thetorontostar--2020-02-23--The Latest: Warren thanks Nevada for keeping her in fight

LAS VEGAS - The Latest on the 2020 presidential campaign ( all times local ) : Elizabeth Warren is thanking Nevada voters for keeping her campaign in the fight .
She was addressing over 2,000 people at a campaign event in Seattle .
She told the crowd at the Seattle Center Armory she believes voters are ready for big , structural change .
Warren ’ s public event took place at the armoury near the Space Needle , the same day as the Nevada caucuses where Bernie Sanders scored a resounding victory .
Joe Biden was running a distant second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg and Warren were further behind .
She congratulated Bernie Sanders on winning .
She says her campaign has raised $ 9 million since the candidate debate Wednesday night .
She said : “ We have a lot of states to go and right now I can feel the momentum.
” She turned immediately from Nevada to attacking Mike Bloomberg , calling him not a tall threat but a big one with his billions of dollars .
Precinct captain Nadia Albulet says a deck of cards helped break a tie in very Las @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Saturday that Sen. Bernie Sanders led the precinct at Lucille S. Rogers Elementary School .
But , she says , her king of spades trumped a queen of diamonds to get the fourth delegate for former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
At Buttigieg ’ s after-caucus rally in a packed room at the Springs Preserve , she said she was motivated by climate change to do more than just vote this year .
Pete Buttigieg is delivering a blistering attack against rival Bernie Sanders , who he accuses of leading a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toxic tone of our politics.
” The former South Bend Indiana mayor and Democratic presidential hopeful made the remarks while addressing supporters in Las Vegas , shortly after Sanders won the Nevada caucuses .
Sanders , a self-described democratic socialist , has performed strongly in early contests giving him an early lead .
But Buttigieg said the Vermont senator has proven to be ideologically inflexible , fails to police aggressive supporters and has alienated moderate voters who don ’ t support the wholesale political “ revolution ” Sanders advocates for .
He urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the consequences ” of making Sanders the party ’ s nominee .
Buttigieg said Sanders has a “ vision of capitalism as the root of all evil.
” And he added that Sanders ’ political vision would “ reorder the economy in ways most Democrats -- let alone most Americans -- don ’ t support.
” Buttigieg called for a broad Democratic coalition .
But he said Sanders ’ army of online supporters – often referred to as “ Bernie Bros ” – threaten , intimate and harass the very same people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Bernie Sanders is celebrating his Nevada caucus victory hundreds of miles away in Texas .
The Vermont senator took the stage before thousands of cheering supporters inside the Cowboys Dance Hall in San Antonio on Saturday night and declared , “ We ’ re going to win this election.
” The country ’ s second largest state votes on “ Super Tuesday ” on March 3 , after next week ’ s South Carolina primary , but Sanders wasted little time declaring , “ We are going to win here in Texas.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to win across the country because the American people are sick and tired of a president who lies all of the time.
” Sanders then modified the standard campaign speech he gives multiple times a day to touch more heavily on immigration for an audience about 150 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border .
He noted that his father immigrated to the U.S. from Poland “ without a nickel in his pocket ” and added , “ I know something about the immigrant experience .
Together we are going to end the demonization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling supporters her presidential campaign has “ exceeded expectations ” and she plans to carry on , even as she trailed far behind several rivals in Saturday ’ s Nevada caucuses .
The Minnesota senator returned to her home state Saturday following a morning event in Las Vegas .
Speaking to volunteers Klobuchar said that “ a lot of people didn ’ t even think I would still be standing at this point.
” Klobuchar finished in fifth place in the kickoff Iowa caucuses before a strong debate performance helped lift her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will campaign Sunday in Fargo , North Dakota , before holding events in Arkansas and Oklahoma , both states that will vote in the March 3 “ Super Tuesday ” contests .
On Monday she will be in South Carolina , which holds its primary Saturday and where she will participate in a Tuesday debate .
Joe Biden is declaring himself back into the race for the presidency after early results in Nevada showed the former vice-president in second place .
Biden told supporters Saturday that “ we ’ re alive and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re gon na win.
” Biden thanked unions for their support , citing labour groups that have endorsed him including firefighters , ironworkers and electrical workers .
He took a shot at the race ’ s frontrunner , self-declared democratic socialist Bernie Sanders , and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg , who isn ’ t competing in the first four states but has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his own fortune hoping to pick up delegates starting on Super Tuesday .
“ I ain ’ t a socialist .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said .
“ I ’ m a Democrat .
And I ’ m proud of it.
” Biden said the Russians will continue to support President Donald Trump and Sanders , whose campaign acknowledged Friday that he was briefed last month by U.S. officials about Russian efforts to boost his candidacy .
“ Let ’ s give Trump exactly what he doesn ’ t want , ” Biden told his supporters .
“ Let ’ s give him you and Joe Biden as the nominee.
” Hundreds gathered for a Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in San Antonio which features two levels of dance floors and a mechanical bull that was , perhaps appropriately , not operating as supporters waited for theVermont senator ’ s event to begin Saturday night .
The crowd watched CNN coverage of results from Nevada on television and projector screens placed around the venue and cheered whenever a new batch indicated Sanders was performing well .
It chanted “ Bernie !
Bernie !
Bernie !
” and “ Bernie Beats Trump !
” Teddy Hilton , a 31-year-old bar tender and server from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders during the 2016 Democratic primary when the senator was defeated handily in Texas by Hillary Clinton .
He said back then Sanders was still unknown to a lot of Texans but not now : “ It ’ s more name recognition but also , I think , a lot of it is passion.
” Hilton said of Sanders , “ He talks about issues that people are passionate about and they talk to more and more people and it just spreads.
” Two of the four caucus precincts at a middle school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble getting through on the phone hotline to report results .
Kimi Cole , the chair of the Douglas County Democrats who was the site lead at the school , said her precinct and another tried to call the hotline after their caucuses wrapped up early afternoon but instead of being put on hold they were met with a tone that seemed to indicate the number wasn ’ t working .
“ I dialed two or three times , couldn ’ t get through .
My friend dialed , couldn ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third person at the caucus site was able to get through and report results right after , but Cole said she and the other precinct leader decided to use one of the Nevada Democratic Party ’ s backup methods by texting a photo of their caucus reporting worksheets .
Cole said the data was also transmitted by the iPad calculator , which seemed to run smoothly for everyone at that site .
Nevada ’ s Republican party Saturday awarded all 25 of its delegates to President Donald Trump .
The Nevada party had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state Republican committee voted by acclimation to give Trump all of its delegates at the same time as Democrats were tallying caucus votes , according to party executive director Will Sexauer .
No other Republican qualified for the balloting by the state committee , Sexauer said .
This gives Trump 86 of the 87 delegates awarded so far .
Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld won one delegate in Iowa .
South Carolina , which votes next Saturday , also had cancelled its primary .
Its delegates will not be bound to any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraise off the recent revelation that Russia may be trying to help the campaign of his rival , Sen. Bernie Sanders .
News broke Friday that intelligence officials briefed Sanders a month ago about the apparent Russian meddling effort .
Sanders called on the Russians to stop , but also used the occasion to take a shot at The Washington Post , which first to report it .
He suggested that the story could have been timed to hurt him in the Nevada caucuses on Saturday .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response was “ deeply troubling ” but also “ telling of the kind of politics we ’ re in for in Bernie ’ s vision of the future.
” The email went on to suggest Sanders would foment what it called “ more conspiracy theories , more attacks undermining the free press when they write something you don ’ t like , more attacks on anyone who doesn ’ t agree with you 100 % of the time.
” Nevada Democrats have discovered an anomaly as they count up caucus votes at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Nevada , Reno : one of the precincts doesn ’ t have any voters .
Amy Travis , a Bernie Sanders supporter from a neighbouring precinct , was given the task of filling in the “ zeroes ” next to all the candidates names in precinct 7321 .
She thought it was strange that no one voted there either during early voting or at Saturday ’ s caucus .
So she got out her phone and found a map of the precinct to find it consists entirely of a 600-acre county park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austin Daly , the site leader at the UNR campus , says he thinks there used to be two houses in the precinct along the edge of San Rafael Park .
But he says they might be vacant now or at least aren ’ t occupied by residents who wanted to cast a ballot in the Democratic caucus .
Daly says the precinct ’ s lone delegate to the county convention will be recorded as “ uncommitted.
” Once they get to the county convention , a delegate will be elected to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to Texas , where he addressed about 1,500 supporters in El Paso as the results came in from the Nevada caucuses .
Early voting is already underway in Texas , one of the Super Tuesday states holding contests March 3 .
Before his El Paso campaign event , Sanders visited a memorial for the victims of the Aug. 3 shooting that left 22 dead and about two dozen injured .
That ’ s according to a local politician who addressed the crowd before Sanders took the stage .
Another 2020 contender , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the memorial before his rally this month .
A national co-chair of Elizabeth Warren ’ s presidential campaign says the Massachusetts senator ’ s finishes in some of the first voting contests are not reasons to count her out .
Rep. Ayanna Pressley told The Associated Press on Saturday that Warren ’ s strengths have long been underestimated and that she ’ s unconcerned about prior finishes or poll numbers .
Warren finished third in Iowa and fourth in New Hampshire .
As voters caucused Saturday in Nevada , Pressley said she believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that follow , like South Carolina and the Super Tuesday states .
Pressley is spending several days campaigning for Warren in South Carolina before its primary in a week .
Votes are being cast in the Nevada presidential caucuses .
It ’ s the first presidential contest in the West and the first to test the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates with black and Latino voters .
Altogether , 200 locations are hosting caucuses .
Among them are seven casino-resorts on the Las Vegas Strip .
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate .
He says the state “ represents an opportunity for these candidates to demonstrate their appeal to a larger swath of our country.
” All eyes are on the process after the lead-off Iowa caucuses yielded a muddy result marked by error .
What happens at a Nevada caucus site if two candidates end up in a tie ?
According to one precinct leader , it comes down to the luck of the draw .
Several hundred voters and about a dozen observers were crowded into a site on the campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when things got underway .
The temporary precinct captain , Becky Cohen , explained the process and said everything will be transparent , with results at each stage written on poster boards stuck to the walls .
She closed by holding up a deck of cards and saying , “ If there ’ s a tie , God forbid , this is what we do .
It ’ s Nevada.
” Several of the Democratic presidential candidates are out among the voters as the Nevada caucuses get underway .
Pete Buttigieg greeted supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the start .
The former South Bend , Indiana , mayor shook hands and exchanged small talk with those gathered at a south side high school .
Buttigieg nodded to Nevada ’ s diversity compared with the predominantly white states of Iowa and New Hampshire that have already held contests .
He says Nevada offers him a chance to prove he has a broad base of support .
Buttigieg has been dogged by low polling numbers with minorities , particularly black voters .
Elizabeth Warren swung by a suburban Nevada caucus site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer doughnuts to volunteers .
She ducked inside for a moment and called out to voters still waiting in line to caucus .
She said : “ Thank you for participating in democracy.
” At Rancho High School , a 38-year-old Las Vegas resident , community organizer and political activist was changing her voter registration from independent so that she could caucus .
Lashonda Marve-Austin said : “ I ’ m black , so I don ’ t want a candidate that just wants to do the right thing for black people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing for all the people .
She added : “ And then I ’ m poor , so I don ’ t want them to just do the right thing for poor people , I want them to do what ’ s right for people overall.
” The chairman of the Democratic National Committee is expressing confidence that the Nevada caucuses will go smoothly and won ’ t repeat the problems that muddied the results in Iowa .
The hours ahead will show whether he ’ s correct .
Tom Perez spoke to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bellagio hotel and casino on the Las Vegas strip .
He says the goal in Saturday ’ s caucuses is to release the results as soon as possible but “ first and foremost , to get it right.
“ Perez says the popularity of early voting made processing those votes difficult but party officials have worked overtime to accomplish the task .
Nearly 75,000 people participated in a four-day early voting period that ended on Tuesday .
Their choices will be added to results of Saturday ’ s in-person caucusing .
Perez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,000 people to carry out the caucuses , with training going on as recently as Friday .
Before the sun started peeking out behind the clouds in late morning , Elizabeth Warren volunteers were shielding Nevada caucus goers for the rain with umbrellas as they entered a caucus location at a high school on the east side of Las Vegas .
Turnout appeared to be light and there was no line at the registration tables an hour before caucuses were supposed to start .
In one room with about a dozen caucus-goers standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were wearing Pete Buttigieg buttons .
One Buttigieg supporter , 54-year-old Sue Thornton , said she worried the poor weather in the morning and the early vote may have cut into caucus-day turnout .
She said in 2016 , lines were out the door when she showed up to caucus .
Thornton works in food and beverage management at a hotel-casino .
She said she was interested in Buttigieg from the start and his performance in the campaign sealed her support .
She says : “ I am a sucker for a nerd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bill .
... Stays calm and collected .
Speaks seven languages , for goodness ’ sake.
” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren says her presidential campaign has raised $ 14 million in the past 10 days .
In a tweet , the Democratic hopeful says the haul is double what the campaign had hoped to raise between the New Hampshire primary and Saturday ’ s Nevada caucuses .
It ’ s unclear how much came in since Wednesday night , when Warren savaged New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg during the Democratic debate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fourth place finish in her neighbouring state of New Hampshire was considered potentially fatal to her campaign .
But her supporters believe she can build on her strong debate performance and find a path to victory .
The money will help .
Nevada Democrats say they added 10,000 people to their rolls during four days of early caucus voting this week .
The state party announced Saturday , hours before presidential caucuses were set to begin , that more than one out of 10 early voters took advantage of same-day registration and became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are open only to Democrats but people can register as Democrats or switch their affiliation as they show up to vote .
Democrats outnumber Republicans in Nevada and had about 610,000 active registered voters through the end of January .
The political focus Saturday is on the 200 locations across Nevada that are hosting presidential caucuses .
It ’ s the third contest on the 2020 election calendar as Democrats try to determine which candidate will take on President Donald Trump in November .
Nevada will test the candidates ’ strength with black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 , after contests in overwhelmingly white Iowa and New Hampshire .
Questions linger about Nevada Democrats ’ ability to report election results quickly as new concerns surface about foreign interference in the U.S. election .
Saturday ’ s caucuses are the first since technical glitches and human errors plagued Iowa ’ s kickoff caucuses .
Nevada Democrats have projected confidence in their process but it ’ s not certain full results will be released on the day of the vote .
The state party added to its responsibilities by offering early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt .
President Donald Trump is mocking a recent intelligence briefing given to the House intelligence committee about Moscow ’ s interference in the 2020 race .
He ’ s claiming that House Democrats are saying Russia wants Bernie Sanders to win .
Democratic presidential candidate Sanders said Friday that U.S. officials told him about a month ago that Russia has been trying to help his campaign , just as Russia did on Trump ’ s behalf in 2016 .
There actually are conflicting accounts about what the briefers told the House intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One intelligence official said members were not told in the briefing that Russia was working to aid Trump directly .
But advancing Sanders ’ candidacy could be seen as beneficial to Trump ’ s reelection prospects .
Trump tweeted sarcastically that Nevada Democrats , voting in Saturday ’ s caucuses , need to be careful of “ Russia , Russia , Russia.
“ A busload of volunteers for Pete Buttigieg is on its way to South Carolina from Indiana to knock on doors for him in the campaign for the Democratic presidential primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 volunteers are coming from South Bend and Gary to spread the word on the former South Bend mayor .
They ’ ll also attend Sunday church services before heading back .
Buttigieg and other contenders are in Nevada for that state ’ s caucuses Saturday .
The candidates are expected to spend much of the coming week campaigning in South Carolina for the last of the four early-voting contests .
Their debate in Charleston on Tuesday will be the final one before that primary and the March 3 Super Tuesday contests .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--The Latest: Fury beats Wilder to reclaim heavyweight title

LAS VEGAS - The Latest from the rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury ( all times local ) Tyson Fury is a heavyweight champion once again , dominating Deontay Wilder in their title rematch before Wilder ’ s corner threw in the towel in the seventh round .
Fury , the boxer in the first fight , turned puncher as he dropped Wilder in the third and fifth rounds and was landing at will to the champion ’ s head .
It was the first loss ever for Wilder in 44 fights .
It was the 11th defence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fury stalked Wilder almost from the opening bell , using his jab to control the early rounds .
He was landing at will in the seventh round when his corner threw in the towel .
Wilder protested but referee Kenny Bayless waved the fight to a close .
Tyson Fury turned slugger to drop Deontay Wilder in the third round of their heavyweight title rematch .
Fury landed a big right hand with 30 seconds left to put Wilder down .
Wilder got up quickly and the fight resumed only to go down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlling the fight early , using his jab to keep Wilder from attacking .
The AP has Fury ahead 30-26 after three rounds .
The fighters are in the ring and the heavyweight title rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is about to begin .
The two heavyweights fought to a draw in a dramatic fight 14 months ago , and a sold out crowd is on hand at the MGM Grand arena to watch them do it again .
Fury is the bigger man in the ring , a towering 6-foot-9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilder , who is 6-foot-7 and 231 pounds who owns the big knockout record , stopping 41 of his 43 opponents .
Fury , the Gypsy King , entered the arena held aloft on a throne by handlers , a royal robe around his shoulders and a crown on his head as the song `` Crazy ’ ’ by Patsy Cline played .
Wilder followed a few minutes later , his face hidden behind a glittery mask and a rapper in front of him .
Both fighters are guaranteed $ 5 million for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million or so if the fight performs well on pay-per-view .
Fury is the crowd favourite , entering the ring to roars from the crowd , including many British fans who made the trip overseas to root on their fighters .
Oddsmakers in this gambling city see the heavyweight title rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury as a real tossup .
Wilder was a slight favourite in the hours before the fight , but the odds were about as close as they could be .
Wilder was minus-120 and Fury even money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of other bets to keep bettors happy .
Among them was an 18-1 bet that the fight will end in a draw , like the first fight between the two heavyweights did 14 months ago in Los Angeles .
Bettors could get 8-5 that Wilder will win by knockout , while Fury was a 5-1 longshot to win inside the distance .
Should the fight go 12 rounds , though , Fury is at 7-5 to win to 7-1 for Wilder .
The most bang for the buck at the MGM Grand sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win by a first round knockout , and 60-1 that he would win by a 12th round knockout .
Wilder , who has scored knockouts in 41 of his 42 wins , is 40-1 to win by first round knockout but the odds narrow to 15-1 for a knockout in rounds 5-7 .
The celebrities have started to arrive at MGM Grand arena for the hyped heavyweight rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury with Michael J .
Fox , Triple H of the WWE , Magic Johnson and Gordon Ramsay all shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen talking to Steve Harvey , while Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and coach John Gruden were interviewed ringside .
Athletes from various other professional sports were making their way through the concourse into the arena , including seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson , who races Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway .
Styles make fights , leading a lot of people in boxing to think the second heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will be like the first .
That wouldn ’ t necessarily be a bad thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a show the first time they met in a dramatic fight that ended in a draw .
But heavyweight title fights usually stand on their own .
And rematches can go awry , as a trio of heavyweight contests in the 1990 ’ s demonstrated .
Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe put on great fight when they met in November 1992 , the first of what would be three fights between the two heavyweights .
Bowe came on strong in the late rounds to take the title from Holyfield in a bruising 12-round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When they met a year later , the fight was good enough .
But then the so-called Fan Man , flying in a motorized paraglider , swooped into the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace , landing in the ring ropes during the seventh round .
It took 21 minutes to restore order and resume the fight .
When it was over , Holyfield had a narrow win , though Bowe would complain that the Fan Man sapped his momentum and cost him the bout .
The next year , Oliver McCall knocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a stunning upset at Wembley Stadium in London .
By the time they got together in 1997 for a second title fight , McCall started behaving bizarrely , refusing to go back to his corner at the end of the third round and throwing only two punches in the fourth round .
McCall had tears streaming down his face , finally prompting the referee to step in and stop the fight and award the win to Lewis .
Perhaps the most famous of recent heavyweight rematches took place the same year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the second time in what became the infamous `` Bite Fight.
’ ’ Holyfield had stopped Tyson in the 11th round of their first fight , and Tyson was upset because he thought he was being head butted .
When he and Holyfield went at it in the rematch , Tyson thought the same thing and retaliated by biting Holyfield ’ s ear .
Referee Mills Lane allowed the fight to go on but Tyson then bit Holyfield ’ s other ear , forcing Lane to disqualify him in a bizarre finish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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thetorontostar--2020-02-22--Self-styled daredevil dies in crash after rocket launch

BARSTOW , Calif. - A self-styled daredevil died Saturday after a rocket in which he launched himself crashed into the ground , a colleague and a witness said .
“ Mad “ Mike Hughes died after the homemade rocket crashed on private property near Barstow about 1:52 p.m. near Highway 247 , the Daily Press of Victorville reported .
Waldo Stakes , a colleague who was at the rocket launch , said Hughes , 64 , was killed .
“ It was unsuccessful , and he passed away , “ Stakes told The Associated Press .
He declined further comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told the AP that he and his wife witnessed the crash .
The rocket appeared to rub against the launch apparatus , which might have torn the parachutes attached to it , Chapman said .
The rocket came straight down into the ground , Chapman said .
According to a San Bernardino County Sheriff ’ s Department statement , deputies were called to the event .
“ A man was pronounced deceased after the rocket crashed in the open desert during a rocket launch event , ” the statement said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person who died .
In March 2018 , Hughes , who believed the Earth is flat , propelled himself about 1,875 feet into the air before a hard landing in the Mojave Desert .
“ My story really is incredible , ” Hughes told the AP at the time .
“ It ’ s got a bunch of story lines — the garage-built thing .
I ’ m an older guy .
It ’ s out in the middle of nowhere , plus the Flat Earth .
The problem is it brings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questioning everything .
It ’ s the downside of all this.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--UN study: 1 of every 3 Venezuelans is facing hunger

CARACAS , Venezuela - One of every three people in Venezuela is struggling to put enough food on the table to meet minimum nutrition requirements as the nation ’ s severe economic contraction and political upheaval persists , according to a study published Sunday by the U.N. World Food Program .
A nationwide survey based on data from 8,375 questionnaires reveals a startling picture of the large number of Venezuelans surviving off a diet consisting largely of tubers and beans as hyperinflation renders many salaries worthless .
A total of 9.3 million people – roughly one-third of the population – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the World Food Program ’ s study , which was conducted at the invitation of the Venezuelan government .
Food insecurity is defined as an individual being unable to meet basic dietary needs .
The study describes food insecurity as a nationwide concern , though certain states like Delta Amacuro , Amazonas and Falcon had especially high levels .
Even in more prosperous regions , one in five people are estimated to be food insecure .
“ The reality of this report shows the gravity of the social , economic and political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miguel Pizarro , a Venezuelan opposition leader .
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been largely reluctant in recent years to invite international organizations to provide assessments of the nation ’ s humanitarian ordeal , though the World Food Program said it was granted “ full independence ” and collected data throughout the country “ without any impediment or obstruction.
” “ WFP looks forward to a continuation of its dialogue with the Venezuelan government and discussions that will focus on the way forward to provide assistance for those who are food insecure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was no immediate response to the findings by Maduro ’ s government .
The survey found that 74 % of families have adopted “ food-related coping strategies , ” such as reducing the variety and quality of food they eat .
Sixty per cent of households reported cutting portion sizes in meals , 33 % said they had accepted food as payment for work and 20 % reported selling family assets to cover basic needs .
The issue appears to be one that is less about the availability of food and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Seven in 10 reported that food could always be found but said it is difficult to purchase because of high prices .
Thirty-seven per cent reported they had lost their job or business as a result of Venezuela ’ s severe economic contraction .
Venezuela has been in the throes of a political and humanitarian crisis that has led over 4.5 million people to flee in recent years .
Maduro has managed to keep his grip on power despite a push by opposition leader Juan Guaidó to remove him from office and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration for his nation ’ s woes , and his government has urged the International Criminal Court to open an investigation , alleging that the financial sanctions are causing suffering and even death .
The nation ’ s struggles to feed citizens and provide adequate medical care predate U.S. sanctions on the Venezuelan government .
In addition to food , the survey also looked at interruptions in access to electricity and water , finding that four in 10 households experience daily power cuts .
Four in 10 also reported recurrent interruptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
Noting that the survey was done in July through September , Carolina Fernández , a Venezuelan rights advocate who works with vulnerable women , said she believes the situation has deteriorated even more .
While it was once possible for many families to survive off remittances sent by relatives abroad , she said , that has become more difficult as much of the economy is dollarized and prices rise .
“ Now it ’ s not enough to have one person living abroad , ” she said .
Fernández said food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on a generation of young Venezuelans going hungry during formative years .
“ We ’ re talking about children who are going to have long-term problems because they ’ re not eating adequately , ” she said .
Those who are going hungry include people like Yonni Gutiérrez , 56 , who was standing outside a restaurant that sells roasted chickens in Caracas on Sunday .
The unemployed man approached the restaurant ’ s front door whenever a customer left with a bag of food , hoping they might share something .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to scrape by helping unload trucks at a market , but the business that employed him closed .
“ Sometimes , with a little luck , I get something good , ” he said of his restaurant stakeout .
Associated Press writer Jorge Rueda reported this story in Caracas and AP writer Christine Armario reported from Bogota , Colombia .

Jorge Rueda And Christine Armario - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Man leaps from ambulance, is killed on California highway

ENCINITAS , Calif. - A 23-year-old man jumped out of the back of a moving ambulance and was struck by a car and killed on an interstate near San Diego , authorities said .
The man , who may have been suffering from mental health issues , slipped out of restraints Saturday and pushed past the attendant to open the ambulance ’ s rear door , California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Latulippe said .
The patient landed in southbound lanes of Interstate 5 in Encinitas and managed to jump the centre divider .
As the man sprinted across northbound lanes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latulippe said .
He died at the scene .
The BMW driver , a 40-year-old Carlsbad woman , called 911 to report hitting a pedestrian .
She was taken to a hospital in unknown condition and her car was towed , the newspaper said .
The patient was being transferred by private ambulance from Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside to the Veterans Administration hospital in La Jolla , the Union-Tribune reported .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Boys, 13, charged with murder in California library fire

PORTERVILLE , Calif. - Murder charges have been filed against two 13-year-old boys suspected of starting a blaze that killed two firefighters at a central California library .
Police said the boys were arrested after they were seen running from Porterville City Library shortly after flames erupted on the afternoon of Feb. 18 .
The Tulare County District Attorney ’ s Office on Friday filed two counts of murder with special circumstances of multiple murders and arson , the Visalia Times Delta reported .
The boys denied the charges and remain in jail , the newspaper said .
Their names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are scheduled to return to juvenile court on March 11 .
Firefighters Patrick Jones , 25 , and Raymond Figueroa , 35 , were killed as they battled the flames that gutted the library in the town about 50 miles ( 79 kilometres ) north of Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley .
The library was built in 1953 and did not have sprinklers , said Fire Capt .
Joanne Bear .
It was not immediately known if the boys have attorneys who can speak on their behalf .
In California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be tried as adults , even if they are charged with serious and violent felonies , such as murder .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Stalled mega power project in central Mexico stirs discord

HUEXCA , Mexico - The thermo-electric plant looms over the smattering of homes and cows munching on dried corn stalks in Huexca , a tiny farm community in central Mexico where many residents view it as a sleeping monster ready to roar to life .
During test runs of equipment in the still idle power plant , residents say , the noise reached more than 110 decibels , as loud as a jet engine at takeoff and roughly 50 % above levels considered tolerable for the average human pain threshold .
People say they experienced intense headaches , children vomited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We didn ’ t want the thermo-electric plant .
They imposed it on us , “ said Teresa Castellanos , a lifelong resident of Huexca who has fought since 2012 against the government project .
Huexca means “ place of happiness ” in the indigenous Náhuatl language , but the town of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants has become a place of discord .
Some people want the plant put into operation .
Others are vehemently against it , saying it will destroy their rural life and possibly force them to abandon the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The power plant is part of a mega-energy project that includes a natural gas pipeline that traverses three states .
It ’ s at the heart of a years-long , contentious battle , and is now raising questions among some people about the commitments of the new leftist government to indigenous land rights .
Dozens of mostly indigenous communities along the 159 kilometres ( nearly 100 miles ) of pipeline have united to fight the project , which they believe will deprive them of water for their crops and contaminate the soil and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico City on Friday to show their discontent with the government ’ s big infrastructure plans .
In addition to the mega-energy project , those plans include a tourist train through Mayan lands and a cargo rail line in the south that activists say put business interests ahead of the wishes of indigenous communities , while endangering flora and fauna .
The power project has advanced in fits and starts for more than a decade .
It ’ s essentially complete , but legal stays and blockades by locals have prevented connection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to fire up the power plant .
In the town of San Pedro Apatlaco , men from villages along the pipeline route take turns sleeping under a tarp on the banks of the Cuautla River to make sure the final tubes aren ’ t laid down .
Those pipes would carry water between the thermo-electric plant and a water treatment facility .
The men have camped there for over three years , next to abandoned tubes .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , who took office Dec. 1 , 2018 , wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scrapping it would cost the country more than $ 1 billion , he says .
“ That is money from the budget , money of the people , ” López Obrador said last week .
The first phase of the project involved building the pipeline under communities around the Popocatépetl volcano , which stands between the sprawling Mexican capital and the industrial city of Puebla .
Residents complained the construction began surreptitiously , without public consultations .
They worry the pipeline could leak or even explode , this being a volcanic region .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the project trampled indigenous rights .
Last year , activist Samir Flores , who had drummed up opposition , was shot to death outside his home in the town of Amilcingo .
Just days earlier , he had challenged government assertions about the power project at a public forum .
Castellanos said she has also received death threats .
She has been beaten , she said , and told that her daughters would be sold into prostitution if she keeps fighting the plant .
She said the threats came from other residents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government or private sources to generate local support for the project .
“ This is how I live — like a caged bird , ” she said , while roosters crowed outside .
Standing up for the environment is a dangerous undertaking in Mexico .
Amnesty International says 12 environmental activists were killed in the first nine months 2019 , while London-based Global Witness counted 15 such killings in 2017 and 14 in 2018 .
In January , Homero Gómez González , who defended the monarch butterfly against loggers and farmers in Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was found dead with a head wound at the bottom of a holding pond .
Investigations rarely establish clear motives or lead to convictions in such cases .
In the killing of Samir Flores , family and friends say they don ’ t believe Mexican authorities have made a genuine effort to find the culprit .
“ It has been a year and we have no indication that points to who the murderers were , ” said Liliana Velázquez , Flores ’ widow and mother of his four children .
“ We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
Associated Press writer Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to his report .

Alicia Fernandez And Amy Guthrie - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Italy rushes to contain Europe’s first major virus outbreak

CODOGNO , Italy - Italy scrambled Sunday to check the spread of Europe ’ s first major outbreak of the new viral disease amid rapidly rising numbers of infections and a third death , calling off the popular Venice Carnival , scrapping major league soccer matches in the stricken area and shuttering theatres , including Milan ’ s legendary La Scala .
Concern was also on the rise in neighbouring Austria , which halted all rail traffic to and from Italy for several hours after suspicion that a train at its southern border with Italy had two passengers possibly infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Austria ’ s interior ministry said it had been informed by Italy ’ s railway company that two passengers had fever and stopped the train at the Brenner crossing before it could enter Austria .
However , just before midnight Austria ’ s Federal Railways announced on Twitter the ban had been lifted .
Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said the two people suspected of being infected with the virus on the Eurocity 86 train from Venice to Munich had tested negative and the train would be allowed to continue on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcast network .
The decision to call off Venice Carnival was announced by Veneto regional Gov .
Luca Zaia as the number of confirmed virus cases soared to 152 , the largest number outside Asia .
“ The ordinance is immediately operative and will go into effect at midnight , ’ ’ said Zaia , whose area includes Venice , where thousands packed St. Mark ’ s Square .
Carnival would have run through Tuesday .
Road blocks were set up in at least some of 10 towns in Lombardy at the epicenter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to keep people from leaving or arriving .
Even trains transiting the area weren ’ t allowed to stop .
Buses , trains and other forms of public transport — including boats in Venice — were being disinfected , Zaia told reporters .
Museums were also ordered to shut down after Sunday in Venice , a top tourist draw anytime of the year , as well as in neighbouring Lombardy , which , with at least 110 confirmed cases , is the epicenter of the viral outbreak .
Authorities said three people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viral disease known as COVID-19 , all of them in their late 80s and who were hospitalized in critical condition .
Other northern regions with smaller numbers of cases are Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont .
Italy ’ s first two cases were a Chinese tourist couple , diagnosed earlier this month and reported recovering in a Rome hospital .
The death on Sunday of an elderly woman , who was already suffering from cancer when she contracted the virus , raised the nation ’ s death toll to three , said Lombardy regional official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they haven ’ t been able to track down the source of the virus that is spreading in the north and which surfaced last week when an Italian man in his late 30s in Codogno became critically ill. “ The health officials haven ’ t been yet able to pinpoint ‘ patient zero , ’ ” Angelo Borrelli , head of the national Civil Protection agency , told reporters in Rome .
At first , it was widely presumed that the man was infected by an Italian friend he dined with and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in Shanghai .
But when the friend tested negative for the virus attention turned to several Chinese residents who frequent the same cafe visited by the stricken man .
But Lombardy Gov .
Attilio Fontana told reporters they all tested negative too .
So for now , Borrelli indicated the strategy is to concentrate on closures and other restrictions to try to stem the spread in the country , which already had taken measures early on in the global virus alarm that included banning direct flights from China , Hong Kong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested millions of airport passengers arriving from other places for any signs of fever .
“ Worry is understandable , panic , no , ’ ’ Premier Giuseppe Conte told a state TV talk show host , who informed him that four bottles of disinfectant hand gel , which normally sell for a few euros a piece , were being hawked for 200 euros on the internet .
The interview was conducted by phone in a studio without an audience after authorities requested that the public not be allowed in for health concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools , museums , discos , pubs and theatres would stay closed for at least seven days .
But restaurants in Milan and other Lombardy cities outside the main cluster area can still operate since , unlike at concerts and other entertainment venues , in eateries “ people are not congregated in one place and there is space between tables , “ Gallera said .
Lombardy ’ s ban on public events also extended to Masses in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation .
Venice also was forbidding public Masses , while in Milan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cathedral was closed to visitors .
School trips inside Italy and overseas were banned .
But in the south , thousands turned out for a visit by Pope Francis in the port city of Bari .
The pontiff shook hands with many of the faithful .
In Lombardy , a populous region which includes the country ’ s financial capital , Milan , nearly all the cases of COVID-19 were in the countryside , mainly in Codogno and nine neighbouring towns .
In those towns , only grocery stores and pharmacies were permitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t supposed to enter or leave the towns .
Melissa Catanacci , who lives on one of Codogno ’ s main roads , said in the morning , she ventured outside for a stroll along with her husband and two children , ages 10 and 13 .
“ Every quarter-hour or so a car goes by ” on the main road , Catanacci said , speaking by telephone .
With businesses closed , the usual Sunday “ passeggiata ’ ’ — a leisurely stroll through local streets — didn ’ t last very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay shut through the week , her children were visiting their friends ’ houses or inviting them over to hers to break the boredom , she said .
Sporting events were cancelled , from children ’ s team practices to Serie A soccer matches which were to be played in northern stadiums .
Those measures were ordered Saturday night by the Italian government .
Dispensers of hand disinfectant were being installed in trains run by the state railways , which also said it was supplying its crews with masks and disposable gloves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases rose to 13 , with the positive test results of four Britons who had been aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship , which had been moored for days at a Japanese port when the ship was quarantined .
In Austria , security official Franz Lang said the country was considering activating border controls to Italy .
Both nations are part of the European Union ’ s visa- and passport-free zone , but under certain circumstances individual countries can reactivate controls .
Lang said the situation would be discussed in meetings Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which like Austria borders Italy , there was a call for calm .
“ The news from Italy is worrisome ... but it is too early to think that a wave is rolling our way , “ Daniel Koch , the head of the department for contagious diseases at the heath office , told the SRF public broadcaster The German health ministry said it had initiated a phone conference for all European Union public health authorities about the outbreak in northern Italy on Monday .
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak in France of the new virus .
In an interview published Sunday in French newspaper Le Parisien he said he was monitoring closely the “ very serious ” situation , including in neighbouring Italy .
Earlier this month , France reported the first death outside Asia of a person infected with the virus , an 80-year-old Chinese tourist .
Among those in quarantine in Italy were 274 migrants , rescued in the Mediterranean Sea by a charity ship from boats launched by Libya-based traffickers and allowed to disembark in Pozzallo , Sicily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet in Paris , Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin , and Jill Lawless in London , contributed to this report .

Luca Bruno And Frances D'Emilio - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Israel strikes Gaza, Syria after Palestinian rockets attacks

JERUSALEM - The Israel military said early Monday that it struck Palestinian militants targets in Gaza and Syria in response to rockets fired toward southern Israel on Sunday evening , hours after Israel said it killed a Palestinian militant who tried to place a bomb along the Israel-Gaza barrier fence .
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility for the rocket barrages .
Palestinians were furious over the image of the man ’ s lifeless body dangling off the front of an Israeli bulldozer that crossed into Gaza to retrieve it .
There was also criticism in Gaza of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not responding .
The Israeli military reported air raid sirens throughout southern Israel and said at least 20 rockets had been fired .
There were no reports of damage or injuries on the Israeli side , but it was the heaviest barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip in several months .
Air raid sirens continued into the evening , and Israel ’ s Home Front Command ordered the suspension of classes in Israeli schools in southern Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip on Monday and prohibited large gatherings .
In response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said aircraft struck “ dozens of Islamic Jihad terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip “ and a facility belonging to the militant group outside Damascus .
The Gaza health ministry reported that four Palestinians were treated at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City for wounds caused by the Israeli strikes .
Israel and the Islamic Jihad group engaged in a heavy round of fighting last November after the Israeli military killed a top Islamic Jihad commander .
Since then , Israel and Gaza ’ s more powerful Hamas group have been working through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Islamic Jihad has continued to try to carry out attacks .
Islamic Jihad said the man killed along the border was a militant .
Israel said the man was planting explosives along the border fence .
Amateur video on Palestinian social media showed an Israeli bulldozer crossing into Gaza and then lifting up his body .
Fawzi Barhoum , a Hamas spokesman , accused the Israeli military of abusing the dead body , saying that it “ bears the consequences of the ugly crime.
” The military said it was removing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further danger to those around .
But the images generated widespread anger in Gaza , where it was seen as a provocation and violation of Islamic principles that call for respect for the dead .
It also sparked criticism of Hamas on social media , with people accusing the group of appearing weak and allowing Israel to operate with impunity inside Gaza ’ s territory .
One image on social media showed a picture of Jesus draped with a Palestinian flag hanging off the front of a bulldozer .
Israeli Defence Minister Naftali @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hamas has been holding the bodies of two Israeli soldiers since they were killed in the 2014 Gaza war .
“ I back the military , which killed the terrorists and collected the body , ” he said .
“ That ’ s what should be done and that is what was done.
” The incident comes amid a relative lull along the security fence separating Israel from Gaza .
Last week , Israel announced it would provide hundreds of additional work permits for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip , in a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Hamas .
Tens of thousands of Gazans used to work in Israel .
But Israel virtually sealed the border when it joined Egypt in imposing a crippling blockade on Gaza after Hamas seized power in the strip from rival Palestinian forces in 2007 .
The blockade , along with three wars between Hamas and Israel , has devastated the economy in Gaza , where unemployment is over 50 % .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Syrian capital rocked by explosions as Israel hits targets

DAMASCUS , Syria - Israel struck multiple targets near the Syrian capital late Sunday , triggering anti-aircraft fire from the country ’ s air defences that shook Damascus .
It was the latest attack by Israel on the war-ravaged country .
A Syrian military statement reported an Israeli attack near Damascus International Airport and said its air defences confronted Israeli rockets coming from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights .
It said the defenders intercepted or shot down most of them .
In a rare acknowledgment of operations in neighbouring Syria , Israel said its warplanes attacked targets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Damascus in addition to sites in the Gaza Strip .
It said the sites attacked were used for “ research and development of armaments ” that are manufactured in Syria and the Gaza Strip .
It said the sites also produce dozens of kilograms of rocket fuel each month .
The military said the attacks “ were carried out in response to the attempted attack this morning on the security fence ( in Gaza ) and the launching of rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel.
” Residents said multiple explosions shook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defences fired back .
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , which monitors the Syrian conflict , said the explosions resulted from Israeli bombing of suspected Iranian-backed militias in the vicinity of Damascus International Airport .
Israel frequently strikes at targets inside Syria , but has largely refrained from public admissions of its covert military operations there .
Iran is an ally of Damascus and has offered military advisers and sent militiamen and material support to help President Bashar Assad ’ s government forces in the nine-year civil war .
Israel considers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it won ’ t tolerate Iran ’ s presence on its borders .
In November , Israel targeted two senior Islamic Jihad commanders in a simultaneous attack , killing one in the Gaza Strip and missing the second in Syria .
At the time , Israeli warplanes fired three missiles at the home of Akram al-Ajouri , a member of Islamic Jihad ’ s leadership living in exile .
He was not harmed , but his son and granddaughter were killed .
Associated Press writers Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Akram Fares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Pacific NW winds shut interstate, fell tree that crushes man

PORTLAND , Ore. - High winds wreaked havoc on the Pacific Northwest on Sunday , closing a stretch of an interstate freeway in Oregon and toppling a large tree that crushed a man sleeping in an apartment complex in Washington state .
The man was critically injured in Renton , Washington , after a tree fell on a six-unit apartment building during a morning of high winds and heavy rain .
The man was sleeping on a couch in the living room of one of the units when the 200-foot ( 60-meter ) tree came crashing down , KING-TV reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue the man , who had the tree across his pelvis and was critically injured .
Elsewhere , Interstate 84 was closed in both directions between Pendleton and La Grande in northeast Oregon , about 200 miles ( 320 kilometres ) east of Portland , because of a downer power line .
Several other smaller state highways in Oregon were closed because of windy conditions and blowing debris in lanes .
A cold front that moved through western Washington on Sunday brought wind gusts up to 40 mph ( 64 kmh ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Puget Sound .
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma also closed Sunday due to a power outage .
Oregon and southwest Washington also saw high winds , with gusts of up to 55 mph ( 88 kmh ) along the Oregon coast .
Winds gusted at 20 mph ( 32 kmh ) or more in the Portland , Oregon metropolitan area .
A high surf advisory was in effect Sunday along the Oregon coast and the National Weather Service warned beachgoers to be wary of sneaker waves .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Moderates hustle to blunt Sanders’ momentum after Nevada win

WASHINGTON - Bernie Sanders ’ commanding Nevada caucus victory made him a top target for his Democratic rivals and a growing source of anxiety for establishment Democrats worried that the nomination of an avowed democratic socialist could cost the party in November .
Sanders ’ win solidified his front-runner status in the crowded field as the race turned to Saturday ’ s presidential primary in South Carolina , where his moderate opponents scrambled to try to blunt the Vermont senator ’ s momentum .
But with so-called Super Tuesday just three days later , when 14 states vote and one-third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was running short for Sanders ’ opponents to consolidate support .
That prospect on Sunday amplified concerns among Democrats who believe Sanders ’ call for a political “ revolution ” would drive moderate and independent voters away from the party , both in the matchup against President Donald Trump and in House and Senate races .
“ I think it would be a real burden for us in these states or congressional districts that we have to do well in , “ South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn , the House minority whip and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Sunday on ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” Clyburn , who said he ’ ll endorse a candidate on Wednesday , specifically pointed to the districts Democrats flipped to take control of the House in 2018 .
“ In those districts , it ’ s going to be tough to hold on to these jobs if you have to make the case for accepting a self-proclaimed democratic socialist , “ he said .
Sanders ’ campaign argued he will bring in new and infrequent voters — largely progressives , young people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been alienated from the process and seek a drastic overhaul of Washington , not merely trying to oust Trump .
He successfully relied on that coalition Saturday to dominate his Democratic rivals in Nevada , pulling far ahead of the second-place finisher , former Vice-President Joe Biden , and Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , who came in third .
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren landed in fourth , while Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer were in a close race for fifth as the Nevada Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrated the win in Texas , a top Super Tuesday prize and a state that Democrats see trending their way thanks to a growing Hispanic population and opposition to Trump in the suburbs .
Sounding like a candidate who had already secured the nomination , Sanders told thousands of cheering supporters who filled a basketball arena on the campus of the University of Houston that he would win in the state both next month and next fall .
“ If working people and young people of this city , black and white and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our people stand together , come out to vote , we ’ re going to win here in Texas , ” he said .
Sanders ’ new status was clear as most of his rivals sharpened their focus on him .
On Sunday , Buttigieg ripped Sanders ’ for his massive and often combative online following , saying the nominee ’ s job “ is to call people into our tent , not to call them names online.
” Speaking to a crowd of thousands gathered in a high school football field in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should nominate someone who will focus on “ mobilizing , not polarizing the American majority.
” “ Politics will be fierce sometimes , but it is not just combat , “ he said .
Biden , meanwhile , swiped indirectly at Sanders , noting Sanders is an independent and not a member of the party he ’ s seeking to represent in November , and at billionaire candidate Mike Bloomberg .
“ If we choose a candidate who appeals to a small base — like Sen. Sanders — it will be a fatal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
But some Democrats were worried that the new focus on Sanders may be too little , too late .
For months , as several Democrats jockeyed to become the chief alternative to Sanders , they largely attacked each other on debate stages and in ads while taking relatively few punches at the Vermont senator .
Party leaders have been reluctant to appear to be putting their thumb on the scale , so as not to rile Sanders voters and further divide the party .
It was not clear Sunday that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knock Sanders off course or consolidate support behind a single moderate .
“ We got ta hope that some of these candidates develop political skills quickly , ” said James Carville , a Democratic strategist and one of the noisiest anti-Sanders voices in the party .
“ The risk in losing the election is deep and profound .
We just got ta pray.
” Dan Pfeiffer , a former adviser to President Barack Obama , said if no candidates drop out before Super Tuesday and the moderates continue to split the delegate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nomination .
“ It ’ s just simple math , ” Pfeiffer said , noting that he ’ s not advocating that any candidates drop out to stop Sanders , and that he doesn ’ t ascribe to the belief among some Democrats that Sanders can ’ t win .
“ Each of these campaigns have a legitimate rationale for staying in the race , ” he said of Sanders ’ opponents .
On Sunday , those Sanders opponents pledged to stay in the race through South Carolina , and several signalled they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klobuchar rallied supporters near the North Dakota-Minnesota border , speaking to voters in her home state , which votes on March 3 , while North Dakota on March 10 .
Warren was slated to campaign in Colorado , also a Super Tuesday state .
Biden was in South Carolina , the state his campaign hoped would revive his candidacy after poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire and only modest improvement in Nevada .
Biden resisted predicting victory in South Carolina and said he isn ’ t banking on Clyburn ’ s endorsement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shore up support with the black voters his campaign has long argued will be the springboard to a nomination .
Clyburn said Sunday he had heard from Democrats disappointed in Biden ’ s debate performances .
Democrats will debate on Tuesday in Charleston , South Carolina .
California billionaire Tom Steyer said Sunday he has qualified for that debate , after missing the mark for the stage in Nevada .
The stakes were high for Nevada Democrats to avoid a repeat of the chaos in the still-unresolved Iowa caucuses , and it appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg ’ s campaign raised questions about the results , citing more than 200 reports of problems allocating votes .
It wants the state party to disclose more details of the votes and address concerns before releasing final results .
But the party said it was not planning to offer a more detailed voting breakdown and appeared to be inviting the campaign to follow recount rules if it wanted to challenge the results .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--The Latest: Sanders predicts Texas victory on Super Tuesday

WASHINGTON - As he campaigns in suburban Virginia Sunday , Pete Buttigieg is continuing his attacks against Bernie Sanders as @ @ @ @ @ a crowd of thousands gathered in a high school football field , Buttigieg said that @ @ @ @ @ friend , Senator Sanders , ” the way to build a winning coalition “ is @ @ @ @ @ tent , not to call them names online.
” Sanders has come under fire in @ @ @ @ @ conduct of some of his massive online following , after supporters of his launched misogynistic @ @ @ @ @ Nevada union .
He has denounced their behaviour .
Buttigieg said Democrats need a nominee @ @ @ @ @ mobilizing , not polarizing the American majority.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Haiti police exchange fire with troops near national palace

PORT-AU-PRINCE , Haiti - Off-duty police officers and their supporters exchanged fire for nearly two hours on Sunday with members of the newly reconstituted Haitian army in front of the national palace , in a dangerous escalation of protests over police pay and working conditions .
At least three police officers were wounded , fellow officers told The Associated Press .
Associated Press journalists saw dozens of men who said they were off-duty officers march with hundreds of supporters toward the palace in the latest in days of demonstrations demanding better pay for Haitian law-enforcement officers .
The protest stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Associated Press journalists then saw several soldiers at the headquarters building fire into the air .
Shortly afterward , an exchange of fire erupted between the soldiers and police .
It was not clear which side began firing at the other first .
The army was disbanded in 1995 after the fall of a dictatorship that used soldiers to repress domestic opponents .
President Jovenel Moise reformed the army in 2017 , promising that the military would patrol Haiti ’ s borders , assist in natural disasters and avoid domestic affairs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hospital near the shooting with wounds to the legs and feet that did not appear to be life-threatening .
Uniformed police officers told an AP journalist that the wounded men were fellow officers .
The uniformed officers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press .
Shooting continued until after 3 p.m. and did not appear to be ceasing .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Gas tank explosion kills 4 in North Macedonia

SKOPJE , Macedonia - Four people , including three children , were killed and six other members of the same family were seriously injured when a gas tank for cooking exploded in their home Sunday in northern Macedonia , authorities said .
Police said that the three children , an 8-year-old boy and girls ages 9 and 11 , died instantly when the gas tank exploded in the living room of a family house in the village of Romanovce .
Firefighters later extinguished the blaze .
A 58-year-old man died late Sunday at a Skopje clinic , the clinic ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told local media .
Local media later reported that the gas tank exploded while the Albanian-minority family was preparing breakfast .
The six surviving injured include four women , one of whom is pregnant , and a 10-year-old boy .
Two women , aged 30 and 50 , a man and the 10-year-old boy , are still in critical condition , the intensive care unit head , Ilir Hasani , told local media .
A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the gas tank was used for cooking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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Konstantin Testorides - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Cuomo: Jewish centre evacuated; threats sent around country

ALBANY , N.Y. - The Albany Jewish Community Center was evacuated and searched Sunday morning after it and several other centres around the country received anonymous emails with vague threats that mentioned a bomb , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said .
Cuomo went to the Albany centre after police evacuated about 100 people , searched the building with dogs and declared it safe .
Similar vague threats were emailed to about 18 Jewish Community Centers around the country , according to Cuomo ’ s office .
The centres provide educational , fitness and social programs for children and adults .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ details about the nature of the threats nor whether police searched other locations .
Cuomo said the FBI is investigating where the threats originated .
State Director of Emergency Management Michael Kopy said the emails were sent to people with Jewish Community Center accounts , but he declined to specify which centres were targeted .
“ These types of situations are so ugly and so unfortunate , ” Cuomo said .
“ What ’ s worse is we ’ re seeing more and more of them .
We ’ ve had about 42 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past couple of months so it ’ s not getting better .
It ’ s only getting worse.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Carnival in Belgium again has Jewish stereotypes in parade

BRUSSELS - The Aalst Carnival parade included stereotypical depictions of Jews for the second year in a row and the Belgian government said that the anti-Semitism in the three-day festival embarrassed the nation and endangers society .
The Carnival was kicked off the United Nations ’ UNESCO heritage list last year after a float rife with anti-Semitic symbols raised worldwide condemnation .
Yet despite all the warnings , some again targeted Jews .
“ Even though Aalst Carnival is much more than that , these facts detract from our values and reputation of our country , “ Prime Minister Sophie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee chair Dirk Verleysen said floats or individuals “ that exceed all limits ” of decency would be taken out of the parade , but offensive elements did appear .
Earlier this week , Israel called on Belgium to scrap the annual Aalst parade .
Yet one group on Sunday walked around the parade dressed up like insects with fur hats worn by some ultra-Orthodox Jewish men .
Wilmes suggested that authorities would see if they could take action .
“ Belgium is a state of law .
It is for the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the events during Carnival are in contravention of the law.
“ She said that stereotypes that stigmatize “ lead to division .
It endangers society .
Specifically when it comes to repeated and conscious actions.
“ Aalst mayor Christoph D ’ Haese , who has been criticized for taking insufficient action after last year ’ s offensive float , called Wilmes “ otherwordly , “ and added that “ I did not see an anti-Semitic or racist parade .
To the contrary , I saw a high mass of free speech and creativity.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Carnival reveler wearing a stereotypical hooked nose .
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt , president of the Conference of European Rabbis , countered D ’ Haese ’ s view and said that “ the satirical procession with anti-Semitic tropes in Aalst , Belgium , are extremely offensive and abuse the power of free speech which is such an essential ingredient in any liberal democracy.
“ The EU office of the American Jewish Committee immediately called on the European Union to investigate the parade .
“ Belgian authorities did nothing to prevent the outright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU ’ s founding values , built on the lessons of the Holocaust and World War II , ” said Daniel Schwammenthal , director of the AJC Brussels-based Transatlantic Institute .
The overwhelming majority of the 75-plus official entries in the parade ’ s 92nd edition may have touched on anything from town hall politics to Brexit and global climate change , but several again highlighted the theme which caused such an uproar .
Carnival groups claims their three-day festival has a right to mock everything , even those hurtful to others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belgian Flanders , where the festival is held , warned against insulting or excessively mocking people .
One float was about the “ Aalst Tribunal ” of what is acceptable as humour and carried three puppets on their float each carrying some stereotypical depictions of a Jew , Muslim and a Roman Catholic priest .
Some smaller groups also relied on Jewish stereotypes for their presentations .
The Carnival in the industrial city of Aalst has its roots in the Middle Ages and often features satirical floats that take shots at local politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s festivities featured one float depicting Jews with exaggerated features and side locks standing over bags of money .
The caricatures recalled anti-Semitic tropes of the Middle Ages and Nazi Germany .
Aalst is one of Europe ’ s most famous carnivals and usually is a celebration of unbridled , no-holds-barred humour and satire .
Politicians , religious leaders and the rich and famous are relentlessly ridiculed during the three-day festival ahead of Roman Catholic Lent .
UNESCO , Jewish groups and the EU condemned last year ’ s float as anti-Semitic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visions of the 1930s .


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--TSA halts employees from using TikTok for social media posts

WASHINGTON - The Transportation Security Administration said Sunday it has stopped allowing employees to use the China-owned video app TikTok to create social media posts for the agency after the Senate ’ s top Democrat raised concerns about potential national security issues .
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer sent a letter letter Saturday to TSA Administrator David Pekoske , months after news reports that the U.S. government launched a national security review of the app , which is popular with millions of U.S. teens and young adults .
Schumer also cited a Department of Homeland Security policy prohibiting TikTok on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement Sunday that a “ small number of TSA employees have previously used TikTok on their personal devices to create videos for use in TSA ’ s social media outreach , but that practice has since been discontinued.
” In his letter , Schumer said national security experts have raised concerns about TikTok ’ s collection and handling of user data and personal information , locations and other content .
He also noted in the letter that Chinese laws compel companies to co-operate with China ’ s government and intelligence collection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the already-in-place agency bans , and the existing concerns posed by TikTok , the feds can not continue to allow the TSA ’ s use of the platform to fly , ” Schumer said in a statement to The Associated Press .
Over the past few months , the agency has posted a number of videos reshared on other social media platforms such as Twitter , which have amassed hundreds of thousands of views .
The agency said it never directed viewers to TikTok or published content directly to the platform , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts having the TikTok logo in the bottom of the screen .
The agency said it had an “ active and award-winning presence on several social media platforms.
” Some of the videos are musical parodies about what can and can not be brought on an aircraft , while others advertise services like TSA ’ s expedited screening program known as PreCheck .
In one of the videos , a TSA spokeswoman with Nutella spread on her face is showing different containers of the chocolate-hazelnut spread to detail which one can be brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Skeptic of world being round dies in California rocket crash

BARSTOW , Calif. - A California man who said he wanted to fly to the edge of outer space to see if the world is round has died after his home-built rocket blasted off into the desert sky and plunged back to earth .
“ Mad “ Mike Hughes was killed on Saturday afternoon after his rocket crashed on private property near Barstow , California .
Waldo Stakes , a colleague who was at the rocket launch , said Hughes , 64 , was killed .
The Science Channel said on Twitter it had been chronicling Hughes ’ journey and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his family & friends during this difficult time.
” “ It was always his dream to do this launch , ” the Twitter message said .
Hughes also was a limousine driver , who held the Guinness world record for “ longest limousine ramp jump , ” for jumping 103 feet ( 31 metres ) in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine , at a speedway in 2002 .
A video on TMZ.com showed the rocket taking off , with what appears to be a parachute tearing off during the launch .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes around 10 seconds to fall straight back to earth .
Shrieks can be heard as the rocket plows into the desert .
Freelance journalist Justin Chapman , who was at the scene , said the rocket appeared to rub against the launch apparatus , which might have caused the mishap with the parachute .
In March 2018 , Hughes propelled himself about 1,875 feet ( 570 metres ) into the air .
He deployed one parachute and then a second one but still had a hard landing in the Mojave Desert in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This thing wants to kill you 10 different ways , ” Hughes said after that launch .
“ This thing will kill you in a heartbeat.
“ He said in a video that his goal was to eventually fly to the edge of outer space to determine for himself whether the world is round .
“ I don ’ t want to take anyone else ’ s word for it , ” he said in the video , posted on the BBC News website .
“ I don ’ t know if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In another video posted on his YouTube site , Hughes said he also wanted “ to convince people they can do things that are extraordinary with their lives.
” “ My story really is incredible , ” Hughes once told The Associated Press .
“ It ’ s got a bunch of story lines — the garage-built thing .
I ’ m an older guy .
It ’ s out in the middle of nowhere , plus the Flat Earth .
The problem is it brings out all the nuts also .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Massachusetts museum gifted extensive Asian photo collection

SALEM , Mass .
- A Massachusetts museum has received a gift of more than 1,600 photographic works it says will enhance what is already one of the leading collections of Asian photography in the U.S. and Europe .
The gift to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem comes from the Joy of Giving Something Foundation , known for its work that explores the intersection of photography and social issues .
The collection features the works of 123 artists , primarily of Chinese and Japanese descent or who worked in eastern Asia , from 1930 to the present day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ collection of 19th-century photography .
“ These photographs deepen our museum ’ s 220-year relationship with East Asian culture and offer a compelling complement to our historic collection of Asian photography , “ Lynda Roscoe Hartigan , the museum ’ s deputy director , said in a statement .
Several iconic photographs by photojournalists Marc Riboud , H.S .
Wong and Pulitzer Prize-winners Max Desfor and Huynh Cong Ut document the tumultuous history of Asia in the 20th century .
The museum plans a photo exhibition entitled China Through the Lens in 2022 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our wealth of photography to showcase and explore different ways of seeing the world , ” associate curator Stephanie Tung said .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Man drives Jeep off 6-story roof of Los Angeles-area garage

SANTA MONICA , Calif. - A man drove his Jeep off the the sixth floor of a Los Angeles-area parking garage early Sunday and was taken to a hospital in critical condition , authorities said .
When officers arrived shortly after midnight , they found the destroyed vehicle up against a McDonald ’ s restaurant across the street from the garage in Santa Monica , police said .
They said the 20-year-old driver , who was not immediately identified , was conscious and speaking with officers when they arrived .
Firefighters extricated him from the wreckage and took him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was listed in critical condition , the Santa Monica Fire Department said .
Two passengers inside the Jeep were able to jump out before it went off the roof , the Los Angeles Times reported .
Police in the coastal city were investigating the cause .
Because the man was receiving medical treatment , investigators weren ’ t yet able to determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor , the newspaper said .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-23--Bishop shakeup: West Virginia Catholic diocese issues audit

CHARLESTON , W.Va. - The net assets of West Virginia ’ s Roman Catholic Diocese dropped by $ 4.8 million during a fiscal year that coincided with the resignation of its bishop amid allegations of sexual and financial misconduct , an audit shows .
The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston released the audit last week spanning the period from June 30 , 2018 , to June 30 , 2019 .
Net assets totalled $ 352.3 million , down from $ 357 million a year earlier , according to the findings made public by current Bishop Mark E. Brennan .
Liabilities totalled $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million .
Brennan ’ s predecessor , Bishop Michael Bransfield , resigned in September 2018 and has denied wrongdoing .
A church investigation last year found Bransfield misused diocese funds for lavish spending on dining out , liquor , vacations , luxury items and church-funded personal gifts to fellow bishops and cardinals in the U.S. and the Vatican .
The investigation also found sexual misconduct allegations against Bransfield to be credible .
Brennan said the diocese incurred significant expenses arising from the investigation of Bransfield and “ various legal issues ” involving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations and lawsuits at $ 1.5 million .
The diocese announced in August it had confidentially settled a lawsuit filed by a former personal altar server accusing Bransfield of molesting boys and men .
The filing asserted Bransfield would consume at least half a bottle of liqueur nightly and had drunkenly assaulted or harassed seminarians .
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey accused the diocese and Bransfield in a lawsuit of knowingly employing pedophiles and failing to conduct adequate background checks on camp and school workers .
A circuit judge dismissed the suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it violates rules about the separation of church and state .
In November , Brennan released a plan that was presented to Bransfield at the request of Pope Francis .
It seeks to have Bransfield pay the church $ 792,638 in financial restitution and apologize to those he was accused of sexually harassing and intimidating .
The money would be placed in a fund to pay for counselling victims of sexual abuse , Brennan said .
Brennan said Bransfield has consistently declined to come up with his own plan for making amends .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s bishop in July , said it ’ s the first time in diocese ’ s history that such a financial report has been released .
Last fiscal year the diocese reported $ 25.3 million in investment income and royalties from mineral rights .
The diocese receives oil profits from land in Texas donated to it more than a century ago .
Overall , financial support to parishes , schools , pastoral centres and vocational and other programs , along with health and property insurance , “ results in the Diocese running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income by several millions of dollars , ” Brennan said in a letter accompanying the audit .
Brennan said the deficits are offset by “ selling off investments , which , if this pattern continues unchecked , will eventually eliminate any benefit to future West Virginia Catholics from the legacy which the mineral rights have provided.
” The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg , Pennsylvania , filed for federal bankruptcy last week , six months after disclosing it had paid millions of dollars to people sexually abused as children by its clerics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the United States in seeking protection from creditors .


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--China promises companies aid, global virus cases rise

BEIJING - China ’ s government promised tax cuts and other aid Monday to help companies recover from its virus outbreak while a spike in new cases in Iran , Italy and South Korea raised the prospect of wider disruption to tourism and other global industries .
At a news conference , Chinese finance and planning officials expressed confidence the ruling Communist Party ’ s growth targets can be achieved this year despite anti-disease controls that shut down much of the world ’ s second-largest economy last month .
President Xi Jinping publicly promised over the past week to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , forecasters say it is likely to be at least mid-March before automakers and other companies return to full production .
The government is looking at “ targeted tax reduction , ” interest rate cuts and payments to poor and virus-hit areas , said an assistant finance minister , Ou Wenhan .
“ We will do a good job of implementing large-scale interest rate reduction and tax deferral and ensure effective implementation as soon as possible , ” said Ou .
Business activity plunged after the Lunar New Year holiday was extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government told the public not to travel .
Automakers and other businesses are gradually reopening , but officials also have orders to prevent infection from spreading as millions of people return to work .
Elsewhere , a surge in reports of new cases in Iran , Italy and South Korea raised the prospect of more disruptions .
Austria halted rail traffic across its border with Italy after the country reported four deaths and 190 cases .
Authorities have yet to pinpoint the source of infection .
Venice cancelled the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soccer matches were cancelled and cinemas closed .
In Iran , the ILNA news agency quoted an official in the city of Qom as saying 50 people have died from the virus there since Feb. 13 .
The city is a popular place of religious study for Shiites from across Iran and other countries .
Some countries have closed their borders with Iran or barred travellers from there .
Also Monday , South Korea reported 70 new cases , raising its total to 833 , and two more deaths for a total of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has closed schools , cancelled public events and asked companies to stagger work hours .
ING said in a report Monday that Asian economies could lose $ 105-115 billion this year in potential sales to Chinese tourists .
In China , Xi said Sunday regions deemed to be at low risk should ease disease curbs to revive business activity while high-risk regions should focus on epidemic control .
The president said officials should make sure planting of spring crops in China ’ s vast countryside isn ’ t disrupted .
Bus and train @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of inhabitants , blocking people who visited their hometowns for the Lunar New Year in January from returning to work .
Asked whether Beijing planned to reduce its economic growth targets , the general secretary of the Cabinet ’ s planning agency , the National Development and Reform Commission , expressed confidence the virus ’ s impact would be brief .
The ruling party has yet to announce economic targets after 2019 growth fell to a multi-decade low of 6.1 % .
Forecasters expect it to be about 6 % but say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly , growth could decline to as low as 5 % , raising the risk of politically dangerous job losses .
“ The epidemic ’ s impact on the economy and society is short-term and generally controllable and will not change China ’ s long-term positive economic fundamentals , ” said the NDRC official , Cong Liang .
“ Economic and social development goals for 2020 can be achieved.
“ The annual meeting of China ’ s ceremonial legislature , usually used to announce the growth target and other plans for the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
It was scheduled to start March 5 .
No new date was announced .
Nearly 1,000 companies have received low-interest loans from a 300 billion yuan ( $ 43 billion ) recovery fund offered by the central bank , according to a People ’ s Bank of China official , Chen Yulu .
Cong said industrial output is rebounding , though he gave no indication when the government expects it to return to normal .
Production by companies in trade-oriented coastal areas has risen above 70 % of normal , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , coal mining and other industries are back to at least 70 % , but he gave no figures for the level of production at their lowest point during the outbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Italy tries to contain virus as neighbours fear its spread

CODOGNO , Italy - Police manned checkpoints around quarantined towns in Italy ’ s north on Monday as authorities sought to contain cases of COVID-19 virus that have made Italy the focal point of the outbreak in Europe and fears of its cross-border spread .
Italians travelling abroad were already feeling the effects of a crackdown , with a bus from Milan barricaded by police in the French city of Lyon for health checks and an arriving Alitalia plane blocked on the tarmac in the African island nation of Mauritius .
Civil protection officials said 219 people had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people had died , including two elderly men in northern Lombardy .
But officials still haven ’ t pinpointed the origin of the contagion , which by Monday had spread to more than a half-dozen regions and prompted Austria to temporarily halt rail traffic across its border with Italy .
“ These rapid developments over the weekend have shown how quickly this situation can change , ” EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in Brussels .
“ We need to take this situation of course very seriously , but we must not give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more importantly , to disinformation.
” In France , the government urged anyone who had visited Lombardy or Veneto — the two most affected regions in Italy — to wear face masks if they go outside , limit non-essential activities and take their temperatures twice a day .
The French Health Ministry issued the same warning for anyone who had travelled to China , South Korea , Singapore or Macao .
France has had 12 cases of the virus overall , and one death .
In Lyon , the national health agency said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Italians barricaded on a bus that originated in Milan and stopped in Turin , but wouldn ’ t give details , or say whether anyone on the bus is suspected of having the virus .
Italy ’ s neighbours Slovenia and Croatia , which are popular destinations for Italian tourists and whose own citizens often travel to Italy , were holding crisis meetings Monday .
Croatia announced it would monitor any travellers coming from Italy , including Croatian children returning from school trips .
Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said anyone entering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been reported would be quarantined for 14 days , but local media reported that arriving passengers were only being asked to fill out a form .
In Albania , about 5,000 passengers arriving by plane , ferry and land were being monitored , with special focus on border crossing points targeting travellers from Italy .
Fears stretched as far away as Mauritius , which blocked an Alitalia airplane that had landed .
The Italian foreign ministry said it was working to provide “ maximum assistance to Italians on board.
“ Many Italians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school holiday , and Mauritius is a popular destination .
But the African island nation has been more assertive than its African counterparts in trying to keep the virus out , announcing quarantines for passengers arriving from Wuhan or displaying symptoms .
To date , Africa only has one confirmed case , in Egypt .
While Italian authorities cancelled soccer matches , Masses and closed schools , theatre performances and even Venice ’ s famed Carnival , they also sought to calm fears by noting the virus ’ low mortality rate and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from the seasonal flu this year .
The four people who died with coronavirus were all elderly and two of them had other serious ailments .
Speaking on state-run RAI news , virologist Ilaria Capua of the University of Florida noted that Italy ’ s high number of cases were due to the fact that Italy was “ actively seeking them out.
” More than 3,000 people have been tested for the virus , most of whom had direct contact with those infected .
“ It is likely that the more we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Capua said .
But she stressed that the majority of cases likely wouldn ’ t even require a doctor ’ s visit and that Italy ’ s numbers are “ very analogous to what we will see in many other European countries.
” Italy , however , wasn ’ t taking chances and effectively sealed off a dozen northern Italian towns where more than 150 of the cases were found .
On Monday , police wearing face masks manned checkpoints along the road into Codogno , southeast of Milan , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus was hospitalized last week .
Residents wearing face masks and gloves lined up at Codogno ’ s supermarket to stock up on food , only to find out the market was still closed on orders of the mayor .
The fears spread to Lombardy ’ s capital , Milan , Italy ’ s financial hub , where the final two runway shows of Milan Fashion Week scheduled for Monday were cancelled .
While most fashion houses held shows as usual Sunday , Giorgio Armani and Laura Biagiotti presented their collections behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fashion public .
On Monday , civil protection chief Angelo Borrelli said the total was at 219 infected , with 167 in Lombardy .
Five people had died , and one was cured .
Italy ’ s vice minister for health , Pier Paolo Silveri , said the country was appealing to Italians ’ “ civic sense ” to abide by the containment measures for the two weeks that the northern quarantine has been imposed .
The mounting cases surprised Premier Giuseppe Conte , given Italy had imposed more stringent measures than any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reported in China .
Italy on Jan. 31 barred flights to and from China , Taiwan , Hong Kong and Macau , began screening all arriving passengers at its airports and declared a state of emergency to free up funding for containment measures .
Until last week , Italy only had registered three people who tested positive for the virus , including a Chinese couple visiting from Wuhan .
They have been recovering at Rome ’ s infectious disease hospital .
The EU ’ s health security committee was meeting Monday to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy .
A joint team from the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control were also set to visit Italy .
“ It is an incredible time .
Less than two months ago , the coronavirus was completely unknown to us .
The past few weeks has demonstrated just how quickly a new virus cans spread around the world and cause widespread fear and disruption , ” WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Stockholm via a video link .
He said the WHO was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , South Korea and Iran , where the death toll hit 50 in the city of Qom on Monday .
Winfield reported from Rome .
Lorne Cook in Brussels , Angela Charlton in Paris , Jovana Gec in Belgrade , Serbia , Llazar Semini in Tirana , Albania , Vadim Ghirda in Bucharest , Romania , and Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed .

Paolo Santalucia And Nicole Winfield - The Associated Press