thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Once again, Congress unable to act during national trauma

WASHINGTON - For a moment , Congress had a chance to act on a policing overhaul , mobilized by a national trauma and overwhelming public support .
Those efforts have stalled now and seem unlikely to be revived in an election year .
It ’ s latest example of how partisanship and polarization on Capitol Hill have hamstrung Congress ’ ability to meet the moment and respond meaningfully to public opinion .
Major changes in policing policy appear likely to join gun control and immigration as social issues where even with Americans ’ overwhelming support , their elected representatives are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially when President Donald Trump is indifferent or opposed .
“ In this moment , as it was with gun violence and immigration reform , we don ’ t know where the president really is , “ said Sen. Chris Coons , D-Del.
, who weeks ago was expressing skepticism weeks ago about a breakthrough .
“ If this were the first time we were in this situation , I ’ d be more hopeful , ” he said then .
The bipartisan outcry over the deaths of George Floyd and other Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress to reshape its reputation .
Polls showed nearly all Americans in a favour of some measure of change to the criminal justice system , and both chambers moved quickly to draft legislation .
There were common elements in the House Democratic proposal and the Senate Republican bill , including a national database of use-of-force incidents by law enforcement and restrictions on police chokeholds .
But efforts to bridge the divides bogged down in a predictable fight over process and exposed again how little trust there is between the Senate ’ s leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. McConnell said Democrats refused to take him at his word that he was willing to negotiate over the final bill , and he pitched a supposedly fair and freewheeling floor debate .
Schumer and other Democrats saw little that was genuine in McConnell ’ s overtures , noting that during his tenure as GOP leader , the sharp-elbowed Kentucky Republican has permitted almost no open floor debate on legislation .
The swift rise and fall of prospects for the police bill showed how lawmakers are often driven more by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than overall public opinion .
“ The incentive structure is misaligned for compromise .
That ’ s the reality of it .
Members are more likely to be rewarded electorally for representing their base primary voters than for reaching out to voters in the middle , ” said Michael Steel , who was a top aide to former House Speaker John Boehner , R-Ohio .
“ The giants of yesteryear are remembered as such because voters rewarded them for successfully legislating .
And that just seems to be less and less the case.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ policing overhaul after Floyd ’ s death is overwhelming .
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows 29 % of Americans say the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul , 40 % say it needs major changes and 25 % say it needs minor changes .
There are other high-profile examples where public support has been unable to overcome partisanship in Congress — most notably on gun control .
An AP-NORC survey from March 2019 found 83 % of Americans in favour of a federal law requiring background checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also supported the idea .
But gun control legislation has gone nowhere in Washington .
The parties have also failed to make progress in overhauling immigration laws , despite broad public support .
The most overwhelmingly popular measure — granting legal protections to young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children — has gotten caught in the fray , with hundreds of thousands of such “ Dreamer ” immigrants caught in legal limbo .
This gridlock has been exacerbated by Trump ’ s reputation on Capitol Hill as an unreliable negotiating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he spoke generally about supporting legislation but exerted little political capital when the process hit a roadblock .
“ To do really hard things you always need a president leaning in and engaged , ” said Brendan Buck , a top aide to former Speaker Paul Ryan , R-Wis. , during Trump ’ s first two years in office .
“ And on the really hard things he has not shown a willingness to get engaged.
” The police debate also suffered from the realities of the political calendar .
With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the civil rights community all calling the Republican bill too weak to be salvaged , some Democrats saw little incentive to give ground now when they might be able to get more if their party has sweeping successes in the November elections , now just over four months away .
“ Why cut a bad deal now when you could potentially be in the driver ’ s seat to write a real bill that effects real change in just a few months ?
” said Matt House , a former Schumer aide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ navigate the fierce partisanship on Capitol Hill .
GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander , chairman of the Senate Health , Education , Labor and Pensions Committee , and the committee ’ s top Democrat , Patty Murray of Washington , have shepherded a major education policy rewrite and legislation to combat opioids through a McConnell-led Senate .
They did so by building sweeping consensus among lawmakers in both parties before committee or floor action .
Murray said in an interview that there was little attempt to do that kind of behind-the-scenes work on policing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smell like an attempt to get something done , “ Murray said .
“ The feeling that you want to accomplish something , that you want to get something done ... is a very different feeling than we saw with policing reform.
” AP Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Brazen ambush of Mexico City chief blamed on Jalisco cartel

MEXICO CITY - Dozens of gunmen believed tied to the hyper-violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel deployed for a complex , multi-point dawn ambush meant to kill Mexico City ’ s police chief in one of the most brazen attacks in Mexico since the equally ruthless Zetas carved a path of terror across the country nearly a decade ago .
The attackers used grenades and a .50-calibre sniper rifle to assault the chief ’ s armoured vehicle early Friday , killing two of the his bodyguards and a woman driving by .
Police chief Omar García Harfuch was shot in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was reported out of danger .
He called the attack “ cowardly ” and blamed it on the Jalisco cartel , which has established a nearly national presence , from the white-sand beaches of Cancun to Mexico City and the country ’ s most important ports , as well as in key border cities traditionally controlled by other cartels .
Police officers who converged on the scene on the capital ’ s iconic Paseo de la Reforma boulevard in the upscale Lomas neighbourhood rounded up a dozen of the shooters , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Later Friday , capital police arrested an alleged head of the Jalisco New Generation hitmen , suggesting he could have been the mastermind of the attack , said a Mexico City police official who was not authorized to be quoted by name .
The official said police arrested José Armando Briseño on the east side of the city .
Nicknamed “ Cow , ” he is allegedly the gang ’ s chief of hitmen in the city of Tonala in Jalisco .
The attack on the police chief was meticulously planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired three weeks before , said Ulises Lara , the spokesman for the Mexico City prosecutors office .
Three separate possible ambush points were set up on major thoroughfares , including one — which wasn ’ t used — in the heart of Mexico City , one block from the Independence Monument .
The gunmen were divided into four different cells , and they received ski masks and weapons Thursday night .
They were taken to the ambush points at 4 a.m. to lie in wait for their target .
They jumped from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s convoy attempted to pass .
Lara said that of the suspects detained , one is Colombian and the other 11 are Mexicans from the capital and five states — Jalisco , Guerrero , Nayarit , Chihuahua and Michoacan .
It was the second high-profile attack this month , following the shooting death of a federal judge and his wife , bringing uncomfortable comparisons to Colombia ’ s drug wars of the 1980s and ‘ 90s in which drug traffickers routinely targeted judges and police for assassination .
Mexico targeted and dismantled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unsuspecting citizens and officials from 2010 to 2013 .
But it remains to be seen whether the government will go after the Jalisco cartel they way it did the Zetas .
“ If they ( Jalisco ) are not made a priority target after this , I don ’ t know what is happening , something is wrong with the strategy ” of the government , said security analyst Alejandro Hope .
Mexico used elite military units and worked closely with the United States to go after the Zetas cartel .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrés Manuel López Obrador ’ s policy of not directly confronting the cartels , it is unclear whether the government has the will or ability to fight Jalisco , especially in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ This kind of attack is not normal , they crossed a line .
You have to read it like an exceptional act , ” said Hope .
“ You have two very serious attacks in two weeks.
” Federal Security Secretary Alfonso Durazo said Mexico ’ s intelligence agency apparently had information that Jalisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but did not offer additional details .
It was unclear whether the attack was related to recent crackdowns on Jalisco-affiliated gangs in Mexico City or to the police chief ’ s earlier work in federal investigations .
García , 37 , is a former head of the Federal Police investigation division and in 2016-2019 he led the branch of the federal Attorney General ’ s Office that oversees investigations and arrests of organized crime members .
Before being named Mexico City police chief , he spent several months as the mayor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gang that U.S. prosecutors said tried to buy belt-fed M-60 machine-guns in the United States and that once shot down a Mexican military helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade .
In October , the cartel ’ s gunmen ambushed and killed 14 state police officers in Michoacan .
Friday ’ s attack came two weeks after rumours swirled for a day that Jalisco ’ s leader , Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes , better known as “ El Mencho , ” had been captured or killed — though officials later denied that .
Oseguera is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fugitive , with a $ 10 million price on his head .
In March , U.S. authorities arrested hundreds of Jalisco operatives in raids across the United States .
They said the gang controls between one-third and two-thirds of the U.S. drug market .

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thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Milton Glaser, designer of ‘I Love NY’ logo, dies at 91

NEW YORK - Milton Glaser , the groundbreaking graphic designer who adorned Bob Dylan ’ s silhouette with psychedelic hair and summed up the feelings for his native New York with “ I ( HEART ) NY , ” died Friday , his 91st birthday .
The cause was a stroke and Glaser had also had renal failure , his wife , Shirley Glaser , told The New York Times .
In posters , logos , advertisements and book covers , Glaser ’ s ideas captured the spirit of the 1960s with a few simple colours and shapes .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founded New York magazine with Clay Felker in the late ’ 60s .
“ Around our office , of course , he will forever be one of the small team of men and women that , in the late sixties , yanked New York out of the newspaper morgue and turned it into a great American magazine , ” the magazine ’ s obituary of Glaser said .
Soon city magazines everywhere were sprouting and aping its simple , witty design style .
When publishing titan Rupert Murdoch forced Felker and Glaser out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takeover in 1977 , the staff walked out in solidarity with their departing editors , leaving an incomplete issue three days before it was due on newsstands .
“ We have brought about — however small — a change in the visual habits of people , ” he told The Washington Post in 1969 .
“ Television conditions people to demand imagination.
” But he said he had to work to keep his style fresh .
“ There ’ s an enormous pressure to repeat past successes .
That ’ s a sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60s design motif , he added that he couldn ’ t do another rainbow “ if my life depended on it.
” His pictorial sense was so profound , and his designs so influential , that his works in later years were preserved by collectors and studied as fine art .
But he preferred not to use the term “ art ” at all .
“ What I ’ m suggesting is we eliminate the term art and call everything work , ” Glaser said in an Associated Press interview in 2000 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exhibit on his career .
“ When it ’ s really extraordinary and moves it in a certain way , we call it great work .
We call it good when it accomplishes a task , and we call it bad when it misses a target.
” The bold “ I ( HEART ) NY ” logo — cleverly using typewriter-style letters as the typeface — was dreamed up as part of an ad campaign begun in 1977 to boost the state ’ s image when crime and budget troubles dominated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of charge .
Nearly a quarter-century later , just days after the Sept. 11 terror attacks , he revised it , adding a dark scar to the red heart and “ more than ever ” to the message .
“ I woke up Wednesday morning and said , ‘ God , I have to do something to respond to this , ’ ” he told The New York Times .
“ When you have a heart attack , part of your heart dies .
When you recover , part of your heart is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life become much more important , and there is a greater awareness of the value of things.
” Glaser actually had done design work for the restaurants at the destroyed World Trade Center complex .
His 1966 illustration of Dylan , his face a simple black silhouette but his hair sprouting in a riot of colours in curvilinear fashion , put in graphic form the 1960s philosophy that letting your hair fly free was a way to free your mind .
( For him , though , it wasn ’ t a drug-inspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marcel Duchamp and Islamic art . )
The poster was inserted in Dylan ’ s “ Greatest Hits ” album , so it made its way into the hands of millions of fans .
“ It was a new use of the poster — a giveaway that was supposed to encourage people to buy the album , ” Glaser told The New York Times in 2001 .
“ Then it took on a life of its own , showing up in films , magazines , whatever .
It did not die , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among Glaser ’ s other noteworthy projects were cover illustrations Signet paperback editions of Shakespeare ; type designs such as Baby Teeth , first used on the Dylan poster , and Glaser Stencil ; and a poster for the Mostly Mozart Festival featuring a colorful Mozart sneezing .
His designs also inspired the playbill for Tony Kushner ’ s “ Angels in America ” Glaser was born in 1929 in the Bronx and studied at New York ’ s Cooper Union art school and in Italy .
In 1954 , he co-founded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Seymour Chwast and others .
He stayed with it 20 years before founding his own firm .
The Cooper-Hewitt , Smithsonian Design Museum awarded him a lifetime achievement award in 2004 .
In 2009 , he was awarded the National Medal of Arts .
“ I just like to do everything , and I was always interested in seeing how far I could go in stretching the boundaries , ” he said .
Polly Anderson , a former staffer of The Associated Press , was the principal writer of this obituary .

ATLANTA (AP) — Putting 19 people on trial at the same time is a difficult assignment for any prosecutor — whether or not one of those defendan…


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--EU narrows down border list, US unlikely to make the cut

BRUSSELS - European Union envoys are close to finalizing a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter Europe again , possibly from late next week , EU diplomats confirmed Saturday .
Americans are almost certain to be excluded in the short term due to the number of U.S. coronavirus cases .
The envoys were expected to have narrowed down later Saturday the exact criteria for countries to make the list , which include the way the spread of the virus is being managed .
Another key condition is whether the country has a ban on citizens from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States has surged over the past week , with an all-time high of 45,300 confirmed new daily infections just reached .
President Donald Trump also suspended the entry of all people from Europe ’ s ID check-free travel zone in a decree in March .
The EU diplomats confirmed that an official agreement on the criteria — likely to include a limit on the infection rate per 100,000 citizens — is expected late on Monday or early Tuesday .
The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the procedure is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates are high in Brazil , India and Russia , and it ’ s unlikely the EU will let their citizens in , either .
The list would be updated every 14 days , with new countries added and some possibly being left off based on how they manage the spread of the virus .
More than 15 million Americans are estimated to travel to Europe annually , and any delay would be a further blow to virus-ravaged economies and tourism sectors , both in Europe and the United States .
Around 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlantic for vacations and business each year .
The 27 EU nations and four other countries that are part of Europe ’ s “ Schengen area ” — a 26-nation bloc where goods and people move freely without document checks — appear on track to reopen their borders between each other by July 1 .
Once that happens , restrictions on non-essential travel to Europe , which were imposed in March to halt new virus cases from entering , would gradually be lifted .
On Thursday , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to allow Americans in .
“ We ’ ve denied travel to Europe and vice versa .
That ’ s the posture that we all sit in now , and I think we ’ re all taking seriously the need to figure out how to get this up , ” Pompeo said .
“ We ’ ll work to get this right .
We want to make sure that it ’ s health-based , science-based.
” “ We need to get our global economy back going again , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bloc ’ s laws , believes that “ travel restrictions should not be lifted as regards third countries where the situation is worse ” than the average in the 27 EU member countries plus Iceland , Liechtenstein , Norway and Switzerland .
The commission insists that it ’ s not trying to target any country or that the list might be politicized as tourism-reliant countries around Europe push to get their borders back open again .
“ The European Union has an internal process to determine from which countries it would be safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mamer said Thursday , adding that its decisions are “ based on health criteria .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Satellite images show buildup on disputed India-China border

BEIJING - Construction activity appeared underway on both the Indian and Chinese sides of a contested border high in the Karakoram mountains a week after a deadly clash in the area left 20 Indian soldiers dead , satellite images showed .
The images released this week by Maxar , a Colorado-based satellite imagery company , show new construction activity along the Galwan River Valley , even as Chinese and Indian diplomats said military commanders had agreed to disengage from a standoff there .
The images appeared to show that the Indians had built a wall on their side and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of a long road connected to Chinese military bases farther from the poorly defined border , according to experts .
The contradictions in words and deeds showed the fragility of an agreement following the worst violence since the Asian giants went to war in 1962 over their competing claims to the arid border region , experts said .
China has said that India first changed the status quo last August when it split the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two federal territories — the territory of Jammu and Kashmir and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which are contested by China .
The new maps released by India following the move drew criticism from Beijing because they showed Aksai Chin — an area administered by China but contested by India — as part of Ladakh .
Indian officials said the standoff that culminated in this month ’ s deadly clash in the Galwan Valley , part of a remote stretch of the 3,380-kilometre ( 2,100-mile ) Line of Actual Control , or LAC , established following the 1962 war , began in early May when large contingents of Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three places in Ladakh , erecting tents .
After a few skirmishes in May , Indian and Chinese commanders met June 6 to hash out an agreement that would reduce tensions .
The two sides agreed to build observation posts on either side of the mouth of the Galwan River , China ’ s ambassador to India , H.E .
Sun Weidong , told the Press Trust of India news agency on Tuesday .
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that during the June 6 meeting “ both sides had agreed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not undertake any activity to alter the status quo , ” but did not address whether they had agreed to observation posts .
Around midnight on June 15 , soldiers attacked each other with rocks , clubs and their fists in the Galwan Valley , the deadliest violence between the two countries in 45 years .
Indian security officials said the fatalities were caused by severe injuries and exposure to subfreezing temperatures .
China has not said whether it suffered any casualties in the clash .
India and China have blamed each other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the area where it occurred .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday that the confrontation occurred on China ’ s side of the Line of Actual Control , and that Indian forces had illegally entered Chinese territory .
“ The responsibility ( for the incident ) is entirely not on the Chinese side , ” Zhao said .
But Srivastava said Thursday that China had provoked the fight when its soldiers “ sought to erect structures just across the LAC ” on the Indian side .
He said Indian soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sequence of Maxar images of the river bend where the clash occurred in the weeks before and after the clash showed that construction had expanded up the Galwan Valley toward the Line of Actual Control from Chinese bases , Maxar vice-president Steve Wood said .
Wood said that since May 22 , satellite images showed “ convoy after convoy of heavy trucks , diggers , bulldozers and some military armoured equipment ” rolling down the Galwan Valley toward the disputed border .
Before and after the fatal clash , China was moving construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the LAC , said Chris Biggers , senior analyst at the geospatial intelligence company HawkEye 360 .
“ The Chinese were obviously pushing toward the junction and what they perceive as their claim line .
They have now built a post and a track reinforcing their claim , thus changing the status quo in the area , ” he said .
At that junction , the Galwan River turns west toward an important supply route for a key Indian airfield .
Biggers said that satellite imagery shows that India has built a stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with a layered set of barriers draped in camouflage netting and tarps that “ could also function as fighting positions.
” “ We also see quite a bit of activity on the road , with trucks moving in both directions as well as troops marching in formation along the new track , ” Biggers said .

Sam McNeil And Emily Schmall - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Lei burial honours 1908 Cheyenne Frontier Days roping champ

CHEYENNE , Wyo .
- Ikua Purdy might not have known a soul in Cheyenne when , after travel by steamship and train , he arrived in the frontier town from Honolulu in 1908 .
But by the time he was done at Cheyenne Frontier Days , Purdy was well-known by most , if not all , of the rodeo ’ s 10,000-plus attendants .
As a paniolo , which refers to the Hawaiian cowboy tradition that traces back to Mexican-Spanish vaqueros , Purdy won the top steer roping prize at that year ’ s rodeo , becoming the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competition .
Though already inducted into the CFD Hall of Fame , Purdy was further honoured Monday afternoon when a lei brought by Purdy ’ s grandson was buried near where the Hawaiian won the 1908 competition at the arena .
Mike Kassel , the assistant director of the CFD Old West Museum , conducted the burial , which is one of several ways to dispose of a lei in honour of someone .
Purdy ’ s grandson , who made the lei with leaves from Hawaii , brought it to Cheyenne in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s portrait in the museum gallery , the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports .
“ As it started falling apart , we thought it would be a good idea to dispose of the lei in an honourable and purposeful way , ” said Kassel .
The 1908 rodeo that Purdy won was also the first CFD at Frontier Park , after about a decade of it being held at Pioneer Park .
Purdy was joined by two other Hawaiians , one of whom – Archie Kaaua – placed third in the same competition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of demonstrating the paniolo skills of how they did roping , ” Kassel said .
Though this year ’ s CFD has been cancelled due to concerns about spread of COVID-19 , Kassel said the rich history of Cheyenne ’ s world-famous rodeo is a good reminder of why CFD will bounce back .
“ We ’ re going to be doing ( Frontier Days ) again next year , and it ’ s going to be bigger and better than ever before , ” Kassel said .
“ We still have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many people .
Any chance to remember that is worthy .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--ASEAN takes position vs China’s vast historical sea claims

MANILA , Philippines - Southeast Asian leaders said a 1982 U.N. oceans treaty should be the basis of sovereign rights and entitlements in the South China Sea , in one of their strongest remarks opposing China ’ s claim to virtually the entire disputed waters on historical grounds .
The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations took the position in a statement issued by Vietnam Saturday on behalf of the 10-nation bloc .
ASEAN leaders held their annual summit by video on Friday , with the coronavirus pandemic and the long-raging territorial disputes high on the agenda .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the basis for determining maritime entitlements , sovereign rights , jurisdiction and legitimate interests over maritime zones , ” the ASEAN statement said .
The leaders were referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , a 1982 international agreement that defines the rights of nations to the world ’ s oceans and demarcates stretches of waters called exclusive economic zones where coastal states are given the right to exclusively tap fishery and fuel resources .
They said in their statement that “ UNCLOS sets out the legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oceans and seas must be carried out.
” Chinese officials did not immediately comment on the statement , but three Southeast Asian diplomats told The Associated Press that it marked a significant strengthening of the regional bloc ’ s assertion of the rule of law in a disputed region that has long been regarded as an Asian flash point .
They spoke on condition of anonymity due to a lack of authority to speak publicly .
“ This is a rebuke of the basis of China ’ s claims , ” said Carl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyst .
He said the statement represented “ a significant shift in ASEAN ’ s rhetoric.
” While it has criticized aggressive behaviour in the disputed waters , ASEAN , which relies heavily on China for trade and investment , has never castigated China by name in its post-summit communiques .
As ASEAN ’ s leader this year , Vietnam oversaw the drafting of the “ chairman ’ s statement , ” which was not a negotiated document but was circulated among other member states for consultation .
Vietnam has been one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s assertive actions in the disputed waters .
China has taken increasingly aggressive steps in recent years to bolster its claims to the strategic waters , which it vaguely marks with a so-called nine-dash line that overlaps with the coastal waters and territorial claims of ASEAN member states Vietnam , Malaysia , the Philippines and Brunei .
Taiwan has also staked a claim in vast stretches of the disputed waters .
In July 2016 , an international arbitration tribunal invalidated China ’ s vast historical claims to the waters based on UNCLOS .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dismissed the ruling as a sham .
China in recent years transformed seven disputed reefs into missile-protected island bases , including three with military-grade runways , and continues to develop them in actions that have set off protests and alarmed rival claimant states , as well as the United States and its Asian and Western allies .
In recent months , China has come under fire for what rival claimants say were aggressive actions in the disputed waters as countries were scrambling to deal with the coronavirus .
Vietnam protested in April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sank a boat with eight fishermen off the Paracel Islands .
The Philippines backed Vietnam and protested new territorial districts announced by China in large swaths of the sea .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Moroccan authorities deny using spyware to monitor critics

RABAT , Morocco - Moroccan authorities said they “ categorically reject ” an Amnesty International report claiming the government used surveillance software to spy on the phone of a prominent journalist and human rights activist .
In a report published this week , Amnesty said forensic analysis it carried out on the cellphone of Omar Radi indicated that his communications were monitored from January 2019 using technology developed by Israeli hacker-for-hire company NSO Group .
In a statement released late on Friday , Moroccan authorities rejected Amnesty ’ s “ baseless allegations , ” saying that the report serves agendas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the intelligence market .
Amnesty ’ s local director , Mohamed Sektaoui , was summoned by authorities Friday and asked to provide evidence “ as soon as possible , ” the statement said .
Radi was questioned by police on Thursday on suspicions of receiving funds linked to foreign intelligence services .
He dismissed the allegations as “ ridiculous.
” Radi was arrested last year after a tweet that defended anti-government protesters .
He was subsequently put on trial in March this year , accused of insulting a judge with his tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protest leaders .
He received a four-month suspended jail sentence and a $ 50 fine .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Rwanda says 3 soldiers hurt in attack by gunmen near Burundi

KIGALI , Rwanda - Rwanda ’ s military said Saturday that three of its soldiers were wounded in an attack carried out by unidentified gunmen from neighbouring Burundi .
The attack Friday night targeted the Rwanda Defence Forces ’ defensive position in the southern district of Nyaruguru , 1 kilometres ( 0.62 miles ) from the border with Burundi , army spokesman Innocent Munyengango said .
He said the attackers clashed with the army then fled back toward the border , leaving behind four of their dead and military equipment including weapons and radios .
“ The attacking force originated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defence Force position at Gihisi in Bukinanyana commune , Cibitoke Province , ” the army said in a statement .
It added that “ we reassure Rwandans that action will be taken against those responsible.
” Burundi ’ s government did not comment .
It has previously rejected accusations by Rwanda .
The last such attack by gunmen from Burundi left two people dead in 2018 in the same district .
Munyengango said the attackers ’ intention this time was to harm people inside a model village for internally displaced people , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relations between Rwanda and Burundi have been strained over allegations by Burundi ’ s government that rebels opposed to it are being trained and armed in Rwanda , which denies it .
The people of Burundi and Rwanda now wait to see whether Burundi ’ s new President Evariste Ndayishimiye and his government will facilitate new talks .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--UK police to get tougher on crowds amid pandemic worries

LONDON - Police in the English city of Liverpool have been given more powers to break up crowds after celebrations to mark Liverpool Football Club ’ s first league title in 30 years led to disorder .
The local move to stop gatherings of more than two people came after the sheer joy of victory , together with warm weather , prompted people to cast off worries about the COVID-19 pandemic and to gather in huge crowds .
Amid the wild celebrations , part of the Liver Building — a local landmark — caught fire .
Images circulating on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the crowd and striking the building ’ s balcony before exploding .
Four fire engines were dispatched and the blaze was put out , but the extent of the damage is unclear .
The gatherings come amid increasing worries about the unwillingness of the public to follow social distancing rules meant to halt the spread of COVID-19 .
Exasperated Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said on Twitter that he was “ really concerned ” about the images he was seeing .
“ I appreciate # LFC fans want to celebrate but please , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of others , go home and celebrate at home , ” he said .
“ Covid-19 is still a major risk and our city has already lost far too many people to the illness.
“ Under lockdown restrictions in England , groups are limited to six people .
Huge gatherings were also reported in London overnight for the third night in a row .
Met Police commander Bas Javid told the BBC that the police have been trying to persuade people to go home rather than to arrest them .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of situations like this , but what I can be clear about is if these situations do descend into chaos and violence and disorder , which is completely unacceptable , we will take a much more thorough and a robust position , ” he warned .
“ It ’ s the communities that are very , very upset by this , as much as the police are.
“


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Bar owners worry as virus surges in their workplaces

HOUSTON - The din of conversation and music that normally fills The Cottonmouth Club in downtown Houston fell silent last Friday when the owners shut it down for a second time during the coronavirus pandemic — a week before the Texas governor ordered all bars to follow suit amid a surge in infections .
Co-owner Michael Neff — questioning what he saw as a rush to reopen by the state and wondering if his industry was making things worse as some bars flouted rules on occupancy limits — said he felt he could no longer provide a safe environment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bar with a rock ‘ n ’ roll vibe .
He and his staff had started hearing of workers at other bars getting sick .
“ Texas was a terrible , terrible experiment because it experimented with people ’ s lives and this is where we are , ” Neff said .
That ended Friday , with Gov .
Greg Abbott ’ s announcement that bars would again be shuttered , a day after the state reported a record high of nearly 6,000 confirmed cases and on the day that Texas surpassed 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said while he faulted bars that ignored the rules , he also lays blame on local and state officials for what he says was a lack of guidance and support , a lack of a statewide mask order and , until recently , a lack of enforcement .
It ’ s a sentiment shared by other bar and restaurant owners across the state and beyond who have been deeply hurt financially by anti-virus measures and are also struggling with tough decisions , with some shutting down again after workers became infected or closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their areas .
In a nearly eight-minute video he posted online earlier this month , Neff vented his frustration , beginning with a message directed at Abbott : “ You ’ re leading us to die.
” An email seeking comment from a spokesman for Abbott was not immediately returned Friday .
During a news conference Monday , Abbott said the goal has always been to reduce cases and keep people out of hospitals .
“ Texans have already shown that we don ’ t have to choose between jobs and health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can protect Texans ’ lives while also restoring their livelihoods.
” From the time bars and clubs in Texas could reopen on May 22 with indoor service , social media has been filled with photos and videos showing packed businesses that were obviously not following rules on capacity and social distancing .
But the first operation by the state to suspend the alcohol permits of establishments that ignored rules didn ’ t happen until a week ago .
In closing bars again on Friday , Abbott said the rise in confirmed cases was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities , including Texans congregating in bars.
” Abbott also ordered restaurants to scale back to half capacity starting Monday .
He added that “ every Texan has a responsibility to themselves and their loved ones to wear a mask ” — but he has not mandated their use statewide .
Last week , he did say cities and counties could order businesses to require that their customers wear masks .
A similar clampdown is happening in several states where confirmed infections are spiking .
In some places , owners are doing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , Florida banned alcohol consumption at bars after confirmed coronavirus cases neared 9,000 .
“ What we realize is that despite exceeding the required protocols and with very little federal or state guidance , that more needs to be done , ” Daniel Wright , the owner of five Cincinnati restaurants and bars that he shut down as a precaution , said in a Facebook post this week .
Houston ’ s Saint Arnold Brewing Company , which has a popular beer garden that remained mostly closed even before Friday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it sees as inconsistent messaging on how to operate , said company spokesman Lennie Ambrose .
“ We ’ re going to follow the laws or the ordinances .
But even if something is allowed , maybe that ’ s not the right thing for Saint Arnold to do from a public health standpoint , “ Ambrose said .
That feeling of uncertainty is echoed elsewhere .
Sean Kennedy , a spokesman for the National Restaurant Association , said his organization has told officials that the hospitality industry is “ just looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The association has pressed local governments to increase efforts to educate customers on their responsibilities when going out , Kennedy said .
An ongoing survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston of restaurants and bars in the Austin area found that many are frustrated that the governor has left it up to cities and counties to decide if they would mandate masks , said Mark Jones , one of the research fellows involved in the study .
Neff said he is worried about losing his bar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streams , including selling cocktails to go , starting a podcast and holding a nightly virtual bar livestream .
But he said he also feels a responsibility to let people know what went wrong and to help ensure that this doesn ’ t happen again .
“ We are not going to be successful in reopening our economies if we do it the way we ’ ve been doing it , “ he said .
” And no one wants that kind of sacrifice both in business and in lives.
” Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Ethiopia says set to begin filling disputed dam in 2 weeks

ADDIS ABABA , Ethiopia - Ethiopia on Saturday said it is set to begin filling a $ 4.6 billion hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile within the next two weeks and that construction will continue , hours after the leaders of Egypt , Sudan and Ethiopia agreed late Friday to return to talks aimed at reaching an accord over its operation .
“ It is in this period that the three countries have agreed to reach a final agreement on few pending matters , ” a statement from the Ethiopian prime minister ’ s office said .
Egypt and Sudan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dam next month until the countries reached a deal .
Early Saturday , Seleshi Bekele , Ethiopia ’ s water and energy minister , confirmed that the countries had decided during an African Union summit to restart stalled negotiations and finalize an agreement over the contentious mega-project within two to three weeks , with support from the AU .
That announcement was a modest reprieve from weeks of bellicose rhetoric and escalating tensions over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam , Africa ’ s largest , which Ethiopia had vowed to start filling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in July .
Ethiopia has hinged its development ambitions on the colossal dam , describing it as a crucial lifeline to bring millions out of poverty .
Egypt , which relies on the Nile for more than 90 % of its water supplies and already faces high water stress , fears a devastating impact on its booming population of 100 million .
Sudan , which also depends on the Nile for water , has played a key role in bringing the two sides together after the collapse of U.S.-mediated talks in February .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month , Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew warned that his country could begin filling the dam ’ s reservoir unilaterally , after the latest round of talks with Egypt and Sudan failed to reach an accord governing how the dam will be filled and operated .
After an AU video conference chaired by South Africa late Friday , Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said that “ all parties ” had pledged not to take “ any unilateral action ” by filling the dam without a final agreement , said Bassam Radi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok also indicated the impasse between the Nile basin countries had eased , saying the nations had agreed to restart negotiations through a technical committee with the aim of finalizing a deal in two weeks .
Ethiopia won ’ t fill the dam before inking the much-anticipated deal , Hamdok ’ s statement added .
African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said the countries “ agreed to an AU-led process to resolve outstanding issues , ” without elaborating .
Sticking points in the talks have been how much water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if a multi-year drought occurs and how Ethiopia , Egypt and Sudan will resolve any future disagreements .
Both Egypt and Sudan have appealed to the U.N. Security Council to intervene in the years-long dispute and help the countries avert a crisis .
The council is set to hold a public meeting on the issue Monday .
Ethiopia does not support that route , and the new statement by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ’ s office said Friday ’ s meeting “ resolved to notify the United Nations Security Council that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The statement also urged all three countries in the talks “ to cease unnecessary media escalation.
” Filling the dam without an agreement could bring the stand-off to a critical juncture .
Both Egypt and Ethiopia have hinted at military steps to protect their interests , and experts fear a breakdown in talks could lead to open conflict .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Court upholds South Africa’s cigarette sales ban in lockdown

JOHANNESBURG - An effort to lift South Africa ’ s ban on cigarette sales during the country ’ s coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ High Court in the capital , Pretoria , on Friday dismissed a bid by the @ @ @ @ @ , which represents smaller manufacturers .
The group argued that cigarettes should be considered essential @ @ @ @ @ Those who want the ban lifted argue that South Africa ’ s government hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ says it relied on when imposing the ban at the end of March .
The @ @ @ @ @ trying to protect people ’ s health .
Some critics also warn that the ban @ @ @ @ @ cigarettes .
The ban outlaws selling tobacco but not the act of smoking .
Anger @ @ @ @ @ its lockdown ban on alcohol sales on June 1 .
Another legal challenge to the @ @ @ @ @ industry giant British American Tobacco taking South Africa ’ s government to court , has @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Sunday election in Poland a test for president and populism

WARSAW , Poland - Poland ’ s right-wing president , Andrzej Duda , is fighting for a second term in an election Sunday that will test whether he was helped by a campaign that depicted LGBT rights as a dangerous “ ideology ” and an unconventional last-minute reception by President Donald Trump at the White House .
It will be another electoral test for populist leaders in Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Last weekend , Serbia ’ s autocratic right-wing president , Aleksandar Vucic , strengthened his hold on power there in a parliamentary election that was boycotted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely seen as an important test for democracy , in this case in the fifth most populous country in the 27-member European Union .
A crowded field of 11 candidates — all men — could make it harder for anyone to reach the required 50 % of votes on Sunday , in which case a runoff will be held July 12 .
Duda is backed by Law and Justice , a nationalist , conservative party that is popular with many for introducing welfare spending programs .
Those policies have eased hardships for older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatic economic transformation since communism fell in 1989 .
“ Poland has changed .
It has changed for the better , “ Duda said at a rally on Friday , while promising to keep working to make sure Poles achieve Western European living standards .
Duda and Law and Justice , both in power since 2015 , have also triggered tensions with the EU and provoked repeated street protests at home for controversial laws giving the party control over the top courts and other key judicial bodies .
Duda , 48 , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of those changes into law , and has been derided by his critics as a “ Notary ” or “ The Pen ” for approving changes that some legal experts say violate Poland ’ s own constitution .
The European Union has strongly condemned the judicial laws as violations of democratic standards .
This year the U.S.-based group Freedom House downgraded Poland in its ranking from “ consolidated democracy “ to “ semi-consolidated democracy.
” “ The destruction of the democratic state of law is close to completion , ” said Jaroslaw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza , in an appeal this week for readers to choose a democratic candidate .
“ If we , citizens , democrats , do not mobilize , the next elections will be as ‘ democratic ’ as in Belarus , Russia or Hungary , ” Kurski wrote .
According to polls , Duda ’ s biggest challenge comes from the liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski , who belongs to the pro-EU and pro-business Civic Platform party .
That party governed from 2007-15 , with Donald Tusk as prime minister until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take on a top leadership role as president of the European Council .
Civic Platform oversaw strong economic growth but is now blamed by many for pro-market policies that helped businesses , but allowed poverty to fester and economic inequalities to grow .
On the campaign trail , Trzaskowski , 48 , has promised to keep Law and Justice ’ s popular spending programs while vowing to restore constitutional norms .
Trzaskowski entered the race late after an election originally scheduled for May 10 was scrapped due to the pandemic .
Duda ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage in public media , began to slip once restrictions were lifted and other candidates could campaign .
As he appeared to be losing support , Duda seized on family values , vowing to protect Polish families from the propagation of “ LGBT ideology ” in public institutions .
LGBT activists held street protests after Duda accused the LGBT rights movement of promoting a viewpoint more dangerous than communism and saying he agreed with another conservative politician who said “ LGBT is not people , it ’ s an ideology.
” Some Polish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Nazi German occupation that considered Poles subhuman strongly denounced Duda ’ s targeting of LGBT people as a new form of dehumanization .
Duda dropped that language in recent days , saying at a rally Friday that “ in Poland there is place for everyone.
” The election will take place four days after Duda was hosted at the White House by Trump , who praised Poland for its “ rule of law.
“ “ He ’ s doing a terrific job .
The people of Poland think the world of him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint news conference with Duda .
However , the visit to Washington appeared to bring no breakthroughs , and it is not clear if Trump ’ s apparent endorsement will win over undecided voters .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Asia Today: India cases cross 500,000; China, Korea also up

NEW DELHI - India ’ s confirmed coronavirus cases crossed half a million on Saturday with another record 24-hour jump of 18,552 infections .
The Health Ministry also reported 384 new deaths , raising the total to 15,685 .
The surge prompted authorities in the northeastern state of Assam to impose a two-week lockdown in the state capital of Gauhati .
About 700 new cases were reported there in just four days .
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the rest of Assam will be placed under a night curfew and weekend lockdowns .
He urged people to store essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even grocery stores would be closed .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — China has reported an uptick in new coronavirus cases , a day after the nation ’ s CDC said it expects an outbreak in Beijing to be brought under control soon .
The National Health Commission said Saturday that 21 cases had been confirmed nationwide in the latest 24-hour period , including 17 in the nation ’ s capital .
City officials have temporarily shut a huge wholesale food market where the virus spread widely , re-closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to China ’ s CDC , testing has found only a few infected people without a link to the market and that the steps taken mean the risk of further spread is low , the official Xinhua News Agency said .
Anyone leaving Beijing is required to have a negative result from a nucleic acid test within the previous seven days .
Many Chinese are travelling during a four-day holiday weekend that ends Sunday .
China has reported 83,483 confirmed cases and 4,634 deaths in the pandemic .
People who test positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its official case count .
— South Korea has reported 51 newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus as fresh clusters continue to emerge in the densely populated Seoul area .
They bring the national caseload to 12,653 , including 282 deaths .
Thirty-five of the new cases came from Seoul and nearby cities and towns , which have been at the centre of a COVID-19 resurgence since late May .
Twelve others were linked to international arrivals .
Health authorities are struggling to trace contacts and predict infection routes with new clusters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hundreds of infections have been linked to nightspots , church gatherings , restaurants and low-income workers such as door-to-door salespeople and warehouse employees .
Officials have so far resisted calls to reimpose stronger social distancing guidelines after easing them in mid-April , citing concerns about a fragile economy .
— Australian health officials are expecting more cases of COVID-19 as hundreds of nationals return from overseas to begin mandatory quarantine .
About 300 people are due to arrive in Adelaide this weekend from Mumbai , India , while hundreds are expected to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hotel quarantine will be tested for the coronavirus at the start and end of their 14-day isolation .
South Australia state Health Minister Stephen Wade says he ’ s preparing for about 5 % to 10 % returnees to have the virus , as was the case when people returned from Indonesia in other states .
Melbourne recorded 30 new cases on Friday , continuing a run of double-digit increases that has more than tripled Victoria state ’ s active cases to 183 in just over a week .
In an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a two-week school holiday break , almost 5,000 infrared thermometers are being shipped to popular vacation spots in the state .
The thermometers will be used at testing clinics set up on the Great Ocean Road tourist drive and in the Victorian Alps ski area .
Australia has had 104 COVID-19 deaths and nearly 7,600 confirmed cases .
— Sri Lanka reopened cinemas on Saturday as part of the island nation ’ s efforts to return to normalcy following more than two months of lockdown to contain the coronavirus .
Patrons are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand washing and wearing face masks .
A seat must be kept vacant between patrons in a bid to maintain social distancing , and cinemas are only allowed to reach half capacity .
Previously , Sri Lanka reopened places of worships , wildlife parks and zoos .
The country has confirmed 2,014 cases of the coronavirus , including 11 deaths .
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Storms leave 3 dead, 12 missing in southwest China

BEIJING - Three people died and 12 are missing after overnight rainstorms in southwestern China , authorities said Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ river , killing two people and leaving three others unaccounted for , according to the @ @ @ @ @ province .
Another person was killed and nine more are missing in Yihai township , @ @ @ @ @ post on its social media account .
Mianning is about 280 kilometres ( 175 miles @ @ @ @ @ the capital of Sichuan .
About 7,500 people have been evacuated from their homes .
@ @ @ @ @ died this year in seasonal rains in southern China that swell rivers and flood towns @ @ @ @ @ ’ s worst floods in recent years were in 1998 , when more than 2,000 @ @ @ @ @ million homes were destroyed .
More heavy rain was forecast for several provinces , including @ @ @ @ @ , Shaanxi , Henan and Hubei , China ’ s official Xinhua News Agency said @


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Shooting reported at Breonna Taylor protest in Kentucky

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - Authorities were investigating a shooting Saturday night at a park in downtown Louisville , Kentucky , where demonstrators regularly gather to protest the death of Breonna Taylor .
“ We are currently working an active police situation at Jefferson Square Park , “ Louisville police said in a statement , according to news outlets .
“ Praying for our city , ” tweeted Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker of Louisville .
The Democrat is running for his party ’ s nomination to challenge Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell in the fall .
Taylor , a 26-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louisville home in March by police who were serving a no-knock warrant .
Protesters have been calling for the officers involved in her death to be charged .
One of the officers was recently fired .
Kenneth Walker , Taylor ’ s boyfriend , was originally charged with attempted murder after he fired a shot at one of the officers who came into the home .
Walker has said he thought he was defending from an intruder .
The no-knock search warrant that allows police to enter without first announcing their presence was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--2 dead after shooting at business centre in California

RED BLUFF , Calif. - Two people were left dead and at least four people were in fair condition at a hospital Saturday after a man drove into a distribution centre and started shooting at people .
The two deceased people and the four injured ones were treated at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff , spokeswoman Allison Hendrickson told The Associated Press .
She declined to provide more details .
The shooting by a man with “ AR-type weapon ” started about 3:30 p.m. at the Walmart distribution centre south of Red Bluff , emergency dispatchers told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire at the site , and the suspect appears to have rammed a vehicle into the building , dispatchers said .
There were about 200 workers inside the facility , some of whom locked themselves in a room , employees at the centre told the KHSL TV station .
The suspect was described as being in a white vehicle that had wedged into the building , the Sacramento Bee reported .
The shooter was in the middle of the parking lot , dispatchers said .
The suspect had been shot in the chest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newspaper .
Scott Thammakhanty , an employee at the facility ’ s receiving centre , said he heard the shooter fire from a semi-automatic weapon .
“ It went on and on — I don ’ t even know how many times he fired , ” Thammakhanty said .
“ I just know it was a lot.
” Thammakhanty and others started running for their lives , and he saw people lying on the ground as he went , he said .
Thammakhanty told the newspaper that he didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lister , 51 , told the New York Times he had just started work when a coworker ran down the hallway shouting : “ Active gunfire !
Active shooter !
” Dispatchers told the Record-Searchlight that at least one woman had been shot .
A man had also reported his leg getting run over when the shooter rammed a vehicle into the store , but the man wasn ’ t sure whether he ’ d been shot , dispatchers said .
Walmart spokesman Scott Pope told the Record-Searchlight that the company is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with law enforcement .
“ We don ’ t have any additional information to share at this time , ” Pope said .
Red Bluff is a city of about 14,000 people about 131 miles ( 210 kilometres ) north of Sacramento , California .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Columbus police close 1982 homicide with help of podcast, family DNA database

COLUMBUS , Ohio—Nearly 38 years after Kelly Ann Prosser was abducted while walking home from Indianola Elementary School in Columbus , Ohio , and killed , her family finally knows what happened .
Prosser , 8 , was abducted on Sept. 20 , 1982 .
Her body was found in a field south of Plain City , Ohio , two days later .
She had been beaten , sexually assaulted and strangled .
On Friday , Columbus police announced that a DNA match was confirmed with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation earlier this week , identifying the person who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known by most as Warren Jarrell .
Jarrell died in Las Vegas in 1996 at the age of 67 .
He would have been 53 at the time of Prosser ’ s abduction .
There is no forensic evidence tying him to any other crimes in Columbus , police said .
Prosser ’ s case had remained active for more than three decades , with Columbus police cold-case homicide detectives continuing to search for answers for her family .
In late winter 2019 and early spring 2020 , detectives began working with Advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to use DNA from the crime scene in 1982 to develop a familial match .
Similar techniques have been used by law enforcement in other cold cases across the country , including high-profile cases like the Golden State Killer case in California .
“ We ’ ve had the ( DNA ) profile , we just didn ’ t have a name to go with it , ” Deputy Chief Greg Bodker said .
A family tree was developed and leads were followed up on with possible family members .
The initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I don ’ t know that his name would ’ ve come up without the DNA , ” Bodker said .
“ ( Jarrell ) was not on our radar at all as someone who committed this murder.
” “ His DNA profile has been in CODIS ( Combined DNA Index System ) since it started , ” he said .
“ If there was any other evidence in other crimes , it would ’ ve generated a hit.
” Jarrell had been convicted in 1977 of a sex crime involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years in prison , Bodker said .
Det .
Dana Croom , who took over the case fully in 2016 , said at a press conference that he “ couldn ’ t believe it when we got the match .
I was numb , and I teared up a little bit.
” He said he has a personal connection with the family and thought of his own kids as he worked the case .
“ I don ’ t know if I could be as strong as Linda ( Prosser ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The mother would send letters and notes to every detective with photos of Prosser .
“ When Kelly Ann left for school the morning of Sept. 20 , 1982 , we did not expect our time with her would abruptly end or that our future would change in every way imaginable .
One moment , we had this dazzling , mischievous eight-year-old little girl .
Then , suddenly , all we had left were memories , photographs that will never age , a calendar marking a dreadful new ‘ holiday , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s life stored in a box , ” Prosser ’ s family said in a statement .
“ Today is one of those bittersweet moments that has been a long time coming .
Thank you , ( Columbus police ) , for never giving up , thank you for never forgetting about this innocent child and thank you for never forgetting that you were working for Kelly Ann .
Today , you have given us the most incredible gift .
And this gives us hope that other homicide cold cases will be solved.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ known connection to Jarrell , Bodker said .
“ This appears to be a true stranger abduction , ” he said .
Throughout the long investigation , Bodker said Jarrell had never been a serious suspect or person of interest .
At the time of Prosser ’ s murder , one detective was curious as to whether Jarrell could have been involved , but there was no evidence at the time , he said .
An anonymous Crime Stoppers tip from 2014 also mentioned Jarrell , but it used a variation and spelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detectives to him .
Bodker said Jarrell ’ s family has been co-operative with investigators .
In late 2019 , detectives also sought to use a podcast , “ The 5th Floor , ” named after the area in police headquarters where cold-case homicide detectives work .
Prosser ’ s case was selected as the first to be examined through the podcast .
“ This little girl ’ s name came up with everyone I talked to , whether it be a scientist at the crime lab , an administrator , detectives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say it ’ s the one they really wanted to solve before they retired .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Black trans women seek more space in the movement they helped start

Transgender women of colour led the uprising at New York City ’ s Stonewall Inn 51 years ago Sunday , but they were never put at the centre of the movement they helped start : one whose very shorthand , “ the gay rights movement , ” erases them .
Although active in the Black Lives Matter movement from the beginning , they have not been prioritized there , either .
At no point have Black trans people shared fully in the gains of racial justice or LGBTQ+ activism , despite suffering disproportionately from the racism , homophobia and transphobia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , as the two movements are pulled together by extraordinary circumstances — the protests sparked by the killings of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery ; the killings of two Black trans women , Dominique Fells and Riah Milton , shortly after a Black trans man , Tony McDade , was killed by police ; a pandemic that has disproportionately affected people of colour ; an economic crisis that has disproportionately affected trans people ; and a Supreme Court decision protecting gay and trans people from employment discrimination , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Black trans people are mobilizing more visibly than ever before .
This moment , advocates say , is long overdue , and they are determined not to let it slip away .
For decades , the idea that “ we were all minorities was enough for people to just say , ‘ OK , that ’ s what we have in common , so if I win , that means you automatically are winning , too , ’ ” said Peppermint , a Black trans activist who co-hosted the Black Queer Town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performances and discussions , this month .
“ I think that the notion of intersectionality is becoming more readily available for people to understand that a win for one group or one identity doesn ’ t necessarily equal an automatic win for the other.
” While LGBTQ+ people have secured many legal rights and protections , Black transgender women are still killed so often that the American Medical Association has declared it an epidemic .
Last year , 91 per cent of the transgender or gender-non-conforming people who were fatally shot were Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Campaign .
This year , at least 16 trans people have been killed — almost certainly an underestimate because many cases go unreported and many victims are misgendered .
“ So much money and resources and energy has been put into legislative fights or judicial fights , which is important — those wins are important , ” activist Raquel Willis said .
“ But as a Black trans woman , I often have to grapple with the question of , what do any of these protections mean if I am dead , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being killed ?
” Violence against transgender people increased after U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated , advocacy groups found in 2017 , and Trump has singled out trans people in his policies since the beginning of his presidency .
His administration reversed Barack Obama-era protections for transgender students , reimposed a ban on trans people serving in the military and , just this month , erased rules protecting them from discrimination in health care .
It also sought to define gender as an immutable trait assigned at birth — an effort that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of legal existence .
“ The attacks on the trans community are at every level , and it ’ s coming from the highest office in this country , and it has from Day 1 , ” said Sarah Kate Ellis , president of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD .
“ I think that Black trans people and trans people of colour are mobilizing and using this platform and this moment because you can ’ t have Black lives matter without having Black trans lives matter.
” Nala Toussaint , founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healing initiative for LGBTQ+ people of African descent , said the trans community had always taken care of its own by “ making sure that we have food in our stomachs , making sure that our folks have housing , making sure that there ’ s lights and building utilities running.
” What is new is the national visibility of Black trans people as movement leaders and the prominence of their structural demands .
Calls to redistribute police funding to education and public housing could benefit Black transgender people , who , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest rates of homelessness and unemployment in the country .
More than one in four transgender people have lost a job because of bias , and more than three-fourths have experienced workplace discrimination , according to the National Center for Transgender Equality ( NCTE ) .
The idea of defunding the police is also tied to efforts to change the criminal justice system more broadly : Peppermint noted , for instance , that decriminalizing sex work could reduce interactions between officers and trans people , especially Black trans women , which can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report from the NCTE found that 22 per cent of transgender people who interacted with police reported harassment .
For Black trans people , and especially sex workers , the number was higher .
Black trans activists are also calling for the redistribution of resources within mainstream LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations that have usually been led by white , cisgender people .
National non-profits with strong funding “ need to get serious about reallocating resources to Black- and Brown-led grassroots initiatives , ” Willis said , “ and they need to really reorient themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader.
” Historically , mainstream LGBTQ+ rights groups have focused more on white gay people and lesbians than on trans people or people of colour .
While that has begun to change , there remains a well of mistrust and a conviction that effective advocacy will need to be led by Black trans people .
“ They don ’ t know the first thing about what it is to live a life like we have , and they have no comprehension as to what it is we suffer and go through , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last surviving leaders of the Stonewall uprising .
“ So I myself do not participate in groups that are led by white people , because they just don ’ t understand.
” That lack of understanding is part of what advocates are trying to address .
Miss Major , 79 , was executive director of the Transgender Gender-Variant Intersex Justice Project and now runs a house for trans people in Arkansas .
She has been vocal about the erasure of Black trans people in the broader LGBTQ+ movement and said in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoped this moment would be different , she did not expect it to be unless her community fought loudly for itself .
“ What I tell the girls is that they ’ ve got to keep fighting , ” she said .
“ They must keep fighting .
Because if they don ’ t succeed and do the work , we ’ ll get left behind , and one thing we can not accept is being left behind this time .
”

Isabella Grullón Paz - The New York Times,Maggie Astor


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Mississippi takes step toward dropping rebel image from flag

JACKSON , Miss .
- Spectators at the Mississippi Capitol broke into cheers and applause Saturday as lawmakers took a big step toward erasing the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag , a symbol that has come under intensifying criticism in recent weeks amid nationwide protests against racial injustice .
“ The eyes of the state , the nation and indeed the world are on this House , “ Republican Rep. Jason White told his colleagues .
On the other end of the Capitol , Sen. Briggs Hopson declared : “ Today , you — Mississippi — have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last state flag with the Confederate battle emblem — a red field topped by a blue X with 13 white stars .
Many see the emblem as racist , and the flag has been divisive for generations in a state with a 38 % Black population .
Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves said Saturday for the first time that he would sign a bill to change the flag if the Republican-controlled Legislature sends him one .
He previously said he would not veto one — a more passive stance .
“ The argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divisive as the flag itself and it ’ s time to end it , “ Reeves said .
On Saturday , the House and Senate voted by more than the required two-thirds majority to suspend legislative deadlines and file a bill to change the flag .
That allows debate on a bill as soon as Sunday .
Saturday ’ s vote was the big test , though , because of the margin .
Only a simple majority is needed to pass a bill .
“ I would never have thought that I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifetime , ” said Democratic Sen. Barbara Blackmon of Canton , who is African American .
A bill will erase the current Mississippi flag from state law .
A commission will design a new flag that can not include the Confederate battle emblem but must have the phrase “ In God We Trust.
“ The new design will be put on the ballot Nov. 3 .
If a majority voting that day accept the new design , it will become the state flag .
If a majority reject it , the commission will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines .
“ I know there are many good people who ... believe that this flag is a symbol of our Southern pride and heritage , “ said White , the Republican speaker pro tempore of the House .
“ But for most people throughout our nation and the world , they see that flag and think that it stands for hatred and oppression.
” Republican Rep. Chris Brown of Nettleton appeared at a 2016 rally outside the state capitol for people who want to keep the Confederate emblem on the flag .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a proposed new design should both go on the ballot .
“ I don ’ t think we can move forward together if we say , ‘ You can have any flag you want except ... this one , ’ “ Brown said .
“ If we put the current flag on the ballot with another good design , the people of Mississippi will change it .
... Let ’ s not steal their joy.
” White supremacists in the Legislature set the state flag design in 1894 during backlash to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Civil War .
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the flag lacked official status .
State laws were updated in 1906 , and portions dealing with the flag were not carried forward .
Legislators set a flag election in 2001 , and voters kept the rebel-themed design .
Democratic state Rep. Ed Blackmon of Canton — the husband of Sen. Barbara Blackmon — told the House on Saturday that threats were made against him and others who served on a flag design commission in 2000 .
Ed Blackmon said Mississippi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so his children and grandchildren can stand at attention when they see it .
“ We ’ ll all be proud to say , ‘ That ’ s my flag , too , ’ “ Blackmon said .
All of the state ’ s public universities and several cities and counties have stopped flying it because of the Confederate symbol .
Influential business , religious , education and sports groups are calling on Mississippi to drop the Confederate symbol .
People for and against the current flag filled the Capitol on Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was with several people asking lawmakers to adopt a new banner with a magnolia , which is both the state tree and the state flower .
She said it would represent “ joy of being a citizen of the United States , ” unlike the current flag .
“ We don ’ t want anything flying over them , lofty , exalting itself , that grabs onto a deadly past , ” Holt said .
Dan Hartness of Ellisville , Mississippi , walked outside the Capitol carrying a pole that with the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said the state flag pays tribute to those who fought in the Civil War .
“ Being a veteran , that ’ s important to me — that you remember these guys that fought in battle , whether they ’ re on the right side or the wrong side , ” Hartness said .

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Biden campaign says 36% of senior staff are people of colour

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden ’ s campaign says a little more than a third of its senior staff are people of colour , sharing staff diversity data after facing pressure to answer questions on the issue .
The campaign said that 36 % of its senior staff are people of colour , but did not disclose how much of its overall campaign staff are people of colour .
The campaign also noted that women are in the majority of both the campaign ’ s senior staff and its full staff .
The candidate has faced warnings from activists that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black community for granted .
Black voters helped deliver him the nomination , and will be key to his White House hopes this fall .
The Biden campaign released the data after the presumptive Democratic nominee was pressed at a forum on Asian American and Pacific Islander issues .
“ You know , the fact of the matter is , we have a very diverse staff .
And we have a diverse staff that goes across the board and high-level and senior positions .
So I will make sure we release it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members as well as a significant number of African Americans , significant number of women and Latinos , ” Biden told the moderator .
Biden has faced questions over the diversity of his staff since the Democratic primary , but the questions have reemerged in recent weeks as the nation has plunged into a discussion surrounding systemic racism and criminal justice reform .
Biden has promised his administration will “ look like America , ” and has pledged to choose a woman as his running mate and a black woman as his first @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--4 California officers on leave amid probe of racist posts

SAN JOSE , Calif. - Four police officers in Northern California have been placed on administrative leave while officials investigate a Facebook group in which members made bigoted and anti-Muslim comments .
The Facebook posts linked to a group of retired and active San Jose police officers were revealed Friday in an article posted on Medium.com , leading to swift condemnations by the police union , local officials and civil rights advocates , the East Bay Times reported .
The article , by an unnamed blogger who said they were the partner of a law enforcement officer in the San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what appears to be Facebook posts in which a member of the group called Black Lives Matter activists “ domestic enemies.
” The writer sought anonymity , citing a concern for his or her safety .
The article gave another example in which members of the Facebook group commented about a Muslim woman whose hijab was pulled off by a sheriff ’ s deputy in Ventura County .
One suggested pulling the hijab over the woman ’ s face , and another suggested using hijabs as nooses .
Zahra Billoo , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relations , San Francisco Bay Area , said that sort of Islamophobic sentiment is concerning no matter who writes it , and is “ even more terrifying ” coming from police officers .
“ How are we supposed to be able to call on these officers to protect our community when this is what they say when they feel as though they are around their peers ?
” Billoo said .
“ I worry that this is not just a few bad officers and this is not just a few bad posts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew about these posts and looked the other way.
” Police Chief Eddie Garcia said he asked the FBI to assist in the investigation .
Mayor Sam Liccardo said he expected any officer who made “ racist , anti-Muslim or menacing comments ” to be fired .
Liccardo expressed frustration that a white officer who was fired in 2016 for tweets criticizing Black Lives Matter demonstrations returned to the job after an independent arbitrator reversed the termination and forced the department to reinstate the officer .
“ I will push for changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reverse termination decisions of the chief , and I will further push for independent investigation of all racially discriminatory conduct , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Biden slams Trump over reported bounties placed on US troops

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump on Saturday over a report that he said , if true , contains a “ truly shocking revelation ” about the commander in chief and his failure to protect U.S. troops in Afghanistan and stand up to Russia .
The New York Times reported Friday that American intelligence officials concluded months ago that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
The report said the Russians offered rewards for successful attacks last year , at a time when the U.S. and Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war .
“ The truly shocking revelation that if the Times report is true , and I emphasize that again , is that President Trump , the commander in chief of American troops serving in a dangerous theatre of war , has known about this for months , according to the Times , and done worse than nothing , ” Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , said during a virtual town hall .
The White House said neither Trump nor Vice-President Mike Pence was briefed on such intelligence .
“ This does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged intelligence but to the inaccuracy of the New York Times story erroneously suggesting that President Trump was briefed on this matter , ” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement .
“ This unsophisticated plant clearly illustrates the low intellectual abilities of the propagandists of American intelligence , who instead of inventing something more plausible have to make up this nonsense , ” the Russian Foreign Ministry said .
The Times quoted a Taliban spokesman denying that its militants have such a deal with the Russian intelligence agency .
The newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence , said the findings were presented to Trump and discussed by his National Security Council in late March .
Officials developed potential responses , starting with a diplomatic complaint to Russia , but the White House has yet to authorize any step , the report said .
Biden slammed Trump over his reported failure to act .
“ Not only has he failed to sanction and impose any kind of consequences on Russia for this egregious violation of international law , Donald Trump has continued his embarrassing campaign of deference and debasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former vice-president said .
Biden called it a “ betrayal of the most sacred duty we bear as a nation — to protect and equip our troops when we send them into harm ’ s way.
” He said Americans who serve in the military put their life on the line .
“ But they should never , never , never ever face a threat like this with their commander in chief turning a blind eye to a foreign power putting a bounty on their heads , ” he said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report , ” Biden said .
He promised that if he is elected , “ Putin will be confronted and we ’ ll impose serious costs on Russia .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Alaska tribe to decide fate of European explorer statue

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - The mayor of Anchorage has asked the Native Village of Eklutna to determine what happens to a statue of a British explorer following calls for its removal as monuments to historical figures are being dismantled across the country .
The statue is of Captain James Cook , who came to Alaska in 1778 in what is now known as Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet while searching for the Northwest Passage as an explorer for the British government .
Cook and his crew were the first Europeans to set foot in the region and were credited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Indigenous people .
Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and Native Village of Eklutna President Aaron Leggett wrote a joint letter saying that “ the statue is but one symbol among many that fail to fully and fairly recognize Anchorage ’ s First People.
” The letter was written in response to the Anchorage Sister Cities Commission , which suggested modifying the monument to reflect the history of Alaska Natives .
“ Consequently , as part of the government-to-government relationship between the Municipality of Anchorage and the Native Village of Eklutna , we seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial role and sovereign authority of local tribes as we more fully and fairly portray Alaska ’ s past , ” the letter said .
Leggett said this is the most significant recognition from an Anchorage official of the village being a sovereign government .
The Native Village of Eklutna is the only tribal government within the boundaries of the Municipality of Anchorage .
It became federally recognized in 1982 .
A decision has not yet been made on what will happen to the statue , but Leggett said he would like to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represent the history and voice of the Dena ’ ina people .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Pence cancels some political events because of virus spikes

WASHINGTON - Vice-President Mike Pence called off campaign events in Florida and Arizona this coming week as the states experience a surge in new coronavirus cases .
Pence will still travel to those states , which have set records for new confirmed infections in recent days , the White House confirmed , saying he will meet with governors and their health teams .
Pence said Friday during a briefing by the White House ’ s coronavirus task force that he would be visiting Florida , Texas and Arizona to receive a “ ground report ” on spiking cases of COVD-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Republican governors have come under criticism for pushing for aggressive reopening after virus-related lockdowns as cases in the states rise .
Pence is travelling to Dallas on Sunday to attend a “ Celebrate Freedom Rally ” at First Baptist Church Dallas before meeting with Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott .
But planned political events later in the week have been pushed off .
On Tuesday , Pence was supposed to address a Trump-Pence campaign “ Faith in America ” event in Tuscon , Arizona , before meeting Gov .
Doug Ducey in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponed .
In Florida on Thursday , Pence was to embark on a bus tour , including an appearance in Lake Wales at an event organized by the pro-Trump group America First Policies billed as the “ Great American Comeback tour.
” The group announced that “ out of an abundance of caution at this time , we are postponing the Great American Comeback tour stop in Florida .
We look forward to rescheduling soon.
” The Sarasota County Republican Party confirmed in a note to supporters that Pence ’ s campaign event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also postponed .
He was still set to meet with Gov .
Ron DeSantis .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Low-income California zip codes see spike in virus cases

ANAHEIM , Calif. - Beachgoers packed Orange County ’ s shoreline on Saturday and not everybody wore masks , worrying public health and elected officials who say people were letting their guard down even as the coronavirus surges across California .
Data collected by health officials show hundreds of people have been infected in densely populated neighbourhoods in Anaheim and Santa Ana that are more likely home to low-income residents , the Orange County Register reported Saturday .
The residents living in the identified hot spots are more likely to live in multi-generational or multi-family households and many of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials told the newspaper .
Cases and hospitalizations have grown significantly in the last couple weeks , and “ it ’ s not just around the hot zones — we ’ re seeing much more spread around the county , “ said Bernadette Boden-Albala , dean of University of California , Irvine ’ s public health program .
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county has been steadily rising : two weeks ago it was 325 people ; on Saturday the total was 451 .
As the county reopens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of stay-at-home restrictions may not have taken the risks of infection as seriously because they didn ’ t know anyone who has gotten seriously ill .
Concerns about the spike in cases prompted Disneyland employees to stage a car caravan around the theme park on Saturday to call for routine testings and other safety measures to protect them .
Disney announced Wednesday it would delay reopening its California theme parks , which were set to welcome back visitors on July 17 .
At least four California counties on Friday paused or prepared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to slow the spread of the virus .
On Saturday , the state reported a rise of nearly 6,000 confirmed virus cases from the day before .
Nearly 5,900 people have died from coronavirus complications in the state .
This week , Gov .
Gavin Newsom sounded renewed alarm bells about where the state is headed and pleaded for residents to wear masks in public , as required , and keep a physical distance from people not in their household .
He also urged Imperial County , an agricultural county that borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with a high rate of positive cases and hospitalizations .
The county ’ s board of supervisors elected not to take any action during an emergency meeting Friday .
Instead , local officials said they were urging residents to wear masks and continue to follow social distancing guidelines .
Imperial officials were set to meet with the governor ’ s office on Saturday to address the problem .
Newsom ’ s recommendation prompted the bishop of the Diocese of San Diego to suspend plans to resume services in Imperial county .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass services .
“ I thank our priests , church personnel and volunteers who had prepared for weeks to welcome our brothers and sisters back to Mass , but the community ’ s and our parishioners ’ safety comes first , “ Bishop Robert W. McElroy said in a statement .
The county of 175,000 people lies across the border from Mexicali , a sprawling industrial city of 1 million people that has enormous influence on its economy and culture .
Some hospital officials in the county , which provides many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have said the increase in cases was at least partly driven by American citizens who live on the Mexico side in a region where cross-border travel and living is common .
AP photographer Marcio Sanchez in Orange County contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--2 Yanomami reported slain by illegal prospectors in Amazon

BRASILIA , Brazil - Two members of the Yanomami ethnic group in Brazil ’ s Amazon rainforest were shot to death by illegal gold prospectors inside the Indigenous community ’ s territory , according to reports from the group .
Júnior Hekurari Yanomami , a member of the group who is president of Condisi-Y , the local health council , told The Associated Press on Saturday that Original Yanomami , 24 , and Marcos Yanomami , 20 , were slain June 12 .
The deaths were only reported recently due to the remoteness of the region in Brazil ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hutukara association , which represents Yanomami communities in Brazil , issued a statement confirming the reports of the killings .
Brazil ’ s national Indian foundation , known as Funai , and the Federal Police didn ’ t immediately respond to requests for comment .
Relying on a conversation with a leader of the far-flung community , Hekurari said Original was shot first as a group of Yanomami followed prospectors who were trespassing on the community ’ s land .
Then Marcos was shot and the other Indigenous people retreated after an hour-long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were left in the forest , in accordance with the traditions of the Yanomami , he said .
“ The community is in mourning , ” Hekurari said .
“ It is unacceptable to be killed in your home by people who are looking for gold .
We need support , security.
” The Socio-Environmental Institute , an environmental and indigenous advocacy group , says more than 26,000 indigenous people live in Yanomami territory and they have faced invasions by prospectors and contamination of their waterways since the 1980s .
The institute and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Indigenous lands by prospectors amid the coronavirus pandemic , worrying the intruders could infect their isolate communities far from medical facilities .
The Hutukara association also expressed concern that the incident could lead to further violence , as has occurred in the past .
“ We fear that the family of the Yanomami murdered will decide to retaliate against the prospectors following the justice system of the Yanomami culture , ” the association ’ s statement said .
“ That can lead to a cycle of violence that will result in tragedy @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Trump’s brother asks another court to halt niece’s book

NEW YORK - Donald Trump ’ s brother has asked another court to halt publication of a tell-all book by the president ’ s niece , after his first bid was rejected by a New York City judge .
Robert Trump ’ s lawyers say the niece , Mary Trump , signed a legal settlement with several Trump family members nearly two decades ago that included a confidentiality clause barring her from publishing the book .
They said the deal included a “ substantial financial settlement ” for Mary Trump .
Surrogates Court Judge Peter Kelly in New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an injunction Thursday , saying the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case .
Robert Trump ’ s lawyers filed another injunction request Friday in Supreme Court in Dutchess County , New York , where Robert Trump lives .
“ Mary Trump reaped the rewards of the agreement for 20 years , and now seeks to breach the agreement by cashing in on a “ tell-all ” book , ” Charles Harder , lead attorney for Robert Trump , said in a statement Saturday .
“ The enforcement of voluntary contracts is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private dispute has nothing to do with the First Amendment.
” The settlement agreement related to the will of Donald Trump ’ s father , New York real estate developer Fred Trump .
Mary Trump is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr. , the president ’ s elder brother , who died in 1981 .
An online description of her book , “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man , ” says it reveals “ a nightmare of traumas , destructive relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and abuse.
” Her lawyer , Theodore Boutrous , said in a statement that the new legal filing “ is yet another baseless attempt by the Trump family to obtain an unconstitutional prior restraint to block core political speech relating to the President.
” Published accounts of the book ’ s contents say it contains an “ insider ’ s perspective ” of “ countless holiday meals ” and family interactions and family events , along with personal observations by Mary Trump , a psychologist , about her “ supposedly toxic family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court papers , lawyers for Robert Trump said the book also has been promoted as containing insight into the “ inner workings ” of the Trump family and allegations that the late Fred Trump and the president neglected Mary Trump ’ s father , “ supposedly contributing to his early death .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Satellite image: Iran blast was near suspected missile site

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - An explosion that rattled Iran ’ s capital came from an area in its eastern mountains that analysts believe hides an underground tunnel system and missile production sites , satellite photographs showed Saturday .
What exploded in the incident early Friday that sent a massive fireball into the sky near Tehran remains unclear , as does the cause of the blast .
The unusual response of the Iranian government in the aftermath of the explosion , however , underscores the sensitive nature of an area near where international inspectors believe the Islamic Republic conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapon triggers .
The blast shook homes , rattled windows and lit up the horizon early Friday in the Alborz Mountains .
State TV later aired a segment from what it described as the site of the blast .
One of its journalists stood in front of what appeared to be large , blackened gas cylinders , though the camera remained tightly focused and did not show anything else around the site .
Defence Ministry spokesman Davood Abdi blamed the blast on a leaking gas he did not identify and said no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described the site as a “ public area , ” raising the question of why military officials and not civilian firefighters would be in charge .
The state TV report did not answer that .
Satellite photos of the area , some 20 kilometres ( 12.5 miles ) east of downtown Tehran , showed hundreds of meters ( yards ) of charred scrubland not seen in images of the area taken in the weeks ahead of the incident .
The building near the char marks resembled the facility seen in the state TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near what analysts describe as Iran ’ s Khojir missile facility .
The explosion appears to have struck a facility for the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group , which makes solid-propellant rockets , said Fabian Hinz , a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey , California .
The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies identified Khojir as the “ site of numerous tunnels , some suspected of use for arms assembly.
” Large industrial buildings at the site visible from satellite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
The U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency says Iran overall has the largest underground facility program in the Middle East .
Such sites “ support most facets of Tehran ’ s ballistic missile capabilities , including the operational force and the missile development and production program , ” the DIA said in 2019 .
Iranian officials themselves also identified the site as being in Parchin , home to a military base where the International Atomic Energy Agency previously said it suspects Iran conducted tests of explosive triggers that could be used in nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear weapons , though the IAEA previously said Iran had done work in “ support of a possible military dimension to its nuclear program ” that largely halted in late 2003 .
Western concerns over the Iranian atomic program led to sanctions and eventually to Tehran ’ s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers .
The U.S. under President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord in May 2018 , leading to a series of escalating attacks between Iran and the U.S. and Tehran abandoning the deal ’ s production limits .
Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered a series of explosions in recent years .
The most notable came in 2011 , when a blast at a missile base near Tehran killed Revolutionary Guard commander Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam , who led the paramilitary force ’ s missile program , and 16 others .
Initially , authorities described the blast as an accident , though a former prisoner later said the Guard interrogated him on suspicion Israel caused the explosion .


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Health officials: 2 Seward businesses exposed to COVID-19

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Health officials in Alaska have urged anyone who went to two Seward businesses to take a COVID-19 test after potentially being exposed to the coronavirus .
The state Department of Health and Social Services has said visitors and employees who were at the Seward Alehouse and Yukon Bar last week should get tested , the Anchorage Daily News reported .
“ One of our staff members has unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19 , ” the Seward Alehouse said Friday on Facebook .
“ They are currently quarantined , resting , and on track towards a healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Sunday and Tuesday from 7 p.m. to midnight should get tested , officials said .
Anyone who visited the Yukon Bar at any time on Tuesday should also get tested after the bar closed pending testing of all employees , the Yukon Bar said Thursday on Facebook .
“ The Public Health Department defines two or more cases as an ‘ outbreak.
’ While this term may sound frightening , Seward residents can rest assured that response measures are in place , ” the city said in an alert Friday .
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , city officials said .
Several other downtown Seward businesses also closed .
The Seward Community Health Center is hosting testing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and @ @