thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who modernized Oman, dies at 79

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - Oman ’ s Sultan Qaboos bin Said , the Mideast ’ s longest-ruling monarch who seized power in a 1970 palace coup and pulled his Arabian sultanate into modernity while carefully balancing diplomatic ties between adversaries Iran and the U.S. , has died .
He was 79 .
The state-run Oman News Agency announced his death early Saturday on its official Twitter account .
The sultan was believed to have been in poor health and travelled to Belgium for what the court described as a medical checkup last month .
The royal court declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency mourned the death of the Sultan and praised the “ towering renaissance ” he had presided over .
It said his “ balanced policy ” of mediating between rival camps in a volatile region had earned the world ’ s respect .
The British-educated , reclusive sultan reformed a nation that was home to only three schools and harsh laws banning electricity , radios , eyeglasses and even umbrellas when he took the throne .
Under his reign , Oman became known as a welcoming tourist destination and a key Mideast interlocutor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran and Yemen and even hosting visits by Israeli officials while pushing back on their occupation of land Palestinians want for a future state .
“ We do not have any conflicts and we do not put fuel on the fire when our opinion does not agree with someone , ” Sultan Qaboos told a Kuwaiti newspaper in a rare interview in 2008 .
The sultan ’ s death had raised the risk of unrest in this country on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula .
The unmarried Sultan Qaboos had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heir , a tradition among the ruling Al Said dynasty whose history is replete with bloody takeovers .
But within hours , Oman state television announced Haitham bin Tariq Al Said , who had served as the sultanate ’ s culture minister , as the new sultan .
Oman ’ s longtime willingness to strike its own path frustrated Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates , longtime foes of Iran who now dominate the politics of regional Gulf Arab nations .
How Oman will respond to pressures both external and internal in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades remains in question .
“ Maintaining this sort of equidistant type of relationship ... is going to be put to the test , “ said Gary A. Grappo , a former U.S. ambassador to Oman .
” Whoever that person is is going to have an immensely , immensely difficult job .
And overhanging all of that will be the sense that he ’ s not Qaboos because those are impossible shoes to fill.
” The sultan had been believed to be ill for some time , though authorities never disclosed what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report by the Washington Institute for Near-East Policy described the sultan as suffering from “ diabetes and a history of colon cancer.
” Sultan Qaboos spent eight months in a hospital in Germany , returning to Oman in 2015 , with the royal court only saying that the treatment he received was successful .
In December 2019 , he travelled to Belgium for a week for what the court described as “ medical checks.
” Days of worry about his condition ended Dec. 31 , 2019 , with the royal court describing him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qaboos cut a fashionable figure in a region whose leaders are known for a more austere attire .
His colorful turbans stood out , as did his form-fitting robes with a traditional curved khanjar knife stuck inside , the symbol of Oman .
He occasionally wore a white turban out of his belief that he spiritually led Oman ’ s Ibadi Muslims , a more liberal offshoot of Islam predating the Sunni-Shiite split .
The sultan ’ s willingness to stand apart was key to Oman ’ s influence in the region .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and smaller oil reserves than its neighbours , Oman under Sultan Qaboos routinely influenced the region in ways others couldn ’ t .
Oman ’ s oil minister routinely criticizes the policies of the Saudi-led OPEC oil cartel with a smile .
Muscat hosts meetings of Yemen ’ s Houthi rebels , locked in a yearslong bloody war with Saudi Arabia .
When Americans or dual nationals with Western ties are detained in Iran or areas under Tehran ’ s influence , communiques that later announce their freedom routinely credit the help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greatest diplomatic achievement came as Oman hosted secret talks between Iranian and U.S. diplomats that led to the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers .
The agreement , which limited Iran ’ s atomic program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions , has come unraveled since President Donald Trump withdrew from it in May 2018 .
Even while mediating negotiations with Tehran , the sultan maintained ties to those in the Pahlavi dynasty that Iran ’ s 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew .
Sultan Qaboos ’ outward-looking worldview could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his father , Sultan Said bin Taimur , under whose rule the sultanate more resembled a medieval state .
Slavery was legal , no one could travel abroad and music was banned .
At the time , the country , which is nearly the size of Poland , had only 10 kilometres ( 6.21 miles ) of paved roads .
Yet Sultan Said let his son Qaboos , born in Salalah on Nov. 18 , 1940 , travel to study in England .
Qaboos ’ time abroad included schooling at Britain ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Scottish Rifles Regiment in what was then West Germany .
Qaboos returned to Salalah in 1964 but found himself instead locked away in a palace .
Music cassettes sent to him from friends abroad included secret messages from the British .
London was frustrated with Sultan Said , who had grown increasingly eccentric after surviving an assassination attempt and as Communist rebels kept up their offensive in the sultanate ’ s Dhofar region .
A July 23 , 1970 palace coup ended up with Sultan Said shooting himself in the foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qaboos took power .
“ Yesterday , Oman was in darkness , ” Sultan Qaboos said after the coup .
“ But tomorrow , a new dawn will rise for Oman and its people.
” Sultan Qaboos quickly moved toward modernizing the country , building the schools , hospitals and roads his father didn ’ t .
With the help of Iranian forces under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , the British and Jordan , the sultan beat back the Dhofar rebellion .
“ You can see the sultan ’ s fingerprints , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just everywhere.
” Over time , Sultan Qaboos introduced what amounted to a written constitution , created a parliament and granted citizens limited political freedoms .
But the sultan always had final say .
In a sign of his strong grip , he also served as prime minister and minister of defence , finance and foreign affairs , as well as governor of the sultanate ’ s Central Bank .
“ Holding all these positions in government probably sort of constrained his country in the sense of developing senior leadership , ” Grappo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any sign of dissent .
The Royal Oman Police often patrol in riot-ready vehicles with chicken wire covering the windows , something only seen in the island nation of Bahrain which has faced years of low-level unrest .
U.S. diplomats routinely describe the Omani press as “ muzzled “ and even private outlets self-censor out of fear of running afoul of so-called “ red lines.
” All public gatherings require government permission .
Small protests broke out as part of the wider Arab Spring unrest in 2011 , revealing discontent over corruption , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Oman was one of the few countries in the Arab world to maintain ties with Egypt after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979 , and acted as a mediator between Iran and Iraq during their ruinous eight-year war .
It has also long served as a quiet base for U.S. military operations , including a failed 1980 attempt to free hostages held by Iran after the U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran .
As he grew older , Sultan Qaboos also grew increasingly reclusive .
He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — reading , music and yachting .
He “ read voraciously , ” Grappo said , played the organ and lute .
He created a symphony orchestra and opened a royal opera house in Muscat in 2011 .
His yacht “ Al Said ” is among the world ’ s largest and was frequently seen anchored in Muscat ’ s mountain-ringed harbour .
Sultan Qaboos was briefly married to a first cousin .
They had no children and divorced in 1979 .
Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss and Aya Batrawy in Dubai , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bangkok contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Trump ups Iran accusations, says 4 US embassies targeted

WASHINGTON - Confronted by persistent questions about his military action in the Middle East , President Donald Trump and his top officials offered a string of fresh explanations Friday , with Trump now contending Iranian militants had planned major attacks on four U.S. embassies .
Just hours earlier , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said the U.S. didn ’ t know when or where attacks might occur .
Trump and other officials insisted anew that Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani had posed an imminent threat to the U.S. , but they rebuffed repeated attempts to explain what they meant by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced additional sanctions against Iran , which he had promised after a barrage of missiles fired by the Islamic Republic against American bases in Iraq earlier this week .
Those Iranian missiles , which caused no casualties , were prompted by the U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week in Baghdad .
That U.S. assault set off a chain of events that included the unintentional downing of a Ukrainian jetliner by the Iran military , and calls by the Iraqi government to expel U.S. troops from their country .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive order adding additional U.S. sanctions to the already long list his administration had imposed in an effort to force Iran to accept a new agreement that would curb its nuclear program and to halt support for militant groups throughout the Middle East .
Trump declared the U.S. was holding Iran responsible for attacks against the United States as well as a threat to U.S. service members , diplomats and civilians — an apparent reference to the justification for killing Soleimani .
“ The United States will continue to counter the Iranian regime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
But Trump and others faced continuing questions over their claims of an “ imminent ” threat .
Members of Congress said Pompeo and other officials did not provide sufficient detail or justification in briefings this week .
Define what you mean by imminent , Pompeo was asked Friday at a White House news conference .
“ I don ’ t know exactly which minute , “ Pompeo said .
” We don ’ t know exactly which day it would have been executed , but it was very clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broad , large-scale attack against American interests and those attacks were imminent.
” Both Pompeo and Trump had said U.S. embassies were threatened .
The secretary of state broadened it to include “ American facilities , ” including military bases throughout the region .
“ This was going to happen , and American lives were at risk , “ he said .
Trump gave a more worrisome number but still no specifics in a later comment .
“ I can reveal that I believe it probably would ’ ve been four embassies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview taped Friday .
He spoke amid revelations by U.S. officials that the American military had tried , but failed , to kill another senior Iranian commander on the same day that Soleimani was killed .
The targeting of Abdul Reza Shahlai was apparently part of an effort to cripple the leadership of Iran ’ s Quds Force , which the U.S. has designated a terror organization along with the larger Islamic Revolutionary Guard Force .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the killing of Soleimani “ provocative and disproportionate , “ and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed-door briefing on the intelligence .
“ President Trump recklessly assassinated Qasem Soleimani , “ said Rep. Pramila Jayapal , a Washington state Democrat .
” He had no evidence of an imminent threat or attack.
” The new sanctions were in immediate response to Iran ’ s firing of a barrage of missiles at American bases in neighbouring Iraq this week after the killing of Soleimani .
No one was injured .
The larger U.S. goal is to force Iran to negotiate a new agreement on limiting its nuclear program .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement signed under President Barack Obama that traded curbs on the program for the easing of sanctions .
Since then , the administration has added additional economic measures that have created hardship in Iran and brought its oil revenue to historic lows but have failed to bring the Iranian government to the negotiating table .
The sanctions added Friday include measures aimed at eight senior Iranian officials involved in what Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called “ destabilizing ” activities throughout the Middle East as well as Tuesday ’ s missile barrage .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officials have in U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit financial transactions with them , are largely symbolic since such senior figures are unlikely to have assets under American control after decades of hostility between the two nations .
But other measures announced Friday could have a significant effect on strategically important sectors of the Iranian economy , said Ben Davis , chief research officer at research and data analytics firm Kharon .
The executive order grants the administration power to place anyone involved , even indirectly , in the construction , manufacturing , textile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blacklist .
It also targets 17 of the largest steel and iron manufacturers — one of the few growth spots in the hobbled Iranian economy — along with three foreign companies , including two based in China , under secondary sanctions .
“ It sends a signal to other foreign firms that continue to do business with Iranian steel producers that this is off limits , ” said Davis , a former Treasury Department official .
Adnan Mazarei , a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics , said the sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to cut fuel subsidies earlier this year , triggering nationwide protests , but they also will make it harder for government to negotiate with the U.S. “ This will be seen as another sign that the U.S. government can not be taken at its word when it says it wants to negotiate , ” Mazarei said .
Mnuchin insisted the sanctions are working and have deprived Iran of tens of billions of dollars .
“ They would be using that for terrorist activities throughout the region and to enable them to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And there ’ s no question , by cutting off the economics to the region , we are having an impact.
” Associated Press writer Chris Rugaber contributed to this report .

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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Pelosi to send impeachment to Senate for historic trial

WASHINGTON - Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House will take steps next week to transmit the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump , ending a three-week standoff but confronting the Senate with only the third trial in U.S. history to remove a chief executive .
In a letter to her Democratic colleagues , Pelosi said Friday she was proud of their ‘ ’ courage and patriotism “ and warned that senators now have a choice as they consider the charges of abuse and obstruction against the president .
“ In an impeachment trial , every Senator takes an oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution and laws , ’ ’ ’ Pelosi wrote .
“ Every Senator now faces a choice : to be loyal to the President or the Constitution.
” The trial could begin next week .
The Constitution gives the House the sole power to impeach a president , but the Senate the ability to render a verdict when it convenes as the Court of Impeachment .
Pelosi was particularly upbeat Friday as she strode through the Capitol , despite the mounting pressure on her to quit delaying the trial .
Her decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Mitch McConnell does not fully bring closure to the question of whether the Senate will consider new witnesses , as some want , shifting pressure on senators to decide .
Trump swiftly signalled his intention of blocking any testimony from John Bolton , the brash former national security adviser who could be a wildcard witness in the trial .
Bolton has said he would appear before the Senate if he received a subpoena .
At the same time , a key centrist GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , whose vote is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was in discussions with other Republicans on a strategy that would allow the Senate to hear new testimony .
While the rules of Senate trial remain unsettled , the outcome is not .
Trump is widely expected to be acquitted of the charges that he abused power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden , then obstructed Congress in its investigation .
No president has ever been removed by the Senate .
“ Ridiculous , ” Trump told Fox News ’ Laura Ingraham about the speaker ’ s gambit .
“ Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful speaker of the House in the history of our nation , ” he said .
Asked if he would invoke executive privilege to block Bolton ’ s testimony , Trump said , “ Well I think you have to for the sake of the office.
“ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who has been working closely with the White House on strategy , said Friday afternoon that the Senate is “ anxious to get started.
” Republicans have the leverage , with a slim 53-47 Senate majority , if McConnell can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy .
So far , they are supportive of modeling the trial after the one used in the last presidential impeachment , of Bill Clinton , 20 years ago .
It set out a path for starting the trial and voting on witnesses later .
Despite McConnell ’ s wishes for a speedy trial , some Republicans in his caucus have indicated that they are open to witnesses .
It takes just 51 senators to set the rules , and Democrats have been trying to win over wavering GOP senators to vote with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am hopeful that we can reach an agreement on how to proceed with the trial that will allow the opportunity for witnesses for both the House managers and the President ’ s counsel if they choose to do so , “ Collins said .
“ It is important that both sides be treated fairly.
” Since the House vote on Dec. 18 to impeach the president , the showdown between Pelosi and McConnell , the two power centres in Congress , has consumed Capitol Hill and scrambled the political dynamics .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate until she knew there would be a fair trial with witness testimony .
She also asked McConnell for details on the trial structure she could decide who to appoint as impeachment managers .
McConnell rebuffed all over her demands .
On Friday , Pelosi ended the stalemate by saying she had asked House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler to be prepared to bring to the floor next week a resolution to appoint managers and transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate .
She did not announce a date for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial would start soon .
“ We ’ ll get about it as soon as we can , ” he said .
Transmittal of the documents and naming of House impeachment managers are the next steps needed to start the Senate trial .
Yet questions remain in the Senate on the scope , format and duration .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is eager to test Senate Republicans , especially those like Collins who are up for re-election in 2020 , with votes to compel testimony from Bolton , acting White House chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have so far resisted appearing before Congress .
“ Senate Democrats are ready for the trial to begin and will do everything we can to see that the truth comes out , ” Schumer said .
Bolton , who was present for several of the internal White House discussions about Ukraine policy that were at the heart of the Democrats ’ impeachment case , is among the most compelling of four witnesses suggested by Schumer .
The former national security adviser clashed with the president ’ s Ukraine policy , saying he didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any “ drug deal ” being cooked up .
He called Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , who others have testified was orchestrating an alternative foreign policy outside of official channels , a “ grenade ” that was going to go off .
Chuck Cooper , an attorney for Bolton , declined to comment .
The House impeached Trump in December on the charge that he abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine ’ s new leader to investigate Democrats , using as leverage $ 400 million in military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counters Russia at its border .
Trump insists he did nothing wrong , but his defiance of the House Democrats ’ investigation led to an additional charge of obstruction of Congress .
On a July telephone call with Ukraine ’ s new president , Trump asked his counterpart to open an investigation into Democrat Joe Biden , who is running for his party ’ s presidential nomination , and his son Hunter while holding up military aid for Ukraine .
A Ukrainian gas company had hired Hunter Biden when his father was vice-president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man on Ukraine .
There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden .
It ’ s still unclear who Pelosi will appoint as impeachment managers to prosecute the case in the Senate .
Nadler , D-N.Y. , and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , will most likely lead the team .
What was more certain is that the group will be more diverse than the 1999 team in Clinton ’ s trial , who were all male and white .
Pelosi is expected to ensure the managers are diverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ geographically .
Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman , Alan Fram , Andrew Taylor , Darlene Superville and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report .

Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--White House considering dramatic expansion of travel ban

WASHINGTON - The White House is considering dramatically expanding its much-litigated travel ban to additional countries amid a renewed election-year focus on immigration by President Donald Trump , according to six people familiar with the deliberations .
A document outlining the plans — timed to coincide with the third anniversary of Trump ’ s January 2017 executive order — has been circulating the White House .
But the countries that would be affected if it moves forward are blacked out , according to two of the people , who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s unclear exactly how many countries would be included in the expansion if it proceeds , but two of the people said that seven countries — a majority of them Muslim — would be added to the list .
The most recent iteration of the ban includes restrictions on five majority-Muslim nations : Iran , Libya , Somalia , Syria and Yemen , as well as Venezuela and North Korea .
A different person said the expansion could include several countries that were covered in the first iteration of Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rounds of contentious litigation .
Iraq , Sudan and Chad , for instance , had originally been affected by the order , which the Supreme Court upheld in a 5-4 vote after the administration released a watered-down version intended to withstand legal scrutiny .
Trump , who had floated a banning all Muslims from entering the country during his 2016 campaign , criticized his Justice Department for the changes , tweeting that DOJ “ should have stayed with the original Travel Ban , not the watered down , politically correct version they submitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed expansion list include allies that fall short on certain security measures .
The additional restrictions were proposed by Department of Homeland Security officials following a review of security protocols and “ identity management ” for about 200 countries , according to the person .
White House House spokesman Hogan Gidley declined to confirm the plan , but praised the travel ban for making the country safer .
“ The Travel Ban has been very successful in protecting our Country and raising the security baseline around the world , “ he said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no new announcements at this time , common-sense and national security both dictate that if a country wants to fully participate in U.S. immigration programs , they should also comply with all security and counter-terrorism measures -- because we do not want to import terrorism or any other national security threat into the United States.
” Several of the people said they expected the announcement to be timed to coincide with the third anniversary of Trump ’ s first , explosive travel ban , which was announced without warning on Jan. 27 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That order sparked an uproar , with massive protests across the nation and chaos at airports where passengers were detained .
The current ban suspends immigrant and non-immigrant visas to applicants from the affected countries , but it allows exceptions , including for students and those who have established “ significant contacts ” in the U.S.. And it represents a significant softening from Trump ’ s initial order , which had suspended travel from Iraq , Iran , Libya , Somalia , Sudan and Yemen for 90 days , blocked refugee admissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria .
That order was immediately blocked by the courts , prompting a months-long effort by the administration to develop clear standards and federal review processes to try to withstand legal muster .
Under the current system , restrictions are targeted at countries the Department of Homeland Security says fail to share sufficient information with the U.S. or haven ’ t taken necessary security precautions , such as issuing electronic passports with biometric information and sharing information about travellers ’ terror-related and criminal histories .
The new proposal was also quickly drawing sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same xenophobic Administration , ” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash. “ An expanded Muslim Ban will worsen our relationships with countries around the world .
It won ’ t do anything to make our country safer .
It will harm refugees , alienate our allies and give extremists propaganda for recruitment.
” An official with Refugees International , a non-profit that advocates for the displaced worldwide , said the news was very disappointing .
“ The news that President Trump is planning to add countries to his travel ban should be heartbreaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senior Advocate Yael Schacher .
” Thousands of people have been cruelly and unreasonably separated from relatives because of the already existing ban .
They have been stranded in conflict zones like Syria , Yemen , and Somalia .
This is a shameful attempt by the President to misuse his power to expand a ban that principally impacts individuals from the Muslim world.
” Under the existing order , Cabinet secretaries are also required to update the president regularly on whether countries are abiding by the new immigration security benchmarks .
Countries that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limitations , while countries that comply can have their restrictions lifted .
The discussions come as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prepares to transmit to the Senate the articles of impeachment the Democratic-led House passed against Trump late last year , launching a formal impeachment trial just as the 2020 election year gets underway .
Trump in December became just the third president in history to be impeached by the House .
The Republican-controlled Senate is not expected to remove him from office .
Trump ran his 2016 campaign promising to crack down on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first term fighting lawsuits trying to halt his push to build a wall along the southern border , prohibit the entry of citizens from several majority-Muslim countries and crack down on migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. , amid other measures .
He is expected to press those efforts again this year as he ramps up his reelection campaign and works to energize his base with his signature issue , inevitably stoking Democratic anger .
Just this week , a coalition of leading civil rights organizations urged House leaders to take up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s travel ban and prevent a new one .
The bill introduced last year by Rep. Judy Chu , D-Calif. , with Sen. Chris Coons , D-Del.
, in the Senate , would impose limits on the president ’ s ability to restrict entry to the U.S .
It would require the administration to spell out its reasons for the restrictions and specifically prohibit religious discrimination .
Lemire reported from New York .
Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Colleen Long contributed to this report from Washington .

Jonathan Lemire, Lisa Mascaro And Jill Colvin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Can cash buy the Dem nomination? Two billionaires are trying

WASHINGTON - Billionaires Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer are testing an unproven theory in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination : that their vast personal wealth can buy the trophy .
Not since Texas businessman Ross Perot spent $ 63.5 million in 1992 ( more than $ 100 million in today ’ s dollars ) on his run for president as an independent have candidates for the White House banked so much on their massive fortunes alone on delivering results .
Donald Trump spent about $ 65 million of his own money in 2016 .
Bloomberg has spent more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little over two months .
Bloomberg , who founded a financial data and media company and served three terms as New York mayor , and Steyer , a California businessman , have saturated key primary states with hundreds of millions in TV and social media advertising .
They ’ ve also recruited top staff with above-market salaries while offering political figures and groups generous contributions as they work to build networks of support .
To the dismay of many in the party , it might work .
“ People underestimate the billionaires at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Katz , a progressive Democratic strategist in New York .
“ Just because you have all the money in the world doesn ’ t mean you will win the nomination and become president .
But it ’ s a hell of a head start.
” Democrats have long grappled with the sway the wealthy hold over politics , an issue that took on added gravity after the Supreme Court ’ s landmark 2010 Citizens United decision cleared the way for the flood of cash now coursing through the political system .
The party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 contest a referendum on the taint of big money in politics .
They championed small online donations from the grassroots base as the purest indicator of voter enthusiasm .
Bloomberg and Steyer have turned that argument inside out by eliminating the need for donors altogether , though unlike Bloomberg , Steyer does accept campaign contributions .
“ There is no question that the system is set up to benefit people who can self-fund , ” said Jared Leopold , a senior adviser to Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee , who dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer after struggling to gain traction .
“ They are twisted rules , but that ’ s the reality.
” Bloomberg and Steyer flirted with presidential bids early last year but pulled back at the last minute .
Yet after no clear front-runner emerged this cycle , Steyer , who is worth an estimated $ 1.6 billion by Forbes , entered the race in July .
Bloomberg — whose net worth Forbes said is greater than $ 50 billion — announced his campaign in November .
By December , Steyer had spent more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the tracking firm Advertising Analytics .
Bloomberg , meanwhile , crossed the $ 200 million ad spending threshold Friday morning , the firm announced , a sum that nearly surpasses the $ 222 million spent by the entire rest of the field .
For now , their big-money approach appears to be paying some dividends .
Steyer made waves Thursday when Fox News polls in Nevada and South Carolina measured his support in those states in double digits , though he fell well below that mark in national polls released in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New Hampshire .
Bloomberg has not focused his attention on the early primary and caucus states and has instead zeroed in on the larger delegate-rich states on Super Tuesday and later primaries .
He has registered mid-single-digit support in national polls but has risen steadily along with his advertising .
He has come in below former Vice-President Joe Biden , as well as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , but higher in some polls than either Steyer or some of the established candidates , including New Jersey Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them a resiliency that other prominent candidates in the race did not enjoy , which hastened their exit , including California Sen. Kamala Harris , New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , former Texas Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke and Inslee .
“ If you are out-of-sight and out-of-mind in the air wars , it ’ s hard to envision a circumstance where you can come back and win the nomination .
That ’ s just the harsh reality of a crowded field , “ said Ian Sams , who was Harris ’ lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
“ No single factor led to Kamala ’ s exit from this race as much as a lack of financial resources.
” Julián Castro , who dropped out of the 2020 race last week , said the Democratic National Committee should address the issues posed by Steyer and Bloomberg .
“ The DNC is going to have to go back and look at these thresholds , debate thresholds , and the fact that you have people that can buy their way onto the stage , ” the former Obama housing secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was once considered a Democratic front-runner , dropped out of the race on the same day in December that Steyer qualified for that month ’ s debate .
Castro described him as someone who “ just came on the scene and started pumping tens of millions of dollars into the process to artificially inflate those support numbers.
” “ That ’ s not the best way to do things , ” Castro said .
Bloomberg has had a virtual monopoly on presidential advertising and campaigning in the states that follow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire .
In Georgia , which won ’ t vote until after Super Tuesday , he recently donated $ 5 million to a voting rights political group led by Stacey Abrams , a rising star who nearly became Georgia ’ s first black female governor in 2018 , losing a close race .
During an appearance there on Friday , he described himself as a “ middle-class kid ” who was “ lucky enough ” to finish college and find success .
He only glancingly referred to his own staggering wealth , noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from anyone .
Steyer , too , appears to be benefiting from limited competition in states that have yet to draw a glut of advertising from the other candidates , most of whom are more focused on Iowa and New Hampshire .
In Nevada , where Steyer was already known as the man running commercials calling for Trump to be impeached , his face and voice dominate the airwaves — unlike most of the rest of the 2020 field .
He also invested in conspicuous electronic billboards that beam his name at drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina , Steyer has spent more than $ 10 million on ads .
Most of the state ’ s Democratic electorate is black , and he ’ s targeted minority-owned media in particular , spending a half million dollars on black radio .
“ Communicating in a vacuum can move numbers , ” said Leopold , the Inslee adviser .
“ But the question is when people start tuning into other names and seeing other people on their TV set , do they stick with Steyer , or is that just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s drawing him attention , including at an event last month at Allen University , a historically black college in Columbia .
When Steyer took the stage , a student in the audience who up until that moment hadn ’ t been paying attention perked up and exclaimed : “ Oh , it ’ s that guy — I ’ ve seen him on TV.
“ Kinnard reported from Columbia , S.C. , and Price reported from Las Vegas .
Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Emily Swanson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

Brian Slodysko, Meg Kinnard And Michelle L. Price - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Democratic 2020 candidates vie for unions, Latinos in Nevada

LAS VEGAS - Democratic presidential candidates descended on Nevada on Saturday in an attempt to build relationships with Latino voters and win the coveted endorsement of the powerful casino workers ’ Culinary Union .
Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg , both running as Midwestern moderates who ’ ve warned against liberal plans to move the U.S. to a government-run health insurance system , pitched themselves Saturday morning to Culinary Union workers , who prize their robust health plans .
Klobuchar , a Minnesota senator , said the “ Medicare for All ” proposals like those put out by Vermont Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ might sound really good on a bumper sticker ” but would cause millions of Americans to lose their current health insurance , including the plans the casino workers bargained hard for .
“ All of that work , I don ’ t want it to go down the drain , “ Klobuchar said during her appearance at the workers ’ union hall just off the Las Vegas Strip .
Buttigieg , who took the stage after Klobuchar left , made a similar point as he pushed his plan to offer government-run Medicare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I believe that if it ’ s the best answer for everybody , well , then everybody will choose it anyway , “ said the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana .
” I trust you to make the right decisions.
” Visits from Klobuchar , Buttigieg and former Vice-President Joe Biden came a little more than a month before early caucus voting starts in Nevada , the third state to weigh in on the primary race .
Biden has maintained a top spot in Nevada polls .
In the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday by Fox News , he has a slight lead over Bernie Sanders , followed by Elizabeth Warren and Tom Steyer , with Buttigieg trailing slightly .
Klobuchar , who has only recently ramped up her campaign in Nevada , has been polling in low single digits .
Biden is scheduled to hold a town hall-style meeting at a high school in north Las Vegas with Latino and immigrant advocacy group Mi Familia Vota .
Nevada , considered the first state to test a candidate ’ s appeal before a diverse population , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 29 % Latino .
Hispanic voters are a key constituency for Democrats in the state , along with labour unions .
While a number of unions are big players in Nevada Democratic politics , none reigns supreme like the Culinary Union .
The 60,000-member strong group is majority female , majority Latino and has won worker protections and comprehensive health plans from the biggest industry in the state .
The union has a substantial voter registration program and when it decides to endorse in a political race , the group is often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign on behalf of a candidate .
Biden , Warren and Sanders all made their pitch to the union in December .
While Warren sidestepped discussion of her “ Medicare for All ” plan to move the country away from private insurance , Sanders took on the issue directly and was heckled by some in the audience .
But all three of those candidates , who are much better known , received more enthusiastic receptions at their earlier visits than Klobuchar and Buttigeg did Saturday .
Klobuchar told jokes and touted her family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warmed up the crowd .
Buttigieg drew whoops and claps as he broke into Spanish several times during his speech .
Paul Anthony , a 51-year-old union member and food server at the Bellagio casino-resort , said he hasn ’ t chosen a candidate yet but that any candidate proposing a health care plan that gets rid of private insurance is “ a deal breaker ” for him .
Anthony said he liked what both 37-year-old Buttigieg and 59-year-old Klobuchar had to say , especially on health care , and thought that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders , Warren and Biden , all in their 70s .
But Anthony said his biggest concern is electability , and he thinks Biden so far seems like the most electable candidate .
“ I think that people relate to him being vice-president and they feel that he may have a better chance against Donald Trump , ” Anthony said .

Michelle L. Price - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--In Mexican capital, red shoes to protest killings of women

Activists placed hundreds of painted-red women ’ s shoes on Mexico City ’ s sun-drenched main square Saturday to call attention to gender-based violence in a country where , on average , 10 women and girls are murdered each day and less than 10 per cent of the cases are ever solved .
As residents and tourists milled about the plaza , or Zocalo — the historical , political , cultural and religious heart of the country — demonstrators marched to the massive front door of the colonial-era National Palace and placed five pairs on the paving stones as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one more killed !
” they cried to the beat of a drum .
“ The shoes represent absence , visualizing absence , ” said 60-year-old artist Elina Chauvet , who first realized the piece of performance-protest art in 2009 after her sister was killed by her husband in a domestic violence case in the northern border city of Juarez .
“ The red is for the blood that has been spilled , but it is also a work that speaks of love.
” The performance was the latest in a string of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against women , including angry anti-rape protests in which demonstrators tossed glitter and defaced monuments ; thousands of women in blindfolds chanting the feminist anthem “ A Rapist in Your Path , ” a viral phenomenon across the Americas and around the world ; and more low-key marches and even knit-ins .
The common thread running throughout : Authorities ’ inability to solve the problem of gender-based violence in one of the world ’ s most dangerous countries to be female .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , who has been office a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have pledged to make femicide and other gender-related crimes a priority .
In November , Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum declared a gender violence alert for the capital , meaning that 20 of Mexico ’ s federal entities have now done so .
Sheinbaum said the measure would raise awareness of the problem and deliver better results .
But for those at Saturday ’ s protest , little to nothing has been seen as far as results .
There were 3,662 femicides , or gender-related killings of women , in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rate continued apace in 2019 though there are not yet final figures for the year .
“ On the contrary .
They keep on killing us , ” said Elizabeth Machuca Campos , a 39-year-old artisan and women ’ s rights activist from Ocoyoacac in the neighbouring State of Mexico , whose sister was murdered there in 2017 .
She said a suspect was detained and sentenced but at the last minute the charge was changed from femicide to homicide — something that activists and groups such as Amnesty International say is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels to juke the stats on gender violence .
Machuca brought to the Zocalo a photo of her sister and the shoes she was wearing when her body was found .
“ Those pairs of shoes are missing their owners , ” she said , fighting back tears , “ the women who have been torn from us.
” The capital ’ s new chief prosecutor , Ernestina Godoy Ramos , acknowledged Friday that she faces an “ enormous ” challenge in delivering public security for the city and promised justice in femicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loudly and from afar : There will be no impunity in the matter of femicides , ” Olga Sánchez Cordero , López Obrador ’ s interior secretary , said the same day .
Violence against women is a problem that well predates the current government .
In the 1990s and early 2000s , Ciudad Juarez was notorious for the unpunished killings and disappearances of hundreds of women and girls .
Today activists often point to the State of Mexico , the country ’ s most populous , as a flashpoint for femicides .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the names and photograph of 17-year-old daughter , Karen , and 12-year-old son , Erik .
Karen was raped and murdered are their house in Ecatepec , State of Mexico , in 2016 , she said , and Erik was also home at the time and was strangled .
Mosso , who now leads the activist group Voices of Absence , said the killer was caught but sentenced to just five years .
She called for tougher sentences in the few femicide cases that are actually solved — the near-total impunity for killings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes generally going unpunished in Mexico .
“ Unfortunately women are not safe anywhere , ” Mosso said .
“ Governments come , governments go , and we remain in the same situation because there is no progress.
” But Chauvet , the artist , said that even if concrete results are scant so far , this and the other demonstrations are turning what was once a taboo subject into an issue of national public concern .
“ Even though it would seem there is no immediate change , I think there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Storms sweep southern U.S, Midwest as death toll rises to 11

HOUSTON - Severe storms sweeping across southern portions of the U.S. and up into the Midwest were blamed Saturday in the deaths of at least 11 people , including two first responders , as high winds , tornadoes and unrelenting rain battered large swaths of the country .
Storm-related fatalities were reported in Texas due to icy weather , in Alabama from a deadly tornado and in Louisiana , where winds were so strong that a trailer home was lifted off its foundation and carried several hundred feet .
A man drowned in Oklahoma and the storms even touched the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an icy highway in Iowa .
Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power from Texas to Ohio , parts of highways were closed in Oklahoma and Arkansas due to flooding and hundreds of flights were cancelled at Chicago ’ s international airports .
Arkansas Gov .
Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency to assist crews working to restore power around the state .
Two first responders were killed and another was critically injured in Lubbock , Texas , Saturday morning after they were hit by a vehicle while working the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , officials said .
Police Officer Nicholas Reyna , 27 , who had been with the department for one year , died at the scene .
Firefighter Lt. David Hill , 39 , was taken to a local hospital where he later died .
Firefighter Matthew Dawson , 30 , was hospitalized in critical condition .
Lubbock Police Chief Floyd Mitchell called it an “ extremely tragic day ” for the city .
Another person had died in Texas Friday night when a car flipped into a creek in Dallas as severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s stormy weather was suspected of causing fires that burned two houses by caused no injuries in the North Texas cities of Burleson and Mansfield .
A man drowned near Kiowa , Oklahoma , after he was swept away in floodwaters , the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Saturday .
Randall Hyatt , 58 , of Wardville , was overwhelmed by rushing water while getting out of his stalled truck .
The Iowa State Patrol said roads were caked with ice early Saturday when a semitrailer on Interstate 80 overturned , killing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City .
In Alabama , three people were confirmed killed near Carrollton in Pickens County , the National Weather Service in Birmingham said on Twitter .
The Alabama Emergency Management Agency said the deaths were caused by an “ embedded tornado within a long line of intense thunderstorms.
“ Earlier Saturday , in northwestern Louisiana , firefighters found the bodies of an elderly couple near their demolished trailer in Benton , the Bossier Parish Sheriff ’ s Office said via Facebook .
The winds were so strong the home of the couple , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy , was moved 200 feet from its foundation .
The National Weather Service in Shreveport said a tornado with winds of around 135 mph ( 217 kph ) had touched down in Bossier Parish Also in Louisiana , Raymond Holden , 75 , was killed in his bed when a tree fell on his home in Oil City , crushing him , according to the Caddo Parish Coroner ’ s Office .
About 91,000 customers were without power in Alabama on Saturday evening , according to Alabama Power .
PowerOutage.us said Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with tens of thousands of outages also reported in Mississippi and Louisiana .
Outages were reported from Texas to Michigan .
In Tennessee , Memphis Light , Gas and Water said about 23,000 customers were without power Saturday morning .
Damage was widespread throughout Shelby County , Tennessee ’ s most populous county that includes Memphis , including downed trees and power poles , some of which will need to be replaced , according to the utility .
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reported Saturday morning that portions of several highways in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed due to flooding .
The Arkansas Department of Transportation reported that portions of several state highways across the state , particularly in the southeastern portion of Arkansas were closed due to downed trees and power lines and to flooding .
On Alabama ’ s Gulf Coast , the National Weather Service warned of high winds and flooding and the potential for 10-foot-high ( 3-meter-high ) waves on beaches , where northern visitors escaping the cold are a common sight during the winter .
Many streams were already at or near flood levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rains could lead to flash flooding across the region , forecasters said .
Parts of Arkansas , Tennessee , Mississippi , Missouri , Illinois and Indiana were under flash flood warnings or watches on Saturday .
The storm , bringing the threat of ice and snow to the Chicago area , prompted the cancellation of more than 1,200 flights Saturday at Chicago ’ s two main airports .
Most occurred at Chicago ’ s O ’ Hare International , according to the Chicago Department of Aviation ’ s online flight-tracking website .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , flood watch and lakeshore flood warning for the Chicago metropolitan area for Saturday and a winter storm warning for adjacent areas of northwestern Illinois .


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--The Latest: Iowa passenger killed in storm-related crash

LUBBOCK , Texas - At least one death in eastern Iowa has been blamed on a powerful winter storm sweeping @ @ @ @ @ South and Midwest .
Television station KCCI reported that a westbound semitrailer on Interstate 80 @ @ @ @ @ in Cedar County , east of Iowa City .
The Iowa State Patrol says roads @ @ @ @ @ when the semitrailer left the road and overturned , killing a passenger in the truck @ @ @ @ @ name was not immediately released .
The death toll from the storms now stands at @ @ @ @ @ the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--California sends earthquake response experts to Puerto Rico

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - California is sending 31 disaster specialists to Puerto Rico after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the island ’ s southern coast on Saturday , the latest in a series of quakes over the past week that have toppled homes and schools and left more than 4,000 people in shelters .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said the deployment comes in response to the Puerto Rican government ’ s request for assistance .
The Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services says in a statement that the team will depart from Sacramento on Sunday and will spend 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety officials there .
The group consists of experts in incident and emergency management , engineering and safety assessment , planning , public information , debris management and crisis counselling .
Earlier this week , Newsom approved the deployment of four firefighters to assist with search and rescue operations .
The ground in southwest Puerto Rico has been shaking since Dec. 28 , with more than 1,100 earthquakes , of which more than 100 were felt and more than 66 were of magnitude 3.5 or greater .
Saturday ’ s quake occurred four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same area .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--The Latest: Trump expresses support for ‘brave’ Iranians

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - The latest on Iran-related developments ( all times local ) : President Donald Trump has called on the Iranian regime to allow human rights groups to monitor protests in the Islamic Republic in the aftermath of the regime acknowledging that it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian airliner earlier this week .
Via Twitter , Trump expressed his support of the “ brave , long-suffering people ” of Iran on Saturday after hundreds gathered at universities in Tehran to protest the government ’ s belated acknowledgement of errantly shooting down the plane , killing all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pompeo also took to Twitter to express his support for the Iranian people and lashed out against Iran ’ s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the “ regime ’ s lies , corruption , ineptitude.
” The protesters demanded officials involved in the missile attack be removed from their positions and tried .
Police broke up the demonstrations .
Britain has accused Iran of violating international law after its ambassador to Iran was arrested and briefly detained during protests in Tehran .
Iranian media said ambassador Rob Macaire was arrested outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an hour before being released .
Protests have been taking place after the Iranian government admitted that its Revolutionary Guard shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane by mistake , killing all 176 people on board .
U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said “ the arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law.
” “ The Iranian government is at a crossroads moment , ” he said .
“ It can continue its march towards pariah status with all the political and economic isolation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards.
” Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier called Iran ’ s admission that it shot down the plane was “ an important first step ” and called for de-escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States .
Ukraine is offering over $ 8,000 in financial compensation to the families of its citizens who died in the jetliner crash in Iran earlier this week .
All 176 people on board the plane were killed , including 11 Ukrainians .
Iranian officials have admitted responsibility for mistakenly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address Saturday that his government will also push Iran to provide separate compensation to the victims ’ families .
He had just spoken by phone to Iran ’ s president , Hassan Rouhani , and said Iran promised to prosecute those responsible for the shootdown .
The Ukrainian Cabinet says each family will receive the equivalent of $ 8,300 from the state .
The crash happened early Wednesday , hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on U.S. bases in Iraq .
That attack was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Iranian general .
Ukraine ’ s president says Iran has pledged to quickly identify and return victims ’ remains from the jetliner that Iran accidentally shot down earlier this week .
He says Iran has also promised to prosecute any Iranian officials responsible for shooting down the Ukrainian aircraft .
All 176 people on board were killed , including 11 Ukrainians .
Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he “ will return all those dead to their families , ” adding : “ All the culprits will be punished.
” He thanked the U.S , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the crash and their support .
He says that support “ undoubtedly helped ” push Iran to acknowledge its responsibility for the crash .
Earlier Saturday , Rouhani and other Iranian officials admitted Tehran ’ s responsibility for mistakenly downing the Ukrainian airliner , after days of denials .
The crash happened early Wednesday , hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel say ’ s Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down a Ukrainian passenger jet earlier this week was a positive step .
Merkel says “ it is good that those who are responsible are known ... everything has to be done now to find solution with those countries where those who are affected came from.
” She says it is important that everything be done to investigate the incident , which killed “ 176 innocent people.
” She says talks are needed to discuss “ what the consequences will be.
” Merkel spoke to reporters Saturday after a meeting with Russian President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot down early Wednesday , hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general .
No one was hurt in the attack on the U.S. bases .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his focus will be on justice for the families of those who died when Iran shot down a Ukrainian jetliner earlier this week .
Iran has taken responsibility for the shootdown , saying it was by mistake amid heightened tensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all 176 people on board , including 57 Canadians .
Trudeau issued a statement Saturday saying Canada is concentrating on “ closure , accountability , transparency , and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims.
” Trudeau called the shootdown a national tragedy and says “ all Canadians are mourning together.
” He says they will continue to work with partners around the world to ensure a complete and thorough investigation .
He says the Canadian government expects full co-operation from Iranian authorities .
Top officials of the Ukrainian airline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are criticizing Iranian authorities for keeping their civilian airspace open amid hostilities with the U.S. Ihor Sosnovskiy , the airline ’ s vice-president , says the decision was “ absolutely irresponsible.
” At a news conference Saturday , he said “ When you act in war then you act however you wish .
But there must be protection around ordinary people .
If they are shooting somewhere from somewhere , they are obliged to close the airport.
” Iran has admitted it downed the Ukraine International Airlines amid fears of a U.S. retaliation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bases housing U.S. forces .
Airline president Yevhen Dykhne said the Iranians gave no information of a possible threat prior to the plane ’ s takeoff .
Sweden ’ s prime minister says that it is demanding Iran co-operate without any restrictions in investigating the downing of a jetliner by Iranian armed forces .
Stefan Lofven said Saturday : “ The fact that a plane was shot down is terrible and horrifying .
To have a civil aircraft shot down — whether accidentally or not — is an act that must be condemned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in relation to those affected.
” A total of 10 people with Swedish citizenship and another seven residing in Scandinavian country are believed to have been aboard the ill-fated Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752 flying out of the Iranian capital .
Sweden said it would remain in close contact with the other countries which lost their citizens in the crash .
Lofven said a foreign minister-level group was formed Friday to follow up with plane ’ s downing and its investigation .
He didn ’ t provide further details .
Germany ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the appropriate measures following what he said was the “ catastrophe ” of it inadvertently shooting down the Ukrainian plane near the Iranian capital .
Heiko Maas told Funke Mediengruppe media on Saturday : “ It ’ s important that Iran has brought clarity .
Now it should take the appropriate measures in the further investigation of this horrible catastrophe so that something like this can not happen again.
” Maas said that , “ In these hours , our thoughts are with the victims and their families in all the affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says his unit accepts “ full responsibility ” for the accidental shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane .
In an address broadcast by state TV on Saturday , Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh says that when he learned about the downing of the plane , which killed all 176 passengers on board , “ I wished I were dead.
” Iran ’ s armed forces say they mistook the passenger plane for a hostile target in the tense aftermath of Iran ’ s ballistic missile attack on two military bases in Iraq housing U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the killing of Iran ’ s top general , Qassem Soleimani , in an American airstrike in Baghdad .
Ukraine ’ s prime minister says Iran ’ s admission that it unintentionally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet near the Iranian capital isn ’ t the end of investigating the catastrophe .
The admission “ is an important step in the investigation process , which is still ongoing , ” Oleksiy Honcharuk said in a Facebook post on Saturday .
“ Our experts are continuing to work at the scene of the tragedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the causes and the final establishment of the truth.
” Iran ’ s supreme leader has offered condolences and called for an investigation after his country ’ s armed forces acknowledged that they accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane .
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday expressed his “ deep sympathy ” to the families of the 176 victims , and called on the armed forces to “ pursue probable shortcomings and guilt in the painful incident.
” Iran shot down the passenger plane after it took off from Tehran , amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that killed Iran ’ s top general .
The military says it mistook the plane for a hostile target after launching a ballistic missile attack on two bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq .
The head of the Ukrainian airline whose jetliner was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile in Iran says he was sure all along that that the company was not at fault .
Iran on Saturday acknowledged that it shot down the Ukraine International plane three days earlier , killing all 176 people aboard , after repeated denials from Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second doubt that our crew and our plane could not have been the cause of this terrible , awful air catastrophe , ” airline president Evgeniy Dikhne said on Facebook .
“ They were our best guys and girls .
The best.
” Ukraine ’ s president says Iran must take further steps , including an official apology , following its admission that one of its missiles shot down an Ukrainian passenger plane .
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a statement Saturday that Ukraine expected from Iran “ assurances “ of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perpetrators to justice.
” He added that Ukraine expected the “ paying of compensation ” and “ official apologies through diplomatic channels.
” He also expressed hope for the continuation of the crash investigation without delay .
A team of Ukrainian investigators is in Iran .
“ Our 45 specialists should get full access and co-operation to establish justice , ” he said .
Iran announced Saturday that its military “ unintentionally ” shot down a Ukrainian jetliner , killing all 176 aboard .
The statement came Saturday morning and blamed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The jetliner , a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines , went down on the outskirts of Tehran during takeoff just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at U.S. forces .
Iran had denied for several days that a missile downed the aircraft .
But then the U.S. and Canada , citing intelligence , said they believe Iran shot down the aircraft .
The plane , en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv , was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries , including 82 Iranians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainians , according to officials .


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--FBI is trying to catch a “bad wig bandit” in North Carolina

CHARLOTTE , N.C. - The FBI is asking the public ’ s help in catching a so-called “ bad wig @ @ @ @ @ been robbing banks in North Carolina .
The FBI said in a statement on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ different wig during each heist in the Charlotte area .
One wig was blonde .
@ @ @ @ @ third was red .
The FBI said he robbed a BB & T in Huntersville @ @ @ @ @ then robbed two banks on Jan. 7 .
The first was a New Horizon Bank @ @ @ @ @ was a Wells Fargo in Gastonia .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Migrant boat sinks near Greek island, killing at least 12

ATHENS , GREECE—The bodies of 12 people were recovered from the Ionian Sea on Saturday after a migrant smuggling boat sank near the island of Paxos in western Greece , the Greek Coast Guard said .
Authorities were alerted that the vessel was in trouble shortly after 9 a.m. , when one of the migrants on board phoned the emergency services .
No details were immediately available about the identities of the victims .
The cause of the sinking was also unclear , according to the Coast Guard spokesman , Nikolaos Lagadianos .
Weather conditions had been good , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been overloaded , he added , noting that about 50 people may have been on board .
A large search-and-rescue operation was underway , the Coast Guard said , with six Coast Guard vessels scouring the area alongside two Air Force helicopters , a Navy helicopter and four fishing boats .
The Coast Guard said that 21 people had so far been rescued .
The migrants were the first to drown in Greek waters this year .
Their deaths follow scores more in recent years , although the rate of drownings here has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union signed a deal in 2016 to reduce migration .
Saturday ’ s sinking was unusual because it took place in the Ionian rather than the Aegean Sea , suggesting that the vessel was likely headed to Italy .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--She stole checks from her elderly mother. Now the ex-Mrs. Florida will head to prison

MIAMI—The former Mrs. Florida 2016 , a conservative media pundit , has been sentenced to a month in jail for stealing her late mother ’ s Social Security checks instead of spending the money on nursing home care .
A federal judge handed down the ruling on Thursday , saying that he wanted to send a message to Karyn Turk , 47 , and anyone else contemplating Social Security fraud .
“ You can ’ t steal from the government and not go to jail , ” U.S. Magistrate Bruce Reinhart said , according to the Palm Beach Post .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Palm Beach County resident will also have to spend five months on house arrest and complete 100 hours of community service , court records show .
Where will those 100 hours be spent ?
A nursing home .
“ Choices in life have consequences , ” Reinhart said , the Palm Beach Post reported .
Multiple outlets report that Turk and her lawyers tried to convince Reinhart that her crime didn ’ t warrant prison time .
She had already pleaded guilty to Social Security fraud and , according to WPLG , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reimburse the government .
Reinhart , however , wasn ’ t swayed .
Writing a check wasn ’ t enough to “ buy her way out of jail , ” he reportedly said .
Approximately six employees of the Finnish American Rest home , where Turk ’ s mother lived until she died in July at age 83 , attended the sentencing , according to the newspaper .
They believed Reinhart made the right decision .
“ Resident exploitation is a serious crime , and I ’ m glad he recognized that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home ’ s executive director .
Turk used the money from her mother ’ s Social Security , Veterans Administration and pension checks to finance shopping sprees , restaurant dinners and a nanny , the newspaper also reported .
Her mother , meanwhile , continued to rack up $ 219,000 in nursing home bills .
As for Turk , she ’ ll have to report to prison on March 2 unless she can convince an appeals court otherwise .
It ’ s unclear if she plans to appeal Reinhart ’ s decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekly appearances as a commentator on RT International , which she describes as “ the first news channel on YouTube to receive over a billion hits .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Judges from across Europe march to defend Polish peers

WARSAW , Poland - Judges from across Europe , many of them dressed in their judicial robes , marched silently in Warsaw on Saturday in a show of solidarity with Polish peers who are protesting a bill that would allow the government to fire judges who issue rulings officials don ’ t like .
The judges visiting the Polish capital descended the steps of the Supreme Court to applause and chants of “ Thank you !
” from a large crowd .
Their show of support came amid a four-year struggle to protect judicial independence under Poland ’ s populist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by many Polish judges , lawyers and other citizens , marched from the high court to the parliament , some carrying Polish and European Union flags .
City hall estimated that 15,000 people took part .
An organizer of the event read out a list of the countries represented , including Germany , Denmark , Italy and Croatia .
Applause was strongest at the mention of Hungary and Turkey , where judicial independence has been curtailed in recent years .
“ We have been in a difficult situation for more than four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Associated Press at the start of the march .
“ We are not alone .
We can see that today .
This is very , very important for us .
I am really moved by this.
” The legislation giving the right-wing government new powers to fire or fine judges was passed by the lower house of parliament before Christmas and will be debated in the Senate next week .
The EU and the United Nations have raised objections to the measure .
Opponents have characterized the legislation as the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foundations since the ruling Law and Justice party came to power in 2015 .
They said if the law is enacted , it would end the separation of powers in the country .
They also fear it would add to Poland ’ s marginalization in the EU and possibly even lead to its eventual departure from the bloc because the bill would give the authorities the power to also punish judges for rulings that are faithful to EU law .
Among those marching Saturday was a Turkish judge who said he lost his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges following a 2016 coup attempt .
Yavuz Aydin , who has received asylum in the EU , said “ the rule of law is worth fighting for -- in a peaceful way , in a silent way , in a democratic way.
” “ You don ’ t understand how important it is until you lose it .
We understood , but it ’ s too late , ” Aydin said .
“ I hope Polish people understand this before it ’ s too late.
” The Law and Justice government has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tribunal , the public prosecution system and a body that appoints judges in the last four years .
An EU court blocked measures that would have given it control of the Supreme Court .
The government argues that it seeks to bring order to a dysfunctional judicial system dominated by what it describes as a “ caste ” of privileged and sometimes corrupt judges .
It says it also is trying to purge former communist judges from the judiciary .
Irish Supreme Court judge John MacMenamin , representing the chief justice of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland , said the Polish government ’ s justification is not convincing .
“ A lot of time has passed since Poland became free again .
I do not think there is a great deal of validity in that argument , ” he said .
“ If judges are not independent , they are not judges.
” He said he came to Warsaw because judicial independence “ is so fundamental to the protection of the rule of law and also to the protection of the integrity of the European Union , ” stressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland , once a poor country , become one of the world ’ s richest .
Many Polish judges have continued to assert their independence , issuing decisions that in some cases have gone against the interests of the ruling authorities .


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--At 16, she’s a pioneer in the fight to cure sickle cell disease

BOSTON—Helen Obando , a shy slip of a girl , lay curled in a hospital bed in June waiting for a bag of stem cells from her bone marrow , modified by gene therapy , to start dripping into her chest .
The hope was that the treatment would cure her of sickle cell disease , an inherited blood disorder that can cause excruciating pain , organ damage and early death .
Helen , who at 16 was the youngest person ever to undergo the therapy , was sound asleep for the big moment .
It was a critical moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half-century , scientists have known the cause of sickle cell disease : A single mutation in a gene turns red blood cells into rigid crescent or sickle shapes instead of soft discs .
These misshapen cells get stuck in veins and arteries , blocking the flow of blood that carries life-giving oxygen to the body and causing the disease ’ s horrifying hallmark : episodes of agony that begin in babyhood .
Millions of people globally , a vast majority of them Africans , suffer from sickle cell disease .
Researchers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finding a cure , but experts said the effort has been hindered by chronic underfunding , in part because most of the estimated 100,000 people in the United States who have the disease are African American , often poor or of modest means .
The disease also affects people with southern European , Middle Eastern or Asian backgrounds , or those who are Hispanic , like Helen .
This is the story of two quests for a sickle cell cure — one by the Obando family and one by a determined scientist at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stuart Orkin , 73 , who has laboured against the disease since he was a medical resident in the 1970s .
Like many others affected by sickle cell , the Obando family faced a double whammy : not one but two children with the disease , Helen and her older sister , Haylee Obando .
They lived with one hope for a cure , a dangerous and sometimes fatal bone marrow transplant usually reserved for those with a healthy sibling as a match .
But then they heard about a potential breakthrough : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ switch so the body produces healthy blood .
Scientists have been experimenting with gene therapy for two decades , with mixed success .
And it will be years before they know if this new procedure is effective in the long term .
But if it is , sickle cell disease could be the first common genetic disorder to be cured by manipulating human DNA .
Four weeks after the infusion of stem cells , Helen was strong enough to be discharged .
At home , in Lawrence , Mass.
, on a sofa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she put a hand over her eyes and started to sob .
She and her family wondered : Would it work ?
Was her suffering really over ?
Sheila Cintron , 35 , and Byron Obando , 40 , met when she was in the eighth grade and he was a high school senior .
They fell in love .
Haylee , their first child , was born in 2001 , when Cintron was 17 .
When a newborn screening test showed that Haylee had the disease , her father asked , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They soon found out .
As the family gathered for her first birthday party , Haylee started screaming inconsolably .
They rushed her to the hospital .
It was the first of many pain crises .
Doctors warned the parents that if they had another baby , the odds were 1 in 4 that the child would have sickle cell , too .
But they decided to take the chance .
Less than two years later , Helen was born .
As bad as Haylee ’ s disease was , Helen ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine months old , a severe blockage of blood flow in her pelvis destroyed bone .
At age 2 , her spleen , which helps fight bacterial infections , became dangerously enlarged because of blocked blood flow .
Doctors surgically removed the organ .
After Helen was born , her parents decided not to have any more children .
But four years later , Cintron discovered she was pregnant again .
But they were lucky .
Their third child , Ryan Obando , did not inherit the sickle cell mutation .
As Ryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worsened .
When he was 9 , Helen ’ s doctors suggested a drastic solution : If Ryan was a match for her , he might be able to cure her by giving her some of his bone marrow , though there would also be major risks for her , including death from severe infections or serious damage to organs if his immune system attacked her body .
As it turned out , Ryan matched not Helen but Haylee .
The transplant succeeded , but her parents asked themselves how they could stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sicker one continued to suffer .
There was only one way to get a sibling donor for Helen : have another baby .
In 2017 , the couple embarked on another gruelling medical journey .
Obando had a vasectomy , so doctors had to surgically extract his sperm from his testicles .
Cintron had 75 eggs removed from her ovaries and fertilized with her husband ’ s sperm .
The result was more than 30 embryos .
Not a single embryo was both free of the sickle cell gene and a match @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move to Mesa , Ariz. , from Lawrence , where the cold , which set off pain crises , kept Helen indoors all winter .
The family had already sold their house when they heard that doctors at Boston Children ’ s were working on sickle cell gene therapy .
Cintron approached Dr. Erica Esrick , a principal investigator for the trial .
But the trial wasn ’ t yet open to children .
Nothing had prepared Orkin for the suffering he witnessed in his 30s as a medical resident in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s .
It was the 1970s , and the beds were filled with children who had sickle cell crying in pain .
Orkin knew there was a solution to the puzzle of sickle cell , at least in theory : Fetuses make hemoglobin — the oxygen-carrying molecules in blood cells — with a different gene .
Blood cells filled with fetal hemoglobin do not sickle .
But the fetal gene is turned off after a baby is born , and an adult hemoglobin gene takes over .
If the adult gene is mutated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to figure out how to switch hemoglobin production to the fetal form .
No one knew how to do that .
Orkin needed ideas .
Supported by the National Institutes of Health and Howard Hughes Medical Institute , he kept looking .
The breakthrough came in 2008 .
The cost of gene sequencing was plummeting , and scientists were finding millions of genetic signposts on human DNA , allowing them to home in on small genetic differences among individuals .
Researchers started doing large-scale DNA scans of populations , looking for tiny but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Was there a molecular switch that flipped cells from making fetal to adult hemoglobin ?
And if there was , could the switch be flipped back ?
In a lab experiment , researchers blocked this gene and discovered that the blood cells in petri dishes started making fetal instead of adult hemoglobin .
Next they tried blocking the gene in mice genetically engineered to have human hemoglobin and sickle cell disease .
Again , it worked .
Patients came next , in the gene therapy trial at Boston Children ’ s that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run by Dr. David Williams , an expert in the biology of blood-forming stem cells at Boston Children ’ s , and Esrick — has a straightforward goal : “ We ’ re going to re-educate the blood cells and make them think they are still in the fetus , ” Williams said .
Doctors gave adult patients a drug that loosened stem cells — immature cells that can turn into red blood cells — from the bone marrow , their normal home , so they floated free in the bloodstream .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood drawn from the patient .
The researchers used a disabled genetically engineered AIDS virus to carry information into the stem cells , flipping on the fetal hemoglobin gene and turning off the adult gene .
Then they infused the treated stem cells into patients ’ veins .
From there , the treated cells migrated into the patients ’ bone marrow , where they began making healthy blood cells .
With the success in adults , the Food and Drug Administration said Boston Children ’ s could move on to teenagers .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therapy trial , Helen was frightened .
But the more she thought about it , the more she was ready to take the risk .
In the months after the gene therapy infusion at Boston Children ’ s , her symptoms disappeared .
Helen was scheduled for her six-month checkup Dec. 16 .
Helen ’ s total hemoglobin level was so high it was nearly normal — a level she had never before achieved , even with blood transfusions .
She had no signs of sickle cell disease .


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Two American service members killed in Taliban-claimed attack

KABUL , AFGHANISTAN—A roadside bomb attack in Kandahar province has left two American service members dead and two wounded , the U.S. military command in Kabul said in a statement Saturday .
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack through a post on Twitter .
The attack comes as formal peace talks between U.S. and Taliban negotiators are stalled , with U.S. negotiators demanding a reduction in violence before a deal can be signed .
In December , the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan , Zalmay Khalilzad , announced a “ brief pause ” in negotiations after the Taliban launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bagram air base .
Since then formal talks have been on hold , but some negotiations have occurred on the sidelines .
Ataullah Ata , a member of the Kandahar provincial council , said the attack occurred in the Dand district and left the American vehicle completely destroyed .
Ata said U.S. forces based at Kandahar air base regularly patrol nearby villages , including in the Dand district .
He said the scene of Saturday ’ s attack had been cordoned off by American forces , and no more details were available .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence in recent years according to Baher Ahmadi , a spokesman for the governor , but Ata said sporadic clashes occur with the Taliban in six of the province ’ s 17 districts .
Overall in Afghanistan , violence has increased in recent months as both sides attempt to leverage battlefield gains at the negotiating table .
On Wednesday , U.S. forces carried out an airstrike in Herat targeting a commander of a Taliban splinter faction that resulted in civilian casualties , according to local media reports .
A spokesman for the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airstrike was conducted in that area on that day and described it as “ a coordinated defensive airstrike in support of Afghan forces.
” The spokesman did not provide further details .
A peace agreement with the Taliban would pave the way for the withdrawal of thousands of American troops from Afghanistan , a key campaign promise U.S. President Donald Trump wants to keep .
But the president and his commanders do not want it to appear as though they were being pushed out of Afghanistan by the Taliban or any other foe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draft peace agreement reached in September included a pledge from the Taliban not to harbour terrorist groups , in exchange for the U.S. troop withdrawal .
However , Trump scuttled that deal after an American service member was killed in a Taliban attack in Kabul .
On Dec. 22 , a U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed in Kunduz province also by a roadside bomb .
The death brought the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan in 2019 to 20 , more than any other year since 2014 .

Sharif Hassan - The Washington Post,Susannah George


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--China’s foreign minister arrives in Zimbabwe on Africa tour

HARARE , Zimbabwe - China ’ s foreign minister has arrived in Zimbabwe Saturday as part of a five-nation tour of Africa that seeks to promote the Asian giant ’ s economic and political interests on the continent .
Wang Yi is set to visit a Zimbabwe tobacco farm and meet with President Emmerson Mnangagwa , who will suspend his three-week annual leave to meet the Chinese leader .
China ’ s foreign minister often makes an African tour at the beginning of the year to emphasize the importance that Beijing places on the continent .
Like in much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Zimbabwe , with investments spanning from energy to agriculture , mining and trade in wildlife .
With Zimbabwe ’ s economy in a downward spiral , some analysts say that Wang will , behind closed doors , urge Zimbabwean leaders to improve the country ’ s economic performance and to honour their debt repayments to China .
Zimbabwe ’ s longstanding ties with China increased in 2003 when it adopted a ‘ Look East ’ policy after western countries imposed sanctions .
Since then , China has become Zimbabwe ’ s biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties to the Zimbabwe military , including the construction of a military university on the outskirts of the capital , Harare .
China has also increasingly broadened its ties to include the construction of a new parliament building estimated to cost more than $ 100 million .
It also provides humanitarian assistance such as donations of rice and other food items as well as technical assistance during natural disasters .
China ’ s growing involvement has been criticized by Zimbabwe ’ s opposition and others for allegedly exploiting local workers and the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invested billions of dollars in major construction projects in Africa such as roads , railways and stadiums , for which many countries have accumulated large debts .
In return , some African countries have given China access to natural resources , such as minerals .
China has also protected some of Africa ’ s repressive rulers from international sanctions at the United Nations .
China ’ s investments often come without demands for safeguards against corruption , waste and environmental damage which has made them attractive to African leaders .
China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , investment and political ties with a continent often seen as overlooked by the U.S. and other Western nations .
It has included many African countries in its so-called Belt and Road Initiative that aims to invest in infrastructure projects to boost trade .
On his current tour through Africa , Chinese Foreign Minister Wang has already visited Egypt , where he promised to help the country combat extremist violence and grow its economy .
Wang also visited geographically strategic Djibouti in the troublesome Horn of Africa .
Djibouti is the site of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and home to the United States ’ only permanent military base in Africa .
In Eritrea he is pledging support for a project to build roads in the country that is largely isolated from the rest of the world .
Wang is also scheduled to visit Burundi where President Pierre Nkurunziza , under pressure for alleged human rights abuses , has previously described China as “ a best friend.
” Burundi is the beneficiary of Chinese assistance in areas such as education and construction of a state house .
China is involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Happy Birthday, Trump tells Kim. Not enough, North Korea says

SEOUL , SOUTH KOREA—North Korea said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump had sent birthday greetings to its leader , Kim Jong Un , but added that the rapport between the two leaders would not help resolve their countries ’ nuclear standoff .
Ever since his first summit meeting with Kim , in June 2018 , Trump has repeatedly flaunted his “ good relationship ” with the North ’ s leader ,  calling Kim “ smart ” and even going so far as to say that he and Kim “ fell in love.
” The two leaders have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ envoys to each other ’ s capitals , but talks on how to de-nuclearize the North remain deadlocked .
On Saturday , Kim Kye Gwan , a senior aide to Kim , confirmed that Trump had sent a personal letter to Kim for his birthday ( Kim is believed to have turned 36 on Wednesday ) .
 He also acknowledged that the “ personal relations ” between Kim and Trump were “ not bad , ” but said Kim “ would not discuss the state affairs on the basis of such personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kim Jong Un has good personal feelings about President Trump , they are , in the true sense of the word , ‘ personal , ’ ” the official said in a statement carried by the North ’ s official Korean Central News Agency .
Chung Eui-yong , the national security adviser for President Moon Jae-in of South Korea , told reporters on Friday that Trump asked Seoul this past week to relay his birthday greetings to Kim .
But Kim Kye-gwan said that a letter from Trump had already been delivered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea “ presumptuous ” for seeking to act as an intermediary between Kim and Trump .
North Korea also hardened its position toward Washington on Saturday , calling the past 1 1/2 years of on-and-off negotiations a “ lost time.
” The de-nuclearization talks collapsed when Kim and Trump met in Vietnam in February 2018 for a second summit meeting and Trump rejected Kim ’ s offer to dismantle one of the North ’ s nuclear fuel-production facilities if Washington lifted international sanctions .
Trump insisted on a more comprehensive rollback of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kim said recently that he no longer expected the United States to ease sanctions .
Instead , he vowed to expand his country ’ s nuclear force , warning that North Korea no longer felt bound by a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range ballistic missile tests .
“ There will never be such negotiations as that in Vietnam , in which we proposed exchanging a core nuclear facility of the country for the lift of some UN sanctions , ” Kim Kye Gwan said Saturday .
“ We know well about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our way .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Report: Alaska public safety program needs clarification

JUNEAU , Alaska - A working group in Alaska tasked with fixing a public safety program has completed a list of recommendations to send to state lawmakers after meeting an Anchorage this week .
Lawmakers formed the working group last year to fix the Village Public Safety Officer program , which has dealt with budget cuts , high turnover and fluctuating job descriptions , Alaska ’ s Energy Desk reported Friday .
The working group has held eight meetings across the state to gather feedback before coming up with the recommendations , officials said .
The biggest recommendation is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ responsibilities , said Republican Rep. Chuck Kopp , who co-chairs the working group .
The program was initially designed to assist with wildlife management and search and rescue efforts before it evolved into more policing and public safety efforts , Kopp said .
“ It had much less emphasis on law enforcement , you know , keeping the law , apprehending violators and keeping people safe .
But then the program kind of just dramatically evolved , ” Kopp said .
Other issues such as funding and high turnover would benefit from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The recommendations come after U.S. Attorney General William Barr declared a public law enforcement emergency in June and the U.S. Justice Department approved about $ 11 million in funding for federal law enforcement programs , officials said .
The working group plans to finalize the recommendations by the end of the month , officials said .
The group expects to focus on revising the statute during the 2020 Legislative session , which starts on Jan. 21 in Juneau , Kopp said .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Overnight shooting near Superdome, no injuries reported

NEW ORLEANS - Two people trying to enter an unauthorized area near the Superdome were involved in a shootout with the venue ’ s security officers before fleeing , New Orleans police said Saturday .
Superdome security found the two individuals around 3 a.m. and told them to leave the area , police said .
At least one person fired a gun that struck a car windshield .
The security officials fired back before the pair ran away .
Authorities said no one was injured during the shootout .
No arrests have been made , but police said the investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday morning , authorities said they do not believe the incident was “ connected to terrorist activity.
” Security at the venue is extremely tight in light of President Donald Trump ’ s plans to attend the College Football Playoff Championship game on Monday between No .
1 LSU and No .
3 Clemson .
Events in the Superdome start Monday evening .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-11--Magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocks an already trembling Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN , PUERTO RICO—A magnitude 5.9 quake shook Puerto Rico on Saturday , causing further damage along the island ’ s southern coast , where previous recent quakes have toppled homes and schools .
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 8:54 a.m. quake hit 13 kilometres southeast of Guanica at a shallow depth of five kilometres .
It was followed by several aftershocks , including a magnitude 5.2 temblor less than two minutes later .
Puerto Rico ’ s Electric Power Authority said outages were reported across much of southern Puerto Rico and crews were assessing possible damage at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports of injuries , but Deputy Mayor Elizabeth Ocasio in the southern coastal city of Ponce told The Associated Press that officials closed the city ’ s downtown area and two other nearby areas because of weakened infrastructure .
“ One building completely collapsed , ” she said .
“ There is a lot of historic infrastructure in Ponce.
” Bárbara Cruz , a prosecutor who was in Ponce when the new quake hit , said concrete debris hit the sidewalk as buildings continued to crumble .
“ Everyone is out on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landslides and damaged homes were reported , along with severe cracks on a bridge in the southwest coastal town of Guanica .
The quake , which initially had been calculated at magnitude 6.0 , was the strongest shake since a magnitude 6.4 quake — the most potent to hit the island in a century — struck before dawn on Tuesday , knocking out power across Puerto Rico and leaving many without water .
More than 4,000 people are in shelters , many fearful of returning to their homes , and others unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Puerto Rico ’ s Electric Power Authority , ordered the temporary closure of the company ’ s largest plant , which crews had been inspecting for damage caused by earlier quakes .
The ground in southwest Puerto Rico has been shaking since Dec. 28 , with more than 1,100 earthquakes , of which more than 100 were felt and more than 66 were of magnitude 3.5 or greater .
NASA reported Friday that the quakes had moved the land in parts of southern Puerto Rico as much as 5.5 inches ( 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before and after the temblors .
Víctor Huérfano , director of Puerto Rico ’ s Seismic Network , told the AP that he expects still more aftershocks as a result of the latest large one .
“ It ’ s going to re-energize an unstable situation , ” he said , adding that seismologists are studying which faults were activated .
“ It ’ s a complex zone.
” Thousands of Puerto Ricans are still without power and water , and thousands are staying in shelters and sleeping on sidewalks since Tuesday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person , injured nine others and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and several schools and businesses in the island ’ s southwest region .


thetorontostar--2020-01-11--12 migrants dead, 21 rescued at sea off western Greece

ATHENS , Greece - Greece ’ s coast guard said 12 migrants were found dead in the Ionian Sea and 21 others were rescued after their boat took on water and sank Saturday .
A search for more survivors was launched by air and sea .
The dead and rescued migrants were found southwest of the Greek island of Paxos , a coast guard spokesman told The Associated Press , speaking on customary condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation .
“ The initial report is that 50 people were in the boat , ” he said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 112 emergency number from the boat at 9:15 a.m. Saturday .
At least four merchant ships , six coast guard ships and a helicopter searched for survivors amid calm seas .
In separate incidents that illustrated other routes and methods used by Europe-bound migrants , authorities in North Macedonia said Saturday that 62 migrants were discovered hidden inside freight trains at the border with Greece .
Border control teams that included officers from North Macedonia , Austria and the Czech Republic found 42 migrants during a routine inspection of a freight train @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thirty-eight of the migrants were from Morocco , police said .
Later Friday , another multinational team of officers discovered 20 migrants o from Pakistan , Afghanistan , Morocco and Algeria , in another freight train at the Gevgelija station .
All 62 migrants , including five minors , were taken to a detention centre pending deportation to Greece .
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Demetris Nellas And Konstantin Testorides - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-12--Police: 3 juveniles, 2 adults wounded in Colorado shooting

AURORA , Colo. - Three juveniles and two adults were shot and wounded at an apartment complex in Colorado , police said early Sunday .
The five victims — two girls , one boy and two adult men — were hospitalized in serious condition but expected to survive , Aurora police spokesman Officer Matthew Longshore told The Associated Press in an email .
Police responded to reports of a shooting just before 11 p.m. Saturday , Longshore said .
Preliminary information indicated that there had been a party at one of the apartments .
Police described the scene as near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a busy commercial intersection .
Police released a description of one suspect , indicating no one was immediately taken into custody .
Longshore said there were “ possibly other suspects , ” but police were still in the midst of interviews Sunday morning .
Aurora is about 10 miles ( 16 kilometres ) east of Denver .
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