thetorontostar--2020-08-27--The Latest: Storm causes damage as it powers through inland

Threats from the remnants of Hurricane Laura are continuing hundreds of miles inland and well after nightfall .
Forecasters have issued a string of tornado warnings for Mississippi and Arkansas , where Laura is now a tropical storm .
No major damage has been reported from twisters , but tornadoes can be particularly dangerous at night .
The National Weather Service says Laura could dump as much as 7 inches of rain on Arkansas as it continues moving north away from Louisiana , where it made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane early Thursday .
The storm is forecast to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it makes an eastward turn near southern Illinois .
LAKE CHARLES , La .
— Louisiana officials now know of 6 deaths tied to Hurricane Laura .
The fatalities included a 24-year-old male that died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator inside his residence , Mike Steele , communications director for the Louisiana Governor ’ s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said .
A man , whose age is unknown , died of drowning while aboard a sinking ship .
Earlier Thursday , a 14-year-old girl died when a tree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home near Leesville , the Vernon Parish Sherriff ’ s Office said .
Laura blasted through the Louisiana coast and made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane early Thursday , wreaking damage on the industrial , casino city of Lake Charles .
The storm has left more than 875,000 people without power .
ORANGE , Texas — Some of the cities and communities in Texas hardest hit by Hurricane Laura were near the Louisiana border .
In Orange , Texas and nearby Newton County , Texas , many streets were blocked by large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s powerful winds .
Many homes had wind damage or damage from fallen trees .
Nearly all businesses appeared to be closed as much of the area was still without electricity .
By Thursday afternoon , crews were clearing debris from streets and fixing power lines .
Some residents could be seen using chainsaws to clear fallen trees in front of their homes .
LAKE CHARLES , La .
— Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said state officials now know of four deaths tied to Hurricane Laura .
The deaths were all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edwards said .
None were on the coast , having happened in Vernon , Jackson and Acadia parishes .
One death in Jackson in north Louisiana demonstrated the power of the storm , which made landfall as a Category 4 storm early Thursday , and travelled farther inland .
Edwards said the current priority is search and rescue , followed by efforts to find hotel or motel rooms for those who have lost their homes .
Hotel rooms are needed because conventional communal shelters pose a risk for spreading the coronavirus , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measured in the range of 9 feet to 12 feet ( 2.7 to 3.7 metres ) — bad but far less than the 20 feet ( 6 metres ) that had been forecast .
He said that has led him to hope that there will be less water damage to homes close to the coast , and that damaged homes can be made habitable more quickly .
LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
— Tropical Storm Laura is thrashing parts of southern Arkansas with powerful winds and heavy rainfall as the storm system lunges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Louisiana Gulf Coast .
Downed trees and structural damage were reported in some parts of Arkansas at midday Thursday , and more than 30,000 homes and businesses in the state were without electricity .
The National Weather Service says the damaging winds and torrential rains will be in the Little Rock area later Thursday afternoon and evening .
Many schools cancelled classes or had early dismissals in anticipation of Laura ’ s arrival .
Forecasters say there ’ s also the risk of isolated tornadoes in the eastern part of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will visit the Gulf Coast this weekend to tour damage from one of the fiercest hurricanes to hit the United States .
Trump said he would visit Texas and Louisiana on Saturday or Sunday to survey the destruction caused by Laura , which Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said has killed at least four people .
Laura slammed the Gulf Coast early Thursday and roared through Louisiana .
The bulk of the damage was reported in Louisiana .
The storm barrelled over Lake Charles , Louisiana , an industrial and casino city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been reported ; a floating casino that came unmoored hit a bridge .
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told Trump that the situation on the ground “ is fluid and challenging , ” but the Federal Emergency Management Agency is responding .
The hurricane ’ s top wind speed of 150 mph ( 241 kph ) put it among the most powerful on record in the U.S. ORANGE , Texas — Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott says his state appeared to have made it through Hurricane Laura with minimal or no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a “ miracle.
” Abbott on Thursday described seeing roofs sheared off buildings and uprooted trees following aerial tour of the damage near the state border with Louisiana .
The storm surge that was predicted to be as high as 10 feet ( 3 metres ) before landfall wound up being closer to 3 feet ( 0.9 metres ) , he said .
And nearly 12 hours after landfall , Abbott says there were still no confirmed fatalities .
Abbott said about 8,500 people were served in Texas shelters .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because residents in the storm ’ s path heeded local advance warnings to evacuate .
BATON ROUGE , La .
— Greg Langley , spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality , said emergency crews in the Lake Charles area were working a fire at a chemical plant that handles chlorine for swimming pools , in an emergency that had area residents under a shelter-in-place directive .
Monitors from agency workers in the area so far have failed to pick up indications of a chlorine leak , Langley said .
State police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responding , and an Environmental Protection Agency plane was monitoring overhead , Langley said .
Storm damage meant crews had difficulty clearing downed utility equipment and trees and other wreckage to reach the site .
Langley said he knew of no other major industrial threats from the storm so far .
Louisiana state environmental officials would be going up into the air over the storm area when cleared by aviation officials , looking for signs of any other industry fires or leaks , he said .
AUSTIN , Texas — Police in Austin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot and killed after a fight broke out among 60 people who had fled the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Laura .
Austin police say two groups of people who had left Port Arthur and Beaumont on the southeast Texas coast got into a large fight in a downtown Austin street at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday .
Police say one person opened fire , striking a woman .
Police say the woman was homeless and had not been involved the fight .
She was pronounced dead shortly after 1 a.m. MIAMI — Hurricane Laura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maximum sustained winds of nearly 70 mph ( 113 kph ) .
Authorities say the storm is now 50 miles ( 80 kilometres ) southeast of Shreveport .
Flooding rainfall and damaging winds spread inland over central and northern Louisiana , where the storm made landfall eleven hours earlier as a Category 4 storm .
Communities along the Gulf Coast experienced high water levels in the wake of Laura , the strongest storm to hit the U.S. this year .
More than 700,000 people in Louisiana and Texas were without power Thursday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which tracks utility reports .
National Weather Service officials said the remnants of Hurricane Laura could spawn tornadoes and cause flash flooding in parts of Arkansas and Tennessee .
WESTLAKE , La .
— Louisiana State Police say they ’ re responding to a chlorine leak at a company that makes chemicals along Interstate 10 just west of Lake Charles , La.
, which was hard-hit when Hurricane Laura slammed into the Gulf Coast early Thursday .
Police say the leak is at the BioLab chemical manufacturing facility in Westlake .
Residents in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their doors and windows , turn off their air conditioning and stay inside .
Police say they ’ re working with plant managers to try and contain the leak .
BioLab ’ s Lake Charles plant was built in 1979 and manufactures trichloroisocyanuric acid , chlorinating granules and other chemicals used in such household cleaners as Comet bleach scrub and pool chlorine powder .
Both trichloroisocyanuric acid and chlorine are potentially acutely toxic to people and animals if ingested or inhaled .
Chlorine gas , which can appear in the air as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chemical weapon in World War 1 .
It is a potent irritant to the eyes , throat and lungs .
LAKE CHARLES , La .
— A Confederate general has fallen victim to Hurricane Laura .
The South ’ s Defenders monument has stood since 1915 outside a courthouse in Lake Charles , Louisiana , where local authorities voted 10-4 this month to keep it in place .
Critics call it a symbol of racism that glorifies slavery .
But a Calcasieu Parish official said they asked for public comments , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monument , and only 67 in favour of moving it .
Now the pedestal is empty , and the Confederate statue is in pieces on the ground , victim to a Category 4 hurricane that struck the city early Thursday .
LAKE CHARLES , La .
— A large chemical fire has sent a dangerous cloud over Lake Charles , Louisiana , hours after the eye of Hurricane Laura passed directly over the city .
Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards says the fire was burning Thursday morning just outside the city , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shelter in place .
Edwards tweeted that people “ in the Westlake/Moss Bluff/Sulphur area “ should close their windows and doors and turn off their air conditioning units .
MIAMI — The National Hurricane Center says Laura remains a hurricane , sustaining top winds of 75 mph ( 120 kph ) more than 170 miles ( 274 kilometres ) after landfall .
The powerful storm struck land near Cameron on the southwest Louisiana coast at about 1 a.m. Thursday .
Nine hours later , it was about 10 miles ( 16 kilometres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had not yet weakened into a tropical storm .
The hurricane is expected to keep drenching Louisiana and then Arkansas as a tropical storm , causing widespread flash flooding and damage from winds .
It was moving north near 16 mph ( 26 kph ) .
LAKE CHARLES , La .
— Reports are coming in from people who rode out Hurricane Laura in Louisiana .
Brett Geymann lives in Moss Bluff , just north of Lake Charles , and said the eye of the storm passed directly over them .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building , structure and tree on his property is gone .
Geymann says his family ’ s OK but “ there ’ s destruction all around “ them .
He says “ It looks like 1,000 tornadoes “ came through , with some houses “ totally gone.
” Drone video in the Lake Charles area shows water surrounding homes with large parts of their roofs peeled off , hotels with rooms exposed and giant trees uprooted .
LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
— Hurricane Laura is headed toward Arkansas , where an unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of the state .
The storm is hitting during the state ’ s first week back at public school since March .
Many schools in the southern half of Arkansas opted to cancel classes Thursday or dismiss early because of the storm .
Arkansas Gov .
Asa Hutchinson declared an emergency and set aside $ 250,000 for the state to prepare for the hurricane ’ s impact .
Hutchinson said the state will have search and rescue teams on standby .
Laura is now a Category 1 hurricane but still blowing hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported death , of a girl whose house was hit by a tree , was in Leesburg , more than 100 miles ( 161 kilometres ) inland from the coast .
LAKE CHARLES , La .
— Early reports emerging in the wake of Hurricane Laura show less damage than what was feared .
The eye passed directly over Lake Charles , where drone video shows roofs ripped off , exposing living rooms to the elements ; trees downed and water overflowing the banks of coastal properties .
But Federal Emergency Management Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be less than what they feared with Laura hitting the coast as a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane early Thursday .
Gaynor told ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America “ that the surge turned out to be less than what was forecast , but he expects significant wind damage to buildings once they do proper surveys of the disaster area .
Louisiana State Police Maj. Doug Cain said they received a report that the Isle of Capri ’ s riverboat casino broke from its mooring and was stuck against the Interstate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casino says its Grand Palais riverboat houses 34 table games and more than 1,175 slot machines .
Gov .
John Bel Edwards said he ’ s received report of the first fatality from Hurricane Laura in Louisiana , a 14-year-old girl who died when a tree fell on her home in Leesburg .
The governors of Louisiana and Texas say search and rescue teams are still looking , but they ’ ve found no reports so far of widespread fatalities .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott is crediting the evacuations of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edwards says they are only beginning to assess the damage .
Both governors say the storm surge appears to have been not as bad as they feared .
Abbott said the hurricane ’ s storm surge hit the east Texas communities of Port Arthur , Beaumont and Orange “ pretty hard ” overnight and the eye of the hurricane has continued to move about 100 miles ( 161 kilometres ) north along the Texas-Louisiana state line .


thetorontostar--2020-08-27--What virus? At GOP’s convention, pandemic is largely ignored

WASHINGTON - It was a stunning scene in a country where parents and children have been laid to rest without their loved ones present , schools have gone to online-only learning and businesses have shut their doors to halt the spread of the coronavirus .
On Thursday night , about 1,500 people gathered on the South Lawn of the White House so President Donald Trump could accept his party ’ s nomination for reelection in front of a roaring crowd .
Masks were not required and chairs were placed inches apart from one another , with no room for social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health recommendations .
Only those the White House expected to be in “ close proximity ” to the president and vice-president had been tested for COVID-19 .
As Trump has tried to push past a pandemic that has tanked the economy and threatened his reelection chances , GOP organizers have worked to stage a convention that puts the virus in the rear view mirror and highlights the nation ’ s progress , even as it continues to spread .
More than 42,000 new cases were reported Wednesday and 2,700 more have died since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speakers made reference to the virus , while others have discussed it in the past tense .
“ It was awful .
Health and economic impacts were tragic , ” said White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on the convention ’ s second night .
“ But presidential leadership came swiftly and effectively with an extraordinary rescue for health and safety to successfully fight the COVID virus.
” The display stands in jarring contrast with the Democrats , who dispensed with audiences at live speeches during their virtual convention last week .
Presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris also wore masks , even when they were outside and standing apart from one another .
“ Is coronavirus gone ?
Is COVID-19 gone ?
” Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders asked Thursday on a call with reporters .
“ I didn ’ t see any masks or social distancing happening during the vice-president ’ s speech last night .
So , the reality is , there is a lack of leadership here.
” To be sure , the Republicans ’ event looked very different from past conventions .
Because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been mass gatherings drawing thousands to North Carolina or Florida , and they have been consulting with a coronavirus adviser .
Indoor speeches were delivered without audiences .
But outdoor events have featured guests .
That included a Rose Garden address Tuesday by first lady Melania Trump , who spoke about the toll of the virus , and Vice-President Mike Pence ’ s speech Wednesday , delivered in front of about 100 people , including Pence ’ s family and wounded veterans , at Fort McHenry in Baltimore .
After Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed from a bygone era , as audience members moved from their chairs and gathered near the stage to greet him , Trump and their wives .
While the president and first lady appeared to keep their distance , Pence was seen shaking hands , exchanging fist bumps , and at one point accepting a small gift from an audience member .
No one appeared concerned about social distancing .
Few in the crowd were seen wearing masks .
And some told reporters they had not been tested for the virus before attending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bernard C. “ Jack ” Young , who signed an order this month limiting outdoor gatherings to 25 people , slammed the decision .
“ It is the height of hypocrisy for this self-proclaimed law and order president and vice-president to flout my lawful Executive Order , dated August 7 , 2020 , intended to keep our residents safe during what continues to be a raging pandemic that they have politicized and failed to control , ” he said in a statement .
The White House and campaign refused to say how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been tested for the virus .
White House spokesman Judd Deere said only that “ those in close proximity to the president and vice-president ” are screened .
And while Washington , D.C. , mandates that masks be worn in public places , guidance sent to those invited to Thursday ’ s event specified that masks would not be required on the South Lawn , though they would be needed upon arrival and in security screening areas and encouraged in “ high traffic areas including restrooms and hospitality spaces.
” Guests were also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible ” and stay home if they were displaying coronavirus symptoms , had recently tested positive for the virus or had been in recent close contact with someone who had .
Robert G. Darling , who served a physician to former President Bill Clinton and is the chief medical officer of the Patronus Medical Corp. , said the group has been working with the RNC on the convention “ to make certain proper protocols are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals at convention venues.
” He said those protocols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines and that health professionals have been on-site “ to make certain screening has been done on a consistent basis to ensure the convention meets the highest standards of public safety.
” But the refusal to abide by other widely accepted mitigation recommendations — including those promoted by the president ’ s own heath agencies — confounded public health experts watching at home .
“ The president and the entire RNC , they had an opportunity to show the seriousness of this pandemic , which is the worst public health crisis in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerning that only did they not discuss precautions like wearing masks and social distancing , they are going against all of our public health guidance , “ said Dr. Leana Wen , an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy at The George Washington University and the former health commissioner of Baltimore .
Wen noted that mass gatherings pose the highest risk for transmitting the disease , and expressed concern both that Baltimore could see an increase in cases and that the display might lead viewers to believe that , they , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not wear masks .
Robert Blendon , a professor of health policy and political analysis at Harvard University , said the event was focused on a different goal : bolstering Trump ’ s reelection chances .
“ The president and the vice-president are very aware that if people are going back to work and their kids are actually in school and they feel somewhat safe , the incumbent will have an advantage in the election , ” he said .
“ They ’ re trying to do things to say that the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and other people are saying.
” Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire , Zeke Miller and Will Weissert in Washington and Brian Witte in Annapolis contributed to this report .

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thetorontostar--2020-08-27--The Latest: SKorea mulls reducing work hours at restaurants

SEOUL , South Korea -- South Korean officials are considering reducing the working hours of restaurants and cafes as the country counted its 15th straight day of triple-digit daily jumps in coronavirus infections .
The 371 new cases reported by the South Korea ’ s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday brought the national caseload to 19,077 , including 316 deaths .
The country has added more than 4,300 to its caseload over the past 15 days , prompting concerns about overwhelmed hospital systems .
While government has recently banned large gatherings and shut down nightspots and churches nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing measures to the highest “ Level 3 , ” which would prohibit gatherings of more than 10 and advise private companies to have employees work from home .
But Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a virus meeting Friday that the government wasn ’ t ready to implement Level 3 restrictions yet , citing concerns about hurting an economy that policymakers will likely shrink for the first time in 22 years .
Chung said officials will instead explore other ways to improve distancing , such as limiting the working hours of restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK — WHO says test , despite CDC ’ s recent flip flop on testing — As virus rages , US economy struggles to sustain a recovery — Teens step up during pandemic , helping others with delivering food , buying masks or teaching kids online .
— The Trump administration has sharply increased its use of hotels to detain immigrant children before expelling them from the United States during the coronavirus pandemic .
— The U.N. says it ’ s urgent to get kids back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are urging caution as the virus is still raging in the U.S. and resurging from France to South Korea .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : SANTA FE , N.M. -- Health officials are relaxing pandemic lockdown restrictions to allow larger public gatherings of up to 10 people and provide limited access to museums with static displays .
New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the changes Thursday at a video news conference .
In-person classroom leaning is being delayed in counties with high average daily infections or high positivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take effect Saturday will allow people to dine indoors at restaurants in limited numbers for the first time since mid-July .
A self-quarantine requirement for out-of-state travellers remains in place .
HONOLULU — The Hawaii Tourism Authority says visitor arrivals to the islands in July fell by almost 98 % when compared to the same month last year .
A report released Thursday says 22,562 visitors arrived by air last month , compared to the 995,210 travellers who arrived in Hawaii in July 2019 .
Most of the visitors last month were from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were from international locations .
For the first seven months of the year arrivals plummeted nearly 65 % .
All arriving visitors are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine , a measure that for months seemed to keep the coronavirus at bay in Hawaii .
But now , after the local economy began to reopen and restrictions eased earlier this summer , Hawaii is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases , spurring yet another round of stay-at-home orders and business closures .
The restrictions , coupled with generally fewer vacationers amid the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tourist-based economy .
Air service to the state was down about 87 % in July .
No cruise ships are operating .
NEW YORK — A top U.S. health official triggered a new round of confusion while trying to clarify a change to the coronavirus testing guidance .
The change posted this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was sharply criticized by public health experts .
The CDC previously had advised local health departments to test people who have been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said those people did “ not necessarily need a test ” unless they were more vulnerable to COVID-19 .
It also said a doctor or public health officials could still recommend a test .
After the change was attacked , CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield issued a statement Wednesday , attempting to explain it , saying “ Testing may be considered for all close contacts of confirmed or probable COVID-19 patients.
” The statement said health officials are putting an emphasis on testing certain people , including those with symptoms and people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like nursing home patients .
But it also said testing should be emphasized for “ individuals with a significant exposure.
” The Department of Health and Human Services , which oversees the CDC , insisted Thursday that Redfied ’ s statement wasn ’ t a “ walk back ” of the posted guidance , as some called it .
JACKSON , Miss .
-- Mississippi election laws could force people to choose between their health and their constitutional right to cast a ballot , according to a lawsuit that voting-rights groups filed Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on absentee voting .
Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Southern Poverty Law Center filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Jackson .
The new lawsuit is similar to one filed Aug. 11 in state court .
Mississippi does not allow widespread early voting .
Instead , state law says absentee voting is available to anyone who is 65 or older , or for voters of any age who are permanently disabled or will be out of their home county on Election Day .
Legislators tweaked the law this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of 2020 .
Those allow absentee voting by someone with a temporary or permanent disability that may include “ a physician-imposed quarantine due to COVID-19 ” or by a person who is “ caring for a dependent that is under a physician-imposed quarantine due to COVID-19.
” The lawsuit filed Thursday says that the new provisions fail to provide clear guidance about whether people may vote absentee if they have medical conditions that make them vulnerable to the new coronavirus .
HONOLULU — Most Hawaii public schools will continue at-home distancing learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October .
Concerns about campus safety during the coronavirus pandemic prompted education officials to postpone the start of the school year by two weeks .
Most schools planned to offer hybrid instruction with students alternating between in-person and online classes .
A few schools planned to open to in-person instruction .
However , right before the Aug. 17 start date , the Hawaii Department of Education announced most schools would provide distance learning for the first four weeks .
LANSING , Mich. — The Michigan Supreme Court has postponed arguments over Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency powers until Sept. 9 .
The one-week delay is necessary because of an illness on Justice Richard Bernstein ’ s staff .
He said an “ indispensable ” aide is struggling with COVID-19 .
“ Because of my blindness , I depend on him to help me review and internalize thousands of pages of material .
...
The work he does with me takes extensive time and effort and can not be done without him , ” Bernstein said .
A federal judge hearing a dispute over Whitmer ’ s coronavirus restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion on her power to renew certain orders related to COVID-19 .
Separately , the Republican-controlled Legislature has challenged Whitmer with its own lawsuit .
The governor so far has won at the Court of Claims and the Michigan Court of Appeals .
LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
— Arkansas is reporting at least 411 students , teachers and staff at public schools are actively infected with the coronavirus as the state ’ s new cases continue to rise .
The state began releasing numbers from public school districts with more than five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academic year .
Arkansas ’ public schools have about 480,000 students and more than 69,000 employees .
The Health Department has reported 722 new confirmed virus cases overall in the state , bringing the total since the pandemic began to 58,745 .
Of those , 6,632 are active cases that don ’ t include people who have died or recovered .
The number of people who have died from COVID-19 in the state rose by seven to 739 .
Active hospitalizations declined by two to 433 .
SAN JOSE , Costa Rica — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ method of counting people infected with the coronavirus , abruptly adding thousands of new cases to the country ’ s infection totals .
Under the new criteria , people are counted who show symptoms of the disease and had direct contact with someone who tested positive , even if they were not tested themselves .
That has added more than 3,000 cases to the country ’ s reported total of 36,307 infections as of Wednesday .
There have been 386 reported deaths .
Those newly counted under the change are also required to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Minister Daniel Salas entered quarantine on Tuesday after his father tested positive , though Salas hasn ’ t reported suffering symptoms .
Announcing the new policy , Salas said it is “ about practicality and finding the greatest effectiveness in what we ’ re doing with the resources that we have.
“ TOPEKA , Kan. — Gov .
Laura Kelly says Kansas will apply to participate in a federal program providing additional benefits to workers who ’ ve lost their jobs because of the pandemic .
Thursday ’ s announcement comes less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questioned the program ’ s legality and suggested it could be difficult to administer .
Kelly ’ s office says the state would use a portion of its $ 1.25 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds to cover part of the added benefits .
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this month offering an additional $ 300 a week in benefits to jobless workers and $ 400 a week if states chip in the additional $ 100 .
The federal government would have to approve Kansas ’ proposal .
An earlier program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expired at the end of July with no agreement in Congress on extending or replacing it .
Kelly said Thursday in a statement that she had hoped the GOP-led U.S. Senate would have approved a program before taking its August break .
Kelly said it ’ s “ far from a perfect solution , ” but “ I could not sit by idly while many Kansans are still facing unemployment.
” MONTGOMERY , Ala. — Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey is extending a statewide mask order that ’ s credited with reducing coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor says the order , which was set to expire next week , will be extended until Oct. 2 .
Ivey will keep in place other health orders , such as reducing occupancy in stores and limiting table seating in restaurants .
“ Folks , I understand you don ’ t want to wear the mask .
I don ’ t either , ” Ivey said at the state capitol .
“ When you wear a mask , you are protecting the people in your office , school , church and your vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mix of praise from health officials and criticism from some conservatives for the decision to issue the statewide mask order unlike some other Southern governors .
State Health Officer Scott Harris links increased mask usage to a drop in hospitalizations and the percentage of positive tests .
Since mid-July , the average daily case count dropped from a peak of more than 1,500 to less than 1,000 this week .
The per cent of tests returning as positive dropped from a high of 16.5 % last month to 8 % last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with nearly 2,000 confirmed deaths , according to the state Department of Public Health .
DES MOINES , Iowa — Iowa Gov .
Kim Reynolds is ordering all bars be closed in six of the state ’ s largest counties in response to surging numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases .
Reynolds ordered the action in Black Hawk , Dallas , Linn , Johnson , Polk and Story counties effective 5 p.m. on a day when the state had nearly 1,500 confirmed cases , a new high that topped levels recorded in the spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa recorded 1,475 confirmed cases , surpassing the April 25 total of 1,284 .
During that period , there were 18 more deaths for a total of 1,079 .
Reynolds says the increased cases are largely due to young people gathering , especially those returning to universities .
In Story County , where Iowa State University is located , 28 % of tests reported Wednesday were positive , according to state data .
In Johnson County , home to the University of Iowa , it was 25 % .
PHOENIX — Gyms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can reopen with coronavirus numbers in several Arizona counties dropping to moderate levels .
Maricopa and Pima counties have seen decreases since the Arizona Department of Health Services published guidelines for business re-openings this month .
Pina County failed to meet the metrics for reopening , a surprise because Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ said this week it had been expected to see a decrease in cases .
Six of 15 counties remain in the high category where gyms , bars , nightclubs and water parks can ’ t reopen without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Maryland man sold unregistered and misbranded pesticides falsely advertised as a government-approved disinfectant for the coronavirus .
Marek Majtan , 35 , of Frederick , was charged in a criminal complaint accusing him of repackaging pesticides with his own handmade labels and marketing it on the internet .
Majtan , who was not authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to manufacture or distribute any pesticides , used a false EPA registration number on his products , according to a special agent with the EPA ’ s Criminal Investigation Division .
U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly egregious to seize on the ongoing pandemic to take advantage of the public.
” LONDON — The World Health Organization says countries should actively test people to find coronavirus cases , even if they have mild or no symptoms .
That ’ s despite the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s recently switched guidance to say asymptomatic contacts of cases don ’ t need to be tested .
Maria Van Kerkhove , WHO ’ s technical lead for the coronavirus , says when officials are investigating clusters of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded to look for individuals who are on the more mild end of the spectrum or who may indeed be asymptomatic.
” Van Kerkhove says countries were free to adapt their testing guidance for their individual needs and it ’ s critical how fast countries get results .
Defining active cases so they may be isolated and to allow contact tracing “ is really fundamental to breaking chains of transmission , ” she says .
Van Kerkhove also says wearing masks alone isn ’ t enough to protect against the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing too lax on maintaining physical distancing .
Masks , distancing and hand-washing — “ Do it all , ” she says .
LONDON — Britain ’ s transport secretary has added Switzerland , Jamaica and the Czech Republic to the U.K. ’ s quarantine list .
Grant Shapps says travellers arriving from those countries must quarantine for 14 days starting Saturday .
Like the rest of Europe , the U.K. has seen the number of coronavirus cases rise .
On Thursday , official data showed the U.K. recorded 1,522 new confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most since around mid-June .
UNITED NATIONS — A senior U.N. humanitarian official says reports of Syrian health care facilities filling up and increasing death notices and burials appear to indicate that actual coronavirus cases “ far exceed official figures ” of 2,440 cases confirmed by the government ’ s Ministry of Health .
Assistant Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs Ramesh Rajasingham told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that “ rising patient numbers are adding pressure to the fragile health system.
” He says many people “ are reluctant to seek care at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complications when they do arrive , ” and “ health workers still lack sufficient personal protective equipment and associated supplies.
” Rajasingham says most of the cases confirmed by Syria ’ s Ministry of Health “ can not be traced to a known source.
” He says several health facilities suspended operations this month because of capacity issues and staff becoming infected .
That included Al Hol camp in northeast Syria , where 65,000 mainly women and children connected to Islamic State fighters are detained .
He says both field hospitals at the @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-27--Sport-by-sport snapshot of racial injustice protests

Moved by the videotaped shooting of Jacob Blake , many professional athletes — some who had previously donned Black Lives Matter T-Shirts and knelt for the national anthem to protest racial injustice — made a more dramatic statement .
NBA players led the way Wednesday and Thursday by sitting out of scheduled playoff games in the “ bubble ” in Florida , the league ’ s answer to finishing up the season amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The movement quickly spread to the other professional sports .
“ We are scared as Black people in America , ” LeBron James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women , Black kids .
We are terrified.
” Athletes similarly came together after the death of George Floyd , another Black man who died when an officer pressed his knee into his neck for more than seven minutes .
Some players knelt during the national anthem or stood in silence , fists raised , while others wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts or had names of Black people killed by police on their jerseys .
But then the cellphone video of Blake getting shot in the back seven times by police in Kenosha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Milwaukee , emerged .
Athletes say the moment has forced them to act .
Here ’ s a look at what they are doing across the major professional sports to call for an end to racial injustice : NBA : The Milwaukee Bucks set off a wave of postponements in professional sports Wednesday , when players refused to take the court for a playoff game against Orlando .
The two other playoff games for that day were also postponed , as were the three games set for Thursday .
NBA Executive Vice-President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ We are hopeful to resume games either Friday or Saturday , ” and added that a group of players and representatives from the teams in the bubble were going to hold a video conference call with the league ’ s front office and union officials about the next step .
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL : Seven games were postponed Thursday , a day after three games were called off .
“ In this world , I ’ ve always believed , there ’ s two things you can ’ t live without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food and water .
It ’ s love and hope .
And I don ’ t think we ’ re doing a good job in our country giving that to everyone and I think that needs to be the focus here , ” Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi said .
NFL : Nine teams cancelled practice Thursday .
The league is set to start its season on Sept. 10 .
NHL : Announced Thursday that it postponed two days of playoff games .
The league ’ s games went on as scheduled Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is Black , was vocal about the issue on Twitter , saying it would send “ a clear message that human rights take priority over sports.
” GOLF : The PGA Tour event at Olympia Fields outside Chicago — less than 100 miles from Kenosha , Wisconsin — went on as scheduled Thursday .
Cameron Champ , who has a Black father and a white mother , wore a black shoe and a white shoe .
On the white shoe he wrote : “ Jacob Blake BLM.
” The LPGA Tour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rogers , Arkansas .
TENNIS : Naomi Osaka will play in the Western & Southern Open semifinals , after all .
A day after saying she would withdraw from the hard-court event to protest the “ continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police ” — prompting the tournament to call off all of Thursday ’ s matches — the two-time Grand Slam champion and former No .
1-ranked player changed course .
Her agent confirmed that Osaka will face No .
14 Elise Mertens when play resumes at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finals were shifted from Friday to Saturday .
WNBA : The six WNBA games set for Wednesday and Thursday were postponed in the league ’ s bubble in Bradenton , Florida .
Players from the Washington Mystics wore T-shirts that had Blake ’ s name on the front and seven holes in the back .
Later , players held a candlelight vigil .
The league had just passed its halfway mark of the 22-game season .
MLS : Five of six scheduled matches Wednesday were postponed .
Players for the other game , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they had already taken the field in preparation for their game before a collective decision was made .
The MLS had no games scheduled for Thursday .
“ We don ’ t want lip service anymore , ” said San Jose ’ s Chris Wondolowski , who is of Native American descent .
“ It ’ s time for actual actions to be made , and time for a change .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-27--Lawnmower incident results in Delaware man’s fifth DUI bust

LINCOLN , Del .
- A Delaware man with a history of drunken driving arrests has been charged with DUI @ @ @ @ @ drove a riding lawnmower while intoxicated .
Delaware State Police arrested 60-year-old Ralph J. Cahall @ @ @ @ @ receiving a report about a person lying along a grassy roadside near a lawnmower .
@ @ @ @ @ the scene , authorities received another report that the person had been driving the lawnmower @ @ @ @ @ through yards while acting disorderly .
Police say troopers found Cahall leaning against his lawnmower @ @ @ @ @ of alcohol .
Cahall was charged with fifth offence-DUI , resisting arrest , disorderly conduct @ @ @ @ @ was being held at Sussex Correctional Institution with secured bail set at $ 7,101 .
@ @ @ @ @ whether he had an attorney who could comment on the charges .


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ATLANTA (AP) — Putting 19 people on trial at the same time is a difficult assignment for any prosecutor — whether or not one of those defendan…


thetorontostar--2020-08-27--New Mexico eases pandemic restrictions as virus relents

SANTA FE , N.M. - Health officials are relaxing a pandemic stay-at-home order in New Mexico to allow larger public gatherings of up to 10 people and provide limited access to museums with static displays , Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday .
Lujan Grisham and Human Services Secretary David Scrase likened the gradual reopening to slowly twisting a dimmer switch on a light fixture .
The new public health order goes into effect Saturday with previously announced changes that restore indoor restaurant dining service for the first time in six weeks and allow greater attendance at indoor religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open up a little bit .
We want to be very careful , ” Scrase said .
“ We tried this before .
It didn ’ t work so well.
“ At the same time , the state ’ s top education official announced that a post-labour Day return to part-time classroom learning for elementary school students will be limited to counties with low average rates of COVID-19 infection and positivity rates on virus testing .
“ As we ’ re looking at bringing students back after Labor Day , we are only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ green zones , ” Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said .
To reopen classrooms , counties must have fewer than eight new daily cases on average per 100,000 residents , and positivity rate under 5 % .
The statewide average positivity rate is 2.1 % — the lowest in the western U.S .
If applied today , the threshold would put public school classrooms off limits in eight counties clustered in the southeast region of the state and the far southwestern boot-heel region .
The southeast area has been a cradle of dissent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
About one-fourth of school districts , including one of the nation ’ s largest in Albuquerque , already have postponed in-person classroom learning until at least January .
The Public Education Department is reviewing re-entry plans that can introduce some classroom learning Sept. 8 on a rotating basis for K-5 students .
The state provides a universal opt-out for families who are not yet comfortable with returning their children to classrooms .
Stewart said schools that seek to reopen classrooms must provide effective plans to rapidly respond to virus infections by quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and eventually reopening again .
Lujan Grisham said her administration will defer to school districts on whether to resume classroom learning until there is an effective vaccine .
Public school classrooms currently are closed across the state as students follow lessons from home using remote technology that runs the gamut from live video-conference meetings to telephone calls .
— Unemployment insurance benefits are getting a $ 300 weekly boost from the federal government .
The state Workforce Solutions Department announced Wednesday that its grant application for lost wage assistance was approved by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 weekly increase applies retroactively to a three-week period beginning in late July .
That ’ s when a larger , $ 600 weekly federal supplement ran out .
Standard unemployment benefits in New Mexico provide up to $ 461 weekly to individuals .
— New Mexico ’ s seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate for COVID-19 has decreased over the past two weeks , going from 2.6 % on Aug. 12 to 2.1 % on Wednesday , according to an analysis by The Associated Press of data collected by Johns Hopkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Comparing seven-day averages of new cases smooths out anomalies in the data , including delays in daily test results .
State health officials Thursday announced 190 new virus cases and nine related deaths .
That raises the pandemic tally to 24,920 cases and 764 deaths statewide .
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick .


thetorontostar--2020-08-27--North Carolina man freed after 1976 rape conviction vacated

CONCORD , N.C. - A North Carolina man who spent 44 years in prison for a rape he says he didn ’ t commit was freed Thursday .
Ronnie Long ’ s attorney broke the news of his impending release via Twitter on Wednesday , the Charlotte Observer reported .
“ The state said it will ask the district court to enter a writ vacating Ronnie ’ s conviction .
In short , Ronnie Long is coming home !
” lawyer Jamie Lau wrote .
Long ’ s conviction was then vacated on Thursday and he was released from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , news outlets reported .
Earlier this week , a federal appeals court had granted a new hearing for Long .
A judge had criticized North Carolina for defending Long ’ s conviction despite the possibility that investigators withheld evidence .
A motion filed by North Carolina ’ s Attorney General ’ s Office said that “ interests of justice call for immediately remanding the case to the district court.
” Long was a 20-year-old Black man living in Concord when he was accused of raping a white woman .
Long ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fingerprints collected from the scene were never shared and did not match Long ’ s .
Semen samples also were never disclosed to the defence .
They later disappeared .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Laura’s leftovers move east, leaving a disaster in Louisiana

LAKE CHARLES , La .
- The remnants of Hurricane Laura unleashed heavy rain and twisters hundreds of miles inland from a path of death and mangled buildings along the Gulf Coast , and forecasters warn of new dangers as the tropical weather blows toward the Eastern Seaboard this weekend .
Flooding and more tornadoes were possible Friday as the leftovers of the once fearsome Category 4 hurricane , now a tropical depression , move eastward .
Already , an apparent tornado tore through a church and homes in Arkansas .
Forecasters said it could become a tropical storm again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 750,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana , Texas and Arkansas in the storm ’ s wake , according to poweroutage.us , which tracks utility reports .
One of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States , Laura was blamed for six deaths as it barrelled ashore near the Louisiana-Texas state line .
A sense of relief prevailed that Laura was not the annihilating menace forecasters had feared , but a full assessment of the damage could take days .
Entire neighbourhoods were submerged and ruined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat were expected in the disaster area on Friday , complicating recovery efforts .
“ It is clear that we did not sustain and suffer the absolute , catastrophic damage that we thought was likely , ” Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards said .
“ But we have sustained a tremendous amount of damage.
” Finishing search and rescue efforts was a top priority , Edwards said , followed by efforts to find hotel or motel rooms for those unable to stay in their homes .
Officials in Texas and Louisiana both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid spreading COVID-19 .
Edwards called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana , meaning it surpassed even Katrina , which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005 .
The hurricane ’ s top wind speed of 150 mph ( 241 kph ) put it among the strongest systems on record in the U.S. Not until 11 hours after landfall did Laura finally lose hurricane status as it plowed north and thrashed Arkansas , and up until Thursday evening it remained a tropical storm , with sustained winds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spawning tornadoes .
Pastor Steve Hinkle surveyed the damage after a tornado gutted his Refuge Church in Lake City , Arkansas : An outdoor pavilion was reduced to rubble .
A brick shed was shredded .
The fellowship and family life centre was a tangle of bent metal beams .
Yellow insulation littered the churchyard .
“ It skipped right over the house and hit every other building that the church has other than us , ” Hinkle said .
“ We ’ re blessed.
” The family huddled into the parsonage ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the distance late Thursday .
The storm shook their home , but after about 30 seconds , it was over .
“ My wife walks out the front door and looks over by the church and says ‘ The sign is missing.
’ Then she turned the corner and started crying , ” Hinkle said .
It was the second time the church had been gutted by tornadoes , he added .
The storm crashed ashore in low-lying Louisiana and clobbered Lake Charles , an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partially collapsed .
Windows were blown out , awnings ripped away and trees split in eerily misshapen ways .
A floating casino came unmoored and hit a bridge , and small planes were thrown atop each other at the airport .
A television station ’ s tower toppled .
Laura also felled a Confederate statue that local officials voted to keep in front of a courthouse just days earlier .
“ It looks like 1,000 tornadoes went through here .
It ’ s just destruction everywhere , ” said Brett Geymann , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Moss Bluff , near Lake Charles .
He described a roar like a jet engine as Laura passed over his house around 2 a.m. “ There are houses that are totally gone , ” he said .
The extent of the damage was just coming into focus when a massive plume of smoke began rising from a chemical plant outside Lake Charles .
Police said the leak was at a facility run by Biolab , which manufactures chemicals used in household cleaners and chlorine powder for pools .
Nearby residents were told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the fire smouldered into the night .
Four people were killed by falling trees in Louisiana , including a 14-year-old girl and a 68-year-old man .
A 24-year-old man died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator inside his residence .
Another man drowned in a boat that sank during the storm , authorities said .
No deaths were confirmed in Texas , which Gov .
Greg Abbott called “ a miracle.
” Chevellce Dunn considers herself fortunate .
She spent the night huddling on a sofa with her son , daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocked their home in Orange , Texas .
Now she ’ s without power in the sweltering heat .
“ It ain ’ t going to be easy .
As long as my kids are fine , I ’ m fine , ” Dunn said .
More than 580,000 coastal residents evacuated despite fears of coronavirus infections .
It ’ s unclear when their journeys might end .
There ’ s no electricity or running water in many places , including Lake Charles , a city of 80,000 , and the coastal towns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the storm surge .
Restoring essential services could take weeks .
“ People who are outside of Lake Charles , thinking about coming back , they need to be really blunt with themselves about the harsh reality of what they ’ re coming back to , ” Mayor Nic Hunter told NBC ’ s Today show Friday .
“ I ’ m sorry about that , but we just got hit with the largest hurricane to hit Louisiana in the last 150 years.
” A lower-than-expected storm surge also helped save lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as 12 feet ( 4 metres ) rather than the 20 feet ( 6 metres ) that was predicted .
Bucky Millet , 78 , of Lake Arthur , Louisiana , considered evacuating but decided because of the coronavirus to ride out the storm with family .
He thought the roof of his house would disappear at one point when a small tornado blew the cover off the bed of his pickup .
“ You ’ d hear a crack and a boom and everything shaking , ” he said .
Laura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room window in the Lake Charles house where Bethany Agosto huddled in a closet with her sister and two others .
“ It was like a jigsaw puzzle ... we were on top of each other , just holding each other and crying.
” Laura was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year , setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August .
Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic .
President Donald Trump planned to visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the damage .
Associated Press contributors include Jeff Martin in Marietta , Georgia ; Kevin McGill in New Orleans ; John L. Mone in Holly Beach , Louisiana ; Paul J. Weber in Austin , Texas ; Seth Borenstein in Kensington , Maryland ; Juan A. Lozano in Houston ; Jay Reeves in Birmingham , Alabama ; Jill Bleed in Little Rock , Arkansas ; and Sophia Tulp in Atlanta .

Melinda Deslatte, Stacey Plaisance And Gerald Herbert - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Shinzo Abe -- aka ‘Super Mario’ -- loses out on Olympics

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was a star at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics , parading before a sellout crowd at the Maracana Stadium as Nintendo game character Super Mario .
Abe ’ s humorous invitation to the next Olympics in Tokyo was a big hit among Brazilian fans , and to a worldwide television audience .
It turns out that Abe won ’ t be around — at least not in an official capacity — when the postponed Olympics are set to open on July 23 , 2021 .
He announced on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a chronic health problem .
Ironically , Japan ’ s longest serving prime minister would have been in the VIP box alongside International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach had the games opened as scheduled a month ago and not fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ I think this won ’ t make much difference , ” Jeff Kingston , who teaches Japanese politics at Temple University in Tokyo , wrote in an email .
“ The Olympics benefited from his backing but now the situation is beyond the prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not care as much , but so much depends on the IOC , the Tokyo organizing committee , and sports federations around the world.
” Abe called in “ gut wrenching ” to leave with so many plans unfinished .
The most visible one — at least to the public outside Japan — was the Olympics .
Abe was in the front row in 2013 in Buenos Aires when then-IOC president Jacques Rogge opened an envelop to announce Tokyo as the 2020 host , beating out Istanbul in the final vote .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time that the meltdown of three nuclear reactors in 2011 from an earthquake and tsunami was “ under control.
” In fact , it was not entirely and Japan is still dealing with the disaster in the northern Fukushima prefecture .
“ I think this likely is heartbreaking for Abe , ” David Leheny , who teaches politics at Tokyo ’ s Waseda University , wrote in an email .
Leheny said Abe leaves without any signature breakthroughs on women ’ s issues , amending the constitution , or economic policy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the one major thing he could point to and say — ‘ yes ’ — I did that .
I made that happen .
He still might , and I think whoever the next prime minister is will ensure Abe has a prominent place at the Olympics , but it won ’ t be the same as his being in charge to welcome people.
” There is no guarantee the Olympics will even take place .
The IOC and organizers have said it will , but so far they have not said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions about quarantines , fans being allowed , vaccines — and the logistics of getting 15,400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes safely into Tokyo .
Add to this thousands of officials , staff and media — and the fact the control of the outbreak is so different in countries or territories represented by 206 national Olympic committees .
Local Tokyo organizers have stopped holding regular news conferences to update progress , and few details are expected until the fall and into 2021 .
“ It is with great sadness that I learned about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Bach , who credited Abe with getting the Olympics back to Japan after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo .
“ All the Japanese athletes and the athletes of the entire world are very grateful to him , ” Bach said .
Yoshiro Mori , a former Japanese prime minister and the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee , also credited Abe .
“ We look forward to the prime minister ’ s guidance during the remainder of his time in office , and hope to receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his official position , “ Mori said in a statement .
A poll this month of almost 13,000 Japanese companies showed 53.6 % want the games cancelled or postponed again .
The IOC has said if the Olympics can ’ t happen in 2021 , they will be cancelled .
A poll in July found that two-thirds of the public also favours another postponement or cancellation .
Tokyo organizers say they are officially spending $ 12.6 billion to hold the Olympics , although a national audit board says it ’ s twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates say the bill for the delay could add on several billion more .
Organizers and the IOC have yet to give a detailed breakdown of the new costs .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Belarus leader cites alleged NATO threat to shore up rule

MINSK , Belarus - Belarus ’ authoritarian leader accused NATO on Friday of hatching aggressive plans as he sought to shore up his 26-year rule amid weeks of demonstrations against his reelection in a vote the opposition says was rigged .
President Alexander Lukashenko , who has ruled the 9.5-million nation in Eastern Europe with an iron fist since 1994 , blamed the West for fomenting demonstrations in Belarus in hopes of turning it into a “ bridgehead against Russia.
” “ They want to topple this government and replace it with another one that would ask a foreign country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ They want our market to sell their products.
” NATO has rejected previous such claims by Lukashenko .
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week that the Belarusian leader tries to conjure up the image of outside forces threatening Belarus as an excuse for his crackdown on the opposition , which has seen hundreds of protesters beaten by police .
In addition , the idea that Belarus ’ ailing Soviet-style economy would be seen as a beacon for exporters seems to defy current economic realities .
Protests have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s rule , his cavalier dismissal of the coronavirus pandemic and a bruising economic fallout from the outbreak in a country where living standards were already sinking .
The 65-year-old Belarusian leader threatened to retaliate against Lithuania , which pushed strongly for the European Union ’ s sanctions against his government and hosted the main opposition challenger in the vote , Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who moved there after the vote , pressured by Belarusian authorities .
He said Belarus would strike back by halting imports via Lithuanian ports .
“ Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we will show them sanctions , ” he said .
“ I have ordered the government to divert all trade flows away from Lithuanian ports .
They have grown spoiled , and now we will show them their place.
” Lukashenko has repeatedly sought to cast the protests that are demanding his resignation as part of a Western plot against Russia , in a bid to secure Moscow ’ s support .
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday that he stands ready to send police into Belarus if protests there turn violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The wave of protests that came after election officials declared Lukashenko had won a sixth term in a landslide in the Aug. 9 presidential election has cast an unprecedented challenge to his rule .
Both the European Union and the United States have said the vote was neither free nor fair .
A fierce crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in the days after the vote left nearly 7,000 people detained , hundreds injured by police rubber bullets , stun grenades and beatings and at least three protesters dead , sparking massive outrage and forcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped interfering with the demonstrations for the next two weeks , but again began dispersing rallies over the past days , albeit without violence .
The Viasna human rights centre said 267 people , including scores of journalists , were detained when police broke up a rally of about 1,500 people on Minsk ’ s main Independence Square on Thursday evening .
Some were released pending their appearance in court on charges of taking part in an unsanctioned rally .
The Interior Ministry said 114 detainees were in custody on Friday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 20 senior Belarus officials suspected of election fraud and the crackdown on protesters and is likely to put Lukashenko on its list at some point , the bloc ’ s foreign ministers said Friday at a meeting in Berlin .
In Vienna , the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe offered to mediate between the two sides in Belarus , with chairman Edi Rama pledging not to “ interfere in internal affairs ” but at the same time stressing that the human rights abuses must end .
Lukashenko has rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters as Western puppets .
His main election challenger has fled the country for her safety .
On Friday , hundreds of opposition supporters again formed “ chains of solidarity “ across Minsk as the protests entered their 20th day .
“ A peaceful protest is stronger than clubs and fear , ” said 30-year-old demonstrator Maxim Zhurkov .
“ We feel that we are the majority , and that means that a breakthrough will come.
” The opposition is bracing for another big rally in Minsk on Sunday .
Demonstrations around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 200,000 over the past two Sundays , the biggest protests the country has ever seen .
Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow , Lorne Cook in Brussels and David Rising in Berlin contributed .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Teen charged in Kenosha shootings that killed 2, wounded 1

KENOSHA , Wis. - Prosecutors on Thursday charged a 17-year-old from Illinois in the fatal shooting of two protesters and the wounding of a third in Kenosha , Wisconsin , during a night of unrest following the weekend police shooting of Jacob Blake .
Kyle Rittenhouse faces five felony charges that include first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide , and a misdemeanour charge for possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor .
Rittenhouse , a white teen who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle as he walked the streets with other armed civilians amid protests this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicted of first-degree intentional homicide .
The shootings late Tuesday — largely caught on cellphone video and posted online — and the shooting by police Sunday of Blake , a 29-year-old Black father of six who was left paralyzed from the waist down , made Kenosha the latest focal point in the fight against racial injustice that has gripped the country since the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
The two men killed were Joseph Rosenbaum , 36 , of Kenosha , and Anthony Huber , 26 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 24 kilometres ) west of the city .
A third man was injured .
Gaige Grosskreutz , 26 , of West Allis , about 30 miles ( 48 kilometres ) northwest of Kenosha is recovering after surgery , said Bethany Crevensten , another activist .
She said Grosskreutz was volunteering as a medic when he was shot and called him “ a hero.
” Rosenbaum was shot and killed first , after following Rittenhouse into a used car lot , where he threw a plastic bag at the gunman and attempted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a criminal complaint released by prosecutors Thursday .
The medical examiner found that Rosenbaum was shot in the groin and back — which fractured his pelvis and perforated his right lung and liver — and his left hand .
He also suffered a superficial wound to his left thigh and a graze wound to his forehead .
Rittenouse then ran down the street and was chased by several people shouting that he just shot someone before he tripped and fell , according to the complaint and video footage .
Huber , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the chest after apparently trying to wrest the gun from Rittenhouse , the complaint said .
Grosskreutz , who appeared to be holding a gun , then was shot in the left arm after approaching Rittenhouse , the complaint said .
Rittenhouse ’ s attorney , Lin Wood , said the teenager was acting in self-defence .
“ From my standpoint , it ’ s important that the message be clear to other Americans who are attacked that there will be legal resources available in the event false charges are brought against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans should never be deterred from exercising their right of self-defence.
” Kenosha police faced questions about their interactions with the gunman on Tuesday night .
According to witness accounts and video footage , police apparently let the gunman walk past them and leave the scene with a rifle over his shoulder and his hands in the air , as members of the crowd yelled for him to be arrested because he had shot people .
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said the gunman likely slipped away because the scene was chaotic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screaming , chanting and running — conditions he said can cause “ tunnel vision ” among law officers .
Video taken before the shooting shows police tossing bottled water from an armoured vehicle and thanking civilians armed with long guns walking the streets .
One of them appears to be Rittenhouse .
Wisconsin Lt. Gov .
Mandela Barnes on Thursday decried how Rittenhouse , whom he described as a vigilante accountable to nobody , could walk away while police talked about finding a knife inside Blake ’ s vehicle after he was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that Rittenhouse and others came to Kenosha to take matters into their own hands “ was completely horrifying.
” Rittenhouse , of Antioch , Illinois , about 15 miles ( 24 kilometres ) from Kenosha , was taken into custody Wednesday in Illinois .
He was assigned a public defender in Illinois for a hearing Friday on his transfer to Wisconsin .
Under Wisconsin law , anyone 17 or older is treated as an adult in the criminal justice system .
Kenosha ’ s streets were calm Thursday following peaceful protests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , dozens of fires were set and businesses were ransacked and destroyed .
The state Department of Justice on Friday released new information , including the names of two other officers on the scene when Blake was shot in the back seven times Sunday as he leaned into his SUV , in which three of his children were seated .
State authorities earlier identified the officer who shot Blake as Rusten Sheskey , a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha Police Department .
The other two officers were Vincent Arenas , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and previously served with the U.S. Capitol Police Department , and Brittany Meronek , who joined the Kenosha police force in January .
Authorities said the officers were responding to a call about a domestic dispute when they attempted to arrest Blake , though they didn ’ t explain why .
Sheskey shot Blake while holding onto his shirt after he and Arenas unsuccessfully used Tasers on him twice , the department said in a Friday news release .
State agents later recovered a knife from the floor on the driver ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
State authorities did not say Blake threatened anyone with a knife .
Ben Crump , the lawyer for Blake ’ s family , said Tuesday that it would “ take a miracle ” for Blake to walk again .
He called for the arrest of Sheskey and for the others involved to lose their jobs .
State officials have announced no charges .
Blake ’ s father told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday that he was upset to learn his son was handcuffed to the hospital bed .
“ He can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have him cuffed to the bed ?
” said his father , also named Jacob Blake .
Online court records indicate Kenosha County prosecutors charged Blake on July 6 with sexual assault , trespassing and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse .
An arrest warrant was issued the following day .
The Milwaukee County Sheriff ’ s Office said in a statement that all hospitalized patients in police custody are restrained unless undergoing medical procedures , and that it was working “ to ensure a safe and humane environment for Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers replied “ hell yes , ” when asked if he was concerned about Blake being handcuffed .
“ He paid a horrific price already , ” the governor said .
The governor has authorized the deployment of 500 members of the National Guard to Kenosha , doubling the number of troops in the city of 100,000 .
Guard troops from Arizona , Michigan and Alabama were coming to Wisconsin to assist , Evers said Thursday .
He did not say how many .
In Washington , the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 200 federal agents from the FBI , U.S .
Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives .
The White House said up to 2,000 National Guard troops would be made available .
The Justice Department also announced that the U.S. attorney ’ s office and FBI would conduct a civil rights investigation into the shooting of Blake , in co-operation with Wisconsin state law enforcement agencies .
This story was first published on Aug. 27 and was updated later that day to correct an erroneous reference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacob Blake remains hospitalized but has not died .
Scott Bauer reported from Madison .
Associated Press reporters Jake Bleiberg in Dallas , Todd Richmond in Madison , Wisconsin ; Don Babwin and Sophia Tareen in Chicago ; and Tammy Webber in Fenton , Michigan , contributed , as did news researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York .

Stephen Groves And Scott Bauer - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Brazilian state governor suspended during corruption probe

BRASILIA , Brazil - A Brazilian court has temporarily removed Rio de Janeiro ’ s governor from office due to corruption charges .
Brazil ’ s main prosecutor ’ s office said Friday that Wilson Witzel , a former federal judge , was removed from office for 180 days while being investigated .
The order by the Superior Court of Justice , Brazil ’ s second-highest court , can be appealed to the Supreme Court .
Witzel ’ s lawyers said in a statement they were surprised by the order and were waiting for access to the court ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Investigators accuse Witzel of participating in a scheme involving fraud in public contracts to benefit companies linked to him and others under investigation .
Investigators suspect one of the illegal financial operations involved a social organization hired by the state government to manage field hospitals for treating Covid-19 patients .
Prosecutors also accused Witzel of benefiting from payments to his wife made by two other people under investigation .
Witzel was unknown to most Brazilians until the 2018 elections , when he won the state governor ’ s race race by closely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be tough on organized crime .
He was frequently criticised by human rights watch organizations for defending controversial police operations , such as the practice of shooting from helicopters against suspects in Rio ’ s slums .
He and Bolsonaro , however , eventually spliut and became political enemies .
Witzel was already facing impeachment procedures in the state legislature , though that action had been temporarily suspended by an appeal to Brazil ’ s Supreme Court .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Focused on pandemic, Merkel has no time for retirement plans

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday that the decision not to run for office again in 2021 has allowed her to focus on tackling the coronavirus pandemic and other pressing problems during her final year in office .
Merkel has seen her approval ratings rise during the pandemic but ruled out seeking a fifth term and remained coy about her post-retirement plans .
“ Of course it ’ s a special time if I don ’ t have to think about what the next election campaign will look like , ” she told reporters during her annual news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives me the possibility to concentrate on governing during this very challenging time.
” The 66-year-old cited the pandemic as the main issue for the coming months , alongside the need for progress on climate change , Brexit and a pan-European migration policy .
“ Nobody knows what the winter will be like , ” Merkel said , urging Germans not to let their guard down when it comes to preventing the spread of the virus .
Merkel , who went into quarantine for two weeks at the start of the pandemic after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood how difficult the restrictions on everyday life were for some people .
“ We know how parents are getting up every day and worrying about whether their child has a runny nose , ” she said .
“ This is going to last all winter and of course that ’ s totally nerve-wracking .
We have to see how we keep the country going nevertheless.
“ Known for doing her own shopping at the local supermarket , Merkel said she found the need for social distancing particularly difficult .
“ Most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people , ” she said .
Merkel acknowledged that the risk of contagion had also significantly changed her work , with most international summits replaced by video calls .
While such video calls with fellow leaders risk being “ rather static , ” especially if there are a large number of participants , she said smaller online gatherings could be “ very intense and in some cases no worse ” than physical meetings .
The lack of travel hadn ’ t freed her up to “ read thick books or somehow think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merkel added .
Asked whether she had begun making plans to fulfil her dreams of visiting the Rocky Mountains or travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway after her retirement , Merkel said she ’ d not booked anything yet .
“ Now also isn ’ t the time to book such journey , ” she said .
“ I ’ m fully occupied with the present.
” Dismissing speculation about possible roles she might take on after 16 years as chancellor , Merkel said : “ First of all I want to keep working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m optimistic about that .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Russian navy conducts major manoeuvrs near Alaska

MOSCOW - The Russian navy conducted major war games near Alaska involving dozens of ships and aircraft , the military said Friday , the biggest such drills in the area since Soviet times .
Russia ’ s navy chief , Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov , said that more than 50 warships and about 40 aircraft were taking part in the exercise in the Bering Sea , which involved multiple practice missile launches .
“ We are holding such massive drills there for the first time ever , ” Yevmenov said in a statement released by the Russian Defence Ministry .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercises began or if they had finished .
Yevmenov emphasized that the war games are part of Russia ’ s efforts to boost its presence in the Arctic region and protect its resources .
“ We are building up our forces to ensure the economic development of the region , ” he said .
“ We are getting used to the Arctic spaces.
” The Russian military has rebuilt and expanded numerous facilities across the polar region in recent years , revamping runways and deploying additional air defence assets .
Russia has prioritized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region , which is believed to hold up to one-quarter of the Earth ’ s undiscovered oil and gas .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $ 30 trillion .
Russia ’ s Pacific Fleet , whose assets were taking part in the manoeuvrs , said the Omsk nuclear submarine and the Varyag missile cruiser launched cruise missiles at a practice target in the Bering Sea as part of the exercise .
The manoeuvrs also saw Onyx cruise missiles being fired at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula , it added .
As the exercise was ongoing , U.S. military spotted a Russian submarine surfacing near Alaska on Thursday .
U.S. Northern Command spokesman Bill Lewis noted that the Russian military exercise is taking place in international waters , well outside U.S. territory .
Lewis said the North American Aerospace Defence Command and U.S. Northern Command were closely monitoring the submarine .
He added that they haven ’ t received any requests for assistance from the Russian navy but stand ready to assist those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news agency quoted Russia ’ s Pacific Fleet sources as saying that the surfacing of the Omsk nuclear submarine was routine .
It cited former Russian navy ’ s chief of staff , retired Adm. Viktor Kravchenko , as saying that by having the submarine surface in the area the navy may have wanted to send a deliberate signal .
“ It ’ s a signal that we aren ’ t asleep and we are wherever we want , ” RIA Novosti quoted Kravchenko as saying .
The presence of Russian military assets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea on Wednesday .
“ We were notified by multiple fishing vessels that were operating out the Bering Sea that they had come across these vessels and were concerned , ” U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Kip Wadlow said Thursday .
The Coast Guard contacted the Alaskan Command at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson , which confirmed the ships were there as part of a pre-planned Russian military exercise that was known to some U.S. military officials , he said .
The Russian military has expanded the number and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years as Russia-West relations have sunk to their lowest level since the Cold War after Russia ’ s 2014 annexation of Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula , and other crises .

Vladimir Isachenkov - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Asia Today: South Korea tightens distancing as cases mount

SEOUL , Korea , Republic Of - South Korea is tightening social distancing restrictions in the greater capital area , requiring restaurants to provide only deliveries and takeouts after 9 p.m. and shutting down gyms and after-school academies .
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo announced the steps Friday after 371 new infections of COVID-19 , the 15th straight day of triple-digit jumps that brought national totals to 19,077 cases , including 316 deaths .
The measures , imposed for eight days starting Sunday , will require restaurants and bakeries to provide only delivery and takeout meals from 9 p.m. to 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between tables as well as keep customer lists when they do accommodate diners .
Franchised coffee shops , such as Starbucks , can provide only takeout drinks and food .
Indoor sports facilities such as fitness gyms and billiard halls will be shut while after-school academies will only be allowed to provide remote learning .
Visitors will be banned from nursing homes .
Park said more than 470,000 businesses in the Seoul area will be affected by the measures , which he described as the “ last stand ” before lockdown steps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of our country -- for yourself and for us , please remain in the safe space that is your home , ” Park said in a nationally televised news conference .
“ Avoid contacting other people.
” Most of the new cases came from the Seoul area , bumping the region ’ s caseload to 7,200 and overtaking the southeastern city of Daegu , the epicenter of a massive outbreak in late February and March that was stabilized by April .
Health workers have found it more difficult to contain the recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , where clusters have been tied to churches , restaurants and schools .
The country has added more than 4,300 to its caseload over the past 15 days , prompting concerns about overwhelming hospitals .
Korea Centers for Disease Control Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said predictions based on models suggest the country could possibly see daily jumps of around 800 or even 2,000 as early as next week if it fails to slow the viral spread .
While government has recently banned large gatherings and shut down nightspots and churches nationwide , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures to the highest level .
Such measures , designed to allow for only essential social and economic activities , would possibly prohibit gatherings of more than 10 and advise private companies to have employees work from home .
But Park and other officials said the government wasn ’ t ready to implement “ Level 3 ” restrictions yet , saying they would inflict serious harm on the economy that policymakers say will likely shrink for the first time in 22 years .
“ Level 3 restrictions will affect a much broader range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we just announced and leave deep scars on the economy , livelihoods and daily life , ” Park said .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — Australia ’ s hard-hit Victoria state on Friday reported 113 new COVID-19 cases for a second consecutive day , with authorities warning that the infection rate will have to fall substantially if a six-week lockdown is to be relaxed on schedule on Sept. 13 .
The latest daily tallies are the lowest in more than eight weeks , with a peak of 725 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped to 12 from 23 on Thursday .
Authorities want daily infections to fall at least to low double-digits before they would consider relaxing restrictions .
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said : “ We ’ re clearly still trending in the right direction .
...
It ’ s not gotten below 100 yet , I do expect that to happen , if not over the weekend , then by next week , if trends continue.
“ — India has recorded another high of 77,266 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to over 3.38 million .
Nearly 47 % were detected this month alone .
The Health Ministry on Friday also reported 1,057 deaths for a total of 61,529 .
India has the third-highest caseload after the United States and Brazil , and its fatalities are the fourth-highest .
Four of India ’ s 28 states — western Maharashtra and the three southern states of Tamil Nadu , Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka — are the worst-hit regions , accounting for 63.8 % of fatalities and 54 % of active cases .
New hot spots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bihar states in the north .
— China began moving into its final weekend before a full reopening of schools amid continuing measures to prevent any further spread of the coronavirus .
The country reported just nine new cases on Friday , all brought from outside .
Hospitals are treating 288 people for COVID-19 and another 361 are being monitored n isolation .
China has recorded 85,013 cases since the virus was first detected in the central city of Wuhan late last year , with 4,634 deaths .
The roughly 25 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to return to classes on Monday .
Lessons are being held on a staggered schedule and masks and social distancing are required .
College undergraduates are also due to return to campus next week , with Beijing ordering tests for all 600,000 at the city ’ s institutions .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Greek sniffer dog finds 100 kilos of Italy-bound cocaine

ATHENS , Greece - A sniffer dog in Greece led coast guard officers to more than 100 kilograms of cocaine @ @ @ @ @ for Italy , officials said Friday .
The coast guard said the discovery was made @ @ @ @ @ port of Patras as the truck was about to board an Italy-bound ferry .
A @ @ @ @ @ on drug trafficking charges after 105 kilograms ( 231.5 pounds ) of cocaine were discovered @ @ @ @ @ packages , the coast guard said .
Authorities said the drugs had an estimated street @ @ @ @ @ million euros ( $ 3.6 million ) .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Attorney: R&B singer R Kelly attacked in federal detention

CHICAGO - The lawyer for R. Kelly said Thursday the R & B singer , who is awaiting trial on @ @ @ @ @ , was assaulted by a fellow detainee at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago .
@ @ @ @ @ a tweet that he learned of the attack on his client Wednesday .
Greenberg says @ @ @ @ @ on the extent of Kelly ’ s injuries .
“ We have not been provided @ @ @ @ @ , nor has Mr. Kelly called , ” Greenberg wrote .
“ We are hopeful @ @ @ @ @ injured.
” A spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons , citing privacy and safety @ @ @ @ @ confirm or deny Greenberg ’ s report of the attack on Kelly .
Kelly , @ @ @ @ @ counts of state and federal sexual misconduct charges in Illinois , Minnesota and New York @ @ @ @ @ heading a racketeering scheme aimed at supplying him with girls .
The Grammy Award winning @ @ @ @ @ anyone .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Trump convention speech coverage highlights nation’s divide

NEW YORK - To listen to television pundits wrapping up the Republican convention and evaluating President Donald Trump ’ s acceptance speech , the nation heads into the fall campaign as divided as it ever was .
“ This was unquestionably the best Donald Trump production ever , ” ABC News analyst Sara Fagen said as fireworks burst over Washington .
There was a weariness in analysts ’ voices following two weeks of conventions in the COVID-19 era — mostly virtual for the Democrats and , for the Republicans , a collection of mostly pretaped speeches concluding with a spectacle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP convention ended with hundreds of people crammed together at the White House , only a scattered few wearing masks — the type of event that has largely disappeared since the pandemic exploded in March .
“ I just kept thinking , the longer this goes on , the more people are going to get sick , ” Mary Trump said on MSNBC .
Yes , Mary Trump .
The left-leaning cable network invited the presidential niece and author of “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer analysis and some of her family ’ s special dysfunction for the last night of the convention .
“ Nothing surprised me about what happened , ” she said .
“ Like all of you , I am repulsed .
I am heartbroken.
” MSNBC ’ s Reid was visibly angered by the use of the White House as the setting for the president ’ s speech — just the sort of bold gesture his fans were likely to love .
“ This was repugnant to see a campaign sign festooned on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a big iron gate outside so the people can ’ t even come in , ” she said .
“ If this is what America is going to be , it ’ s a monarchy , not a democracy.
” MSNBC went from airing more of the convention at its beginning and gradually showing less , with more fact-checking , as the week went on .
Fox News Channel , after some of its fans complained Monday that they were hearing too much from network personalities and not enough of the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By far , most American television viewers watching the convention experienced it on Fox News , the favourite destination for the president ’ s fans .
More than 7 million people watched the convention ’ s third night on Fox News , while no other network had as much as 2 million , the Nielsen company said .
The length and delivery of Trump ’ s address Thursday drew low marks from many analysts , as it took on a droning flavour often the case when the president sticks to a teleprompter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lowest-energy speeches I have ever seen the president give , ” said ABC News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl .
Even Fox ’ s analysts were unimpressed , with Chris Wallace calling it “ surprisingly flat.
” “ He ’ s done very good speeches from teleprompters before , but tonight he seemed to miss the excitement he generates in himself in his ad-libbing , ” Fox ’ s Brit Hume said .
“ Nonetheless , overall as a convention I think it ’ s pretty clear that this show , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed more wallop than those we saw last week.
“ A measurement that Trump watches closely will come out Friday , when the president sees if he can match the 24.6 million people who tuned in to watch Democratic opponent Joe Biden last week .
Democrats have outdrawn Republicans on two of the three nights of the conventions .
That was the case Wednesday , when Nielsen estimated that 17.3 million people watched the Republicans , compared with 22.8 million who saw the Democrats a week earlier .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--The Latest: LA to file charges over recent house parties

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles plans to file criminal charges over recent parties in the Hollywood Hills , held despite a city ban on large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic .
City attorney Mike Feuer plans to announce a crackdown Friday against so-called party houses , including one reportedly rented by TikTok celebrities Bryce Hall and Blake Gray .
Mayor Eric Garcetti last week authorized the city to shut off water and power to the home after they repeatedly held large and raucous parties in violation of public health orders aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 .
Garcetti says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house parties can become “ super spreaders.
” Los Angeles County has recorded nearly 237,000 coronavirus cases and more than 5,700 confirmed deaths , making it the hardest-hit county in the state .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK — Germany ’ s Merkel warns of pandemic difficulties to come — Small businesses in U.S. college towns struggle without students — President Donald Trump spoke of the deadly coronavirus pandemic as though his handling of it was an unqualified success during his nomination acceptance speech .
— @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to their office s amid economic concerns for coffee shops , restaurants and other businesses .
— With the average number of daily cases falling along with the infection rate and hospitalizations , California looks to reopen again HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : THE HAGUE , Netherlands — Amsterdam and Rotterdam municipalities say face masks will no longer be mandatory in busy parts of the Netherlands ’ two biggest cities starting Monday .
The city officials say their experiments with masks on a limited number of busy streets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned on Aug. 31 .
Amsterdam officials says in a statement that the experiment started on Aug. 5 will be evaluated before a decision is taken on whether to again mandate the wearing of masks in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The Dutch capital , a popular destination for tourists , has had a rise in infections in recent weeks .
Infections have risen in Rotterdam since lockdown measures were relaxed on July 1 .
However , Amsterdam says with the busiest tourist season coming to an end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people to stick to social distancing guidelines in busy parts of the city .
LONDON — Ryanair says a passenger was removed from a plane in London after he received a text message notifying him that he had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Authorities in hazmat suits boarded the plane Wednesday night and took the passenger and his companion off the plane at London ’ s Stansted Airport before their seats and overhead luggage bins were disinfected .
The flight from London to Pisa , Italy , was delayed for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two passengers were wearing masks and on the plane for a short period .
They were sent to an isolation area and put in touch with authorities from Public Health England .
The airline says “ there was little if any risk of C19 transmission to other passengers or crew members … all of whom were also wearing face masks at all times.
’ ’ BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel is cautioning that the coronavirus crisis will make life more difficult in the coming months than it has been over the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking the threat seriously .
Germany ’ s response to the virus is generally viewed as relatively successful , but the country has seen a pickup in new infections in recent weeks , as have many others in Europe .
Merkel says , “ We have to expect that some things will be even more difficult in the coming months than in the summer.
” She says it is important to keep infections down as people increasingly meet indoors and that “ we will have to keep living with the virus.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priorities , including ensuring that children can continue access education despite the pandemic , ensuring economic revival and maintaining social cohesion at a time when many in society are suffering hardship .
LONDON — London ’ s Gatwick Airport says it doesn ’ t expect air traffic to return to pre-pandemic levels for four or five years after passenger volume dropped 66 % in the first half of the year .
The capital ’ s second-biggest airport said Friday that just 7.5 million people travelled through Gatwick in the first six months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same period last year .
Gatwick says it has already eliminated 740 jobs and expects to cut another 600 during the third quarter .
CEO Stewart Wingate says , “ like any other international airport , the negative impact of COVID-19 on our passenger numbers and air traffic at the start of the year was dramatic and , although there are small signs of recovery , it is a trend we expect to continue to see.
” NEW DELHI — India has recorded another high of 77,266 new coronavirus cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s total to more than 3.38 million reported cases .
Nearly 47 % of India ’ s virus cases were detected this month alone .
The Health Ministry on Friday also reported 1,057 deaths for a total of 61,529 .
India has been recording more than 60,000 new infections per day for nearly three weeks .
India ’ s previous highest daily count was 75,760 on Wednesday .
With up to 900,000 tests every day , India ’ s cumulative tests reached 39 million on Thursday , the ministry said .
SEOUL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tightening social distancing restrictions in the greater capital area , requiring restaurants to provide only delivery and takeout after 9 p.m. and shutting down gyms and after-school academies .
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo announced the plans Friday after the country reported 371 new infections of COVID-19 , marking its 15th straight day of triple digit jumps and bringing national totals to 19,077 reported cases , including 316 deaths .
The measures will be imposed for eight days starting Sunday .
Park said more than 470,000 businesses in the Seoul area will be affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began moving into its final weekend before a full re-opening of schools amid continuing measures to prevent any further spread of the coronavirus .
The country reported just nine new cases on Friday , all brought from outside the country .
Hospitals are treating 288 people for COVID-19 and another 361 are being monitored in isolation for showing signs of the illness or having tested positive for the virus without displaying symptoms .
China has reported 85,013 cases since the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The roughly 25 % of students still out of school are due to return to classes on Monday .
Classes are being held on a staggered schedule and mask wearing and social distancing are required .
College undergraduates are also due to return to campus next week , with Beijing ordering tests for all 600,000 taking up places at the city ’ s institutions .
SEOUL , South Korea -- South Korean officials are considering reducing the working hours of restaurants and cafes as the country counted its 15th straight day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 371 new cases reported by the South Korea ’ s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday brought the national caseload to 19,077 , including 316 deaths .
The country has seen more than 4,300 new cases over the past 15 days , prompting concerns about the potential for overwhelmed hospital systems .
While the government has recently banned large gatherings and shut down nightspots and churches nationwide , there are calls for elevating social distancing measures to the highest “ Level 3 , ” which would prohibit gatherings of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees work from home .
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a virus meeting Friday that the government wasn ’ t ready to do that yet , citing concerns about hurting an economy that policymakers will likely shrink for the first time in 22 years .
Chung said officials will instead explore other ways to improve distancing , such as limiting the hours of restaurants and cafes .
MELBOURNE , Australia — Australia ’ s hard-hit Victoria state has reported 113 new coronavirus cases for a second consecutive day , with authorities warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall substantially if a six-week lockdown is to be relaxed on schedule on Sept. 13 .
The latest daily tallies are the lowest in more than eight weeks , with a peak of 725 in early August .
The latest death toll dropped to 12 from 23 on Thursday .
Thursday ’ s was the third-highest toll of the pandemic .
Authorities want daily infections to fall at least to low double-digits before they would consider relaxing restrictions .
Elsewhere in Australia , the federal health department said there were 18 new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Queensland three and Western Australia two