thetorontostar--2020-10-27--In swearing in Barrett, Trump defiantly mimics ‘superspreader’ Rose Garden ceremony

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump , who loves to boast of doing anything his predecessors have never done , pulled off such a historic first Monday .
He won confirmation of a Supreme Court justice only eight days before a presidential election , rushing his choice through the Senate before voters decide whether to give him four more years or kick him out of office .
Trump then did something else no other president has done .
He hosted a nighttime ceremony on the White House lawn to swear in Justice Amy Coney Barrett in a virtual do-over of the superspreader event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus a month ago to the day , including the president himself , who was forced to spend three nights in the hospital .
To Trump , the first history-maker outweighed the second , a chance to celebrate a landmark political victory regardless of the risk .
It was , in effect , the triumph of defiance over experience , a stubborn gesture by a president who refuses to acknowledge the continuing threat of a pandemic that has killed more than 225,000 people in the United States even after it has swept through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allies .
Undaunted and unbowed , Trump hosted the event even as five people working for Vice President Mike Pence have tested positive in recent days .
This time , at least , the White House made some concessions to the virus .
Unlike the Rose Garden event on Sept. 26 when Trump announced his nomination of Barrett , apparently leading to a raft of infections , the ceremony Monday night marking her confirmation was held on the roomier South Lawn , with folding chairs seated several feet apart and guests required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett wore masks , perhaps owing to the fact that both have already had the virus and therefore presumably could be immune .
Melania Trump , the first lady , who also was infected after the last event , likewise attended without a mask .
Justice Clarence Thomas , who was on hand to swear in his new colleague , wore no mask either , even though he is not known to have been previously infected .
None of the other seven justices attended .
Neither the president nor the new justice made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened the last time the two gathered supporters at the White House .
Instead , they congratulated themselves on the superquick confirmation process that has now put her on the court just in time to rule on any of Trump ’ s challenges emerging from next week ’ s election .
Trump praised Barrett ’ s “ deep knowledge , tremendous poise and towering intellect , ” calling her a suitable replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the liberal stalwart who died last month , even though she is the ideological polar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Justice Barrett fills the seat of a true pioneer for women , Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , ” the president told the crowd .
“ Tonight , Justice Barrett becomes not only the fifth woman to serve on our nation ’ s highest court , but the very first mother of school-aged children to become a Supreme Court justice.
” Barrett , 48 , who has seven children , will be the current court ’ s youngest member , its third woman , its sixth Catholic and its only jurist from outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Notre Dame Law School , where she later taught , she has served on the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals since Trump appointed her in 2017 and has become a favourite of conservatives .
Her appointment to the Supreme Court was Trump ’ s third , the most any president has had in a single term since Richard Nixon and an important credential for Republican voters who care about the judiciary .
In her own remarks Monday , Barrett , whose short-sleeve black dress contrasted with the president ’ s heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 55-degree evening , referred to the speedy Senate approval as “ a rigorous confirmation process , ” a characterization Democrats strenuously disputed .
But she seemed intent on sending the message that she would not simply do Trump ’ s bidding , using the words “ independent ” or “ independence ” three times , even though he has said explicitly that he wanted her seated before the election so she could lend her vote in case of a legal dispute over the balloting .
“ A judge declares independence not only from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the private beliefs that might otherwise move her , ” Barrett said after being sworn in .
“ The oath I have solemnly taken tonight , ” she added , “ means at its core that I will do my job without any fear or favour and that I will do so independently of both the political branches and of my own preferences.
” Neither Democrats nor Republicans seemed to believe that , instead commending or condemning her confirmation as a victory for conservatives and a defeat for liberals .
Her replacement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now controls the Supreme Court 6-3 , heralding a new era of jurisprudence not only on the forthcoming election , but on hot-button issues like abortion , gay rights and health care .
The House Judiciary Committee Republicans , led by Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio , one of Trump ’ s most outspoken allies , taunted Hillary Clinton , who lost to Trump in 2016 , after the Senate ’ s evening vote .
“ Amy Coney Barrett , confirmed , ” said a message posted on the committee ’ s Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , @ HillaryClinton !
” Clinton posted her own message six minutes later , suggesting that Republicans may pay a political price in just a week .
“ Senate Republicans just pushed through a Supreme Court justice who will help them take away Americans ’ health care in the middle of a pandemic , ” she wrote .
“ For them , this is victory .
Vote them out.
” The nomination ceremony a month ago undercut the political message Trump wanted to send when he , Trump and others who were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump emerged from his sickness as uncowed as ever , insisting that the virus could be beaten and telling Americans not to let it dominate their lives .
Many of those who were infected that day stayed away Monday night .
Among those who were back for more was Sen. Mike Lee , R-Utah , who tested positive for the virus after the announcement ceremony where he had gone maskless and hugged others in the crowd .
“ Tonight ’ s vote was a huge win for the American people , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Democrats were flabbergasted that the White House would replicate the event a month later .
“ They shame mask wearing , ” Sen. Christopher S. Murphy , D-Conn. , said on Twitter earlier in the day .
“ They hold super spreader events daily .
They discourage testing .
They pretend like a vaccine is days away so that people will let down their guard .
The biggest threat to America ’ s public health isn ’ t the virus , it ’ s the Trump White House.
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , escorting Barrett up the stairs to the balcony off the Blue Room that he has now used several times in recent days .
From there , the two looked out on the crowd as the president applauded his new appointee ; then the two were joined by their spouses , Melania Trump and Jesse Barrett , before all four along with Thomas slipped back into the White House again .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Hurricane warning for New Orleans as Zeta swirls over Mexico

CANCUN , Mexico - Storm-weary Louisiana is once again under a hurricane warning , with Zeta leaving Mexico ’ s Yucatan Peninsula on a path that could hit New Orleans Wednesday night .
Zeta , the 27th named storm in a very busy Atlantic season , made landfall as a hurricane just north of the ancient Mayan city of Tulum with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph ( 130 kph ) .
It weakened to a tropical storm as it crossed over land , but it was expected to regain strength over the Gulf of Mexico .
Zeta ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kph ) early Tuesday , and it was centred about 540 miles ( 865 kilometres ) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River .
If Zeta makes landfall in Louisiana , it will be the fifth named storm to hit the state this year , joining Cristobal , Laura , Marco and Delta .
Zeta was still drenching the northern Yucatan as its centre moved over the water .
Quintana Roo state Gov .
Carlos Joaquín said via Twitter early Tuesday that early reports indicated his state suffered no major damage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuries .
He said airports were open and business activity could resume Tuesday morning , though beaches would remain closed until the surf calms .
In Playa del Carmen , between Tulum and Cancun , Mexican tourist Elsa Márquez held up her beach towel Monday so it flapped in the wind , rattling with the strong gusts Monday a few hours before Zeta ’ s arrival .
“ This is our first experience ( in a hurricane ) and the truth is we are a little afraid because we don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are , ” said Márquez , who was visiting the resort from the north-central state of Queretaro .
Another tourist , Mario Ortiz Rosas from the western state of Michoacan , looked at the rising waves , noting : “ I didn ’ t plan for this , but it looks like it is going to get complicated.
” Some boats that normally carry tourists in Cancun took refuge in a nearby lagoon channel , anchored among the mangroves to avoid the battering wind , waves and storm surge .
Boat captain Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same manoeuvr barely three week ago , when the area was hit by a stronger Hurricane Delta , which made landfall with top winds of 110 mph ( 175 kph ) .
“ With Delta , the gusts of wind were very strong ... the anchor lines were at risk of breaking , ” Sosa Rosado said .
“ I hope it won ’ t be as bad with this hurricane.
” Quintana Roo state officials reported nearly 60,000 tourists in the state as of midweek .
Zeta broke the record for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that formed Nov. 29 , 2005 .
It ’ s also the 11th hurricane of the season .
An average season sees six hurricanes and 12 named storms .
There have been so many storms this season that the hurricane centre had to turn to the Greek alphabet after running out of assigned names .
Zeta is the furthest into the Greek alphabet the Atlantic season has gone .
There was also a Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005 , but that year had 28 storms because meteorologists later went back and found they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unnamed named storm.
“

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thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Venezuelans brave COVID wing to bathe, feed sick loved ones

CARACAS , Venezuela - Leaning against a hospital wall for balance , Elena Suazo wiggled each foot into blue protective pants .
Then she slipped her arms into a surgical gown and snapped on white rubber gloves , finally ready to enter the COVID-19 wing .
Suazo is not a nurse .
She is a cafeteria worker at a kindergarten in Venezuela ’ s capital .
But she is also a loving daughter ; her 76-year-old father , sick with the virus , waited inside .
And in this ruined country , the only way to ensure that he received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it herself -- regardless of the dangers to her own health .
“ You do everything you can in the name of love , ” said Suazo , 47 .
“ If that person is your blood relative , you don ’ t even hesitate.
” Hospitals across the once wealthy South American nation lack enough doctors and nurses to confront the coronavirus pandemic .
As thousands of trained health care workers emigrated in recent years , some hospital wings have closed .
Others keep operating , but with high caseloads .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ void at facilities that treat the poor , like José Gregorio Hernández Hospital , which sits in the middle of a sweeping Caracas barrio .
They feed patients , bathe them and change their bedsheets -- tasks normally done by trained medical professionals .
Relatives of elderly and weak patients are allowed short visits up to three times daily and are responsible for providing their own protective clothing .
Suazo finished dressing at a table near the COVID-19 entrance and looked over to a security guard .
He gave her a nod of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot chicken soup , fresh bedsheets and cleaning supplies under her arm and ducked past the heavy sliding gate .
“ I take care of him quickly , changing his clothes , feeding him , and then I leave , ” Suazo said .
“ You can ’ t stay inside there long.
” This kind of thing has long been common in poor nations , places like South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo in sub-Saharan Africa , health experts say .
But it ’ s only now come to Venezuela , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting atop the world ’ s largest oil reserves .
Critics blame 20 years of a socialist revolution launched by the late President Hugo Chávez for destroying oil production , leading to an unrelenting economic crisis .
A recent round of financial sanctions exacted by Washington against President Nicolás Maduro has made life even harder .
In recent years , an estimated 5 million Venezuelans have fled the nation of 30 million .
Among them are roughly 33,000 doctors -- 30 % of Venezuela ’ s physicians , according to Dr. Douglas León @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuelan Doctors .
Care is augmented by nearly 2,000 specialists sent by socialist ally Cuba to help battle the pandemic , and by several thousand less-skilled Cuban doctors who already were here .
But it ’ s not enough .
At least 6,000 nurses also abandoned Venezuela , said Ana Rosario Contreras , president of the Caracas Nurses College , citing a 2018 survey by the organization .
The number has only grown since , she said .
Contreras said it ’ s common to see one nurse responsible for up to 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards call for one nurse for five or six patients .
“ We ’ re living a kind of pandemonium , ” she said .
“ Our salary isn ’ t even enough to cover the cost of public transportation to simply get to work at the hospitals.
” Health care workers interviewed by The Associated Press said doctors at public hospitals earn less than $ 12 a month , and nurses bring home roughly $ 6 .
Working the night shift brings a little more .
While some find additional work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she sells auto parts on the side to support her three children .
A young doctor who sells cakes when not tending to patients said she ’ s weighing a move for her family to Chile , where she ’ s confident she ’ ll find a job that pays an amount commensurate to her years of training .
There are other reasons to leave .
Dr. Ramfis Nieto-Martinez , 54 , said he uprooted his family from Venezuela six years ago , walking away from a thriving practice after six armed men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held one of his two teenage sons for ransom .
Three years later , the boys were playing soccer near their home when they witnessed a motorcycle robbery in which a man was shot dead .
“ My wife told me ‘ No more , ’ ” said Nieto-Martinez .
He now works in Memphis , Tennessee , but dreams daily of returning once life in Venezuela is restored to normal .
Suazo says how her father contracted the coronavirus is a mystery .
A retired foreman at a clothing factory , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his six children and 19 grandchildren , Gavino Suazo fell at home one night two years ago and hit his head .
Despite a string of surgeries , he never regained speech and has been homebound .
Then , recently , his temperature soared and his body started to tremble .
Doctors diagnosed a lung infection and sent him to the COVID-19 wing at José Gregorio Hernández Hospital .
Elena Suazo moved back to her parents ’ home in the hills above the hospital to help out .
Her father was too weak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he entered the hospital ; Suazo immediately sought and received approval from the hospital to care for him .
Next , she needed protective gear .
She had no money -- as a cafeteria worker , Suazo earns a monthly wage of less than $ 2 -- so her younger brother bought her one suit .
Her son ’ s mother-in-law gave her a second , so she could go to the hospital twice a day .
At first , she had nothing to cover her feet , so she used a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go over her sandals .
Suazo hand washes the clothing and hangs each item to dry on a patio clothesline .
She and her mother cook the chicken she brings her father .
Then Suazo sets out on a 20-minute walk over steep , winding roads , a twice-daily trek that she says has taken its toll .
“ I ’ ve gotten a little skinnier for walking so much , ” said Suazo , who is shy and speaks softly .
At the hospital , Suazo takes a seat on a bench @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call her name for her turn to go inside .
They share stories while waiting , some sitting outside all day .
Venezuela ’ s decline has left its mark on José Gregorio Hernández Hospital , a 47-year-old , nine-story building of exposed concrete .
The paint is peeling and the elevators often fail .
Garbage piles up outside and a pack of dogs roam the grounds .
Just a couple hundred beds remain in use .
Hospital administrators denied requests by The Associated Press to enter .
But family members say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing clean .
The doctors and nurses are kind , they say , but there are simply too few of them .
Three or four nurses typically work in the wing with 31 beds for coronavirus patients , and workers said that the same number of doctors oversee this wing and other emergency visits .
Throughout the day , relatives deliver food ; security guards posted at a desk on the street take it inside to patients .
Relatives of the weakest patients dress in protective gear to care for them .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suriel , a 30-year-old secretary , peels off a white full-body , biohazard suit , revealing jeans and a white shirt soaked with sweat .
Many patients in her grandmother ’ s wing don ’ t have anyone to bring food or bathe them , Suriel said .
“ You feel bad and want to help them , ” she said .
“ With the little time I ’ m given inside , I can ’ t help everybody.
” Lizmary Moreno , 23 , an unemployed waitress , said the risk is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , battling pneumonia , light up when she appears at her bedside .
“ Ay , my darling , you ’ ve arrived , ” her grandmother says .
One day , hospital officials refused to let her enter because there were holes in her protective gear after repeated washes .
Moreno panicked .
She pleaded with relatives to help her find a replacement , fearing she ’ d miss even one visit with her fragile grandmother .
The outfit she was wearing on this day also was threadbare .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ I ’ m having trouble breathing .
Maybe it ’ s just my nerves.
” Relatives going into the COVID-19 wing put themselves at significant risk .
“ In an ideal world you wouldn ’ t want that , ” said Dr. Paul B. Spiegel , director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health .
“ If that person ’ s not going to get food and water or medicine , then what do you do ?
It ’ s not unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Officials in Venezuela report roughly 800 deaths from coronavirus among more than 90,000 cases throughout the country .
That ’ s likely a gross undercount , as many fearful of the broken health care system choose rather to stay home .
An alarming 231 Venezuelan doctors , nurses and other health care workers have died of the coronavirus nationwide , reported United Doctors of Venezuela , a non-governmental group that lobbies for adequate medical supplies and labour conditions .
Seven doctors including one nurse died of the virus during one three-day period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They blame it on a lack of protective supplies .
“ In some hospitals authorities have tried to get doctors or the medical teams , nurses , to use and reuse what ’ s already been used , ” said Natera , president of Federation of Venezuelan Doctors .
Workers at José Gregorio Hernández Hospital say they ’ ve been spared deaths , though the virus apparently has swept through its staff .
The hospital ’ s director was quarantined after showing classic symptoms .
Three nurses interviewed by the AP said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their relatives .
Two security guards at the COVID-19 entrance say they fought through symptoms ; they borrow protective clothing from other hospital workers .
Dr. Wilfredo Sifontes , who oversees the hospital ’ s emergency services including its coronavirus wing , described having a fever , cough and feeling sick .
Though he oversees testing kits , he himself was never tested and continued to clock in .
He dismissed the threat of the coronavirus , comparing it to a “ common flu ” that ’ s sparked needless panic .
Relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they ’ re getting into , he said .
They “ are told about the risk to themselves and others , ” Sifontes said .
“ They assume responsibility.
” Standing in sharp contrast is Peréz de León II Hospital , a medical centre treating COVID-19 patients in another tough neighbourhood of Caracas called Petare .
It ’ s also a state hospital and offers free COVID-19 care but under the auspices of the international humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders in agreement with Venezuela ’ s Health Ministry .
The wing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technicians who care for 36 patients , including six in intensive care connected to respirators and under sedation .
The rooms have running water and air conditioning .
Staff follow a rigorous protocol for protective clothing and handwashing — with the most attention given to taking off the gear after each shift to avoid contamination .
Psychologists on staff call to update family members — who are not allowed into the tightly controlled wing .
Hospitals like this one are few in Venezuela .
Some private clinics in Caracas operate at international standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wealthy , or to patients with insurance willing to pay $ 2,500 a day or more -- more than 1,250 times the monthly minimum wage that most Venezuelans earn .
José Gregorio Hernández Hospital was pretty much the only option for Gavino Suazo .
And his daughter ’ s care made his stay tolerable .
Arriving at his bedside , she changed his diaper , gave him a sponge bath and replaced his bedsheet with a pink-and-yellow one she ’ d brought .
She spoon-fed him soup .
“ He can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
She did the work willingly .
“ I had the good fortune of having a good mother and a good father , ” Suazo said .
“ They always looked after us.
” After nearly two weeks , doctors told Suazo her father was healthy enough to be discharged .
She could arrange for the short car ride up the hill to their home .
As they left the hospital grounds , they passed relatives of those still battling the virus , waited to be let inside .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this story .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Tanzanian opposition party says police kill 9 ahead of vote

ZANZIBAR , Tanzania - A major opposition party in Tanzania is accusing police of shooting dead at least nine citizens amid unrest over alleged fraud on the eve of the country ’ s presidential election .
The ACT Wazalendo party on Tuesday also said police in the semi-autonomous island region arrested its Zanzibar presidential candidate , Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad .
A police official in Zanzibar city , Mohammed Hassan Haji , confirmed the arrest to The Associated Press but gave no details .
Police in Pemba city , however , did not comment on the ACT Wazalendo allegation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening on the eve of advance voting in the region .
Tanzania ’ s inspector general of police , Simon Sirro , later denied any deaths to reporters and said some residents had been throwing rocks and 42 were arrested .
ACT Wazalendo at first said three people were killed but Pavu Juma Abdalla , the party ’ s deputy secretary for human rights , later said the toll had risen to seven .
She said more than 100 people had been arrested .
“ I think it is going to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The army was distributing ballot boxes at polling stations designated for advance voting on Monday evening when “ Citizens in areas surrounding the polling stations have claimed that these boxes contain ballots already pre-marked , ” the party ’ s statement said .
“ They accordingly sought to prevent these ballot boxes from being transferred to the polling stations.
” Police at first responded with tear gas and the live ammunition , the statement said .
The ACT Wazalendo presidential candidate in Zanzibar , Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad , condemned the shootings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a polling station as he went to vote , the party said .
“ Zanzibar lives matter , ” the statement said , calling for his immediate release .
There was a heavy police and military presence in Zanzibar on Tuesday , with many roads blocked .
People reported that internet service had slowed , amid fears that the service would be cut off altogether on Wednesday .
“ I ’ m alarmed by reports from Zanzibar and elsewhere of violence , deaths and detentions , ” the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ It ’ s not too late to prevent more bloodshed !
Security forces must show restraint.
“ The United Nations secretary-general also has called on all political leaders to refrain from violence .
The U.N. human rights office said it was “ particularly alarmed ” by reports of the shootings in Zanzibar , urging independent investigations and appealing for calm .
“ We have been following with concern the shrinking of democratic space in the country , with worrying reports of intimidation , harassment , arbitrary arrests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said .
Tanzanian President John Magufuli seeks a second five-year term in Wednesday ’ s vote , and opposition parties and human rights groups have expressed concern that the vote is already compromised in favour of the ruling party .
The populist Magufuli quickly consolidated power after winning the 2015 election and barred opposition political parties from holding most public gatherings .
Candidates ahead of Wednesday ’ s vote , including top opposition candidate Tundu Lissu , have alleged harassment by authorities , and some major independent election observers will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We would like to remind you that the long-term peace and stability of Tanzania as well as the region rests on your commitment and diligence in conducting a credible , impartial , fair and transparent process , ” the Tanzania Elections Watch , a regional group of eminent persons , said in a letter to the East African nation ’ s electoral commission .
So far , the group said , the commission ’ s conduct “ does not pass the basic tests of an independent and impartial election management body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked out of the process.
” Amnesty International ’ s Seif Magango added in an interview : “ We are concerned that the last five years of human rights deterioration in the country could continue into the next five.
” Zanzibar has been the scene of deadly abuses by security forces in the past .
In 2001 , security forces killed at least 35 people and wounded more than 600 while suppressing opposition protests over alleged election fraud , Human Rights Watch reported .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Bomb at seminary in Pakistan kills 8 students, wounds 136

PESHAWAR , Pakistan - A powerful bomb blast ripped through an Islamic seminary on the outskirts of the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday morning , killing at least eight students and wounding 136 others , police and a hospital spokesman said .
The bombing happened as a prominent religious scholar during a special class was delivering a lecture about the teachings of Islam at the main hall of the Jamia Zubairia madrassa , said police officer Waqar Azim .
He said initial investigations suggest the bomb went off minutes after someone left a bag at the madrassa .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the seminary , where the bombing took place .
The hall was littered with broken glass and its carpet was stained with blood .
Police said at least 5 kilograms ( 11 pounds ) of explosives were used in the attack .
Several of the wounded students were in critical condition , and hospital authorities feared the death toll could climb further .
Authorities said some seminary teachers and employees were also wounded in the bombing .
Initially police said the bombing killed and wounded children studying at the seminary but later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students were in their mid-20s .
Shortly after the attack , residents rushed to the seminary to check up on their sons or relatives who were studying there .
Many relatives were gathering at the city ’ s main Lady Reading Hospital , where the dead and wounded students were brought by police in ambulances and other vehicles .
Some Afghan students studying at the seminary were also among the wounded , officials said .
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the bombing and asked authorities to ensure the provision of best possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want to assure my nation we will ensure the terrorists responsible for this cowardly barbaric attack are brought to justice , “ Khan said .
The bombing drew condemnation from the country ’ s opposition party , which has been holding rallies meant to force Khan ’ s government to quit .
The United Nations ’ children ’ s agency , UNICEF , also condemned the attack .
In a statement , its representative in Pakistan , Aida ?
Girma , said “ education is the fundamental right of every girl and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be targeted.
“ From his hospital bed , a wounded student , Mohammad Saqib , 24 , said religious scholar Rahimullah Haqqani was explaining verses from the Qur ’ an when suddenly they heard a deafening sound and then cries and saw blood-stained students crying for help .
“ Someone helped me and put me in an ambulance and I was brought to hospital , “ he said .
Saqib had bandages on both arms but he was listed in a stable condition .
Another witness , Saeed Ullah , 24 , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seminary ’ s main hall at the time of the explosion .
He said teachers were also among those who were wounded in the bombing .
A video filmed by a student at the scene showed the Islamic scholar Haqqani delivering a lecture when the bomb exploded .
It was unclear whether the teacher was among the wounded .
Mohammad Asim , a spokesman at the Lady Reading Hospital , said eight students died and they received dozens of wounded people , mostly seminary students .
The attack comes days after Pakistani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places and important buildings , including seminaries and mosques across Pakistan , including Peshawar .
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Peshawar which is the provincial capital of Pakistan ’ s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan .
The province has been the scene of such militant attacks in recent years , but sectarian violence has also killed or wounded people at mosques or seminaries across Pakistan .
The latest attack comes two days after a bombing in the southwestern city of Quetta killed three people .
The Pakistani Taliban have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mosques and the military across the country since 2001 , when this Islamic nation joined the U.S.-led war on terror following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States .
Mohammad Khurasani , a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban , condemned Tuesday ’ s bombing .
In a statement , he described the attack as a cowardly act , claiming that the country ’ s institutions were behind it .
Since then , the insurgents have declared war on the government of Pakistan and have carried out numerous attacks , including a brutal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Peshawar in 2014 that killed 140 children and several teachers .
Associated Press writer Asim Tanveer contributed to this report from Multan , Pakistan .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Embattled Malaysian PM gets respite but survival in balance

KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia - A key ally ’ s reaffirmed support for Malaysia ’ s prime minister offers him a respite after his failed bid to declare a coronavirus emergency , but his political survival still hangs in the balance .
Eight months after taking office , Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is being challenged by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim , who says he has majority support to form a new government with defections from Muhyiddin ’ s ruling coalition .
The support reportedly comes from the United Malays National Organization , the biggest party in the unelected governing coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivalry with Muhyiddin ’ s own Malay party .
Muhyiddin sought to checkmate his rivals with a proposed coronavirus emergency that would have suspended Parliament and given him uncontested powers — but he miscalculated .
The king stepped out of his largely ceremonial role Sunday to declare Muhyiddin ’ s proposed emergency was unnecessary and existing laws were enough to fight a spike in coronavirus cases .
Many Malaysians were angered by Muhyiddin ’ s move , and a senior UMNO official called on him to resign .
UMNO leaders discussed late Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement later that it would remain in the coalition but demanded respect and better co-operation .
Analysts warned the situation is still fluid and Muhyiddin ’ s position remains precarious .
He only has a slim two-seat majority in Parliament and unhappy UMNO lawmakers could still shift alliance to Anwar .
Oh Ei Sun , a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs , said more political manoeuvring is expected as Muhyiddin needs to get approval for 2021 budget in Parliament next month .
If he is unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build for him to resign or call new elections .
“ Muhyiddin can now cling on to his political survival only at the whims of UMNO , which sees unresolved factional struggles .
It would appear that his ship is going down but has not completely capsized yet , ” Oh said .
Muhyiddin took power in March after withdrawing his party from Anwar ’ s governing alliance that won 2018 polls .
He tied up with the corruption-tainted UMNO and other opposition parties to form a Malay-centric government but his administration has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which had ruled Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 but was ousted in 2018 , has been vexed by its lack of senior Cabinet positions .
Muhyiddin did away with the deputy premier post and retained key posts such as finance and economic for his party and proxies .
His appointments of second-tier UMNO leaders to Cabinet posts have divided UMNO leadership , and the party was further upset by a state leadership tussle after winning a crucial election last month .
Former Prime Minister Najib Razak , who remains out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption , has voiced support for Anwar — a key player in the reformist government that ousted Najib in 2018 .
Anwar has not named the lawmakers supporting him for fear they may be bribed or harassed , and there are doubts he can form a coalition as UMNO and a Chinese-dominated party in Anwar ’ s camp are at loggerheads .
The king met Anwar earlier this month but has postponed meetings with party leaders to verify Anwar ’ s claim of a majority support .
He has also called for support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic — despite his rejection of the emergency plan — after Malaysia ’ s cases doubled to more than 27,000 in just a few weeks .
Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid , political science professor at Malaysia ’ s University of Science .
said Muhyiddin ’ s emergency plan was really an admission of defeat but he received “ an indirect slap on the face ” from the king .
“ If the budget is not passed , that signifies that his government has lost its majority .
( Muhyiddin ) will have lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Here’s why Ant Group is about to shatter IPO records

HONG KONG - Stella Su , who lives and works in Shanghai , has used an ATM only once in the past year .
Instead of cash , in recent years she has done almost all her business using the digital wallet Alipay –- shopping in a mall , buying stuff online or transferring money to friends .
“ Now when I go out , I don ’ t even need to carry my wallet , all I need is my phone , ” said Su , one of over a billion Alipay users in China and abroad .
Alipay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s largest and most valuable financial technology ( fintech ) company and one of two dominant Chinese digital wallets in China , the other being rival Tencent ’ s WeChat Pay .
Thanks to the huge scale and potential of China ’ s fintech landscape , Ant Group is poised to raise about $ 34.5 billion in the world ’ s largest share offering , beating Saudi Aramco ’ s previous record of $ 29.4 billion .
Ahead of the IPO , the company will be valued at about $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and global investors , Ant Group is listing its shares both in Shanghai and Hong Kong .
It is due to begin trading in Hong Kong on Nov. 5 .
The Shanghai debut has yet to be announced .
Even before announcing its IPO plans , Ant Group was the world ’ s most valuable fintech company , with a valuation of $ 150 billion after a 2018 fundraising round .
“ Ant Group is much more than PayPal which only processes financial payments .
It has a lot of businesses in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help 1.3 billion people in China , ” Jackson Wong , asset management director at Amber Hill Capital Ltd. , said in an interview .
“ We are betting that Ant Group will be able to grow at a very high pace in the future.
” Alipay and WeChat Pay have helped make Chinese society virtually cashless , at least in big cities , with consumers and merchants alike relying on digital payments using their phones .
“ Think of Alipay as Visa , MasterCard , Citibank , Fidelity… all rolled up into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founder and managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai .
“ On the Alipay platform , you pay for things , you buy insurance , you buy wealth management .
Your whole life revolves around Alipay.
” Walk into a supermarket in China and one would be hard-pressed to find a customer digging around for loose change to pay for groceries .
Instead , cashiers scan a QR code on a customer ’ s smartphone to deduct money from their Alipay or WeChat Pay digital wallets .
The transaction takes seconds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often split the bill by transferring money to each other using their digital wallets , similar to how the Venmo app is used in the U.S. “ Ant Group is so valuable because Alipay is used on a day to day basis by a billion people on all of their purchases , ” said Rein .
“ The scale of fintech in China dwarfs the regular financial transaction potential in the United States.
” Alipay evolved from e-commerce giant Alibaba , which was founded by Jack Ma in 1999 to help match buyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing market .
When Alibaba launched consumer e-commerce platform Taobao to rival eBay in China , Alipay was introduced as a payments method to boost users ’ trust in the platform .
Today , Alipay ’ s reach extends to almost every aspect of life related to money .
Ma ’ s foresight has made him the wealthiest person in China , with a fortune estimated at $ 58.8 billion according to the Hurun Research Institute , which follows the country ’ s wealthy .
Alipay was created in 2004 to serve as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Alibaba ’ s e-commerce consumer platform Taobao .
It held funds from buyers to be released to sellers after goods were received .
Alipay ’ s revenue mostly comes from transaction fees charged to merchants .
Users can link their bank cards directly to Alipay to top up their wallets , and transfers can also be withdrawn from users ’ bank accounts .
Alibaba , which currently owns a third of Ant Group , spun off Alipay in 2011 .
The company was later rebranded as Ant as the company expanded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those is Zhima Credit – -a private credit-scoring system that rates the trustworthiness and creditworthiness of its users based on data such as whether users pay their bills on time via Alipay .
Zhima Credit scores can help people take out small loans from Ant Group ’ s consumer credit services Huabei and Jiebei to finance such things as iPhone purchases or school expenses .
Such loans are hugely popular in China , where credit card usage is low and most people have no official credit history and are unable to borrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money market fund , called Yu ’ e Bao -– one of the world ’ s largest –- lets people put idle cash in their Alipay wallets to work and reap returns on investments as small as 100 yuan ( $ 15 ) .
“ In the past , wealth management products offered by banks had many requirements , maybe a minimum of 50,000 yuan ( about $ 7,500 ) , ” said Chen Zhoumin , who works in a bank in Zhengzhou , a city in central China ’ s Henan province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very convenient to invest money , because it made wealth management accessible and convenient.
” To compete with Yu ’ e Bao , banks have begun providing more flexible investment products with lower capital requirements , said Chen , who often invests idle cash in Yu ’ e Bao since it ’ s easy to do .
“ Digital wallets like Alipay and WeChat have revolutionized payments in China , ” he said .
“ Now , there ’ s also less worry that we might get counterfeit notes , or that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything is done digitally now.
” AP journalist Alice Fung in Hong Kong and researcher Chen Si in Shanghai contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Entertainers discuss disability representation in Hollywood

It ’ s an old cliche that if an actor wants to win an Oscar , he or she should consider playing a character with a disability .
And it ’ s not entirely unfounded advice : 61 actors have been nominated for playing a character with a disability and 27 have walked away winners .
But only two of those actors actually had a disability — Marlee Matlin in “ Children of a Lesser God ” and Harold Russell in “ The Best Years of Our Lives.
” That ’ s just one of the things that needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertainment industry professionals with disabilities including actors Danny Woodburn , “ A Quiet Place ’ s ” Millicent Simmonds and “ Peanut Butter Falcon ’ s ” Zack Gottsagen .
They and other creatives with disabilities , from directors to VFX artists , spoke about the state of representation in front of and behind the camera in series of virtual panels organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that debuted Monday night .
The panels , funded in part by a grant from the Ruderman Family Foundation , coincides with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Disabilities Act .
“ It would be really helpful to have a disabled ( Disney ) princess , ” said actor and comedian Maysoon Zayid , who has cerebral palsy .
Zayid noted that people with visible and invisible disabilities make up about 20 % of the American population but a miniscule number of characters on television and in film .
“ The message being sent out to disabled kids is you do not belong in this world , ” Zayid said .
“ People with disabilities face enormous amounts of bullying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disability can stop that.
” Part of that is casting actors with disabilities to play characters with disabilities .
Simmonds , who is deaf , said she ’ s had to go up against non-disabled actors for disabled roles .
She recalled that her “ A Quiet Place ” director John Krasinski had to fight to cast a deaf actor and that producers wanted someone who was hearing .
“ Deaf roles should be played by deaf actors , ” she said through an interpreter .
At times she ’ s even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for herself .
“ I ’ m not above calling directors or producers and suggesting that they have a deaf actress for a particular role , “ she said .
But another part of the equation is giving actors rich and nuanced storylines that go beyond the three they usually get : “ ’ You can ’ t love me because I ’ m disabled , ’ ‘ heal me ’ or ‘ kill me , ’ ” said Zayid .
Woodburn , who has dwarfism , remembers watching actors like Michael Dunn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stereotypes and tropes like the “ sad little man ” or the “ devious little man ” and storylines that were the same .
There is also the issue of working and how productions can be more accommodating to people with disabilities both on screen and behind the scenes .
Many noted that they don ’ t want to ask for special accommodations .
Zayid remembered being unable to get into her trailer on the set of “ You Don ’ t Mess with the Zohan ” and basically had to ask a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Adam Sandler saw and said , ‘ What is happening ?
Make her trailer accessible !
” I said I didn ’ t want to be high maintenance , ” she said .
“ He said ‘ look around , we ’ re in Hollywood.
’ ” Jim LeBrecht , who directed the Netflix documentary “ Crip Camp , ” said it could help if the industry re-thought its own barriers to entry , like starting as a production assistant who has to carry 14 cups of coffee and work 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the door .
“ Instead of asking what you won ’ t be able to do , ask is there anything I can do to help you do the best work you can , ” LeBrecht said .
“ None of us got to your door by being oversensitive and mad at everybody ... we are comfortable with our disability.
” VFX supervisor Kaitlyn Yang said that people with disabilities can be particularly effective in post-production roles .
She ’ s also found a silver-lining in the video conferencing realities of COVID-era filmmaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonder now if she should address her wheelchair .
“ Video conferencing is taking away the uncomfortableness that people might have if I were to take a meeting and roll into the conference room , ” Yang said .
“ It puts us on an equal playing field.
” Talent manager Eryn Brown hopes that disability representation reach the same level of discussion as LGBTQ and racial and ethnic diversity .
She said the ingrained stigma around it has even made her reticent to discuss it with her clients .
“ A raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is imperative , ” Brown said .
“ Anyone at any moment can become disabled so it ’ s in everyone ’ s best interests in the world to be accommodating.
” The film academy , which puts on the Oscars , has been working to increase diversity in its own ranks and in the industry and recently set inclusion standards for best picture nominees .
“ As the Academy continues to examine longstanding issues of representation within the film industry , it ’ s imperative we bring conversations about disabilities to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who heads the Academy ’ s office of representation , inclusion and equity .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Teen who recorded Floyd death on phone to receive PEN award

NEW YORK - The teenager who recorded the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May will be honoured in December by PEN America , the literary and human rights organization .
Darnella Frazier will be presented the PEN/Benenson Courage Award .
“ With nothing more than a cellphone and sheer guts , Darnella changed the course of history in this country , sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black racism and violence at the hands of police , ” PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement Tuesday .
The 17-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marie Yovanovitch , the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was pushed out by the Trump administration .
Because of the coronavirus pandemic , PEN had postponed its annual gala from May 19 , six days before Floyd ’ s death , to Dec. 8 , and will host the event online .
“ Darnella Frazier took an enormous amount of flak in the wake of releasing the video , ” Nossel told The Associated Press .
“ People were accusing her of being in it for the money , or for being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t intervene .
And it was just left this way .
We wanted to go back and recognize and elevate this singular act.
” Others being honoured by PEN in December include the author and musician Patti Smith and Chinese dissident Xu Zhiyong .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--September orders for big-ticket manufactured goods up 1.9%

WASHINGTON - Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods rose a better-than-expected 1.9 % in September with a key @ @ @ @ @ showing a solid gain as well .
The rise in durable goods orders followed a @ @ @ @ @ August and was the best gain since an 11.8 % surge in July , the @ @ @ @ @ Orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft , a key category that serves as a @ @ @ @ @ rose 1 % in September after bigger gains in July and August .
The pace @ @ @ @ @ slowed since an initial burst in demand as the country re-opened after the spring shutdown @ @ @ @ @ this slowdown could worsen in coming months as virus cases surge again and the boost @ @ @ @ @ the failure of Congress to quickly renew support programs .

Martin Crutsinger - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Asia Today: Thailand: Woman probably infected in quarantine

BANGKOK - Health officials in Thailand said Tuesday it is likely that a French woman who earlier this month tested positive for the coronavirus became infected when she stayed under quarantine at a hotel near Bangkok .
The 57-year-old woman tested positive after she and her family flew on Oct. 15 from Bangkok to the island of Koh Samui , where she experienced symptoms of the disease .
Her case was one of the few of local transmission reported in Thailand over the past several months .
After her infection was confirmed , the communal areas of the hotel where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus were found in its gym area .
The authorities also announced that two more people quarantined at the hotel were found infected with the coronavirus , one Asian , one European , both male .
The Health Ministry said it had not yet concluded whether those two people were infected at the hotel .
More than 100 people who may have come in contact with the French woman have been tested for the virus , but none has been found infected so far .
Thailand announced three new cases on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total to 3,746 , including 59 deaths .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — Sri Lankan police say they have arrested more than 1,100 people over the last several days for violating curfews imposed in parts of the country to contain the coronavirus amid a new surge of the virus .
The government has widened curfews in parts of the capital , Colombo , and some areas in Western province , where a new cluster centred at a garment factory was discovered early this month .
Colombo is in Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in different parts of the country have also been isolated to curb the spread .
On Tuesday , police spokesman Ajith Rohana said 1,122 people have been arrested for violating curfews and quarantine regulations over a period of more than a week .
Those arrested could face a fine of 10,000 rupees ( $ 54 ) or six months in prison , or both .
Sri Lanka has reported a total of 8,413 cases .
It also has had 17 deaths , including one reported on Tuesday .
Follow all of AP ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--France tightens security amid fallout from teacher beheading

PARIS - France is increasing security at religious sites as the interior minister said Tuesday that the country faces a “ very high ” risk of terrorist threats , amid growing geopolitical tensions following the beheading of a teacher who showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad .
French diplomats are trying to quell anger in Turkey and Arab nations amid anti-France protests and calls for boycotts of French goods in response to President Emmanuel Macron ’ s firm stance against Islamism in the wake of the Oct. 16 beheading .
European allies have supported Macron , while Muslim-majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prophet cartoons they consider sacrilegious .
France ’ s national police have called for increased security at religious sites around the All Saint ’ s holiday this coming weekend , particularly noting online threats from extremists against Christians and moderate French Muslims .
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on France-Inter radio that the terrorist threat remains “ very high , because we have a lot of enemies from within and outside the country.
” He reiterated plans to try to disband Muslim groups seen as peddling dangerous radical views or with too much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan in particular of “ meddling in France ’ s internal business.
“ “ There is a battle against an Islamist ideology .
We must not back down , ” he said .
But he insisted that “ the Muslim faith has all its place in the republic.
” Some members of France ’ s largely moderate Muslim community are calling for calm , and defending the freedom of expression that the beheaded teacher was seeking to demonstrate .
The prophet cartoons deeply upset many Muslims around the world .
Turkish President Recep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France , questioning Macron ’ s mental state , and France recalled its ambassador to Turkey for consultations , a first in French-Turkish diplomatic relations .
Tensions between the two countries have mounted in recent months over Turkish actions in Syria , Libya and the Caucasus Mountains region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
But this new spat has quickly spread to other countries in Europe and the Muslim world .
Anti-France protests have been held from Bangladesh to the Gaza Strip , Kuwaiti stores pulled French yogurt and bottles of sparkling water from their shelves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , and Pakistan ’ s parliament passed a resolution condemning the publication of cartoons of the prophet .
EU officials warn that Turkey ’ s stance could further damage its relations with key trading partners and its long-stalled efforts to join the EU .
“ A boycott will only move Turkey even further away from the EU , ” European Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvaris said Tuesday , insisting that Turkey needs to respect the terms of its trade deal on merchandise and goods with the EU .
Samuel Petrequin in Brussels and @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Ohio governor pleads for legislative action on gun violence

COLUMBUS , Ohio - At some point during Gov .
Mike DeWine ’ s Tuesday briefing on Ohio ’ s fight against the coronavirus , the Republican chief executive will also continue his so-far unsuccessful crusade against gun violence .
As he has every Tuesday for months , the governor will interrupt his remarks on pandemic stats and safety measures and plead with fellow Republican lawmakers to act on his legislation addressing gun violence in the state .
He proposed the measure last year in the wake of the Dayton mass shooting that killed nine people and injured more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sick and tired of picking up the newspaper and seeing the things that we see literally every single day — our fellow Ohioans injured or killed through senseless violence , ” DeWine said on Oct. 6 , noting at least 42 people had been shot in the past week and more than half died .
He ’ s made similar points Tuesday after Tuesday .
So far , Republican leaders remain cool to DeWine ’ s pleas .
House Speaker Bob Cupp , a Lima Republican , said last week there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ constitutional rights .
He said he doesn ’ t think there ’ s enough time left this session to give the issue the “ great deal of study and balance ” that it requires .
GOP Senate President Larry Obhof says he ’ s open to discussion , while noting the Legislature has already dealt with some aspects of the governor ’ s wish list .
For example , a Senate-passed bill that would expand access to state psychiatric hospitals for the seriously mentally ill is now pending in the House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chambers , favour some of DeWine ’ s concepts but don ’ t have the numbers to help the measure pass .
And some felt the governor didn ’ t go far enough , such as including a “ red flag ” law to restrict firearms for people perceived as threats .
A key element of the governor ’ s “ STRONG Ohio ” proposal is boosting penalties for felons committing new crimes with guns .
The need has only grown more dire since then , DeWine said .
The proposal also increases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy a gun or take ownership through a transfer , and would give judges the ability to hand down tougher sentences for felons found guilty of possessing weapons .
The proposal has had three hearings in the Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee , but none since December .
The bill ’ s Republican sponsor , Sen. Matt Dolan of Cleveland , said he remains optimistic something could happen during this year ’ s post-election lame duck session .
“ This is not an attack on the 2nd Amendment , ” Dolan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s making sure that violent or mentally ill people who are legally prohibited from owning a gun don ’ t get ahold of weapons .
Obhof also said boosting law enforcement efforts can help address gun violence .
“ There are a number of issues that we ’ re either working on , or have worked on , or have already passed that relate to these topics , ” Obhof said .
The debate comes as killings by guns and non-fatal shootings are spiking across Ohio and around the country , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic , frustration over state stay-at-home orders , and anger at cases of police brutality and racial injustice .
In Columbus , Ohio ’ s capital and largest city , homicides are on track to top the record of 143 set three years ago .
Cincinnati ’ s homicide rate is also running well ahead of last year ’ s and is also on track to beat the all-time high of 86 nearly 15 years ago .
The number of Cincinnati shootings is also way up : at least 405 so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time last year .
In Cleveland , homicides by gun are running nearly 40 % higher so far this year compared to last .
The city ’ s total number of homicides — 150 to date — is at the highest level in almost 30 years .
The record , more than 300 , was set 51 years ago .

Andrew Welsh-Huggins - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Turkey-backed fighters retaliate against Syria-allied troops

BEIRUT - Syrian opposition groups lobbed hundreds of missiles and artillery rockets at government posts in northwestern Syria on Tuesday , in retaliation for a deadly attack that killed dozens of their fighters a day earlier .
The renewed violence has undermined an already shaky cease-fire in place since March that aimed to quell military operations and government troop advances in the overcrowded rebel enclave .
The Turkey-backed groups , operating under the umbrella of the National Front for Liberation , fired hundreds of artillery rounds and missiles since late Monday at government posts in territories adjacent to areas they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesman for the NFL , Naji al-Mustafa , said the rebel ’ s military retaliation targeted and killed Russian officers in southern Idlib , as well as Syrian soldiers working in the area .
The report could not be independently verified and there was no immediate comment from Russia or Syria .
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recorded hundreds of projectiles lobbed by opposition fighters at nearly 20 government posts in different locations in southern Idlib , western Aleppo and the coastal province of Latakia .
The Observatory said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday ’ s strike was the deadliest in Idlib since the Turkish-Russian-brokered truce there came into effect in March , raising fears that the truce could further fray .
Some 1 million people were displaced by the last offensive inside the already packed enclave , home to over 3 million .
The airstrike on a rebel training camp near the border with Turkey killed more than 50 Turkish-backed fighters , according to one opposition spokesman , and wounded nearly as many , in one of the heaviest blows to the opposition ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights , which monitors the war in Syria , put the toll at 78 fighters dead and nearly 90 wounded .
The camp , operated by Faylaq al-Sham , an NFL faction , was hosting training sessions for new recruits .
The NFL said a “ large number ” of fighters were killed , but declined to give details .
It vowed retaliation and blamed Russia for the attack .
U.S. Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey said the escalation in Idlib in violation of the March cease-fire deal is “ dangerous ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deepen the Syrian people ’ s suffering .
Jeffrey said the UN-led political process is the only way to peace and stability in Syria .
“ By continuing their quest for a military victory , the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian allies are threatening the stability of the surrounding region , ” he said in a statement Tuesday .
“ It is time for the Assad regime and its allies to end their needless , brutal war against the Syrian people.
” Russia and Turkey , although they support opposite sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have worked together to maintain a cease-fire in the last enclave of Syria ’ s rebels .
But the attack comes as relations between the two countries have shown signs of strain over Turkey ’ s increased military involvement in a region stretching from Syria to the Caucasus and the Mediterranean .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Poland’s PM defends abortion ruling, condemns protests

WARSAW , Poland - Poland ’ s prime minister on Tuesday defended the tightening of the country ’ s abortion law and condemned massive nationwide protests led by women ’ s rights activists , saying they shouldn ’ t be happening amid heightened coronavirus restrictions and decrying “ acts of aggression.
” The country ’ s top court on Thursday ruled that abortions due to fetal congenital defects are unconstitutional .
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded to the five days of massive protests that have followed , and tensions also erupted in parliament on Tuesday .
Parliament ’ s speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s leader , Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski , from angry opposition lawmakers .
Speaker Ryszard Telecki , a close ally of Kaczynski , caused more anger by likening the red lightning symbol of the protests to the runes of Nazi Germany ’ s brutal SS .
On Monday , thousands of protesters led by women ’ s rights activists blocked traffic for hours in most cities and also gathered outside churches , chanting obscenities against Poland ’ s influential Catholic Church leaders , who condemn abortions .
They called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice .
“ In order to have the freedom of choice you first must be alive , ” Morawiecki , whose government backs tight restrictions , said in a statement defending the court ’ s ruling .
Morawiecki added that “ the situations that we are seeing in the streets and which amount to acts of aggression , vandalism , attacks , are absolutely inadmissible , should not be taking place at all.
” The prime minister urged everyone to observe restrictions that ban gatherings of more than five people in an effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , which hit a new high of some 16,300 new confirmed cases Tuesday .
The constitutional Tribunal ’ s ruling on Thursday tightened what was already one of Europe ’ s most restrictive abortion laws .
When it takes effect , which is expected with its official publication in the coming days or weeks , abortion will be permitted only when a pregnancy threatens the woman ’ s health or is the result of crime like rape or incest .
More protests are planned during the week .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Greek navy minesweeper damaged after cargo ship collision

ATHENS , Greece - A Greek navy minesweeper and a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship collided Tuesday outside the country ’ s main port of Piraeus , leaving two navy crew slightly injured and prompting the evacuation of the severely damaged military vessel .
It was not immediately clear why the navy ship Kallisto and the Maersk Launceston container vessel , which had been heading to Turkey with 22 crew on board , collided .
The coast guard said a rescue operation was launched with three coast guard patrol boats , a coast guard special forces unit , a navy ship and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 navy crew members were rescued from the minesweeper , which sustained damage and was taking on water .
The Kallisto , listing to one side and with severe damage to its stern , much of which appeared to be missing , was being towed to a naval base on the nearby island of Salamina .
The ship is a British-built mine countermeasures vessel capable of sweeping and hunting mines .
The two injured crew members were transported to a hospital , while the rest were transferred to another navy vessel , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into the incident , and the container ship was banned from setting sail .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Worst place, worst time: Trump faces virus spike in Midwest

OSHKOSH , Wis. - Gabe Loiacono is the kind of voter President Donald Trump can ill afford to lose .
He lives in a pivotal county of a swing state that is among a handful that will decide the presidency .
A college history professor who last cast a ballot for a Democrat more than 20 years ago , Loiacono is voting for Democrat Joe Biden because he thinks Trump has utterly failed in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ President Trump still does not seem to be taking the pandemic seriously enough .
I wish he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he never thought of Trump as “ all bad “ but added , “ There is still too much wishful thinking and not enough clear guidance.
” And now the virus is getting worse in states that the Republican president needs the most , at the least opportune time .
New infections are raging in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the upper Midwest .
In Iowa , polls suggest Trump is in a toss-up race with Biden after carrying the state by 9.4 percentage points four years ago .
Trump ’ s pandemic response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he won by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016 , said Marquette University Law School poll director Charles Franklin .
“ Approval of his handling of COVID is the next-strongest predictor of vote choice , “ behind voters ’ party affiliation and their overall approval of Trump ’ s performance as president , Franklin said .
“ And it ’ s not just a fluke of a single survey.
” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Sunday that among U.S. states , Wisconsin had the third highest rate of new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 10th .
Trump won Wisconsin ’ s heavily blue-collar Winnebago County , which includes Oshkosh , in 2016 , after Democratic nominee Barack Obama had carried it in 2012 .
Today , Winnebago is among the top 10 counties where new Wisconsin COVID cases are being reported , according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and compiled by The Associated Press .
The trend is similar in Iowa .
Blue-collar Dubuque County was among the state ’ s 10 counties with the fastest-growing number of cases per capita over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrowly after Democrats had carried it since the 1950s .
In Wisconsin , where polling has shown Biden with a slight but consistent advantage , approval of Trump ’ s handling the pandemic dropped from 51 % in March to 41 % in October , according to a Marquette University Law School poll .
That ’ s a noteworthy decline considering Trump ’ s overall approval has fluctuated little and remained in the mid-40s .
Iowans ’ view of Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic is also more negative than positive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Iowa Poll and Monmouth University polls .
The race in Iowa remains very close , though Monmouth poll director Patrick Murray said Trump ’ s poor rating in Iowa on handling the pandemic “ suggests in the decision-making process , the coronavirus is top of mind and decisive.
” As Trump enters a frenzied final week of campaigning , he continues to hold mass rallies that often defy local public health rules .
The campaign says supporters are merely exercising their First Amendment rights .
The president also continues to insist the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the virus , an assertion that has drawn rebukes from public health experts , including Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s leading infectious disease specialist .
He also blames news media coverage of the outbreak .
“ ALL THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IS COVID , COVID , COVID , ” Trump tweeted Tuesday .
“ ON NOVEMBER 4th , YOU WON ’ T BE HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT IT ANYMORE .
WE ARE ROUNDING THE TURN !
!
!
” During his debate with Biden last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite the spike in cases : “ It will go away .
It ’ s going away.
” The comments betrayed the seriousness Trump conveyed during recorded conversations with journalist Bob Woodward in February , when Trump said he “ wanted to always play it down ” to avoid creating a panic .
On Sunday , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on CNN : “ We ’ re not going to control the pandemic .
We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines , therapeutics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House confirmed that Vice-President Mike Pence ’ s chief of staff , Marc Short , had tested positive for COVID-19 , after the news of Short ’ s diagnosis dribbled out .
The vice-president has showed no signs of curbing his torrid campaign schedule .
“ That ’ s how I read it , ” Goeas said .
“ The only hope it seems is therapeutics will make it less of a killer and eventually the vaccine will be available to everyone .
It looked to me like they were just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was always their intent.
” COVID-19 cases also have risen over the past two weeks in Midwestern battlegrounds Michigan , Minnesota and Ohio , though not as sharply as in Wisconsin and Iowa , according to the Johns Hopkins data .
The pandemic is resonating because it touches all Americans personally and most of them economically , said Terry Madonna , director the Franklin and Marshall College Poll and veteran scholar of Pennsylvania politics .
“ It ’ s ubiquitous , ” Madonna said .
“ Maybe it ’ s not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who had it .
You can ’ t get away from it in the news and in your own life.
” And voters like Loiacono say they are holding the president to account .
“ The job of government is to lead in times of crises , ” said Loiacono , 44 , masked and standing on his front porch in Oshkosh a few blocks from Lake Winnebago .
“ The president has admitted he talked much more positively about it because he saw his role as being a cheerleader .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it was the wrong move.
” AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : //interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/ .
Corrects White House confirmed on Saturday , not Sunday , that Pence ’ s chief of staff had tested positive .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Yemeni officials say armed men kill rebel official in Sanaa

SANAA , Yemen - Yemeni officials said armed men shot dead a rebel official Tuesday as he was heading to his office in the capital Sanaa , the most senior Houthi to be killed in more than two years .
Hassan Zaid , who leads the rebel-run Youth and Sports Ministry , died of his wounds immediately after armed men opened fire on his car in the Haddah neighbourhood in central Sanaa , the Houthi rebels said .
The minister ’ s daughter , who was driving the car , was also wounded , the Houthi-run Interior Ministry said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim of responsibility , but the Iranian-backed Houthis claimed that the Saudi-led coalition fighting them since 2015 was behind the killing .
The rebels did not provide evidence .
A spokesman for the coalition was not immediately available for comment .
The killing came amid tight security in Sanaa ahead of the Prophet Muhammad ’ s birthday on Friday , an event the Houthis use to hold mass celebrations .
Zaid , 66 , was the most senior Houthi official killed in Sanaa since the 2017 clashes that led to the killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebels .
He was also the first top official killed since an airstrike in 2018 by the Saudi-led coalition killed Saleh al-Samad , president of the Houthi-backed political body .
The Houthi minister was wanted by Saudi Arabia for plotting attacks and in 2017 it offered a $ 10 million bounty to anyone who provided information leading to his arrest .
He was better known for his 2017 call to send school children and teachers in Houthi-held areas to front lines to fight against forces of the internationally recognized government .
Yemen plunged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houthi rebels took over the capital , Sanaa , in 2014 from the internationally recognized government .
A Saudi-led coalition allied with the government has been fighting the Houthis since March 2015 .
The war in Yemen has spawned the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis , leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages .
It has killed over 112,000 people , including fighters and civilians , according to a database project that tracks violence .
The United Nations meanwhile warned Tuesday that at least 98,000 children under five in Yemen could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization , UNICEF and the World Food Program , revealed that in the worst hit areas in the southern provinces of Abyan , Lahij and Taiz , around one in five children suffer from acute malnutrition .
The analysis also said at least 250,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women need malnutrition treatment .
The actual number is likely higher , according to U.N. experts .
It showed an increase of about 10 % in cases of acute malnutrition in 2020 , and a rise of 15.5 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 1.4 million children under five .
Lise Grande , the U.N. humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen , said the latest data showed that acute malnutrition among children hit highest levels not seen since the beginning of Yemen ’ s civil war .
“ We ’ ve been warning since July that Yemen is on the brink of a catastrophic food security crisis .
If the war doesn ’ t end now , we are nearing an irreversible situation and risk losing an entire generation of Yemen ’ s young children , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than $ 50 million are urgently required to “ save lives and avert a further worsening situation .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--1,000-plus faith leaders call for ‘free and fair election’

WASHINGTON - More than 1,000 clergy members , religious scholars and other faith-based advocates have signed onto a unique statement that supports a comprehensive path to “ a free and fair election ” and urges leaders to heed the verdict of “ legitimate election results ” regardless of who wins in November .
Signatories of the statement , shared in advance with The Associated Press , include senior officials at the National Association of Evangelicals and prominent progressive pastor the Rev .
William Barber , as well as two past faith advisers to former President George W. Bush .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illustrates the extent to which the unprecedented nature of a mid-pandemic election has pushed organized religion to showcase its civic power .
After listing four basic principles , including the importance of leaders sharing “ timely , accurate information about the election results ” rather than misinformation , the statement goes on to state that those ideas “ are central to a functioning and healthy republic and they are supported by the vast majority of Americans , yet they are being challenged in unprecedented ways in the 2020 election.
” “ America is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s commitment to our democracy and the freedoms and rights it ensures , ” the joint statement adds .
Galen Carey , vice-president of government relations at the evangelicals association , contrasted the current political climate with the contentious 2000 presidential election , when vote counting in the swing state of Florida was halted and Bush declared the winner following a Supreme Court ruling .
“ Twenty years later , we ’ re not in that place where we can just assume that once the outcome is announced and decided , everyone can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wish the new leaders well , ” Carey , who signed the joint statement alongside NAE President Walter Kim , said in an interview .
Other faith leaders signing the statement include John Dilulio , the first director of the White House faith-based initiative office during Bush ’ s administration , and Stanley Carlson-Thies , who also served in Bush ’ s faith-based office and later advised the Obama administration on faith matters while founding the non-profit Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance .
President Donald Trump has sparked criticism for declining to fully commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Democratic opponent Joe Biden prevails in the battle for the White House next week .
While the statement mentions neither presidential candidate by name , its signatories include several prominent Christian leaders who have backed Biden , such as retired megachurch pastor the Rev .
Joel Hunter and Ron Sider , founder and president emeritus of Christians for Social Action .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Turkey’s Erdogan sues Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker for insults

ANKARA , Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is suing Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders after the anti-Islam politician posted a series of tweets against the Turkish leader , including one that described him as a “ terrorist.
” The state-run Anadolu Agency said Erdogan ’ s lawyer on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint against Wilders at the Ankara Chief Prosecutor ’ s office for “ insulting the president ” -- a crime in Turkey punishable by up to four years in prison .
Wilders posted a cartoon depicting Erdogan wearing a bomb-resembling hat on his head , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posting tweets targeting Erdogan this week amid a growing quarrel between Turkey and European countries sparked by Erdogan ’ s sharp comments against French President Emmanuel Macron , including remarks questioning Macron ’ s mental health over his stance on Islam .
Erdogan has persistently sued people for alleged insults since he took office as president in 2014 .
Thousands have been convicted .
More than 29,000 people were prosecuted on charges of insulting Erdogan last year , according to the Birgun newspaper .
The complaint against Wilders , whose political career has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric , accused him of using language “ insulting the honour and dignity of our president and of targeting Erdogan ’ s personality , dignity and reputation , ” according to Anadolu .
Wilders , who leads the largest opposition party in the Dutch Parliament , shrugged off the Turkish criminal complaint and described Erdogan as a “ loser.
” Wilders has lived under tight security for 16 years due to death threats following his anti-Islam rhetoric .
On Monday , Turkey ’ s Daily Sabah newspaper , which is close to Erdogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the headline : “ the two faces of hatred and racism in Europe .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--US accuses Syria of delaying constitution ahead of election

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The United States and several Western allies on Tuesday accused the Syrian government of deliberately delaying the drafting of a new constitution to waste time until presidential elections in 2021 , and avoid U.N.-supervised voting as called for by the U.N. Security Council .
U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Mills urged the Security Council to “ do everything in its power ” to prevent Bashar Assad ’ s government from blocking agreement on a new constitution in 2020 .
The Trump administration believes Assad ’ s hope is to “ invalidate the work ” of U.N. special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spearhead action on a constitution , and the council ’ s call for a political transition .
The Security Council resolution adopted in December 2015 unanimously endorsed a road map to peace in Syria that was approved in Geneva on June 30 , 2012 by representatives of the United Nations , Arab League , European Union , Turkey and all five permanent Security Council members — the U.S. , Russia , China , France and Britain .
It calls for a Syrian-led political process starting with the establishment of a transitional governing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections .
The resolution says the free and fair elections should meet “ the highest international standards ” of transparency and accountability , with all Syrians — including members of the diaspora — eligible to participate .
At a Russian-hosted Syrian peace conference in January 2018 , an agreement was reached to form a 150-member committee to draft a new constitution .
That took until September 2019 , and since then only three meetings have been held with little progress .
Pedersen , the U.N. envoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was unable to convene a fourth meeting in October because the government wouldn ’ t accept a compromise agenda which the opposition agreed to .
During his just concluded visit to Damascus , he said there was “ some valuable narrowing of the differences ” that could enable consensus on agendas for the next two meetings .
“ If we are able to find agreement in the next two days , it should be possible to meet in Geneva sometime in the month of November , ” Pedersen said , dropping the Nov. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mills , the U.S. envoy , urged Pedersen “ to take any measures he thinks are appropriate to facilitate the parties ’ efforts ... and also to identify to the council who is blocking progress.
” “ Syria is wholly unprepared to carry out elections in a free , fair and transparent manner that would include the participation of the Syrian diaspora , ” Mills said .
“ This is why we need the constitutional committee to work , and why we need the U.N. to accelerate its planning to ensure Syria ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s U.N .
Ambassador Christoph Heusgen called Assad ’ s “ delaying and obstruction tactics ” on the constitutional committee ’ s work “ just detestable.
” He said Russia , Syria ’ s most important ally , “ should finally use its influence by , for instance , just cutting military aid and stopping its support , so that the Syrian regime finally plays ball.
” Syria ’ s tactics are clear , Heusgen said .
“ They want to waste time until the presidential elections in 2021 .
The regime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections will not be recognized if they are held under the present circumstances.
” France ’ s U.N .
Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere also criticized Assad ’ s “ refusal to engage in good faith ” and called for preparations to begin for U.N.-supervised elections that include the diaspora .
France won ’ t recognize results that don ’ t comply with these provisions , he said , stressing : “ We will not be fooled by the regime ’ s attempts to legitimize itself.
” Russia ’ s U.N .
Ambassador Vassily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election and countered that Syrians must have “ the opportunity to negotiate without interference from the outside.
” “ The work of the constitutional committee should not be subject to any deadlines , ” he said , expressing hope that Pedersen ’ s mediation will enable the committee ’ s work to continue “ in line with the agenda agreed by the Syrians.
” Russia also sparred with Western ambassadors over its veto threats that led to the closure of two border crossings to deliver aid to Syria -- one in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving only one crossing to Idlib in the northwest .
The U.S. , Germany , France , Britain , Belgium and others criticized the border crossing closures .
U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the council that Syrian government deliveries across conflict lines to the northeast are “ not delivering at the scale or frequency required to meet the current health needs.
” Lowcock also said “ the situation of families across Syria is truly desperate , ” citing food prices more than 90 per cent higher than six months ago .
Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with satisfaction the progress in U.N. humanitarian deliveries from inside Syria including through cross-line routes , ” saying this “ proves ” the government is providing aid to people including in areas not under its control .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Supreme Court rejects delay of Minnesota congressional vote

WASHINGTON - A Minnesota Republican candidate ’ s bid to delay voting in his congressional race to February after the death of a third-party candidate was rejected Tuesday at the Supreme Court .
Justice Neil Gorsuch , who handles emergency requests from the federal appeals court that oversees Minnesota , denied the request from Tyler Kistner .
As is typical when the court acts on an emergency basis , Gorsuch did not say anything in denying the request .
But he also didn ’ t ask Kistner ’ s opponent to respond in writing or refer the question to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t a close question .
Kistner is running against Democrat Angie Craig , the incumbent , in the Nov. 3 race for Minnesota ’ s competitive 2nd District , which stretches south from St. Paul ’ s suburbs .
“ It ’ s unfortunate that Angie Craig is continuing to silence and disenfranchise thousands of her own constituents , ” Kistner said in a statement .
Craig said Kistner ’ s case has been before three different courts , and each court rejected it .
“ The real win today is for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District – who will have their voices heard as part of the November general election and have continuous representation in Congress , ” Craig said in a statement .
The Craig-Kistner race was thrown into confusion after the September death of Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Adam Weeks .
Because that party has major status in Minnesota and the death was sufficiently close to the election , it triggered a state law calling for a delay until February .
But Craig won a lower-court ruling to block the delay and the election was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals court left that decision in place , saying there are strong reasons for a uniform date for federal elections , and there must be compelling circumstances for a state to be permitted to change the date .
Kistner appealed to the Supreme Court for an emergency order putting on hold the lower court ruling .
Kistner ’ s case is still active in the appeals court , but arguments won ’ t be heard there until after the election .
Craig is expected to benefit from the high turnout on Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been better in a special election , in which Republicans tend to have a greater advantage from the lower turnout .
The Minnesota law calling for an election delay following the death of a major-party candidate was passed years after Sen. Paul Wellstone ’ s died in a 2002 plane crash .
Wellstone died just 11 days before the election , triggering a frenetic race in which Republican Norm Coleman defeated former Vice-President Walter Mondale , who was tapped to take Wellstone ’ s place as the Democratic candidate .
Autopsy results released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Examiner ’ s Office found Weeks died of ethanol and fentanyl toxicity .


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Gulf Coast braces, again, for hurricane as Zeta takes aim

NEW ORLEANS - Residents of the storm-pummeled Gulf Coast steeled themselves Tuesday for yet another tropical weather strike as Tropical Storm Zeta took aim at southeast Louisiana , fraying the nerves of evacuees from earlier storms and raising concerns in New Orleans about the low-lying city ’ s antiquated drainage pump system .
Zeta , the 27th named storm of a very busy Atlantic hurricane season , was a hurricane when it began raking across Mexico ’ s Yucatan Peninsula early Tuesday .
It emerged in the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm but was expected to regain hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday evening .
Already this year , Louisiana has been hit by two tropical storms and two hurricanes : Laura , blamed for at least 27 Louisiana deaths after it struck in August , and Delta , which exacerbated Laura ’ s damage in the same area weeks later .
New Orleans has been in the warning area for potential tropical cyclones seven times this year but has seen them veer to the east or west .
“ I don ’ t think we ’ re going to be as lucky with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colin Arnold said at a news conference with Mayor LaToya Cantrell .
Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards said Tuesday he asked President Donald Trump to issue a disaster declaration ahead of the storm .
Trump approved the declaration Tuesday evening .
One worry among New Orleans officials : a turbine that powers the city ’ s street drainage pumps broke down Sunday , according to officials of the agency that runs the system .
There was enough power to keep the pumps operating if needed , but it left authorities with little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of other turbines occur .
Officials said they were running through contingencies to provide power and make repairs where needed should there be other equipment problems .
Forecasts , meanwhile , called for anywhere from 2 to 6 inches ( 5 to 15 centimetres ) of rain in the New Orleans area .
Officials noted that Zeta is expected to be a relatively fast-moving storm , minimizing the flood threat .
Zeta had sustained winds of 65 mph ( 105 kph ) winds and was centred 410 miles ( 655 kilometres ) south-southwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday afternoon .
Its approach toward New Orleans meant more worries for evacuees left homeless by Laura who are sheltered in hotels .
The state is sheltering about 3,600 Laura and Delta evacuees , most of them in New Orleans area hotels .
“ It really is scary , and I don ’ t know what to do , ” said Yolanda Lockett , who evacuated her Lake Charles apartment — now a rain-soaked , mouldy mess — ahead of Laura at the end of August .
“ I ’ m physically and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing outside a New Orleans hotel .
A hurricane warning stretched from the central Louisiana coast to the Alabama state line .
Edwards and Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey both declared emergencies ahead of the storm .
“ We ’ re getting pretty good at it for doing it five times this season so far , “ said Robert Campo as he readied his marina at Shell Beach for the storm .
The routine includes removing gas pumps used to fuel boats , loading frozen bait onto old school buses that have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down trash cans to keep them from floating off .
“ The downfall of it is , when ... we ’ re down for four or five days , that ’ s four or five days nobody ’ s fishing .
That ’ s four or five days nobody is shrimping .
That ’ s four or five days , no economic wheels are turning.
” On Dauphin Island , off the Alabama coast , workers at Dauphin Island Marina prepared for Zeta on Tuesday even though little remained of the business to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September .
“ Right now we ’ re packing stuff up just to be safe , “ said marina employee Jess Dwaileebe .
“ We don ’ t have any docks or fuel pumps at this point .
Sally took it all out.
” In Waveland , Mississippi , hardware store operator David Hubbard didn ’ t see the usual rush of people buying storm supplies .
Most have what they need because Zeta is only the latest threat , he said .
Officials in two Mexican states hit by Zeta reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees , but no deaths .
The storm left sand blocking the boulevard through Cancun ’ s hotel strip .
Pounding surf destroyed many turtle nests on Playa Ballenas , leaving eggs scattered along the beach .
Zeta broke the record for the previous earliest 27th Atlantic named storm that formed Nov. 29 , 2005 .
It ’ s also the 11th hurricane of the season .
An average season sees six hurricanes and 12 named storms .
There have been so many storms this season that the hurricane centre had to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of assigned names .
The extraordinarily busy hurricane season has focused attention on the role of climate change , which scientists say is causing wetter , stronger and more destructive storms .
Santana reported from Shell Beach , Louisiana .
Associated Press reporters Jay Reeves , in Birmingham , Alabama ; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge , Louisiana ; Kevin McGill in New Orleans and Gabriel Alcocer in Cancun , Mexico , contributed to this report .

Rebecca Santana And Stacey Plaisance - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-27--Test to allow Japanese visitors to bypass Hawaii quarantine

HONOLULU - Starting next week , Hawaii will begin allowing visitors from Japan to bypass the state ’ s 14-day @ @ @ @ @ negative for COVID-19 .
But Japanese travellers will still have to spend two weeks in @ @ @ @ @ which will likely limit the number of people taking advantage of the plan .
The @ @ @ @ @ Nov. 6 .
Travelers must take a COVID-19 test from an approved clinic or hospital @ @ @ @ @ of their departure .
Hawaii earlier this month implemented a similar testing program for travellers @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Hawaii ’ s tourism-dependent economy gets more travellers from Japan than any other foreign @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , the state would welcome about 5,000 visitors from Japan daily .
Those numbers @ @ @ @ @ .
Due to the pandemic , Japan continues to prohibit entry to Americans except for @ @ @