thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Chatham announces plan to buy newspaper publisher McClatchy

NEW YORK - Hedge fund Chatham Asset Management plans to buy newspaper publisher McClatchy out of bankruptcy , ending 163 years of family control .
The companies did not put a price on the deal in an announcement Sunday .
The agreement still needs the approval of a bankruptcy judge ; a hearing is scheduled for July 24 .
McClatchy is one of the largest newspaper companies in the U.S .
It owns 30 papers including the Miami Herald , the Charlotte Observer and the Sacramento Bee .
It filed for bankruptcy protection because of a heavy debt load stemming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain in 2006 , just as the newspaper industry went into steep decline .
Chatham was McClatchy ’ s largest shareholder and debt holder .
It beat out a bid from Alden Global Capital , another hedge fund that has taken a leading role in the U.S. newspaper business .
Chatham ’ s other media holdings include the Canadian newspaper chain Postmedia and National Enquirer publisher American Media Inc .
But industry expert Ken Doctor has noted that it doesn ’ t make financial sense to combine those with McClatchy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper dealmakers like to do .
And the emergence of Alden Global Capital as a bidder has given rise to speculation that Chatham will try to combine McClatchy with Alden ’ s holdings or with another big newspaper company , like Gannett .
While national newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times are adding digital subscribers that help them navigate advertising declines , many local outlets have had a difficult time .
That has contributed to a string of bankruptcies and consolidation , much of it involving investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as newsrooms shrink and papers close .
The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated ad-revenue declines and prompted furloughs , pay cuts , layoffs and more newspaper closings .
Several mayors of cities where McClatchy has a paper wrote to the bankruptcy court , asking the judge to consider the civic value of the paper .
“ We want our newspaper to emerge from this bankruptcy with owners who are willing to invest in our community , and provide us with journalism at its best , ” Lexington , Kentucky , mayor Linda Gorton said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s origins date to 1857 , when it began publishing a four-page paper in Sacramento , California , following the California Gold Rush .
The company remains headquartered in Sacramento .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Upperclass midshipmen to return to Naval Academy this month

ANNAPOLIS , Md .
- First and second class midshipmen will begin to return to the Naval Academy in Annapolis in about a week under a staggered plan .
The midshipmen ’ s return will start on or about July 20 , Naval Academy spokeswoman Cmdr .
Alana Garas told the Capital Gazette on Friday .
The fall semester will feature in-person and online classes .
Students will be tested for the coronavirus when they return to campus .
Their movements will be restricted for 14 days , and they will undergo another test at the end of that period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet apart and wear masks during classes .
Tents will soon be set up on campus to expand the space where students can eat their meals .
Students completed the last semester with online learning from their homes around the nation due to the coronavirus pandemic .
In May , the academy held its first-ever virtual graduation and commissioning ceremony .
But last month , Vice Adm. Sean Buck , the superintendent , told the academy ’ s Board of Visitors that while academics can be done online , the other two pillars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — developing midshipmen morally and physically — require hands-on experiences on campus .
“ We can not develop leaders for our nation ’ s military services online , ” Buck said at the time .
Freshmen , known as plebes , already arrived at the academy .
The Navy asked them to show up with their hair already cut to regulation and each received a temperature check and coronavirus test before being allowed onto campus .
The academy notified plebes ’ parents Friday that a yearly event for families originally scheduled for August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thorough consideration and consultation with my entire leadership team , including USNA ’ s health professionals , I believe this is a necessary decision in order to safeguard the health and welfare of the entire Naval Academy family and local community , ” Buck wrote in a letter to parents .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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thetorontostar--2020-07-12--US, Chinese ambassadors spar on Twitter in Brazil

BRASILIA , Brazil - The U.S. and Chinese ambassadors have gotten into a Twitter spat in Brazil , echoing the tense relations between the nations as a whole .
It started Friday when U.S .
Ambassador Todd Chapman retweeted a State Department account accusing the Chinese Communist Party of conducting “ a mass sterilization campaign for women as part of its crackdown on Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang ” province .
“ Silence is not an option , ” Chapman added .
On Saturday , the U.S. Embassy Twitter account quoted the FBI director accusing China of paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring our knowledge and innovation back to China - including valuable research , funded by the federal government ” .
It added : “ Is this happening in Brazil ?
” “ This man comes to Brazil with a special mission , which is to attack China with rumours and lies , “ he wrote .
“ We advise you to stop doing activities of this kind .
... An ant tries to knock down a giant tree , ridiculously exaggerating its ability.
” It ’ s a small echo of a larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday it will retaliate against U.S. officials and institutions following Washington ’ s imposition of sanctions on three local officials of the ruling Communist Party over human rights abuses in the northwestern region of Xinjiang .
Brazil and the United States are strongly aligned .
On July 4 , shortly before testing positive for the new coronavirus , Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was with Chapman to celebrate U.S .
Independence Day .
In March , Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro , the president ’ s son , blamed China for the new pandemic , prompting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words were “ an evil insult against China and the Chinese people.
“


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Boy, 12, arrested after Palace player Zaha gets racist posts

LONDON - A 12-year-old boy was arrested by police after Crystal Palace player Wilfried Zaha highlighted racist abuse he received ahead of Sunday ’ s Premier League match at Aston Villa .
The racist messages and images referenced the Ivory Coast international being Black and showed the Ku Klux Klan .
They were sent on Instagram from a user who referenced central England-based club Villa in their name .
“ Woke up to this today , “ Zaha posted on Twitter alongside screenshots .
“ We were alerted to a series of racist messages sent to a footballer today and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have arrested a boy , ” West Midlands Police said on Twitter .
“ The 12-year-old from Solihull has been taken to custody .
Thanks to everyone who raised it .
Racism won ’ t be tolerated.
” Before kickoff at Villa Park , Zaha — like all players in recent weeks — took a knee as part of the Black Lives Matter campaign .
“ He is very unhappy and he ’ s entitled to be , “ Palace manager Roy Hodgson said after the 2-0 loss .
“ These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presumably trying to get some sort of advantage for the team they support , maybe trying to put some doubts into the head of one of the opposition team ’ s star players .
“ It ’ s very sad that people resort to the type of abuse that he resorted to ... and yet we expect the player who is being hurt by these comments just to shrug his shoulders and take it as part and parcel of the game.
“ The Premier League has launched a reporting system to allow players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up by authorities .
“ This behaviour is completely unacceptable and the Premier League stands alongside Wilfried Zaha in opposing this , and discrimination in any form , “ the league said in a statement .
“ We will continue to support players , managers , coaches and their family members who receive serious discriminatory online abuse .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Coronavirus hurting Alaska attempt to reduce tuberculosis

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Alaska is on track to repeat last year ’ s mark of the nation ’ s highest rate of tuberculosis infections , health officials said .
There have been 38 reported cases of tuberculosis in the state so far this year , The Anchorage Daily News reported .
A federal report released in March said Alaska had 58 documented cases of the disease in 2019 .
COVID-19 has complicated the mission of eradicating tuberculosis in Alaska by reducing the public health resources that can be dedicated to fighting the illness caused by bacteria that attack the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our public health nurses are really the front line workers in the fight against TB , ” said Dr. Michelle Rothoff , an Alaska Division of Public Health medical epidemiologist .
“ And they ’ re obviously being pulled in many different directions right now , which makes it more challenging for them to do all the work they need to do , ” Rothoff said .
In Anchorage last week there were 15 cases of active tuberculosis and more than 300 cases of active COVID-19 .
The World Health Organization reported about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which kills more than a million people every year .
The majority of people with tuberculosis have its latent form and can go decades without symptoms , which is among the reasons “ we continue to kind of have this smouldering epidemic in parts of our state , ” Rothoff said .
Most of Alaska ’ s tuberculosis infections are concentrated in the Southwest and the Northern regions of the state , Rothoff said .
Rothoff hopes Alaska residents remain aware of tuberculosis threats , “ even during this time when everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--4 Azerbaijani troops die in clashes with Armenia

YEREVAN , Armenia - Armenia and Azerbaijan blamed each other Monday for skirmishes on their volatile border that has left four Azerbaijani soldiers dead and several troops wounded on both sides .
The two neighbours in the South Caucasus have been locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh , a region of Azerbaijan that has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. International efforts to settle the conflict have stalled .
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have frequently engaged in clashes .
In 2016 , scores were killed in four days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Armenian and Azerbaijani troops exchanged fire in the northern section of their border .
Officials in both countries blamed each other for starting the fighting and said that sporadic shelling continued Monday .
Azerbaijan ’ s Defence Ministry said that four of its soldiers have been killed in Armenian shelling since Sunday and another one later died in a hospital .
It said five Azerbaijani servicemen were wounded .
Armenian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said Monday that two Armenian troops were wounded .
Hayk Chobanyan , the governor of Armenia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , later said that three other servicemen were wounded .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of provoking the clashes and warned that it would “ bear responsibility for the unpredictable consequences.
“ Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev denounced what he described as “ another provocation of Armenia ” and vowed to protect Azerbaijan ’ s national territory .
Turkey , which has close ethnic and cultural ties with Azerbaijan , voiced strong support to Baku in the conflict .
“ What Armenia did is unacceptable .
It must get back to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cavusoglu said in an interview with state broadcaster TRT .
“ Azerbaijan is not alone .
The Turkish Republic and the Turkish people , is with Azerbaijan with all of its capabilities.
” In Moscow , the Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed “ serious concern ” about the outbreak of fighting and warned against further escalation that could undermine regional security .
Russia has maintained close ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan and has been part of the so-called Minsk group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe alongside the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mediate a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict .
Toivo Klaar , the European Union ’ s special representative for the South Caucasus , voiced concern about the exchange of fire on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border , tweeting that it ’ s “ important for both countries to show restraint and to use all channels of communication , both direct and the good offices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
“


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Washington NFL team dropping ‘Redskins’ name after 87 years

WASHINGTON - The Washington NFL franchise announced Monday that it will drop the “ Redskins ” name and Indian head logo immediately , bowing to decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans .
A new name must still be selected for one of the oldest and most storied teams in the National Football League , and it was unclear how soon that will happen .
But for now , arguably the most polarizing name in North American professional sports is gone at a time of reckoning over racial injustice , iconography and racism in the U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ after owner Dan Snyder , a boyhood fan of the team who once declared he would never get rid of the name , launched a “ thorough review ” amid pressure from sponsors .
FedEx , Nike , Pepsi and Bank of America all lined up against the name , which was given to the franchise in 1933 when the team was still based in Boston .
The team said it is “ retiring ” the name and logo and that Snyder and coach Ron Rivera are working closely to develop a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and experts have long criticized the name they call a “ dictionary-defined racial slur.
” Over a dozen Native leaders and organizations wrote to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week demanding an immediate end to Washington ’ s use of the name .
Goodell , who has fielded questions on the topic for years , said he supported the review .
Protests against the name predate Snyder buying the team in 1999 , and , until now , he had shown no willingness to consider a change .
Strong words from sponsors — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stakeholder of the team — changed the equation .
FedEx earlier this month became the first sponsor to announce it had asked the organization to change the name , particularly important because CEO Frederick Smith owns part of the team .
FedEx also paid $ 205 million for the long-term naming rights to the team ’ s stadium in Landover , Maryland .
The lease at FedEx Field expires in 2027 , and dropping the name keeps open various possibilities in Maryland , Virginia and Washington for the team ’ s new stadium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muriel Bowser has said the name was an “ obstacle ” to Snyder building on the old RFK Stadium site , which is believed to be his preference .
Washington recently started cutting ties with racist founder George Preston Marshall , removing his name from the Ring of Fame and renaming the lower bowl at FedEx Field for the team ’ s first Black player , late Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell .
Marshall , who renamed the Boston Braves the Redskins in 1933 and moved it to D.C. four years later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner to integrate their team .
The current logo shows the profile of a red-faced Native American with feathers in his hair .
Long removed from the glory days of winning Super Bowl titles in the 1982 , 1987 and 1991 seasons under coach Joe Gibbs , Washington has just five playoff appearances in 21 years and no postseason victories since 2005 .
The team has lacked a nationally marketable player since Robert Griffin III ’ s short-lived stardom , and the 2020 schedule features zero prime-time games for a franchise that used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new name and logo — and perhaps the same burgundy and gold colours — coupled with turning football operations over to Rivera could be a boon for Snyder on and off the field .
Even if a segment of the fan base opposes the change in the name of tradition , winning would more than make up for those losses .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Asia Today: India sees another surge, hot spots shut again

NEW DELHI - Several Indian states imposed weekend curfews and locked down high-risk areas as its coronavirus cases surge .
The number of confirmed infections neared 900,000 on Monday with a record 28,701 cases reported in the past 24 hours .
The total of 878,254 is behind only the United States and Brazil .
The Health Ministry on Monday also reported another 500 deaths in the past 24 hours , taking India ’ s total reported fatalities from COVID-19 up to 23,174 .
The ministry said the recovery rate was continuing to improve at 63 % .
New Delhi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are among the Indian cities witnessing a surge in infections .
Several states introduced weekend curfews and announced stringent lockdowns in high-risk areas to slow infections .
India imposed a national lockdown March 24 that lasted more than two months , but it has mostly reopened .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — Australia ’ s worst-hit Victoria state recorded fewer coronavirus cases , but a health official has warned the disease spread might yet worsen .
The 177 new cases were substantially down from 273 cases on Sunday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said it was too early to say whether the lower count meant the spread was being contained .
“ It ’ s great it ’ s lower than our peak .
But it may not be our peak yet , ” Sutton said .
Melbourne and a part of its surrounds in Victoria returned to lockdown last week .
Neighboring New South Wales state recorded a rare day in which the COVID-19 cases from community transmission outnumbered cases of infections overseas .
Eight of its 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pub while four were returning travellers diagnosed in quarantine .
— Thirty-two more U.S. Marines were found infected Monday with the coronavirus at a U.S. air station on the Japanese island of Okinawa , where an outbreak among American service members has grown rapidly since last week .
Okinawa officials said the cases were confirmed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma , one of two bases where large clusters have been found , bringing the total to 95 .
Infections have been also found at three other bases — 22 at Camp Hansen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Camp McTureous .
Officials said movements at Futenma and Camp Hansen have been restricted and large-scale tests are being conducted .
Gov .
Denny Tamaki on Saturday held telephone talks with Lt. Gen. Stacy Clardy , commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force , and demanded the U.S military increase disease prevention measures , stop sending personnel from the mainland U.S. to Okinawa and seal the bases , as well as provide more transparency .
Adding to concerns is the quarantining of American service members arriving from the mainland U.S. for staff rotations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortage of space on the bases , officials said .
Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact .
Many Okinawans have long complained about pollution , noise and crime related to the bases .
Okinawans also oppose a planned relocation of Futenma Air Base from the current site in a densely populated area in the south to a less populated area on the east coast and want the base completely removed instead .
Outside the U.S. military bases , Okinawa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
— Hong Kong on Monday introduced more stringent social distancing measures , banning public gatherings of more than four people and making masks compulsory on public transport as the city battles a renewed outbreak of locally transmitted coronavirus cases .
Restaurants will not be allowed to offer dine-in service from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. , and businesses such as fitness centres and beauty parlours will be closed for seven days .
The measures take effect Wednesday .
The city will also step up testing to identify asymptomatic patients .
Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the measures , also urged the private sector to put in place work-from-home arrangements for employees .
On Monday , 41 out of 52 newly reported cases were locally transmitted , with authorities unable to trace the source for about half of them .
Hong Kong has reported a total of 1,522 cases , including seven deaths .
— South Korea reported 62 new cases , most of them tied to international arrivals .
At least 43 of the new cases were imported by travellers , although the Korea Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they were from .
South Korea on Monday began requiring foreign nationals arriving from Bangladesh , Pakistan , Kazakhstan , and Kyrgyzstan to provide health certificates proving they had tested negative for COVID-19 amid widening outbreaks in Southern and Central Asia .
South Korea has been requiring two-week quarantines on all airline passengers arriving from abroad since April .
— China reported eight new cases , all of them brought from outside the country , as domestic community infections fall to near zero .
No more deaths were reported and 320 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people under isolation while being monitored for being suspected of having the virus or having tested positive for it without showing symptoms .
China has reported 4,634 deaths from COVID-19 out of 83,602 cases since the virus was first detected in the city of Wuhan late last year .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Ex-US diplomat Richardson to urge Maduro to free Americans

MIAMI - Former New Mexico Gov .
Bill Richardson plans to travel this week to Venezuela to urge President Nicolás Maduro to free several jailed Americans as a goodwill gesture aimed at easing tensions with the U.S .
The Richardson Center , which seeks freedom for Americans held by hostile foreign governments and criminal organizations , announced Monday the planned meeting with Maduro on social media .
Richardson didn ’ t say on whose behalf he was travelling to Caracas or what day he would meet with Maduro , who was recently indicted on U.S. drug trafficking charges .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are two former Green Berets — Luke Denman and Airan Berry — arrested in May while participating in a botched raid organized from neighbouring Colombia to oust Maduro .
Also being held are six oil executives from Citgo — five Venezuelan-Americans and one a permanent U.S. resident — who were lured to Caracas for a meeting in late 2017 at the offices of the Houston-based company ’ s parent , state-run oil giant PDVSA , when masked security agents swarmed a boardroom and hauled them away .
While Richardson ’ s visit is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State Department and has kept U.S. officials briefed of his plans , according to someone familiar with the trip , on the condition of anonymity to discuss planning details .
The face-to-face diplomacy stands in contrast to U.S. policy of “ maximum pressure ” on a leader considered by Washington to be a dictator and drug kingpin .
The Trump administration closed the U.S. Embassy in Caracas in March 2019 after it recognized Juan Guaidó , the head of the opposition-controlled congress , as Venezuela ’ s rightful leader .
Lately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs of losing faith in Guaidó ’ s ability to remove Maduro , who has shown a surprising degree of resilience amid ever-tougher U.S. sanctions that have accelerated the OPEC nation ’ s economic collapse .
“ He seems to be losing a certain power , ” Trump said of Guaidó Friday in an interview with Telemundo .
“ We want somebody that has the support of the people .
I support the person that has the support of the people.
” Richardson , a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backchannels to several hostile governments , including Iran , Cuba and North Korea , to win the release of some 40 Americans .
They include former U.S. Navy veteran Michael White , who was released last month by Iran after two years in jail as s part of a deal that spared an American-Iranian physician any more time n jail in the U.S. His relationship with Maduro stretches back to when the Venezuelan would travel to the United Nations as Hugo Chávez ’ s foreign minister .
The two also crossed paths at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manuel López Obrador .
Richardson also worked behind the scenes to bring home another American jailed in Caracas , former Mormon missionary Joshua Holt , who won his freedom in 2018 .
Maduro ’ s government last month released a video showing the six American oil executives in relatively good condition after their loved ones expressed fear about the men ’ s health amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Given limitations , our conditions here have been good , ” one of the men , former Citgo President José Pereira , said between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jail garb playing ping pong and lifting weights .
“ They treat us with respect regarding our human rights.
” Less is known about the condition of the former U.S. special forces soldiers .
The two appeared in videos shortly after their capture and said they had been hired by a Florida-based company run by a former special forces colleague , Jordan Goudreau , to train a volunteer army of Venezuelans to carry out an assault .
The Trump administration has said the United States had no involvement in the attack , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men who were easily subdued when they arrived to Venezuela ’ s coastline on a few skiff boats .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Mexico president to visit country’s most violent region

MEXICO CITY - Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador plans to visit three of the country ’ s most violent @ @ @ @ @ to get a handle on their security problems .
López Obrador said Monday he will @ @ @ @ @ and Colima on Wednesday , Thursday and Friday .
Guanajuato was the site of a @ @ @ @ @ in an unregistered drug rehabilitation centre were killed by gunmen this month .
Jalisco is @ @ @ @ @ Jalisco New Generation Cartel , which was suspected of carrying out the brazen attack on @ @ @ @ @ chief , which he survived with three bullet wounds in late June .
In Colima @ @ @ @ @ also believed to be from the Jalisco cartel , killed a federal judge and his @ @ @ @ @ López Obrador said he is going to “ support , to back ” all of @ @ @ @ @ states .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--North Macedonia reports third migrant car accident in week

SKOPJE , Macedonia - Police in North Macedonia say 11 migrants have been seriously injured in a car accident near @ @ @ @ @ .
A car with local plates , packed with migrants , crashed into an oncoming @ @ @ @ @ Sunday on a secondary road .
Ten Pakistanis and one Afghan were hospitalized with serious @ @ @ @ @ .
The car driver , wanted on trafficking charges , fled the scene .
It @ @ @ @ @ accident involving migrants reported by police in North Macedonia in the past week .
The @ @ @ @ @ of Europe ’ s most active migratory routes in recent months , according to the @ @ @ @ @ protection agency , Frontex .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Kosovo president visits prosecutors who indicted him

THE HAGUE , Netherlands - Kosovo ’ s president visited prosecutors at The Hague on Monday who have charged him with criminal responsibility for crimes including nearly 100 murders during and after his nation ’ s battle for independence from Serbia , saying his visit was “ the price for freedom ” for his country .
Hashim Thaci was greeted by a small group of chanting supporters when he arrived at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers .
About 30 men held up signs and chanted his name as he entered the building .
Thaci smiled and waved at them .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I dreamed and fought for .
A free and independent Kosovo based on individual rights , multi-ethnic society and rule of law , ” Thaci told reporters outside the Kosovo Specialist Chambers headquarters .
“ I am ready to face the new challenge and succeed for my son , my family my people and my country.
” In a television interview aired Sunday , Hashim Thaci said he was going to The Hague to prove to prosecutors investigating alleged war crimes linked to the 1998-1999 armed conflict in Kosovo between ethnic Albanian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no international laws .
“ Nobody can rewrite history , ” he said Monday .
“ This is the price for freedom .
I believe in peace , truth , reconciliation and justice .
I believe in dialogue and good relations with all nations.
” Thaci spoke to reporters , but didn ’ t take any questions , before walking into the court to discuss with prosecutors the indictment they filed against him in April .
A pre-trial judge is studying the indictment and hasn ’ t yet decided whether to confirm or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thaci , Kosovo ’ s former parliamentary speaker , Kadri Veseli , and other suspects with crimes against humanity and war crimes , including murder , enforced disappearances , persecution , and torture .
Thaci was a commander of the so-called Kosovo Liberation army , or KLA , that fought for independence from Serbia .
The war left more than 10,000 dead — most of them ethnic Albanians — and 1,641 are still unaccounted for .
It ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops .
Hi supporters chanted the letters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the KLA .
Among placards held by his supporters was one that read : “ Hashim is not simply a name — it is a symbol of an honourable epoch.
” The former ethnic Albanian-dominated province declared independence from Serbia in 2008 , which Belgrade doesn ’ t recognize .
Announcing the existence of the indictment on June 24 , the Specialist Prosecutor ’ s Office accused Thaci and Veseli of repeatedly trying to “ obstruct and undermine ” the court .
The men “ are believed to have carried out a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Court and otherwise obstruct the work of the Court in an attempt to ensure that they do not face justice , ” a prosecution statement said .
Thaci ’ s visit to The Hague came a day after the European Union praised leaders of Serbia and Kosovo for getting long-stalled talks on normalizing their tense relations back on track and for setting up a face-to-face meeting in Brussels later this week .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti held video talks mediated by EU foreign policy chief Josep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dialogue process , which has been frozen since November 2018 .
“ We agreed on the main elements of the process .
We also agreed on the agenda of our next meeting that will take place this coming Thursday , in Brussels , in person .
I want to thank our partners for their constructive engagement today , ” said EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak , who also took part in the meeting .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Manhunt in Germany for man who disarmed 4 police officers

BERLIN - Hundreds of German police were involved in a manhunt Monday for a 31-year-old man in camouflage clothing who disarmed four officers at gunpoint a day earlier and then fled into the forest with a pistol , knife and a bow and arrow .
Authorities warned residents in the southwestern town of Oppenau to stay indoors while officers , supported by tactical teams , sniffer dogs and helicopters , combed the the surrounding rough terrain .
In an unusual step , authorities publicly identified the suspect by name as Yves Etienne Rausch , saying he was known to police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying several guns and could be violent .
Germany ’ s air traffic control agency declared a no-fly zone of three nautical miles ( 3.5 miles ) in the Black Forest region around Oppenau .
Police were alerted early Sunday by a member of the public about a suspicious person carrying a bow and arrow .
Officers thereupon conducted an ID check on Rausch , who was described as being 170 centimetres ( around 5 feet , 7 inches ) tall , bald , with a goatee beard and needing glasses .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suddenly pulled a gun on the officers , threatening them and forcing them to hand over their service weapons .
Nobody was injured in the incident , about 30 kilometres ( 19 miles ) from Germany ’ s border with France .
Rausch is believed to have been living in the forest for weeks , according to the regional police office in Offenburg .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Germany arrests 2 Syrians over 2012 killing of army officer

BERLIN - Two Syrians accused of involvement in the killing of an army officer in their homeland in 2012 were @ @ @ @ @ , prosecutors said .
Federal prosecutors said the pair , identified only as Khedr A.K @ @ @ @ @ with German privacy rules , were arrested in Naumburg , in eastern Germany , and @ @ @ @ @ Essen .
Their apartments were searched .
Khedr A.K .
is suspected of membership in @ @ @ @ @ al-Qaida ’ s affiliate in Syria was known at the time of the alleged offences @ @ @ @ @ of supporting the group .
The pair are suspected of taking part in the killing @ @ @ @ @ in July 2012 , prosecutors said in a statement .
They said that Khedr A.K @ @ @ @ @ he was brought to the execution site .
Sami A.S. is suspected of filming the @ @ @ @ @ preparing the footage for use as propaganda .
The two men were ordered held in @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--EU, Turkey clash over Hagia Sophia, Mediterranean drilling

BRUSSELS - Turkey and the European Union clashed on Monday over Ankara ’ s energy exploration in disputed Mediterranean waters and changing the status of Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque .
For their first face-to-face meeting in months , EU foreign ministers discussed taking a tougher stand on Ankara though no immediate measures were expected .
“ When I see now what is happening with Hagia Sophia , that is a blow , “ Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said , and was joined by several others in his criticism .
Hagia Sophia was originally built in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pope and others have expressed their sadness and criticism of the move by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Monday that the EU was “ faced with a challenge and insult “ meted out by Erdogan .
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hit back and rejected international intervention concerning its decision to convert Hagia Sophia back into a mosque .
“ Hagia Sophia was left as a legacy as a mosque and must be used as a mosque , ” Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an intervention in Turkey ’ s sovereign rights.
” EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell was in Turkey last week where he also discussed Ankara ’ s disputes with Greece and Cyprus over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean region .
Turkey has dispatched warship-escorted vessels to drill for gas in an area where Cyprus insists it has exclusive rights .
The Turkish government has said it ’ s acting to protect its interests in the area ’ s natural resources and those of Turkish Cypriots .
Petsas said that Turkish drilling was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law “ and said that Greece would be looking to prepare a list for possible “ political , diplomatic and financial ” sanctions .
“ If Greece were to turn away from its maximalist ways and agree to a fair sharing ( of rights ) , and if it were to convince Cyprus to a fair sharing of revenues ( from the exploration of natural resources ) , then 80 % of our problems would solved , ” Cavusoglu said .
Even as the rift between both sides was deepening , the 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close among themselves either .
It was their first in-person meeting since the coronavirus lockdown set in , but because of social distancing rules , there was only room for lots of elbow bumping for a greeting and little reading of lips , since ministers were wearing masks around the meeting table .
Suzan Fraser in Ankara , Turkey , and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens , Greece , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--US grapples with pandemic as its origins are traced in China

ST. PETERSBURG , Fla. - The United States was grappling with the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world on Monday , as Florida shattered the national record for a state ’ s largest single-day increase in new confirmed cases .
Meanwhile , two World Health Organization experts were part of a mission in China to trace the origin of the pandemic .
The virus was first detected in central China ’ s city of Wuhan late last year .
Beijing had been reluctant to allow a probe but relented after scores of countries called on the WHO to conduct a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been rising in the U.S. , especially in the South and West , though they are still well below the heights hit in April , according to a recent Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University .
“ I really do think we could control this , and it ’ s the human element that is so critical .
It should be an effort of our country .
We should be pulling together when we ’ re in a crisis , and we ’ re definitely not doing it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cindy Prins .
Adm. Brett Giroir , a member of the White House coronavirus task force , called mask-wearing in public , which has been met with resistance in some U.S. states , “ absolutely essential.
” Giroir , the assistant secretary at the Health and Human Services Department , told ABC ’ s “ This Week ” on Sunday that “ if we don ’ t have that , we will not get control of the virus.
’ ’ President Donald Trump wore a mask in public for the first time Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Sunday showed he has “ crossed a bridge.
” Pelosi told CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” that she hopes it means the president “ will change his attitude , which will be helpful in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
” In Florida , where parts of Walt Disney World reopened Saturday , 15,299 people tested positive , for a total of 269,811 cases , and 45 deaths were recorded , according to state Department of Health statistics reported Sunday .
California had the previous record of daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
The numbers come at the end of a record-breaking week as Florida reported 514 fatalities — an average of 73 per day .
Three weeks ago , the state was averaging 30 deaths per day .
Researchers expect deaths to rise in the U.S. for at least some weeks , but some think the count probably will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring because of several factors , including increased testing .
Regarding the WHO experts in China , the country ’ s Foreign Ministry spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with Chinese scientists and medical experts on “ scientific co-operation on the new coronavirus tracing issue.
” China has argued that the virus might have originated outside of China and has angrily denied allegations that it covered up the scale of the outbreak as infections first began to spread .
U.S. President Donald Trump has harshly criticized WHO over its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused it of bowing to Chinese influence .
The Trump administration formally notified the U.N. last week of its withdrawal from WHO , although the pullout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 , 2021 .
“ We have a basic consensus with the WHO that virus tracing is a scientific issue , and that requires international scientific research and co-operation of scientists across the world , ” ministry spokesperson Hua said at a daily briefing .
“ WHO also believes that the virus tracing is an issue in progress , which may involve multiple countries and regions , and WHO will also conduct similar inspections in other countries and regions as needed.
” The WHO has confirmed the visit by an epidemiologist and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out information on their agendas while in China .
The virus causing the deadly illness COVID-19 is believed to have originated in bats and then jumped to humans via an intermediary species , possibly the anteater-like pangolin that is prized in China for its scales used in Chinese medicine as well as its meat .
In other parts of the world , the number of infections has been rising dramatically in India , South Africa and Brazil , whose virus-denying president has tested positive .
India , which has the most confirmed virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on Monday reported a record daily surge of 28,701 new cases reported in the past 24 hours .
Authorities in several cities are reinstating strict lockdowns after attempting to loosen things up to revive an ailing economy .
In South Africa , which accounts for over 40 % of all the reported coronavirus cases in Africa , President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday that the country would reimpose a ban on alcohol sales to reduce the volume of people needing emergency so hospitals have more beds to treat COVID-19 patients .
South Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce traffic accidents and has made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks in public .
In France , the government was considering requiring the use of masks in all indoor public spaces amid a small rise in virus infections and a big drop in public vigilance .
Greece was seeking a ban on church and village fairs and tighter tourism-related checks following a recent increase in confirmed coronavirus cases .
Gorondi reported from Budapest , Hungary .
Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report .
Follow all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Tamara Lush And Pablo Gorondi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Ready or not: Election costs soar in prep for virus voting

WASHINGTON - The demand for mail-in ballots is surging .
Election workers need training .
And polling booths might have to be outfitted with protective shields during the COVID-19 pandemic .
As officials prepare for the Nov. 3 election , one certainty is clear : It ’ s coming with a big price tag .
“ Election officials don ’ t have nearly the resources to make the preparations and changes they need to make to run an election in a pandemic , ” said Wendy Weiser , head of the Brennan Center for Justice ’ s democracy program .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the place.
” The pandemic has sent state and local officials scrambling to prepare for an election like few others , an extraordinary endeavour during a presidential contest , as virus cases rise across much of the U.S. COVID-19-related worries are bringing demands for steps to make sure elections just four months away are safe .
But long-promised federal aid to help cash-starved states cope is stalled on Capitol Hill .
The money would help pay for transforming the age-old voting process into a pandemic-ready system .
Central to that is the costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are also costs to ensure in-person voting is safe with personal protective equipment , or PPE , for poll workers , who tend to be older and more at risk of getting sick from the virus , and training for new workers .
Pricey machines are needed to quickly count the vote .
Complicating matters is President Donald Trump ’ s aversion to mail-in balloting .
With worrisome regularity , he derides the process as rigged , even though there ’ s no evidence of fraud and his own reelection team is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting .
“ As cases of coronavirus in this country rise , it ’ s vital that all voters be able to cast their ballots from home , to cast their ballots by mail , ” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. A COVID-19 response bill passed by the House in May contains $ 3.6 billion to help states with their elections , but the Senate won ’ t turn to the measure until late July .
Republicans fought a $ 400 million installment of election aid this March before agreeing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to support more election funding , despite Trump ’ s opposition , and are even offering to lower a requirement that states put up matching funds to qualify for the federal cash .
“ I ’ m prepared not only to look at more money for the states to use as they see fit for elections this year but also to even consider whatever kind of matching requirement we have , ” said Roy Blunt , R-Mo.
, chairman of the Senate panel with responsibility for the issue .
“ We can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produces a result that people have confidence in and done in a way that everybody that wants to vote , gets to vote.
“ The pandemic erupted this spring in the middle of state primaries , forcing many officials to delay elections by days , weeks and even months .
They dealt with poll worker cancellations , polling place changes and an explosion of absentee ballots .
Voting rights groups are particularly concerned with the consolidations of polling places that contributed to long lines in Milwaukee , Atlanta and Las Vegas .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations on the next COVID-19 relief bill begin on Capitol Hill , the final figure for elections is sure to end up much less than the $ 3.6 billion envisioned by the House .
That figure followed Brennan Center recommendations to prepare for an influx of absentee ballots while providing more early voting options and protecting neighbourhood polling places .
Even before the pandemic , election offices typically work under tight budgets .
Iowa Secretary of State Paul D. Pate , who ’ s president of the National Association of Secretaries of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the federal government to provide a steady source of funds , particularly to help address ongoing costs of protecting the nation ’ s election systems from cyberthreats .
For Georgia ’ s primary last month , election officials spent $ 8.1 million of the roughly $ 10.9 million the state has received in federal funds .
The money was used to send absentee ballot applications to 6.9 million active registered voters and print absentee ballots for county election offices .
Some of it also was used to purchase PPE and secure drop-off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state elections division has seen a $ 90,000 reduction for the current budget year as Georgia — like the rest of the nation — deals with a decline in revenues due to the pandemic .
The state ’ s remaining federal funds will be used to help cover the costs of developing an online system for voters to request absentee ballots , less expensive than sending ballot applications to every voter , and exploring whether installing plexiglass dividers around voting machines could allow more voters in a polling place at one time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Denver election office has had to reduce its budget by 7.5 % , nearly $ 980,000 .
Jocelyn Bucaro , Denver ’ s elections director , said the federal funds sent this year helped with purchasing PPE and other pandemic-related supplies .
Iowa similarly spent its federal dollars on mail-in ballots and pandemic supplies , Pate said .
Vote-by-mail veterans and vendors of the equipment , software , ballots and envelopes that will be needed in November say the window to buy them is quickly closing .
“ Right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places is just this kind of indecision .
What are we supposed to be planning ?
Vote by mail or in-person or combination ?
“ said Jeff Ellington , president of Runbeck Election Services , which prints ballots and the special envelopes used to mail them and supplies high-volume envelope sorters .
“ Decisions just need to be made so people can start to put a plan into place , ” he said .
BlueCrest , a Pitney Bowes spinoff , sells high-volume sorting machines that handle up to 50,000 ballot envelopes per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of crunch big counties can expect to face Nov. 3 in states including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania , where Rick Becerra , a vice-president at the company , said he ’ s been talking to officials .
The machines average $ 475,000 each .
“ I tell them the time is now , “ he said .
Cassidy reported from Atlanta .
Associated Press writer Frank Bajak in Boston contributed to this report .

Andrew Taylor And Christina A. Cassidy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Global shares gain on hopes for recovery, despite outbreaks

TOKYO - Global shares rose Monday , cheered by upbeat projections for a global economic rebound that were tempered by worries over expanding coronavirus outbreaks .
U.S. shares were set to rise on the open of trading , with Dow futures up 0.8 % and S & P 500 futures rising 0.7 % .
In Europe , France ’ s CAC 40 rose 1.4 % to 5,038 and Germany ’ s DAX added 1.2 % to 12,779 .
Britain ’ s FTSE 100 climbed 1.2 % to 6,171 .
Investors were looking ahead to the release later this week of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April-June , a key indicator for trade , manufacturing and investments with implications for the entire region .
Singapore is also releasing GDP data .
Japan ’ s benchmark Nikkei 225 climbed 2.2 % to finish at 22,784.74 .
South Korea ’ s Kospi gained 1.7 % to 2,186.06 .
Australia ’ s S & P/ASX 200 added nearly 1.0 % to 5,977.50 .
Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng rose 0.2 % to 25,772.12 , while the Shanghai Composite was up 1.8 % at 3,443.29 .
Investors are hoping for an improved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s economy following its own early outbreaks , share prices are much higher than justified by the numbers , analysts said .
“ I do not think there will be any way to sugar-coat a disastrous Q2 , “ said Stephen Innes of AxiCorp .
“ Still , I am not sure how significant the numbers will be given the premise that investors are paying a top premium for technology stocks based on 2021 rebound earnings.
” On top of central bank policy meetings in Japan and Europe , corporate earnings are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the estimated earnings decline for the S & P 500 index sits at -44.6 % , representing a whole different world compared to the S & P 500 index , which is approximately 6 % away from its previous all time , “ said Jingyi Pan of IG .
“ Reconciliation between the two could take place going into the earnings season , although one suspects there may be some meeting in the middle here , “ Pan said .
“ Better than expected recovery on the U.S. economic data front had so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have been set too low.
” Junichi Makino , senior economist at SMBC Nikko , noted consumption was recovering in Japan , starting in May , helped by the government cash handouts doled out to curb the pandemic fallout .
“ It appears that the fears about the outbreak have declined , and sentiments are picking up , ” he said , noting there was no lockdown in Japan though people were asked to social distance and work from home .
In energy trading , benchmark U.S. crude oil dropped 45 cents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
It rose 93 cents to $ 40.55 per barrel on Friday .
Brent crude fell 47 cents to $ 42.77 a barrel .
The U.S. dollar edged up to 107.21 Japanese yen from 106.92 yen .
The euro inched up to $ 1.1326 from $ 1.1298 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Look out, Mars: Here we come with a fleet of spacecraft

CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. - Mars is about to be invaded by planet Earth — big time .
Three countries — the United States , China and the United Arab Emirates — are sending unmanned spacecraft to the red planet in quick succession beginning this week , in the most sweeping effort yet to seek signs of ancient microscopic life while scouting out the place for future astronauts .
The U.S. , for its part , is dispatching a six-wheeled rover the size of a car , named Perseverance , to collect rock samples that will be brought back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Right now , more than ever , that name is so important , ” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said as preparations went on amid the coronavirus outbreak , which will keep the launch guest list to a minimum .
Each spacecraft will travel more than 300 million miles ( 483 million kilometres ) before reaching Mars next February .
It takes six to seven months , at the minimum , for a spacecraft to loop out beyond Earth ’ s orbit and sync up with Mars ’ more distant orbit around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what Mars was like billions of years ago when it had rivers , lakes and oceans that may have allowed simple , tiny organisms to flourish before the planet morphed into the barren , wintry desert world it is today .
“ Trying to confirm that life existed on another planet , it ’ s a tall order .
It has a very high burden of proof , ” said Perseverance ’ s project scientist , Ken Farley of Caltech in Pasadena , California .
The three nearly simultaneous launches are no coincidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening of a one-month window in which Mars and Earth are in ideal alignment on the same side of the sun , which minimizes travel time and fuel use .
Such a window opens only once every 26 months .
Mars has long exerted a powerful hold on the imagination but has proved to be the graveyard for numerous missions .
Spacecraft have blown up , burned up or crash-landed , with the casualty rate over the decades exceeding 50 % .
China ’ s last attempt , in collaboration with Russia in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. has successfully put a spacecraft on Mars , doing it eight times , beginning with the twin Vikings in 1976 .
Two NASA landers are now operating there , InSight and Curiosity .
Six other spacecraft are exploring the planet from orbit : three U.S. , two European and one from India .
The United Arab Emirates and China are looking to join the elite club .
The UAE spacecraft , named Amal , which is Arabic for Hope , is an orbiter scheduled to rocket away from Japan on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the Arab world ’ s first interplanetary mission .
The spacecraft , built in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder , will arrive at Mars in the year the UAE marks the 50th anniversary of its founding .
“ The UAE wanted to send a very strong message to the Arab youth , ” project manager Omran Sharaf said .
“ The message here is that if the UAE can reach Mars in less than 50 years , then you can do much more .
...
The nice thing about space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Controlled from Dubai , the celestial weather station will strive for an exceptionally high Martian orbit of 13,670 miles by 27,340 miles ( 22,000 kilometres by 44,000 kilometres ) to study the upper atmosphere and monitor climate change .
China will be up next , with the flight of a rover and an orbiter sometime around July 23 ; Chinese officials aren ’ t divulging much .
The mission is named Tianwen , or Questions for Heaven .
NASA , meanwhile , is shooting for a launch on July 30 from Cape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down in an ancient river delta and lake known as Jezero Crater , not quite as big as Florida ’ s Lake Okeechobee .
China ’ s much smaller rover will aim for an easier , flatter target .
To reach the surface , both spacecraft will have to plunge through Mars ’ hazy red skies in what has been dubbed “ seven minutes of terror ” — the most difficult and riskiest part of putting spacecraft on the planet .
Jezero Crater is full of boulders , cliffs , sand dunes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end Perseverance ’ s mission .
Brand-new guidance and parachute-triggering technology will help steer the craft away from hazards .
Ground controllers will be helpless , given the 10 minutes it takes radio transmissions to travel one-way between Earth and Mars .
Jezero Crater is worth the risks , according to scientists who chose it over 60 other potential sites .
Where there was water — and Jezero was apparently flush with it 3.5 billion years ago — there may have been life , though it was probably only simple microbial life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottom of the crater .
But those microbes may have left telltale marks in the sediment layers .
Perseverance will hunt for rocks containing such biological signatures , if they exist .
It will drill into the most promising rocks and store a half-kilogram ( about 1 pound ) of samples in dozens of titanium tubes that will eventually be fetched by another rover .
To prevent Earth microbes from contaminating the samples , the tubes are super-sterilized , guaranteed germ-free by Adam Stelzner , chief engineer for the mission at NASA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Yep , I ’ m staking my reputation on it , ” he said .
While prowling the surface , Perseverance as well as China ’ s rover will peek below , using radar to locate any underground pools of water that might exist .
Perseverance will also release a spindly , 4-pound ( 1.8-kilogram ) helicopter that will be the first rotorcraft ever to fly on another planet .
Perseverance ’ s cameras will shoot colour video of the rover ’ s descent , providing humanity ’ s first look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while microphones capture the sounds .
The rover will also attempt to produce oxygen from the carbon dioxide in the thin Martian atmosphere .
Extracted oxygen could someday be used by astronauts on Mars for breathing as well as for making rocket propellant .
NASA wants to return astronauts to the moon by 2024 and send them from there to Mars in the 2030s .
To that end , the space agency is sending samples of spacesuit material with Perseverance to see how they stand up against the harsh Martian environment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the flight and a minimum two years of Mars operations , is close to $ 3 billion .
The UAE ’ s project costs $ 200 million , including the launch but not mission operations .
China has not disclosed its costs .
Europe and Russia dropped plans to send a life-seeking rover to Mars this summer after falling behind in testing and then getting slammed by COVID-19 .
Perseverance ’ s mission is seen by NASA as a comparatively low-risk way of testing out some of the technology that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ red planet and bring them home safely .
“ Sort of crazy for me to call it low risk because there ’ s a lot of hard work in it and there are billions of dollars in it , “ Farley said .
“ But compared to humans , if something goes wrong , you will be very glad you tested it out on a half-kilogram of rock instead of on the astronauts.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Feds to execute 1st inmate in 17 years for Arkansas murders

TERRE HAUTE , Ind .
- The federal government is set to carry out the first federal execution in nearly two decades on Monday , over the objection of the family of the victims and after a volley of legal proceedings over the coronavirus pandemic .
Daniel Lewis Lee , of Yukon , Oklahoma , is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 4 p.m. on Monday at a federal prison in Indiana .
He was convicted in Arkansas of the 1996 killings of gun dealer William Mueller , his wife , Nancy , and her 8-year-old daughter , Sarah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a federal death row inmate since 2003 , comes after a federal appeals court lifted an injunction on Sunday that had been put in place last week after the victims ’ family argued they would be put at high risk for the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend the execution .
The family had vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court .
The decision to move forward with the execution -- and two others scheduled later in the week -- during a global health pandemic that has killed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ravaging prisons nationwide , drew scrutiny from civil rights groups and the family of Lee ’ s victims .
The decision has been criticized as a dangerous and political move .
Critics argue that the government is creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency around a topic that isn ’ t high on the list of American concerns right now .
It is also likely to add a new front to the national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections .
In an interview with The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Justice Department has a duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts , including the death penalty , and to bring a sense of closure to the victims and those in the communities where the killings happened .
But relatives of those killed by Lee strongly oppose that idea .
They wanted to be present to counter any contention that it was being done on their behalf .
“ For us it is a matter of being there and saying , ` This is not being done in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ ” said relative Monica Veillette .
The relatives would be travelling thousands of miles and witnessing the execution in a small room where the social distancing recommended to prevent the virus ’ spread is virtually impossible .
The federal prison system has struggled in recent months to contain the exploding number of coronavirus cases behind bars .
There are currently four confirmed coronavirus cases among inmates at the Terre Haute prison , according to federal statistics , and one inmate there has died .
“ The federal government has put this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between their right to witness Danny Lee ’ s execution and their own health and safety , ” the family ’ s attorney , Baker Kurrus , said Sunday .
Barr said he believes the Bureau of Prisons could “ carry out these executions without being at risk.
” The agency has put a number of additional measures in place , including temperature checks and requiring witnesses to wear masks .
On Sunday , the Justice Department disclosed that a staff member involved in preparing for the execution had tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in the execution chamber and had not come into contact with anyone on the specialized team sent to the prison to handle the execution .
The victim ’ s family hopes there won ’ t be an execution , ever .
They have asked the Justice Department and President Donald Trump not to move forward with the execution and have long asked that he be given a life sentence instead .
The three men scheduled to be executed this week had been scheduled to be put to death when Barr announced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ending an informal moratorium on federal capital punishment as the issue receded from the public domain .
A fourth man is scheduled to be put to death in August .
The Justice Department had scheduled five executions set to begin in December , but some of the inmates challenged the new procedures in court , arguing that the government was circumventing proper methods in order to wrongly execute inmates quickly .
Executions on the federal level have been rare and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently in 2003 , when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping , rape and murder of a young female soldier .
Though there hasn ’ t been a federal execution since 2003 , the Justice Department has continued to approve death penalty prosecutions and federal courts have sentenced defendants to death .
In 2014 , following a botched state execution in Oklahoma , President Barack Obama directed the Justice Departmen t to conduct a broad review of capital punishment and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs .
The attorney general said last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completed , clearing the way for executions to resume .
He approved a new procedure for lethal injections that replaces the three-drug combination previously used in federal executions with one drug , pentobarbital .
This is similar to the procedure used in several states , including Georgia , Missouri and Texas , but not all .
Associated Press writers Colleen Long in Washington and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock , Ark .
contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--21 injured in fire aboard ship at Naval Base San Diego

SAN DIEGO - Firefighters on land , in the air and on the water on Monday were still battling a blaze on a Navy ship that injured at least 21 people and sent smoke billowing over San Diego .
The fire began Sunday morning in a vehicle storage area aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard , according to Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck , who said 17 sailors and four others , including firefighters , were treated at hospitals for smoke inhalation or other minor injuries .
It was proving to be a stubborn blaze to put out , requiring helicopters dumping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seawater and fire trucks pounding water through hoses from the dock .
Sobeck told the San Diego Union-Tribune that there was no ordnance on board , and while the ship holds a million gallons of fuel , that is “ well below ” any heat source .
About 160 sailors and officers were on board when an explosion and flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke from the 840-foot ( 255-meter ) amphibious assault vessel , which has been docked at Naval Base San Diego and was undergoing routine maintenance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousand typically on the ship when it ’ s on active duty , said Mike Raney , a spokesman for Naval Surface Force , U.S. Pacific Fleet .
Sobeck , commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3 , told the Union-Tribune that the Navy thinks the fire began somewhere in a lower cargo hold where marine equipment and vehicles are stored .
The fire was not a fueled by fuel oil , hazardous materials or electrical causes , Sobeck told the newspaper .
It was fueled by paper , cloth , rags or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he is not concerned about the air quality or toxicity around the fire .
The explosion was probably caused by a change in air pressure , he told the Union-Tribune .
All crew members were accounted for , said Admiral Mike Gilday , Chief of Naval Operations .
“ We are grateful for the quick and immediate response of local , base , and shipboard firefighters aboard USS Bonhomme Richard , ” Gilday said in a statement .
The 23-year-old ship has the capacity to deploy and land helicopters , smaller boats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age , a fire could be particularly destructive , especially if it reached the engine room and other tight spaces with machinery , said Lawrence B. Brennan , a professor of admiralty and international maritime law at Fordham University in New York .
“ The heat of a fire of this nature can warp the steel , and that can be a major problem for any ship , ” said Brennan .
“ On an older ship , it ’ s even more of a problem.
” Two other docked ships , USS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to berths away from the fire , officials said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--China sanctions Cruz, Rubio, Smith, Brownback for criticism

BEIJING - China said Monday it will impose sanctions on three U.S. lawmakers and one ambassador in response to similar actions taken by the U.S. last week against Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses against Muslims in the Xinjiang region .
U.S .
Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz , Rep. Chris Smith and Ambassador for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback were targeted , as was the Congressional-Executive Commission on China .
The four have been critical of the ruling Communist Party ’ s policies toward minority groups and people of faith .
Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations ” and that China was determined to uphold its national sovereignty against what it sees as interference in its internal affairs .
“ China will respond further according to the development of the situation , ” Hua said .
She did not spell out the sanctions beyond saying they would correspond to the American ones .
The U.S. prohibited any property transactions by Americans with four senior Chinese officials and barred three of them from entering the U.S .
There was no indication that any of the sanctioned Americans had plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials include Chen Quanguo , who heads the northwestern region of Xinjiang , where more than 1 million members of Muslim minority groups have been incarcerated in what China terms de-radicalization and retraining centres .
Critics have likened the camps to prisons to which inmates are sentenced with little due process and where they are compelled to denounce their religion , language and culture and pledge allegiance to the Communist Party and its leader , Xi Jinping .
An Associated Press investigation has also discovered allegations that women in Xinjiang ’ s predominantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use birth control or undergo involuntary sterilizations .
Ties between China and the U.S. have deteriorated steadily over the coronavirus pandemic , human rights , Beijing policy toward Hong Kong and trade .
The Trump administration has also slapped visa bans on Chinese officials deemed responsible for barring foreigners ’ access to Tibet , along with those seen as enforcing a clampdown on civil rights in Hong Kong .
Despite such moves , former national security adviser John Bolton has alleged in a new book that Trump told Xi he was right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visa restrictions are being placed on other Communist Party officials believed to be responsible for , or complicit in , the detention or abuse of Uighurs , Kazakhs and members of other minority groups .
In addition to Chen , Xinjiang ’ s party secretary and a member of the national-level Politburo , the other sanctioned officials were Zhu Hailun , party secretary of the Xinjiang political and legal committee ; Wang Mingshan , party secretary of the Xinjiang public security bureau ; and Huo Liujun , a former top official in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their immediate family members are banned from entering the United States .
China has sought to crush any hint of separatist tendencies among Uighurs , which critics say amounts to a campaign of cultural genocide .
Uighurs are mostly Muslim and their Turkic language , Muslim religion and central Asian culture make them distinct from China ’ s Han majority .
While China says it is bringing prosperity and development to the vast , resource-rich region , many among Xinjiang ’ s native ethnic groups say they are being denied economic options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
Last December , Xinjiang authorities announced that the camps had closed and all the detainees had “ graduated , ” a claim difficult to corroborate independently given tight surveillance and restrictions on reporting in the region .
Some Uighurs and Kazakhs have told the AP that their relatives have been released , but many others say their loved ones remain in detention , were sentenced to prison or transferred to forced labour in factories .
In October 2019 , the United States imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials “ believed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the detention of Muslims in Xinjiang .
It also blacklisted more than two dozen Chinese companies and agencies linked to abuses in the region — including surveillance technology manufacturers and Xinjiang ’ s public security bureau — effectively blocking them from buying U.S. products .
China ’ s officially atheist Communist government at first denied the existence of the internment camps in Xinjiang , but now says they are vocational training facilities aimed at countering Muslim radicalism and separatist tendencies .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Report: Rogue tankers help Maduro evade sanctions

MIAMI - As U.S. sanctions scare away the world ’ s largest shippers from Venezuela ’ s oil industry , new players are willing to brave the heightened risks and help keep socialist leader Nicolás Maduro afloat , according to a new report .
In the first year since the Trump administration imposed crushing economic sanctions on Venezuela ’ s oil industry , port calls to Venezuela plunged by 46 % , according to C4ADS and IBI Consultants , two Washington-based think tanks focused on national security issues that authored the report .
But while overall tanker activity is down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Relying on data from tracking systems that are mandatory on tankers , C4ADS identified 214 vessels that visited Venezuela in the year after sanctions were imposed , but not in the previous 12 months .
Collectively , those ships accounted for 33 % of all maritime traffic since the U.S. banned Americans from doing business with Venezuela ’ s oil sector on Jan. 28 , 2019 .
Almost half of those vessels visited Venezuela for the first time .
As the Trump administration has sought to deprive Maduro of easy cash from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has sanctioned more than 50 vessels found to have violated sanctions .
It ’ s also issued new guidelines urging the maritime industry to beef up its vigilance for sanctions-busting activity on the high seas .
Some ship captains and their employers have responded by turning off their transponders and “ going dark ” for weeks to hide tankers brimming with crude .
The rogue ships then frequently unload their hidden cargo on the high seas in risky ship-to-ship transfers , making it harder for authorities to track their ultimate destination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuela to see relief from Iran , which in May sent five tankers of gasoline to the South American country .
While U.S. sanctions “ succeeded in reducing the aggregate volume of recorded port calls in Venezuela , persistent dark voyage activity , the continued importance of particular routes , and the entry of new players showed the limits of enforcement , ” the report said .
China , India and Cuba replaced the U.S. as the top destinations for Venezuela ’ s heavy crude , making up a combined 37 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following sanctions .
Still , traffic to those three countries was down by around 20 % in the year following sanctions .
In total , nine countries including Bahrain , South Africa and Portugal emerged as new destinations that had not appeared in the previous year .
The report is based on satellite tracking data from Israeli maritime analytics firm Windward and corporate data provided by IHS Markit .
It covers the effects of sanctions on shipping networks from Jan. 28 , 2019 — when the U.S. imposed sanctions in support of opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove Maduro — and doesn ’ t include the effects on activity from the coronavirus pandemic .
The 103 tankers visiting Venezuela for the first time appear to be owned by just 41 companies , according to the report .
Three companies with the largest fleets belong to TMS Tankers Limited , Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited and Delta Tankers Limited , C4ADS and IBI said .
The three Greece-based companies , none of which are sanctioned , did not respond to an AP request for comment .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Israeli court rejects petition to curb spyware company

JERUSALEM - An Israeli court has rejected a request to strip the controversial Israeli spyware firm NSO Group of its export license over the suspected use of the company ’ s technology in targeting journalists and dissidents worldwide .
The case , brought by Amnesty International in January , called on the court to prevent NSO from selling its technology abroad , especially to repressive regimes .
The Tel Aviv District Court ruled that Amnesty ’ s attorneys did not provide sufficient evidence “ to prove the claim that an attempt was made to track a human rights activist by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the hacking was done by NSO .
“ Granting a license is done after the most rigorous process and also after granting the permit , the authority conducts oversight and close inspection , as necessary , ” the court said .
If human rights are found to be violated , that permit can be suspended or cancelled , it added .
The court issued its ruling on Sunday , but only made it public on Monday .
Amnesty and NSO were not immediately available for comment .
In 2018 , Amnesty claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NSO ’ s malware , saying a hacker tried to break into the staffer ’ s smartphone , using a WhatsApp message about a protest in front of the Saudi Embassy in Washington as bait .
NSO , an Israeli hacker-for-hire company , uses its Pegasus spyware to take control of a phone , its cameras and microphones , and mine the user ’ s personal data .
The company has been accused of selling its surveillance software to repressive governments that use it against dissidents .
It doesn ’ t disclose clients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle Eastern and Latin American states .
The company says it sells its technology to Israeli-approved governments to help them combat criminals and terrorism .
In a report published last month , Amnesty International said Moroccan journalist Omar Radi ’ s phone was tapped using NSO ’ s technology as part of the government ’ s efforts to clamp down on dissent .
A Saudi dissident has accused NSO of involvement in Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi ’ s killing in 2018 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Judge seeks more details on Trump’s clemency for Roger Stone

WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Monday demanded more information about President Donald Trump ’ s decision to commute the prison sentence of longtime ally Roger Stone .
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered that the parties provide her by Tuesday with a copy of the executive order that commuted Stone ’ s sentence .
She also asked for clarity about the scope of the clemency , including whether it covers just his prison sentence or also the two-year period of supervised release that was part of his sentence .
Hours after the judge ’ s directive , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-page order making clear that the clemency extended to both Stone ’ s prison sentence and his supervised release .
In the order , also posted on the website of the Justice Department ’ s pardon attorney office , Trump wrote that justice would not be served were Stone “ to remain confined to his home or serve the said sentence , and the safety of the community will not be compromised if he is released from home confinement and clemency is granted.
” Trump commuted Stone ’ s 40-month prison sentence on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to report to prison .
Stone was convicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation of making false statements , tampering with a witness and obstructing lawmakers who were examining Russian interference in the 2016 election .
The president told reporters on Monday that he was getting “ rave reviews ” for his action on Stone and restated his position that the Russia investigation “ should have never taken place.
“ Democrats lambasted Trump ’ s action on behalf of Stone as having undermined the rule of law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the only Republican to vote to convict the president during his impeachment trial , called the clemency decision “ unprecedented , historic corruption.
” Mueller himself defended the Stone prosecution in a Washington Post opinion piece in which he said Stone “ remains a convicted felon , and rightly so.
” In an interview Monday evening on Fox News , Stone , 67 , described the criminal investigation and prosecution as the “ most horrible experience you can have.
“ Stone said that while he knew Trump might “ take some shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think most people , most fair-minded people , understand he saved my life and , at least on paper , he gave me a chance to fight for vindication.
” Although presidents have broad authority to commute prison sentences and issue pardons , the brief order from Jackson — who presided over Stone ’ s trial last year — made clear that the judge nonetheless sought additional information and clarity about the clemency , including the actual executive order from the White House .
In a separate case , a federal judge has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dismiss its criminal case against Michael Flynn , Trump ’ s first national security adviser , even though Flynn pleaded guilty during Mueller ’ s investigation to lying to the FBI .
That request from the government has been tied up in the courts .
Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Texas GOP votes to move convention online after court losses

HOUSTON - The Republican Party of Texas changed course Monday night and accepted a virtual convention after courts refused to force Houston , hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic , to let the party stick to its original plans of a massive indoor gathering .
The decision came after the state GOP was left with few options .
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner , a Democrat , said last week he directed city lawyers to terminate the convention contract because he believed the three-day event could not be held safely .
The party sued , alleging breach of contract , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court on Monday .
The convention typically draws thousands of attendees and was scheduled to begin this week .
Following the losses in court , the party ’ s executive committee voted overwhelmingly Monday night to move the event online .
“ The Party argues it has constitutional rights to hold a convention and engage in electoral activities , and that is unquestionably true , ” the Supreme Court wrote in its opinion .
“ But those rights do not allow it to simply commandeer use of the Center.
” Turner denied that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences and cited the potential risk to service workers and first responders if the virus spread through Houston ’ s downtown convention centre .
State District Judge Daryl L. Moore on Monday afternoon denied another party request for an injunction forcing Houston to allow the convention .
Texas has set daily records in recent days for the number of COVID-19 deaths and confirmed cases .
Top officials in Houston have called for the city to lock back down as area hospitals strain to accommodate an onslaught of patients .
State District Judge Larry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citing Houston statistics that show major hospitals exceeding their base intensive-care capacity due to an influx of COVID-19 patients .
The Texas Medical Association withdrew its sponsorship of the state GOP convention and asked organizers to cancel in-person gatherings .
As the virus has surged throughout the state in June and July , Gov .
Greg Abbott , the state ’ s top Republican , has reversed some business reopenings and broadly required the use of face masks .
State GOP chair James Dickey had insisted that organizers could hold the event safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cancel the convention , Dickey said the party had planned to institute daily temperature scans , provide masks , and install hand sanitizer stations .
State Democrats held an all-online convention in June .
Nationally , the Republican Party is moving forward with plans for an in-person convention in August to be held in Jacksonville , Florida , though some GOP elected officials have said they won ’ t attend for health concerns .

Nomaan Merchant And Paul J. Weber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Protest in Pennsylvania after cop uses knee to restrain man

ALLENTOWN , Pa. - Activists against police brutality expressed outrage and demanded accountability Monday after video emerged over the weekend of an officer placing his knee on a man ’ s head and neck area outside a Pennsylvania hospital .
Allentown police released a much longer surveillance video of the incident that showed the officer putting his knee on the man ’ s head and neck area twice while he was being restrained a few steps from the emergency room entrance — the first time for eight seconds , the second for 20 seconds .
The man appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health or drug and alcohol crisis , ” police said in a statement late Monday .
Police violated their own policy against neck restraints when an officer used his knee to bear down on the man ’ s head , activists said , while the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania called it an illegal use of force .
Hundreds of people marched in downtown Allentown on Monday night , calling for the officer to be fired and police funds to be reallocated to education , mental health and other social services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been restraining him .
He needed help , ” said Maegan Llerena of Make the Road Pennsylvania , an advocacy group .
“ Not even two months after George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis , there was a knee on the neck of a man in front of a hospital .
What is that ?
Can someone explain that to me ?
” The videotaped incident occurred nearly seven weeks after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the neck of Floyd , a Black man , for nearly eight minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ custody sparked global protests over police brutality and racial injustice .
“ I can ’ t believe this is really happening now , and here , ” said Justan Parker , founder of Allentown-based Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley .
The group issued a list of demands , including the release of any police bodycam video of the incident , the suspension of the officers involved , the name and condition of the man , the establishment of a regional criminal justice review board and a reallocation of police funding .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passing vehicle and posted on social media , shows Allentown officers restraining the man on the ground outside the emergency room of the Sacred Heart Campus of St. Luke ’ s Hospital .
An officer had his elbow on the man ’ s neck before switching to a knee to hold him down while other officers restrained his arms .
In the soundless , 9:38 surveillance video , released late Monday , the man can be seen staggering on the street and sidewalk , vomiting several times and stopping in the driveway of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers at the scene approached the man after several minutes and attempted to place him into handcuffs , and the man appeared to resist .
One of the officers swept the man ’ s leg to bring him to the ground .
Shortly after , the other officer put his knee on the man ’ s head and neck .
An earlier police statement said the man had begun to yell and spit at officers and hospital staff , adding the man was “ noncompliant which required officers to restrain ” him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ placing what police called a “ breathable spit mask ” over the man ’ s head , which is used to protect staff , officers and others from contact with bodily fluids .
The man was treated at the hospital and released , police said .
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania criticized the police explanation .
The police department ’ s “ appalling excuse for an officer illegally placing his knee on a man ’ s neck is that he was in mental distress and being ‘ non-compliant , ’ “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shorter bystander video .
” Police should NOT be first responders to those in a mental health crisis.
“ Attorney Benjamin Crump , who represents Floyd ’ s family , tweeted the bystander video , writing that the restraint used by the unidentified officer is “ exactly what led to # GeorgeFloyd ’ s death.
“ Crump demanded the officer ’ s name .
Police have not released the name or race of any individuals seen in the video .
Community advocates said they were trying to identify the man in the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis , whatever it was , when he should ’ ve been given support , instead he was criminalized and he received a knee to his neck , ” said Hasshan Batts , executive director of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley , an Allentown community group .
Police said their internal investigation is moving swiftly .
The Lehigh County district attorney ’ s office assigned two detectives to the internal probe and planned to issue findings later this week .
“ Our investigation is ongoing , and as we uncover additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as we can , ” Assistant Police Chief Bill Lake said .
Though Allentown police wear body cameras , Lake declined to say Monday whether police video of the incident exists .
A St. Luke ’ s spokesperson said the hospital has turned its own video over to police .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Number of disappeared in Mexico rises to over 73,000

MEXICO CITY - The number of missing and disappeared in Mexico has risen to 73,201 , and the vast majority @ @ @ @ @ missing since drug gang violence began increasing in 2006 .
The government reported Monday that @ @ @ @ @ counterinsurgency and other actions between 1964 and 2005 .
The number was up by about @ @ @ @ @ by the country ’ s National Search Commission in January .
According to the commission @ @ @ @ @ people have disappeared since the current administration took office in December 2018 .
The commission @ @ @ @ @ missing in the first six months of 2020 , down 36.6 % from the 3,679 @ @ @ @ @ same period of 2019 .
Since the current administration took office in December 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ has accounted for almost 29 % of the 1,682 bodies found in over 1,100 pits @ @ @ @ @ often found in rural areas , but sometimes in suburbs of major cities — are @ @ @ @ @ kidnapping gangs to dispose of the bodies of rivals or victims .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Brazil sacks official after soaring June deforestation data

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil ’ s government on Monday fired an official at the national space agency Inpe whose department is responsible for satellite monitoring of the Amazon rainforest , just three days after the release of June deforestation data reflected a continued increase in degradation .
Lubia Vinhas was the general-co-ordinator of Brazilian space agency Inpe ’ s Earth Observation Institute , which is an umbrella for divisions that monitor the Amazon and panels to debate climate change with civil society organizations .
It ’ s unclear whether the removal of Vinhas from her position was connected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the division directly overseeing satellite monitoring of Amazon deforestation remains employed .
Inpe said in a statement posted to its website Monday night that the change was part of a shake-up at the agency to improve synergies .
Still , the timing of the dismissal -- coming on the heels of June data -- drew an outcry from environmentalists who claim it may be an echo of a high-profile firing at the same agency last year .
President Jair Bolsonaro is a critic of environmentalists and defends fostering more economic development in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nod to illegal miners and loggers .
Vinhas was picked in 2018 for a four-year but Science and Technology Minister Marcos Pontes decided to remove her after 2 years and 3 months on the job .
Inpe said in its statement that Vinhas ’ former department will be merged with others , and she will oversee implementation of a new georeferencing database .
Inpe figures published on Friday showed 400 square miles ( 1,034 square kilometres ) of deforestation in the Amazon in June , a new record the month since data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from January to June was 1,890 square miles ( 3,069 square kilometres ) , up 25 % from the same six-month period last year .
Outside observers are keeping close tabs on Brazil ’ s environmental stewardship just ahead of the so-called burning season , during which landholders use fire to clear brush and forest .
That includes asset managers who say they are assessing whether to divest from Brazil and last week spoke with the environment minister and Vice-President Gen. Hamilton Mourão , .
Bolsonaro also put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curb deforestation in May after last year ’ s fires pushed destruction to the highest level in 11 years .
Yet data from Inpe show that it kept climbing .
Marcio Astrini , the executive-secretary of the Brazilian Climate Observatory , a coalition of civil society groups , alleged that the government has previously made clear its desire to intervene in Inpe .
“ The removal of Lubia Vinhas could be an indication that the plan was never abandoned .
This is happening as deforestation accelerates , when the administration needs to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
Suely Vaz , former head of environment regulator IBAMA , said before the release of the June data that the army isn ’ t using the technical planning and intelligence required , nor are they trained in such methods to stop deforestation .
She added that it costs more than $ 10 million per month for the army to operate in the Amazon -- more than half what IBAMA spends on oversight in a year .
“ Control of deforestation isn ’ t done by sending a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vaz said .
“ They can help , but the operations need to be conducted by environmental authorities.
” In the midst of the international outcry over the Amazon fires in August , Bolsonaro accused the then-head of Brazil ’ s space research institute , Ricardo Galvão , of manipulating satellite deforestation data in order to undermine his administration .
Galvão publicly countered the claims , and was fired .

David Biller And Mauricio Savarese - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Indians, other teams pressured after Redskins drop nickname

CLEVELAND - The spotlight for change is shining on the Cleveland Indians .
Now that the NFL ’ s Washington Redskins have retired their contentious nickname and logo after decades of objection and amid a nationwide movement calling for racial justice , the Indians appear to be the next major sports franchise that might assume a new identity .
Along with the Indians , who recently announced they are in the early stages of evaluating a name change for the first time in 105 years , the Atlanta Braves , Chicago Blackhawks and Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential of sponsors pulling their financial support .
For some , the time has come for widespread changes to sports nicknames , mascots and symbols as the country reckons with its legacy of racism .
“ I understand people aren ’ t willing to change or so quickly , or they ’ re hoping this moment is going to pass .
It ’ s not , ” said activist Frances Danger , who is Muscogee ( Creek ) and Seminole from Oklahoma .
” And now that we ’ ve gotten what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to start working on the rest of them .
We ’ re not going to let up.
” On Monday , Washington announced it was dropping a nickname that had been in place since 1933 and had grown into an embarrassing scar for the NFL franchise .
The team buckled under financial pressure from sponsors including FedEx , the shipping giant and naming rights holder to the teams ’ s stadium , as well as other groups .
Indians manager Terry Francona acknowledged having “ mixed emotions ” about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m glad to see that they ’ re acting on it , ” he said Monday night .
“ Also , I think that it was probably financially driven .
... You can ’ t always do things when the timing is right , when it ’ s convenient .
That ’ s kind of how I feel about this .
I hope that our organization will lead as opposed to follow.
” While the debate over the Redskins ’ nickname was waged for years , the drastic change came just two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he would never change the team ’ s moniker , said the franchise would undergo a “ thorough review ” before its next move .
Cleveland ’ s situation is different from Washington ’ s on several fronts .
First , the Indians are not feeling heat from any corporate sponsors .
At least not publicly .
When the Redskins announced their review earlier this month , the Indians released a statement within hours of Washington ’ s that said , “ we are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regard to our team name.
” The Indians didn ’ t promise to change their nickname .
But it would be hard to imagine them going through a detailed evaluation and deciding to stick with a nickname that Native American groups have condemned for years as degrading and racist .
Cleveland showed a willingness to rebrand itself when it pulled the highly debated Chief Wahoo logo off its game jerseys and caps .
While the red-faced , toothy caricature remains a presence on some team merchandise , its reduced status and removal from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was applauded as a positive step .
Even if the Indians decide to drop the nickname , there are numerous other layers — trademark contracts , new logos , Major League Baseball ’ s approval — to work through before the change could take effect .
While the Indians seem open to a new identity , the Braves aren ’ t budging .
They have no plans to change their nickname , telling season-ticket holders in a letter last week that “ we will always be the Atlanta Braves.
” However , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ” tomahawk chop “ chant — a tradition borrowed in the early 1990s from Florida State ’ s powerful football program .
The Blackhawks , too , have no plans for change , saying their name honours a Native American leader , Black Hawk of Illinois ’ Sac & Fox Nation .
The NHL team said it plans to work harder to raise awareness of Black Hawk and “ the important contributions of all Native American people.
” “ We ’ re trying to honour the logo and be respectful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There ’ s certainly a fine line between respect and disrespect , and I think we want to do an even better job .
I think the most important thing is to be clear that we want to help educate .
...
I think we ’ ve done a good job , but we want to do a better job .
And I think we ’ re committed to that as we go forward.
” Part of Atlanta ’ s insistence to keep a nickname the franchise brought from Milwaukee in 1966 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ cultural working relationship ” with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina and other tribal leaders it collaborates with regularly .
But as teams look to make changes , Danger and other activists will continue to push them to abandon any connection with Native Americans , who have been portrayed as mascots for generations .
“ We ’ re being paraded around without a say in how we ’ re seen , ” she said .
“ It ’ s a less bloody continuation of that , of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not hard to choose the right side of history , so I hope these teams will take that step with us , side by side , as we all work together to change the world.
“ Associated Press writer Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff , Arizona , and AP Sports Writers Charles Odum in Atlanta and Jay Cohen in Chicago contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-13--Mexican man with coronavirus dies in ICE custody

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. - A Mexican man being held in U.S. immigration custody in Florida died shortly after @ @ @ @ @ , officials said Monday .
Onoval Perez-Montufa , 51 , died Sunday afternoon at a @ @ @ @ @ according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement news release .
He had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven , which is west of Lake @ @ @ @ @ the facility began treating him a day earlier after he complained of shortness of breath @ @ @ @ @ custody June 15 following his release from federal prison in Massachusetts , where he had @ @ @ @ @ distribution .
He was in ICE custody pending his removal to Mexico .
An El @ @ @ @ @ after testing positive for coronavirus at a San Diego , California , ICE facility .
@ @ @ @ @ that month at a Lumpkin , Georgia , facility .