declared a global health crisis .
The number of new cases has risen sharply in China , the centre of the outbreak .
There were 440 confirmed cases as of midnight Tuesday in 13 jurisdictions , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Health Commission .
Nine people have died , all in Hubei province , since the outbreak emerged in its provincial capital of Wuhan late last month .
“ There has already been human-to-human transmission and infection of medical workers , “ Li said at a news conference with health experts .
“ Evidence has shown that the disease has been transmitted through the respiratory tract and there is the possibility of viral mutation.
” The illness comes from a newly identified type of coronavirus , a family of viruses that can cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious illnesses such as the SARS outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003 and killed about 800 people .
Authorities in Thailand on Wednesday confirmed four cases , a Thai national and three Chinese visitors .
Japan , South Korea , the United States and Taiwan have all reported one case each .
All of the illnesses were of people from Wuhan or who recently travelled there .
“ The situation is under control here , “ Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading to others .
“ We checked all of them : taxi drivers , people who wheeled the wheelchairs for the patients , doctors and nurses who worked around them.
” Macao , a former Portuguese colony that is a semi-autonomous Chinese city , reported one case Wednesday .
U.S. President Donald Trump said : “ We do have a plan , and we think it ’ s going to be handled very well .
We ’ ve already handled it very well .
... we ’ re in very good shape , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very good shape also.
” In Wuhan , pharmacies limited sales of face masks to one package per customer as people lined up to buy them .
Residents said they were not overly concerned as long as they took preventive measures .
“ As an adult , I am not too worried about the disease , “ Yang Bin , the father of a 7-year-old , said after buying a mask .
“ I think we are more worried about our kids .
...
It would be unacceptable to the parents if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suits could be seen carrying supplies and stretchers into Wuhan Medical Treatment Center , where some of the patients are being treated .
Travel agencies that organize trips to North Korea said the country has banned foreign tourists because of the outbreak .
Most tourists to North Korea are either Chinese or travel to the country through neighbouring China .
North Korea also closed its borders in 2003 during the SARS scare .
Other countries have stepped up screening measures for travellers from China , especially those arriving from Wuhan .
Worries have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday rush , when millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad .
Officials said it was too early to compare the new virus with SARS or MERS , or Middle East respiratory syndrome , in terms of how lethal it might be .
They attributed the spike in new cases to improvements in detection and monitoring .
“ We are still in the process of learning more about this disease , ” Gao Fu , an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gao said officials are working on the assumption that the outbreak resulted from human exposure to wild animals being sold illegally at a food market in Wuhan and that the virus is mutating .
Mutations can make it spread faster or make people sicker .
Jiao Yahui , a health commission official , said the disease “ will continue to develop .
It has developed different features compared with the early stage , and the prevention and precautionary measures need to change accordingly.
” One veteran of the SARS outbreak said that while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus — namely its origins in China and the link to animals — the current outbreak appears much milder .
Dr. David Heymann , who headed WHO ’ s global response to SARS in 2003 , said the new virus appears dangerous for older people with other health conditions , but doesn ’ t seem nearly as infectious as SARS .
“ It looks like it doesn ’ t transmit through the air very easily and probably transmits through close contact , ” he said .
“ That was not the case with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that the disease can be spread between humans after finding two infected people in Guangdong province in southern China who had not been to Wuhan .
Fifteen medical workers also tested positive for the virus , the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission has said .
Fourteen of them — one doctor and 13 nurses — were infected by a patient who had been hospitalized for neurosurgery but also had the coronavirus .
“ This is a very profound lesson , which is that there must not be any cracks in our prevention and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said about the infections of the medical workers in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV .
The Lunar New Year is a time when many Chinese return to their hometowns to visit family .
Li , the health commission official , said measures were being taken to monitor and detect infected people from Wuhan , and that people should avoid going to the city , and people from the city should stay put for now .
Associated Press journalists Dake Kang and Emily Wang in Wuhan , China ; Tassanee Vejpongsa in Bangkok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , South Korea ; Maria Cheng in London ; Yanan Wang in Beijing and Alice Fung in Hong Kong contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--China virus outbreak may wallop economy, financial markets

BANGKOK - News that a new virus that has afflicted hundreds of people in central China can spread between humans has rattled financial markets and raised concern it might wallop the economy just as it might be regaining momentum .
Health authorities across Asia have been stepping up surveillance and other precautions to prevent a repeat of the disruptions and deaths during the 2003 SARS crisis , which caused $ 40 billion- $ 50 billion in losses from reduced travel and spending .
The first cases of what has been identified as a novel coronavirus were linked to a seafood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it now is also thought to be spread between people .
As of Wednesday , some 440 people were confirmed infected and nine had died from the illness , which can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms .
A retreat in financial markets on Tuesday was followed by a rebound on Wednesday , as investors snapped up bargains .
Share benchmarks were mostly higher both in Asia and in Europe .
While the new virus appears much less dangerous than SARS , “ the most significant Asia risk could lie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes hold , which could multiply the disease diffusion , “ said Stephen Innes , chief Asian strategist for AxiCorp .
“ So , while the risk is returning to the market , the lights might not turn green until we move through the Lunar New Year travel season to better gauge the coronavirus dispersion.
” The 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in China , along with cases of a deadly form of bird flu , resulted in widespread quarantine measures in many Chinese cities and in Hong Kong .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under 800 people died , a mortality rate of under 10 % .
While the ordinary flu kills hundreds of thousands of people each year , such new diseases raise alarm due to the uncertainties over how deadly they might be and how they might spread .
That ’ s especially true during the annual mass travel of the Lunar New Year festival , which begins this week .
“ The cost to the global economy can be quite staggering in negative GDP terms if this outbreak reaches epidemic proportions as until this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential of the flu spreading , “ Innes said in a report .
In China , health officials stepped up screening for fevers .
“ We ask the public to avoid crowds and minimize the public gatherings to reduce the possibility of cross infection , “ Li Bin , deputy director of the National Health Commission , said Wednesday .
Just as with SARS , though , the impact of the disease is likely to fall heaviest on specific industries , such as hotels and airlines , railways , casinos and other leisure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most declined Tuesday but rebounded on Wednesday as investors locked in profits ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday .
The outbreak is a boon , meanwhile , for pharmaceutical companies and makers of protective masks and other medical gear .
“ If the pneumonia couldn ’ t be contained in the short term , we expect China ’ s retail sales , tourism , hotel & catering , travel activities likely to be hit , especially in the first and second quarters , “ said Ning Zhang of UBS .
Government efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but growth will likely rebound less than earlier forecast , Zhang said .
As of Jan. 17 , the World Health Organization had not recommended any international restrictions on travel but urged local authorities to work with the travel industry to help prevent the disease from spreading while warning travellers who fall ill to seek medical attention .
The illness is yet another blow for Hong Kong , whose economy is reeling from months of often violent anti-government protests .
The wider concern is China , where the economy grew at a 30-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An interim trade pact between Beijing and Washington had raised hopes that some pressure from tensions between the two biggest economies might ease , and the latest data have showed signs of improved demand for exports .
The virus outbreak raises the risk such optimism might be premature .
“ According to our analysis of the spread of the SARS virus , which so far appears very similar to 2019-nCoV ( the new virus ) , we expect increased downward pressure on China ’ s growth , particularly in the services sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Nomura in Hong Kong said in a commentary .
The growing number of global travellers has contributed to the spread of various diseases in recent years , including Middle East respiratory syndrome , the Ebola and Zika viruses , the plague , measles and other highly contagious illnesses .
The World Economic Forum estimates that pandemics — cross-border outbreaks like the flu that killed 50 million people a century ago — have the potential to cause an $ 570 billion in annual economic losses .
The 2014-16 Ebola virus epidemic caused losses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the World Bank .
That includes a 40 % decrease in the number of working Liberians at the height of the crisis , lower exports and harvests , and costs for combating the disease .
Apart from the human tragedy , such crises gobble up resources needed for other government spending , exacting a harsh toll on the poorest economies .
In Africa , the loss of health care workers to Ebola resulted in thousands more deaths of mothers and babies , hindered work on other diseases such as preventing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced vaccination rates and fewer surgeries , the World Bank said in a report .
Many survivors , meanwhile , suffer from lingering effects of the illnesses and the powerful drugs used to save their lives , becoming more vulnerable to hunger and other risks .
At the same time , increasingly sophisticated tools for collecting data and analyzing are aiding efforts to prepare for and cope with severe disease outbreaks .
In 2016 , the World Bank set up a $ 500 million rapid response insurance fund , working with the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in developing countries .
The fund uses “ cat bonds , “ or catastrophe bonds , whose principal will be lost if the funds are needed to help deal with an outbreak .
Private insurers have followed with products of their own meant to hedge against risks from such disasters .

Elaine Kurtenbach - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Afghan officials: US airstrike killed 10 civilians in Herat

KABUL - A drone attack carried out by U.S. forces earlier this month in western Afghanistan that apparently targeted a splinter Taliban group also killed at least 10 civilians , including three women and three children , an Afghan rights official and a council member said Wednesday .
According to the Afghan official , who is on the country ’ s Human Rights Commission , the strike took place in western Herat province , in the district of Shindanad .
Five other civilians , including two children , were wounded , he said , speaking on condition of anonymity because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters .
There was no immediate comment from the Afghan military or the U.S. forces .
But Wakil Ahmad Karokhi , a provincial council member in Herat , said the Jan. 8 strike also killed the commander of a Taliban splinter group , known as Mullah Nangyalia , along with 15 other militants .
The commanders funeral the following day was held in the Herat provincial capital ’ s Guzargah neighbourhood , and was attended by dozens of militants .
Karokhi criticized the strike as “ huge mistake ” saying the commander had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Shindand district , taking up arms with his fighters against the insurgents “ when no one else would do it “ and leaving the area ’ s civilians in peace .
The Taliban today control nearly half of Afghanistan , and continue to stage near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces , even as they hold peace talks with Washington and have given a U.S. peace envoy a document outlining their offer for a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan .
Scores of Afghan civilians have also been killed in the crossfire and by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Taliban operations undertaken by government forces assisted by American troops .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-22--The Latest: Turkey says Russia must help halt Syria attacks

DAVOS , Switzerland - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Russia has the responsibility to halt the Syrian government ’ @ @ @ @ @ airstrikes on rebel-held parts of northwestern Syria killed at least 17 people .
The airstrikes @ @ @ @ @ a Syrian government offensive on the northwestern province of Idlib , the last rebel stronghold @ @ @ @ @ the rebel-held parts of nearby Aleppo province .
The strikes came amid continued violence despite @ @ @ @ @ agreement between Russia and Turkey went into effect earlier this month .
Cavusoglu told a @ @ @ @ @ Forum , in Davos , Switzerland , that “ Russia is obliged to stop this @ @ @ @ @ the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Senate approves impeachment trial rules, rejecting witnesses

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two days but solidly rejecting Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose what they deem Trump ’ s “ trifecta ” of offences .
The daylong session started Tuesday with the setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the president ’ s legal team , but it ended near 2 a.m. Wednesday with Republicans easily approving the rest of the trial rules largely on their terms .
The result is Trump ’ s historic trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an election year .
“ We have a great case , ” Trump said as he began his second day at a global economic forum in Davos , Switzerland .
He said he thought his legal team was doing a “ very good job.
” The trial is now on a fast-track with almost no signs of Republican resistance to the actions that led to his impeachment .
“ It ’ s about time we bring this power trip in for a landing , ” said White House counsel Pat Cipollone , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out at the House Democrats prosecuting the case .
“ It ’ s a farce , ” he said about the impeachment proceeding , “ and it should end.
“ Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open the session , with House prosecutors on one side , Trump ’ s team on the other , in the well of the Senate , as senators sat silently at their desks , under oath to do “ impartial justice.
” No cellphones or other electronics were allowed .
As the day stretched deep into the night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointedly political ones .
Tempers flared and senators paced the chamber .
Democrats pursued what may be their only chance to force senators to vote on hearing new testimony .
After one particularly bitter post-midnight exchange , Roberts intervened , taking the rare step of admonishing both the Democratic House managers prosecuting the case and the White House counsel to “ remember where they are.
” “ I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the president ’ s counsel in equal terms to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s greatest deliberative body , “ the usually reserved Roberts said .
He told them that description of the Senate stemmed from a 1905 trial when a senator objected to the word “ pettifogging , ” because members should ” avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse.
” Over and over , Republicans turned back Democratic amendments to subpoena documents from the White House , State Department , Defence Department and budget office .
By the same 53-47 party-line , they turned away witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and John Bolton , the former national security adviser critical of the Ukraine policy .
Only on one amendment , to allow more time to file motions , did a single Republican , Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , join Democrats .
But it , too , was rejected , 52-48 .
“ It ’ s not our job to make it easy for you , “ Rep. Adam Schiff , the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make it hard to deprive the American people of a fair trial.
” As the visitors ’ gallery filled earlier with guests , actress-and-activist Alyssa Milano among them , and Trump ’ s most ardent House allies lining the back rows , the day that began as a debate over rules quickly took on the cadence of a trial proceeding over whether the president ’ s actions toward Ukraine warranted removal from office .
Cipollone led the prosecution , scoffing that the House charges against Trump were “ ridiculous , ” insisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong.
” The White House legal team did not dispute Trump ’ s actions , when he called Ukraine and asked for a “ favour , ” which was to investigate Democrat Joe Biden as the U.S. was withholding military aid the ally desperately needed as it faced off with hostile Russia on its border .
But the lawyers insisted the president did nothing wrong .
“ Absolutely no case , ” Cipollone said .
Schiff , the California Democrat , said America ’ s Founders added the remedy of impeachment in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct in mind — conduct that abuses the power of office for a personal benefit , that undermines our national security , and that invites foreign interference in the democratic process of an election.
“ Said Schiff : “ It is the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment.
’ ’ The other lead lawyer on Trump ’ s team , Jay Sekulow , retorted , “ I ’ ll give you a trifecta , ” outlining complaints over the House Democrats ’ impeachment inquiry process .
The impeachment trial is testing whether Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as voters are forming their own verdict on his White House .
All four senators who are presidential candidates were off the campaign trail , seated as jurors .
“ My focus is going to be on impeachment , ” Sen. Bernie Sanders , the Vermont independent , told reporters .
McConnell stunned senators and delayed the start of proceedings with his decision to back off some of his proposed rules .
He made the adjustment after encountering resistance from Republicans during a closed-door lunch meeting .
Senators worried about the political optics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could come from cramming the 24 hours of opening arguments from each side into just two days .
Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowksi of Alaska , who often buck party leadership , along with a substantial number of other Republicans , wanted to make the changes , according to people familiar with the situation .
It was only when the clerk started reading the dry language of the resolution that the hand-written changes to extend debate to three days became apparent .
It also allowed the House impeachment record to be included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a swift lesson as White House wishes run into the reality of the Senate .
The White House wanted a session kept to a shorter period to both expedite the trial and shift more of the proceedings into late night , according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorized to discuss it in public .
“ READ THE TRANSCRIPTS !
” the president tweeted from overseas , at a global leaders conference in Davos , Switzerland .
That ’ s the transcript of his phone call in which he asked new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour.
” The Democrats cite that transcript as solid evidence against Trump , though he repeatedly describes it as “ perfect.
” The House impeached Trump last month on a charge of abuse of power for pushing Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Biden and his son Hunter Biden as the White House was withholding military aid from Ukraine .
Trump also was impeached on a second charge , of obstruction of Congress , in the House probe .
Trump ’ s legal team , absent its TV-showcase attorneys , Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , argued that in seeking new evidence the House was bringing a half-baked case .
But Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California , one of the House managers and the first woman to argue for the prosecution in a presidential impeachment trial , said the House wasn ’ t asking the Senate to do the job for them .
“ The House is asking the Senate to do its job , to have a trial , ” she said .
“ Have you ever heard of a trial without evidence ?
’ ’ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify in the House inquiry , and refused to turn over witnesses or documents , citing what is says is precedence in defiance of congressional subpoenas .
The ambassadors and national security officials who did appear before the House delivered often striking testimony , highlights that were displayed on television screens during the Senate proceeding .
Democrat Schiff displayed video of Trump himself suggesting there should be more witnesses testifying .
One by one , the House managers made the case , drawing on their own life experiences .
Rep. Val Demings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she never saw anyone take “ such extreme steps to hide evidence.
’ ’ Rep. Jason Crow , a former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan , seemed to capture senators ’ attention when he told them near he knew the hour was late , but it was morning in Ukraine where soldiers were waking up to fight Russia , depending on U.S. aid .
It was when Rep. Jerrold Nadler , the House Judiciary Committee chairman also leading the prosecution , said the White House lawyers “ lie ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be embarrassed and apologize , leading to Roberts ’ admonition .
No president has ever been removed from office .
With its 53-47 Republican majority , the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds vote needed for conviction .
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick , Eric Tucker , Alan Fram , Laurie Kellman , Andrew Taylor , Matthew Daly and Padmananda Rama in Washington , Jamey Keaten in Davos , Switzerland and David Pitt in Des Moines , Iowa , contributed to this report .

Lisa Mascaro And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Russia-Poland feud over history clouds Auschwitz anniversary

WARSAW , Poland - Over the next several days , world leaders will gather twice to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau , the most notorious of Nazi Germany ’ s death camps .
That there will be two competing ceremonies — one in Jerusalem on Thursday and the other at the Auschwitz site in southern Poland on Monday — underlines how politically charged World War II remains as nationalist governments in Russia and Poland seek to use their own interpretation of the past for contemporary political gain .
Leaders at both sites , joined by elderly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust .
Yet the commemorations risk being overshadowed by a bitter dispute between Poland — where Nazi German occupiers operated Auschwitz and other infamous camps — and Russia , the successor state to the Soviet Union .
“ I am afraid this will not help the commemoration of the Holocaust , ” said Dariusz Stola , a Polish historian and former director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews .
Such commemorations , he said , should ideally be a moment “ for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now the past is serving the aims of current politics , ” he told The Associated Press .
Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz on Jan. 27 , 1945 .
But the country had also signed a nonaggression accord with the Nazis shortly before the war began in 1939 , known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact .
It contained a secret protocol in which the totalitarian powers agreed to carve up Eastern Europe .
Two years later , Germany turned on Kremlin leader Josef Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union , bringing the Soviets into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Millions of Red Army soldiers lost their lives in the eventual defeat of Adolf Hitler ’ s Germany .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to shift wartime blame to Poland over anger that historical memory in the West has begun to focus more on the Soviet role in triggering the war and less on its role in defeating Germany .
The Russian historical moves have outraged the Polish government , which believes Putin ’ s main motive is to weaken Polish influence in the European Union .
Warsaw is one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow for its annexation of Crimea and has also been fighting a planned Russian gas pipeline .
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has accused Putin of lying deliberately to deflect from his own failures , including a ban on Russian athletes over doping .
At the same time , Poland has come under criticism for allegedly minimizing the role its own people played in helping Nazi occupiers kill Jews .
Putin and other Russian officials have been claiming that Poland — which was invaded in 1939 by German and Soviet forces — actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western historians see those allegations as a cynical ploy to minimize Soviet responsibility as Moscow today seeks to glorify what is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War and more generally a Stalinist era that included mass killings of opponents at home and suffering imposed on Eastern Europe during decades of communist rule .
In recent days , Poland ’ s government has been defending the nation ’ s record , recalling how its wartime government-in-exile sought to save Jews by warning the world , and listing cultural and economic damage that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its territory at the end of World War II .
In drawing dozens of world leaders to the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem , Israel had hoped to present a united front in commemorating the genocide of European Jewry and warning against the perils of modern-day anti-Semitism .
Instead , Polish President Andrzej Duda is boycotting the event at the Yad Vashem memorial because , unlike Putin , he was not invited to speak and wouldn ’ t be able to defend his nation ’ s historical record .
Duda will preside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not attend .
Israel has said it didn ’ t offer Duda a speaking role because his country was not among World War II ’ s liberating nations .
It said the German president was also being allowed to speak to take responsibility for the perpetrators .
The deeper explanation appears to be rooted in Israel ’ s sensitive relationship with Russia .
The Jerusalem event is being orchestrated by Moshe Kantor , the president of the European Jewish Congress and a billionaire oligarch who is close to Putin .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his side due to Russia ’ s involvement in the war in neighbouring Syria , where Israel is deeply concerned about the presence of Iranian forces .
He also is hoping the Russian leader will free a young Israeli woman imprisoned on drug charges in Russia — a development that would give Netanyahu a welcome boost before national elections in March .
During Putin ’ s visit , Netanyahu will dedicate a monument honouring the the nearly 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad .
The city , now known as St. Petersburg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations are still reeling over the Polish government ’ s controversial Holocaust speech law in 2018 that sought to criminalize blaming the Polish nation for the Holocaust .
It was part of its wider efforts to portray Poles primarily as rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust while seeking to play down the fact that there were also Poles who abetted the Germans in hunting down and killing Jews .
Jan Grabowski , a Polish-Canadian historian at the University of Ottawa , argued recently that Putin was engaging in a “ cynical falsification of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities , ” discredited by years of twisting the history of the Holocaust , have lost any credibility and moral legitimacy to enter into a dispute in this field.
” The insertion of politics into such a solemn event clearly has been unsettling for historians and Holocaust survivors .
But Yad Vashem historian Robert Rozett said he hoped the image of more than 45 world leaders coming together to remember the Holocaust would help it “ rise above ” what he described as unfortunate background noise .
“ Using history for all kinds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our world today and we as historians rail against it , ” he told the AP .
“ But if if we were waiting for all the stars to line up and for everyone to be on the same page , we would never have an event like this .
”

Vanessa Gera And Aron Heller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Dispute over rules erupts on impeachment’s first full day

WASHINGTON - A rancorous dispute over rules marked the first full day of President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
After nearly 13 hours of debate over Democratic amendments , the rules for the trial were adopted unchanged in a party-line vote early Wednesday .
Highlights of Tuesday ’ s session and what ’ s ahead as senators conduct just the third impeachment trial of a president : A proposal by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would have imposed a tight two-day schedule for opening arguments by each side .
The plan , an apparent bid by McConnell to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have forced senators to vote affirmatively to consider evidence compiled by the House during its impeachment proceedings .
The proposal drew immediate protests from Democrats , and some Republicans made their concerns known in private during a GOP lunch .
The initial plan , they argued , would have helped Democrats cast Republicans as squeezing testimony through in the dead of night .
McConnell quickly added an extra day for opening arguments and stipulated that evidence from the House proceedings be included in the record .
Trump , attending a global leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his feelings about impeachment clear .
“ READ THE TRANSCRIPTS !
” he tweeted from overseas .
The tweet referred to a rough transcript of Trump ’ s phone call in which he asked new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for “ a favour.
” The call sparked a whistleblower ’ s complaint that led to an investigation culminating in a House vote to impeach Trump on a charge of abuse of power for pushing Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden while withholding military aid from Ukraine .
The House also voted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Congress .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York offered the first amendment to the rules — a proposal to issue a subpoena to the White House for “ all documents , communications and other records ” relating to the Ukraine matter .
In a prelude to other Democratic requests , Republicans promptly rejected Schumer ’ s amendment on a 53-47 , party-line vote .
Republicans defeated a series of other Democratic motions on identical party-line votes as senators debated late into the night .
Amid the partisan back and forth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered initial arguments .
Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and lead prosecutor , said the rules package proposed by McConnell was “ a process for a rigged trial ” and a ” coverup.
” Schiff and other Democrats cite the White House transcript as evidence of Trump ’ s political pressure campaign on Ukraine , although the president repeatedly describes the call as “ perfect.
” Trump ’ s legal team does not dispute his actions in the July 25 call .
But White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lead lawyer , said the charges against the president don ’ t amount to impeachable offences and that Trump committed no crime .
They also say there ’ s no evidence that aid to Ukraine was tied to a request for an investigation of Biden and his son Hunter , a former board member of a Ukrainian gas company .
“ Just because the House proceedings were a circus that doesn ’ t mean the Senate ’ s trial needs to be , ” tweeted Sen. Lamar Alexander , R-Tenn .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on both sides to determine whether additional witnesses or documents should be considered by the Senate .
Democrats proposed 10 amendments during the marathon session , and Republicans rejected all of them .
At nearly 2 a.m. Wednesday , the Senate approved the rules 53-47 , reflecting the Republican-Democratic makeup of the chamber .
More legal skirmishes are expected Wednesday , and White House lawyers may move to call for the case to be dismissed , although it was not clear if they planned to pursue that option .
Some Republicans have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Absent another unexpected delay , opening arguments by both sides are likely to resume .


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Mother charged in college bribery case to plead guilty

BOSTON - A California woman accused of paying a company $ 9,000 to take online classes for her son at Georgetown University is expected to plead guilty Wednesday in federal court in Boston .
Karen Littlefair , 57 , is scheduled to appear in court after reaching a deal with prosecutors in December .
The resident of Newport Beach , California , has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud .
The charge carries up to 20 years in prison , but prosecutors said they will recommend four months and a $ 9,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 people charged in a sweeping college admissions scandal that has ensnared dozens of wealthy parents .
Many are accused of portraying their children as fake athletic recruits to get them into elite colleges , while others allegedly paid to rig their children ’ s SAT or ACT exams .
At the centre of the case is college admissions consultant William “ Rick ” Singer , who is accused of orchestrating the scheme and pleaded guilty last year .
Prosecutors say Littlefair hired Singer ’ s company to take four online classes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduate from Georgetown in 2018 .
Three of the courses were taken through Georgetown , prosecutors said , while one was taken online at Arizona State University and then transferred to Georgetown .
Littlefair paid a total of about $ 9,200 .
Her son graduated from the private university in Washington , D.C. , in May 2018 .
The school said it has the authority to revoke degrees if serious misconduct is discovered after a student graduates , but officials have not said whether they took action against Littlefair ’ s son .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked with Singer and his employees to make sure the scheme worked .
When one of the classes required a video conference with a professor , Littlefair asked Singer to provide a stand-in for her son since he was scheduled to be out of the country , prosecutors said .
An employee at Singer ’ s company agreed to have a “ fellow male colleague ” act as Littlefair ’ s son .
Littlefair later demanded a discount when Singer billed her for a portion of the work , authorities said .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in one of the classes and said “ the experience was a nightmare !
” Singer refused to provide a discount , saying the process “ was a nightmare for all.
” Officials at Georgetown said they uncovered the misconduct in an internal review that began after authorities first announced the bribery case in March 2019 .
Among those initially charged were former Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst , who is accused of taking $ 2.7 million in bribes to designate at least 12 applicants as recruited athletes even if they didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not guilty .
Georgetown previously rescinded admissions to two applicants connected to the case .


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Roberts admonishes House prosecution, White House defence

WASHINGTON - Chief Justice John Roberts drew little attention to himself in the beginning 12 hours of his first impeachment trial .
But it was just before 1 a.m. , as tempers on the floor had started to wear thin , that he reminded senators , House impeachment managers and President Donald Trump ’ s defence team who was in charge .
“ I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the president ’ s counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world ’ s greatest deliberative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a particularly tense exchange between House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and the president ’ s lawyers .
Roberts asked them to “ avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse.
” He did not say what prompted his comments , but they came after Nadler told senators that voting to deny certain witnesses in the trial , as many GOP senators had , was a “ treacherous vote ” and a vote against the United States .
Trump ’ s defence team then said Nadler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president and the American people .
Roberts ’ new role presiding over the trial is one of two jobs he is juggling as the impeachment session gets underway .
On Tuesday morning , he donned his black robe and oversaw two arguments at the Supreme Court before heading across the street to the U.S. Capitol where he is presiding over the trial in the Senate chamber .
His busy schedule meant he didn ’ t have time to join his fellow justices for a group lunch , a high court custom following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be back again in the Court on Wednesday morning — just hours after the first day of the trial adjourned at 2 a.m. Just before the day ended , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thanked Roberts for his service .
“ I want to say on behalf of all of us , thank you for your patience , “ McConnell told him , as senators clapped .
Over the past 14 years , Roberts has gotten comfortable in the role of chief justice of the United States , but presiding over Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role for Roberts , who is used to proceedings that aren ’ t televised as they are in the Senate .
It is only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history , coming just weeks before the first primaries of the 2020 election season and as voters are assessing Trump ’ s first term and weighing the candidates who want to challenge him in the fall .
House Democrats impeached the president last month on two charges : abuse of power by withholding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as he pressed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and obstruction of Congress by refusing to comply with their investigation .
Trump ’ s legal team has argued that the Republican president did “ absolutely nothing wrong ” and urged the Senate to swiftly reject the “ flawed ’ ’ case against him .
Roberts ’ added responsibilities shouldn ’ t affect the work of the court .
That ’ s because the justices generally finish their joint business in the mornings , giving Roberts time to preside over oral arguments and lead the justices ’ regularly scheduled private conferences before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in written responses to questions from reporters that it ’ s expected to be “ business as usual “ at the court during the trial .
And if there ’ s a good time in Roberts ’ schedule to take on added responsibility , this is it , since it ’ s a relatively quiet time at the court .
After one more oral argument scheduled for Wednesday , the court is taking its standard break from oral arguments until late February .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it gets to be crunch time for opinion writing for the justices , who finish their work in June before adjourning for the summer .
The court did acknowledge it scheduled only one argument Wednesday instead of the more standard two in anticipation of a possible impeachment trial .
That made Roberts ’ day at the court shorter .
Trump ’ s trial could be over by the time oral arguments resume at the Supreme Court on Feb. 24 — but maybe not .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delays .
If the trial stretches into five weeks , Roberts would be expected to be with his fellow justices in the morning and lawmakers in the afternoon .
In the unlikely scenario Roberts had to leave an oral argument , the most senior associate justice , Justice Clarence Thomas , would handle duties like calling the cases and telling lawyers to begin their arguments .
But the chief justice would still participate in voting on those cases .
At the Capitol , the chief justice is using the ceremonial President ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the same space used by Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 1999 during former President Bill Clinton ’ s impeachment trial .
One of Roberts ’ four law clerks , Megan Braun , will join him every day when he travels to the Senate , Arberg said .
Roberts ’ colleagues will have to plan one celebration around his new schedule .
The chief justice ’ s 65th birthday is Monday , and the justices generally make time to celebrate birthdays at the court .
They get together to sing “ Happy Birthday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word if the senators will do the same .
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Mark Sherman contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Lebanon’s new Cabinet holds its first meeting amid protests

BEIRUT - Lebanon ’ s new government held its first meeting on Wednesday , a day after it was formed following a three-month-long political vacuum .
But even as the government convened , protesters briefly closed off major roads in and around Beirut , denouncing it as a rubber stamp for the same political parties they blame for widespread corruption .
The new Cabinet , which has the support of the powerful militant Hezbollah group and its allies , has a monumental task ahead — including getting Lebanon out of its worst economic and financial crisis since the 1975-90 civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests against the political elite started in mid-October , leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri ’ s government two weeks later .
Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the ministers held the first meeting at the presidential palace in Beirut ; President Michel Aoun attended the session .
The 20-member Cabinet is made up mostly of specialists and includes six women — a record number for Lebanon — holding key ministries , including those of defence , justice and labour .
Analysts say the new government , being politically aligned with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficulty drumming up international and regional support needed to avoid economic collapse .
Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and oil-rich gulf countries whose support is badly needed for debt-ridden Lebanon .
The European Union considers the military wing of Hezbollah a terrorist organization .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the formation of a new government , saying “ he looks forward to working with ” Diab and his Cabinet , “ including in support of Lebanon ’ s reform agenda and to address the pressing needs of its people.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was being bought at exchange shops around the country for 2,000 Lebanese pounds , after hitting a record of 2,500 pounds to the dollar last week .
The official rate remained at 1,507 pounds to the dollar .
Panic and anger have gripped the public as the pound , pegged to the dollar for more than two decades , plummeted in value .
It fell more than 60 % in recent weeks on the black market .
The economy has seen no growth and flows of foreign currency dried up in the already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for most basic goods .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Masked gunmen kill local commander of Iran’s security forces

TEHRAN , Iran - Masked gunmen on Wednesday ambushed and killed the local commander of a paramilitary security force in southwestern Iran , an associate of Iran ’ s top general recently killed in an American drone strike in Baghdad , the official IRNA news agency reported .
The slain commander , Abdolhossein Mojaddami , headed the Basij forces , a paramilitary wing of the Revolutionary Guard used for internal security and other tasks , in the town of Darkhoein .
He was gunned down in front of his home in the town in the country ’ s oil rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motorcycle , armed with an assault rifle and a hunting rifle , ambushed Mojaddami , IRNA reported .
Other Iranian media said the gunmen ’ s faces were covered with masks and that four shots were fired .
The case is under investigation and a motive was not immediately clear , but Basij units had been involved in violent clashes with demonstrators in the area in November in which many protesters were injured and killed .
Amnesty International has reported that more than 300 people were killed in the unrest across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll .
Mojaddami ’ s killing is seen another blow to the Revolutionary Guard , following the death of top general Qasse m Soleimani earlier this month in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq .
Mojaddami was described by IRNA as an associated of Soleimani , who was the head of the Quds forces , the foreign wing of the Guard .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Top judge elected as Greece’s first female president

ATHENS , Greece - High court judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou has been elected as Greece ’ s first female president with @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary vote .
Lawmakers on Wednesday voted 261-33 to give the 63-year-old Sakellaropoulou a five-year @ @ @ @ @ post .
Greece has a historically low level of women in senior positions in politics @ @ @ @ @ cabinet , all but one of the 18 senior positions are held by men .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Greek islanders protest overcrowded refugee camps

ATHENS , Greece - Local residents , business owners and officials have launched a day of protest on the Greek islands hardest hit by migration , demanding that the Greek government ease the severe overcrowding at refugee camps .
Most stores were closed and public services were halted Wednesday on the Greek islands of Lesbos , Chios and Samos , where the camps in some cases have more than 10 times the number of people they were built for .
Public protests are planned on all three islands and their regional governors and mayors plan to travel to Athens on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
Nearly 75,000 people crossed illegally to European Union member Greece from Turkey in 2019 , according to the U.N. refugee agency , an increase of nearly 50 % from the previous year .
Island authorities are urging the Greek government to step up migrant transfers to the Greek mainland and are seeking further information on its plans to build additional facilities that would be used to detain migrants listed for deportation .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Schilling the one to watch in next Hall of Fame vote

DETROIT - Derek Jeter ’ s election to the Hall of Fame marked the seventh straight year with at least one first-ballot honoree .
That streak is probably over in 2021 .
Tim Hudson , Torii Hunter and Mark Buehrle are among the newcomers expected on the next ballot , and although those three accomplished plenty as major leaguers , they seem unlikely to sail straight into the Hall the way Jeter and Mariano Rivera did in the past couple votes .
Instead , the focus will turn to a number of holdovers , at least one of whom is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was selected on 70 % of the ballots this year .
Candidates need to reach 75 % to be elected by the Baseball Writers ’ Association of America .
Other players whose positions improved significantly this time included Omar Vizquel ( 42.8 % to 52.6 % ) , Scott Rolen ( 17.2 % to 35.3 % ) , Billy Wagner ( 16.7 % to 31.7 % ) , Gary Sheffield ( 13.6 % to 30.5 % ) and Todd Helton ( 16.5 % to 29.2 % ) .
Rivera was elected unanimously in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Roy Halladay , Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina .
Jeter and Larry Walker are going into the Hall this year .
Jeter fell one vote shy of unanimity .
Don ’ t expect that kind of consensus a year from now .
Without much competition for ballot slots from the next group of newcomers , the holdovers could progress further , but only Schilling seems close enough to have a good chance of induction in 2021 .
If fewer than two people are elected by the BBWAA , it will be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody reached the 75 % mark in 2013 .
Things to watch in the next Hall of Fame vote : Schilling figures to be the centre of attention .
He excelled in that spot as a pitcher — his post-season exploits with the Red Sox , Diamondbacks and Phillies have been well documented — but his Hall of Fame candidacy may become even more contentious the closer he gets .
Schilling is no stranger to controversy .
In 2016 , he was fired as an analyst by ESPN for his Facebook comments about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chances to be elected before his time on the ballot would run out .
There wasn ’ t much movement this year for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens , the two most prominent players whose candidacies have been held back by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use .
They were both just under 60 % last year .
This time , Clemens received 61 % and Bonds 60.7 % .
Bonds and Clemens have two more chances on the ballot , and if they ’ re going to have any real surge , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final year .
Sammy Sosa also has two years left , but at 14 % he ’ s much further back .
Walker made the Hall this year in his final year on the ballot , completing a remarkable rise after he received only 10.2 % of the vote in 2014 .
That gives at least some hope for someone like Andruw Jones , who just received 19.4 % in his third year .
Vizquel and Rolen were also in their third year and finished well above Jones , so their prospects will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s still broad disagreement over how to evaluate relievers .
Trevor Hoffman got in on his third try and Rivera his first , but Wagner didn ’ t reach the same stature as those two .
Perhaps he can build some momentum after taking a step forward this year .
Helton moved up in his second year on the ballot , although he still faces questions about how much playing in Colorado helped his offensive production .
The induction of Walker , who also spent time with the Rockies , may help @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Thai police arrest suspect in robbery that killed toddler

BANGKOK - Police in Thailand have arrested a man on suspicion of ruthlessly killing three people , including a toddler , during a gold shop robbery that shocked the country .
Local media said the suspect is the director of a primary school .
It was unclear when he was arrested .
Thai TV stations on Wednesday broadcast live as police marched the man , wearing a face mask and baseball cap , into a police station in Lopburi , about 145 kilometres ( 90 miles ) north of Bangkok , while a crowd of onlookers shouted abuse at him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suspect was co-operating and did not deny involvement .
The robbery took place Jan. 9 at a gold shop inside a shopping mall in Lopburi .
Security video showed a man wearing a balaclava and camouflage pants approach the store , carrying a pistol with a long silencer attached .
He opened fire at staff and passersby .
A 2-year-old boy was hit as he walked past with his mother .
A security guard and a shop assistant were also killed .
Four others were wounded .
The robber then jumped over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gold necklaces before fleeing .
The incident caused outrage in Thailand , putting authorities under pressure to make a swift arrest .
Police say they would give further details about the arrest at a news conference on Thursday .
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Busaba Sivasomboon - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-23--AP Explains: How climate change feeds Africa locust invasion

JOHANNESBURG - Locusts by the millions are nibbling their way across a large part of Africa in the worst outbreak some places have seen in 70 years .
Is this another effect of a changing climate ?
Yes , researchers say .
An unprecedented food security crisis may be the result .
Here ’ s a look at what ’ s going on and where the voracious insects might be going next .
The swarms of desert locusts hang like shimmering dark clouds on the horizon as they scour the countryside in what are already some of the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Roughly the length of a finger , the whirring insects in huge numbers are destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of crops and forcing people in some areas to bodily wade through them .
“ A typical desert locust swarm can contain up to 150 million locusts per square kilometre , ” the East African regional body , the Intergovernmental Authority on Development , has said .
“ Swarms migrate with the wind and can cover 100 to 150 kilometres ( 62 to 93 miles ) in a day .
An average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a day as is sufficient to feed 2,500 people.
” Alarm and exasperation mix with curiosity as people try to shoo the locusts away by shouting , waving pieces of clothing or banging on sheets of corrugated metal .
In rural Kenya , men dashed along a path waving leafy branches at the insects and laughing in astonishment .
“ These things here , they came to us from Ethiopia and are destroying everything along the way including our farm , ” said Esther Ndanu in the Kenyan village of Ngomeni .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ very quickly to bring the plane to spray them with the medicine that can kill them , otherwise they will destroy everything.
” “ I am seeing a catastrophe , ” local official Johnson Mutua Kanandu added .
WHERE IS THIS HAPPENING ?
An “ extremely dangerous increase ” in locust swarm activity has been reported in Kenya , East Africa ’ s economic hub , regional authorities reported last week .
One swarm measured 60 kilometres ( 37 miles ) long by 40 kilometres ( 25 miles ) wide in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenya hasn ’ t seen a locust outbreak like this in 70 years , Rosanne Marchesich , emergency response leader with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization , said Wednesday .
“ It ’ s the worst that we ’ ve seen in Ethiopia and in Somalia in 25 years , ” she added , noting extensive damage to crops .
Millions of people in both countries already cope with the constant risk of drought or flooding , as well as deadly unrest in Ethiopia and extremist attacks in Somalia .
Now South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil war , and Uganda are bracing for the locusts ’ arrival .
“ Uganda has not had to deal with a locust infestation since the ‘ 60s so there is concern about the ability for experts on the ground to be able to deal with it without external support , ” Marchesich said .
“ And in a country like South Sudan , already 47 % of the population is food insecure.
” This week Uganda ’ s prime minister told agriculture authorities that “ this is an emergency and all agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government-controlled New Vision newspaper reported .
Heavy rains in East Africa made 2019 one of the region ’ s wettest years on record , said Nairobi-based climate scientist Abubakr Salih Babiker .
He blamed rapidly warming waters in the Indian Ocean off Africa ’ s eastern coast , which also spawned an unusual number of strong tropical cyclones off Africa last year .
Heavy rainfall and warmer temperatures are favourable conditions for locust breeding and in this case the conditions have become “ exceptional , ” he said .
Even now rainfall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region .
The greenery that springs up keeps the locusts fuelled .
“ Countries are trying to prepare but this took them by surprise , ” Babiker said .
The further increase in locust swarms could last until June as favourable breeding conditions continue , IGAD has said .
But Babiker said it is hard to say for sure when this outbreak will be over .
“ This has become psychologically pressurizing , ” he said , delicately .
WHAT CAN BE DONE ?
Major locust outbreaks can be devastating .
One between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 million to control across 20 countries in northern Africa , the FAO has said .
It caused more than $ 2.5 billion in harvest losses .
To help prevent and control outbreaks , authorities analyze satellite images , stockpile pesticides and conduct aerial spraying .
In Ethiopia , officials have said they deployed four small planes to help fight the invasion .
“ But that is not enough , ” Marchesich with the FAO said of monitoring and control measures .
“ We also have to have anticipatory approaches to safeguard the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-23--Sweden: Fake officer didn’t spy at NATO or hurt security

COPENHAGEN - A man who duped the Swedish military for 18 years by using forged credentials and who even worked at NATO headquarters and was a contact for Russia ’ s security services did not divulge any secret information that could harm Sweden ’ s security , the country ’ s top military commander said Thursday .
The Swedish man , who was not named , was detected as a fraud last year .
“ There is nothing that indicates that classified information has been disseminated , “ Gen. Micael Byden , the head of Sweden ’ s Armed Forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s news agency TT .
Earlier Thursday , Byden informed the Swedish Parliament ’ s Defence Committee of an internal investigation into the case that has rocked the country .
Sweden is not a member of NATO but has moved closer to the military alliance in recent years .
Details of the probe have not been made public .
The fake officer was exposed after having joined Sweden ’ s UN peacekeeping force in Mali as chief of staff with the rank of major .
According to Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the man used forged certificates falsely showing that he had passed the Swedish Army Forces ’ officer training program and falsely claiming to have a university degree in politics .
The man had worked with the Swedish army ’ s intelligence and security service , the daily reported , adding he also had been a contact person for Russia ’ s Federal Security Service ( FSB ) , the main KGB successor agency .
At NATO ’ s military headquarters , or SHAPE , in Belgium , the fake officer worked on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations shared intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance information .
The military chief told TT that “ at least once , an employment decision has been made on unclear grounds.
” Swedish authorities have released no information on the man ’ s current whereabouts or if he faces criminal charges .
NATO , however , was clearly not happy that he had worked at their headquarters .
“ These are serious allegations , ” NATO said in a statement Thursday to The Associated Press .
“ NATO and Sweden are close partners and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities as they establish the facts .
Staff on temporary NATO assignments are selected and sent by the home nation , which is also responsible for security clearances .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-23--Trump aims to remove waterway protections, aiding developers

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration appears ready to move ahead with its plan to remove protections for some of the nation ’ s millions of miles , streams and arroyos , completing one of its most far-reaching environmental rollbacks .
The changes , promised by President Donald Trump in his first weeks in office , would sharply scale back the government ’ s interpretation of which waterways qualify for protection against pollution and development under the half-century-old Clean Water Act .
Trump says he is targeting federal rules and regulations that impose unnecessary burdens on businesses .
An announcement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Thursday .
The changes had been sought by industry , developers and farmers , but opposed by environmental advocates and public health officials .
They say the changes would make it harder to maintain a clean water supply for the American public and would threaten habitat and wildlife .
The administration says the changes would allow farmers to plow their fields without fear of unintentionally straying over the banks of a federally protected dry creek , bog or ditch .
But the government ’ s own figures show it is real estate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sectors that take out the most permits for impinging on wetlands and waterways , and stand to reap the biggest regulatory and financial relief .
A draft version of the rule released earlier would end federal oversight for up to half of the nation ’ s wetlands , which provide buffers against flooding and climate change , and one-fifth of the country ’ s streams , the upstream sources of drinking water , environmental groups warned .
The rollback would be one of the most ambitious of the Trump administration ’ ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment and public health .
While many rollback efforts have targeted regulations adopted under the Obama administration , the draft clean-water plan released earlier would lift federal protections for many waterways and wetlands that have stood for decades under the Clean Water Act .
That includes protections for creek and river beds that run only in wet seasons or after rain or snow melt — the kind of so-called ephemeral and intermittent waterways that provide the majority of water for some dry states in the West .
“ That ’ ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Reagan , “ said Blan Holman , a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center .
Trump has portrayed farmers — a highly valued constituency of the Republican Party and one popular with the public — as the main beneficiaries of the rollback .
He claimed farmers gathered around him wept with gratitude when he signed an order for the rollback in February 2017 .
The federal protections keeping polluters and developers out of waterways and wetlands were “ one of the most ridiculous ” of all regulations , he told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a total kill on you and other businesses , ” Trump said at that time .
Environmental groups , public health organizations and others say it ’ s impossible to keep downstream lakes , rivers and water supplies clean unless upstream waters are also regulated federally .
The targeted regulations also protect wildlife and their habitats .


thetorontostar--2020-01-23--The Latest: German president expresses sorrow for Holocaust

JERUSALEM - The latest on the gathering in Jerusalem of dozens of world leaders for the World Holocaust Forum , which coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp ( all times local ) : German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has expressed his “ deepest sorrow ” for the Holocaust while warning that the “ spirits of evil ” are re-emerging in the form of modern anti-Semitism .
Like other postwar German leaders , he expressed deep remorse on behalf of his country for the killing of 6 million Jews during World War II , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended by world leaders .
He opened and closed his speech by reciting prayers in Hebrew .
He said : “ The spirits of evil are emerging in a new guise , presenting their anti-Semitic , racist , authoritarian thinking as an answer for the future , a new solution to the problems of our age .
And I wish I could say that we Germans have learnt from history once and for all .
But I can not say that when hatred is spreading.
“ He spoke at the World Holocaust Forum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Russian President Vladimir Putin , French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S .
Vice-President Mike Pence were gathered to remember the Nazi genocide .
The gathering coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Britain ’ s Prince Charles says the “ lessons of the Holocaust are searingly relevant to this day.
” Addressing the World Holocaust Forum , Charles told fellow participants Thursday “ that if we don ’ t make the connection between memories of past atrocities and the present there isn ’ t any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the throne is one of several world leaders , including Russian President Vladimir Putin , French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S .
Vice-President Mike Pence , attending the forum , which this year coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Like other speakers , Charles peppered his address with words in Hebrew .
He warned that “ hatred and intolerance still lurk in the human heart.
” “ The magnitude of the genocide that was visited upon the Jewish people defies comprehension and can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those indescribable event feel helplessly inadequate.
” But he warned that “ the Holocaust must never be allowed to become simply a fact of history .
French President Emmanuel Macron says anti-Semitism is “ once again rearing its violent head ” and is not only a problem for Jews .
Addressing world leaders at an international Holocaust forum in Jerusalem on Thursday , Macron said anti-Semitism is “ first and foremost the problem of others.
“ He added that “ in our history , anti-Semitism always preceded the weakening of democracy.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forum , which brings together dozens of heads of state and coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Macron inveighed against Holocaust denial , saying the murder of 6 million Jews is “ not some history you can play with or distort.
” He also said “ no one has the right to use the memory of the dead to justify some kind of contemporary hatred.
” He said another lesson of the Holocaust was that “ Europe must be unified and never forget , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Vice-President Mike Pence is calling on world leaders to confront Iran .
Addressing the World Holocaust Forum , Pence told fellow participants Thursday to “ confront and expose the vile tide of anti-Semitism ” around the world .
“ In that same spirit , we must also stand strong against the leading state purveyor of anti-Semitism , against the one government in the world that denies the Holocaust as a matter of state policy and threatens to wipe Israel off the map .
The world must stand strong against the Islamic Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a loud applause from the Israeli audience .
Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy .
Pence spoke emotionally about the victims and survivors of the Holocaust , in which 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators .
“ Today we gather , nearly 50 nations strong here in Jerusalem to say with one voice ‘ never again , ’ ” he said , drawing more applause .
He ended his speech with a Hebrew prayer for peace , receiving another loud ovation .
Russian President Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most terrible chapters of human history.
” In an address to the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem on Thursday , Putin said “ we remember all the victims of the Nazis , including 6 million Jews who died in camps.
” He claimed 40 % of Jewish Holocaust victims were Soviet citizens , something contested by historians .
He said the Red Army , which liberated many of the Nazi death camps , had “ put an end to these crimes.
” Putin is one of several world leaders , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice-President Mike Pence , attending the forum , which this year coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp by Soviet forces .
Of the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis , historians say about 1 million were Soviet .
Putin ’ s controversial figure appears to include an additional 1.5 million Jewish victims from eastern European areas occupied by the Soviets under their pre-war pact with the Nazis .
Israel ’ s prime minister is calling on world powers to confront Iran , comparing it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Holocaust Forum .
Benjamin Netanyahu said at Thursday ’ s ceremony that he was “ concerned that we have yet to see a unified and resolute stance against the most anti-Semitic regime on the planet.
” He went on to thank President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence , who was in attendance , for confronting the “ tyrants of Tehran.
” He called on other governments to join the “ vital effort of confronting Iran.
” He spoke at the World Holocaust Forum , a gathering of dozens of world leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French President Emmanuel Macron .
The forum coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Israel has long viewed Iran as its greatest threat .
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin is thanking world leaders for expressing their “ solidarity with the Jewish people ” by attending the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem .
He spoke on Thursday at the start of the ceremony , where several world leaders were expected to address the remembrance of the Holocaust and condemn modern-day anti-Semitism .
Rivlin says that “ anti-Semitism does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and calls anti-Semitism and racism a “ malignant disease.
” He added that ” no democracy is immune.
” Russian President Vladimir Putin , French President Emmanuel Macron , Britain ’ s Prince Charles , Vice-President Mike Pence and the presidents of Germany , Italy and Austria were among the more than 40 dignitaries attending the forum , which coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Israel ’ s prime minister says the Soviet “ sacrifice and contribution ” during World War II should not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a Jerusalem ceremony dedicating a memorial for the 900-day siege of Leningrad .
He highlighted that millions of Soviet residents were killed during the war .
He said : “ We mustn ’ t for even one second blur the sacrifice and the contribution of the former Soviet Union ” in defeating “ the Nazi monster.
” Thursday ’ s ceremony was taking place ahead of a gathering of world leaders commemorating 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
The event has been marred by squabbles over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Netanyahu ’ s comments came after visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin ventured into the charged battle by claiming that 40 % of Jewish Holocaust victims were Soviet , a figure disputed by historians .
Poland ’ s president skipped Thursday ’ s event to protest the central role given to Putin .
Poland , which has been criticized for its own wartime revisionism , accuses Putin of unfairly blaming it for the war ’ s outbreak .
Israeli and Russian officials are attending a dedication ceremony for a monument honouring the nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Vladimir Putin is a guest at the Jerusalem ceremony , which is taking place on Thursday ahead of the largest-ever gathering focused on commemorating the Holocaust and combating modern-day anti-Semitism .
Leningrad , now known as St. Petersburg , is Putin ’ s hometown .
Earlier , Putin ventured into the charged battle over the rival historical narratives of World War II by claiming that 40 % of Jewish Holocaust victims were Soviet .
Of the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis , historians say about 1 million were Soviet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ play down the Soviet Union ’ s pre-war pact with the Nazis and focus instead on its role in defeating them .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ventured into the charged battle over the rival historical narratives of World War II by claiming that 40 % of Jewish Holocaust victims were Soviet .
It was the latest chapter in a bitter dispute over Soviet actions in World War II .
Putin has been leading a campaign to play down the Soviet Union ’ s pre-war pact with the Nazis and focus instead on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis , historians say about 1 million were Soviet .
Putin appeared to be adding an additional 1.5 million Jewish victims from eastern European areas occupied by the Soviets under their pact with the Nazis .
Putin is in Jerusalem for the largest-ever gathering focused on commemorating the Holocaust .
But it has been marred by the historical squabbles .
Poland ’ s president skipped Thursday ’ s event to protest the central role given to Putin .
Poland , which has been criticized for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfairly blaming it for the war ’ s outbreak .
Russia ’ s president has praised Israel ’ s efforts to commemorate World War II and has called for an end to anti-Semitism .
Vladimir Putin made the remarks in a meeting on Thursday with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin .
Putin is among dozens of world leaders visiting Jerusalem to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
He will also attend a dedication ceremony for a monument honouring the nearly 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s politics have permeated the solemn assembly over the differing historical narratives of various players .
Nationalist governments in Russia and Poland have sought to use their own interpretation of the past for contemporary political gain .
Russia ’ s president has told the mother of an Israeli tourist jailed in Russia that “ everything will be alright.
” But Vladimir Putin on Thursday stopped short of a hoped-for pardon for Naama Issachar , teh Israeli backpacker who has been held for months in Russia .
She has been accused of carrying a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mother , Yaffa , attended a meeting with Putin and Israel ’ s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem .
Putin made the remarks in a statement after the meeting , with Yaffa and Netanyahu by his side .
Putin is in Israel on a brief visit where he will attend a dedication ceremony of a monument honouring the nearly 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad .
He will also attend an event marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Israel ’ s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president to give up his delegation ’ s seats to include more Holocaust survivors at a major gathering of world leaders in Jerusalem .
In a statement on Thursday , Yad Vashem called Volodymyr Zelenskiy ’ s gesture “ odd , ” saying it explained to him that survivors who expressed interest in attending the event were invited and that “ it is impossible to trouble survivors in the current conditions.
” It said it was “ a shame that he took such a step.
” Dozens of world leaders are attending the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and combating modern-day anti-Semitism .
Event organizers have come under criticism for not sufficiently including Holocaust survivors and instead focusing on the panoply of visiting dignitaries .
In response , Zelenskiy tweeted that his delegation was giving up its seats to allow more survivors to attend .
Israel ’ s president is meeting with Britain ’ s Prince Charles ahead of a gathering in Jerusalem marking 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Charles is among dozens of presidents , heads of state and dignitaries who have descended upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on commemorating the Holocaust and combating modern-day anti-Semitism .
The three-hour-long event at Jerusalem ’ s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial looks to project a united front in commemorating the genocide of European Jewry amid a global spike in anti-Jewish violence in the continent and around the world .
Israel ’ s prime minister is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of a gathering in Jerusalem marking 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Ahead of their meeting on Thursday , Benjamin Netanyahu praised the ties between Israel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia began its involvement in the war in neighbouring Syria .
During Putin ’ s visit , Netanyahu will dedicate a monument honouring the the nearly 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad .
The city , now known as St. Petersburg , is Putin ’ s hometown .
Putin also plans to meet with the mother of an Israeli tourist who was jailed in Russia for carrying a few grams of hashish .
Her mother told reporters earlier Thursday she was optimistic that her daughter , Naama , would be pardoned .


thetorontostar--2020-01-23--Poland to hold final vote on politicians punishing judges

WARSAW , Poland - Poland ’ s lawmakers are scheduled Thursday to take a final vote on a proposed law that would allow politicians to fire judges who criticize their decisions , a change that European legal experts warn will undermine judicial independence .
Proposed by Poland ’ s right-wing ruling party , which seeks more control over the judiciary , the law has been condemned by European and Polish legal experts , by Poland ’ s opposition and by some judges .
They say it violates European Union principles and the democratic separation of powers .
The bill was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The lower house of Poland ’ s parliament , which is controlled by the ruling Law and Justice party , is expected to give its final approval in Thursday ’ s vote .
The party has argued the law is needed to prevent “ anarchy ” among judges , some of whom are critical of the party ’ s policies .
The law would prohibit judges from engaging in any public activities that could be seen as politically motivated .
It curbs the right of judges to form independent judicial bodies and requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including any political affiliation from Poland ’ s pre-1989 communist era .
The legislation also bans judges from evaluating or criticizing new judicial appointments or powers of state authorities .
The punishment for non-compliance ranges from fines to dismissal .
The law is part of changes the ruling party has made to the judiciary since it came to power in 2015 .
The Law and Justice government argues the judicial system needs to be made more efficient .
Critics agree improvement is needed but say the changes amount to putting judges under political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoken in favour of the bill and is expected to sign it into law .
The vote planned for Thursday evening comes as the Polish Supreme Court was meeting to assess whether some of its judges , who were appointed under new rules and with the participation of the parliament , are enjoying full independence .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-23--School bus crashes in Germany kill 2 children, hurt 14

BERLIN - A school bus crashed in central Germany early Thursday , killing two children and leaving five others seriously injured .
Officials said the bus carrying 22 elementary school children , aged eight to 11 , slid off an icy , cobblestone road , crashed into a ditch and flipped over several times near the village of Berka in Thuringia state .
The village is 260 kilometres ( 160 miles ) southwest of Berlin .
Emergency staff took all the children to surrounding hospitals , including those who were only slightly injured .
The bus driver was also injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world stops turning for a moment , ” district administrator Reinhard Krebs said .
Dozens of firefighters , police officers , doctors and psychologists were at the scene to help with the rescue operations , officials said .
Thuringia Interior Minister Georg Maier told reporters that the crash had left the small village of Berka in “ shock.
” He said the affected school would be open on Friday , but that psychologists would be there to help the children and teachers cope with the loss .
In the county of Traunstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nine children and a bus driver were injured in a separate school bus accident when the vehicle crashed against a tree .
Officials said most children were suffering from shock and bruises , but had been taken to the hospital as a precaution .
The bus driver was seriously injured , the German news agency dpa reported .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-23--Libya’s neighbours, global envoys seek solutions to conflict

ALGIERS , Algeria - Top diplomats from Libya ’ s neighbouring countries and beyond were meeting in the Algerian capital on Thursday amid intensifying international efforts to end the conflict tearing apart the oil-rich North African country .
The meeting includes foreign ministers from Egypt , Sudan , Chad , Niger , Algeria , Tunisia and Mali .
All but Mali border Libya , and all have suffered fallout from the fighting between Libya ’ s U.N.-backed leadership based in Tripoli and eastern-based forces led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter .
World powers are pushing both sides to respect a tentative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meeting was aimed at “ conslidating co-ordination between countries neighbouring Libya and international players to accompany Libyans in reviving the political settlement process “ and to help Libya build solid institutions and restore stability .
Germany ’ s top diplomat was also taking part in the meeting in Algeria after his country hosted a Libya peace summit on Sunday .
Heiko Maas said international actors must maintain “ persistent pressure ” on the warring parties in Libya to ensure the temporary truce can become a stable cease-fire .
Maas said Sunday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ key actors ” for efforts to end the proxy conflict , nine years after long-term Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was deposed .
Germany ’ s top diplomat said his country would support efforts by the United Nations to harden a tentative truce through a meeting between representatives of Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj , the head of the Tripoli government , and Hifter , whose forces control much of the rest of the country .
“ For this the persistent pressure of all international partners on the conflict parties is required , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces , which control the east and much of the south , receive support from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt , as well as France and Russia .
The Tripoli-based government is backed by Turkey and to a lesser degree Qatar and Italy .
Separately , the GNA decided Thursday to reopen the Mitiga airport , which was shut down a day earlier following an attack and fiery threats from Hifter ’ s forces .
Airport authorities Wednesday said six Grad missiles crashed into the tarmac , forcing the capital ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When calm returned , flights resumed .
However , they were grounded yet again after a spokesman for Hifter ’ s forces , Ahmed al-Mosmari , said they were imposing a no-fly zone over Mitiga airbase and “ any civilian or military aircraft that breaches the airspace will face a strong and immediate response.
“ The Tripoli-based government issued a statement saying that Mosmari ’ s threats reflect the intention of Hifter ’ s forces to commit war crimes .
As the sole landing strip for the U.N.-backed government based in Tripoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base , Mitiga is a strategic target for opposition forces led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter .


thetorontostar--2020-01-23--Storm Gloria kills 11 in Spain, causes wide coastal damage

MADRID - A calamitous storm has killed at least 11 people in Spain and left five others missing , as well as causing rivers to overflow their banks and contaminating vast agricultural areas in eastern Spain with salty seawater .
New reports of disappearances in northeastern Catalonia and the Mediterranean nation ’ s Balearic Islands increased fears that the death toll from Storm Gloria could still increase .
The storm has dragged people to their deaths with surging sea waves , trapped others in vehicles amid flooding and hit them with loosened building debris .
At least two homeless people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when temperatures plummeted across the country .
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited some of the hardest-hit areas on Thursday , flying over in a helicopter and meeting with rescue and emergency teams on the ground .
He said he would approve state funds for the five regions most affected by the storm .
The storm has lasted for five days , accompanied by heavy winds , snow and hail , although weather authorities said the worst of it had passed on Wednesday .
Satellite imagery from the European Union ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had surged into the delta of the Ebro River , a major artery in eastern Spain , flooding rice paddies and protected wetland areas .
The sea water extended 3 kilometres ( 1.8 miles ) inland .
Lluís Soler , mayor of the delta region ’ s town of Deltebre , called for the area to be granted catastrophic status , which frees up compensation for those affected by the storm .
The hard-hit regions include northeastern Catalonia , where authorities on Thursday were still monitoring several rivers for fear they could overflow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which were hit by a sudden hail storm early Thursday .
In Mallorca , one of the Mediterranean islands off Spain ’ s eastern coast , rescuers and firefighters have been looking since Monday for a man who disappeared when he was mountain climbing .
Two more people , a Spaniard and a British citizen , were still missing on the nearby island of Ibiza , with authorities saying they were most likely dragged into the sea by unusually high waves .
Authorities in Catalonia said they were working to return power to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the storm were affecting some 130,000 students .