thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Abu Dhabi marks interfaith effort a year after Pope’s visit

ABU DHABI , United Arab Emirates - Interfaith leaders gathered on Monday in Abu Dhabi to mark one year since Pope Francis ’ historic trip to the Arabian Peninsula , a visit that saw leading Muslim clerics gather alongside the pope to promote co-existence .
The United Arab Emirates has worked to promote itself over the past year as a beacon of religious tolerance , despite it ’ s hard limits on political speech .
The majority of the country ’ s population are not Emirati Muslim citizens , but foreigners , millions of whom are Christian and Hindu .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to showcase its continued efforts in promoting interfaith dialogue as it prepares to break ground this year on a compound that will house a mosque , church and synagogue side by side .
The Abrahamic House of Fraternity project is due to be completed in 2022 .
In the neighbouring emirate of Dubai , an unmarked villa has already been turned into a synagogue .
The UAE and Saudi Arabia , along with other Gulf states , have been expanding their outreach to Christian groups , like evangelicals , and Jewish organizations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political interests and ties emerging between Gulf Arab states and Israel , which share a common foe in Iran .
A U.S. rabbi , a representative of the Catholic church and a trained sheikh from Egypt ’ s Al-Azhar , the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Islamic learning , attended Monday ’ s briefing where they discussed ongoing interfaith efforts .
Senior Rabbi at the Washington Hebrew Congregation , Bruce Lustig , insisted his participation on this visit was “ apolitical ” .
“ We are here as a forum for peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am delighted when there are greater ties with the state of Israel , “ he told The Associated Press .
” I am delighted when there ’ s opportunities to bring justice and peace to so many people who have so many injustices in the world.
” Israel ’ s treatment of Palestinians and the sanctity of one of Islam ’ s holiest sites in Jerusalem remain obstacles to full normalization .
Like most of the Arab world , the UAE does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel .
Pope Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula .
He ended his trip with a mass for 180,000 Christians , capping a visit that emphasized the presence of minority Christians in the region and a greater understanding with Islam .
During his trip , Francis also participated in a conference on interreligious dialogue and signed a “ human fraternity ” document to promote coexistence and confront extremism with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar , Ahmed el-Tayeb .
Just before he departed for Abu Dhabi last year , the pope appealed for an end to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ cries of these children and their parents rise up ” to God .
The UAE is a key member of the Saudi-led coalition at war with Yemen ’ s Iran-aligned rebels .
The conflict has driven Yemen to the brink of famine and caused the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Kansas City set to celebrate Super Bowl win with parade

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
- The Kansas City Chiefs are celebrating their Super Bowl win with a parade .
@ @ @ @ @ Parade “ is set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday .
Officials announced the celebration Sunday night @ @ @ @ @ defeated San Francisco 31-20 .
The festivities will include a victory rally at Union Station @ @ @ @ @ after the parade ends .
Details about the parade already had been leaking out in @ @ @ @ @ put generators in place near the site of the rally and businesses in the area @ @ @ @ @ operate on a reduced schedule .
When the Royals won the World Series in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ people flocked to the parade , parking along the side of the interstate when exits @ @ @ @ @ the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--2020 Watch: Now it’s time for real votes to shape field

DES MOINES , Iowa - Presidential politics move fast .
What we ’ re watching heading into a new week on the 2020 campaign : The end of the beginning is here .
After a year of political drama , the first voting contest of the 2020 primary season will be Monday in Iowa .
The kickoff caucuses will bring the first real sense of the clarity to the Democrats ’ presidential nomination fight .
Perhaps .
Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden appear to be the front-runners , but Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg can ’ t be counted out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Midwestern favourite Amy Klobuchar .
Some expect the candidates to finish locked in a four-way muddle , but , heading into New Hampshire , expect to see some separation within the moderate and progressive lanes .
With a primary contest and debate every week this month , things start moving much faster now .
Will there be a clear winner ?
The Associated Press will declare a winner Monday night based on which candidate earns the most state delegate equivalents .
But it may not be so simple .
Iowa officials will for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : the raw vote totals for the first alignment , the raw vote totals for the second alignment and finally the delegate equivalents .
That leaves open the possibility of three separate “ winners , ” and campaigns tell us they ’ re prepared to declare victory should they come out on top in any of the categories .
Even with the quirky reporting system this year — driven by Sanders — the opportunity is there for one candidate to win all three and leave Iowa as the undisputed front-runner .
Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa will yield a muddle that could mean a long and messier primary season .
How many tickets out of Iowa ?
State Party Chairman Troy Price says a four-passenger car may not be big enough to carry all the candidates who leave Iowa with a legitimate path to the nomination .
That ’ s rewriting the longtime trope that there are just three tickets out of Iowa .
And we have a hard time envisioning any of the four top-tier candidates getting knocked out of the race altogether .
But any candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support threshold will have a hard time justifying a place in the contest for much longer .
Monday ’ s stakes are particularly high for the two Midwestern candidates , Klobuchar and Buttigieg , who have a regional advantage .
Both candidates have built a rationale for their candidacies based on the notion they can appeal to voters in key key Midwestern battleground states in a way their rivals can not .
An underwhelming finish in the Midwest , therefore , could be devastating .
New England Sens .
Sanders and Warren face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pivots to New Hampshire next week .
How does the dynamic change in NH ?
The Iowa results will be huge , but the political world will pivot almost immediately to New Hampshire ’ s first-in-the-nation primary .
As usual , we ’ d expect multiple candidates to fly directly to New Hampshire from Iowa almost immediately after the results are announced — even though the State of the Union and the Senate impeachment trial may cause some complications .
Don ’ t forget that Sanders begins as the front-runner in the Granite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years ago with a 22 percentage point victory .
There will be intense pressure on Warren to hold her own in what could be a race for second place for everyone else .
Neither Buttigieg nor Biden can afford a weak finish there .
Biden can not afford a finish there that could undermine his strength in South Carolina .
This is a dangerous moment for anyone who cares about the Democratic Party ’ s ability to come together .
Sanders strategist Jeff Weaver resurrected a loaded phrase late last week when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s decision to change debate qualification rules that open the door for Mike Bloomberg was an example of “ a rigged system.
” The next day , Clinton again teed off on Sanders during a podcast interview .
And hours later , a Sanders surrogate sparked an outcry from the Democratic establishment for booing Clinton .
The details are not as important as the broader dynamic in which the fissure between Sanders ’ supporters and the party ’ s more moderate wing seems to be widening by the day .
Democrats will struggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotional fight stretches into the spring and summer .
How strong is the state of Trump ’ s union ?
Trump may not have a serious primary challenger , but this is still a huge week for the Republican president .
On Monday , Trump should get a real sense of the strength of his Democratic competition .
He will deliver the State of the Union address on Tuesday .
And by the close of business on Wednesday , the Senate could conclude its impeachment trial by acquitting him .
While other presidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense of humility , it ’ s safe to expect an emboldened Trump to try to use the stain of impeachment as a strength .
The question is whether women and disaffected suburban Republicans begin to warm to him as well .
We ’ re expecting fireworks in Iowa .
With wild swings in polling and multiple candidates teetering on the edge of viability , it ’ s not crazy to think one of the leading candidates might suffer a devastating blow on Monday that could shake up the race .
And even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cluster at the top , this field — it still technically features a dozen candidates — will likely begin to shrink dramatically in the coming days .
2020 Watch runs every Monday and provides a look at the week ahead in the 2020 election .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Spain: Separatist lawmakers blast “anachronistic” monarchy

MADRID - Nearly 50 lawmakers who advocate for their regions to become independent from Spain boycotted Monday ’ s ceremonial opening of the nation ’ s legislative season over the presence of the royal family .
The representatives of five parties from the Catalonia , Basque Country and Galicia regions , all in northern Spain , say that the figure of the king is “ anachronistic “ and that it should be rooted out of Spanish politics .
Their symbolic gesture of not attending the first session of the national parliament since a new left-wing government was sworn in last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pedro Sánchez faces in the coming months .
His coalition with the far-left United We Can ( Podemos ) party will need votes from the separatist parties to pass the nation ’ s 2020 spending plan and any significant legislation .
Sánchez ’ s Socialists have been supportive of King Felipe VI and the former monarch , King Emerit Juan Carlos I .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Italians, Poles quarantined after coming back from China

MILAN - Scores of Italians and Poles were under quarantine Monday after being repatriated home from the Chinese city of Wuhan , where a fast-spreading virus has emerged .
I Croatia , tourists from Taiwan were reportedly wearing “ not from China ” signs due to discrimination against Asian tourists .
European nations have been running flights to bring back citizens living and working in the central Chinese city , while working to contain the virus at home .
An Italian military aircraft carrying the Italians landed Monday morning at a military airport near Rome , and from there all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being transferred to a military base .
They will remain in quarantine there for 14 days .
Italian media reported they were all in good health .
If any show symptoms , they will be transferred to the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome , where two Chinese tourists with confirmed cases of coronavirus are being treated .
Another Italian citizen , a 17-year-old student who had a fever , was not permitted on board the evacuation flight .
Test results were expected Tuesday , but at the moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not worrying , ’ ’ Stefano Verrecchia , head of Italy ’ s crisis unit , told SkyTG 24 .
Over 17,000 people have been infected with the virus in China and 361 have died .
Another person died in the Philippines and 20 other nations have reported cases .
Europe has 25 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far : Germany has 10 ; France six ; Russia , Italy and the U.K have two each and Finland , Sweden and Spain have one each .
A French-chartered airliner carried 300 evacuees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France , Belgium , Denmark , the Netherlands , Slovakia , Czech Republic and some African nations .
French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said 36 people exhibited potential symptoms of the coronavirus .
Sixteen of them were sent home to other European countries , while the other 20 stayed in France and are being tested .
In Poland , a hospital official said all 30 Poles under quarantine show no signs of infection .
The group , also including children , was evacuated from Wuhan and , via France , arriving Sunday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The head of the Polish military hospital , Wojciech Tanski , said Monday that following examination they were all admitted for quarantine two weeks .
In Croatia , tourists from Taiwan were seen with signs reading “ not from China ” because they said that people fearful of the virus are shunning Asian tourists .
They told local media they began wearing the signs after people in Croatia had “ run away ” from them .
The photos were taken in the streets of Sibenik , a popular tourist destination on Croatia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some 800 workers from China who have been constructing a main highway to link the south and east of the tiny Balkan state have been told not to return to Montenegro after celebrating the Chinese New Year because of the virus .
Also , all Montenegrin operators have indefinitely cancelled tourist tours from China .
The Czech Republic , meanwhile , banned all flights to and from China in an effort to prevent the coronavirus from spreading .
About 620,000 Chinese tourists visited the Czech Republic last year , with the capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also decided to suspend all flights from China beginning Wednesday until end of month , according to its health minister .
Follow AP ’ s full coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Abe brushes aside worries of virus impact on Tokyo Olympics

TOKYO - Concern about the spreading coronavirus outbreak in China and its impact on this year ’ s Tokyo Olympics reached Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday .
Abe was asked about the virus by an opposition lawmaker but he brushed aside worries .
“ We will respond appropriately , “ Abe said , speaking in Japanese , ” while closely co-operating with the World Health Organization and other international organizations so that we can proceed with the preparations without letting it affect the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
” Japan has not reported any fatalities from the outbreak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths from the virus and more than 17,000 cases .
Tokyo organizers and the International Olympic Committee have said there are no plans to cancel or postpone the Olympics .
Tokyo Governor Yurkio Koike has urged vigilance said there will be “ regrets ” if there isn ’ t a maximum effort made .
Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto said Tokyo organizers and representatives from local municipalities would meet next week to discuss measures against the virus .
The modern Olympics , dating from 1896 , have been called off during wartime and faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have evolved in the last few decades into a multi-billion dollar event with massive investments from television and sponsors .
About 11,000 athletes will attend the Olympics .
Many of them still need to qualify and could face qualifying events cancelled or postponed if the virus continues to spread outside China .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--China opens virus hospital, market plunges as toll grows

BEIJING - China sent medical workers and equipment to a new hospital built in 10 days , infused cash into tumbling financial markets and further restricted people ’ s movement in sweeping new steps Monday to contain a rapidly spreading virus and its escalating impact .
Health authorities released updated figures of 361 deaths and 17,205 confirmed cases , an increase of 2,829 over a 24-hour period , as other countries continued evacuating citizens from hardest-hit Hubei province and restricted the entry of Chinese or people who recently travelled in the country .
The World Health Organization said the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are pending on thousands of suspected cases .
Chinese President Xi Jinping , presiding over a special meeting of the country ’ s top Communist Party body for the second time since the crisis started , said “ we have launched a people ’ s war of prevention of the epidemic.
” He told the Politburo standing committee that the country must race against time to curb the spread of the epidemic and that those who neglect their duties will be punished .
His speech was read by an anchor on the major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Reopening of schools was also delayed to keep the virus from spreading further in Hubei , where the 1,000-bed hospital in the provincial capital Wuhan was completed in just 10 days .
A second hospital with 1,500 beds will open within days .
Restrictions were tightened still further in one city by allowing only one family member to venture out to buy supplies every other day .
Medical teams from the People ’ s Liberation Army were arriving in Wuhan to relieve overwhelmed health workers and to work at the new hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city centre .
Its prefabricated wards , where patients began arriving by late morning , are equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and ventilation systems .
Leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said additional hospital space was crucial to stopping the spread of new infections .
“ The lack of hospital rooms forced sick people to return home , which is extremely dangerous .
So having additional ( beds ) available is a great improvement , ” Zhong told state broadcaster CCTV .
Zhong played a major role in overcoming China ’ s 2002-2003 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same family as the current pathogen .
In a sign of the economic toll of the outbreak , China ’ s Shanghai Composite index plunged nearly 8 % on the first day of trading after the Lunar New Year holiday .
That despite a central bank announcement Sunday that it was putting 1.2 trillion yuan ( $ 173 billion ) into the markets .
“ We are fully confident in and capable of minimizing the epidemic ’ s impact on economy , ” said Lian Weiliang , deputy chief of the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference in Beijing .
Hong Kong ’ s leader , Carrie Lam , announced Monday that the semi-autonomous territory will shut almost all land and sea border control points to the mainland from midnight to stem the spread of the virus .
She said only two border checkpoints — at Shenzhen Bay and the bridge to Macau and Zhuhai — will remain open .
More than 2,000 hospital workers had gone on strike earlier in the day , demanding a complete closure of the border , and their union has threatened a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded 15 cases of the virus and has cut flights and train and bus connections to the mainland , but a push is growing for it to close the border completely .
Strike organizers say about 6,000 medical staff were prepared to participate .
Hong Kong was severely impacted by the SARS outbreak , which many believe was intensified by official Chinese secrecy and obfuscation .
South Korea , which has 15 confirmed cases , was quarantining 800 soldiers who had recently visited China , Hong Kong or Macao or had contact with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Choi Hyunsoo said .
Military service is required of all young South Korean men to guard against the threat from the communist North .
More than 300 Egyptians who were flown home from Wuhan on Sunday were quarantined in a hotel for at least 14 days .
In Beijing , officials sought to reassure the country ’ s 1.4 billion people of adequate supplies of face masks and disinfectant , despite reported shortages in parts of the country .
The Philippines banned the entry of all non-citizens from China after two cases were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside China .
The U.S. , Japan , Singapore , Indonesia , New Zealand and Australia have imposed similar restrictions despite criticism from China and WHO ’ s guidance that such measures were unnecessary .
About 150 cases have been reported in two dozen other countries .
The Philippine Health Department said a 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan died from the virus and his companion remained hospitalized .
Vietnam ’ s confirmed cases increased to eight , including a Vietnamese American man who had a two-hour layover in Wuhan on his way from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S. total rose to 11 , mostly involving recent travel to Wuhan .
The U.S. said Sunday that Americans who had travelled in China within the last 14 days would be routed to designated airports for enhanced health screenings and most non-Americans who recently were in China would be denied entry .
At an online briefing , foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying accused the U.S. of overreacting , acting against WHO advice and “ spreading fear.
“ “ The U.S. government hasn ’ t provided any substantial assistance to us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel from its consulate in Wuhan , the first to suggest partial withdrawal of its embassy staff , and the first to impose a travel ban on Chinese travellers , “ Hua said .
Amid accusations of a slow official response to the outbreak , six officials in the city of Huanggang , next to Wuhan in Hubei province , were fired over “ poor performance “ in handling the outbreak , the official Xinhua News Agency reported .
It cited the mayor as saying the city ’ s “ capabilities to treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a severe shortage in medical supplies such as protective suits and medical masks.
” At the same time , the head of the World Health Organization said Monday in Geneva that it was working with Google to ensure that searches about the new virus turned up information from the U.N. health agency first , part of efforts to fight “ rumours and misinformation ” about the outbreak .
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the opening of WHO ’ s executive board meeting that social media platforms such as Twitter , Facebook , Tencent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit the spread of misinformation.
” With no end to the outbreak in sight , authorities in Hubei and elsewhere extended the Lunar New Year holiday break , due to end this week , well into February to try to keep people at home and reduce the spread of the virus .
All Hubei schools are postponing the start of the new semester until further notice .
The trading and manufacturing centre of Wenzhou , with nearly 10 million people in coastal Zhejiang province , confined people to their homes , allowing only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other day to buy necessary supplies .
Huanggang , home to 7 million people , imposed similar measures on Saturday .
With more countries imposing restrictions on travellers from China , and reports of discrimination against Chinese abroad , the country ’ s diplomats began speaking out .
Chinese ambassador in Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan expressed worries over Chinese people being turned away by restaurants and taxis in the Indian Ocean island nation .
“ We understand the concerns of ( the ) Sri Lanka public but we at the same time hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible attitude and see the forceful and effective measures taken by China , ” Cheng said .
The crisis is the latest to confront Chinese leader Xi Jinping , who has been beset by months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong , the reelection of Taiwan ’ s pro-independence president and criticism over human rights violations in the traditionally Muslim territory of Xinjiang .
Meanwhile , the domestic economy continues to slow , weighed down by slowing demand and the trade war with Washington .
Associated Press writers Bharatha Malawaraarachchi in Colombo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geneva contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Dems kick off Iowa caucuses amid worry over beating Trump

DES MOINES , Iowa - A Democratic campaign that has cost more than $ 1 billion , dashed the ambitions of veteran politicians , forced conversations about race , gender and identity and prompted fierce debate over health care and taxes crests Monday in the Iowa caucuses .
By day ’ s end , tens of thousands of Democrats will have participated in the famed Iowa caucuses , the premiere of more than 50 contests that will unfold over the next five months .
The caucuses will render the first verdict on who among dozens of candidates is best positioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom Democratic voters are desperate to beat this fall .
It is a moment thick with promise for a Democratic Party that has seized major gains since Trump won the White House in 2016 .
But instead of optimism , a cloud of uncertainty and deepening intraparty resentment hangs over Monday ’ s election , which , after a multi-year buildup , will finally begin to reveal who and what Democrats stand for in this tumultuous era .
“ If anybody tells you they know who ’ s going to win , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God or they ’ re loony , because nobody knows , ” said Deidre DeJear , the former state chair for Kamala Harris and the first black woman to win a statewide primary in Iowa .
Polls suggest that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders may have a narrow lead , but any of the top four candidates — Sanders , former Vice-President Joe Biden , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg — could score victory in Iowa ’ s unpredictable and quirky caucus system as organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klobuchar , who represents neighbouring Minnesota , is also claiming momentum , while outsider candidates such as entrepreneur Andrew Yang , billionaire activist Tom Steyer and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard could be factors .
Iowa offers just a tiny percentage of the delegates needed to win the nomination but plays an outsize role in culling primary fields .
A poor showing in Iowa could cause a front-runner ’ s fundraising to slow and support in later states to dwindle , while a strong result can give a candidate much needed momentum that propels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The past several Democrats who won the Iowa caucuses went on to clinch the party ’ s nomination .
The 2020 fight has played out over myriad distractions , particularly congressional Democrats ’ push to impeach Trump , which has often overshadowed the primary and effectively pinned several leading candidates to Washington at the pinnacle of the early campaign season .
Even on caucus day , Sanders , Warren and Klobuchar were expected to spend several hours on Capitol Hill for impeachment-related business .
Meanwhile , New York ultra-billionaire former Mayor Mike Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa as he prepares to pounce on any perceived weaknesses in the field come March .
The amalgam of oddities , including new rules for reporting the already complicated caucus results , is building toward what could be a murky Iowa finale before the race pivots quickly to New Hampshire , which votes just eight days later .
With uncertainty comes opportunity for campaigns desperate for momentum .
The expectations game was raging in the hours before voters began gathering at high school gyms and community centres in more than 1,600 caucus sites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple times in recent weeks , Biden ’ s team sought to downplay the importance of Iowa ’ s kick-off contest the day before voting began amid persistent signs that the 77-year-old lifelong politician was struggling to raise money or generate excitement on the ground .
Biden senior adviser Symone Sanders said the campaign viewed Iowa “ as the beginning , not the end , ” of the primary process .
“ It would be a gross mistake on the part of reporters , voters or anyone else to view whatever happens on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be close — but view whatever happens as the end and not give credence and space for New Hampshire , Nevada and South Carolina , ” she said of the three states up next on the primary calendar .
The tone was noticeably more upbeat for Bernie Sanders ’ campaign , which has repeatedly predicted victory and believes he ’ s running even stronger in New Hampshire .
That ’ s despite increasingly vocal concerns from establishment-minded Democrats who fear the self-described democratic socialist would struggle against Trump and make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections this fall .
In a fundraising message , Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir warned supporters to expect “ an absolutely huge barrage of attacks from the political establishment ” after Monday ’ s results are announced , implying again that Sanders would finish on top .
“ We don ’ t know how personal the attacks will be .
We don ’ t know how many millions will be spent .
And we certainly won ’ t know who ’ s funding them until well after the damage is done , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ll come .
Because they want to stop Bernie .
They want to stop our movement.
” The heated rhetoric underscores a dangerous rift between Sanders ’ passionate supporters and other factions of Democrats who have clashed in recent days but must find a way unite should they hope to defeat Trump in November .
Joe Trippi , campaign manager for 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean , suggested that Sanders may have peaked too soon , forcing some voters to seek a less controversial standard bearer .
“ There are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end , “ Trippi predicted .
” I think Bernie going into the lead is really kind of the disruptive thing that ’ s going to make a lot of people look at who they are for.
” New party rules may give Sanders and his rivals an opportunity to claim victory , even if they aren ’ t the official winner .
For the first time , the Iowa Democratic Party will report three sets of results at the end of the night : tallies of the “ first alignment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alignment ” and the total number of state delegate equivalents each candidate receives .
There is no guarantee that all three will show the same winner .
The Associated Press will declare a winner based on the number of state delegates each candidate wins , which has been the traditional standard .
While Sanders and Biden are central figures in the race , Warren and Buttigieg are fighting to prove they can assemble the coalition required to win the nomination as well .
Warren , who has leaned into her status as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , was offering free child care for voters at some caucus locations as her campaign used every available tool — even online dating apps — to court supporters .
Buttigieg , a 38-year-old former city official who had virtually no national profile a year ago , walked into Monday as a legitimate threat to win the nomination .
In fact , he predicted victory as he faced a frenetic audience of more than 2,000 at a high school gymnasium the day before the caucus .
“ It is difficult to believe how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ago when we first turned up at a coffee shop in Ames , thrilled because there were literally dozens of people there —although most of them were there to get a cup of coffee , ” Buttigieg reminisced .
He continued : “ We are now just one day away from victory in the Iowa caucuses.
” Though most of the attention will be on Democrats , Republicans will also hold caucuses on Monday .
With no serious challenger and plenty of money to burn , Trump ’ s reelection team hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a test run for its organizing prowess and to boost excitement for the president ’ s fall campaign .
Trump held a rally in Iowa last week and dispatched surrogates to the state ahead of Monday ’ s vote .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

Steve Peoples, Thomas Beaumont And Alexandra Jaffe - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--6 Turkish troops, 13 Syrian soldiers killed in north Syria

ANKARA , Turkey - Turkey hit targets in northern Syria , responding to shelling by Syrian government forces that killed at least six Turkish military personnel , the Turkish president said Monday .
A Syrian war monitor said 13 Syrian troops were also killed .
Also , Syrian activists said airstrikes in the country ’ s northern , rebel-held region killed at least nine civilians on Monday .
The exchange between Ankara and Damascus came hours after a large Turkish military convoy entered the northwestern province of Idlib , the last rebel stronghold in Syria .
It is likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries as such direct clashes have been rare and could also cause friction between Moscow and Ankara , which have sought to co-ordinate their actions in Syria .
Earlier , Turkey ’ s National Defence Ministry said the Turkish forces were sent to Idlib as reinforcement and were attacked there despite prior notification of their co-ordinates to the local authorities .
It said Turkish forces responded to the attack , destroying targets .
Four Turkish soldiers died at the scene while another soldier and a Turkish civilian member of the military personnel died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were wounded .
Speaking to reporters before departing for a visit to Ukraine , President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkish artillery hit some 46 targets in Syria .
Erdogan said Turkish warplanes were also involved and claimed that there were between 30 and 35 casualties on the Syrian side but offered no evidence .
“ Those who test Turkey ’ s determination with such vile attacks will understand their mistake , “ Erdogan said .
He said Russia was told that Ankara would not stand for any “ situation where we are prevented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It is not possible for us to remain silent when our soldiers are being martyred , “ Erdogan said .
The deaths were one of the highest single-day tolls for Turkish troops in Syria — Ankara has lost scores of military personnel in the Syrian war .
Turkey ’ s Defence Minister Hulusi Akar immediately travelled to the Turkey-Syrian border to assure the troops .
“ Our people should know that the necessary has been done and will continue to be done , “ he said upon arrival .
The exchange occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , a war monitoring group .
It added that Turkish troops shelled Syrian army positions in three provinces , killing eight soldiers in Idlib , three in Latakia province and two in the Hama region .
However , Syria ’ s state news agency SANA said government forces captured two new villages on the way to Saraqeb .
It added that as Syrian troops were chasing insurgents , four Turkish soldiers were killed and nine wounded triggering a Turkish retaliation — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syrian troops .
The Russian Defence Ministry said Turkey had failed to notify the Russian military about troop movements overnight in Idlib and that the Turkish troops got hit by Syrian fire that was directed at “ terrorists ” — a reference to al-Qaida-linked militants — west of Saraqeb .
The Russian military , which controls the airspace over Idlib province , said the Turkish aircraft never entered Syria ’ s airspace during Monday ’ s attack .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian military remains in “ constant contact ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes amid a Syrian government offensive into the country ’ s last rebel stronghold , located in Idlib and parts of the nearby Aleppo region .
Turkish troops are deployed in some of those rebel-held areas to monitor an earlier cease-fire that was agreed to but that has since collapsed .
Relations between Turkey and Syria have deteriorated sharply since Syria ’ s civil war began in 2011 .
Syria accuses Turkey of undermining its security by allowing thousands of foreign fighters to come battle the Syrian army .
Idlib province is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backing , the Syria government has been on the offensive since December to capture and reopen a strategic highway held by the rebels since 2012 .
The offensive ignored a cease-fire deal brokered late last year between Russia and Turkey .
The deal has since collapsed .
Syrian government forces captured the key Idlib town of Maaret al-Numan from the rebels last Wednesday , and have now set their sights on Saraqeb .
The strategic highway passes through both towns .
Opposition activists did not say who was behind the airstrikes that killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria .
The nine were on a minibus carrying people fleeing the violence near the village of Kfar Naha in Aleppo province , according to the Observatory and Baladi news , an activist collective .
Four children , three women and two men were killed , according to paramedics .
The province of Idlib is home to some 3 million people , many of them displaced from other parts of Syria in earlier bouts of violence .
The United Nations has estimated that about 390,000 Syrians have been displaced there over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75,000 in January .
Turkey already hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees , and the current wave of violence in Idlib has raised concerns of a new surge in displaced civilians fleeing toward the Turkish border .
Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut , and Vladimir Isachenkov and Daria Litvinova in Moscow contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Israel’s Netanyahu in Uganda to strengthen African ties

KAMPALA , Uganda - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Uganda on Monday , saying his country is ” returning to Africa in a big way.
” Before departing Israel , Netanyahu spoke of “ very important diplomatic , economic and security ties that will yet be told about.
“ He said that at the end of his visit to the East African nation he hopes to “ have very good news ” for Israel .
The Israeli leader was welcomed by Uganda ’ s prime minister at the international airport in Entebbe , where Netanyahu ’ s brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he led Israeli commandos in a daring mission to rescue hijacked Israeli passengers in 1976 .
Israel ’ s success in the raid humiliated then-Ugandan President Idi Amin .
Netanyahu was set to meet with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and other officials .
Ugandan authorities did not immediately give details .
Israel has long courted African support .
In exchange for its expertise in security and other fields , Israel wants African states to side with it at the U.N. General Assembly , which overwhelmingly recognized Palestine as a non-member observer state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years have suggested it might normalize diplomatic relations with several Muslim countries in Africa .
Israel renewed diplomatic relations with Guinea in 2016 .
After Netanyahu visited Chad for a renewal of ties in 2019 , it was reported that Israel was working to formalize ties with Sudan .
Yoweri Museveni , Uganda ’ s longtime leader , has repeatedly said his government supports a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue .
During Netanyahu ’ s trip to Uganda in 2016 , Museveni urged both sides to live “ side by side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with recognized borders.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--German court rejects appeal in Vietnam kidnapping case

BERLIN - A German federal court said Monday it has thrown out an appeal by a Vietnamese man convicted of involvement in a kidnapping case that strained relations between Berlin and Hanoi .
In July 2018 , a Berlin district court sentenced the man , who has been identified only as Long N.H. because of German privacy rules , to three years and 10 months in prison .
He was convicted of espionage and being an accessory to unlawful detention .
Germany ’ s Federal Court of Justice has now upheld the conviction of the man , who lived in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man of hiring a vehicle used to drive the former chairman of PetroVietnam ’ s construction arm , Trinh Xuan Thanh , and a woman accompanying him out of Germany .
Authorities say the pair were snatched off the street in Berlin in 2017 by Vietnamese intelligence officials and other employees at the country ’ s embassy .
Berlin accused Vietnam of breaking international law and kicked out the country ’ s intelligence attache .
Thanh was taken to Vietnam , where he was sentenced to life in prison for corruption .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--The Latest: Scientists say virus may have come from bats

BEIJING - The Latest on the outbreak of a new virus from China ( all times local ) : Chinese scientists say they have more evidence that the new virus that recently emerged in China likely originated in bats .
In two papers published Monday in the journal Nature , scientists report that genome sequences from several patients in Wuhan show the virus is closely related to the viruses that cause Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome , or SARS .
In one study , Shi Zhen-Li and colleagues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology reported that genome sequences from seven patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
SARS is also believed to originate in bats , although it jumped to civet cats before infecting people in the 2002-2003 international outbreak .
Although scientists suspect the latest virus outbreak in China began at a seafood market in Wuhan where wild animals were on sale and in contact with people , the animal source has not yet been pinpointed .
“ In essence , it ’ s a version of SARS that spreads more easily but causes less damage , ” said Ian Jones , a professor of virology at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected to the two studies .
“ The virus also uses the same receptor , the door used to get into human cells , which explains transmission and why it causes pneumonia , ” he said in a statement .
A cruise ship industry group says its members will ban anyone , including guests or crew , who has travelled from or through mainland China in the previous 14 days , the maximum incubation period for a new virus that originated in China .
The Cruise Lines International Association , which says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the world ’ s largest cruise industry trade association , said its members have suspended all crew movements from mainland China .
Last week , a scare over a woman with flu-like symptoms led Italian authorities to keep 6,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members on a cruise ship docked north of Rome .
The Costa Crociere cruise line said the woman and her partner , who had no symptoms , were put into isolation Wednesday .
The passengers were allowed to disembark on Thursday after tests for the new virus came back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the virus globally has topped 17,000 .
It has killed more than 360 people , all but one in China .
The head of the World Health Organization says it ’ s working with Google to ensure that searches about the new virus from China turn up information from the United Nations health agency first , part of efforts to fight “ rumours and misinformation ” about the outbreak .
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the opening of WHO ’ s executive board meeting on Monday that social media platforms such as Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also taken steps to limit the spread of misinformation ” about the virus and outbreak that first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December and has now spread to 23 other countries .
The number of people infected by the virus globally has topped 17,000 .
It has killed more than 360 people , all but one in China .
Russia ’ s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin says the country may start deporting foreigners infected with the new coronavirus .
Mishustin said at a Cabinet meeting Monday that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a government-approved plan of action for preventing the virus from spreading in Russia .
On Friday , Russia reported its first two confirmed cases of coronavirus — two Chinese nationals were hospitalized in two different regions of Siberia .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear from Mishustin ’ s statement whether they would be deported .
Like other countries , Russia has halted most of its air and train traffic with China , shut down its land border with China and Mongolia and temporarily stopped issuing work visas to Chinese citizens .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last operating train that connects Moscow and Beijing and all trains between Russia and North Korea .
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova also said that several Russian planes would fly to China on Monday to evacuate Russian citizens .
Golikova said there are currently around 130 Russian nationals in Hubei province , the epicenter of the outbreak .
Hong Kong ’ s leader Carrie Lam announced the city will shut almost all land and sea border control points to the mainland from midnight to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday that only two border checkpoints — at Shenzhen Bay and the bridge to Macau and Zhuhai — will remain open .
Lam denied that the move was due to pressure from medical workers who threatened a five-day strike to demand the government shut all borders to the mainland .
Public broadcaster RTHK reports that some went on strike Monday and more threatened to walk out on Tuesday if their demands were not met .
Lam said the border closures had “ absolutely nothing to do with the strike ” and was instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus which has infected 15 people in Hong Kong .
Lam urged Hong Kong residents to “ stand united ” in combating the outbreak .
The Czech Republic has plans to suspend all flights to and from China in an effort to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading .
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis says the ban will take effect on Sunday .
The lag gives 100 Czechs in China a chance to return home .
About 620,000 Chinese tourists visited the Czech Republic last year .
The first direct flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2015 .
Three Chinese airlines operate flights to Prague from Shanghai , Beijing , Chengdu and Sian ( Xi ’ an ) .
Dubai ’ s long-haul carrier Emirates says it will continue flying to mainland China amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak , but will fly smaller aircraft on many routes .
The airline said Monday it would swap out its double-decker Airbus A380 for a Boeing 777 on several routes to Beijing , Guangzhou and Shanghai .
The decision comes after Western and Arab airlines stopped flying to China over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more Chinese tourists and investment amid an economic slowdown .
The United Arab Emirates also instituted a new rule Monday that any school staff or student returning to the country from China needed to spend 14 days at home before returning to class .
The Shanghai Composite index has lost nearly 8 % as Chinese regulators moved to stabilize markets jolted by a virus that has spread to more than 20 countries , slamming regional tourism and threatening global growth .
The outbreak of the virus in China has prompted governments around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirements as airlines cancel hundreds of flights .
Millions of Chinese remained in lock-down as the number of people infected by the virus topped 17,000 as of Sunday night .
It has killed more than 360 people , all but one in China .
The Shanghai benchmark dropped almost 9 % after markets opened on Monday after a week-long Lunar New Year holiday that was extended by three days .
It was its worst day since August 2015 , despite the central bank ’ s effort to put billions of dollars of extra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchases .
Many analysts have dropped their forecasts for China , the world ’ s second-largest economy , to near 5 % from earlier forecasts of 6 % economic growth for the year .
Aviation authorities say that two flights carrying dozens of Pakistani students , Chinese and other passengers landed in Pakistan days after Islamabad suspended all flights with Beijing amid the outbreak of a new virus there .
The passengers on Monday were permitted to leave the airport after their medical examinations .
Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ended Sunday night and that the government health department had made “ special arrangements ” for screening incoming passengers .
Last week ’ s ban on flights with China affected 22 weekly flights .
So far , Pakistan has no plans to evacuate some 30,000 nationals , including students , living in China .
Authorities say that so far four Pakistani students in China have been diagnosed with the new virus and their conditions are listed as stable .
About 500 Pakistani students were in Wuhan — the site of the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea ’ s defence ministry says about 800 South Korean soldiers have been placed under quarantine as a precaution against a new coronavirus from China .
Ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyunsoo told reporters Monday that the soldiers either recently visited China , Hong Kong or Macau , or contacted people who visited those countries .
She says 450 of them are quarantined at their military bases and the remaining 350 at their homes .
South Korea has so far reported 15 cases of the new coronavirus , but none of them is affiliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--2 Australian minor parties to elect new leaders

CANBERRA , Australia - Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale announced on Monday he is quitting politics to give a new leader of his environmentally focused minority party an opportunity to expose government failings during the nation ’ s wildfire crisis .
Di Natale ’ s surprise resignation means that both the Greens and the government ’ s junior coalition party , the Nationals , will elect new leaders when Parliament resumes for the first time this year on Tuesday .
Di Natale , a 49-year-old senator , said there was no single reason why he decided to resign on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the factors behind his decision his desire to spend more time with his family and his concern about leaving his wildfire-prone home in Victoria state to sit in Parliament .
“ We have as a nation just endured one of the most horrific events in the nation ’ s history , ” Di Natale told reporters at Parliament House , referring to wildfires that have killed at least 33 people and destroyed more than 3,000 homes since September .
“ This is now an opportunity for a new leader to step up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s focus is on this place and to really demonstrate that we are a party brimming with talent , where a new leader can stamp their authority over a government that has been catastrophic in their failures to respond to this horrendous crisis , ” Di Natale said .
Prime Minister Scott Morrison ’ s conservative government has been accused of being too slow to respond to the wildfire crisis and of not doing enough to reduce Australia ’ s greenhouse gas emissions .
Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie resigned from Cabinet on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declare she was a member of a gun club to which she gave a government grant of 36,000 Australian dollars ( $ 24,100 ) .
Her resignation means Nationals lawmakers will meet to elect a new deputy party leader around the same time that the Greens choose their own new leader .
But former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce said on Monday he would run for his old job if both the positions of party leader and deputy leader are put to a vote .
Nationals leader Michael McCormack said he did not expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , but was confident of defeating any challenge .
Whoever leads the Nationals becomes deputy prime minister and acts as prime minister when Morrison is overseas .
Both the Nationals leader and deputy leader are also guaranteed seats in the Cabinet .
Joyce has not been a Cabinet minister since he quit as Nationals leader in 2018 over a controversy involving a child he had with a former staffer and allegations that he had sexually harassed another woman .
The first day of Parliament on Tuesday will be dominated by debates about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s southeast .
Di Natale said he would quit the Senate once his party selects a replacement senator .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Bernard Ebbers, ex-CEO convicted in WorldCom scandal, dies

NEW YORK - The former chief of WorldCom , convicted in one of the largest corporate accounting scandals in U.S. history , died just over a month after his early release from prison .
Bernard Ebbers was 78 .
The Canadian-born former telecommunications executive died Sunday in Brookhaven Mississippi , surrounded by his family , according to a family statement .
WorldCom Inc. collapsed and went into bankruptcy in 2002 , following revelations of an $ 11 billion accounting fraud that included pressure by top executives on subordinates to inflate numbers to make the company seem more profitable .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who had invested through retirement plans .
Ebbers was convicted in New York in 2005 on securities fraud and other charges and received a 25-year sentence .
A federal appeals court judge who upheld Ebbers ’ conviction in 2006 wrote that WorldCom ’ s fraudulent accounting practices were “ specifically intended to create a false picture of profitability even for professional analysts that , in Ebbers ’ case , was motivated by his personal financial circumstances.
” According to an October 1997 profile by The Associated Press , the Canadian-born Ebbers received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he majored in physical education .
After graduating , he coached high school teams for a year before investing in a hotel ; he eventually amassed a chain of Best Westerns in Mississippi and Texas , as well as a car dealership in Columbia , Mississippi .
Following the advice of friends and knowing little about the phone business , he invested in a small long-distance company , LDDS , in 1983 .
He eventually took over the day-to-day operations and bought up competitors , transforming LDDS — which was later renamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — into the fourth-largest long-distance company by 1996 .
He was considered to be a “ no-nonsense ” man with a brash attitude who preferred jeans to a suit .
One analyst in the late nineties said Bernie Ebbers was “ the telephone equivalent of Bill Gates.
” By the time of its collapse over its accounting fraud scandal in 2002 , WorldCom was the nation ’ s second-largest long-distance business .
Ebbers left that year and following his conviction , was imprisoned from September 2006 until Dec. 21 , when he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Prisons .
In the meantime , WorldCom reemerged as MCI , taken over by Verizon , and relocated to Ashburn , Virginia .
U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni said late last year that it fell within her discretion to order the early release of Ebbers after a lawyer cited severe medical problems and said that Ebbers had experienced severe weight loss .
At over 6 feet tall , he had dropping from above 200 pounds to 147 pounds .
Attorney Graham Carner told the judge it was possible his client might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other ailments , Ebbers had heart disease , Carner said .
Ebbers was not in court when Caproni announced her ruling on Dec. 18 ; his lawyers said he was hospitalized .
“ While Mr. Ebbers is physically alive ... his quality of life is gone , ” Carner said in December .
“ If he was released today , Mr. Ebbers is not going to be playing tennis or running a business.
” In court papers in September , his lawyers said Ebbers unintentionally bumped into another prisoner while walking in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have the prisoner go to Ebbers ’ open cell later in the day and physically attack him .
The papers said the attack fractured the bones around Ebbers ’ eyes and caused blunt head trauma and other injuries .
They also said Ebbers was put into solitary confinement because his “ severely limited eyesight ” made him unable to identify the attacker .
In July 2019 , one of Ebbers ’ daughters submitted a request that her father receive compassionate release from a federal prison medical facility in Fort Worth , Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prisons official denied that request in August .
The family statement said that the Bureau of Prisons “ had no diagnosis or treatment plan in place ” and Ebbers experienced a “ rapid decline ” in October , followed by multiple hospitalizations in November and December .
While prosecutors agreed that Ebbers ’ health had deteriorated in prison , they opposed an early release .
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Cowley told the judge that such a move would send “ a terrible message to the rule of law ” because it would cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family statement acknowledged resistance to Ebbers ’ early release from victims of WorldCom ’ s collapse , but said that many victims also expressed their support .
“ Many stockholders and employees lost their investments in the fall of WorldCom .
Many of our friends — and many in our family — did too , ” the statement read .
“ Thankfully , Judge Caproni agreed with us — keeping Dad in prison , especially in his unexplained and undiagnosed deteriorated condition , would not bring back anyone ’ s investments.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims .
The statement , which repeatedly praised Caproni , said family members plan to eventually advocate for others “ who are deserving of compassionate release to their families .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Diplomat says 4 killed in oil tanker fire off UAE sheikhdom

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - A blaze aboard an oil tanker last week off the United Arab Emirates ’ sheikhdom of Sharjah killed at least four people , an Indian diplomat said Monday .
Vipul , the Indian consul general in Dubai who goes by one name , told The Associated Press that Emirati authorities would conduct a DNA test to see if two of the dead were the two Indian sailors missing since the blaze on Wednesday .
Two others Indians were also killed , he said .
The fire started on the vessel , earlier identified as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s crew of 12 Indians and 44 others worked to prepare the ship to be scrapped in India , Vipul said .
The cause of the blaze remains unknown .
Emirati officials did not immediately acknowledge the deaths and the missing sailors .
The state-run WAM news agency had described the tanker as unloaded and had said its crew had been rescued last week .
The blaze broke out some 34 kilometres ( 21 miles ) off the coast of Sharjah .
Mariners on the Zoya 1 reportedly had been stuck on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , trying to come ashore amid a legal dispute over the vessel .
They finally were repatriated in June 2018 , but the ship remained off the coast of the UAE , a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Iowan voters converge on Paris, and make electoral history

PARIS - This was a caucus like Iowans had never seen before : Voters from Egypt , Italy , Amsterdam and beyond descended on a Paris town hall Monday to choose their Democratic candidate for the 2020 election .
Some are serving at U.S military bases , some are studying in foreign capitals , and some had never met another Iowan abroad until Monday night .
Some used to vote Republican .
And they all loved being able to caucus outside Iowa for the first time , huddled in a municipal meeting room up the street from the Louvre Museum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Paris caucus , so the result says little about the political direction of a state where some 200,000 people are expected to caucus overall Monday .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’ s corner drew the biggest crowd , putting her on top with eight votes , followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Amy Klobuchar .
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg made it into the first round but didn ’ t make the decisive final “ alignment.
” No one voted for former Vice-President Joe Biden .
The voters erupted in frequent laughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for each others ’ votes .
They celebrated Midwest values and European public health care systems - and debated passionately about how best to beat Donald Trump in November .
They ’ re all part of a new experiment aimed at making Iowa ’ s unusual voting process more inclusive , by allowing caucuses outside the state .
Paris was one of just three satellite caucus locations outside the U.S. , along with Glasgow , Scotland and Tbilisi , Georgia .
“ This is fun , this is democracy at its best , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the direction not only of the Democratic Party but also of the United States , ” said Austin Allaire , a graduate student from Huxley .
Allaire took the under-Channel train from London to Paris to caucus for Buttigieg , and said the caucus felt “ a lot more relational ” than the last one he attended in 2016 .
Jessica and Aaron Beckman of Waterloo , Iowa , flew across the Mediterranean from their posting in Cairo to support Sanders in Paris .
“ Because we ’ re in the military , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re actually able to caucus , ” Jessica Beckman said .
“ It ’ s a great opportunity.
” Their votes will be added to the complex formula for divvying delegates among the Democratic candidates seeking their party ’ s nomination .
The Paris caucus wrapped up with a Facetime call to Iowa Democratic Party headquarters to report the results , and hearty applause for the 20-year-old student who organized it all - and voted herself for the very first time .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Klobuchar’s claims about black teen’s case draw criticism

MINNEAPOLIS - Civil rights activists and legal experts challenged Sen. Amy Klobuchar ’ s claims that she was unaware of questionable evidence and police tactics used to send a young black teen to prison for life when she was a top Minneapolis prosecutor .
In an interview with “ Fox News Sunday , ” Klobuchar denied that she had knowledge of any evidence that would call the conviction into question .
But much of what The Associated Press found while investigating the case of Myon Burrell , now 33 , would have been available to her office at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun the killed 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards in 2002 while she was doing homework at her dining room table in south Minneapolis .
Klobuchar , who was Hennepin County attorney at the time , has raised the case throughout her political career as an example of how she helped find justice for victims of violence .
“ I didn ’ t know about this new evidence until I saw the report , ” Klobuchar told Fox host Chris Wallace when asked about allegations the teen may have been wrongfully convicted .
“ I couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t been in the office for 12 years.
” As she and other hopefuls entered the Iowa Democratic caucuses , Klobuchar said any new evidence should be brought forward and considered immediately by the courts .
Klobuchar has trailed the top tier of candidates in Iowa , but she is hoping to exceed expectations by touting her moderate record and ability to win in Republican-heavy areas .
The AP offered repeatedly to meet with Klobuchar to discuss the Burrell case , but she declined .
What her office would have known at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2003 : — The case hinged on a single eyewitness — a teen rival of Burrell ’ s who gave conflicting accounts of what he saw .
— No gun , fingerprints or hard evidence linked Burrell to the crime .
— Police video showed the lead homicide detective offering informants cash for information — even if it was hearsay .
— Burrell ’ s co-defendants said he was not even at the scene .
— The getaway driver gave a physical description and the first name of a suspect , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alibis mentioned by Burrell in his interrogation were not questioned by police .
— Officers did not pull a convenience store surveillance tape that Burrell said would have cleared him .
Rebbeca Kavanagh , a New York-based criminal defence attorney and legal analyst , said Monday the AP did not uncover new evidence that exonerates Myon Burrell .
“ Rather , it exposed how the very evidence that Amy Klobuchar used to convict him was tainted and that her office ignored overwhelming evidence of his innocence , ” she said.. Several prosecutors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tenure from 1998 to 2006 , including two who handled Burrell ’ s 2003 and 2008 trials , at times were accused of racism and fear-mongering during opening or closing arguments in cases involving minority defendants .
That included asking mostly white jurors to consider “ the type of people ” they were facing when talking about the credibility of the accused or their alibis , according to defence attorneys and appellate opinions citing prosecutorial misconduct .
There is no evidence that prosecutors made such statements in Burrell ’ s case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ call into question minority defendants ’ ability to get a fair trial .
The Hennepin County Attorney ’ s Office declined Monday to comment on the accusations .
Even if Klobuchar was not familiar with every detail of the case , “ what can she say about tolerating prosecutors who routinely described black and inner city as morally inferior to white and suburban ?
” asked Michael Friedman , executive director of the Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis .
Klobuchar told Fox she was not involved with the second trial in 2008 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of whom have since recanted .
However , her office was working hand-in-hand with police in the leadup to the second trial , the AP found .
Klobuchar also told Wallace she worked with the Innocence Project , which reviews past cases .
The case against Burrell renews focus on law enforcement and policy in the 1990s and 2000s , when black and Hispanic communities were decimated by the war on drugs and the now-discredited “ super-predator ” theory .
Democrats joined Republicans in imposing harsher policing and tougher sentencing , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s history , and some presidential candidates are having to address perceived excesses of that period .
The president of the national NAACP said over the weekend that Burrell ’ s conviction points to a bigger problem : the eagerness of America ’ s criminal justice system to put young black men behind bars .
“ We ’ ve seen this happen one too many times , ” Derrick Johnson , president and CEO of the NAACP , said in a statement .
“ It is unfortunate and extremely troubling that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his life behind bars .
The lack of evidence and conflicting accounts of what transpired was reason enough for him to not be charged or convicted , ” Johnson said .
Even before the AP story , Klobuchar was struggling to win over black voters , who are a crucial voting block in Democratic Party .
On the eve of the Iowa caucus , she told Fox her agenda speaks to the African American community .
“ It ’ s about economic opportunity , it ’ s about voting rights ... that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisscrossing the country , making my case to the African-American community as I ’ ve done here in Iowa .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Phoenix couple accused of concealing dead body for years

PHOENIX - A Phoenix couple accused of abusing three adopted children who have been removed from their custody allegedly concealed the dead body of another foster child in an attic for over two years , prosecutors said Monday .
The Maricopa County Attorney ’ s Office filed a direct complaint charging both Rafael Loera , 56 , and Maribel Loera , 50 , with child abuse , abandonment or concealment of a dead body and arson of an occupied structure .
Skeletal remains were found Jan. 28 at the house by firefighters after smoke was seen coming from the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later determined to be from a juvenile .
Hours before the fire , investigators from the Arizona Department of Child Safety had removed a 9-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl from the home over child abuse allegations .
Child welfare authorities began an investigation Jan. 20 when an 11-year-old girl called police to report she was home alone for two days and was hungry and scared .
The girl was removed from the home , but no other children were there at the time .
In court documents released Monday , county prosecutors said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigators last month about an 11-year-old foster girl in the couple ’ s care who had not seen or heard from 2017 , said he falsely told authorities that the girl moved to Mexico before admitting that she was dead .
He said the child got sick in July 2017 but was not taken to a hospital for several days and later died , according to the compliant .
Rafael Loera said the body was wrapped in a sheet and placed in the attic , according to the compliant , and he and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death to authorities because a forensic autopsy would likely show abuse injuries on the child .
The compliant said Rafael Loera moved the body to the home ’ s backyard , siphoned gasoline from his van and set the house on fire because he was feeling hopeless and suicidal .
He also said his wife was the one who abused the children — hitting them with a broom handle and electrical cord — but he never reported it to police over fear of Maribel Loera hurting him .
Alan Tavassoli , a court-appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t immediately return a call Monday seeking comment on the case .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Google 4Q revenue grew, but not enough for Wall Street

Parent company Alphabet ’ s stock fell more than 4 % after financial results came out Monday , even as profits rose 19 % and beat expectations for the last three months of the year .
Helped by lower taxes , Alphabet said Monday it earned $ 10.7 billion , or $ 15.35 per share , more than the $ 12.49 a share analysts polled by FactSet were expecting .
Net revenue , after subtracting advertising costs , was $ 37.6 billion , up 18 % from a year ago .
But analysts were looking for $ 38.4 billion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a row for the online search leader .
Its third quarter brought higher-than-expected revenue but a profit shortfall due to higher spending on new hires , data centres and other expenses .
Dan Morgan , a portfolio manager at Synovus Trust Co. , said Wall Street is worried that Google ’ s weaker than expected ad revenue results could indicate a broader slowdown in online advertising spending .
While Google is still the clear leader in the digital advertising market , it is seeing growing competition from the likes of Facebook and Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alphabet — makes the majority of its money from selling targeted advertising across the web , apps and Google products including its search engine and video streaming site YouTube .
Investors are now also closely watching the growth of Google ’ s cloud business and its aspirations in the health care industry .
Google agreed to buy the fitness tracker company Fitbit in November .
Alphabet disclosed revenue for YouTube and its cloud business for the first time , something analysts have been seeking for years .
“ The information should also give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouTube as a digital ad vehicle , ” eMarketer analyst Nicole Perrin said .
Alphabet said YouTube ’ s advertising revenue grew 31 % to $ 4.72 billion , while Google Cloud revenue grew 53 % to $ 2.61 billion .
Though it ’ s still No .
3 in cloud , Google is gaining some market share from the likes of Amazon ’ s and Microsoft ’ s cloud businesses , according to Morgan , the analyst .
Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat said the quarter ’ s profit benefitted from lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Alphabet is setting aside $ 33 million for income taxes in the quarter , compared with $ 1.12 billion a year earlier .
She said that there has no impact on Alphabet from the coronavirus outbreak in China and that the company is helping with relief efforts .
She said the virus could eventually hurt Google ’ s sales of hardware , such as Chromebooks and Pixel phones , if it continues to spread and become a long-term problem .
This was Alphabet ’ s first earnings report with Sundar Pichai at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the departure of co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin , the co-founders of Google , in December .
Pichai was head of Google before .
Shares of Alphabet fell $ 65.85 , or 4.4 % , to $ 1,416.75 in after-hours trading , after increasing 3.5 % during the regular session .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Iowans head to caucuses, may clarify Democratic field

DES MOINES , Iowa - Iowa Democrats anxious for fundamental political change headed toward caucus centres late Monday to decide the opening contest in the 2020 presidential primary season .
It could bring new clarity to a field that still features nearly a dozen White House contenders vying for the chance to take on President Donald Trump .
In the hours before the evening caucuses , candidates gave last-minute pep talks and pitches , while hundreds of volunteers pressed on statewide .
By day ’ s end , tens of thousands of Democrats were to have gathered at community centres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,600 other caucus locations in the premiere of more than 50 contests that will unfold over the next five months .
The caucuses were rendering the first verdict on what the party stands for in the age of Trump — and who it feels is best positioned to take on the Republican president , whom Democratic voters are desperate to beat this fall .
The moment is thick with promise for a Democratic Party that has seized major gains in states since Trump won the White House in 2016 .
But instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deepening intraparty resentment hung over Monday ’ s election as the prospect of a muddled result raised fears of a long and divisive primary fight in the months ahead .
“ I ’ m the one who can pull our party together , ” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren told supporters on a telephone call , suggesting her rivals could not .
“ I ’ m the one who is going to pull us all in to give us the ideas that we can all run on .
The one who says both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders may have a narrow lead , but any of the top four candidates — Sanders , former Vice-President Joe Biden , Warren and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg — could score a victory in Iowa ’ s unpredictable and quirky caucus system as organizers prepared for record turnout .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar , who represents neighbouring Minnesota , was also claiming momentum , while outsider candidates including entrepreneur Andrew Yang , billionaire activist Tom Steyer and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard could be factors .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to win , either they ’ ve got a whisper from God or they ’ re loony because nobody knows , ” said Deidre DeJear , who announced her support for Warren on Monday and was the first black woman to win a statewide primary in Iowa .
Roughly two-thirds of Iowa caucus-goers said supporting a candidate who would fundamentally change how the system in Washington works was important to their vote , according to AP VoteCast , a survey of voters who said they planned to take part in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compares to about a third of caucus-goers who said it was more important to support a candidate who would restore the political system to how it was before Trump ’ s election in 2016 .
Iowa Democrats also reported two major issues dominating their thoughts : health care and climate change .
By midday Monday , a handful of satellite caucuses had already taken place_some thousands of miles away from Iowa .
In Glasgow , Scotland , Sanders received the most support from the 19 caucus-goers who attended , while Warren came in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No other candidates were viable .
But the precinct caucuses are a a relatively small portion of the results_some 200,000 Iowans are expected to participate in the event .
The four senators in the field left Iowa late Sunday to return to the U.S. Capitol for Trump ’ s impeachment trial , but did what they could to keep their campaigns going from Washington .
While Warren held her telephone town hall , Klobuchar ’ s husband and daughter appeared at a canvass launch in Des Moines .
The three remaining candidates — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up supporters at campaign offices across Des Moines .
In suburban Des Moines , Buttigieg delivered about 100 volunteers a last shot of encouragement before they stepped out into the chill to knock on doors for him around midday Monday .
“ We are exactly where we need to be to astonish the political world , ” he said , igniting cheers for the 38-year-old former midsize-city mayor , who was an asterisk a year ago and is now among the top candidates .
Meanwhile , Biden and his wife , Jill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers working the phones at his south Des Moines field office .
“ I feel good , ” he said as he walked in , sporting his signature aviator sunglasses .
Iowa offers just a tiny percentage of the delegates needed to win the nomination but plays an outsize role in culling primary fields .
A poor showing in Iowa could cause a front-runner ’ s fundraising to slow and support in later states to dwindle , while a strong result can give a candidate much needed momentum .
The past several Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to clinch the party ’ s nomination .
The 2020 fight has played out over myriad distractions , particularly congressional Democrats ’ push to impeach Trump , which has often overshadowed the primary and effectively pinned several leading candidates to Washington at the pinnacle of the early campaign season .
Even on caucus day , Sanders , Warren and Klobuchar were expected to spend several hours on Capitol Hill for impeachment-related business .
Meanwhile , ultrabillionaire Mike Bloomberg , the former mayor of New York City , is running a parallel campaign that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on any perceived weaknesses in the field come March .
The amalgam of oddities , including new rules for reporting the already complicated caucus results , was building toward what could be a murky Iowa finale before the race pivots quickly to New Hampshire , which votes just eight days later .
With uncertainty comes opportunity for some campaigns .
Having predicted victory multiple times in recent weeks , Biden ’ s team sought to downplay the importance of Iowa ’ s kick-off contest the day before voting began amid persistent signs that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise money or generate excitement on the ground .
Biden senior adviser Symone Sanders said the campaign viewed Iowa “ as the beginning , not the end , ” of the primary process .
“ It would be a gross mistake on the part of reporters , voters or anyone else to view whatever happens on Monday — we think it ’ s going to be close — but view whatever happens as the end and not give credence and space for New Hampshire , Nevada and South Carolina , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primary calendar .
The tone was noticeably more upbeat for Sanders ’ campaign , which has repeatedly predicted victory and believes he ’ s running even stronger in New Hampshire .
That ’ s despite increasingly vocal concerns from establishment-minded Democrats who fear the self-described democratic socialist would struggle against Trump and make it more difficult for Democrats to win other elections this fall .
The heated rhetoric underscores a dangerous rift between Sanders ’ passionate supporters and other factions of Democrats who have clashed in recent days but must find a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeat Trump in November .
New party rules may give more than one candidate an opportunity to claim victory , even if they aren ’ t the official winner .
For the first time , the Iowa Democratic Party will report three sets of results at the end of the night : tallies of the “ first alignment ” of caucusgoers , their “ final alignment ” and the total number of state delegate equivalents each candidate receives .
There is no guarantee that all three will show the same winner .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the number of state delegates each candidate wins , which has been the traditional standard .
Although most of the attention will be on Democrats , Republicans will also hold caucuses on Monday .
With no serious challenger for Trump and plenty of money to burn , his reelection team hopes to use voting in early states as a test run for its organizing prowess and to boost excitement for the president ’ s fall campaign .
Trump held a rally in Iowa last week and dispatched surrogates to the state ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Australian deputy prime minister survives internal revolt

CANBERRA , Australia - Australia ’ s deputy prime minister on Tuesday withstood a challenge to his leadership mounted by the man he replaced two years ago .
The Nationals party has not revealed the size of the margin that returned Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack .
The leadership was confirmed in a ballot of 21 Nationals lawmakers .
He had been challenged by Barnaby Joyce , who quit as Nationals leader in 2018 over a controversy surrounding a child he had with a former staffer and allegations that he had sexually harassed another woman .
Joyce had argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their rural constituents , many of whom are struggling against a protracted drought and devastating wildfires .
“ It ’ s a great honour and a privilege to continue to serve as the leader of the National Party , ” McCormack told reporters , referring to the Nationals by the party ’ s former name .
“ I look forward to ... continuing to work with Barnaby Joyce , ” he added .
The Nationals are the junior partner in Prime Minister Scott Morrison ’ s conservative coalition government .
Morrison , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ousted his predecessor in 2018 , had said before the result was known that it would not undermine the government ’ s stability .
“ That coalition has always provided very stable and very good government for this country , ” Morrison told reporters .
“ That coalition is always strong.
” T he Nationals meeting also elected government minister David Littleproud the new deputy leader of he party .
The former deputy leader Bridget McKenzie resigned from the Cabinet on Sunday for breaching ministerial rules by failing to declare she was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she gave a government grant of 36,000 Australian dollars ( $ 24,100 ) .
Both the party ’ s leade r and deputy are entitled to Cabinet posts .
Resources Minister Matt Canavan resigned from the Cabinet on Monday to back Joyce in the leadership challenge .
McCormack suggested Canavan won ’ t be brought back when Morrison announces a new ministerial lineup .
“ Matt Canavan has resigned as Resources Minister .
I wish him the best , ” McCormack said .
While prime ministers are toppled frequently in Australia , challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rare .
The Nationals have only ousted their leader once , in 1989 .


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Woman in fatal bus crash pleads guilty to illegal re-entry

ST. PAUL , Minn. - A Guatemalan woman who was deported after she was convicted in a 2008 school bus @ @ @ @ @ in southwestern Minnesota pleaded guilty Monday to illegally re-entering the United States , federal prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ del Cid , 36 , pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry after removal @ @ @ @ @ representation of a Social Security number , the U.S. Attorney ’ s office said .
@ @ @ @ @ 11 .
Franco del Cid was arrested in November by federal immigration officers after they @ @ @ @ @ returned to the U.S. and was back in Minnesota .
Franco del Cid was convicted @ @ @ @ @ crashing a minivan into a school bus near Cottonwood in 2008 , killing four students @ @ @ @ @ of her sentence and was deported after being released from state prison .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Man in Arizona accused of leading 2006 attacks in Iraq

PHOENIX - An Iraqi man living in metro Phoenix is accused of leading an al-Qaida group that authorities say killed two police officers 14 years ago on the streets of Fallujah in attacks carried out by masked men .
Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri was arrested last week in Arizona as part of an extradition request made by the Iraqi government , which charged the 42-year-old with murder in the 2006 shooting deaths .
Court records unsealed Monday reveal details of the two attacks in which armed men who were wearing masks jumped out of cars , fired on the officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an attacker held a gun to a witness ’ head , while another attacker who started to fire on a police officer experienced a malfunction with his gun .
Another attacker then killed police Lt. Issam Ahmed Hussein .
The witness later identified Ahmed , who wasn ’ t wearing a mask , as the group ’ s leader , according to court records .
Four months later , Iraqi authorities say Ahmed and other men fatally shot Officer Khalid Ibrahim Mohammad as the officer was sitting outside a store .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose mask had fallen off , as one of the assailants , according to court records .
The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Phoenix declined to describe Ahmed ’ s immigration status .
A court hearing for Ahmed is scheduled Tuesday in Phoenix .
The Arizona Republic has previously reported that Ahmed has been in the United States since January 2008 and ran an Arizona driving school .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--AP VoteCast: Iowa Democratic voters seek fundamental change

WASHINGTON - The first voters to make their choice in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination are desperate for fundamental change to the political system .
Roughly two-thirds of Iowa caucusgoers said supporting a candidate who would transform how the system in Washington works was important to their vote , according to AP VoteCast , a wide-ranging survey of voters who said they planned to take part in Monday ’ s Democratic caucuses in Iowa .
The survey also found that two issues that have been front and centre during the campaign were at the top of Iowa Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change .
Here ’ s a snapshot of Democratic caucusgoers in Iowa — who they are and what matters to them — based on preliminary results from AP VoteCast , a survey of 2,795 voters conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago .
About 8 in 10 Iowa caucusgoers expressed anger toward the Trump administration .
A minority said they were dissatisfied but not angry , or satisfied with the Republican president .
Beating Trump in November , along with providing strong leadership , outranked other qualities as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 8 in 10 Democratic caucusgoers said it was very important the party ’ s nominee can defeat Trump .
Close to as many said they find it highly important to nominate someone who will be a strong leader .
WHAT ELSE VOTERS WANT Three-quarters of likely caucusgoers said it ’ s very important their choice for the Democratic nominee cares about people like them , while nearly two-thirds said it ’ s very important the party ’ s nominee have the best policy ideas .
Six in 10 Democratic voters said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work across party lines .
Fewer Democrats — about half — placed significant importance on a nominee who has the “ right experience ” as they considered a field that includes a former vice-president , three sitting U.S. senators , two former mayors and a few with experience in business .
Health care has been at the forefront of the Democratic campaign to date , with the issue getting top billing from candidates during stump speeches , on debate nights and at town halls .
And there ’ s a reason why : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing the country by Iowa Democrats .
Roughly 4 in 10 likely caucusgoers identified health care as their top issue .
Seven in 10 supported a proposed single-payer health care plan , which would change the health care system so that all Americans receive insurance from a government plan instead of private insurance plans .
At the same time , nearly 9 in 10 favour the proposal for an optional government plan that any Americans could buy into if they wanted .
A wide share — about 6 in 10 — expressed support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter favoured “ Medicare for All ” and opposed “ Medicare for all who want it.
” Only about 1 in 10 expressed the opposite opinions , in favour of a public option but opposed to a single-payer system .
Along with health care , climate change was identified as the top issue facing the country by 3 in 10 Iowa voters .
Among all caucusgoers , nearly 9 in 10 expressed support for a tax on the use of carbon-based fuels , including oil , coal and natural gas .
Nearly half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
AP VoteCast is a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for The Associated Press and Fox News .
The survey of 2,795 voters in Iowa was conducted for seven days , concluding as the caucuses began .
Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish .
The survey is based on interviews with a random sample of registered voters drawn from the state voter file .
The margin of sampling error for voters is estimated to be plus or minus 3.0 percentage points .
Find more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at http : //www.ap.org/votecast .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Troopers say 2 found dead in Palmer home had been shot

PALMER , Alaska - Two of three people found dead last week at a Palmer home were victims of homicide @ @ @ @ @ medical examiner .
The bodies of Gerald Brown , 71 , and Karen Brown , @ @ @ @ @ 28 at a home southwest of Palmer and south of the Matanuska-Susitna campus of the @ @ @ @ @ Alaska State Troopers said .
Troopers on Monday announced autopsy conclusions .
Gerald and Karen @ @ @ @ @ troopers said .
The body of Jeffrey Brown , 42 , also was found in @ @ @ @ @ of Jeffrey Brown ’ s death has not been determined by the medical examiner , @ @ @ @ @ are pending for Jeffrey Brown , troopers said .
No other person was involved in @ @ @ @ @ , and an investigation continues .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-03--Jeffrey Epstein estate sale: Executors unload $195,000 Bentley, Mercedes, other assets

WASHINGTON—Executors winding down the estate of disgraced financier Jeffrey E. Epstein have raised more than one million through the sales of his assets and account liquidations .
In a delayed court filing that had been extended until last Friday lawyers for Epstein ’ s estate showed that his net worth has increased by about $ 80 million since his death , and listed some of his pricey assets they ’ ve sold off .
These include several luxury cars , including a 2018 Bentley sold for $ 195,000 and a 2019 Mercedes-Benz for $ 133,000 .
They did not disclose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executors said slightly more than one million has been raised from asset sales and liquidating four accounts tied to shell companies .
The detailed accounting of Epstein ’ s estate also showed that his principal banking for his day-to-day operations was done through two banks in nearby Puerto Rico — Banco Popular and 1 First Bank .
Epstein ’ s net worth at the time of his reported death by hanging last Aug. 10 was estimated at $ 550 million .
In their first quarterly filing , executors of his estate now estimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of last Friday at about $ 634.8 million .
Executors also revised upward the value of his assets at time of death to more than $ 628 million .
They said his cash on hand at the time of death was about $ 9.4 million and that following expenditures since then is now at about $ 7.6 million .
The revelations in court documents were made public Monday amid this week ’ s expected probate hearing in the U.S. Virgin Islands , where the attorney general has put a lien on the Epstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two islands there he owned .
Lawyers for victims will go before a judge as well as executors of the estate to fight it out Tuesday over where certain claims will be settled and by whom .
Attorney General Denise George , a relative newcomer , recently filed a motion to intervene to give the local government a say in matters of estate settlement , on the grounds that some of Epstein ’ s underage victims were abused locally .
In an indictment last month , she alleged that Epstein continued to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 2018 , and at least as young as 12 .
Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges last July , eight months after the Miami Herald published “ Perversion of Justice , ” a series of stories examining the extraordinary plea deal 10 years earlier that absolved him of trafficking allegations .
The quarterly filing by executors listed three pages of potential or ongoing litigation , underscoring how complex it will be to settle Epstein ’ s estate .
The executors — longtime Epstein attorneys Darren K. Indyke and Richard D. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the motion to intervene were complicit — have proposed a New York-based victims ’ compensation fund , to which the island ’ s government has filed a motion in opposition .
The new report from executors listed a number of payments to utilities , banks and some small creditors .
They also offered that there are $ 160,000 in outstanding checks for maintenance and upkeep at his properties in New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and more than $ 114,000 owed to a Bell Miami Inc. for helicopter repairs .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funeral home expenses for Epstein and $ 618,144 in pre-death credit card expenses and contributions to his foundation in the Virgin Islands that did business as Enhanced Education .

Kevin G. Hall - McClatchy Washington Bureau


thetorontostar--2020-02-03--First openly gay federal judge dies in New York

NEW YORK - Deborah A. Batts , the nation ’ s first openly gay federal judge , has died .
She was 72 .
Batts was found dead on Monday , three months before she was set to preside over a trial of California lawyer Michael Avenatti on charges that he cheated porn star Stormy Daniels , a former client , of proceeds of a book deal .
No cause of death was immediately released .
In June 1994 , Batts was sworn in after a smooth confirmation process following her appointment to the bench by President Bill Clinton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ never mentioned that she was a lesbian .
But , at that time , she told the New York Law Journal that she did not want to be known as the “ gay judge.
” “ I ’ m a mother , I ’ m an African American .
I ’ m a lesbian , ” she said .
“ Deborah Batts was a trailblazer in every respect : an openly gay African-American woman who became a United States District Judge after a distinguished career as a federal prosecutor and law professor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
“ It will be difficult to replace her .
Our hearts are broken at her premature passing.
” McMahon said one of the judge ’ s greatest contributions to the court was her last , when she provided oversight to a unique program that enabled people convicted of crimes to earn reductions in their period of supervised release by participating in a special rehabilitative program under intense judicial supervision .
“ She will be remembered by her colleagues for her devotion to the work of the court , for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all backgrounds , and for her infectious smile and extraordinary collegiality , ” McMahon said .
Alphonso David , president of the Human Rights Campaign , said in a tweet that he was “ Saddened to hear of the passing of Deborah Batts , a giant of the legal community who blazed new trails for justice and equality.
” He called it a “ major loss for our judiciary and our movement.
” Batts received her undergraduate degree from Radcliffe College in 1969 before graduating from Harvard Law School in 1972 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ before joining the U.S. attorney ’ s office in 1979 .
In 1984 , she joined the faculty at Fordham University School of Law , becoming a tenured professor in 1990 .