thetorontostar--2020-10-15--With a hug, Feinstein draws liberal critics at court hearing

WASHINGTON - It was the hug that may define — or doom — a long Senate career .
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California embraced Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham at the close of confirmation hearings Thursday for President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett , publicly thanking the chairman for a job well done .
“ This has been one of the best set of hearings that I ’ ve participated in , ” Feinstein said at the Senate Judiciary Committee .
Calls for her ouster from Democratic leadership were swift , unequivocal and relentless .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee , ” said Brian Fallon , the executive director of Demand Justice , which opposes conservative nominees to the courts .
“ If she won ’ t , her colleagues need to intervene.
” Eli Zupnick , the spokesman for Fix Our Senate , said : “ Senator Feinstein is absolutely wrong about what is happening in the Senate and in her Committee.
“ He said in his statement that Republicans are trying to “ jam “ Barrett ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not be treated as a legitimate confirmation process.
” The response was not a knee-jerk reaction to an off-the-cuff moment between two longtime senators , but a slow-burning frustration among leading liberal advocates that the panel ’ s top Democrat is no longer the right fit for the job .
Supreme Court confirmation battles have gone from bipartisan Senate fare to bare-knuckle brawls as Republicans led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell mounted an aggressive Trump-era campaign to transform the judiciary with conservative judges .
Trump has been able to install more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is now poised to seat his third justice on the Supreme Court .
Barrett is being rushed to confirmation before the Nov. 3 election to replace the late liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a shift locking in a 6-3 conservative court majority for years to come .
Rulings on abortion , gay marriage , health care and others are in sight .
Fallon said in a statement that Democrats can no longer be led on the Judiciary panel by someone who treats “ the Republican theft of a Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 87 , has been taking it from all sides during Barrett ’ s nomination process .
Republicans attacked the senator for questioning Barrett ’ s Catholic faith three years ago when the then-Notre Dame Law School professor was undergoing confirmation proceedings for the 7th District U.S. Court of Appeals .
At the time , Feinstein said Barrett ’ s opposition to abortion must be rooted in her religion and questioned if it would influence her rulings on the bench , saying the “ dogma lives loudly in you.
“ It became a rallying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s faith , so much so that Graham praised the judge as an “ unashamedly pro-life ” nominee who could be a role model to other conservative women .
Feinstein avoided the trap and was careful during her questioning of Barrett not to probe her faith .
Democrats were determined to avoid a repeat of the 2017 hearing .
But as other Democratic senators seized the spotlight , utilizing the four days of hearings to lob attacks against Trump and his court nominee , Feinstein often took a more diplomatic approach .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ impressed ” with Barrett ’ s handling of questions .
Eyes rolled .
Still , despite the complaints , Democrats have Feinstein to thank for a few key moments during the process .
It was Feinstein who drew a notable non-answer from Barrett when asked if she agreed with the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia , her mentor , that the Voting Rights Act “ perpetuated racial entitlement.
” And Barrett gave Feinstein a similar no comment when asked if she agreed with other conservatives who argue that Medicare , the senior health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office declined further comment , but pointed to the senator ’ s statement .
“ Judiciary Committee Democrats had one goal this week : to show what ’ s at stake under a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court — and we did that , ” Feinstein said .
“ We showed that Judge Barrett has a long history of opposing the Affordable Care Act and Roe v. Wade and represents the vote to overturn both.
” But those moments may be forgotten for the one that is now being remembered — all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 crisis , with neither senator wearing a mask .
It was the hug .
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Matthew Daly contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--EU leaders hit out at Turkey’s ‘provocations’ in the Med

BRUSSELS - European Union leaders on Friday criticized Turkey for ratcheting up tensions with Cyprus and Greece after Ankara sent a ship back into the east of the Mediterranean Sea on a new energy exploration mission .
“ We deplore the actions and unilateral provocations of Turkey , ” European Council President Charles Michel told reporters after chairing a summit of the 27-nation bloc ’ s leaders in Brussels .
Turkey redeployed its search vessel , Oruc Reis , near the Greek island of Kastellorizo , reigniting tensions with Greece over sea boundaries and energy drilling rights and casting doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at resolving the dispute .
The last round of talks was held in 2016 .
Turkey has also angered Cyprus with its decision to open the beachfront of the fenced-off suburb of Varosha in the divided island ’ s breakaway Turkish Cypriot north .
At their summit in Brussels , leaders said the EU “ underlines the importance of the status of Varosha and reiterates its full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus.
” In the latest exchange of barbs , Turkey and Greece this week traded accusations about “ provocations , ” including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aegean Sea later this month to coincide with each other ’ s national public holiday .
Tensions between the two NATO allies and historic rivals flared over the summer and raised fears that open conflict might break out .
Cyprus in particular has been pushing hard for the EU to impose sanctions on Turkey , which is trying to join the trading bloc .
But on Friday , the leaders said only that they would “ remain seized of the matter ” and assess developments at their next meeting on Dec. 10-11 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Europe does not take decisions from one moment to the next .
It is like an ocean liner which takes a slow turn .
When it turns , it takes a course which is very stable in the new direction in which it has chosen.
” “ ?
he point where we will have to make decisions will be December .
I still hope that we will not have to do so .
But no one should doubt that Europe has the determination to do so if Turkey continues these actions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbolic , ” he said .

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thetorontostar--2020-10-16--US industrial production fell a sharp 0.6% in September

WASHINGTON - U.S. industrial production fell 0.6 % in September , the weakest showing since spring and a sign that the economy ’ s recovery from the pandemic recession may be faltering just as confirmed viral infections are resurging in much of the country .
The Federal Reserve reported Friday that industrial production suffered its first decline since a 12.7 % drop in April during the spring lockdowns of businesses that paralyzed the economy .
The key category that reflects manufacturing output fell 0.3 % .
At the same time , mining output , which includes oil and gas exploration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ utilities rose 1.7 % .
Last month ’ s reading on industrial production followed four straight increases that began in May after sharp declines in March and April .
Industrial production has recovered more than half of its spring declines but remains 7.1 % below its pre-pandemic level in February .
“ Industrial output came in well below expectations , one of the first real signs that the recovery is losing momentum under the weight of the ongoing health crisis and fading support from fiscal relief , ” Oxford Economics said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and parts fell for a second straight month , dropping 4 % after a 4.3 % decline in August which had followed big increases after auto plants re-opened .
The weaker-than-expected September showing may signal a slowdown in manufacturing , which had been a rare bright spot in the economy , that could hinder overall growth in coming months .
“ Rising virus outbreaks that can interrupt activity remain a threat going forward , ” said Rubeela Farooqi , chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics .
In September , industry operated at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reading of 77.4 % of capacity a year ago .

Martin Crutsinger - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Yemen’s rival sides complete war’s largest prisoner exchange

SANAA , Yemen - Yemen ’ s warring sides completed a major , U.N.-brokered prisoner swap on Friday , officials said , a development that could revive the country ’ s stalled peace process after more than five years of grinding conflict .
This week ’ s prisoner release , the largest-ever in the war , marks a breakthrough in the implementation of a long-awaited deal between Yemen ’ s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led military coalition supporting the country ’ s internationally recognized government .
International pressure has been building on the parties to end the war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triggered the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
“ We ’ re very happy this operation has concluded with success , regardless of how challenging it was to put it together , ” said Yara Khawaja , a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen , which has overseen the swap .
She expressed hope it would help the warring sides overcome mistrust and restart more substantive negotiations “ to end the suffering of millions of Yemenis.
“ On Friday , several planes ferrying a total of 352 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanaa , Yemen ’ s rebel-held capital , and the southern port city of Aden , the seat of the internationally recognized government , according to the Red Cross .
An unprecedented 1056 freed detainees returned home in the two-day swap , including hundreds released on Thursday .
Abdul Raqib al-Omari , director of Aden ’ s airport , confirmed to The Associated Press that two planes touched down in the city a few hours apart , bringing the total number of prisoners returned to the Yemeni government on Friday to 152 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aden on Friday had been captured in fierce battles along Yemen ’ s western coastline , in the strategic port city of Hodeidah , according to officials in the city ’ s prisoner reception committee .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren ’ t authorized to talk to the media .
The day ’ s second transfer involved an undisclosed number of civilians who had been arrested at checkpoints or kidnapped from homes of relatives in the rebel-held capital during the war , they added .
The devastating conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seized the capital , Sanaa , and much of the country ’ s north .
That prompted a U.S.-backed Arab military coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the government of Yemeni President Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi to power .
In Sanaa , the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV showed the newly freed rebels , clad in traditional white robes , stepping off the plane onto a long red carpet , where they were greeted by crowds of officials , aid workers and relatives as trumpets blared and cries of “ God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They prostrated themselves on the floor , kissing the carpet .
Ahmed Hamed , a Houthi leader , promised cash bonuses to all freed prisoners and said authorities would help all unmarried men cover their wedding expenses .
“ We will not abandon our prisoners or forget them , ” said Abdel Qader Mortada , the head of the Houthi Committee for Prisoners Affairs , in a message congratulating the freed captives .
He said the Houthis were seeking to sign another U.N.-mediated agreement to free more detainees .
In a speech to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N. special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths described the exchange as “ an airlift of hope.
“ He called for civilians and those arbitrarily detained during the war also to be released , including journalists .
The initial prisoner exchange deal , involving thousands of detainees , was considered a breakthrough during 2018 peace talks in Sweden aimed at ending a war that has killed 112,000 people and pushed millions to the brink of famine .
But ongoing military offensives and deep-seated mistrust between the warring sides have repeatedly caused agreements to crumble @

Ahmed Al-Haj And Isabel Debre - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Putin proposes yearlong extension of nuclear pact with US

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday made a strong call to save the last existing nuclear arms control pact between his country and the United States , proposing to extend it at least for one year .
Putin ’ s statement comes amid conflicting signals from Russian and U.S. diplomats about the fate of the New START treaty that is set to expire in February unless Moscow and Washington agree on its extension .
Speaking at a meeting of his Security Council , Putin said that “ it would be extremely sad if the treaty ceases to exist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the kind.
” “ All those years , the New START has worked , playing its fundamental role of limiting and containing an arms race , ” he noted .
The New START treaty was signed in 2010 by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev .
The pact limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers , and envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance .
After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear arms control deal between the two countries still standing .
Russia previously offered its extension for five years without any conditions , while the U.S. administration pushed for a new arms control agreement that would also include China .
Moscow has described that idea as unfeasible , pointing at Beijing ’ s refusal to negotiate any deal that would reduce its much-smaller nuclear arsenal .
Putin on Friday proposed to “ extend the existing treaty without any conditions for at least one year “ to allow for “ substantive talks , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a quick U.S. answer to the offer .
He emphasized that Russia is ready to discuss the new weapons it deployed in future arms talks with the United States .
Earlier this week , Lavrov voiced skepticism about reaching a deal on New START , noting that Russia can ’ t accept the conditions put forward by the United States for its extension .
Lavrov specified that Russia can ’ t agree to the U.S. proposal to limit battlefield nuclear weapons alongside nuclear warheads that arm strategic missiles and bombers until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons from Europe .
He also noted that Moscow wouldn ’ t accept the U.S. demand to have intrusive verification measures like those that existed in the 1990s when inspectors were positioned at missile factories .
Lavrov ’ s pessimistic view contrasted with statements from U.S. diplomats , who said that Moscow and Washington were close to a deal .
“ We would welcome the opportunity to complete an agreement based on understandings that were achieved over the last couple weeks about what the range of possibilities look like for an extension of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire world , increased stability of the most dangerous weapons in the world , ” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday .
Pompeo said that “ I am hopeful that the Russians will find a way to agree to an outcome that , frankly , I think is in their best interest and in our best interest , ” and voiced hope that China will eventually join the talks too .
After the last round of talks in Helsinki earlier this month , lead U.S. negotiator Marshall Billingslea , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arms control , said the meeting had yielded “ important progress.
” A person familiar with the talks said last Friday that U.S. and Russian negotiators have agreed in principle to continue freezing their nuclear warhead stockpiles in a bid to salvage the New START .
The person , who was not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity , said an agreement could be announced before the Nov. 3 presidential election with an eye toward extending the accord and eventually bringing China into it , a longtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Russia ’ s top negotiator in the talks , Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov , dismissed the allegations of reaching the agreement in principle as “ wishful thinking “ on the U.S. part , emphasizing that sharp differences remained and Moscow wasn ’ t going to sign a deal on the U.S. terms .

Vladimir Isachenkov - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Virus at ‘turning point’ in Europe, hitting at-risk groups

MILAN - Doctors are warning that Europe is at a turning point as the coronavirus surges back across the continent , including among vulnerable people , and governments try to impose restrictions without locking whole economies down .
With newly confirmed cases reaching records , the Czech Republic has shut schools and is building a field hospital , Poland has limited restaurant hours and closed gyms and schools , and France is planning a 9 p.m. curfew in Paris and other big cities .
In Britain , authorities are closing pubs and bars in areas in the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in London and other parts of the country .
“ This is a serious situation that should not be underestimated .
It is serious on a European level , ’ ’ Italy ’ s health minister , Roberto Speranza , said Friday .
Europe is not alone in seeing a resurgence .
In the United States , new cases per day are on the rise in 44 states , and deaths per day are climbing in 30 .
“ If we don ’ t get a handle on this , we run the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s harder to control , ” Bertrand Levrat , the head of Switzerland ’ s biggest hospital complex , told The Associated Press .
“ We are really at a turning point — things can go both ways.
” But while officials are sounding the alarm on the rising cases , they are also wary of imposing the stricter nationwide lockdowns that devastated their economies this spring .
Instead , they are trying more targeted restrictions .
France is deploying 12,000 extra police to enforce its new curfew ; Saturday night will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to close at 9 p.m .
Restaurants , cinemas and theatres are trying to figure out how can survive the forced early closures .
Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot told Le Parisien newspaper she is negotiating for exceptions to a monthlong curfew across the Paris region and eight other metropolitan areas .
One movie theatre chain will start opening at 8 a.m. in hopes of making up evening losses .
Since Paris restaurants generally open at 7 or 7:30 p.m. for dinner , some might close altogether because it no longer makes financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short shift .
“ The French culture world isn ’ t invincible , it needs help , ” author and filmmaker Yoann Sfar , who has a new movie coming out , said Friday on RTL radio .
Italy , the first country outside of Asia to detect local transmission of the virus , has banned pickup sports and public gatherings after health officials said the resurgence had reached ‘ ’ an acute phase ’ ’ following a period of relative grace following its particularly strict lockdown .
Speranza , the health minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Italy , including a curfew , need to be “ well-considered.
” Massimo Galli , the director of infectious diseases at Milan ’ s Luigi Sacco hospital , said Italy ’ s surge — which hit pandemic highs of new daily infections this week — is not the result of record testing , as policy makers have suggested , but a sign of a real return among the population most at risk of developing serious illness if infected .
That is a worrying trend since a tide of serious cases has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s one that can be seen in other countries on the continent as many see even higher numbers than Italy .
France , Spain and Britain recorded more than 300 infections per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks , compared to Italy ’ s quickening but relatively low 106 .
The Czech Republic reported over 700 people infected per 100,000 , and the country ’ s military will start to build a field hospital at Prague ’ s exhibition centre this weekend — a reminder of the dark days of spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ease pressure on overwhelmed medical centres .
The government is also negotiating with neighbouring Germany and some other countries for Czechs to be treated there if the health system can ’ t handle them .
In Italy , Milan is the epicenter of the resurgence , and it , too , is seeing its hospitals strained .
Sacco ’ s COVID-19 ward was the first in the city to begin filling up .
“ We have a situation that reminds one quite distressingly of the one that we already have experienced , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to the peak in March and April when Italy hit its record of 969 deaths in one day .
The country recorded 83 deaths on Thursday — twice previous days , but far off earlier levels .
Already in Milan , Galli said that the number of elderly patients or those with other risk factors is growing , indicating the virus has moved beyond its initial late September ’ s expansion , when most of the cases were mild or asymptomatic caught by screening and contact tracing .
Since then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and among students outside of school has fueled the spread to more vulnerable people , he said , renewing pressure on Milan ’ s hospitals .
“ The trend is already there , and it is frankly alarming , ’ ’ he said , though he noted that not all of Italy was yet experiencing a surge .
But that , he said , might only be a matter of time .
Galli said Italy ’ ’ will follow in the footsteps ?
of its European neighbours unless the transmission chain is blocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears that new nationwide restrictions adopted over the past two weeks — including mandatory masks outdoors , a ban on pickup sports games among friends and restaurant closures at midnight — are not enough .
He urged more restrictions be imposed on public transport and leisure activities if authorities want to avoid another lockdown — bad both for the economy and the social fabric .
While Italy ’ s lockdown in the spring bought it more time , Galli said the current resurgence shows “ how quickly there is a risk of wasting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and very important intervention .
’ ’

Colleen Barry And Angela Charlton - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Merkel: EU summit on China called off as virus resurges

BRUSSELS - A planned European Union summit on the bloc ’ s China policy that was to be held in @ @ @ @ @ called off because of the resurgent coronavirus pandemic , German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday @ @ @ @ @ s leaders had planned to meet in Berlin on Nov. 16 to discuss policy toward @ @ @ @ @ an EU summit in Brussels on Friday that the meeting won ’ t go ahead @ @ @ @ @ to do without it , because I think that is a necessary message in terms @ @ @ @ @ , ” she added .
New coronavirus infections are surging across Europe , prompting governments @ @ @ @ @ Germany currently holds the EU ’ s rotating presidency .
Its plans to hold a @ @ @ @ @ EU ’ s member countries and China in the German city of Leipzig in September @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
In the end , Merkel and the EU ’ s top officials held @ @ @ @ @ Xi Jinping .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Thai PM rejects calls to resign, faces renewed protests

BANGKOK—Thailand ’ s prime minister rejected calls for his resignation Friday , while his government failed to stop student-led protesters from rallying again in the capital in defiance of a strict state of emergency .
More than 1,000 protesters gathered in torrential monsoon rains to push their core demands , including that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha leave office , the constitution be amended and the nation ’ s monarchy undergo reform .
It was the second day they defied an order not to gather , imposed after some demonstrators heckled a royal motorcade , an unprecedented development in Thailand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reverence .
Police had earlier closed roads and put up barricades around a major Bangkok intersection where some 10,000 protesters defied the new decree Thursday .
Police in riot gear secured the area , while malls in the normally busy shopping district closed early .
Nearby mass transit stations were closed to stop crowds of protesters from getting near the area .
The student protesters , however , simply moved down the street to another large intersection .
Prayuth ’ s government declared a strict new state of emergency for the capital on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the motorcade .
The state of emergency outlaws public gatherings of more than five people and bans the dissemination of news that is deemed to threaten national security .
It also gives authorities broad powers , including detaining people at length without charge .
A number of protest leaders have already been rounded up since the decree went into effect .
On Friday another two activists were arrested under a law covering violence against the queen for their alleged part in the heckling of the motorcade .
They could face up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest movement was launched in March by university students and its original core demands were new elections , changes in the constitution to make it more democratic , and an end to intimidation of activists .
The protesters charge that Prayuth , who as army commander led a 2014 coup that toppled an elected government , was returned to power unfairly in last year ’ s general election because laws had been changed to favour a pro-military party .
But the movement took a stunning turn in August , when students at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and issued calls for its reform .
Using direct language normally expressed in whispers if at all , the speakers criticized the king ’ s wealth , his influence and that he spends much of his time outside the country .
Thailand ’ s royal family has long been considered sacrosanct and a pillar of Thai identity .
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and other key member of the royal family are protected by a lese majeste law that has regularly been used to silence critics who risk up to 15 years in prison if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conservative royalist Thais accuse the protest movement of seeking to end the monarchy , an allegation its leaders deny .
Wednesday ’ s incident with the royal motorcade was stunned many Thais .
Video that circulated widely showed members of a small crowd heckling a motorcade carrying Queen Suthida and Prince Dipangkorn as it slowly passed .
Security personnel stood between the vehicles and the crowd and there was no visible violence and none was described by witnesses .
It normal in Thailand for those waiting for a royal motorcade to sit on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s declaration of a state of emergency said the measure was necessary because “ certain groups of perpetrators intended to instigate an untoward incident and movement in the Bangkok area by way of various methods and via different channels , including causing obstruction to the royal motorcade.
” Prayuth said Friday that he had no plans to resign as he had done nothing wrong .
He said his government hopes it can drop the state of emergency ahead of its normal 30-day duration “ if the situation improves quickly.
” The legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said at least 51 people have been arrested since Tuesday in connection with the protests .
Police on Friday went to search the offices of the Progressive Movement , a group formed by former lawmakers from a reform-minded political party that was controversially dissolved by the constitutional Court .
The two activists charged over the incident with the queen are Ekachai Hongkangwan and Paothong Bunkueanum .
Ekachai is a veteran activist who has been physically attacked several times , in apparent response to his criticism of the military .
Paothong , a university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests .
The Wednesday incident in which the two were allegedly involved was stunning to most Thais , because by tradition and law , members of the royal family are treated with the utmost respect .
“ We were not notified by the police of the upcoming royal motorcade in which we had no way of knowing because they were not informing us , ” Paothong told reporters Friday .
“ Once we knew that there was a motorcade of the queen and the heir presumptive to the throne I tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my megaphone to have everyone move away from the police barriers so the motorcade can pass through easily , ” he said .
The Ministry of Digital Economy , meanwhile , announced it would file complaints with police covering five Twitter accounts and five Facebook accounts inviting people to attend Friday ’ s rally .
Such posting could be deemed illegal under the state of emergency , as well as other laws .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Azerbaijan, Armenia trade accusations on Caucasus conflict

BAKU , Azerbaijan - Azerbaijani authorities on Friday accused Armenia of expanding the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh by shelling a different region in Azerbaijan , a claim rejected by Armenian officials .
Armenia , in turn , charged that the Azerbaijani troops executed two Armenian war prisoners — which Azerbaijan dismissed as a “ provocation.
” The mutual accusations come amid intense fighting that has raged for nearly three weeks despite a Russian attempt to broker a truce , marking the largest escalation of hostilities between the South Caucasus neighbours in more than a quarter-century .
Azerbaijan ’ s Defence Ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit near Orduba , in Azerbaijan ’ s Nakhchivan region , on Thursday , causing no casualties .
Armenian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian said no missiles were fired at the Nakhchivan region .
On Friday , Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan pointed to a video purportedly showing the execution of two Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijani troops , denouncing it as a proof of Azerbaijan “ barbarity.
” ” They trample on any civilized norms , “ Mnatsakanyan said after talks with his visiting Greek counterpart , Nikos Dendias , in Yerevan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ video as a fake “ fabricated by the Armenians to attract the global community ’ s attention.
” It insisted that Azerbaijani troops fully observe international humanitarian norms .
Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994 .
The latest outburst of fighting began on Sept. 27 and has involved heavy artillery , rockets and drones , killing hundreds .
Russia , which has a security pact with Armenia but also has cultivated warm ties with Azerbaijan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more than 10 hours of talks that ended with Saturday ’ s cease-fire deal .
But the agreement immediately buckled , with both sides blaming each other for breaching it .
The Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of his Security Council Friday to discuss the conflict and other issues .
Azerbaijan has insisted it has the right to reclaim its land by force after efforts by the so-called Minsk group of international mediators that comprises Russia , the United States and France failed to yield any progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally Turkey to take a prominent role in future peace talks .
In what was seen by some as a warning to Turkey that Moscow sees the South Caucasus region as part of the sphere of its vital security interests , the Russian navy on Friday launched manoeuvrs in the Caspian Sea .
The Russian military said the drills would involve warships firing missiles at practice targets .
The Interfax news agency quoted retired Adm. Viktor Kravchenko , the former Russian navy ’ s chief of staff , as saying that the manoeuvrs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Russia has strategic interests in the region .
Associated Press writers Avet Demourian in Yerevan , Armenia , and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Study finds 4 drugs have little to no effect on COVID-19

GENEVA - The world ’ s largest randomized trial of COVID-19 treatments found “ conclusive evidence ” that remdesivir , a drug used to treat U.S. President Donald Trump when he fell ill , has little or no effect on severe cases , the U.N. health agency said Friday .
The World Health Organization announced the long-awaited results of a six-month trial that endeavoured to see if existing drugs might have an effect on the coronavirus .
The study , which was not peer-reviewed , found that four treatments tested — remdesivir , hydroxychloroquine , lopinavir/ritonavir and interferon — had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether or not patients died within about a month or whether hospitalized patients recovered .
Most of those had already been ruled out .
But remdesivir , an antiviral , has been classified as standard-of-care in the United States , and it has been approved for use against COVID-19 in the UK and EU .
Supplies of the drug have been limited , and the European Medicines Agency is now reviewing whether remdesivir is causing kidney problems as reported by some patients .
The results of the global trial are in sharp contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , which found remdesivir shortened the time to recovery by about five days on average .
Martin Landray , a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Oxford University , said the WHO trial results for hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir were in line with a previous British study he co-led .
“ The big story is the finding that remdesivir produces no meaningful impact on survival , ” he said in a statement .
He said the drug is now recommended in some countries but there have been significant concerns about supply , cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug that has to be given by intravenous infusion for five to 10 days , ” noting it costs about $ 2,550 per treatment course .
“ COVID affects millions of people and their families around the world .
We need scalable , affordable , and equitable treatments.
“ The treatments given to President Trump after he tested positive for the coronavirus included remdesivir .
WHO said the study , which covered more than 30 countries , looked at the effects of the treatments on overall death rates , whether or not patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time patients spent recovering in hospitals .
This story has been corrected to remove an erroneous reference to remdesivir being a repurposed malaria drug .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--4 killed in scaffolding collapse at German building site

BERLIN - Four workers were killed when scaffolding collapsed on a building site in southern Germany on Friday , authorities @ @ @ @ @ during work on a concrete ceiling in Denklingen , a small town in Bavaria .
@ @ @ @ @ addition to the four who were killed when they fell and were buried under debris @ @ @ @ @ hurt .
There was no immediate word on the cause of the accident .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Arrest of former Mexican defence minister shakes military

MEXICO CITY - Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Friday that his ambassador to the United States told him two weeks ago that there was an investigation underway there involving Mexico ’ s former defence secretary , who was arrested Thursday in Los Angeles .
The arrest of Mexico ’ s former defence minister , retired Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos , on drug and money laundering charges shakes one of the few Mexican institutions that had maintained the confidence of the people .
Cienfuegos was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport Thursday at the request of the U.S. Drug Enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s top military official during the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto from 2012 to 2018 .
On Friday , López Obrador said Cienfuegos ’ arrest was “ regrettable.
” He said he had been told that the charges against Cienfuegos would be announced in the United States Friday afternoon , but he confirmed that it was related to alleged drug trafficking .
He said there was no drug-related investigation of Cienfuegos in Mexico .
He said Mexico ’ s ambassador to the United States Martha Bárcena told him two weeks ago that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but there was nothing specific .
“ This is an unmistakable example of the decomposition of the government , of how civil service was degrading , the government service during the neoliberal period , ” López Obrador said .
He offered a vote of confidence to current military leaders asserting that the leaders of the army and navy are “ incorruptible.
” On Thursday night , Mexico ’ s Foreign Minister , Marcelo Ebrard , wrote on his Twitter account that U.S .
Ambassador Christopher Landau had informed him of the retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a right to receive consular assistance .
A U.S. official with knowledge of the case said the warrant was for drug trafficking and money laundering charges .
A senior Mexican official , who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn ’ t authorized to give details of the case , said Cienfuegos was arrested when he arrived at the Los Angeles airport with his family .
His family members were released and he was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center .
Mexico ’ s reliance on its military has only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entrusted it with not only leading the government ’ s ongoing fight with drug cartels , but also with stopping rampant fuel pipeline theft , building major infrastructure projects and being the backbone of the new , ostensibly civilian , National Guard .
López Obrador was scheduled to visit the site of a new airport being built for the capital Friday morning .
It is rising on a military base and the president put the army in charge of building it .
While López Obrador talks daily about corruption being at the root @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the biggest catches of his term have so far come across the border in the United States .
Cienfuegos , 72 , is the second former Mexican cabinet official arrested in the U.S. on drug charges in the past year .
Genaro García Luna was arrested last year in Texas on drug trafficking charges .
U.S. prosecutors allege he took tens of millions of dollars in bribes to protect Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman ’ s Sinaloa cartel .
He had served as Mexico ’ s Secretary of Public Security from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He pleaded not guilty earlier this month to drug trafficking charges in a federal court in New York .
Under Cienfuegos , Mexico continued its pursuit of the war on the drug cartels launched under Calderon .
Guzman was captured twice while Cienfuegos was in command — in 2014 and 2016 — but the army was not directly involved in either .
There was talk at the time that the DEA had more confidence in Mexico ’ s marines for acting on the most sensitive intelligence .
A Colombian drug trafficker testified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. trial that the kingpin had boasted about paying a $ 100 million bribe to Peña Nieto to call off the hunt for him .
Peña Nieto ’ s spokesman denied the accusation .
Mexico ’ s Defence Department had no immediate reaction to Cienfuegos ’ arrest .
AP writer Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed to this report .

Christopher Sherman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Canada's Champagne meets with Belarus opposition figure in Vilnius

VILNIUS , Lithuania - Canada ’ s foreign minister pledged support for top Belarusian opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who is in exile in Lithuania , during a meeting Friday .
Francois-Philippe Champagne told Tsikhanouskaya that Canada “ will always be on your side.
” “ In fact I believe you can expect that ( the ) entire international community will be together with you and the people of Belarus for the democratic future of your country , ” Champagne said after the meeting , on the last leg of his European tour .
Champagne has said the result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which gave the country ’ s long-standing strongman , President Alexander Lukashenko , a landslide victory strongly disputed by the opposition , was “ fraudulent.
“ Champagne ’ s visit to the Baltic country follows Tsikhanouskaya ’ s meetings with European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
The United States and the European Union have denounced Belarus ’ election as neither free nor fair and introduced sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for alleged vote-rigging and a crackdown on protests .
“ This is a very clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the international community is watching them and they should think twice before ( unleashing ) another wave of violence against their own people , ” Tsikhanouskaya said after her talks with Champagne .
Tsikhanouskaya has warned the government in Minsk that she will call a nationwide strike in Belarus later this month unless Lukashenko , who got a sixth term in office in August , resigns , releases political prisoners and stops the violent crackdown on protesters .
Earlier Friday , Belarusian authorities announced that they have issued an arrest warrant for Tsikhanouskaya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , accusing her of “ attempts to overthrow constitutional order ” and of being a threat to national security .
“ I continue to struggle with this regime .
After our victory , all these accusations will be deleted , “ Tsikhanouskaya commented .
The arrest warrant announcement follows reports that she was on a wanted list in Russia .
Moscow has staunchly backed Lukashenko amid two months of large protests .
Moscow has refused to talk to Tsikhanouskaya and other opposition activists .
In the first visit to Lithuania by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Champagne was also to meet his counterparts from Lithuania and neighbouring Estonia and Latvia .
Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen , Denmark , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Germany: prisoner shot dead after taking jail worker hostage

BERLIN - A prison inmate was shot fatally by police in western Germany on Friday after he took a jail @ @ @ @ @ kill her , authorities said .
The 40-year-old man threatened the employee , a 29-year-old @ @ @ @ @ blade and demanded a helicopter to take him away from the prison in Muenster , @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
Police attempted to negotiate with the prisoner , but he repeatedly threatened @ @ @ @ @ appeared “ psychologically unpredictable , ” they added .
Special forces then freed the woman @ @ @ @ @ injuries to her neck .
The prisoner died from his injuries at the scene .
@ @ @ @ @ a four-month sentence for resisting enforcement officers that would have ended on Nov. 10 .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Reports: Turkey tests Russian-made S-400 defence system

ANKARA , Turkey - NATO-member Turkey has tested its Russian-made advanced air defence missile system , Turkish media reports said Friday , raising the spectre of a new standoff with the United States .
A Haber television , which is close to the government , said on its website that Turkey ’ s military test-fired the Russian S-400 air defence system in the Black Sea province of Sinop .
It based its reports on an amateur video , reportedly filmed in Sinop , showing a contrail shooting into the sky .
Other media carried similar reports .
Turkish military and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reports .
Washington strongly objected to Turkey ’ s acquisition of the Russian anti-aircraft system and suspended Turkey from its hi-tech F-35 fighter jet program , saying the S-400 are a threat to the stealth fighter jets .
It has also warned Ankara that it risks U.S. sanctions under the Countering America ’ s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act if the S-400 system is activated .
Turkey insists it was forced to purchase the Russian system after Washington refused to sell it the U.S. Patriot system .
Russia delivered the the first batch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Turkey had initially said the S-400 would be operational in April but it has since delayed activating the system .
During a visit to Turkey earlier this month , NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated that the Russian-made S-400 system can not be integrated into the NATO air and missile defence system and can lead to sanctions by the United States .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Swiss hospital chief: Europe at ‘turning point’ vs. COVID

GENEVA - As coronavirus sweeps across Europe , the head of the biggest hospital in Switzerland , a rich country with one of the world ’ s best healthcare systems , is echoing a growing call to the public : Buckle down .
Bertrand Levrat , CEO of Geneva University Hospitals , which counts 12,000 personnel , says Europe overall faces a “ turning point ” at a time when Switzerland too is fighting a second wave of coronavirus cases that grew in large part out of a summertime lull in which people let down their guard about the highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t spread alone — we are the ones who spread it .
It ’ s a line that we don ’ t repeat enough , ” Levrat said from his office overlooking Geneva , a surgical mask tucked into his jacket pocket .
“ Today , the stakes centre on how much people are going to follow health measures that allow most people , and economies , and life in general , to get through this.
” “ If we don ’ t get a handle on this , we run the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s harder to control , ” he said .
“ We are really at a turning point — things can go both ways .
Health services need to look for ways to keep up contact tracing ( and ) to succeed in getting a grasp on the chains of transmission.
” Swiss authorities , like their counterparts across Europe , are facing the increasingly tricky dilemma of calibrating a response that meets the urgent health care requirements at a time of growing public fatigue about COVID-19 restrictions and when doctors , nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dreading a new wave that would strain their work and personal lives .
The Swiss benefit from a relatively rich population in a less densely populated country .
Switzerland , at more than 8.6 million people , has a smaller population than the metropolitan areas of Paris and London , for example .
The country , along with Germany , has generally been seen as coping better than some of its European neighbours in battling the pandemic .
But that may be changing .
The Alpine nation has confirmed more than 71,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and new cases are rolling at more than 1,000 per day recently — hitting a record 3,105 on Friday .
Its infection rates are now among the highest in Europe .
While Switzerland isn ’ t in the European Union , its fortunes and fate are closely tied to the bloc , and the virus knows no borders .
Population centres in Zurich , Lausanne and its Vaud region , the Italian-speaking Ticino region and Geneva have been hardest hit .
Now , the less dense canton Schwyz — at the heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — is reportedly facing the country ’ s biggest spike in cases .
The Geneva University Hospitals have hired hundreds of new staffers in recent months .
On Thursday , they announced stepped-up recruitment , testing and lab services in response to the second wave .
“ I think we are quite well prepared , even though it was a huge challenge to every one of us , and a huge stress on the system , ” Levrat said , but acknowledged that “ teams that have been quite exhausted by the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital had a peak of 550 patients at the same time — all COVID patients .
Other medical services were farmed out to private clinics .
Today , hospitalizations are at more than 70 , but that marks a four-fold increase from just a month ago , and Levrat expects it to hit 80 within the next two weeks .
Beyond that , he ’ s not making any predictions .
Switzerland has not enacted draconian measures seen in countries like neighbouring France , but did require the closure of all businesses except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supermarkets and gas stations during the first wave .
Those orders have been lifted , but face masks are still required on public transport and working from home is recommended where possible .
So far , new measures have been piecemeal .
The Swiss army halted weekend leave for some 10,000 recruits through the end of October , hoping to prevent them from catching it at home .
Geneva this week limited public gatherings to 100 people maximum , and organizers of any gathering of over 15 must take contact details of attendees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like neighbouring Germany and the United States , gives leeway to its regions — known as cantons — to set health policy .
Geneva was among the first to limit gatherings in public to no more than five people during the deadlier first phase .
The Swiss response mostly has been to trust the public to do the right thing and keep to common sense — but there have been some visible lapses .
Last month , a world-renowned hotel management school in Lausanne forced 2,500 students into temporary quarantine after a spike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like elsewhere , young adults have been at the centre of the latest wave , but they less often suffer severe or life-threatening cases that are more common in the elderly or among people with previous medical conditions .
But as the case counts rise , federal officials are scrambling — and considering new restrictions .
The leaders of Switzerland ’ s two parliamentary chambers met with the head of the World Health Organization , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , who reportedly reassured them that Switzerland can manage the rising in cases .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ There ’ s no surprise package of new measures that ’ s on the way.
” “ The principal measure depends on individual behaviour , with distancing and hygiene -- it ’ s the only known valid measure , really , to avoid infections , ” he told reporters in the capital , Bern .
“ We see that it ’ s not easy in the midst of this rise we are experiencing.
” But Berset also said health authorities were meeting again Friday to consider new steps .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .

Jamey Keaten And Nadine Achoui-Lesage - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Steep drop in air traffic may mean painful cuts at Massport

BOSTON - A steep dropoff in air travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic has the agency that runs Boston ’ s Logan International Airport facing a worse-than-anticipated $ 400 million budget gap over the next three years , a deficit that could lead to layoffs , top officials say .
“ It ’ s never a good thing to come in below your worst-case scenario and that ’ s where we find ourselves , ” Massachusetts Port Authority board member John Nucci said during a Thursday meeting .
Chief Executive Lisa Wieland warned of painful cuts ahead .
The agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a previous round of cost-cutting in the spring .
Capital projects that have already been suspended , inlcuding a new parking garage , could face further delays .
Logan currently handles 400 to 500 daily flights , down from an average of 1,200 in October 2019 .
Since January , the airport has seen 21.8 million fewer air travellers than 2019 , a 68 % drop , and it may be years before it picks up again .
“ This pandemic-induced economic crisis is going to be more prolonged than anyone anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Massport also operates the Conley Terminal and Flynn Cruiseport in Boston as well as Worcester and Hanscom airports .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Asia Today: Sydney lifts quarantine for N. Zealand travellers

SYDNEY , Australia - Australia ’ s largest city , Sydney , lifted quarantine restrictions on travellers from New Zealand on Friday while the second largest city , Melbourne , marked the 100th day of one of the world ’ s longest pandemic lockdowns .
More than 350 passengers were scheduled to take three flights from Auckland on Friday and will not have to undergo hotel quarantine on arrival in Sydney .
New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said : “ This is great news for tourism .
It ’ s also great news for family reunification and grateful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insist that travellers from Australia quarantine in hotels for 14 days on arrival .
The Victoria state government has resisted pressure from businesses and the federal government to relax a second lockdown that began when stay-at-home orders took effect in Melbourne on July 9 .
Victoria recorded only two new COVID-19 cases in the latest 24-hour period .
The state last recorded such a low number on June 8 , with daily tallies peaking at 725 on Aug. 5 .
Victoria Premier Dan Andrews said he will announce on Sunday conservative plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The decisions on Sunday will be conservative because this is a wildly infectious virus , ” Andrews told reporters .
“ These are some of the most difficult decisions that I ’ ve made in 20 years in public life.
” New South Wales on Friday reported five new cases in Sydney , including four who were infected overseas and detected in hotel quarantine .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — India ’ s confirmed coronavirus fatalities jumped to 895 in the past 24 hours , a day after recording @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly three months .
The Health Ministry on Friday also reported 63,371 new cases , raising India ’ s total to more than 7.3 million , second in the world behind the U.S .
The worst-hit western Maharashtra state accounted for nearly 36 % of the 112,161 total deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic .
The country was seeing more than 1,000 deaths per day last month .
According to the Health Ministry , India ’ s average number of daily cases dropped to 72,576 last week from 92,830 during the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaked .
It is recording an average of around 70,000 cases daily so far this month .
Some experts say India ’ s tally of more than 7.3 million infections may not be reliable because of poor reporting and inadequate health infrastructure .
India is also relying heavily on antigen tests , which are faster but less accurate than traditional RT-PCR tests .
Health officials have also warned about the potential for the virus to spread during the religious festival season beginning later this month .
— South Korea ’ s daily coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time in more than two weeks despite reports of small-scale local infections .
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Friday the 47 cases added in the past 24 hours took the country ’ s total to 25,035 with 441 deaths .
It ’ s a decline from the 110 reported a day earlier , about half of them tied to a hospital for the elderly in the southeastern city of Busan .
Health official Son Youngrae says South Korea ’ s caseload is currently showing a downward trend .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as cluster infections have also been detected sporadically in hospitals and other high-risk facilities .
Earlier this week , South Korea relaxed its social distancing rules , allowing high-risk venues like nightclubs and karaoke bars to reopen and spectators to return to sport stadiums .
— Authorities have completed tests on more than 10 million people in the northern Chinese port city of Qingdao after a hospital outbreak there blamed on “ inappropriate disinfection .
” Testing is set to continue to cover 11 million people , including more than 9 million citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A total of 13 cases have been discovered in the city , but none since the mass testing program was launched earlier this week .
The cluster of infections , the first locally transmitted cases in China in about two months , appears to be linked to “ inappropriate disinfection ” in the CT room at the Qingdao Chest Hospital , Ma Lixin , a health official for surrounding Shandong province , told reporters .
Ma said the possibility of community transmission outside the hospital had been ruled out .
The National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , all of them imported .
Chinese hospitals are currently treating 253 people for COVID-19 , with another 381 people being monitored in isolation for having testing positive for the virus without showing symptoms or for being suspected cases .
China has reported a total of 5,634 deaths from 85,646 cases recorded since the virus was first detected in Wuhan late last year .
— Sri Lankan authorities have ordered the closure all cinemas in a bid to contain an outbreak that has so far infected 1,791 people in the capital ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ garment factory in the densely populated Western province was discovered last week , and is the first in more than two months .
Authorities also have tightened a curfew in parts of the country .
More than 2,000 other people were asked to quarantine at home .
The majority of the infected are co-workers of the first patient .
Schools and key public offices are also closed , public gatherings banned and restrictions imposed on public transport .
Sri Lanka has reported a total of 5,170 confirmed cases with 13 deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--3 men die, 1 injured at Florida motorcycle club shooting

ORLANDO , Fla. - Three men died and one man was injured in an early Friday shooting sparked by a @ @ @ @ @ used by a motorcycle club , officials said .
The Orange County Sheriff ’ s @ @ @ @ @ for suspects who may have fled the area in Orlando , but investigators are still @ @ @ @ @ died or were injured fired a weapon themselves .
“ There were multiple shots fired @ @ @ @ @ than one shooter , ” Orange County Sheriff John W. Mina told news reporters early @ @ @ @ @ witnesses have spoken to investigators and given some details about the confrontation that led to @ @ @ @ @ only thing that we have learned so far is that there was an argument , @ @ @ @ @ motorcycle , maybe a disagreement about something , ” Mina said .
Mina said the @ @ @ @ @ the hospital has not been co-operating with authorities .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Jihadist attacks increase in Burkina Faso’s Sahel region

BOULOUNGA , Burkina Faso - At least 20 people were killed , injured or remain missing after attacks by extremist rebels on three villages in Burkina Faso ’ s Sahel region , the government announced .
The attacks occurred in Bombofa , Peteguerse , and Demniol towns , in Seno province and the army is searching the area , government spokesman Remis Fulgance Dandjinou said .
The victims were internally displaced people attacked on the road while trying to return to their villages , the Emir of Liptako Dicko Ousmane Amirou whose home is near the attacks , told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the victims was the son of a chief , he said .
“ It ’ s concerning for everyone , ” said Amirou .
“ The government no longer has a monopoly on security ...
It is only once security and justice are guaranteed that displaced people can be asked to return to their villages , ” he said .
Burkina Faso ’ s army is struggling to stem jihadist violence that has spread across the country , killing almost 2,000 people so far this year and causing more than 1 million to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s attacks come after one last week in the Center-North region where extremist rebels killed 25 displaced people also trying to return home to collect their belongings , according to three survivors of the attacks .
The extremist violence has created a humanitarian crisis and civilians living in makeshift displacement sites in insecure areas say they are living in fear .
“ I ’ m afraid of terrorists , I hear that they ’ re all around us , ” Mariam Sawadogo told the AP during a visit to Boulounga village this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have been displaced .
The remote village is one of two towns where people have fled for safety in the hard-hit area .
As violence against communities increases , Burkina Faso experts warn that more empty villages could “ potentially turn into new bases or harbours for jihadists , while the state keeps losing ground , ” said Flore Berger , a Sahel analyst .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--AP-NORC poll: Voters see the nation as fundamentally divided

NEW YORK - The overwhelming majority of voters believe the nation is deeply divided over its most important values , and many have doubts about the health of the democracy itself .
And supporters of President Donald Trump and Joe Biden alike think the opposing candidate will make things even worse if elected , according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
Overall , 85 % of registered voters describe Americans as being greatly divided in their values , and only 15 % say that democracy in the United States is working extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters overall are especially pessimistic about the impact of Trump ’ s reelection : 65 % say divisions would worsen if the Republican president were reelected , a number that includes a quarter of his supporters .
Thirty-five per cent of voters believe Biden would divide the country further should he win the presidency .
More , 47 % , think the country would be unified if the Democrat were elected .
“ Somebody ’ s got to unite our country , ” said Gary Conard , a 64-year-old Republican who lives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think our society is confused and in trouble.
” The poll offers a window into the depth of the division and chaos shaping the American electorate less than three weeks before Election Day .
Voters are sharply divided over several major issues based on their partisan lenses , including their personal safety during the coronavirus pandemic , the value of diversity and the health of American democracy .
The cavernous rift represents a daunting challenge for the winner of the November election , as voters from each side seem to agree only on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divisions .
Fully 88 % of Biden supporters and 80 % of Trump supporters view Americans as greatly divided on important values .
Supporters for both candidates think a win for the opposing side will worsen those divisions : 76 % of Trump supporters say this of Biden , and 91 % of Biden backers say this of Trump .
About half of all voters say that democracy in the United States is not working well , and about another third think it ’ s working only somewhat well .
Roughly twice as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pessimistic view of the health of democracy .
Still , 3 in 10 Trump supporters say democracy isn ’ t working well .
And at least 8 in 10 on both sides say the other candidate ’ s election would weaken democracy .
While Republicans fear the possibility of what Trump predicts without evidence will be a rigged election , Democrats are worried that inconsistent election laws , voter intimidation and Republican lawsuits will make it more difficult for their supporters to cast ballots given heightened health concerns during the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters say they are highly confident that votes in the election will be counted accurately , but more Biden supporters than Trump supporters say that , 53 % vs. 28 % .
There also are dramatic differences in concerns about the pandemic — and views of Trump ’ s response to it — based on political leanings .
Nearly 6 in 10 Biden supporters report being very worried that they or someone in their family will be infected with the coronavirus , compared to just about 2 in 10 Trump supporters .
Close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not worried .
Linda Railey , a 73-year-old Republican who lives in rural Alexander City , Alabama , said she ’ s not worried about the pandemic because she and her husband are taking precautions like washing their hands , limiting contact with other people and wearing masks when they are in public .
They only go to the grocery store and church , she said .
“ I worry about it for other people , ” Railey said , noting that she lives in a rural area about 15 minutes outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home as much as we can.
” And as the nation struggles through intense clashes over civil rights , the poll highlights different views on the value of diversity .
Half of Trump supporters said that the nation ’ s diverse population “ of many different races , ethnicities , religions , and backgrounds ” makes the country stronger .
About 3 in 10 Trump supporters said such diversity doesn ’ t strengthen or weaken the nation , while about 2 in 10 say it makes the country weaker .
Among Biden supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country stronger .
Overall , Biden has an advantage over Trump as the candidate trusted to handle the coronavirus pandemic ( 52 % to 28 % ) , race relations ( 53 % to 28 % ) and Supreme Court nominations ( 45 % to 34 % ) .
Biden and Trump are competitive on the economy , gaining the trust of 43 % and 42 % , respectively .
But each camp overwhelmingly trusts its own candidate over the other to handle key issues .
Noah Talbott , a 22-year-old unaffiliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and works at Chick-fil-A , criticized Trump ’ s leadership on several issues and blamed him for exacerbating political and racial divisions .
“ I wouldn ’ t say I ’ m proud to be an American right now , “ he said .
“ We ’ re way too divided.
” Talbott didn ’ t vote four years ago but said he would vote for Biden this fall — a decision he described as “ more of a vote against Trump ” than for his Democratic challenger .
For all their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and Trump supporters are about equally engaged in the campaign .
Conard , of Missouri , said he doesn ’ t see an end to the divisions plaguing America , but he said it ’ s in Trump ’ s best interests to unify the nation .
He plans to vote for the president on Election Day , believing that Biden has already had a chance after spending almost a half-century in Washington .
“ One man had 47 years and he didn ’ t get it done so you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conrad said .
“ Trump wants the country to do well .
For it to do well and for him to look good , he ’ s got to bring people together .
And he can do it — at least , I hope he can.
“ The AP-NORC poll of 1,121 adults was conducted Oct. 8-12 using a sample drawn from NORC ’ s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel , which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population .
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4 @ @ @

Steve Peoples And Hannah Fingerhut - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Montana judge blocks actions by Trump’s former land boss

BILLINGS , Mont .
- A month after ousting the Trump administration ’ s public lands boss for being in the post unlawfully , a Montana judge on Friday blocked three land-use plans that would have opened most U.S.-owned lands in the state to energy development .
The actions struck down by Judge Brian Morris were implemented while William Perry Pendley was serving as acting director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management .
In a 10-page decision , Morris found that two Montana Resource Management Plans , one for Lewistown and one for Missoula , as well as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were approved by Pendley improperly .
Morris denied a request by conservation groups seeking to file more briefs that would examine other actions taken by Pendley .
The judge said he didn ’ t have the jurisdiction and any further reviews should be made with separate lawsuits .
Morris removed Pendley from his post as acting director , where he had been for more than a year without a confirmation vote from the U.S. Senate to lead the agency as required under the Constitution .
Gov .
Steve Bullock last week asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Pendley .
Bullock said in September that all actions undertaken during Pendley ’ s 424 days atop the agency were subject to legal challenge .
Trump administration officials rejected the claim that Pendley had illegally led the bureau and have said they would ask the court to leave in place any decisions made under his watch .
The BLM oversees almost a quarter-billion acres of land , primarily in the U.S. West .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Life on the line: Early voters wait ‘as long as it takes’

CHARLOTTE , N.C. - Americans are accustomed to standing in line .
They queue up for airport security , the latest iPhone , COVID tests , concerts or food .
But the line of voters building before sunrise outside Mallard Creek High School in a distant suburb of Charlotte , North Carolina , on Thursday was different .
It was a living chain of hundreds of people who stepped into place — around the building , down some stairs and past a fleet of idled yellow school buses — determined to be counted in the elemental civic ritual of voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bitterly fought 2020 presidential election .
“ If you want the United States to remain united , you need to vote , ” said Monique Sutton , 52 and a nurse practitioner .
“ Because if we get any further away from each other , I don ’ t know that we ’ ll ever be able to come back.
” The rush to vote early is a phenomenon that has shattered early turnout records across critical Mecklenburg County , battleground North Carolina and the nation , driven both by Democratic enthusiasm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 217,000 American lives .
President Donald Trump captured North Carolina by 3 percentage points in 2016 and almost certainly must win the state again to defeat his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden .
Hillary Clinton overwhelmingly won Mecklenburg , the county that ’ s home to Charlotte .
But Trump took the neighbouring counties by roughly similar margins .
Biden ’ s formula for winning the state relies on robust turnout by Black voters and suburban women .
Trump will need to again deliver enormous margins among whites in rural areas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign , but it has inspired record levels of early voting .
By the end of Thursday , North Carolina had accepted 333,466 in-person ballots , up from 166,000 on the first day of in-person voting in 2016 .
In Mecklenburg County , the number was 35,015 , compared with about 14,000 on opening day four years earlier , according to the State Board of Elections .
Shaken by coronavirus and thinking about what comes before and after this year of isolation and blame , every one of more than a dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours of in-person voting said they chose to show up because they worried that mailed-in ballots could get lost .
One after another , they spoke of a sense of urgency driving them to the polls on the first day , even though they can vote early and in-person through Halloween .
“ It ’ s just on everyone ’ s radar , ” said Audrey Long , who was struck by news coverage of lines in other states , such as Georgia .
“ This is something that ’ s within our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and Trump ’ s refusal to acknowledge systemic racism or condemn white supremacists .
Masked and inching forward with 6 feet between them , the people in the line voiced a distinct disregard for how long they ’ d have to wait for the simple act of casting a ballot .
“ What I tell my kids is , there ’ s people that look like us that have died for this right , ” said Manny Golfe , 44 , a commercial banker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Democrat Joe Biden .
Like most people in the line , he is Black .
“ So yeah , it ’ s that important for me to get out here and wait in line for however long it takes .
And if it took all day , I ’ d stand out there.
” As the sun rose over the deserted sports complex — home of the Mavericks — voters filtered through the nearby Highland Creek community to line up in their cars out front , or take their place in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been open for an hour , more than 140 people were willing to risk joining the queue , which stretched between the football stadium and tennis courts toward a remote back parking lot .
The line , some said , provided the unexpected social delight of chitchat with strangers after six months of isolation .
But mostly , the atmosphere was one of quiet patience , and a fair bit of reflection .
Retired nurse Cheryl Midkiff , 72 , an independent , would not say whether she was voting for Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act of casting a ballot on the first day was a civil way of making her statement on issues that have strained relationships , even decades-long friendships , throughout the Trump presidency .
That includes one woman she ’ s known since the two were teens .
“ I ’ ve had to do a lot of soul searching about it , ” Midkiff said .
“ If it were a more casual relationship , that person probably would not be in my circle .
And I don ’ t like that about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were thinking about both the past and the future .
Karen Stirling , 74 , a retired accounts payable supervisor for nearby NASCAR , said she regrets not voting in 2016 .
She didn ’ t like Trump or Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton , and she “ thought no one would miss ” her vote .
Trump won , and the pandemic frightened her .
This time , Stirling said , she set her alarm early Thursday , ate some Cheerios and got in line at 7 a.m. Nearly two hours later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ pen ” in hand .
Inside , she said , each person got one enveloped in sterile plastic to cast a “ touchless ” ballot in line with pandemic safety .
“ I just wanted to make sure that my vote was counted this time , ” she said , before casting a vote for Biden .
For many , voting on the first day carried the additional weight , especially given North Carolina ’ s ugly history of gerrymandering and voter suppression .
“ It ’ s my civic duty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who said she ’ s voted in every election since she was 18 .
“ My grandmother ( and ) grandfather were from Eastern North Carolina .
From childhood on , they would always tell us how important it was to vote .
Equal rights for voting first started in North Carolina so it ’ s something that I instil in my children as well.
” Around lunchtime , Arve Carter , 49 , and her daughter , Autumn , 23 , voted together — in part because Arve ’ s mother insisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more of a privilege right now , ” said Autumn .
“ I know that my grandmother and great-grandmother really fought for this to be an opportunity for us to be able to do this.
” By then , the line had dwindled to about a dozen people .
About 100 miles southwest , Trump , the world ’ s most famous recently-recovered COVID patient , appeared at a campaign rally in Greenville , North Carolina .
Reports of lines of voters dominated the news in North Carolina , after days of similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noticed it was the first day of in-person voting in this critical state .
From the stage at Pitt-Greenville Airport , he said he ’ d heard about “ lines through the roof in areas that would more typically vote for us.
” “ I think we ’ re leading everywhere where people are intelligent actually , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Michigan court blocks 2-week absentee ballot extension

DETROIT - Absentee ballots must arrive by Election Day to be counted , the Michigan Court of Appeals said Friday , blocking a 14-day extension that had been ordered by a lower court and embraced by key Democratic officials in a battleground state .
Any changes must rest with the Legislature , not the judiciary , the Republican-appointed appeals court judges said in a 3-0 opinion .
Absentee ballot extensions in Wisconsin and Indiana have also been overturned by higher courts .
Michigan ’ s ability to handle a flood of ballots will be closely watched in a state that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson last week said 2.7 million people had requested absentee ballots , a result of a change in law that makes them available to any voter .
Michigan law says absentee ballots must be turned in by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be valid .
But Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens had ordered that any ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 could be counted if they arrived within two weeks after the Nov. 3 election .
Stephens said there was “ unrefuted evidence ” about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
She said more than 6,400 ballots arrived too late to be counted in the August primary .
The appeals court , however , said the pandemic and any delivery woes “ are not attributable to the state.
” “ Although those factors may complicate plaintiffs ’ voting process , they do not automatically amount to a loss of the right to vote absentee , ” the court said , noting that hundreds of special boxes have been set up across Michigan .
The court also reversed another portion of Stephens ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-family member to deliver a completed ballot in the final days before the election if a voter consented .
“ The constitution is not suspended or transformed even in times of a pandemic , and judges do not somehow become authorized in a pandemic to rewrite statutes or to displace the decisions made by the policymaking branches of government , ” Judge Mark Boonstra said in a separate , 10-page concurring opinion .
Benson and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel , both Democrats , had declined to appeal Stephens ’ rulings , leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Happy to see this unanimous ruling to uphold the integrity of our elections process and reject judicial overreach , ” Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey tweeted .
“ Voters should not be punished for delays in the U.S .
Postal Service or for unexpected emergencies that could make it a challenge for them to get to the polls on Election Day , ” the party said .
The case was heard by appeals court judges Boonstra , Michael Gadola and Thomas Cameron .
All were appointed by Rick Snyder , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then subsequently elected .
The lawsuit was filed by a group called Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Biden outraises Trump $383M to $248M in September

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump was outraised by Democrat Joe Biden in September and is being outgunned financially by his rival with just weeks to go until Election Day .
Trump ’ s campaign , along with the Republican National Committee and associated groups , raised $ 247.8 million in September , well short of the $ 383 million raised by Biden and the Democratic National Committee in the same period .
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh tweeted that the Trump effort had $ 251.4 million on hand at the end of September , compared with $ 432 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disadvantage was once unthinkable — incumbent presidents traditionally vastly outraise their rivals — and poses a stark challenge to his reelection prospects .
The president ’ s campaign was betting on a well-stocked bank account to blanket airwaves and online with Trump ads .
But last week he was outspent on advertising by Biden by more than $ 10 million , according to the ad tracking firm Kantar/CMAG .
“ President Trump hits final stretch with strength , resources , record & huge ground game needed to spread message and secure re-election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraising benefited from a boost in donor enthusiasm following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Trump ’ s widely panned performance in the first presidential debate .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--GOP senator mispronounces Kamala Harris’ name at Trump rally

WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. David Perdue mocked Kamala Harris , his Senate colleague and the Democratic vice-presidential nominee , on Friday by repeatedly mispronouncing her name at a Georgia rally for President Donald Trump .
Perdue was wrapping up his remarks at an event in Macon when he referred to Harris as “ KAH ’ -mah-lah ?
Kah-MAH ’ -lah ?
Kamala-mala-mala ?
I don ’ t know .
Whatever.
” The audience laughed .
A spokesperson for Perdue said the first-term senator “ didn ’ t mean anything by it.
” Harris ’ political opponents have repeatedly mispronounced her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman and first person of South Asian descent on a national ticket .
Democrats say the mispronunciations smack of racism .
Her first name is pronounced “ KAH ’ -mah-lah ” — or , as she explains in her biography , “ ‘ comma-la , ’ like the punctuation mark.
“ Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence are among the top Republicans who have repeatedly mispronounced it .
A few Democrats , including former President Barack Obama , have said it incorrectly , too .
Harris ’ spokesperson , Sabrina Singh , responded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Well that is incredibly racist .
Vote him out.
“ In a second tweet , she wrote , “ He has been her Senate colleague for over 3 years .
3 .
Years .
THREE .
Do better.
” Casey Black , a spokesperson for Perdue ’ s campaign , tweeted that the senator “ simply mispronounced Sen. Harris ’ name.
” “ He didn ’ t mean anything by it , ” Black wrote .
“ He was making an argument against the radical socialist agenda that she & her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon Ossoff , who is running against Perdue in November , tweeted that his opponent “ mocked Sen. Harris ’ name , ” adding , “ We are so much better than this.
” Ossoff , who staged an unsuccessful bid for Congress in a 2017 special election , also tweeted a fundraising message over video of Perdue ’ s comments and said in another tweet , “ Senator Perdue never would have done this to a male colleague .
Or a white colleague .
And everyone knows it.
” “ Senator Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris ’ s name is a bigoted and racist tactic straight from President Trump ’ s handbook , ” Nikema Williams , chair of the Georgia Democratic Party , said in a statement .
“ He owes Georgians an apology for his offensive display .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Statue of former governor removed after policies criticized

SAN DIEGO - A statue of former California Gov .
Pete Wilson was removed from a San Diego park after critics said the governor supported laws and policies that hurt immigrants and LGBTQ community members , a newspaper reported .
The 13-year-old statue near Horton Plaza Park was removed by Horton Walk , the non-profit that owns it , the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Thursday .
Horton Walk president Steve Williams wrote in an email that no decision had been made on whether it will eventually be returned .
“ All property … whether statues or real property … must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ With this in mind , we have decided to secure and protect the statue in a place of safekeeping.
” On Monday , representatives of Latino and gay rights groups held a news conference in front of the life-sized bronze sculpture , saying Wilson supported laws and policies that hurt their communities .
Activist Enrique Morones , who spearheaded the removal effort , told the Union-Tribune he is glad the statue was taken down because it was not something the community wanted in the first place .
“ No one has unified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Morones said in an email .
“ His racist support of Proposition 187 back in 1994 unified Latino community and supporters of human rights , against him.
” In 1994 , voters approved the Wilson-supported Proposition 187 , which sought to limit illegal immigration by cutting off state services , including health care and public education , to undocumented immigrants in California .
A federal judge later ruled it unconstitutional .
Wilson could not be reached immediately for comment .
Sean Walsh , his law partner and former chief of staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the governor ’ s 50 years of public service .
“ It ’ s regrettable that intimidation tactics similar to those used in Seattle , Portland , Oakland and other cities across the country are causing individuals and businesses to protect themselves , ” he said .
“ Our country , our society can not be ruled by the threat of intimidation and violence.
” The property where the statue was located is owned and maintained by a private company , and the city was not involved in removing the statue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The move comes amid nationwide demands for the removal of statues and symbols of Confederate generals and those who owned enslaved people .
Wilson was mayor of San Diego from 1971 to 1983 .
He represented California in the U.S. Senate from 1983 to 1991 and served as governor from 1991 to 1999 .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Oregon gas station sued after allegedly denying service

PORTLAND , Ore. - A Black man who said he was prohibited from buying gas by a white gas station @ @ @ @ @ 350,000 racial discrimination lawsuit against the station .
Dominique DeWeese said in the lawsuit filed @ @ @ @ @ attendant in July at Jay ’ s Garage in Portland for a gallon of gas @ @ @ @ @ could do yard work .
DeWeese said the attendant declined and claims he implied that @ @ @ @ @ provide DeWeese with an opportunity to set fires or commit other crimes .
DeWeese said @ @ @ @ @ He is the director of volunteer recruitment for the Oregon Robotics Tournament & Outreach Program @ @ @ @ @ 12th grade .
“ I ’ m an educator , “ DeWeese said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ of the community.
” The gas station ’ s owner did not return a request @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Texas allows social workers to deny LGBTQ, disabled clients

AUSTIN , Texas - Texas officials are facing backlash after deciding to allow social workers to turn away clients on the basis of their disability , sexual orientation or gender identity .
At the direction of the governor ’ s office , the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners voted unanimously to eliminate disability , sexual orientation and gender identity from the nondiscrimination clause of the code of conduct .
The board made the decision during a joint meeting Monday with the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council , which oversees regulatory agencies for professions related to mental health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board ’ s decision to follow governor ’ s recommendation rather than seek public comment .
Will Francis , director of the association ’ s Texas chapter , told the board during public comments that their decision was “ incredibly disheartening.
” Abbott ’ s office said the change was made simply to align the rules with the state ’ s Occupations Code , which determines how and when the state may discipline social workers .
“ It ’ s not surprising that a board would align its rules with statutes passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eze , spokeswoman for Abbott ’ s office .
Francis said the board ’ s decision creates the impression that people with disabilities can be discriminated against despite federal rules that are in place to protect them .
“ It ’ s disturbing , even if it ’ s unintentional , ” Francis said .
“ They created space for people to get the impression that this is allowed now .
What the governor has done is put people with disabilities at risk for discrimination for no reason.
” Seven advocacy groups , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Texas and Texas Freedom Network , released a joint statement Thursday decrying the board ’ s move .
“ Pro-discrimination groups couldn ’ t get this passed into law , ” Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller said in the release , “ but Gov .
Abbott has done their bidding by pushing it through administratively in an obscure meeting when he thought few people were watching.
” Gloria Canseco , presiding officer of the Behavioral Health Council , said topics related to gender and gender identity would be revisited during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not indicate whether the decision to remove protections for people with disabilities would be revisited .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Australian man faces life in prison over large cocaine haul

SYDNEY , Australia - A Sydney man is facing life in prison after Australian police intercepted cocaine worth 248 million Australian dollars ( $ 168 million ) concealed in frozen fruit products from Brazil .
The Australian Federal Police and Border Force officers seized 552 kilograms ( 1,214 pounds ) of the drug hidden in pallets of banana pulp and branded with koala pictures in Sydney on Friday .
They also arrested a 68-year-old man at Forestville in the city ’ s northwest following a tipoff from American authorities about the suspect shipment , which arrived in Australia on Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark De Hesselle , collected 139 boxes of the pulp and removed the drugs .
He has been charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and possessing a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border-controlled drugs .
Police Detective Superintendent Geoffrey Turner said COVID-19 border restrictions had not prevented criminal groups trying a range of methods to bring illicit drugs into Australia .
“ Organized crime groups and their associates are taking bigger risks and looking to move more illicit goods in bulk as a result of global lockdowns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They think choosing everyday items such as fruit would be innocuous enough to thwart law enforcement detection.
” De Hesselle appeared before Sydney Central Local Court on Friday and has been remanded in custody .
He will next face court on Dec. 16 .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Trudeau: Canada won’t stop calling for human rights in China

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday his government will not stop standing up for human rights in China .
On Thursday , the Chinese ambassador to Canada warned Ottawa against granting asylum to Hong Kong residents fleeing the situation .
Cong Peiwu said if Canada cares about 300,000 Canadian citizens in Hong Kong — and Canadian companies doing business there — it should support efforts to fight what he called fight violent crime .
“ We will stand up loudly and clearly for human rights , ” Trudeau said .
“ Whether it ’ s talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether it ’ s talking about the very concerning situation in Hong Kong , whether it ’ s calling out China for its coercive diplomacy.
” Trudeau said Canada stands with with allies around the world and the United States , to Australia , to Great Britain , to European nations to many nations around the world who share these concerns .
Canada ’ s opposition Conservative leader said the Chinese ambassador should apologize or be expelled from Canada .
“ The Chinese ambassador has decided to engage in belligerent rhetoric unbecoming of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Toole said in a written statement .
“ To be clear , this was a threat to the 300,000 Canadians in Hong Kong .
And a barely veiled one at that .
It was of the kind of tone and tenor one would expect from someone seeking protection money — not someone who is the official emissary of a member of the United Nations Security The government should also swiftly set up a “ path ” for political refugees to come to Canada from Hong Kong and impose sanctions on Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Toole added .
Protests against the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese governments swelled last year , and Beijing clamped down on expressions of antigovernment sentiment in the city with a new national security law that took effect June 30 .
The law outlaws subversive , secessionist , and terrorist activity , as well as collusion with foreign powers to interfere in the city ’ s internal affairs .
The U.S. , Britain and Canada accuse China of infringing on the city ’ s freedoms .
Trudeau also said China is engaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men in retaliation for the arrest of a Chinese Huawei executive on an American extradition warrant .
In December 2018 , China imprisoned two Canadian men , Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor , and charged them with undermining the country ’ s national security .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Charge dropped against deputy who pepper-sprayed teen

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. - A misdemeanour battery charge was dropped Friday against one of two Florida deputies who appear in a video that showed a black teen being pepper-sprayed and slammed to the ground during an arrest last year .
A Broward County judge ruled that Sgt .
Greg LaCerra , who pepper-prayed the teen , won ’ t face the charge because he was standing his ground , but former Deputy Christopher Krickovich , who jumped in and appeared to slam the teen ’ s head into the asphalt multiple times , will still face one misdemeanour count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prosecutors plan to appeal the ruling , according to a State Attorney ’ s Office statement .
In April 2019 , deputies responded to a large brawl involving roughly 200 students at a McDonald ’ s in Tamarac , which is northwest of Fort Lauderdale .
Cellphone video shows LaCerra pepper-spray then-15-year-old Delucca Rolle and throw him to the ground .
Krickovich is seen jumping on the teen , twice slamming his forehead into the ground and punching him .
A third deputy helps Krickovich pin the teen ’ s arms behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video ends .
Krickovich previously said he feared the teen would try to run away or fight them and said they were outnumbered by the large group of students .
Rolle was charged with assaulting a police officer and obstruction without violence , but those charges were later dropped .
Besides the charges against LaCerra and Krickovich , Deputy Ralph Mackey was charged with falsifying records but was later acquitted .
The Professional Standards Committee recommended no discipline for Krickovich , but Sheriff Gregory Tony disagreed and fired the deputy late last year @


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--New Zealanders go to the polls as Ardern seeks 2nd term

AUCKLAND , New Zealand - Polling places opened on election day in New Zealand on Saturday as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern seeks a second term .
Ardern brought homemade cheese scones to campaign volunteers in Auckland and appeared relaxed as she awaited results , which will be announced later in the evening .
Opinion polls indicate Ardern is poised to win , with her liberal Labour Party polling far ahead of the conservative National Party , led by Judith Collins .
A record number of voters cast early ballots in the two weeks leading up to the election .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greeted like a rock star by people who have crammed into malls and spilled onto streets to cheer her on and get selfies with her .
Her popularity soared earlier this year after she led a successful effort to stamp out the coronavirus .
There is currently no community spread of the virus in the nation of 5 million and people are no longer required to wear masks or social distance .
One question will be whether Labour can win an outright majority in Parliament , something that hasn ’ t happened since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 years ago .
Typically , parties must form alliances to govern , but this time there ’ s a chance Ardern and Labour will be able to go it alone .
Ardern ’ s rival Collins says she still believes she can win and that polls have been wrong before , notably about Brexit and the 2016 U.S. presidential election .
Ardern , 40 , won the top job after the 2017 election when Labour formed an alliance with two other parties .
The following year , she became only the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
She became a role model for working mothers around the world , many of whom saw her as a counterpoint to President Donald Trump .
And she was praised for her handling of last year ’ s attack on two Christchurch mosques , when a white supremacist gunned down 51 Muslim worshippers .
She moved quickly to pass new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons .
In late March this year , when only about 100 people had tested positive for COVID-19 , Ardern and her health officials put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a motto of “ Go hard and go early.
” She shut the borders and outlined an ambitious goal of eliminating the virus entirely rather than just trying to control its spread .
With New Zealand having the advantage of being an isolated island nation , the strategy worked .
New Zealand eliminated community transmission for 102 days before a new cluster was discovered in August in Auckland .
Ardern swiftly imposed a second lockdown in Auckland and the new outbreak faded away .
The only new cases found recently have been among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Auckland outbreak also prompted Ardern to postpone the election by a month and helped increase the early voter turnout .
Collins , 61 , is a former lawyer .
She served as a minister when National was in power and prides herself on a blunt , no-nonsense approach , a contrast to Ardern ’ s empathetic style .
Collins is promising sweeping tax cuts in response to the economic downturn caused by the virus .
In the election , voters also have a say on two contentious social issues — whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicate the euthanasia referendum is likely to pass while the marijuana vote remains close .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Feds to execute woman who killed victim, cut baby from womb

WASHINGTON - A woman convicted of fatally strangling a pregnant woman , cutting her body open and kidnapping her baby is scheduled to be the first female inmate put to death by the U.S. government in more than six decades , the Justice Department said Friday .
Lisa Montgomery is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Dec. 8 at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute , Indiana .
She would be the ninth federal inmate to put to death since the Justice Department resumed executions in July after a nearly 20-year hiatus .
Montgomery was convicted of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in December 2004 .
Montgomery drove from her Kansas home to Stinnett ’ s house in Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy , prosecutors said .
When she arrived at the home , Montgomery used a rope to strangle Stinnett , who was eight months pregnant , but Stinnett was conscious and trying to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from the womb , authorities said .
Prosecutors said Montgomery removed the baby from Stinnett ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and attempted to pass the girl off as her own .
Montgomery ’ s lawyers argued that she had been suffering from delusions when she killed Stinnett , but a jury rejected her defence .
Her lawyers had also argued that she was suffering from pseudocyesis , which causes a woman to falsely believe she is pregnant and exhibit outward signs of pregnancy .
The Justice Department on Friday also scheduled the execution of a man convicted in the 1999 killing of two youth ministers in Texas .
Brandon Bernard , 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lethal injection on Dec. 10 .
Bernard and his co-defendant , Christopher Vialva , were convicted in the 1999 kidnapping and killing of Todd and Stacie Bagley , an Iowa couple who had stopped to use a payphone in Killeen , Texas .
The couple agreed to give Vialva and two others a ride , authorities said .
Vialva pulled out a gun , forced the couple into the trunk and drove around for several hours , stopping at ATMs to withdraw cash and attempting to pawn the woman ’ s wedding ring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims were shot in the head and placed in the trunk of their car , which then was set on fire .
Vialva was executed last month at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute .
The resumption of federal executions started July 14 , with the execution of former white supremacist Daniel Lewis Lee .
Since then , six others have been put to death and another man , Orlando Hall , is scheduled to be executed next month .
Anti-death penalty groups say President Donald Trump is pushing for executions during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burnish a reputation a law-and-order leader .
Before the resumptions of executions this summer , federal authorities had executed just three prisoners in the previous 56 years .