thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Officials resign in Lebanon in wake of deadly blast

BEIRUT - Lebanon ’ s information minister resigned on Sunday as the country grapples with the aftermath of the devastating blast that ripped through the capital and raised public anger to new levels .
The resignation comes comes after a night of demonstrations against the ruling elite , blamed for the chronic mismanagement and corruption that is believed to be behind the explosion in a Beirut Port warehouse .
Hundreds of tons of highly explosive material were stored in the waterfront hangar , and the blast sent a shock wave that killed at least 160 people , wounded nearly 6,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroying hundreds of buildings .
Manal Abdel-Samad said in her resignation letter that change remained “ elusive ” and she regrets failing to fulfil the aspirations of the Lebanese people .
Her resignation comes as about half a dozen lawmakers offered their resignation in protest over government performance .
Local media also reported that another minister , and a close advisor to Prime Minister Hassan Diab , was also expected to resign .
Diab met with his Cabinet reportedly to discuss the resignations Sunday , but there were no comments after the meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catastrophe caused by the Beirut earthquake that shook the nation and hurt our hearts and minds , and in respect for the martyrs , and the pains of the wounded , missing and displaced , and in response to the public will for change , I resign from the government , “ Abdel-Samad wrote .
In the country where civil war raged for 15 years , few , if any , have been held accountable for it and most of the warlords remain in power or leading powerful political factions .
On Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said his country is taking part in the investigation of the Aug. 4 blast .
Bruno Foucher tweeted that 46 officers are operating as part of the judicial investigation .
That probe was started by a French prosecutor after a national of France , Jean-Marc Bonfils , was killed in the blast and others injured .
It is “ a guarantee of impartiality and speed ” in the investigation , Foucher tweeted .
The disaster fueled angry demonstrations Saturday where protesters set up gallows and nooses in central Beirut and held mock hanging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanese officials .
Demonstrators held signs that read “ resign or hang.
” The protests quickly turned violent when the demonstrators pelted stones at the security forces , who responded with heavy volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets .
One police officer was killed and dozens of people were hurt in confrontations that lasted for hours .
Protesters also fanned out around the city , storming a couple of government ministries .
They briefly took over the Foreign Ministry , saying it will be the headquarters of their movement .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ransacked offices and seized public documents claiming they would reveal how corruption has permeated successive governments .
Five of the parliament ’ s 128 members have also announced their resignation since Saturday — including three legislators of the Christian Kataeb party , a member of the Socialist Progressive Party and an independent .
The resignations add to the challenges facing Diab , who took over in January and has since been beset by crises .
The government , backed by the powerful militant Hezbollah group and its allies , announced it is defaulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has since been engaged in difficult , internally divisive talks with the International Monetary Fund for assistance .
The coronavirus restrictions deepened the impact of the economic and financial crisis and fueled public anger against the new government .
Lebanese have criticized Diab ’ s government for being unable to tackle the challenges , saying it represents the deep-seated political class that has had a hold of the country ’ s politics since the end of the civil war in 1990 .
Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned even before the blast , citing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieve comprehensive structural reform ” and competing leadership .
In a televised speech Saturday evening , Diab said the only solution was to hold early elections .
He called on all political parties to put aside their disagreements and said he was prepared to stay in the post for two months to allow time for politicians to work on structural reforms .
The offer is unlikely to soothe the escalating fury on the street .
It is also expected to trigger lengthy discussions over the election law amid calls for introducing changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The information minister ’ s resignation comes ahead of an international conference co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres aimed at bringing donors together to supply emergency aid and equipment to Lebanon .
Previous offers of aid have been contingent on carrying out significant government reforms to tackle corruption .
Britain and Germany pledged $ 28 million to help Lebanon in the wake of the blast .
Britain said $ 26 million it is pledging will go to the World Food Program to provide food and medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Britain is also sending specialist medics and a Royal Navy survey ship to Beirut , to help assess the damage from the blast .
Meanwhile , France is sending a helicopter carrier and a cargo ship loaded with aid and supplies to Beirut , in addition to eight flights that are bringing in experts and rescue workers as well as other supplies .
The helicopter carrier has a hospital onboard and is carrying medical equipment and staff , engineering forces , construction materials and food aid .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Controversy puts spotlight on Georgia congressional runoff

DALLAS , Ga. - Marjorie Taylor Greene is running for Congress - and is unrepentant about her racist rhetoric and support for the QAnon conspiracy theory .
With the runoff for the Republican nomination in the conservative district approaching , some voters seem unaware of Greene ’ s controversial views , or shrug it off .
Greene received the most votes in the June 9 Republican primary for Georgia ’ s 14th Congressional District but failed to win outright .
She now faces fellow Republican John Cowan , a neurosurgeon , in a runoff election Tuesday for the open seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outskirts of metro Atlanta to the largely rural northwest corner of the state , is heavily conservative , and the winner of the runoff will likely earn a ticket to Washington .
Greene often communicates with supporters through stream-of-consciousness style videos posted to social media .
Shortly after the initial primary , Politico revealed a series of videos where Greene , who is white , expresses racist , anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views .
In one of the videos she claims there ’ s an “ Islamic invasion ” into government offices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hispanic men are being held back by “ gangs and dealing drugs , ” later adding , “ it ’ s not white people.
” She also has touted an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros , who is Jewish , collaborated with the Nazis .
Greene ’ s campaign did not respond to multiple interview requests from The Associated Press .
But she previously addressed the criticism on Twitter .
“ The Fake News Media , the DC Swamp , and their radical leftist allies see me as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not let them whip me into submission , ” she said without backing away from the remarks .
The unearthed videos led several high-profile Republicans to denounce her campaign .
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana released a statement calling Greene ’ s comments “ disgusting ” and threw his support behind Cowan .
Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia clawed back his endorsement of Greene , saying her statements are “ appalling and deeply troubling.
” Greene is also part of a growing list of candidates who have expressed support for QAnon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among some supporters of President Donald Trump .
Lauren Boebert , another candidate who has expressed support for QAnon , recently upset a five-term congressman in a Republican primary in Colorado .
Cowan has expressed staunch support for Trump , touting a pro-gun and pro-border wall message .
He says he ’ ll use his experience as a doctor to improve the health care system and will push to repeal the Affordable Care Act , though he supports keeping protections for pre-existing conditions .
He has also strongly pushed back on Greene ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflammatory , incendiary things to get attention and to get likes and to make news , but then when she ’ s questioned about it , she just folds , ” Cowan said in an interview .
“ You can ’ t challenge anything she ’ s said without being accused of being part of the ‘ swamp ’ or ‘ fake news.
’ “ While Greene ’ s comments have caused a stir in Washington , some in her district seemed unaware or unfazed by them while casting ballots during early voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greene at a polling site in Dallas , Georgia , on Thursday , said he hadn ’ t heard the criticism .
“ I don ’ t even know if I ’ d buy into that , ” Young said .
“ She ’ s just pro-American is what I see.
” Larry Silker , a 72-year-old retiree who cast a ballot at the same location , said he saw Greene as a “ go-getter ” and voted for her .
Reports of Greene ’ s racist remarks didn ’ t dissuade him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you see it , “ he said .
” But do you put faith in it ?
” There were critics of Greene voting as well .
“ Don ’ t like her .
Don ’ t care for some of the things I ’ ve read about her and heard about her , ” said Gene Melton , a 53-year-old truck driver .
Kerwin Swint , director of the School of Government and International Affairs at Kennesaw State University , said Greene initially appealed to many conservatives who want a firebrand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chances of winning have been complicated as more information comes to light .
“ She is not just a conservative , she is literally on the fringe of some very troubling beliefs , ” Swint said .
“ This is the kind of candidate that a lot of Republicans , and really I ’ m talking about Republican officials who are elected and appointed , sort of cringe when they hear what she says or they look at what she believes in , ” he said .
Greene has also expressed strong views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Whether I see a statue that may be something I would fully disagree with , like Adolf Hitler , maybe a statue of Satan himself , I would not want to say , ‘ take it down , ’ ” Greene said at a city council meeting in Dalton , Georgia , in mid-June .
“ But again , it ’ s so that I could tell my children and teach others about who these people are , what they did , and what they may be about .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Acadia transit facility gets help to reach completion

TRENTON , Maine - The federal government is giving $ 9 million to help with the development of a transit @ @ @ @ @ supporters say will dramatically improve transportation in the area .
The Federal Transit Administration is @ @ @ @ @ finish the next phase of Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton .
The facility is designed @ @ @ @ @ visitors to park their vehicles and get information about Acadia National Park .
Republican Sen. @ @ @ @ @ will improve the experience of visiting the park and also improve safety for pedestrians and @ @ @ @ @ of the project finished in 2012 .
That included a bus maintenance garage , park-and-ride @ @ @ @ @ station .
Collins said the investment will help “ ensure effective , safe , and @ @ @ @ @ and improve the visitor experience at Acadia National Park .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Masks in class? Many questions as Germans go back to school

BERLIN - Masks during class , masks only in the halls , no masks at all .
Distance when possible , no distance within same-grade groups , no distance at all .
As Germany ’ s 16 states start sending millions of children back to school in the middle of the global coronavirus pandemic , the country ’ s famous sense of “ Ordnung , ” or order , has given way to uncertainty , with a hodgepodge of regional regulations that officials acknowledge may or may not work .
“ There can ’ t , and never will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kuehne , the official in charge of schools in Pankow , Berlin ’ s most populous district where 45,000 students go back to school Monday .
“ We are trying to minimize the risk as much as possible.
” Germany has won plaudits for managing to slow the spread of the coronavirus quickly , efficiently and early , but the opening of schools is proving a new challenge as the country struggles to balance the concerns of anxious parents and children , skeptical scientists , worried teachers and overtaxed administrators .
Many around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real-life experiment offered in Germany to see what works and what doesn ’ t .
U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for American schools to reopen in person and on time even as the country nears 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases , and in Britain , Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stressed the government ’ s moral duty to ensure children return to class next month -despite having the highest official death toll in Europe .
The U.N. said this week that as many as 100 countries have yet to announce a date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antonio Guterres warned of a possible “ generational catastrophe ” in education .
He urged that restarting school be made a “ top priority ” once countries have the coronavirus under control .
Germany has seen some 217,000 confirmed cases and 9,200 deaths , and brought down a peak of some 6,000 new daily infections in March to the low hundreds .
Numbers have been creeping back up , however , and topped the 1,000 per day mark in recent days for the first time in about three months .
Israel attempted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when the coronavirus was widely thought to have been beaten in the country , only to suffer new outbreaks that led to schools being shut down again and a surge in the spread of the virus nationwide .
In South Africa , four grade levels were restarted in June but then closed back down when the country ’ s virus cases surged .
As Berlin prepares to send its nearly half-million students back to school on Monday , many fear something similar could happen .
“ The concerns are enormous , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doreen Siebernik , who heads the Berlin branch of the GEW teachers ’ union .
“ I know that there are pupils coming to school who have contact with hundreds , with thousands of people every day.
” Berlin ’ s plan includes requiring students - and teachers - to wear masks in hallways , but not during instruction or in the playground .
Sports , music and drama will be allowed , but with restrictions , like requiring choir members to keep at least 2 metres from one another .
Berlin ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ it ’ s not possible in a school ” to always keep students 1.5 metres ( 5 feet ) from one another , but that the distance should be kept if feasible .
Students are to be kept in “ cohorts ” — groups that should not mix — so that if there is an outbreak , only those affected would need to be quarantined .
The state government recommends those groups don ’ t mingle outside school either , but it was not clear how that could be enforced .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the one hand , which is very important to us , and on the other hand that we want to ensure the right to education of every single child , ” Scheeres said .
A Berlin Institute of Technology study on coronavirus transmission concluded that classrooms should be ventilated for a full 15 minutes every half hour .
Scheeres ’ current plan calls for windows to be opened following each 45 minute class .
Dr. Isabella Eckerle , head of the emerging viruses research group at the University of Geneva , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how children are affected by the coronavirus and transmit it , but that it was clear from school openings in other countries they could spark wider outbreaks .
“ If we go back to the normal school day now clinging to wishful thinking that children do not play a role in the pandemic , that will come back to haunt us , ” she said .
“ Instead of ideologically charged discussions , we need pragmatic concepts to get us through the winter.
” In a sharply-worded open letter to Scheeres and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fechner , a father of two and parent representative in the Pankow district , noted that many classroom windows don ’ t open , and that the government has stricter mask rules for supermarkets and its own offices than schools .
He urged the administration to focus more resources to permit some learning from home , so that class sizes and contact could be kept to a minimum .
“ This decision is absolutely incomprehensible to me as a father , and I fear for the health of my children and our relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are playing out elsewhere , like in Scotland where schools also are due to reopen on Tuesday .
There is uncertainty about whether measures to increase hand washing and social distancing — with limited mixing between classroom groups but no mandatory masks — will work .
The first students to return , in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , had no mask requirement but the “ cohort ” principle was in place and the education minister said mask regulations were in the works .
In a worrisome sign , two schools were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus were detected .
Students over age 10 who returned to school in Hamburg on Thursday were required to wear masks , but could take them off once seated in classrooms .
In Germany ’ s most populous state , North Rhine-Westphalia , 2.5 million students face the country ’ s strictest measures as they return on Wednesday , including a mask requirement while in class .
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn said Germany ’ s staggered returns and different approaches will help determine what works and what doesn ’ t .
Meantime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own solutions to conform with voluminous government guidelines .
In Berlin ’ s Pankow , Kuehne has been talking with school lunch suppliers all summer to work out a plan to serve meals at staggered times , and in classrooms , to avoid large groups in the cafeteria .
“ I wouldn ’ t say I ’ m worried , but I see the very , very big challenges ahead of us as school authorities , schools and parents , “ he said .
____ AP reporters Josef Federman in Jerusalem ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Johannesburg and Dorothee Thiesing , Frank Jordans and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this story .
____ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Amid pandemic, future of many Catholic schools is in doubt

NEW YORK - As the new academic year arrives , school systems across the United States are struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic .
Roman Catholic educators have an extra challenge — trying to forestall a relentless wave of closures of their schools that has no end in sight .
Already this year , financial and enrolment problems aggravated by the pandemic have forced the permanent closure of more than 140 Catholic schools nationwide , according to officials who oversee Catholic education in the country .
Three of the nation ’ s highest-ranking Catholic leaders , in a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are presently facing their greatest financial crisis ” and warned that hundreds more closures are likely without federal support .
“ Because of economic loss and uncertainty , many families are confronting the wrenching decision to pull their children out of Catholic schools , ” said New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan , Boston Cardinal Sean O ’ Malley and Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez , president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops .
They urged Congress to include funding in the next pandemic relief bill for scholarship assistance for economically disadvantaged families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools .
The pace of closures has been relentless since March .
Within the past month , Catholic leaders have announced the shuttering of five schools in Newark , New Jersey , and 26 in the New York City area .
Several have promoted protests and petition campaigns by angry parents , and Catholic officials have been scrambling to help affected families .
The Diocese of Brooklyn ’ s school superintendent , Thomas Chadzutko , said the closures were unavoidable due to the pandemic ’ s “ devastating effects ” on enrolment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 grant if their children enrolled in other Catholic schools , but many were bitter that the closures were announced with little time to make alternative school plans .
“ It is a complete travesty how the Brooklyn Diocese can shut down schools within a pandemic and with less than two months ’ notice , ” parent Javier Cortes wrote in an online post about the closure of Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy .
“ Treating children like this is NOT the Catholic thing to do !
“ Also ordered closed was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elementary school in the Bronx .
“ I was part of the first graduating class and now I walked out of there hysterical in tears , ” said Hope Wilson , who attended the school as a child and later taught there for 30 years .
“ It ’ s heartbreaking.
” In Newark , Shante McGlone Burgess was devastated by the news that St. Francis Xavier School was closing .
All three of her children attended the elementary school last year , though the family is not Catholic .
“ They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ At a public school , I don ’ t think my children would have gotten the same camaraderie , as well as the structure.
” St. Francis Xavier is one of many schools being closed that serve predominantly Black and Hispanic communities .
Three bishops who oversee matters related to education and racial issues recently sent an appeal to U.S. Rep. Karen Bass , chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus , seeking support for families of colour with students in Catholic schools .
“ A Black or Latino child is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high school , and two-and-a-half times more likely to graduate from college if he or she attends a Catholic school , ” wrote Bishops Michael Barber of Oakland , California , Joseph Perry of Chicago and Shelton Fabre of the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese in Louisiana .
At the National Catholic Educational Association , there ’ s acute concern about the closures ’ consequences .
“ Catholic schools have a very profound impact on young people of low-income backgrounds , students of colour , kids from single-parent homes , ” said the NCEA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That makes it all the more tragic if we lose the Catholic schools that serve those populations.
” One consequence of the turmoil : increased interest in Catholic-oriented homeschooling .
Chris Sebastian , a spokesman for the Mother of Divine Grace School , said it is preparing to serve about 6,000 students in the new school year , compared with 4,800 last year .
The school , based in California but serving families across the U.S. and overseas , offers a structured Catholic curriculum and assigns an educational consultant to work with each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the primary motivator for people enrolling , ” Sebastian said .
“ People are afraid of the pandemic and not wanting the stress of required masks.
” The Rev .
Thomas Vassalotti , pastor of Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy ’ s parish in New York , said numerous parents affected by that closure — and wary of switching to public schools — are expressing interest in homeschooling , perhaps in a co-operative with assistance from the parish .
For Catholic schools that are reopening , there is no national directive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question of in-person classes .
Decisions are being made diocese by diocese , often influenced by local and state rules .
In Los Angeles , archdiocese officials had hoped to open the new year with in-person classes .
They now will have to start out with distance learning , due to an order from Gov .
Gavin Newsom barring public and private schools from reopening campuses if their counties are on a monitoring list for high rates of new coronavirus cases .
The situation is different in Dallas , where the diocese plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days before the earliest date when secular schools can start in-person classes .
The diocese chose that option after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said religious schools were exempt from local orders delaying in-person instruction .
And in Evansville , Indiana , Catholic schools reopened Aug. 5 with a full program of in-person instruction .
Schools were told to spread out desks , place students in small groups and require face coverings .
Mary Pat Donoghue , who heads the education office of the national bishops ’ conference , said she expects a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a common aim of getting students back in the classroom as quickly as health conditions allow .
Associated Press video journalist Jessie Wardarski contributed to his report .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--UK names ‘Channel threat commander’ as boat crossings surge

LONDON - The British government has appointed a former Royal Marine commando to try to stop people crossing the English Channel from France in small boats .
The government said Sunday that Dan O ’ Mahoney , who currently heads the U.K. ’ s Joint Maritime Security Center , has been named “ clandestine Channel threat commander.
” Home Secretary Priti Patel said O ‘ Mahoney would work with French authorities on stronger enforcement measures , including intercepting boats at sea , “ to make this route unviable.
” Britain ’ s Conservative government has talked tough amid a surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Channel during recent warm summer weather .
On Thursday , 235 people were brought ashore , a record number for a single day .
More than 650 have arrived so far in August , including babies and unaccompanied children .
Patel has said the Royal Navy could be called in to prevent boats reaching U.K. waters , though other senior officials and politicians say that would be impractical and potentially dangerous .
On Saturday the Ministry of Defence said it had received a government request to “ support U.K. Border Force operations ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best help .
Migrants have long used northern France as a launching point to reach Britain , either in trucks through the Channel tunnel or on ferries .
Some have turned to small boats organized by smugglers because coronavirus lockdowns have reduced opportunities to stow away on ferries and trucks .
Fine summer weather is also prompting more people to make the risky journey across one of the world ’ s busiest shipping lanes — about 20 miles ( 32 kilometres ) at its narrowest point — in vessels as small as dinghies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministers are due to hold talks this week about the Channel crossings .
Human rights groups have criticized the British government ’ s harsh rhetoric and accused officials of trying to blame France for the rise in the number of boat crossings .
Bridget Chapman of the Kent Refugee Action Network accused the government of “ saber-rattling , ” and called for asylum seekers to be given legal ways to come to Britain .
“ That would close this route overnight , would save lives , and we would know exactly who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Riot declared as fire burns in Portland police union offices

PORTLAND , Ore. - A fire inside a police union building led authorities in Portland , Oregon , to declare a riot and force protesters away from the offices as violent demonstrations continue in the city that had hoped for calm after federal agents withdrew more than a week ago .
Three officers were hurt , including two who were taken to a hospital , during efforts to clear a crowd of several hundred people outside the Portland Police Association building late Saturday , police said in a statement .
The two hospitalized officers have since been released .
Rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and evening throughout the city , including at Peninsula , Laurelhurst and Berrydale parks , local media reported .
Police said a group from Peninsula Park marched to the Portland Police Association building , which is located about 5 miles ( 8 kilometres ) north of the federal courthouse that had been the target of nightly violence earlier this summer .
The Portland Police Association is a labour union that represents members of the Portland Police Bureau .
A group of demonstrators broke into the building , set the fire and were adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaration just after 11:30 p.m. , police said .
Video shot by a journalist , and surveillance video from inside the building obtained by the police department , shows smoke and flames arising from inside the building .
Officers formed a line and used flash bangs and smoke canisters to force the protest several blocks away .
Demonstrators congregated at Kenton Park , where they were again ordered to disperse .
Most of the crowd had left by 2 a.m. , police stated .
The gatherings this week had been noticeably smaller than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nightly for about two weeks in July to protest the presence of U.S. agents sent by the Trump administration to protect the federal courthouse downtown .
This week ’ s clashes have , however , amped up tensions after an agreement between state and federal officials seemed to offer a brief reprieve .
Police arrested 24 people during demonstrations overnight Friday after they said people defied orders to disperse and threw rocks , frozen or hard-boiled eggs and commercial-grade fireworks at officers .
An unlawful assembly was declared outside the Penumbra Kelly public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were from Portland , while one man was from Oakland , California , and another was from Tulsa , Oklahoma .
Most were in their 20s or 30s .
The charges included assault on an officer , interfering with an officer , disorderly conduct and resisting arrest .
An Oregon State Police trooper was struck in the head by a large rock and suffered a head injury , police said .
The trooper ’ s condition was not immediately known .
Some demonstrators filled pool noodles with nails and placed them in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patrol vehicle , police said .
Oregon State Police worked with Portland officers to clear the protesters .
Since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis , protests over racial injustice and police brutality have occurred nightly for more than 70 days .
Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said violent protesters are also serving as political “ props ” for President Donald Trump in a divisive election season where the president is hammering on a law-and-order message .
Trump has called the protesters as “ sick and dangerous anarchists ” running wild in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used by police on protesters Wednesday for the first time since the U.S. agents pulled back their presence in the city .
But officers did not use it Thursday or Friday despite declaring the demonstrations unlawful assemblies .
Police said tear gas wasn ’ t used Saturday .

Martha Bellisle And Gillian Flaccus - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under security law

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested Monday on suspicion of collusion with foreign powers , his aide said , in the highest-profile use yet of the new national security law Beijing imposed on the city after protests last year .
“ Jimmy Lai is being arrested for collusion with foreign powers at this time , ” Mark Simon wrote on Twitter .
Hong Kong police said seven people had been arrested on suspicion of violating the national security law , but the statement did not reveal the names of those arrested .
Lai , who owns popular tabloid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure in Hong Kong and regularly criticizes China ’ s authoritarian rule .
The national security law came into effect June 30 and is widely seen as a means to curb dissent after anti-government protests rocked Hong Kong last year .
Simon said that police searched both Lai and his son ’ s home , as well as other members of media group Next Digital , which Lai founded .
Next Digital operates the Apple Daily tabloid , which Lai founded in 1995 , ahead of Britain ’ s handover of Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily has a strong pro-democracy stance and often urged its readers to take part in pro-democracy protests .
The security law outlaws secessionist , subversive and terrorist acts , as well as collusion with foreign forces in the city ’ s internal affairs .
The maximum punishment for serious offenders is life imprisonment .
Last month , Chinese broadcaster CCTV said pro-democracy activist Nathan Law and five others were wanted under the law , although all six had fled overseas .
Law had relocated to Britain in July to continue international advocacy work @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Japan’s legacy of forced labour haunts ties with neighbours

TOKYO - For years , Yeom Chan-soon was haunted by the cracking sound of a leather belt eating into the flesh of a fellow Korean mine worker being punished for trying to escape from forced labour in Japan .
That dark chapter in Japan ’ s history , when hundreds of thousands of people were brought from the Korean Peninsula and other Asian nations to work in logging , in mines , on farms and in factories as forced labour , lives on as a modern legacy in the companies that came to dominate the Japanese economy after World War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their families and supporters are still seeking compensation and atonement for the labour and suffering .
The companies , among the biggest names in Japan Inc. , such as Mitsubishi and Mitsui , say such issues were settled by a treaty decades ago .
Critics say Japan has failed to fully reckon with those wrongs that date back to the late 1890s and lasted through the colonization of the Korean peninsula , until the end of World War II in 1945 .
The legacy overshadows Tokyo ’ s relations with its neighbours even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to perpetuate mistreatment of minorities among its own people .
“ Japanese have never seriously faced up to the realities of the devastating abuse Japan brought to neighbouring nations and their people , ” said Masaru Tonomura , a professor of history at the University of Tokyo .
That failure to face up to history has contributed toward defensive , nationalist-leaning thinking , Tonomura and other experts say .
The number of survivors of forced labour before and during World War II is dwindling 75 years after Japan ’ s August 15 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be found in oral histories compiled by the late Eidai Hayashi , a researcher who spent his career unearthing facts about Japan ’ s wartime mobilization of labourers and other wrongdoings .
“ When the wooden stick broke , the beating went on with a shovel that was picked up .
He was beaten until pieces of torn skin stuck to the metal .
His face got twisted , and he collapsed , not even able to scream , ” Yeom was quoted as saying in Hayashi ’ s 1981 book , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book described frequent beatings by belts , wooden sticks and whatever else was around in what Yeom called “ lynchings ” at the Mitsui coal mine where he worked from 1941 .
Hayashi ’ s book includes testimonies from a dozen Korean workers and 11 Japanese , including guards and police , who recalled the systemic and brutal mistreatment of Koreans .
Some of Japan ’ s biggest , wealthiest companies originated in industrial groups called “ zaibatsu , ” that relied on forced labour , especially during wartime , when labour was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away fighting .
The Mitsubishi , Mitsui and Sumitomo conglomerates have denounced continuing demands for reparations .
The companies are eager to put such history to rest .
The compensation issues were “ completely and finally solved “ by a treaty in 1965 , Nippon Steel Corp. Executive Vice-President Katsuhiro Miyamoto said earlier this month , denouncing moves by Korean courts to seize the company ’ s assets .
Nippon Steel , related to the Sumitomo industrial group , is appealing a landmark 2018 decision by the South Korean Supreme Court ordering Mitsubishi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damages for the coerced labour .
Not all companies face the same legal action , but their stances are similar .
“ We think what happened during the special circumstances of war is unfortunate .
But we were not behind that system as a company , and we were not in a position to respond , ” said Akira Masuda , a spokesman for Nippon Coke & Engineering Co. , formerly Mitsui Mining Co. , another company that used such labour .
There have been some moves to atone for the bitter history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 20 years ago , in apologies by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono in 1993 , and by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995 .
The current prime minister , Shinzo Abe , has insisted the issues are settled .
In a 1997 settlement of a lawsuit brought by families of Koreans who died in American attacks on a wartime steel-works facility , the company set up a memorial for the dead workers .
That move was key in communicating remorse and contrition , said Keiichi Karatsu , the chief lawyer for Nippon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less of an issue for those who suffered forced labour than spiritual solace and a sense of closure , said Karatsu , now a professor of law .
“ People ’ s torment in their hearts still needs to heal , and Japan should keep trying , sincerely , ” he said .
Still , wartime issues , including use by the Japanese Imperial Army of women pressed into sexual slavery , have continued to sour bilateral relations , with each nation “ downgrading ” the trade status of the other last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boycotts of Japanese products , the animosity and lack of diplomatic dialogue of recent years contrasts with cultural and human-level exchanges , evident in the popularity of Korean pop music and movies in Japan .
Echoing the turmoil over racism embroiling the U.S. , emotions have run high over statues .
Statues have been set up in South Korea and other nations of a young woman symbolizing “ comfort women , ” the wartime sex slaves .
In the latest development , a statue thought to resemble Abe depicted kneeling in apology , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman , one-upping the previous portrayals .
At each step , Japan ’ s leaders have faced a choice over whether or not to show contrition .
If antagonisms between the two important U.S. allies are to heal , both sides must try to meet halfway , said Kim Gwang-yol , a professor at Seoul ’ s Kwangwoon University .
“ Both countries need to make concessions and reach a comprise , ” Kim said .
Hyung-jin Kim , who contributed to this report from Seoul , is on Twitter https : //twitter.com/hyungjin1972


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--6 Gulf Arab countries back extending UN arms embargo on Iran

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - A six-nation bloc of Gulf Arab nations torn apart by internal strife endorsed an extension of a United Nations arms embargo on Iran , just two months before it is set to expire .
The Gulf Cooperation Council on Sunday sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council backing an extension of an arms embargo that ’ s kept Iran from purchasing foreign-made weapons like fighter jets , tanks and warships .
The GCC — comprised of Bahrain , Kuwait , Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from armed interventions in neighbouring countries , directly and through organizations and movements armed and trained by Iran.
” A Saudi-led coalition continues to battle Yemen ’ s Houthi rebels , whom the U.N. , the U.S. and armament experts have accused of receiving arms from Iran .
Tehran denies arming the Houthis , even as Iranian armaments and components have repeatedly turned up in Yemen .
The letter also said Iran arms Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and Syria and allegedly provides weapons to Shiite militias in Iraq and “ terrorist groups ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ U.N .
restrictions establish a consensus understanding of the threat to peace and stability Iranian proliferation represents , ” the GCC said in the letter signed by General-Secretary Nayef al-Hajraf on behalf of the bloc .
Iran ’ s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi condemned the GCC letter and called it an “ irresponsible ” statement that serves U.S. interests , Iranian state TV reported .
Mousavi also criticized the Gulf Arab countries for being “ among the largest arms buyers in the region and the world , “ even amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
The U.N. banned Iran from buying major foreign weapon systems in 2010 amid tensions over its nuclear program .
That blocked Iran from replacing its aging equipment , much of which had been purchased by the shah before the 1979 Islamic Revolution .
An earlier embargo targeted Iranian arms exports .
Iran ’ s 2015 nuclear deal saw the U.N. agree to sunset the arms embargo this October .
President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal in 2018 , part of a maximum pressure campaign that ’ s hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a series of escalating incidents in the Mideast .
The GCC letter also mentioned Iran ’ s shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane in January and its navy accidentally killing 19 sailors in a missile strike during an exercise .
Iran also is suspected of launching a September attack on the heart of Saudi Arabia ’ s oil industry , though Tehran denies that .
That the GCC offered a unified statement on Iran comes as it remains torn by the ongoing Qatar crisis , which saw Bahrain , Egypt , Saudi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and launch a boycott of the nation beginning in 2017 .
Kuwait has sought to mediate the crisis , though its 91-year-old emir now is hospitalized in the U.S. suffering from an undisclosed ailment .
Amid the crisis , Qatar has had warmer ties with Iran and used its airspace while sharing a vast offshore oil and gas field with Tehran .
The small nation is home to the massive Al-Udeid Air Base , home to the forward headquarters of the U.S. military ’ s Central Command .
Oman , which saw its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long has had close ties to Iran and has served as an interlocutor between Tehran and the West .
Bahrain , Saudi Arabia and the Emirates long have viewed Iran far more suspiciously , accusing it of stirring up dissent among Shiite populations in the region .
The unified GCC statement comes after recent visits by outgoing U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran , Iran , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Morikawa delivers great shot in quiet moment to win PGA

SAN FRANCISCO - The shot will be remembered as one of the best under pressure that hardly anyone witnessed .
It made Collin Morikawa a major champion Sunday in a thrill-a-minute PGA Championship that not many will forget .
Morikawa hit driver on the 294-yard 16th hole that was perfect in flight and even better when it landed , hopping onto the green and rolling to 7 feet for an eagle that all but clinched victory on a most quiet Sunday afternoon at Harding Park .
In the first major without spectators , the 23-year-old Californian finished with a bang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really good bounce and got it , ” he said .
“ I hit a really good putt , and now we ’ re here.
” He closed with a 6-under 64 , the lowest final round by a PGA champion in 25 years , for a two-shot victory over Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson , two of 10 players who had a chance on the back nine .
Morikawa was among seven players tied for the lead , as wild as any Sunday in a major .
He took the lead when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet short of the 14th green .
And then he delivered the knockout with one swing along the shores of Lake Merced , The COVID-19 pandemic that moved the PGA Championship from May to August was allowed to be played only if spectators were not allowed .
But there was one person who won ’ t forget what he saw .
Casey , with his first good shot at winning a major , birdied the 16th to tie Morikawa for the lead .
Standing on the tee at the par-3 17th , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the cup .
“ What a shot , ” was all Casey could say .
“ Nothing you can do but tip you cap to that .
Collin had taken on that challenge and pulled it off .
That ’ s what champions do.
” Golf ’ s latest major champion was still in the vicinity of Harding Park just over a year ago , finishing up his degree at California and his All-American career , part of a new cast of young stars in a sport filled with them .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times while in college , but never set up with rough like this or with the tees all the way back .
Now he has three PGA Tour victories and is No .
5 in the world , taking his place among the young stars by beating a cast of world-class players on the public course in San Francisco .
For Johnson , it was another major that got away .
He had a one-shot lead and didn ’ t do too much wrong on the day except for not keeping it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He drove into the hazard on the 16th and chipped in for birdie when it was too late , and a birdie on the 18th gave him a 68 and a tie for second .
It was his fifth runner-up finish in a major — his only title is the 2016 U.S. Open — and his second straight runner-up in the PGA Championship .
Brooks Koepka proved to be all talk .
He looked at the crowded leaderboard on Saturday night and didn ’ t see anyone with his experience of four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he has “ only won one.
” Koepka didn ’ t make a birdie until the 12th hole .
He went from two shots behind to a 74 , tying for 29th .
“ It ’ s my first bad round in a major in a while , ” said Koepka , who said he spent the back nine mostly trying to cheer on Casey and his bid to win a first major at age 43 .
Morikawa finished at 13-under 267 , and left so many others wondering how close they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with Morikawa in Southern California and turned pro last summer with him , shot a 65 and joined Jason Day , Bryson DeChambeau , Tony Finau and PGA Tour rookie Scottie Scheffler at 10-under 270 .
Cameron Champ , among eight players who had a share of the lead at some point , lost momentum with a double bogey at the turn .
DeChambeau dropped two shots at the turn and never caught up until it was too late .
Morikawa , in only his 28th start as a pro and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only mistake was at the end , when it was time to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy , the heaviest of the four major trophies .
The lid came off and tumbled to the grass as Morikawa ’ s eyes bulged .
If that was his only mistake , consider it a good day .
A major day .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--States on hook for billions under Trump’s unemployment plan

FALLS CHURCH , Va. - Whether President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear .
Equally up in the air is whether states , which are necessary partners in Trump ’ s plan to bypass Congress , will sign on .
Trump announced an executive order Saturday that extends additional unemployment payments of up to $ 400 a week to help cushion the economic fallout of the pandemic .
Congress had approved payments of $ 600 a week at the outset of the coronavirus outbreak , but those benefits expired Aug. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree on an extension .
Many Republicans have expressed concern that a $ 600 weekly benefit , on top of existing state benefits , gives people an incentive to stay unemployed .
But under Trump ’ s plan , the $ 400 a week requires a state to commit to providing $ 100 .
Many states are already facing budget crunches caused by the pandemic .
Asked at a news conference how many governors had signed on to participate , Trump answered : “ If they don ’ t , they don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them.
” Trump expressed a different view on Sunday night , following a day of state officials questioning how they could afford even $ 100 per person in additional weekly payments .
He told reporters as he returned to Washington that states could make application to have the federal government provide all or part of the $ 400 payments .
Decisions would be made state by state , he said .
Several state officials questioned how Trump ’ s initial proposal would work and often expressed doubt that they could afford to participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using federal funds .
Aubrey Layne , secretary of finance for Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam , a Democrat , said in a phone interview Sunday he believes it would be feasible for Virginia to participate in such a program if states are allowed to use money that ’ s been allocated to them under the already passed CARES Act .
He said his preliminary understanding is that states can do so , but he and others are waiting to see the rules published .
The better solution , Layne said , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s ludicrous to me that Congress can ’ t get together on this , ” he said .
“ I think it would have been better for the president to use his influence in those negotiations , rather than standing on the sideline and then riding in like a shining knight.
” Details about the program were confused on Sunday — and that was even before Trump ’ s declaration that states could ask the federal government to pay all or part of the $ 400 week payments .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nation “ White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said conflicting things about whether the federal money was contingent on an additional contribution from the states .
Initially Kudlow said that “ for an extra $ 100 , we will lever it up .
We will pay three-quarters , and the states will pay 25 per cent.
” In the same interview , though , he later said that “ at a minimum , we will put in 300 bucks ... but I think all they ( the states ) have to do is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will be able to throw in the extra $ 100.
” A clarifying statement from the White House said the “ funds will be available for those who qualify by , among other things , receiving $ 100/week of existing assistance and certify that they have lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
” Several advocacy groups that follow the issue , though , said it ’ s clear the way the executive order is structured that the federal money will be contingent on states making a 25 per cent contribution .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president is genuine in thinking the executive order is a resolution or if this is just a tactic in the negotiation , “ Cuomo said .
” But this is irreconcilable for the state .
And I expect this is just a chapter in the book of Washington COVID mismanagement.
” In Connecticut , Democratic Gov .
Ned Lamont said on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation ” that the plan would cost his state $ 500 million to provide that benefit for the rest of the year , and called Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ I could take that money from testing — I don ’ t think that ’ s a good idea , ” Lamont said .
On CNN , Republican Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine praised Trump for issuing the order .
“ He ’ s trying to do something .
He ’ s trying to move the ball forward , ” DeWine said .
Still , he was noncommittal about whether Ohio would participate .
“ We ’ re looking at it right now to see whether we can do this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spokeswoman for Democratic Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards said : “ Right now we are reviewing the President ’ s order to determine exactly what the impact to the state would be.
” In Maryland , Michael Ricci , spokesman for Republican Gov .
Larry Hogan , said in an email that “ we will wait on new guidance from US Department of Labor before looking at any ( unemployment insurance ) changes.
” In Minnesota , Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove said his agency is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Labor.
” Nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians are relying on that additional unemployment to pay their bills and put food on the table .
Kevin Hensil , a spokesman for Democratic Gov .
Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania , said “ reducing the benefit by a third will make it harder for families to get by and it places a larger financial burden on states.
” He said state officials are studying the impact of the cuts .
And in Michigan , Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer said in a press release that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is requiring states that are facing severe holes in our budgets to provide 25 % of the funding.
” “ Most states will take months to implement it , because it ’ s brand new .
It ’ s sort of put together with spit and paste .
And many states , because they have to chip in $ 100 , and they don ’ t have money , won ’ t do it , ” Schumer said .
Many states struggled to adjust outdated computer systems to accommodate the $ 600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influx of new claims resulted in long delays in providing benefits .
Reprogramming the computers again to accommodate the new amount could result in similar glitches .
On ABC , Kudlow said that many of those outdated systems have since been upgraded .
“ I don ’ t think there will be a huge delay .
Labor Department has been working with the states .
The states are the ones that process the federal benefits before .
So , I don ’ t see any reason why it would be all that difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Writers Brian Witte in Annapolis , Maryland ; Larry Neumeister in New York ; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge , Louisiana ; Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania ; Susan Haigh in Hartford , Connecticut ; Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls , South Dakota ; Thomas Strong in Washington ; and Jonathan Lemire in Bedminster , New Jersey , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--6 French citizens, 2 guides killed by gunmen at giraffe park

NIAMEY , Niger - Unidentified gunmen killed six French aid workers and two Nigerien guides who were visiting a wildlife park east of Niger ’ s capital early Sunday , authorities from both countries said .
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences and support for the victims ’ families in a statement .
Macron had a phone call with Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou on Sunday evening and both heads of state stressed that “ all means are and will be used to clarify the circumstances of the deadly attack , ” the statement said .
Macron and Issoufou are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorist groups ” in Africa ’ s Sahel region .
The attack took place in Koure , where Niger has a giraffe reserve , Oumarou Moussa , the adviser to Niger ’ s interior minister , told The Associated Press .
The area is a protected national park that contains dense vegetation and tall trees about 70 kilometres ( 45 miles ) southeast of the capital .
Hundreds of people visit each year to see its distinctive giraffes .
The park is in the Tillaberi region , where jihadists linked to Islamic State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 .
The French government has warned citizens against travelling outside of the capital of Niamey as militants linked to Boko Haram , Islamic State and al-Qaida still carry out attacks across the vast West African nation .
Niger borders several countries including Mali , Burkina Faso , Chad , Nigeria and Libya .
Violence by groups linked to IS and al-Qaida is on the rise in the Sahel region .
France has deployed 5,100 soldiers to help fight the growing insurgency there , and a local Sahel force made up of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Faso , Chad and Mauritania has also been fighting the extremists .
Macron will hold a defence council on Tuesday focusing on the situation in Niger .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--5.1-magnitude quake hits North Carolina, causes minor damage

SPARTA , N.C. - The most powerful earthquake to hit North Carolina in more than 100 years shook much of the state early Sunday , rattling homes , businesses and residents .
The National Weather Service in Greenville said the 5.1-magnitude temblor struck at 8:07 a.m. , following a much smaller quake several hours earlier .
There were no reports of serious injuries , but some minor structural damage was reported in Sparta , as well as cracks in roads .
Images on social media also showed items knocked off of grocery store shelves .
The U.S. Geological Survey said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for one or more aftershocks in the next week , forecasting a 45 % chance for earthquakes of magnitude 3 or greater .
The chances of another quake as strong as the one on Sunday or greater was about 1 % , the geological survey said .
Michael Hull was standing in his driveway at his home in Sparta when he noticed a group of deer running .
“ Not even a minute passed and the side-to-side motion started , ” Hull said .
“ It takes you a minute to realize what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t believe it .
Then it was over .
It was loud , like God was shaking a mountain at you , literally.
” Karen Backer was in her Greensboro apartment when she heard initially mistook banging in her kitchen for her roommate .
“ Nope , it was the cabinet doors ‘ clinking ’ open and closed !
My neighbours on the other hand said they felt our apartment building shaking , ” Backer said .
“ Well , sadly , nothing surprises me in 2020 , but a hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is crazy.
” It was the largest earthquake to hit the state since 1916 , when a magnitude 5.5 quake occurred near Skyland , the weather service said .
The quake ’ s epicenter was about 2.5 miles ( four kilometres ) southeast of Sparta , just south of the Virginia-North Carolina border , the geological survey said .
The USGS said the population in the affected region resides in structures “ that are resistant to earthquake shaking , though vulnerable structures exist.
” The quake was felt in nearby states including Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Georgia school shifting online after infections reported

DALLAS , Ga. - A Georgia high school plans to start the week with all classes shifting online after nine students and staff tested positive for the coronavirus when the school year opened last week with most students attending in-person .
North Paulding High School made headlines soon after students returned to school Aug. 3 when photos posted on social media showed hallways crowded with students , and many of them not wearing masks .
The school ’ s principal notified parents Saturday that six students and three staff members had tested positive for the virus , though it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school .
Now students will take online classes Monday and Tuesday , Paulding County Schools Superintendent Brian Ott said in a letter to parents Sunday .
He said those two days will be used to clean and disinfect the school , and parents will learn Tuesday evening if in-person classes can resume later in the week .
“ Hopefully we can all agree that the health and safety of our students and staff takes precedence over any other considerations at this time , ” Ott said in his letter , which was obtained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools spokesman Jay Dillon did not immediately return phone and text messages Sunday evening from The Associated Press .
In announcing the nine infections among students and staff , North Paudling High School principal Gabe Carmona wrote that each of them had been in the school building sometime in the prior week .
But it was unclear whether the school would quarantine other students and staff who may have been exposed .
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported it obtained the principal ’ s letter from the school district .
Meanwhile , school officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students and two staff members across a dozen schools tested positive for the virus during their first week back at school .
The Cherokee County school system reported that more than 250 students with potential exposure had been sent home to quarantine for two weeks .
“ We have students and staff reporting presumptive , pending and positive COVID-19 tests every day , and this will continue as we operate schools during a pandemic , ” Cherokee County Schools Superintendent Brian Hightower wrote in a letter to parents Friday .
Cherokee County also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dozens of students at two of its high schools squeezed together for first-day-of-school senior photos .
None wore masks .
Hightower said in his letter that many of the seniors in those online photos “ wear masks routinely ” — though the schools don ’ t require them to .
He also said the school system was taking “ extra steps for transparency.
” In addition to the superintendent ’ s letter , the school system posted information about all confirmed infections and quarantines on its website .
Paulding County ’ s 30,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
About 30 % of students chose online learning .
Cherokee County school officials said 22 % of the districts 42,200 students opted to start the year with online classes .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--3 arrested following fights at pro-police rally in Colorado

FORT COLLINS , Colo. - Three people were arrested and another cited after fights broke out at a Colorado pro-police rally that attracted counter protesters , authorities said .
The “ Back the Blue ” rally drew hundreds of people outside the Fort Collins police department Saturday afternoon .
After counter-protesters arrived , the demonstrations devolved into “ multiple physical disturbances , “ Detective Erin Feit told The Denver Post .
Video footage of the conflict showed members of the pro-law enforcement crowd walking toward counter protesters who are backing away in a residential neighbourhood a few blocks from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counter-protesters , and fights broke out as the two sides moved into a grassy area between houses , video footage shows .
It was not clear how the fights began , but the recordings show about a dozen people wrestling and fighting in a ditch .
A person in a red shirt is shown using an American flag mounted on a pole to spear and pin to the ground a person dressed all in black .
One man swings what looks to be a baton , striking at another man .
The footage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least two people .
The people arrested and cited were aligned with both the pro-police group and the counter-protesters .
At least three people were booked into the Larimer County Jail on disorderly conduct charges after being arrested in the area of the fight Saturday , the Coloradoan reported .
An investigation into the fights is still ongoing , because some people left the scene before officers arrived , Feit said .
Witnesses who have video or other information on what happened were asked to contact the police .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--NY governor calls Trump benefits executive order ‘laughable’

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo on Sunday dismissed President Donald Trump ’ s executive orders as “ laughable “ and another chapter in the federal government ’ s botched response to the coronavirus as he praised New Yorkers for mostly good behaviour that has reduced the infection rate in his state .
The Democrat was particularly critical of Trump ’ s Saturday announcement that states must pay part of $ 400 weekly unemployment insurance benefits .
He told a telephone news conference that Trump ’ s plan would likely cost New York state $ 4 billion .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay 25 per cent of the insurance , is just laughable , “ Cuomo said .
“ It ’ s just an impossibility .
So none of this is real on the federal side .
This is going to have to be resolved.
” He said he didn ’ t know if Trump was “ genuine in thinking the executive order is a resolution or if this is just a tactic in the negotiation .
But this is irreconcilable for the state .
And I expect this is just a chapter in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cuomo praised New Yorkers for driving down the rate of infections in the state so low that only .78 % of 65,812 tests performed Saturday came back positive .
He said the 131 individuals in intensive care units also represented the lowest number since the early days of the health crisis .
It was not all good through .
Another seven deaths were recorded .
Similar praiseworthy numbers also were reported in Nassau County , another one-time coronavirus hot spot where County Executive Laura Curran said only 27 of 5,314 people tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half-per cent rate of positive tests .
She said that although one death was reported — the first in two weeks — there were only 38 hospitalized patients with 10 in intensive care and only two on ventilators .
Cuomo tried to keep the pressure on local authorities to enforce rules meant to keep crowds from performing at bars and restaurants .
He said state police and state liquor authority inspectors were filling gaps in local enforcement by issuing 26 citations to bars and restaurants Saturday , including 16 in Queens .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , continuing the folksy style that has made him a frequent personality on the national coronavirus stage .
He also called out the New York Police Department , saying it needed to “ step up and help in New York City.
“ Cuomo ’ s comments came as Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told a news conference that Trump ’ s executive orders “ do not come close to solving New York ’ s problems.
“ “ Meet with us , “ he urged Republicans , saying Democrats will drop a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise what they ’ re willing to spend by a trillion dollars .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Police: 12 protesters in Louisville arrested, charged

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - Twelve protesters in Kentucky ’ s largest city were arrested Saturday night after they blocked roadways , surrounded vehicles , shot paintballs and destroyed property , police said .
Eight people were charged with felonies and four were charged with misdemeanours , Louisville police spokesman Sgt .
Lamont Washington said in a statement .
Not all of the charges were available early Sunday , but the Courier Journal reported some counts included first-degree riot , unlawful assembly and failure to disperse .
Police announced later Sunday that due to more aggressive behaviour in the last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer allow protesters to continue demonstrating in the streets and in caravans .
Beginning Sunday night , all pedestrians must stay out of the streets and neither cars nor pedestrians will be allowed to block intersections for any length of time , police said in a statement .
Those who don ’ t follow the new rules could be cited or arrested , the statement said .
Protests were held much of Saturday in Louisville , including an anti-eviction demonstration and a separate rally calling for action against the police officers involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was killed in her apartment , the newspaper reported .
Taylor , an African American , was shot multiple times March 13 when police officers burst into her Louisville apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation .
No drugs were found .
One officer has been terminated and two others are on administrative reassignment while authorities investigate .
Global protests on behalf of Taylor , George Floyd in Minnesota and others have been part of a national reckoning over racism and police brutality .
Demonstrations have been taking place daily in @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--TS Elida strengthens off coast of Mexico; to avoid land

MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Elida has formed off Mexico ’ s Pacific coast and is expected to become a @ @ @ @ @ moves away from land .
There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect but @ @ @ @ @ warns that swells generated by Elida could affect portions of the coast of west-central Mexico @ @ @ @ @ peninsula over the next couple of days .
Elida had maximum sustained winds of 50 @ @ @ @ @ late Sunday afternoon and was located about 195 miles ( 315 kilometres ) southwest of @ @ @ @ @ was moving west-northwest at 15 mph ( 24 kph ) .
The hurricane centre said @ @ @ @ @ Monday then begin to weaken late Tuesday or Wednesday as it moves out to sea @


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Israeli military strikes Hamas target in northern Gaza Strip

JERUSALEM - The Israeli military said late Sunday that it struck a Hamas target in the northern Gaza Strip in @ @ @ @ @ of explosives-laden balloons from the Palestinian territory into Israel .
In a brief statement , @ @ @ @ @ struck a Hamas observation post in northern Gaza .
There were no immediate reports of @ @ @ @ @ Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and numerous smaller flareups since the Islamic militant @ @ @ @ @ in 2007 .
The enemies have largely observed an unofficial truce in recent months .
@ @ @ @ @ all fire out of the coastal enclave .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--US tops 5 million confirmed virus cases, to Europe’s alarm

ROME - With confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. hitting 5 million Sunday , by far the highest of any country , the failure of the most powerful nation in the world to contain the scourge has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe .
Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America ’ s bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy , which was ground zero of Europe ’ s epidemic .
Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February , and the country still has one of the world ’ s highest official death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strict nationwide , 10-week lockdown , vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing , Italy has become a model of virus containment .
“ Don ’ t they care about their health ?
” a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano , north of Rome .
“ They need to take our precautions .
...
They need a real lockdown.
“ Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn ’ t have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units .
M ore than four months into a sustained outbreak , the U.S. reached the 5 million mark , according to the running count kept by Johns Hopkins University .
Health officials believe the actual number is perhaps 10 times higher , or closer to 50 million , given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40 % of all those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We Italians always saw America as a model , “ said Massimo Franco , a columnist with daily Corriere della Sera .
“ But with this virus we ’ ve discovered a country that is very fragile , with bad infrastructure and a public health system that is nonexistent.
” With America ’ s world ’ s-highest death toll of more than 160,000 , its politicized resistance to masks and its rising caseload , European nations have barred American tourists and visitors from other countries with growing cases from freely travelling to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposing tests on arrival for travellers from “ at risk ” countries , the U.S. included .
“ I am very well aware that this impinges on individual freedoms , but I believe that this is a justifiable intervention , ” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said last week .
Mistakes were made in Europe , too , from delayed lockdowns to insufficient protections for nursing home elderly and critical shortages of tests and protective equipment for medical personnel .
Hard-hit Spain , France , Britain and Germany have seen infection rebounds with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Italy ’ s cases went over 500 on Friday .
Some scientists say Britain ’ s beloved pubs might have to close again if schools are to reopen in September .
Europe as a whole has seen over 207,000 confirmed virus deaths , by Johns Hopkins ’ count .
In the U.S. , new cases are running at about 54,000 a day — an immensely high number even when taking into account the country ’ s large population .
And while that ’ s down from a peak of well over 70,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 20 states , and deaths are climbing in most .
In contrast , at least for now Europe appears to have the virus somewhat under control .
“ Had the medical professionals been allowed to operate in the States , you would have belatedly gotten to a point of getting to grips with this back in March , ” said Scott Lucas , professor of international studies at the University of Birmingham , England .
“ But of course , the medical and public health professionals were not allowed to proceed unchecked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s frequent undercutting of his own experts .
When the virus first appeared in the United States , Trump and his supporters quickly dismissed it as either a “ hoax ” or a scourge that would quickly disappear once warmer weather arrived .
At one point , Trump suggested that ultraviolet light or injecting disinfectants would eradicate the virus .
( He later said he was being facetious ) .
Trump ’ s frequent complaints about Dr. Anthony Fauci have regularly made headlines in Europe , where the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy ’ s leading COVID-19 hospital offered Fauci a job if Trump fired him .
Trump has defended the U.S. response , blaming China , where the virus was first detected , for America ’ s problems and saying the U.S. numbers are so high because there is so much testing .
Trump supporters and Americans who have refused to wear masks against all medical advice back that line .
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“ There ’ s no reason to fear any sickness that ’ s out there , ” said Julia Ferjo , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is “ vehemently ” against wearing a mask .
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Ferjo , 35 , teaches fitness classes in a large gym with open doors .
She doesn ’ t allow participants to wear masks .
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“ When you ’ re breathing that hard , I would pass out , ” she said .
“ I do not want people just dropping like flies.
” And health officials watched with alarm as thousands of bikers gathered Friday in the small South Dakota city of Sturgis for an annual 10-day motorcycle rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and many bikers expressed defiance of measures meant to prevent the virus ’ s spread .
Dr. David Ho , director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center , who is leading a team seeking treatments for COVID-19 , decried such behaviour , as well as the country ’ s handling of the virus .
“ There ’ s no national strategy , no national leadership , and there ’ s no urging for the public to act in unison and carry out the measures together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what it takes , and we have completely abandoned that as a nation.
” When he gets on Zoom calls with counterparts from around the globe , “ everyone can not believe what they ’ re seeing in the U.S. and they can not believe the words coming out of the leadership , ’ ’ he said .
Amid the scorn from other countries , Trump national security adviser Robert O ’ Brien , newly recovered from a bout with the virus , gave an upbeat picture Sunday on CBS ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to fight like heck .
We ’ re working hard on vaccines .
We ’ re working hard on testing machines that are portable and fast .
... We ’ re working on therapeutics , ” he said .
“ I ’ m so impressed with our scientists and our doctors and our first responders and the folks who are attacking this disease , and God bless them all.
” Many Europeans point proudly to their national health care systems that not only test but treat COVID-19 for free , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus crisis has only exacerbated income and racial inequalities in obtaining health care .
“ The coronavirus has brutally stripped bare the vulnerability of a country that has been sliding for years , ” wrote Italian author Massimo Gaggi in his new book “ Crack America ” ( Broken America ) , about U.S. problems that long predated COVID-19 .
Gaggi said he started writing the book last year and thought then that the title would be taken as a provocative wake-up call .
Then the virus hit .
“ By March the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer , ” he said .
“ It was obvious.
” Pane reported from Boise , Idaho .
AP reporters from around Europe contributed .

Nicole Winfield And Lisa Marie Pane - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--World donors demand change before money to rebuild Beirut

BEIRUT - World leaders and international organizations pledged nearly $ 300 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Beirut in the wake of the devastating explosion , but warned on Sunday that no money for rebuilding the capital will be made available until Lebanese authorities commit themselves to the political and economic reforms demanded by the people .
Over 30 participants to the international conference offered help for a “ credible and independent ” investigation into the Aug. 4 Beirut explosion , another key demand of the Lebanese crowds who took to the streets Saturday and Sunday .
In Beirut , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top aid to the premier , resigned amid signals that the embattled government may be unraveling in the aftermath of the devastating blast that ripped through the capital .
The blast killed 160 and wounded 6,000 , raising public anger to new levels .
The resignation of Information Minister Manal Abdel-Samad , in which she cited failure to meet the people ’ s aspirations and last week ’ s blast , was followed by a swirl of reports that other ministers were also resigning .
He stepped down despite closed-door meetings into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Prime Minister Hassan Diab and several ministers following Abdel-Samad ’ s announcement .
The political haggling had appeared to put off more resignations , and a Cabinet meeting is planned Monday .
If seven of the 20 ministers resign , the Cabinet would effectively have to step down and remain in place as a caretaker government .
Maha Yahya , the director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center , said the discussions clearly point to backroom deals that seek to put together a new government that ’ s acceptable to domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the angered public .
The current government “ really has been a lame duck , ” she said , unable to undertake any reform or show independence in a highly divisive political atmosphere .
“ Even the ministers are deserting the sinking ship.
” Meanwhile , four more lawmakers announced Sunday they were resigning from the 128-seat parliament , joining four others who declared it earlier .
Parliament is also due to convene later this week .
As the political negotiations took place , protesters converged again on the parliament area Sunday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations .
Hundreds of protesters clashed with security forces , attempting to breach the heavily-guarded parliament .
Security forces responded with tear gas and chased the protesters in the streets of downtown , in a smaller repeat of scenes from the night before .
The protesters blame the ruling elite for the chronic mismanagement and corruption that is believed to be behind the explosion in a Beirut Port warehouse .
Hundreds of tons of highly explosive material were stored in the waterfront hangar , and the blast sent a shock wave that defaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of buildings .
The final statement from participants at Sunday ’ s donor conference co-organized by France and the United Nations read : “ In these horrendous times , Lebanon is not alone.
“ The teleconference participants promised emergency aid — focusing on medicine and hospitals , schools , food and housing .
The donors pledged the aid will be co-ordinated by the U.N. and delivered directly to the Lebanese people — in a clear indication that no money is going to the government and its coffers .
French President Emmanuel Macron , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protectorate , said , “ We have to do everything we can so that violence and chaos do not win the day.
“ “ The explosion of August 4 was like a thunderbolt .
It ’ s time to wake up and take action .
The Lebanese authorities now have to put in place ... political and economic reforms.
” Amid the conference participants were President Donald Trump , Jordan ’ s King Abdullah II , Egypt ’ s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and other top officials from China , the European Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the angry demonstrations Saturday , protesters set up gallows and nooses in central Beirut and held mock hanging sessions of cut-out cardboard images of top Lebanese officials .
Demonstrators held signs that read “ resign or hang.
” One police officer was killed and dozens of people were hurt in confrontations that lasted for hours and where security forces used rubber bullets to disperse the crowds .
On Saturday and in a new expression of rage , protesters also fanned out around the city , storming a couple of government ministries and briefly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their movement .
In the economy and energy ministries , the protesters ransacked offices and seized public documents claiming they would reveal how corruption has permeated successive governments .
In the country where civil war raged for 15 years , few , if any , have been held accountable for it and most of the warlords remain in power or leading powerful political factions .
On Sunday , France ’ s ambassador to Lebanon said his country is taking part in the investigation of the Aug. 4 blast .
Bruno Foucher tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the judicial investigation .
That probe was started by a French prosecutor after a national of France , Jean-Marc Bonfils , was killed in the blast and others injured .
It is “ a guarantee of impartiality and speed ” in the investigation , Foucher tweeted .
The government , backed by the powerful militant Hezbollah group and its allies , announced it is defaulting on Lebanon ’ s sovereign debt and has since been engaged in difficult , internally divisive talks with the International Monetary Fund for assistance .
The coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and financial crisis and fueled public anger against the new government .
Lebanese have criticized Diab ’ s government for being unable to tackle the challenges , saying it represents the deep-seated political class that has had a hold of the country ’ s politics since the end of the civil war in 1990 .
In a televised speech Saturday evening and in an attempt to diffuse public anger , Diab offered to propose early parliamentary elections said he was prepared to stay in the post for two months to allow time for @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Sarah El Deeb And Sylvie Corbet - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--DC shooting leaves 1 dead, some 20 injured

WASHINGTON - A dispute that erupted into gun fire during a large outdoor party in Washington , D.C. , early Sunday left one person dead and some 20 others injured , including an off-duty officer “ struggling for her life , ” according to police .
Christopher Brown , 17 , died in the shooting that occurred after midnight in a southeast side neighbourhood where people had gathered for music and food , Peter Newsham , the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department , told reporters .
“ There was some kind of a dispute , ” Newsham said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said at least three shooters may have been involved , though no arrests were immediately announced .
Newsham said a motive for the shooting wasn ’ t clear .
Fellow officers took the injured off-duty officer to a local hospital .
“ She ’ s struggling for her life right now , ” he said .
He added that “ the rest of the gunshot wounds , as far as we know , are non-life-threatening.
” Nelson Bostic , a resident in the area , told WTOP he heard a burst of rapid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground ” and “ ducking under cars.
” “ It was terrible , ” he said .
Relatives of the teenager killed described him as someone who was full of energy and quick to smile .
He also had a 1-year-old son .
“ A lot of people know him as just a good person , ” his mother , Artecka Brown , told WUSA9 .
“ That was an innocent life taken for no reason.
” There may have been hundreds of attendees at the party despite city restrictions during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We can ’ t tolerate these types of gatherings in our city during COVID-19 , “ Newsham said .
“ It ’ s just too dangerous.
” Mayor Muriel Bowser , speaking to reporters near the scene of the shooting , noted that public drinking and marijuana use outside were prohibited , as were gatherings of more than 50 people as a precaution against spreading the coronavirus .
“ It ’ s very important that as a community we have a zero-tolerance for this activity , ” she said .
Bowser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some “ difficult decisions ” and “ break up these events.
” The gathering had been advertised on fliers as the “ 34th-n-EAT ” cookout that would start late Saturday , The Washington Post reported .
It would , the flier added , be a “ drama free event .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--The Latest: Another Lebanon Cabinet member resigns

BEIRUT - The Latest on the explosion in Beirut ( all times local ) : Kattar Demianos is the second Cabinet member to step down amid anger in the country following the blast that ripped across the capital of Beirut .
Demianos said in a statement late Sunday that he ’ s leaving the government in solidarity with the victims .
The blast killed 160 people and wounded 6,000 .
He described the ruling system in Lebanon as “ flaccid and sterile ” and says it ’ s wasted several chances to reform .
Demianos had offered his resignation earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Hassan Diab .
People in Lebanon have blamed the explosion on negligence and mismanagement .
Angry protests followed amid calls for government officials to resign .
French organizers say international donors have pledged a total of 225.7 million euros , or $ 298 million , in emergency aid during conference for Lebanon .
Donors promised to provide emergency aid , focusing on medicine and hospitals , schools , food and housing .
The rebuilding needs of Lebanon are immense , but so is the question of how to ensure the millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diverted in a country notorious for missing money , invisible infrastructure projects and its refusal to open the books .
Over 30 participants to the international aid conference for Lebanon have pledged help for a “ credible and independent ” investigation into the Beirut explosion .
They also said that support to the country ’ s recovery will need to come with reforms demanded by protesters .
International leaders , government officials and international organizations participated Sunday in the teleconference co-organized by France and the United Nations to bring emergency aid to Lebanon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participants .
They issued a joint statement saying , “ In these horrendous times , Lebanon is not alone.
” The conference aimed at mobilizing aid from Europe , the U.S. and regional states to provide medicine , care , food , and housing .
The European Commission has pledged additional 30 million euros ( $ 35 million ) at an international donors ’ conference for Lebanon after deadly Beirut explosion .
The EU ’ s executive body said in a statement this comes on top of 33 million euros ( $ 39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The new EU funding will be channeled to UN agencies , NGOs and international organizations and be strictly monitored , the statement said .
European Council president Charles Michel called during the conference for an “ independent and credible ” inquiry into the cause of the explosion and said that he European Union and its member states stand ready to assist .
The head of the International Monetary Fund is warning Lebanon again that it will not get loans from the institution unless it reforms its government .
Kristalina Georgieva made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blast this week at its port damaged large parts of its capital , Beirut .
She said : “ Current and future generations of Lebanese must not be saddled with more debts than they can ever repay.
” That ’ s why she said the IMF requires “ debt sustainability as a condition for lending.
” She added that “ the financial system must be solvent ” as well .
Saudi Arabia ’ s foreign minister has called for a “ transparent and independent investigation ” into the blast in Beirut .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday during a pledging conference for Beirut .
The Foreign Ministry ’ s Twitter account later quoted him as saying the kingdom offered its condolences and had sent 290 tons of aid to Lebanon .
The emir of energy-rich Qatar has said that the Beirut blast is a “ dire circumstance ” that Lebanon can not get over on its own .
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani made the statement Sunday during a pledging conference for the crisis .
He posted a clip of his comments on Twitter .
Sheikh Tamim said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed in Lebanon after the blast .
He also said unifying and strengthening the government and society ’ s response , as well as providing international aid , also was important .
Cyprus ’ president said he ’ s ready to place the island nation ’ s sea and airports at the disposal of the international community for conveying humanitarian aid or any other assistance to neighbouring Lebanon .
President Nicos Anastasiades says Cyprus will send 40 more tons of medical supplies , generators , clothing and nonperishable food to Lebanon on top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been dispatched .
Anastasiades said in a statement during Sunday ’ s Lebanon support teleconference that Cypriot rescue crews and sniffer dogs are already in Beirut and more could be dispatched if Lebanese President Michel Aoun requests it .
Additionally , the Cypriot president pledged 5 million euros in financial aid .
Cyprus is about 130 miles ( 207 kilometres ) from Beirut .
Spain ’ s government says it will send emergency aid to Lebanon , including medicine and medical supplies , to help after last week ’ s massive explosion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tons of wheat donated by the Olof Palme International Foundation .
Several containers of wheat were destroyed in the explosion .
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a statement that Lebanon “ will need a lot of support to cope with the damage.
” Spain has 610 soldiers on a UNIFIL mission in Lebanon , second only to Italy .
Britain has pledged 20 million pounds ( $ 26 million ) to help feed people in Lebanon after last week ’ s massive explosion in Beirut .
The U.K. government announced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the country on Sunday .
It says the money will go to the World Food Program to provide food and medicine for the most vulnerable .
Britain has previously pledged 5 million pounds to Lebanon and is sending specialist medics and a Royal Navy survey ship to Beirut .
The ship will help assess damage from the blast fueled by thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate , which levelled Beirut ’ s port and devastated much of the city .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says his country will provide an additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanon following the explosion that killed more than 150 people and injured thousands more .
In a statement Sunday , Maas said that “ even after the worst of the rubble is removed there will remain a lot to do ” because even before the disaster Lebanon faced “ overwhelming challenges.
” Maas said that “ without urgently needed reforms there can be neither sustainable change nor stability.
” Berlin is the second biggest bilateral donor to Lebanon , according to the German Foreign Ministry .
Since 2012 , Germany has provided more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the country , as well as 634 million euros for humanitarian work .
France is sending a helicopter carrier and a cargo ship loaded with aid and supplies to Beirut as the country is organizing an international donors ’ conference for Lebanon .
The French foreign affairs ministry said in a statement that the two ships come in addition to eight flights scheduled since the Beirut devastating blast to bring experts , rescue workers and supplies .
The Tonnerre helicopter carrier , which has a hospital onboard , is leaving on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French Mediterranean coast .
It is carrying medical equipment and staff , engineering forces , construction materials and food aid including flour , baby food and drinking water .
A cargo ship loaded with aid will also leave France in the coming days .
In total , France is sending 18 tons of medical aid including medicines , vaccines and hygiene kits and 663 tons of food aid , the foreign ministry said .
A top USAID official says $ 15 million in American assistance in response to the port explosion in Beirut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government there but is intended to go directly to those who need it most .
Speaking ahead of his departure for Beirut , John Barsa said Sunday that assistance would be directed to medical authorities at the American University of Beirut and the American Lebanese University .
The U.S. is providing money to the World Food Program for emergency meals for about 300,000 people affected by the explosion at the Beirut port in addition to emergency medical kits , U.S. officials said .
Pope Francis has renewed his appeal for unity within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation reels from the devastating explosion in Beirut ’ s port .
In remarks Sunday to the public in St. Peter ’ s Square , the pontiff said the “ catastrophe calls on everyone , beginning with the Lebanese , to work together for the common good of this beloved country.
” Francis cited what he called Lebanon ’ s “ particular identify , ” which has “ emerged over the course of time as a model of living together.
” But he acknowledged the fragility of such co-existence in such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
he is praying that , “ with God ’ s help , and everyone genuine participation , ” Lebanon may be “ reborn free and strong.
” He also appealed to the international community to generously aid Lebanon at this time of tragedy .
A team of German engineers sent to Lebanon to help search for people trapped in the rubble after last week ’ s explosion in Beirut is returning home , having failed to find any survivors .
Joerg Eger , who heads the THW agency ’ s rapid rescue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of specialist engineers would remain in Beirut until Thursday to assist in determining the safety of buildings affected by the blast .
TWF is a federal agency , but most of the people who go on missions are volunteers .
French President Emmanuel Macron said that an international donors ’ conference is aiming to show global support for Lebanon after the devastating Beirut blast .
Over 30 international leaders and government officials were taking part Sunday in the video conference co-organized by France and the United Nations to raise money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s King Abdullah II and Egypt ’ s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi .
Officials from China , European countries and Gulf countries were also attending .
Turkey and Russia , absent from the conference , are expected to provide aid as well , Macron said in his opening speech .
Macron , who was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut in the wake of the explosion , said emergency aid will focus on providing medicine , care , food and housing .
“ It is important that aid goes as quickly as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NGOs and the civilian society , ” under U.N. supervision , he added .
Macron also called on Lebanese authorities to carry out essential political and economic reforms to fight corruption in the country .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Israeli jeweler makes $1.5m gold coronavirus mask

MOTZA , Israel - An Israeli jewelry company is working on what it says will be the world ’ s most expensive coronavirus mask , a gold , diamond-encrusted face covering with a price tag of $ 1.5 million .
The 18-karat white gold mask will be decorated with 3,600 white and black diamonds and fitted with top-rated N99 filters at the request of the buyer , said designer Isaac Levy .
Levy , owner of the Yvel company , said the buyer had two other demands : that it be completed by the end of the year , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
That last condition , he said , “ was the easiest to fulfil.
” He declined to identify the buyer , but said he was a Chinese businessman living in the United States .
The glitzed-up face mask may lend some pizzazz to the protective gear now mandatory in public spaces in many countries .
But at 270 grams ( over half a pound ) — nearly 100 times that of a typical surgical mask — it is not likely to be a practical accessory to wear .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Levy showed off several pieces of the mask , covered in diamonds .
One gold plate had a hole for the filter .
“ Money maybe doesn ’ t buy everything , but if it can buy a very expensive COVID-19 mask and the guy wants to wear it and walk around and get the attention , he should be happy with that , ” Levy said .
Such an ostentatious mask might also rub some the wrong way at a time when millions of people around the world are out of work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while he would not wear it himself , he was thankful for the opportunity .
“ I am happy that this mask gave us enough work for our employees to be able to provide their jobs in very challenging times like these times right now , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Teens arrested on gun charges after police shoot at car

WAYCROSS , Ga. - Two teenage boys were arrested on gun charges and other counts after a Georgia police officer attempting a traffic stop fired multiple gunshots at their car , according to police .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation of the incident Saturday morning in Waycross near the Georgia-Florida state line .
Two boys , ages 16 and 15 , were inside the car when a Waycross police officer approaching from the front opened fire , saying the vehicle had begun driving toward him , the GBI said .
Nobody was hurt by the gunfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ younger children — ages 14 , 12 and 9 — ran from the vehicle , the GBI said in a news release Saturday .
The agency said the officer who opened fire had come to assist another Waycross officer who began following the car after witnessing the driver commit a traffic violation .
A statement from Waycross police said two officers have been placed on administrative leave while the GBI investigates , which is customary in Georgia .
Waycross police also said both teenagers inside the car were arrested on charges of illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 16-year-old driver was also charged with aggravated assault on a police officer , reckless driving , running a stop sign and driving without a license .
The 15-year-old passenger was also charged with additional crimes of obstruction of a police officer and attempting to remove an officer ’ s firearm , according to the statement from Waycross police , which did not release the boys ’ names .
Atlanta attorney Gerald Griggs , a vice-president of the city ’ s NAACP chapter , said the Georgia NAACP wants police to immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the attempted traffic stop .