thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Asia Today: Another spike brings India past 900,000 cases

NEW DELHI - India ’ s number of coronavirus cases jumped by another 28,000 on Tuesday and are fast approaching 1 million .
The 28,498 cases reported in the past 24 hours took the national total to 906,752 .
Cases have jumped by 100,000 in four days .
The Health Ministry also reported another 553 deaths in the past 24 hours , taking total fatalities up to 23,727 .
India has largely lifted its nationwide lockdown , and the virus has been spreading at a significant rate , prompting several big cities to impose partial lockdowns .
The southern city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to break the chain of infections .
Only essentials including milk shops , pharmacies , doctors ’ clinics and emergency services will be allowed open .
Eight of India ’ s 28 states , including the worst-hit Maharashtra , Tamil Nadu and New Delhi , account for nearly 90 % of cases .
India is the third worst-affected country in terms of infections , only behind the United States and Brazil .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — Authorities in Thailand are urging nearly 1,900 people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus after a breakdown in screening allowed two foreigners with the disease to pose a risk to public health .
The agency co-ordinating Thailand ’ s coronavirus response also announced it is tightening regulations that had allowed the entry of some foreign visitors .
Taweesilp Visanuyothin , spokesman for the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration , said a contract tracing app showed that 1,882 people may have crossed paths with an infected member of a visiting Egyptian military team .
He asked them to self-isolate for 14 days and get tested as soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have had direct contact with the Egyptian have already been quarantined .
Officials in the eastern province of Rayong closed several schools and a mall , sealed off part of the hotel where the Egyptians stayed and gave free coronavirus tests to people who feared they had contact with the infected man .
The second case involves the infected 9-year-old daughter of a foreign diplomat whose family returned from Sudan and stayed in their condominium in Bangkok .
— Australia ’ s Queensland state is toughening the punishment for those who break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steven Miles said the current fines for breaking a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine for some visitors or lying about their whereabouts may not be a sufficient penalty .
The maximum penalty will now be a higher fine or up to six months ’ imprisonment .
Queensland reopened its borders to all but Victoria state residents two weeks ago .
Victoria is the centre of Australia ’ s recent outbreak , adding 270 new infections overnight to its more than 4,000 active cases .
The Victorian city of Melbourne is under a six-week lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — South Korea reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 as its prime minister called for vigilance ahead of the summer holiday season .
The figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brought the caseload to 13,512 cases , including 289 deaths .
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun urged people to avoid crowded areas , maintain distance with others and wear masks as they travel to beaches and other areas during the holiday season .
— China said the number of people in treatment for COVID-19 in the country has fallen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases of coronarvirus reported , all brought from outside the country .
No new deaths were announced , leaving the total at 4,634 out of 83,605 cases of the disease .
A pair of experts from the World Health Organization were in China on Monday to make arrangements for an investigation into how the pandemic may have spread after the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Israeli investigators: No footage of shooting of Palestinian

JERUSALEM - Israel ’ s Justice Ministry on Tuesday confirmed there is no footage of the shooting of an autistic Palestinian man who was killed by Israeli police , saying that security cameras in the area were not operating properly at the time .
The admission marked a setback in the investigation and raised suspicions from the man ’ s family about the integrity of the probe .
Eyad Hallaq , who was 32 , was fatally shot just inside Jerusalem ’ s Old City on May 30 as he was on his way to the special-needs institution that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heightened tensions between local Palestinians and Israeli security forces , and the volatile area ’ s narrow streets are lined with hundreds of security cameras .
In a statement , the Justice Ministry said internal affairs investigators had checked all of the cameras in the area after the shooting .
“ At this stage of the investigation we can relay that the shooting incident was not documented on them , ” it said .
“ Also in the garbage room where the deadly shooting took place , there were security cameras but those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time and didn ’ t document the shooting.
” According to various accounts at the time , two members of Israel ’ s paramilitary Border Police force chased Hallaq into a nook and shot him as he cowered next to a garbage bin .
At the time , Israeli police said they believed he was carrying a “ suspicious object ” and said they opened fire when he failed to heed calls to stop .
His teacher , who was with him , told an Israeli TV station that she had repeatedly called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disabled.
” The ministry said Hallaq , who was unarmed , had been mistakenly identified as an attacker and called the incident “ tragic.
” It said that despite the lack of footage , investigators had interviewed a number of witnesses , in addition to the officers involved in the incident .
It said the investigation was in its final stages .
The statement confirmed an announcement by Hallaq ’ s family on Monday that police informed them there was no footage of the shooting .
“ Representatives of the internal investigations department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requested to shake the hands of the parents , “ the ministry said .
The family ’ s lawyer , Jad Qadamani , said the claim that there was no footage was unacceptable .
“ We look with great suspicion on this matter and demand the immediate opening of an investigation , ” he said .
At the time , the shooting drew comparisons to the death of George Floyd in the U.S. and prompted a series of small demonstrations against police violence .
The uproar crossed Israeli-Palestinian lines and drew Jewish protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regret over the shooting .
But since then , the family has complained about the slow pace of the investigation .
Human rights groups say Israel has a poor record of prosecuting cases of violence against Palestinians .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Tuberville defeats Sessions, wins Alabama Senate GOP primary

MOBILE , Ala. - Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions lost the Republican nomination for his old Senate seat in Alabama to former college football coach Tommy Tuberville , likely ending a long political career with a bitter defeat egged on by President Donald Trump .
Tuberville , 65 , beat Sessions in Tuesday ’ s Republican runoff as Sessions fell short in his attempted comeback for a seat he held for two decades before resigning to become Trump ’ s attorney general in 2017 .
Familiar to Alabamians from his decade as Auburn University ’ s head football coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust challenge against Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones .
With Alabama ’ s strong GOP tilt , the seat is widely viewed as Republicans ’ best chance for a pickup as they try to maintain their thin Senate majority amid Trump ’ s lagging popularity nationally .
Sessions , 73 , was wounded by Trump ’ s criticisms after he recused himself in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign .
The first U.S. senator to endorse Trump during the GOP presidential primary campaign , Sessions insisted throughout the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was required by law to recuse because he was a potential subject and witness given his campaign ties to the president .
Sessions was gracious to Tuberville and to Trump as he stood alone on stage in a hotel meeting room in his hometown of Mobile , Alabama , as members of his family looked on .
“ He is our Republican nominee .
We must stand behind him in November , ” Sessions said .
He said he remains a supporter of the president ’ s agenda but made clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave elected office with my integrity intact.
” But Sessions ’ statements of continued loyalty have never been enough for Trump , who endorsed Tuberville after Alabama ’ s March primary .
He declared on Twitter at the time that Sessions had “ let our Country down ” and that Tuberville would be the “ true supporter of our # MAGA agenda !
” He continued the broadsides throughout the primary campaign , and he crowed Tuesday evening on Twitter shortly after The Associated Press called the race for Tuberville .
“ Tommy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump wrote .
“ Will be a GREAT Senator for the incredible people of Alabama .
@ DougJones is a terrible Senator who is just a Super Liberal puppet for Schumer & Pelosi .
Represents Alabama poorly .
On to November 3rd.
” Tuberville willingly embraced the dynamics .
Boosted by both Trump ’ s endorsement and name recognition from his coaching tenure , Tuberville positioned himself as a political outsider and capitalized on the president ’ s criticisms of Sessions .
“ Jeff Sessions was a disaster It ’ s time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Trump does not want him or his cronies in the swamp , ” Tuberville wrote on Twitter .
Tuberville ran a risk-averse campaign , declining media interviews and Sessions ’ challenges to debate in the closing weeks of the campaign .
Despite Alabama ’ s fundamental Republican advantage , Tuberville is almost certain to face more scrutiny in a general election campaign against Jones .
Sessions noted his early decision to back Trump and argued he would be most effective in advancing Trump ’ s agenda .
He memorably took the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the municipal football stadium in Sessions ’ hometown of Mobile .
The event , which drew tens of thousands , stood out in retrospect as the launch of Trump ’ s mega-rally approach that helped propel him to his general election upset of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton .
When he wasn ’ t defending his loyalty to the president , Sessions tried to focus on his long history in office and questions about Tuberville ’ s background .
“ You know me .
You know I can be trusted , ” Sessions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sessions , once Alabama attorney general and a U.S. attorney under President Ronald Reagan , was elected to the Senate in 1996 .
He was just the second elected Republican senator from Alabama since the end of post-Civil War Reconstruction .
That first win , which came as the South continued its shift from Democratic to Republican domination , was hotly contested .
But Sessions wouldn ’ t be seriously challenged again in three subsequent reelection campaigns before Trump picked him as attorney general .
Despite his strength at the ballot box @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate , overshadowed there and back home in Alabama by Sen. Richard Shelby , the state ’ s senior senator who was elected as a Democrat in 1986 and switched parties in 1994 after Democrats lost their majorities on Capitol Hill .
Shelby , who chaired a number of powerful committees over the years , has always been an eager participant in the federal budget process , steering as much money back to Alabama as possible .
Sessions , meanwhile , was a budget hawk and fiscal conservative who often eschewed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For years , that made him a relative outlier on Capitol Hill .
Then he found a presidential candidate who said many of the same things he ’ d argued for years about immigration , trade and the ways of Washington .
That president helped raise Sessions to the pinnacle of his public life and , on Tuesday , helped bring it to an almost certain end .

Kim Chandler And Bill Barrow - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--UN: Migrants in Yemen are blamed for virus, stranded, abused

CAIRO - Over the course of Yemen ’ s civil war , African migrants determined to reach oil-rich Saudi Arabia have endured unspeakable cruelties - torture , rape , detention , extortion - often perilously close to front lines .
Now , the coronavirus pandemic has dealt yet another blow to vulnerable migrants caught in Yemen ’ s war zone .
Stigmatized as carriers of COVID-19 , over 14,500 migrants , mostly Ethiopian , have been relentlessly hounded , rounded up and sent packing to different provinces , the U.N. migration agency reported on Tuesday .
They remain stranded without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For nearly six years , Yemen has been an extremely unsafe place to be a migrant , ” Paul Dillon , spokesman for the International Organization for Migration told reporters in Geneva .
“ COVID-19 has made this situation worse ; migrants are scapegoated as carriers of the virus and as a result , suffer exclusion and violence.
” Last year , over 138,000 migrants desperate to find jobs as housekeepers , servants and construction workers in Saudi Arabia embarked on the arduous journey from the Horn of Africa to Yemen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of miles from their home villages through countries like Djibouti or Somalia , then across the sea and through war-torn Yemen .
In many cases , migrants are at the mercy of smugglers who may imprison and torture them , leave them stranded on the route or sell them into virtual slave labour .
But this spring that traffic came to a grinding halt , as countries closed their borders to contain the virus ’ spread .
Movement restrictions curbed migrant arrivals in Yemen by 90 % , IOM reported , while leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country trapped in limbo .
With transportation between provinces at a standstill , thousands of migrants , blamed for spreading the virus , have been bussed from their makeshift homes and dumped in different provinces .
At least 4,000 are stranded in the southern government-held city of Aden and 7,000 in the rebel stronghold of Saada , among other places , the IOM said .
The agency did not specify which authorities , whether Iran-allied rebel Houthis that control much of the country ’ s north or Saudi-backed government forces , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia , which has struggled to contain a major outbreak of COVID-19 , has continued its long-standing practice of expelling migrants who manage to make it into the kingdom .
As of mid-April , Saudi Arabia had deported nearly 2,900 Ethiopians due to the pandemic , IOM reported at the time , and another 250 deportations were planned each day over the weeks that followed .
In May , Houthi authorities accused Saudi Arabia of deporting 800 Somali migrants and dumping them at the desert border .
On top of being deported and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been verbally and physically harassed as a result of mounting virus fears in Yemen , the agency added .
Although government authorities have recorded no more than 1,516 infections and 429 deaths as of Tuesday , aid workers and doctors say the virus is surging across the country and overwhelming a health system already in shambles after five years of war between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen ’ s government .
Long before the pandemic , the U.N. labeled Yemen the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
Migrants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buildings or in squalid detention centres without access to medical care , are particularly vulnerable to infection , Dillon warned .
“ There ’ s no access to some of the basics that one would need to address public health concerns such as COVID-19 , ” he said .
The Houthis have suppressed all information about the outbreak and refused to make infection figures public since they reported just four cases in May .
The first and only person the Houthi health ministry has confirmed dead from the virus is a Somali man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sign of deep-seated discrimination––and an ominous portent of retaliation to come .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Democrat Gideon wins primary, will face GOP Sen Collins

PORTLAND , Maine - Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon beat two other Democrats on Tuesday for the right to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in a race that ’ s critical to the battle for control of the Senate .
Gideon , who ’ s raised a staggering $ 23 million in her Senate bid , turned back challenges by activist Betsy Sweet and attorney Bre Kidman .
Gideon is poised to further increase her haul : Her victory entitles her to $ 3.7 million from a crowdsourced fund for Collins ’ challenger that was established during the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court confirmation .
Democrats were furious over Collins ’ vote in favour of Kavanaugh .
Collins has raised $ 16 million .
The four-term senator is a household name in the state with a reputation for independence but Democrats are hoping to topple her over her critical 2018 support for Kavanaugh , President Donald Trump ’ s controversial appointee .
Gideon received early backing from the Democratic establishment , securing an endorsement from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee , and kept a laser focus on Collins , much to the chagrin of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington influence and said Gideon ’ s vow to take money out of politics rang hollow as her own money grew into the biggest haul of any political candidate in Maine history .
The coronavirus pandemic didn ’ t slow fundraising for a pivotal race for Democrats seeking to take control of the Senate .
Gideon raised $ 9 million in the last quarter , extending her fundraising advantage over Collins .
Democrats need to gain at least three seats to capture Senate control .
Republicans are defending 25 of the 38 seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s deteriorating standing in the polls jeopardizes GOP candidates around the country .
With Collins widely considered one of the GOP ’ s most endangered Senate incumbents , her reelection would narrow Democrats ’ pathway to wresting control of the chamber .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Mexico records near-record daily deaths, coronavirus cases

MEXICO CITY - Mexico recorded 836 more confirmed deaths from COVID-19 and 7,051 more coronavirus cases Tuesday , both among the highest figures the country has registered as continued high infection rates stymie reopening efforts .
Mexico now has an accumulated total of about 311,500 confirmed cases and 36,327 deaths .
The new infections have hurt the government ’ s plan to announce weekly updates of business re-openings .
It currently limits the number of people allowed into hotels , restaurants and other businesses and hasn ’ t allowed bars , nightclubs and concert venues to reopen .
Some earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent weeks after crowds began to gather again and cases didn ’ t decline fast enough .
On Tuesday , Health Department announced that the colour-coded national risk and reopening levels would be updated every two weeks , instead of every week .
On the scale , a “ red ” alert triggers a ban on most non-essential activities , while orange and yellow allow progressively more businesses to operate , and green would imply something approaching normality .
About half of the country is currently on an “ orange ” alert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Because of a backlog in processing test results , the Health Department has also begun estimating the number of deaths and cases by adding about half of pending test results as ‘ positive.
“ Mexico has consistently had a positive rate in testing of about 50 % since the early weeks of the pandemic , a testament to how few test the country performs - only about 750,000 nationwide so far .
Those estimates are thus higher than current confirmed figures .
As of Tuesday , the estimated number of cases almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths reached 38,263 .
Officials acknowledge that even those are undercounts , given that many people with light or no symptoms aren ’ t tested , and many have died without tests .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Trump trades arenas for Rose Garden in attack on Biden

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump transformed an event that was supposed to highlight his China policy into an impromptu campaign rally on Tuesday , delivering an expansive and often meandering broadside against Democratic rival Joe Biden on trade , policing and his son ’ s business practices , among other topics .
The president traded the arena-style rallies he favours for the sun-drenched heat of the typically apolitical White House Rose Garden .
And instead of a raucous crowd , Trump spent more than an hour speaking in front of reporters .
The shift presented a challenge for a president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters and uses their energy to propel his White House bid .
But relenting to the urgent pleas of his political advisers to try to alter a campaign that has been upended by the coronavirus , Trump spent more than an hour framing the November election as the starkest choice in the nation ’ s history .
“ There ’ s probably never been a time when candidates are so different , ” Trump said .
“ We could go on for days.
” It was a framing Biden himself embraces .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden has sought to portray himself as an empathetic , competent counter to the turbulence of Trump ’ s administration .
The contrast was on display Tuesday when Biden unveiled the latest of a series of policy proposals , this one a $ 2 trillion plan to tackle climate change .
Trump and his allies , meanwhile , have sometimes struggled to articulate their vision for a second term .
Trump seized on the plan to argue that it would make the U.S. “ noncompetitive ” with the rest of the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to argue that Biden , who ran a relatively centrist campaign for the Democratic nomination , has become captive to the most progressive voices in his party .
“ Biden ’ s gone radical left , ” Trump said , lumping his rival in with firebrands like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , particularly on the environment .
“ As vice-president , Biden was a leading advocate of the Paris climate accord , which was unbelievably expensive to our country , “ Trump said .
” It would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pollute the atmosphere with impunity , yet one more gift from Biden to the Chinese Communist Party.
” He then delivered attack after attack against Biden on issues from energy to the economy , education to immigration .
He drew heavily from the recommendations of the Joe Biden-Bernie Sanders Unity Task Force , in which Sanders , the runner-up for the Democratic nomination , secured key liberal policy proposals as Biden looked to strengthen his appeal to Sanders ’ supporters before Nov. 3 .
“ The Biden-Sanders agenda is the most extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , ” Trump said , suggesting it was “ worse actually ” than Sanders ’ own as a candidate .
Trump ’ s comments came during a press conference called ostensibly to discuss his actions against China after it moved last month to undermine the autonomy of Hong Kong .
The president has come under criticism for not taking a hard line against China , especially during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic , which ignited in the central Chinese city of Wuhan .
His former national security adviser John Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Xi Jinping to help him win reelection .
But Trump said it was Biden who would not take a tough stand against China .
He accused Biden and former President Barack Obama of allowing “ China to pillage our factories , plunder our communities and steal our most precious secrets.
” The speech came as Trump has been forced to reassess his ability to hold his familiar campaign rallies , days after his campaign scrapped its second attempt at staging them in the coronavirus era on Saturday in New Hampshire .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tulsa , ended up a disaster , with most seats empty as supporters steered clear of the indoor event .
And while it ’ s not uncommon for incumbents to use the grandeur of the presidency to boost their reelection , it was rare for the political messaging from the Rose Garden to be so overt .
The move was the culmination of weeks of effort by his political advisers , who have encouraged the president to present a vision for what he might accomplish with a second term in the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic standard-bearer ’ s detailed policy proposals .
They expressed fear that the election was becoming a referendum on the divisive president and pressed Trump to paint the election as a dire choice between opposing futures for the country .
For months , Trump aides have expressed worry that the president ’ s path to reelection is narrowing — and they concede privately that if the election were held today that the president would lose .
They have said that Trump needs to be more disciplined in his messaging if he wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handling of a trio of crises : the pandemic , an economic collapse and a national reckoning over systemic racism .
Trump had previously stuck to his “ Sleepy Joe ” moniker and levelled unsupported ethics allegations against the former vice-president ’ s son .
Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Appeals court temporarily halts Dakota Access line shutdown

BISMARCK , N.D. - A federal appeals court on Tuesday temporarily halted a judge ’ s order that the Dakota Access Pipeline be shut down in three weeks .
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an “ administrative stay ” of the judge ’ s order .
Though the appeals court said it “ should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits ” of the case , The Bismarck Tribune reported .
The stay will remain in place until the appeals court rules on whether developer Energy Transfer can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Texas-based company ’ s appeal of the shutdown order .
U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg last week ordered the line shut down by Aug. 5 pending a lengthy environmental review .
The line began pumping oil more than three years ago .
Energy Transfer estimates it would take three months to empty the pipeline of oil and complete steps to preserve it for future use .
Pipeline supporter GAIN Coalition , which includes businesses , trade associations and labour groups , called the order “ a key step forward in reaffirming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in the American energy infrastructure network.
” North Dakota Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer , another supporter , called the temporary halt “ common sense.
” But Earthjustice attorney Jan Hasselman , who represents the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe , said the move is not significant .
Hasselman said in a statement an administrative stay is typical and “ is not in any way indicative of how the court is going to rule — it just buys the court a little additional time to make a decision.
” The line was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 2017 , sometimes violent , during its construction near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border .
The tribe took legal action against the pipeline even after it began carrying oil from North Dakota across South Dakota and Iowa and to a shipping point in Illinois in June 2017 .
The $ 3.8 billion , 1,172-mile ( 1,886 kilometre ) pipeline crosses beneath the Missouri River , just north of the reservation .
The tribe draws its water from the river and has concerns about pollution .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Foie gras back on the menu in California after court ruling

LOS ANGELES - Foie gras is back on the menu in California after a federal judge ruled the health code doesn ’ t prevent the rich dish from being brought in from out of state .
California ’ s ban on the delicacy , the fattened liver of a duck or goose , was challenged in court by out-of-state foie gras producers who said they lost nearly one-third of their total sales when the prohibition took effect .
A federal appeals court eventually upheld the prohibition .
But on Tuesday , U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson decided for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New York and a restaurant .
They had challenged part of the law that banned liver produced out of state from being sold .
Wilson ruled the sale of foie gras doesn ’ t violate the law if the seller is outside of California and the product is given to a third-party delivery service and brought into the state .
“ There is no principled way to distinguish between foie gras purchased out of state and transported into California by the purchaser and that which is delivered by a third party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are gratified that the court recognized that California ’ s misguided ban was never intended to apply to foie gras products from out-of-state producers that are shipped to happy consumers in California , ” said Marcus Henley , vice-president of Hudson Valley Foie Gras , one of the plaintiffs .
The California attorney general ’ s office said it was reviewing the decision .
The issue had been simmering in courts for years since lawmakers in 2004 barred California farmers from producing the luxury pate .
Animal welfare activists had campaigned for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to produce foie gras are cruel , involving force-feeding a bird a corn-based mixture through a tube slipped down its throat .
Farmers who produce foie gras — meaning fatty liver in French — say the birds are treated humanely and don ’ t suffer during the fattening process .
New York City last year prohibited restaurants and grocery stores from selling foie gras starting in 2022 .
Chicago banned it in 2006 ; the ordinance was repealed two years later .

Christopher Weber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Board of Regents name Pitney interim president for UA

JUNEAU , Alaska - The University of Alaska Board of Regents on Tuesday named Pat Pitney interim president , a position she is expected to hold at least a year while a search for a permanent president is underway .
Pitney is expected to take over Aug. 1 , according to a system release .
Michelle Rizk has been acting president .
Rizk was named to that position last month , after Jim Johnsen resigned .
Pitney is director of the Legislative Finance Division , which provides budget and revenue analyses for the Legislature .
She was budget director under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long history with the university system , including work as a vice chancellor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks .
The university has faced enrolment and budget challenges , which Regents Chair Sheri Buretta said Pitney will bring a fresh perspective in helping address .
Pitney was one of five finalists for the role .
Pitney agreed to serve for up to 18 months or until the board appoints the next president , whichever is first , the release states .
Austin Baird , Alaska House majority communications director , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with finding a new Legislative Finance Division director


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Autopsy confirms Naya Rivera’s death was accidental drowning

LOS ANGELES - An autopsy confirmed Tuesday that “ Glee ’ ’ star Naya Rivera died from accidental drowning , officials said , while her family released a statement honouring her ” everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit.
“ The examination , performed the day after the 33-year-old ’ s body was found in a Southern California lake , showed no signs of traumatic injury or disease that might have contributed to the drowning , and gave no initial indication that drugs or alcohol may have played a role in her death , the Ventura County Medical Examiner said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirm Rivera ’ s identity , and routine toxicology tests will be performed for the presence of drugs and alcohol , the statement said .
Rivera was found in Lake Piru on Monday , five days after she disappeared while boating with her 4-year-old son , who was found asleep and alone on the boat hours later .
The autopsy ’ s findings were all consistent with the expectations of the Sheriff ’ s Office , which conducted the search and investigation .
Rivera ’ s family members released their first public statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are “ so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya , Josey and our family over the past week .
While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend , we are blessed to honour her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit.
” The statement said Rivera was “ an amazing talent , but was an even greater person , mother , daughter and sister ...
Heaven gained our sassy angel.
“ The family thanked the search teams for their “ commitment and unwavering effort to find Naya.
” The creators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement in tribute to Rivera Tuesday , announcing that they would be creating a college fund for her son and remembering her as a joyful and immensely talented performer .
“ Naya was more than just an actor on our show — she was our friend , ” Ryan Murphy , Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan said in a statement Tuesday .
“ Our hearts go out to her family , especially her mom , Yolanda , who was a big part of the ‘ Glee ’ family , and her son Josey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referring to the child as “ the beautiful son Naya loved most of all.
” Josey is Rivera ’ s son with her former husband , actor Ryan Dorsey .
She called the boy “ my greatest success , and I will never do any better than him.
” While she wasn ’ t initially hired as a “ Glee ” cast member , it “ didn ’ t take more than an episode or two for us to realize that we had lucked into finding one of the most talented , special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of working with , ” the producers said .
Rivera could act , sing , dance and “ nail a joke as well as she could crush you with an emotional scene .
... She was a joy to write for , a joy to direct and a joy to be around , ” they said .
In portraying a high school student in an openly lesbian relationship on “ Glee , ” Rivera ensured that her character ’ s love for her partner was “ expressed with dignity , strength and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--McConnell: GOP virus proposal for schools, others out soon

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he ’ ll begin to roll out details of the new COVID-19 relief package to senators as soon as next week and suggested it will include new funding for school reopenings , some unemployment benefits and money for health care providers .
Expected to hit $ 1 trillion , the emerging Republican package shows shifting priorities as the pandemic crisis deepens nationwide .
Once reluctant to approve more aid , Republicans and the White House now say more is needed .
In recent days , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations with Democrats , who already approved a $ 3 trillion House bill .
McConnell , during a visit to a hospital in his home state of Kentucky , said the theme of the upcoming GOP bill will be children and schools , jobs and unemployment , and health care .
Congress is returning Monday for two weeks to consider fresh coronavirus relief as the Trump administration has been unable to halt the virus ’ deepening spread across the country .
Asked at an earlier event Tuesday if he would be attending next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacksonville , Florida , a state with record-setting cases , McConnell said his “ current intention “ is to go , but that he would assess closer to the date .
While McConnell wanted to hit “ pause ” after the last big relief package in May , he now hopes to swiftly approve the new one in hopes of staunching the pandemic crisis and economic fallout .
Speaking at the White House , President Donald Trump said , “ We have to get everything open.
“ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , the devastating virus and its economic toll will only persist .
“ We can open our economy , we can open our schools , if we test , trace , treat , separate , mask , hygiene and the rest , but we have to make a national decision to do it , ” Pelosi said on CNN .
Pelosi said she ’ s “ very afraid of where we are now , because of the ignorance in the administration.
” She warned that if Congress doesn ’ t make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to pay a worse price , worse hit , on the economy.
” Central to the GOP proposal is a five-year liability shield that McConnell wants to extend to businesses , hospitals , schools and others to prevent lawsuits from those claiming injuries during the pandemic and economic shutdown and reopening .
McConnell acknowledged schools will need more money , especially as they reduce class sizes for social distancing and potentially stagger classroom shifts .
Democrats have proposed $ 100 billion for schools in the House-passed bill .
This week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private conference call that he was working with congressional leaders on securing more education funds .
Some Trump advisers want a robust amount for schools , believing it would be politically popular and give the president a needed campaign boost ahead of the election .
“ I know they ’ re going to need help in order to keep the kids safely in schools , ” McConnell said .
“ There ’ s a cost associated with that.
” Republicans initially wanted to end a $ 600 weekly boost to unemployment insurance that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of this month .
But McConnell said Tuesday that providing some unemployment insurance is “ extremely important ” for out-of-work Americans .
The new bill will likely reconfigure the bonus , replacing it with a smaller amount .
Additionally , Republicans are eyeing a return-to-work stipend for workers to get back on the job and another round of direct payments to Americans modeled on the the $ 1,200 rebates sent in spring .
Republicans are also considering new tax breaks for companies that reconfigure offices and work spaces to protect returning employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much money Republicans are willing to provide states and cities pushing the federal government for relief .
Also uncertain is what kind of resources McConnell plans to make available for virus testing , which many experts say is central to staunching the virus spread .
House Democrats have proposed $ 75 billion toward a new national testing strategy in their bill .
With the federal deficit hitting a historic high in June , Republicans are likely to object to big-ticket spending .
McConnell acknowledges the new legislation is expected to run into resistances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen Republican senators could be opposed .
As lawmakers debate what to include in the next COVID-19 bill , a range of interest groups have peppered Congress with requests .
In a call Tuesday organized by a coalition of labour and health groups , actress Jane Fonda and other speakers urged lawmakers to include money for personal protective equipment , or PPE , for health care workers , as well as paid sick leave and a mandate for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to impose an emergency health standard for U.S. workplaces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency of being largely invisible during the pandemic and failing to protect workers at meatpacking plants , health care facilities and other high-risk sites .
Instead of an emergency standard , the agency has relied on voluntary guidance that recommends companies take various steps to erect physical barriers , enforce social distancing and install more hand-sanitizing stations .
The lack of action “ is disgraceful and an insult to family members ” who have lost loved ones , said Jessica Martinez , co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the next COVID-19 bill must include funds for personal protective equipment , paid sick leave and full medical coverage for essential workers , and the emergency OSHA standard .
Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Over 1 million marooned in Bangladesh as floods worsen

DHAKA , Bangladesh - Heavy flooding is worsening in parts of Bangladesh , with over 1 million villagers marooned or leaving their homes for higher ground along with their cattle and other belongings , officials and volunteers said Tuesday .
Water levels at major rivers were rising Tuesday at around two dozen points in 20 districts .
Many new areas in northern , northeastern and central Bangladesh have been affected over last 24 hours , Arifuzzman Bhuiyan , an executive engineer with the Water Development Board , said by phone .
Bangladesh has 64 districts .
“ The situation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The worst thing is that the floods are getting prolonged this year , which is a bad sign.
” Bhuiyan said heavy rainfall and rushing waters from upstream India were the main reasons for the floods in the delta nation of 160 million people , which receives monsoon rains between June and October every year , often leading to flooding .
The floods started late last month , and after briefly easing continued to worsen , affecting many new areas , destroying crops and driving people from their homes in several impoverished regions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including 53 shared with India .
In the northern district of Kurigram , one of the worst-hit areas , thousands of villagers have moved from their homes to higher ground since the weekend , bringing along their cattle and other belongings , said Mizanur Rahman Soikat , project co-ordinator with the Bidyanondo Foundation , a local charity .
The foundation has been distributing both cooked and dry food to the flood-affected villagers , many of whom have lost their crops and livelihood .
Soikat said that over the last few weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 135,000 people in Kurigram , while the government ’ s relief office was also providing food , cash and cattle food .
“ Over last two days , the situation has deteriorated and many villages went underwater in the district , “ he said by phone .
“ I have seen thousands taking shelter.
” The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement Monday that more than a million Bangladeshis have been marooned by the floods , with the worst of it happening since the weekend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave their homes throughout the beginning of this week to seek shelter in higher ground as the Water Development Board warned that the onrush of water from upstream would further intensify , ” the statement said .
A.T.M .
Akhteruzzman , a relief and rehabilitation officer in the northern district of Rangpur , said about 50,000 people who live along the Teesta River basin have been marooned .
“ Waters are coming from India , while heavy rainfalls in the region are causing havoc , ” he said .
“ We are trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people , as we have already provided more than 300 tons of rice , cattle food , baby food and a good amount of cash .
Our relief operations will continue.
“


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Whether inmate mentally fit for execution could cause delay

CHICAGO - The man next on the list to be executed by the federal government after a nearly 20-year hiatus ended this week may have a better chance of avoiding lethal injection , legal experts say , because he suffers from dementia and so , his lawyers say , can no longer grasp why he ’ s slated to die .
Wesley Ira Purkey , convicted of a gruesome 1998 kidnapping and killing , is scheduled for execution Wednesday at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute , Indiana , where Daniel Lewis Lee was put to death Tuesday after his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was convicted of killing an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation , was the first of four condemned men scheduled to die in July and August despite the coronavirus pandemic raging both inside and outside prisons .
Purkey , 68 , of Lansing , Kansas , would be the second , but his lawyers were still expected to press for a ruling from the Supreme Court on his competency .
“ This competency issue is a very strong issue on paper , ” said Robert Dunham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Information Center .
“ The Supreme Court has halted executions on this issue in the past .
At a minimum , the question of whether Purkey dies is going to go down to the last minute.
” Lee ’ s own execution went forward a day late .
It was scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday , but the Supreme Court only gave the green light in a narrow 5-4 ruling early Tuesday .
The issue of Purkey ’ s mental health arose in the runup to his 2003 trial and when , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether he should be put to death in the killing of 16-year-old Jennifer Long in Kansas City , Missouri .
Prosecutors alleged that he raped and stabbed her , dismembered her with a chainsaw , burned her , then dumped her ashes 200 miles ( 320 kilometres ) away in a septic pond in Kansas .
Purkey was separately convicted and sentenced to life in the beating death of 80-year-old Mary Ruth Bales , of Kansas City , Kansas .
But the legal questions of whether he was mentally fit to stand trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different from the question of whether he is mentally fit enough now , in the hours before his scheduled execution , to be put to death .
Purkey ’ s lawyers argue he clearly is not , saying in recent filings that he suffers from advancing Alzheimer ’ s disease .
“ He has long accepted responsibility for the crime that put him on death row , ” one of this lawyers , Rebecca Woodman , said .
“ But as his dementia has progressed , he no longer has a rational understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him.
” Purkey believes his planned execution is part of a vast conspiracy involving his own attorneys , Woodman said .
In other filings , they describe delusions that people were spraying poison into his room and that drug dealers implanted a device in his chest meant to kill him .
While various legal issues in Purkey ’ s case have been hashed , rehashed and settled by courts over nearly two decades , the issue of mental fitness for execution can only be addressed once a date is set , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courses on capital punishment .
A date was only set last year .
“ Competency is something that is always in flux , ” so judges can only assess it in the weeks or days before a firm execution date , he said .
In a landmark 1986 decision , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution prohibits putting someone to death who lacks a reasonable understanding of why he is being executed .
It involved the case of Alvin Ford , who was convicted of murder but whose mental health deteriorated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to his lawyer , he believed he was pope .
Legal standards as to whether someone has a rational understanding of why an execution is taking place can be complex , Dunham explained .
“ I could say I was Napoleon , ” he said .
“ But if I say I understand that Napoleon was sentenced to death for a crime and is being executed for it — that could allow the execution to go ahead.
“ Purkey ’ s mental issues go beyond Alzheimer ’ s , his lawyers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sexual and mental abuse as a child and , at 14 , was diagnosed with schizophrenia , bipolar disorder , major depression , and psychosis .
Last week , three mental health organizations urged U.S. Attorney William Barr to stop Purkey ’ s execution and commute his sentence to life in prison without possibility of parole .
The letter — signed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness , Mental Health America and the Treatment Advocacy Center — said that executing mentally ailing individuals like Purkey “ constitutes cruel and unusual punishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards of decency.
’ ” The mother of the teen he killed , Glenda Lamont , told the Kansas City Star last year she planned to attend the execution .
“ I don ’ t want to say that I ’ m happy , ” Lamont said .
“ At the same time , he is a crazy mad man that doesn ’ t deserve , in my opinion , to be breathing anymore.
” The runup to Lee ’ s execution demonstrated that a lot can still happen before Purkey ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Lee was set to be put to death , a U.S. District Court judge put the execution on hold over concerns from death row inmates on how executions were to be carried out , and an appeals court upheld it , before the Supreme Court overturned it early Tuesday .
If prison officials get the go-ahead to execute Purkey , he would be put to death by lethal injection , as Lee was , and in the same small room at the Terre Haute prison .
Hegeman reported from Wichita , Kansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terre Haute , Indiana , and Mark Sherman and Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report .

Michael Tarm And Roxana Hegeman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Dozens injured in collision of trains near Czech capital

PRAGUE , Czech Republic - A passenger train and a freight train collided near the Czech capital on Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ officials said .
The Czech Rail Safety Inspectorate said the accident occurred near the station @ @ @ @ @ east of Prague shortly after 21.30 p.m. ( 1930 GMT ) .
It said the @ @ @ @ @ standing freight train .
The regional rescue service said up to 60 passengers could be @ @ @ @ @ been transported to nearby hospitals for treatment .
The major track linking the capital with @ @ @ @ @ country is expected to be closed until Wednesday morning , the Czech Railways said .
@ @ @ @ @ of the accident .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Trump signs bill, order rebuking China, and slams Biden

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed legislation and an executive order on Tuesday that he said will hold China accountable for its oppressive actions against the people of Hong Kong , then quickly shifted his policy speech into a political one , hurling broadsides against Democratic rival Joe Biden .
The legislation and order are part of the Trump administration ’ s stepped-up offensive against China for what he calls the rising Asian superpower ’ s exploitation of America and its effort to conceal details about the human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus from the world .
The almost daily administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own response to the virus , with cases surging in parts of the United States , and as he works ahead of the election to portray Biden as soft on China .
“ So Joe Biden and President Obama freely allowed China to pillage our factories , plunder our communities and steal our most precious secrets , ” Trump said , adding , “ I ’ ve stopped it largely.
” Trump said that as vice-president , Biden advocated for the Paris Agreement addressing climate change ; Trump withdrew the U.S. from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crushed American manufacturers while allowing China to pollute the atmosphere with impunity , yet one more gift from Biden to the Chinese Communist Party , ” Trump said .
Trump talked up his own tough approach to Beijing , though he spent the early weeks of the pandemic praising Chinese President Xi Jinping .
The two nations signed phase one of a trade deal , but since then , relations have soured and Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden that he has no interest in talking to Xi .
The legislation Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have cracked down on Hong Kong protesters as well as Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for imposing a new , strict national security law widely seen as chipping away at Hong Kong ’ s autonomy .
The mandatory sanctions are also required to be imposed on banks that conduct business with the officials .
While he signed the bill into law , Trump issued a statement saying the administration would not view as binding certain sections of the law that the White House believes limit a president ’ s powers to conduct foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged Trump to take strong action in response to China ’ s new national security law that erodes the “ one country , two systems ” framework under which Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997 .
Hong Kong is considered a special administrative region within China and has its own governing and economic systems .
“ This law gives my administration powerful new tools to hold responsible the individuals and the entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong ’ s freedom , ” Trump said .
“ Their freedom has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken away , and with it goes Hong Kong in my opinion because it will no longer be able to compete with free markets .
A lot of people will be leaving Hong Kong , I suspect.
“ The executive order he signed did not appear to go beyond his administration ’ s previous determinations that Hong Kong is no longer eligible for preferential treatment from the United States .
Trump said the order strikes those privileges but , in fact , the administration already has been in the process of eliminating them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Mike Pompeo first made the determination in late May that China ’ s decision to impose a new national security law in Hong Kong meant the former British territory was no longer a democracy and so was no longer eligible for trade , commercial and other U.S. perks it had enjoyed .
Just three days later , when Trump announced the U.S. was withdrawing from the World Health Organization because of Chinese influence , he echoed Pompeo ’ s determination and instructed his administration to immediately begin eliminating the preferences , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration barred Hong Kong from importing U.S. weapons , saying its purchase of items that have both civilian and military applications would be subject to the same licensing requirements as mainland China .
Other actions in the works include suspending an extradition treaty with Hong Kong , something Australia has already done , as well as ending legal co-operation agreements , taxation accords and financial understandings that cover accounting rules for Chinese businesses that work in the U.S. At the same time , the administration has pressed ahead with travel bans for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials the U.S. believes are responsible for curtailing democracy in Hong Kong .
The administration also also gone after China by imposing travel bans on officials for repressing minorities in western China and hindering foreigners ’ access to Tibet .
On Monday , Pompeo announced that the U.S. had decided to reject outright virtually all Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea , a determination that could lead to increased tensions in disputed , critical international shipping lanes .
Associated Press writer Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report .

Zeke Miller, Deb Riechmann And Matthew Lee - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Trump bristles at question about police killing Blacks

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump bristled at a reporter ’ s question about police killing African Americans and defended the right to display the Confederate flag as he continued to play into racial divisions in a pair of interviews Tuesday .
In one interview , Trump seemed taken aback when asked why African Americans are still dying at the hands of police .
“ And so are white people .
So are white people .
What a terrible question to ask .
So are white people , “ Trump told CBS ’ s Catherine Herridge .
“ More white people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people.
” There is no national database tracking police-involved shootings .
But studies have shown that Black Americans are much more likely to be killed by police , even though more whites — who make up a larger portion of the population — are killed .
One study that examined the use of lethal force by law enforcement from 2009 to 2012 , for instance , found that while victims were a majority white ( 52 % ) , they were disproportionately Black ( 32 % ) with a fatality rate 2.8 times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s comments drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union ’ s Jeffery Robinson , who issued a harshly worded statement saying Trump ’ s answer “ not only ignores the fact that per capita Black and Brown people are disproportionately killed by police , it provides the foundation for the dangerous and unconstitutional police practices that result in the deaths of Black people with regularity .
“ Trump ’ s racism is so absolute that he continues to refuse to give even a tacit acknowledgment to the epidemic of police violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robinson alleged , accusing Trump of ” using the violence and suffering perpetrated against Black communities as a white-supremacist dog whistle ahead of the coming election.
” In the interview , Trump also defended the use of the Confederate flag , despite saying in 2015 that he believed the flag belongs in a museum .
“ All I say is freedom of speech .
It ’ s very simple .
My attitude is freedom of speech , “ Trump responded .
” Very simple .
Like it , don ’ t like it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Asked whether he understood the flag is a painful symbol to many because it is a reminder of slavery , Trump told CBS that some “ people love it , ” adding : “ And I know people that like the Confederate flag and they ’ re not thinking about slavery.
” Trump has been under fire for his response to the mass anti-racism protests that broke out across the across the nation following the killing of George Floyd in police custody .
In the face of demands for racial justice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a law-and-order message , painting mostly peaceful protesters as domestic “ terrorists ” and continuing to stoke divisions .
In a second interview with the conservative Townhall Media , Trump defended the white St. Louis couple captured on video brandishing guns as they defended their home during one racial injustice protest .
Trump claimed that Mark and Patricia McCloskey “ were going to be beat up badly , if they were lucky ” and said their house would have been “ totally ransacked and probably burned down ” had they not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand somebody local , they want to prosecute these people .
It ’ s a disgrace , ” he said .
Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson told reporters that he spoke with Trump and U.S. Attorney General William Barr by phone earlier Tuesday and that the president expressed concern that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner , a Democrat , may file charges against the couple .
“ I think the president didn ’ t like what he was seeing , and the way people are being treated , ” Parson said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll see some sort of actions .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Trump transition panel agrees to fine over NJ registration

TRENTON , N.J. - New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Monday he reached a deal with President Donald Trump ’ s transition committee stemming from a lawsuit alleging the organization failed to properly register in the state .
Trump for America Inc. faces a $ 30,000 penalty , though $ 27,500 of it will be suspended , according to a statement from Grewal ’ s office .
Suspended penalties are common in settlements like the one involving Trump for America and help ensure compliance , according to the attorney general ’ s office .
The organization , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welfare organization , will submit a registration statement and additional documents , according to the attorney general ’ s statement .
It ’ s not clear what those documents are .
If after a year Trump for America Inc. complies with all the terms of the agreement , all but $ 2,500 of the penalty will be waived .
The agreement stems from a January 2020 lawsuit Grewal filed arguing that Trump for America , which raised millions for the president ’ s transition , did not register with the state Division of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grewal subpoenaed the organization in February 2019 after determining it had not registered with the division .
“ This case should send a message that all are equal before the law , and none are above it , ” Grewal said “ We expect charitable organizations to comply with New Jersey ’ s laws , and we expect compliance with our subpoenas .
Any organization that fails to comply may be dissolved and face other penalties.
” Grewal also said Trump for America Inc. would cease to exist under the deal .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign seeking a response .
This story was first published on July 13 , 2020 .
It was updated on July 14 , 2020 , to correct in what way Trump for America Inc. was supporting Donald Trump .
Trump for America supported the president ’ s transition , not the inauguration .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Mississippi Capitol outbreak: At least 41 with coronavirus

JACKSON , Miss .
- At least 30 Mississippi legislators and 11 other people who work in the state capitol are now known to have tested positive for the new coronavirus , the state ’ s top public health official said Tuesday .
That is an increase from last week , when officials initially said 26 legislators and 10 others had the highly contagious virus .
Dr. Thomas Dobbs , the state health officer , had said the numbers could go up as more people received test results .
Dobbs said Tuesday that two people from the Capitol were hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are .
Mississippi has the largest outbreak of COVID-19 among state legislators in the U.S. , according to numbers tracked by The Associated Press .
Legislators left the Mississippi Capitol on July 1 , after being there through most of June .
Some people in the building wore masks and kept distance from others as precautions against spreading the virus , but many did not .
It was common to see people leaning in to talk to each other with their faces uncovered .
People also crowded into elevators and committee meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the House and Senate .
Legislators will need to return to the Capitol at some point to approve a budget for the state Department of Marine Resources and to decide whether to override Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves ’ s veto of parts of the education budget .
The state budget year started July 1 .
Reeves said Tuesday that he does not yet know when it will be safe to bring legislators back to finish that business .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : @ @

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--North Carolina capitol city gets first Black councilwoman

RALEIGH , N.C. - The city council in North Carolina ’ s capital city on Tuesday chose its first Black councilwoman to fill a seat vacated after a council member resigned .
Stormie Denise Forte , 49 , an attorney and community radio host , was chosen from among 54 candidates to fill the position that represents Raleigh ’ s District D , which covers the southwest portion of the city , news outlets reported .
She received six out of seven votes , and her first meeting as a council member is Aug. 18 .
“ I can honestly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the historical impact of being selected , ” Forte said .
“ Being Black and being female and being a person within the LGBTQ community — all those things make up the person I am.
” Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said Forte stood out because of her experience as an attorney , work in the criminal justice system , her understanding of government and her community involvement .
“ She will also bring a unique and needed perspective as an African-American woman and as a member of our LGBT community , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population of more than 470,000 as of 2018 , is 27.1 % Black and 53.5 % white .
Forte will serve the remainder of Saige Martin ’ s term , which ends next year .
Martin was elected to the seat in 2019 but resigned last month after The News & Observer of Raleigh published accounts of four men who accused Martin of sexual misconduct , which he denies .


thetorontostar--2020-07-14--Mexico to buy 2 million tons of coal for power plants

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s state-owned electrical power company announced Tuesday it will buy 2 million metric tons of coal from Mexican producers to burn in power plants .
The announcement came as many countries are moving to reduce their use of coal-fired power plants amid declines in electricity demand due to the coronavirus pandemic .
But the administration of President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador has shown a deep devotion to fossil fuels , and hostility to renewables .
In May , the government announced rules making it harder to bring solar and wind power projects online .
Under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Electricity Commission — known as the CFE — will buy the coal between July and December 2021 , to help the economy of coal producers in the northern border state of Coahuila .
The commission said in a statement that coal-fired plants provide only 9.46 % of Mexico ’ s electricity , “ which puts the lie to press reports that the CFE is betting on dirty sources of energy.
” Much of the fuel will apparently be used at back-up plants to meet peak demand .
In May , the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for new rules that will reduce the role of renewable energies like solar and wind power , granting a reprieve to the government ’ s own aging , oil-fired power plants .
Those role changes have been held up by court challenges , but would affect the ability of Mexican and foreign investors who had been allowed to sell their power into the government-operated grid .
Industry associations said it will affect 28 solar and wind projects that were ready to go online , and 16 more under construction , with a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of it from foreign firms .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Former coach’s sentencing delayed in Nassar-related case

LANSING , Mich. - A water main break forced the postponement Wednesday of sentencing for a former Michigan State University head gymnastics coach for lying to police during an investigation into ex-Olympic and MSU doctor Larry Nassar .
Kathie Klages , 65 , was found guilty by a jury in February of a felony and a misdemeanour for denying she knew of Nassar ’ s abuse prior to 2016 when survivors started to come forward publicly .
The misdemeanour carries up to a 2-year prison sentence or a fine of up to $ 5,000 .
The felony carries up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of up to $ 5,000 .
Water was cut off Wednesday to the courthouse where Klages was scheduled to be sentenced .
Repairs were expected to take several hours .
No new date was immediately scheduled .
Two women testified in November 2018 that in 1997 they told Klages that Nassar had sexually abused them .
One of the women , Larissa Boyce , testified that Klages held up a piece of paper in front of the then-16-year-old and said if she filed a report there could be serious consequences for Boyce .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse to hundreds of athletes .
Klages is the second person other than Nassar to be convicted of charges related to his serial molestation of young women and girls under the guise of medical treatment .
Nassar ’ s boss at Michigan State , ex-College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean William Strampel , was sentenced to jail for crimes including neglecting a duty to enforce protocols on Nassar after a patient complained about sexual contact in 2014 .
This story has been updated to correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first name to Kathie , from Kathy .
Anna Liz Nichols is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Seoul to launch probe into allegations against late mayor

SEOUL , KOREA , REPUBLIC OF—The city government of the South Korean capital , Seoul , said Wednesday it will launch an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding late Mayor Park Won-soon , who was found dead after one of his secretaries filed a complaint claiming years-long abuse .
City spokesman Hwang In-sik said the investigation committee will also include civic activists and experts , but didn ’ t specify when it would start or how much power it would have .
“ By forming a joint investigation committee of government officials and civic experts , we will ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Hwang said at the news conference at City Hall .
“ We will discuss with women ’ s rights organizations and other groups to determine how the committee will be formed and operated and when it could start.
” Hwang lamented what he described as “ speculative ” media reports but avoided specific answers when asked about the city ’ s response to the allegations or Park ’ s death , including whether city officials had ignored earlier complaints by the ex-secretary .
He also didn ’ t say clearly whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the committee concludes that they possibly condoned or overlooked sexually abusive behaviour by Park .
Rescue workers found Park ’ s body in a wooden area in northern Seoul early Friday , following a massive search that involved hundreds of officers , dogs and drones after his daughter reported him missing .
On Monday , lawyer Kim Jae-ryon told reporters that she gave legal counsel to one of Park ’ s former secretaries before a complaint was lodged with police on July 8 alleging sexual harassment .
According to Kim , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual advances and physical contact for years and sent her “ lewd ” photos and text messages that she showed to some of her friends , colleagues and a journalist .
The allegations have tarnished the reputation of Park , a liberal who built his career as a reform-minded politician and a champion of women ’ s rights .
He had been considered a potential presidential candidate for President Moon Jae-in ’ s Democratic Party for the elections in 2022 .
Moon ’ s office , which hasn ’ t specifically commented on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would “ calmly wait ” for the outcome of the committee ’ s investigation .
Officers at Seoul ’ s Seongbuk district police station on Wednesday summoned Park ’ s former chief of staff , Koh Han-seok , for questioning over the circumstances surrounding his death .
Police officials didn ’ t immediately provide details about their conversation with Koh .
Police said there was no sign of foul play at the scene where Park ’ s body was found but have so far refused to confirm the exact cause of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left a note saying “ I feel sorry to everyone ” and asking that his body be cremated .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Regulators fine Native corporation board member over post

JUNEAU , Alaska - State regulators fined an Alaska Native corporation board member over a social media post perceived as an attempt to sway the votes of shareholders .
Richard Beasley of Goldbelt Inc. posted a message regulators determined was implying shareholders would be paid if they voted in favour of establishing a new trust , CoastAlaska reported Monday .
The Juneau-based urban Alaska Native corporation asked shareholders last year to vote in favour of the trust it said would take advantage of a change in the federal tax law .
The state ’ s Division of Banking & Securities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post showing a check for $ 100 made out to his brother and suggesting he received the funds for voting in favour of the resolution .
The Goldbelt resolution vote passed overwhelmingly .
Everyone who participated in the election received the same incentive , which was designed to boost participation for the corporation to reach a quorum at its annual meeting .
“ Shareholders were not required to vote in favour of the proposed settlement trust to be eligible to receive $ 100.00 from Goldbelt , ” the banking and securities division said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fine .
Goldbelt shareholder Ray Austin said he filed a formal complaint over Beasley ’ s Facebook post because it was misleading .
“ I didn ’ t like that statement when I saw it because I didn ’ t think it was truthful , ” Austin said .
“ You didn ’ t have to vote ‘ yes ’ to get your hundred dollars.
” Austin is a longtime critic of the Native corporation ’ s management and recently was involved in an unrelated dispute with Beasley .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook post last year accusing Beasley of failing to disclose his paid contract work for Goldbelt .
Austin said he has requested a hearing to defend himself in the matter .
State financial regulators are empowered to police speech related to board elections of Native corporations created by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Apple wins EU court case over $15 billion in claimed taxes

BRUSSELS - A European Union court on Wednesday delivered a hammer blow to the bloc ’ s attempts to rein multinationals ’ ability to strike sweetheart tax deals with individual EU countries when it ruled that Apple does not have to pay 13 billion euros ( $ 15 billion ) in back taxes to Ireland .
The EU Commission had claimed in 2016 that Apple had struck an illegal tax deal with Irish authorities that allowed it to pay extremely low rates .
But the EU ’ s General Court said Wednesday that ” the Commission did not succeed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was an advantage.
” “ The Commission was wrong to declare ” that Apple “ had been granted a selective economic advantage and , by extension , state aid , ” said the Luxembourg-based court , which is the second-highest in the EU .
The EU Commission had ordered Apple to pay for gross underpayment of tax on profits across the European bloc from 2003 to 2014 .
The commission said Apple used two shell companies in Ireland to report its Europe-wide profits at effective rates well under 1 % .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the bulk of their revenue across the EU ’ s 27 countries in the one EU country where they have their regional headquarters .
For Apple and many other big tech companies , that is Ireland .
For small EU countries like Ireland , that helps attract international business and even a small amount of tax revenue is helpful for them .
The net result , however , is that the companies often end up paying very low tax .
The ruling can only be appealed on points of law and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studying the judgment and will “ reflect on possible next steps.
” The Irish government welcomed the ruling , saying “ there was no special treatment provided ” to the U.S. company .
Apple also said it was pleased by the decision , arguing that the case is not about how much tax it pays , but in what country .
Apple CEO Tim Cook had earlier called the EU demand for back taxes “ total political crap.
” The defeat is especially stinging for Vestager , who has campaigned for years to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has referred to her as the “ tax lady ” who “ really hates the U.S. ” Despite the setback , she vowed to carry on the fight .
“ The Commission will continue to look at aggressive tax planning measures under EU state aid rules to assess whether they result in illegal state aid , “ she said .
Besides the tax case , Vestager has recently opened two antitrust investigations into Apple ’ s mobile app store and its payments operations .
Under her leadership , the EU has also investigated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billions of dollars for abusing their dominant market position .
Some EU countries are looking to impose a tax on major digital businesses .
The European Network on Debt and Development , a group that seeks to make the financial system fairer , said that the ruling showed how tough any tax policy remains .
“ ” If we had a proper corporate tax system , we wouldn ’ t need long court cases to find out whether it is legal for multinational corporations to pay less than 1 % in taxes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy manager at Eurodad .
Even though taxation remains under the authority of its member countries , the EU is seeking to create a level playing field among the 27 nations by making sure special deals - including ultra-low tax rates with multinationals - are weeded out .
EU Greens legislator Sven Giegold said the verdict “ is a huge setback in the fight against tax dumping in Europe .
“ He said EU rules ” are clearly totally insufficient to tackle the problem .
This must be a wakeup call.
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income for EU nations is taking a hit because of the recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic .
With households under financial pressure , the EU wants to make sure multinationals making profits on the continent pay their fair share , too .
“ In times like these , when we are passing multibillion-euro economic stimulus packages , we can not afford to waste a single cent in tax revenue , “ said EU legislator Markus Ferber of the Christian Democrat EPP Group .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Report: Anchorage needs new housing, beds to serve homeless

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Anchorage should provide about 3,000 new housing units and shelter beds to meet the growing needs of the city ’ s homeless residents , a new report said .
The level of aid needed by people experiencing homelessness is expected to rise in the coming months as the coronavirus pandemic continues to hurt the city ’ s economy , The Anchorage Daily News reported Monday .
The report released Monday by the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness analyzed supply and demand , including the housing and support services necessary to get people off the streets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrangements .
In 2019 , about 7,900 people in Anchorage sought some form of assistance because of homelessness , up from 7,763 from the prior year .
During a single night in January 2020 , Anchorage ’ s official homeless population was 1,058 , with 1,003 people in shelters and 55 living outside .
Anchorage needs 1,695 more rapid rehousing units and 700 units for permanent supportive housing , the report said .
Rapid rehousing assists with immediate needs and short-term financial assistance , while permanent supportive units offer indefinite rental assistance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or families with disabled adults or children .
The report also said there is a need for emergency shelter of about 400 beds for single adults , at least 30 for families and at least 20 for youth and young adults .
Single , homeless adults comprise 63 % of demand for housing services , and the elderly are of growing concern , the report said .
The report provides demographics including a statistic indicating Alaska Native residents make up nearly half of the city ’ s homeless population and more than 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Census data indicates Alaska Natives comprise just over 9 % of Anchorage ’ s population .
Katie Scovic , chair of the coalition ’ s advisory council , said the report ’ s statistics were compiled with a tool from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and reveal an urgent need to bring a racial equity lens to fighting homelessness .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Bulgarian government faces no-confidence vote amid protests

SOFIA , Bulgaria - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov ’ s centre-right government will face a vote of no-confidence brought by the left-wing political opposition Wednesday , its fifth since taking power in 2017 .
The Socialist Party is accusing the government of failing to uphold its promises to eliminate high-level corruption and instead acting in favour of oligarchs .
The opposition Socialists , riding high on week-long anti-graft protests that brought thousands of people into the streets of towns across Bulgaria , are hoping to regain power .
Party leader Kornelia Ninova called on the protesters to support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parliament building during the vote , which is likely to be held at the end of next week .
“ Today , we introduced the calls of the people on the street for no-confidence in the government to be voted in parliament , ” Ninova said .
Thousands of mostly young Bulgarians took to the streets for the seventh day in a row to protest against the government and the country ’ s top prosecutor , accusing them of corruption , authoritarian rule and dependence on criminal groups .
President Rumen Radev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called on Borissov and chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev to step down .
Political analysts expect Borissov , whose coalition government has a comfortable majority in the National Assembly , to easily survive the no-confidence vote and to likely remain in power until the next regular general election in March 2021 .
Although the protests have been mostly peaceful , there have been occasional confrontations between police and demonstrators , and some arrests and injuries on both sides .
Tensions escalated briefly on Tuesday night after a group of young men attempted to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped the group .
but were halted by police officers .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Tanker off UAE sought by US over Iran sanctions ‘hijacked’

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - An oil tanker sought by the U.S. over allegedly circumventing sanctions on Iran was hijacked on July 5 off the coast of the United Arab Emirates , a seafarers organization said Wednesday .
Satellite photos showed the vessel in Iranian waters on Tuesday and two of its sailors remained in the Iranian capital .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear what happened aboard the Dominica-flagged MT Gulf Sky , though its reported hijacking comes after months of tensions between Iran and the U.S. David Hammond , the CEO of the United Kingdom-based group Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a witness statement from the captain of the MT Gulf Sky , confirming the ship had been hijacked .
Hammond said that 26 of the Indian sailors on board had made it back to India , while two remained in Tehran , without elaborating .
“ We are delighted to hear that the crew are safe and well , which has been our fundamental concern from the outset , “ Hammond told The Associated Press .
Hammond said that he had no other details on the vessel .
TankerTrackers.com , a website tracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it saw the vessel in satellite photos on Tuesday in Iranian waters off Hormuz Island .
Hormuz Island , near the port city of Bandar Abbas , is some 190 kilometres ( 120 miles ) north of Khorfakkan , a city on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates where the vessel had been for months .
The Emirati government , the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Navy ’ s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet did not respond to requests for comment .
Iranian state media did not immediately report on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
In May , the U.S. Justice Department filed criminal charges against two Iranians , accusing them of trying to launder some $ 12 million to purchase the tanker , then named the MT Nautica , through a series of front companies .
The vessel then took on Iranian oil from Kharg Island to sell abroad , the U.S. government said .
Court documents allege the scheme involved the Quds Force of Iran ’ s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as Iran ’ s national oil and tanker companies .
The two men charged , one of whom also has an Iraqi passport , remain at large .
“ Because a U.S. bank froze the funds related to the sale of the vessel , the seller never received payment , ” the Justice Department said .
“ As a result , the seller instituted a civil action in the UAE to recover the vessel.
” That civil action was believed to still be pending , raising questions of how the tanker sailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by authorities there .
Data from the MT Gulf Sky ’ s Automatic Identification System tracker shows it had been turned off around 4:30 a.m. July 5 , according to ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com .
Ships are supposed to keep their AIS trackers on , but Iranian vessels routinely turn theirs off to mask their movements .
Meanwhile , the 28 Indian sailors on board the vessel found themselves stuck on board without pay for months , according to the International Labor Organization .
It filed a report saying the vessel and its sailors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March off Khorfakkan .
The ILO did not respond to a request for comment .
As tensions between Iran and the U.S. heated up last year , tankers plying the waters of the Mideast became targets , particularly near the crucial Strait of Hormuz , the Persian Gulf ’ s narrow mouth through which 20 % of all oil passes .
Suspected limpet mine attacks the U.S. blamed on Iran targeted several tankers .
Iran denied being involved , though it did seize several tankers .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Asia Today: Rules return in Hong Kong, India, ease in China

HONG KONG - Renewed restrictions took effect in Hong Kong on Wednesday , with restaurants limited to takeout after 6 p.m. , as the Asian financial centre battles a resurgence of the coronavirus .
Mask-wearing has been made compulsory on public transport for the first time , with fines of up to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars ( $ 650 ) .
Public gatherings are once again restricted to four people , after the limit was eased last month to allow up to 50 .
The semi-autonomous Chinese territory has seen a return of locally transmitted cases in the past 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
About 300 new cases have been reported since July 6 , including more than 220 non-imported ones .
The city reversed plans to allow major public events , postponing a highly popular annual book fair slated to open Wednesday .
Hong Kong Disneyland , which had reopened last month , shuttered again in accordance with the renewed restrictions .
Gyms and beauty salons have been ordered closed , and eateries are not allowed to offer dine-in services from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Schools had already been reclosed from Monday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,569 confirmed cases and eight deaths since the outbreak began .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — China is further easing restrictions on domestic tourism after reporting no new local cases of COVID-19 in nine days .
A directive from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism dated Tuesday said tourist sites could allow 50 % of their daily visitor capacity , up from 30 % , and that interprovince group tours can resume .
The National Health Commission said six new cases were recorded Tuesday , all in people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not reported any domestic cases since an outbreak in Beijing that infected more than 330 people before it faded early this month .
China has reported 83,611 confirmed cases and 4,634 deaths since the outbreak began .
It does not include people who test positive but show no symptoms in its case count .
— India ’ s coronavirus cases surged by 29,429 , and authorities are reimposing lockdowns in high-risk areas .
The new cases took the national total to 936,181 .
The Health Ministry also reported another 582 deaths , taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-week lockdown was imposed Wednesday in eastern Bihar state and its population of nearly 128 million .
Nearly 2.5 million poor migrant workers have returned to the state after losing jobs in other parts of the country .
India ’ s key southern technology hub , Bangalore , was also put under a weeklong lockdown on Wednesday .
About a dozen states , including Maharashtra , Tamil Nadu , West Bengal and Assam , have put high-risk areas under lockdowns , only allowing essential food supplies and health services .
— The leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police were cracking down on a coronavirus lockdown in the nation ’ s second-largest city .
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews warned that restrictions would be increased unless the spread was contained in Melbourne .
The Australian military is bolstering police numbers at checkpoints .
Police were scanning license plates to determine drivers ’ addresses and whether they were subjected to stay-at-home orders .
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said 238 new cases detected in the latest 24-hours could be the start of a stabilization in the spread of the virus in Melbourne , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown in the city and part of its surrounds .
— New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlined her government plans to contain future community outbreaks in the South Pacific nation that has not recorded a locally spread case in 75 days .
Its two new cases recorded Wednesday and all 27 of its active cases are people quarantined after foreign travel .
Ardern said a system of local or regional lockdowns would be used and a national lockdown would be a last resort .
Local lockdowns might involve buildings , suburbs or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be to control any cases with the least intrusive measures and over the smallest area we can , ” Ardern said .
— South Korea has reported 39 new cases of the coronavirus , most of them tied to international arrivals as the virus continues to spread in Asia , the United States and elsewhere .
The figures released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday brought national totals to 13,551 cases , including 289 deaths .
The KCDC said at least 28 of the new cases were linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t immediately disclose where they were from .
South Korea requires two-week quarantines on all passengers arriving from overseas .
Foreign nationals arriving from Bangladesh , Pakistan , Kazakhstan , and Kyrgyzstan beginning this week must provide health certificates proving they had tested negative for COVID-19 amid widening outbreaks in Southern and Central Asia .
— The number of travellers who entered and left the Philippines dropped 95 % under its coronavirus quarantine .
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente predicted the travel slump would remain dire .
“ We do not foresee these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the entire world is still fighting to defeat this coronavirus , ” Morente said .
The government was forced to ease a lockdown in the capital and quarantine restrictions elsewhere last month to reopen the faltering economy despite infection spikes .
Nearly 60,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the country , including more than 1,600 deaths .
— Members of Tokyo ’ s coronavirus task force raised caution levels in the Japanese capital to the highest on a scale of four and urged officials to secure more hospital beds , increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s urgency .
Gov .
Yuriko Koike asked residents to avoid non-essential out-of-town trips , but stopped short of requesting business closures .
Norio Ohmagari , a member of the task force , said infections appear to be expanding , with the number of untraceable cases on the rise .
He said infections are no longer concentrated in nightlife districts and are spreading in workplaces , restaurants , households , nursing homes and childcare facilities .
Tokyo reported 8,189 cases including 325 deaths as of Tuesday .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--Feds: Puerto Rico to Rhode Island drug ‘pipeline’ shut down

PROVIDENCE , R.I. - Federal authorities have shut down what they described as a “ cocaine pipeline “ that may have shipped more than 100 kilograms ( 220 pounds ) of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island .
Five people have been charged in connection with the alleged drug ring that shipped the cocaine through the U.S .
Postal Service , according to a statement Tuesday from U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island , Aaron Weisman .
The execution of federal court-authorized search warrants at four locations in Woonsocket resulted in the seizure of 16 guns , several military-style bullet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a kilogram of cocaine , a cocaine press , and other items used in the distribution of cocaine , authorities said .
Also Tuesday , postal service inspectors intercepted and seized three packages sent from Puerto Rico to addresses in Woonsocket that contained eight kilograms of cocaine .
The guns , many of which were loaded , included handguns , shotguns , rifles , and a modified AK-47 , were found by members of law enforcement out in the open and within reach of a 6-year-old child , authorities said .
Four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warrant has been issued for a fifth suspect .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--US military: Russian mercenaries planted land mines in Libya

CAIRO - The U.S. military on Wednesday accused Russian mercenaries fighting on the side of eastern Libya forces of planting land mines and improvised explosive devices in and around the Libyan capital , Tripoli .
The U.S. Africa Command , or AFRICOM , said verified photographic evidence shows “ indiscriminately placed booby traps and minefields ” around the outskirts of Tripoli and all the way east toward the strategic coastal city of Sirte since mid-June .
There was no immediate comment from Russia or the Wagner Group , a Kremlin-backed private security company that has been implicated in the conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has repeatedly denied playing any role on Libya ’ s battlefields .
AFRICOM said it assessed that the Kremlin-backed company introduced the weapons into Libya .
It posted photos of improvised explosive devices and a concealed anti-personnel mine , allegedly found in a residential area in Tripoli .
“ Imagery and intelligence assessments show how Russia continues to interfere in Libyan affairs .
Wagner Group ’ s reckless use of landmines and booby traps are harming innocent civilians , ” said Rear Admiral Heidi Berg , AFRICOM ’ s director of intelligence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi who was later killed .
The country is now split between a government in the east , allied with military commander Khalifa Hifter , and one in Tripoli , in the west , supported by the United Nations .
Hifter ’ s self-styled forces launched an offensive to capture Tripoli last year , clashing with militias loosely allied with the government there .
Hifter is backed by the United Arab Emirates , Egypt and Russia , while the Tripoli forces are aided by Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past three months , Hifter ’ s forces have lost almost all areas taken in the offensive on Tripoli as Turkey stepped up military support for his rivals and brought Syrian mercenaries , including militants , to fight in Libya .
Last month , the U.S. military accused Moscow of deploying 14 Mig-29s fighters to Libya to support Russian mercenaries aiding Hifter ’ s forces .
Russia called the claim “ disinformation.
” “ The Wagner Group ’ s irresponsible tactics are prolonging conflict and are responsible for the needless suffering and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marine Maj. Gen. Bradford Gering , director of operations at the U.S. Africa Command .
U.N. experts have said the Wagner Group provided between 800-1,200 mercenaries to bolster Hifter ’ s offensive on Tripoli , paying some fighters up to $ 1,500 a month .
Both sides in Libya ’ s civil war have been mobilizing for weeks for battle for the city of Sirte .
Hifter ’ s forces took Sirte , Gadhafi ’ s birthplace and a former stronghold of the Islamic State group , in January .
Retaking Sirte would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of oil fields and facilities in the south that Hifter had earlier seized .
But Egypt , a Hifter ally , warned last month that an attack on Sirte would trigger an Egyptian military intervention , allegedly to protect Egypt ’ s western border .
Libya ’ s east-based Parliament has called on Egypt to send troops if Sirte is attacked .


thetorontostar--2020-07-15--NY Times to move some staff from Hong Kong, citing new law

HONG KONG - The New York Times said Tuesday it will transfer some of its staff out of Hong Kong because of uncertainties about practicing journalism in the Chinese territory under its newly imposed national security law .
The Times reported that it will move its digital team of journalists , about a third of its Hong Kong staff , to Seoul , South Korea , over the next year .
Correspondents will remain to cover the city , it said .
Other departments , including print production , advertising and marketing staff , are expected to remain .
Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China by the British in 1997 , has long been seen as China ’ s last bastion of press freedom and is a base for many foreign news outlets reporting on Asia and mainland China .
But uncertainty about press freedom has followed Beijing ’ s imposition of a security law on June 30 aimed at curbing dissent in the city after months of anti-government protests last year .
The law states that the Hong Kong government will “ strengthen public communication , guidance , supervision and regulation over matters concerning national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the media and internet .
The New York Times said some of its employees have faced challenges in securing work permits for Hong Kong , which until recently had rarely been an issue in the city and was an obstacle mostly faced by journalists working in mainland China .
“ China ’ s sweeping new national security law in Hong Kong has created a lot of uncertainty about what the new rules will mean to our operation and our journalism , ” the newspaper quoted management as saying in a memo to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is prudent to make contingency plans and begin to diversify our editing staff around the region.
“ “ Hong Kong has been a leader in supporting the rights of a free press in Asia for decades , ” New York Times spokesperson Nicole Taylor said in a statement .
She said it was “ essential ” that the city continues to do so , given how the independent press is treated in mainland China , and especially amid the coronavirus pandemic .
In Beijing , Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new law .
“ Hong Kong citizens and foreign agencies and personnel in Hong Kong enjoy various rights and interests that are not affected in any way .
As long as they abide by the law and report in accordance with the law and regulations , I don ’ t think there is any need to worry , ” Hua said at a daily briefing .
The national security law is not the first time that press freedom in Hong Kong has come under scrutiny .
In 2018 , Hong Kong denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visa for chairing a talk involving a pro-independence figure .
Later , Mallet was also denied entry into Hong Kong as a tourist .