thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Costs, delays scuttle 124-mile Constitution Pipeline project

ALBANY , N.Y. - The nearly $ 1 billion Constitution Pipeline project , which had been designed to take natural gas from Pennsylvania ’ s shale gas fields to metropolitan New York and New England , has been abandoned after years of legal regulatory challenges made it economically unfeasible , a spokeswoman for project partner Duke Energy said Monday .
“ Although Constitution did receive positive outcomes in recent court proceedings and permit applications , the economics associated with this greenfield project have since changed in such a way that they no longer justify investment , ” Duke spokeswoman Tammie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of four project partners .
The principal partner is The Williams Cos. , based in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
Others are Houston-based Cabot Oil and Gas and Calgary , Alberta-based Alta Gas .
Williams , which has a 41 % stake , said in its annual report last week that the Constitution project would suffer a 2019 loss of $ 354 million .
Since it was proposed in 2013 at a projected cost under $ 700 million , delays and legal challenges have driven the costs up by nearly 40 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission approval in 2014 , New York regulators refused to issue critical water quality permits , citing concerns about danger to wetlands and stream crossings .
“ This pipeline would have carried fracked natural gas across 251 water bodies , including 89 trout spawning streams , and through many unique and sensitive ecological areas such as old-growth forest and undisturbed springs , which provide vital habitat and are key to local ecosystems , ” Richard Webster , director of legal programs for the environmental group Riverkeeper , said in a statement .
Riverkeeper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project in courts .
“ Constitution ’ s investors just confirmed what we have been saying for the past eight years — there is no need for this project , ” said Anne Marie Garti , an environmental attorney and founding member of Stop the Pipeline .
Landowners will now seek to reverse the eminent domain that the regulatory commission had imposed to take property for the pipeline , Garti said .
“ At this critical moment for our climate , we can not afford unnecessary fossil fuel projects that will lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Earthjustice lawyer Moneen Nasmith said in a written statement .
The Williams Cos. said in a statement that its existing pipeline network and planned expansions offer a much better investment return than new projects like Constitution that are impacted by an uncertain regulatory framework .
“ Natural gas remains a critical part of our country ’ s clean energy future , and Williams is well-positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for natural gas as a reliable , low cost and clean alternative for power generation fuel , heating oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Environmental activists continue to fight another nearly $ 1 billion Williams project , the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project , which would extend an existing pipeline to carry natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey to New York City and Long Island .
New York and New Jersey regulators have previously denied permits but allowed Williams to reapply .


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Iowa man guilty in 1979 killing of high school student

DAVENPORT , Iowa - More than 40 years after an 18-year-old high school student ’ s body was found outside an Iowa shopping mall , jurors Monday convicted a man of murder in her death .
It took jurors about three hours to convict Jerry Burns , 66 , of first-degree murder in the Dec. 19 , 1979 , stabbing death of Michelle Martinko , 18 .
After searching for hours , police found her body in the early morning hours in her parent ’ s Buick parked outside a Cedar Rapids shopping mall .
Her lungs and aorta were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third of her blood , according to testimony .
Burns didn ’ t testify , and his defence called only one witness .
Police arrested Burns on Dec. 19 , 2018 , at his Manchester , Iowa , business — the 39th anniversary of Martinko ’ s death .
Burns was linked to the crime by DNA evidence that indicated he was at the scene of her killing .
During the trial , prosecutors displayed Martinko ’ s black , bloodstained dress draped over a mannequin .
Families of both Burns and Martinko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a statement , Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman credited officers and investigators for tenacity and dedication in making an arrest .
“ For Michelle ’ s family and friends , we know that the pain of losing a daughter , sister , or friend will never go away , “ Jerman said .
“ You and Michelle will forever be in our thoughts and we are eternally grateful for your support , trust , and confidence over the many years.
” The trial was moved to Scott County District Court in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rapids .
Sentencing will be held later .
In Iowa , first-degree murder carries a mandatory term of life in prison .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Tennessee continues push for executions, setting 2 more

NASHVILLE - Tennessee on Monday set two new execution dates , days after putting to death its seventh inmate in the past year and a half .
The Tennessee Supreme Court ordered an Oct. 8 execution date for Byron Black and a Dec. 3 execution date for Pervis Payne .
Black was convicted by a Nashville court of murdering his girlfriend Angela Clay and her daughters Latoya , 9 , and Lakesha , 6 , at their home in 1988 .
Prosecutors said he shot the three during a jealous rage .
Black was on work release at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estranged husband .
Payne was sentenced to death in Memphis for the 1987 fatal stabbing of Charisse Christopher and her daughter , Lacie Jo , in what prosecutors described as a “ drug-induced frenzy.
” Christopher ’ s son , Nicholas , who was 3 at the time , was stabbed but survived .
Payneclaimed at trial that he saw someone else leave the apartment and he got blood on him when he touched the victims after they had been stabbed .
Attorneys for the inmates have argued that both men are intellectually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ordered a competency hearing for Black to determine whether he is competent to be executed .
Two other executions are already scheduled for 2020 , so if all go forward as planned , Tennessee will execute five inmate this year , something it hasn ’ t done since 1948 , according to execution records from the Tennessee Department of Correction .
At least two things have made executions rare in Tennessee in the past .
Stringent legal protections for death penalty cases have meant appeals can drag on for years , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are exhausted , challenges to lethal injection have added more delays .
A U.S. Supreme Court 2015 decision made those lethal injection challenges harder to win by requiring inmates who object to one method of execution to show there is a readily available alternative that is more humane .
Tennessee inmates lost a major challenge to the state ’ s three-drug lethal injection method in July 2018 when a court ruled they had not shown their preferred one-drug method was available .
The state began its most recent string of executions the following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on behalf of the inmates have said state ’ s the mix of three drugs would cause sensations of drowning , suffocation and chemical burning while rendering the inmates unable to move or call out .
Five of the seven inmates executed since then have chosen to die in the state ’ s electric chair rather than by lethal injection , with several indicating they thought electrocution would be quicker and less painful .
The electric chair is an option in Tennessee for inmates whose crimes were committed before 1999 , when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injection .
The most recent inmate to die that way was Nicholas Sutton , who was executed on Thursday .


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--2 teens seriously wounded in stabbing at Hawaii high school

MILILANI , Hawaii - Two 16-year-olds were stabbed and seriously wounded at a Hawaii high school Monday .
Police confirmed @ @ @ @ @ suspect , who is not one of the wounded , was in custody , said @ @ @ @ @ for the Hawaii Department of Education .
A boy and girl were taken to a @ @ @ @ @ the stabbing at Mililani High School on central Oahu , Honolulu Emergency Medical Services spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ are expected to survive , Enright said .
Students were released early after being in @ @ @ @ @ .
No other details were immediately available .
Honolulu police didn ’ t immediately return @ @ @ @ @ Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the @ @ @ @ @ our newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more @ @ @ @ @ Now


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--UN reiterates support for 2-state Israel-Palestine solution

CAMEROON , Cameroon - The U.N. Security Council on Monday reiterated its support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict , in its first statement following the unveiling of the U.S. plan for resolving the decades-old struggle three weeks ago .
President Donald Trump ‘ s plan sided with Israel on most of the conflict ’ s main sticking points , and the Palestinians rejected it outright .
The U.N. statement , which was approved by all 15 council members including the U.S. , made no mention of Trump ’ s plan .
It also didn ’ t directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem — areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war — and the removal of many of the more than 700,000 Israeli settlers from these areas .
But the U.N. statement did voice the council ’ s support for a “ negotiated two-state solution , recalling previous relevant U.N. resolutions , and in accordance with international law , where two democratic states , Israel and Palestine , live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders.
” The statement was drafted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month .
Security Council resolutions have in the past called for a two-state solution based on 1967 lines , and the U.N. has repeatedly called Israeli settlements illegal .
A December 2016 resolution , frequently cited by the Palestinians that the U.S. abstained on , reaffirms that any Israeli settlement in “ Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 , including East Jerusalem , has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution.
” The council also “ underlines that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the June 4 , 1967 lines , including with regard to Jerusalem , other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations.
” The council statement came amid two days of intense fighting between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Gaza Strip .
There were no reports of civilian casualties on either side , but an informal cease-fire aimed at ending the fighting appeared to be taking hold early Tuesday .
Trump ’ s plan , announced at the White House in late January with much fanfare , grants Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Bank , and falls far short of the Palestinian dream of an independent state .
Instead , it calls for giving them limited autonomy over a disjointed archipelago of land , and only if they meet a stringent set of demands .
Under its terms , the proposed Palestinian state would be demilitarized and Israel would retain overall security control .
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the U.S. proposal “ an Israeli-American pre-emptive plan in order to put an end to the question of Palestine “ in a speech to the Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disjointed Palestinian state it envisioned is “ like a Swiss cheese.
” The council press statement adopted Monday reaffirms “ that all parties should refrain from undermining the viability of the two-state solution in order to maintain the prospects for a just , comprehensive and lasting peace.
” “ Council members stressed the need to exert collective efforts to launch credible negotiations on all final status issues in the Middle East peace process , ” it added .
The council also “ expressed grave concern about acts of violence against civilians.
” Belgium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de Buytswerve read the statement after U.N. special co-ordinator for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov briefed the council at an open meeting .
Members then held closed consultations .
Mladenov , who addressed the council by video while fighting raged between Israel and Islamic Jihad , called for “ an immediate stop to the firing of rockets and mortars that only risk dragging Gaza into another round of hostilities with no end in sight.
” On the political front , he said that with no Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on the horizon , “ developments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a two-state solution.
” Mladenov pointed to Israeli demolitions and seizures of Palestinian structures , Israeli approvals for new housing in settlements , and the threat of Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank .
He reiterated Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ’ statement that possible annexation or similar moves “ would have a devastating impact on the prospect for a two-state solution.
” “ They would close the door to negotiations , have negative repercussions across the region , and severely undermine opportunities for normalization and regional peace , ” Mladenov warned @


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Warrant: Boyfriend strangled slain Georgia student

FORT VALLEY , Ga. - A 23-year-old Georgia college student whose body was found days after she disappeared was strangled , according to an arrest warrant .
The cause of Anitra Gunn ’ s death was revealed Monday as a judge read aloud the charges against DeMarcus Little .
Little , also 23 , was charged on Friday with malice murder just hours after being arraigned on criminal damage charges .
Authorities said Little smashed windows in Gunn ’ s home and slashed her car tires on Feb. 5 .
Gunn , an agriculture student at Fort Valley State University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day .
Her remains were found days later in Crawford County , about 100 miles ( 160 kilometres ) south of Atlanta and about a mile and a half east of where Little lived with his aunt , according to investigators .
Her death was ruled a homicide on Thursday .
Little ’ s lawyer , Benjamin Davis , denied the charges during a hearing on Monday .
“ He ’ s a soldier , so his primary focus in life is defending America , putting his life on the line , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of person that would commit a malice murder ... like this , that would have been borne out in the military.
” Little was denied bond and remained in Peach County jail .
Another hearing is set for April 24 .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Generational split among SC black voters could hurt Biden

COLUMBIA , S.C. - For James Felder , the question of which presidential candidate to support in the South Carolina primary has never been terribly complicated .
The 80-year-old civil rights activist has always backed Joe Biden , appreciative of the eight years he spent as the No .
2 to the first black president .
But when Felder opened a recent forum at historically black Benedict College to questions , students in the room weren ’ t so convinced .
J ’ Kobe Kelley-Mills , a junior English major , said he was torn between Biden and Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now the Democratic front-runner after strong performances in the first three primary contests .
“ They both have decades of political experience , ” Kelley-Mills said of Biden and Sanders , adding that most of his friends were siding with the senator .
“ They ’ re going to really know how to communicate with people on the other side of the aisle in the Senate and I think that if we can get them in there , we can finally start to see the government start to move forward.
” Faith Dupree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Benedict ’ s NAACP student chapter , said she was backing Sanders , and sophomore Luis Gonzalez said he would likely vote for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
The dynamic was a reminder that black voters aren ’ t unanimous in how they ’ re approaching the rapidly evolving Democratic contest .
That ’ s a challenge for Biden as he seeks a commanding win in South Carolina on Saturday .
After disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire , he can ’ t afford losing much black support here , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or , even worse , in second place .
“ We ’ re not that monolithic group that we used to be , ” Felder said .
“ You ’ ve got a whole generation and a half , maybe , who don ’ t know Biden , don ’ t know what has happened in the past.
” “ This generation , ” Felder continued , “ is more open to others , new faces , as opposed to us who knew what Biden did .
We appreciated him as vice-president and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Obama so well , but you ’ ve got a generation who ’ s coming along now who says ‘ Well , that ’ s fine , but let me hear over here , too.
’ ” A national Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted in January found Sanders with an advantage among black voters under 35 , even as Biden had a big lead among black Democratic voters overall .
That poll was conducted before any of the primary contests began .
The generational split among African American voters in South Carolina parallels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early contests , with Sanders polling stronger among younger voters .
The challenge for Sanders will be to generate enough turnout among those younger voters , who historically turn out at rates far lower than their elders .
After a second place finish in Nevada , Biden quickly focused his campaign on South Carolina over the weekend .
He told parishioners at a black church in North Charleston that the election can “ rip out the roots of systemic racism ” if voters help him win the Democratic nomination .
But his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sensing Biden ’ s vulnerabilities .
Billionaire Tom Steyer has flooded the airwaves with millions of dollars of television advertising .
Warren and Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , will hold events across the state this week .
And Sanders plans to hold at least four large rallies , which tend to attract young voters , between Wednesday and Friday .
As they decide how to vote , African Americans aren ’ t split cleanly along generational lines .
For 71-year-old Andrea Loney , the challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-white field to find an appealing candidate .
It ’ s an unusual conundrum for Loney , who , as a longtime African American activist , often works the phone during election years to urge friends to vote and give them advice on whom to support .
This year , she said she can only wring her hands .
“ And by that , I mean , I am looking at who is the candidate that is most likely to be able to beat Trump , ” said Loney , who works as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina .
Loney joins her family on a group chat to discuss their choices for the Democratic nomination .
One of her daughters , Kwamine Gilyard , is backing Warren .
“ I am probably the only one who is firmly decided who I ’ m supporting and made that decision after the first debate , ” said Gilyard , 49 , who is a school administrator .
“ I ’ m the only one who , I think , has not changed that .
For me , it ’ s just that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her message , and keeping the focus on Trump as the person we are trying to beat , not each other.
” George Hart , a professor and faculty adviser to Benedict ’ s student chapter of the NAACP , said the chapter won ’ t endorse a candidate , but the most important criterion for black voters of all ages is backing a contender who will beat Trump .
“ It ’ s unfortunate that the field is as it is , ” he said .
“ I am for the strongest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the one who can endure what ’ s about to come at them.
” Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Charleston , South Carolina , and Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--World’s first in vitro cheetah cubs born at Ohio zoo

POWELL , Ohio - Two cheetah cubs have been born through in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer to a surrogate mother for the first time , Ohio zoo officials announced Monday .
The male and female cubs were born to 3-year-old Izzy at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Wednesday , the zoo said in a statement .
A team observed the births through a remote camera and are continuing to monitor Izzy and the cubs .
The biological mother of the cubs is 6-year-old Kibibi who has never reproduced and is too old to easily become pregnant naturally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ then fertilized in a Columbus Zoo laboratory on Nov. 19 .
The early stage embryos were implanted into Izzy on Nov. 21 , and an ultrasound reveled she was pregnant with two fetuses about a month later .
Dr. Randy Junge , the zoo ’ s vice-president of animal health , said this development could have broader implications for managing the species ’ population in the future .
It was the third time scientists had attempted the procedure and it was the first time it worked , according to zoo officials .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape, sexual assault in landmark #MeToo moment

NEW YORK - Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault against two women and led off to prison in handcuffs Monday in what his foes hailed as a landmark moment for the legal system and a long-overdue reckoning for the man vilified as the biggest monster of the # MeToo era .
He was acquitted on the most serious charges , two counts of predatory sexual assault , each carrying up to life in prison .
Both of those counts hinged on the testimony of “ Sopranos “ actress Annabella Sciorra , who said Weinstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and forcibly performed oral sex on her in the mid-1990s .
The 67-year-old Weinstein had a look of resignation on his face as he heard the verdict : guilty on two charges , not guilty on a set of more serious ones .
While it was not the across-the-board victory prosecutors and his accusers had hoped for , it could put the stooped and feeble-looking Weinstein behind bars for the rest of his life .
The charges carry up to 29 years in prison .
District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. saluted the women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boss , saying they “ changed the course of history in the fight against sexual violence ” and “ pulled our justice system into the 21st century.
” “ This is the new landscape for survivors of sexual assault in America , I believe , and it is a new day .
It is a new day because Harvey Weinstein has finally been held accountable for crimes he committed , ” Vance said .
Weinstein ’ s lawyers said they will appeal .
“ Harvey is unbelievably strong .
He took it like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rotunno said .
” He knows that we will continue to fight for him , and we know that this is not over.
” Another of his lawyers , Arthur Aidala , quoted Weinstein as telling as his legal team : : “ I ’ m innocent .
I ’ m innocent .
I ’ m innocent .
How could this happen in America ?
” The jury of seven men and five women took five days to find Weinstein guilty of raping an aspiring actress in a New York City hotel room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mimi Haleyi at his apartment in 2006 by forcibly performing oral sex on her .
Judge James Burke ordered Weinstein taken to jail immediately .
Court officers handcuffed Weinstein and put their arms under his , leading him unsteadily out of the courtroom via a side door without the use of the walker he relied on for much of the trial .
He was later taken from the courthouse in an ambulance , strapped to a stretcher in his suit , in what was believed to be just a precautionary measure .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who had been free on bail since his arrest nearly two years ago , be held in the infirmary after his lawyers said he needs medical attention following unsuccessful back surgery .
Sentencing was set for March 11 .
The sexual assault charge carries up to 25 years in prison , while the third-degree rape count is punishable by up to four years .
( The jury acquitted Weinstein of first-degree rape , which requires the use of force or the threat of it , and found him guilty of third-degree rape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
The verdict followed weeks of often harrowing and excruciatingly graphic testimony from a string of accusers who told of rapes , forced oral sex , groping , masturbation , lewd propositions and excuses from Weinstein about how the Hollywood casting couch works .
In addition to the three women he was charged with attacking , three more who said they were attacked by Weinstein testified in an effort by prosecutors to show a pattern of brutish behaviour .
Whispers about Weinstein circulated in Hollywood for years before they finally turned into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed his career and gave rise to # MeToo , the global movement to encourage women to come forward and hold powerful men accountable for their sexual misconduct .
The trial was the first criminal case to arise from the barrage of allegations against Weinstein from more than 90 women , including actresses Gwyneth Paltrow , Salma Hayek , Ashley Judd , Uma Thurman and Mira Sorvino .
Most of those cases were too old to prosecute .
While prosecutors and other Weinstein foes were disappointed by his acquittal on the most serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verdicts .
“ The era of impunity for powerful men who rape people is over , ” Sorvino said , breaking down in tears on a conference call of Weinstein ’ s former accusers .
“ He will rot in jail as he deserves.
” Judd , who accused Weinstein of damaging her career by spreading lies about her after she rejected his advances , tweeted : “ For the women who testified in this case , and walked through traumatic hell , you did a public service to girls and women everywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not testify , his lawyers contended that any sexual contact was consensual and that his accusers went to bed with him to get ahead in Hollywood .
The defence seized on the fact that the two women he was convicted of attacking had sex with him — and sent him warm and even flirty emails — well after he supposedly attacked them .
In the end , that argument didn ’ t seem to gain any traction .
Instead , the jury had trouble with Sciorra ’ s allegations .
Four days into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note indicating they were deadlocked on the two predatory sexual assault counts but had reached a unanimous verdict on the others .
The judge told them to keep on deliberating .
After the verdict , jury foreman Bernard Cody was asked what the deliberations were like for him personally and responded : “ Devastating.
” He did not elaborate .
Sciorra said in statement : “ While we hope for continued righteous outcomes that bring absolute justice , we can never regret breaking the silence .
For in speaking truth to power we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture , free of the scourge of violence against women.
” The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sex crimes unless they grant permission , as Haleyi and Sciorra did .
The phenomenally successful movie executive helped bring to the screen such Oscar winners as “ Good Will Hunting , ” “ Pulp Fiction , “ “ The King ’ s Speech , ” “ Silver Linings Playbook ” and “ Shakespeare in Love ” and nurtured the careers of celebrated filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Los Angeles .
In that case , announced just as the New York trial was getting under way in early January , authorities allege he raped one woman and sexually assaulted another on back-to-back nights during Oscars week in 2013 .
During the trial , Weinstein regularly trudged into the courthouse stooped and unshaven , using his walker — a far cry from the way he was depicted in court as a burly “ Jekyll-and-Hyde ” figure whose eyes seemed to turn black with menace when his anger flared .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ it was like a trigger for him , ” his rape accuser testified .
One woman said that when she laughed off his advances , he sneered , “ You ’ ll never make it in this business .
This is how this industry works.
” The jury heard lurid testimony that Weinstein injected himself with a needle to get an erection , that his genitals appeared disfigured , that he sent Sciorra a box of chocolate penises and that he once showed up uninvited at her hotel room door in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in one hand and a video in the other .
The prosecution ’ s task was made more complicated because Haleyi testified that she had sex with him two weeks after she was supposedly attacked , while the rape accuser whose name was withheld said she had a sexual encounter with him more than three years afterward .
The rape accuser admitted sending Weinstein emails saying “ Miss you big guy ” and “ I love you , always do .
But I hate feeling like a booty call.
” Under fierce cross-examination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained that she was afraid of the movie executive ’ s unpredictable anger and “ I wanted him to believe I wasn ’ t a threat.
” To blunt that line of questioning , prosecutors called as a witness a forensic psychiatrist who said that most sexual assault victims struggle to comprehend what happened to them and continue to have contact with their attackers .
During closing arguments , Rotunno charged that Weinstein had become “ the target of a cause and a movement ” — # MeToo — and asked the jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the case against Weinstein amounted to “ regret renamed as rape , ” arguing that the women exercised their free will to try to further their careers .
Weinstein ’ s lawyers repeatedly raised objections during the case that could form the basis of an appeal .
Among other things , the defence complained that the Los Angeles charges were timed to influence jury selection , and they unsuccessfully opposed the seating of a juror who wrote a novel involving predatory older men .
Over the years , Weinstein managed to silence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the constant fear that he could crush their careers if they spoke out .
He also employed an army of attorneys , publicists and private investigators to thwart journalists and suppress news stories about his behaviour .
Weinstein was finally arrested in May 2018 , seven months after The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed his alleged misconduct in stories that would win the Pulitzer Prize .
Among other men taken down by the # MeToo movement since the scandal broke : news anchors Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Weinstein ’ s studio , the Weinstein Co. , went bankrupt after his disgrace .
A tentative settlement was reached last year to resolve nearly all lawsuits stemming from the scandal .
It would pay Weinstein ’ s accusers about $ 25 million , but he would not have to admit any wrongdoing or personally pay anything ; the studio ’ s insurance would cover the cost .
On Twitter , follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Tom Hays at twitter.com/aptomhays

Michael R. Sisak And Tom Hays - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Shaky truce appears to take hold in Israel-Gaza fighting

JERUSALEM - A shaky cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad appeared to be taking hold early Tuesday , ending a two-day round of violence that had threatened to disrupt next week ’ s Israeli national elections .
Musab al-Berim , a spokesman for Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip , said the cease-fire went into effect at 11:30 p.m. Monday , several hours after an earlier truce quickly unraveled .
He said Egypt and U.N. mediators had negotiated the new deal , and nearly an hour later things appeared quiet on both sides .
During two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip while Islamic Jihad militants bombarded southern Israel with heavy rocket fire .
Israel also expanded its retaliation to Syria , where some of the Iranian-backed group ’ s leaders are based , killing two more Islamic Jihad militants in an overnight airstrike .
Earlier in the day , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who is locked in the final days of a divisive election campaign , ramped up his rhetoric .
He threatened Gaza ’ s Hamas rulers with a stepped-up operation if the rocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about a war , ” he told Israel ’ s Army Radio station .
“ I only go to war as a last option , but we have prepared something you can ’ t even imagine.
“ Early Monday evening , Islamic Jihad declared a unilateral cease-fire .
But Israel continued to strike targets in Gaza .
Islamic Jihad accused Israel of continued “ aggression ” and resumed its rocket fire , drawing further Israeli airstrikes and an Israeli closure of Gaza ’ s key border crossings and fishing zone .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopping its aggression , ” said Abu Hamza , another Islamic Jihad spokesman .
Then just before midnight , the cease-fire finally appeared to be taking hold .
Despite the tough rhetoric , all sides had an interest in ending the fighting quickly .
For Netanyahu , the violence has drawn unwanted attention to his inability to halt years of attacks and rocket fire by Gaza militants .
Hamas , while bitter enemies with Israel , is nonetheless more interested in easing a crippling Israeli blockade than fighting another war .
Islamic Jihad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past few months as a relatively weak and disorganized group — acting more as a spoiler to diplomatic efforts than a serious military threat to Israel .
In recent months , Israel has worked with U.N. and Egyptian mediators to cement a broader informal agreement with Hamas , the much larger Islamic militant group that has governed Gaza for more than a decade .
These “ understandings ” have eased the painful Israeli blockade in exchange for Hamas guarantees to maintain quiet .
Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas seized control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely honoured its truce obligations , the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad has continued to carry out attacks .
The latest round of fighting erupted early Sunday after Israel killed an Islamic Jihad militant it said was planting explosives along the border .
An Israeli military bulldozer pushed into Gaza to retrieve his body .
Footage of the bulldozer lifting the lifeless body and dangling it off the front of the vehicle quickly spread on Palestinian social media , drawing angry comments and putting pressure on the militants to respond .
Islamic Jihad militants began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched 80 rockets by the time the cease-fire was announced , according to the Israeli military .
The military said over 90 % of the rockets were intercepted .
One projectile slammed into an empty playground in the southern Israeli town of Sderot , causing damage to a jungle gym .
Schools were closed in Israeli areas adjacent to Gaza , roads shut and restrictions placed on outdoor public gatherings .
The Israeli military said the restrictions would remain in effect Tuesday .
It was the heaviest round of fighting since November , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a two-day battle after Israel killed one of the group ’ s top commanders .
The latest Israeli airstrikes targeted only Islamic Jihad positions .
But Israel holds Gaza ’ s Hamas rulers responsible for all fire coming out of the coastal enclave .
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and numerous skirmishes since the Islamic militant group overran Gaza from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007 .
Still , Netanyahu appeared to be reluctant to pick a fight with Hamas so close to next Monday ’ s election .
Hamas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it has shown itself capable of barraging Israel with rocket fire for weeks at a time .
Hamas , which remained on the sidelines , also has little interest in renewed fighting at a time when it is trying to improve living conditions for the territory it controls .
Netanyahu ’ s opponents have criticized his understandings with the group , accusing him of caving in to violence to keep things quiet .
“ Netanyahu , the country is under fire .
Get on helping it , ” said Netanyahu ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benny Gantz , leader of the opposition Blue and White Party .
“ The people of the south deserve better.
” The election will be Israel ’ s third in under a year , after two inconclusive votes last year .
Netanyahu , locked in a tight race with Gantz , has tried to focus the campaign away from his upcoming trial on corruption charges by presenting himself as an experienced statesman who is best-suited to protecting Israel ’ s security .
Ongoing violence close to election day could disrupt the vote and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expert on Israeli public opinion at the Israel Democracy Institute think-tank , said that after so many previous rounds of fighting , she did not expect the latest violence to have an impact on voters .
“ It ’ s expected and people are used to it , and resilience is not being eroded because of such ‘ normal events , ’ ” she said .
Associated Press writer Josef Federman reported this story in Jerusalem and AP writer Fares Akram reported from Amman , Jordan .

Josef Federman And Fares Akram - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--US to stop aid in Yemen’s Houthi areas if rebels don’t budge

CAIRO - USAID said late Monday that it will suspend aid to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen , where most of the country ’ s people live , if the rebels don ’ t remove impediments obstructing aid operations .
In a statement , the agency said it informed partners including U.N. agencies about the plan last week .
It said the suspension will start in late March if Houthis take no action .
“ We continue to do everything we can to avoid a reduction in aid in northern Yemen , ” the agency said .
The U.S. provided about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
It is among the largest donors to Yemen , where a U.N. aid program totalling $ 8.35 billion since 2015 is vital to keeping many Yemenis alive .
The U.N. calls the situation in Yemen the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
As the war in Yemen enters its sixth year , 10 million people in the country are on the brink of famine and 80 % of the population of 29 million need of aid , according to the U.N. More than 3 million people have been displaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at least 2.2 million children under 5 suffer from severe malnutrition , the agency said .
Yemen ’ s Houthi rebels , who control most of northern Yemen , have blocked half of the United Nations ’ aid delivery programs in the war-torn country — a strong-arm tactic aimed at forcing the agencies to give them greater control over the humanitarian campaign .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-24--White House readying emergency coronavirus budget request

WASHINGTON - The White House is readying an urgent budget request to address the deadly coronavirus outbreak , whose rapid spread is spooking financial markets and restricting international travel .
The request is still being developed but is likely to come this week , a senior administration official confirmed Monday .
The Department of Health and Human Services has already tapped into an emergency infectious disease rapid response fund and is seeking to transfer more than $ 130 million from other HHS accounts to combat the virus but is pressing for more .
“ We need some funding here to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said on Fox News .
” We need to combat this , we need to make sure our people are safe and the president is always going to take action to do that.
“ Senators returning to Washington after a weeklong recess will receive a classified briefing Tuesday morning on the government ’ s coronavirus response , a Senate aide said .
“ All of the warning lights are flashing bright red .
We are staring down a potential pandemic and the administration has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , who blasted a shortage of kits to test for the virus and President Donald Trump ’ s proposed budget cuts to health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ We have a crisis of coronavirus and President Trump has no plan , no urgency , no understanding of the facts or how to co-ordinate a response.
” Trump was a vocal critic of former President Barack Obama ’ s response to the 2014 Ebola scare , which barely touched the U.S. but was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s midterm elections , which restored control of the Senate to Republicans .
Trump took to Twitter Monday to defend his record .
“ The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA .
We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries .
CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart .
Stock Market starting to look very good to me !
” he tweeted .
Among the needs is funding to reimburse the Pentagon , which is housing evacuees from China — who are required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military bases in California .
Democrats controlling the House wrote HHS Secretary Alex Azar earlier this month to request funds to help speed development of a coronavirus vaccine , expand laboratory capacity , and beef up screening efforts at U.S. entry points .
Azar is slated to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday , and the U.S. response to the outbreak is sure to be a major topic .
The White House budget office , led by Russell Vought , is working with HHS to shape the request , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is likely to approve .
There is a receptive audience for the request on Capitol Hill , though stand-alone emergency spending bills can be tricky to pass since they are invariably a target for lawmakers seeking add-ons .
The stock market dove Monday over coronavirus fears , with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping by 3.6 % — or more than 1,000 points .
The quickly spreading virus has slammed the economy of China , where the virus originated , and caseloads are rapidly increasing in countries such as South Korea , Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a walking tour of Chinatown on Monday to let the public know the neighbourhood is safe and open for business .
Pelosi , a Democrat who represents the heavily Chinese American city , visited the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory , whose owner Kevin Chan , says his business and others are down 70 % since the outbreak of the coronavirus .
“ Çome to Chinatown , ” Pelosi said .
“ Precautions have been taken by our city , we know that there ’ s concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , but we think it ’ s very safe to be in Chinatown and hope that others will come.
” Asked about the Trump administration ’ s looming request , Pelosi said she would want to know how the money would be used .
The administration official required anonymity to discuss the request because it is not yet public .


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--The Latest: Sciorra: Testimony against Weinstein was needed

NEW YORK - The Latest on a verdict in the rape and sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein ( all times local ) : Actress Annabella Sciorra , who accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her in the 1990s , said Monday that her testimony against him at his New York City trial was “ painful but necessary.
” Sciorra released a statement after Weinstein was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in 2006 and raping another in 2013 .
He was acquitted , however , of two counts of predatory sexual assault that hinged on Sciorra ’ s testimony .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strength of the eighty plus victims of Harvey Weinstein in my heart , “ the “ Sopranos ” actress said hours after the verdict was announced .
She added : “ For in speaking truth to power we pave the way for a more just culture , free of the scourge of violence against women.
” The jury found Weinstein guilty of third-degree rape for an assault on an aspiring actress in 2013 and of a criminal sex act for forcibly performing oral sex on production assistant Mimi Haleyi at his apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke briefly after the jury convicted Weinstein of rape and sexual assault .
“ As sure as I ’ m a bald man , we will be appealing , “ he said .
Weinstein is “ disappointed ” with the verdict , but he is “ mentally tough , “ defence attorney Donna Rotunno said .
“ Harvey is very strong .
Harvey is unbelievably strong .
He took it like a man , “ she said outside the courthouse .
Weinstein was immediately taken into custody and was led out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be going to “ more of a hospital than a jail ” after the judge granted the defence ’ s request to give him medical attention .
His lawyers say Weinstein had an unsuccessful back surgery recently .
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance praised the women who came forward and “ changed the course of history ” by sharing their allegations that led to the conviction of Harvey Weinstein .
He commended the women who testified against Weinstein at his New York City trial that “ pulled our criminal justice system into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rape and sexual assault is sexual assault no matter what.
” Vance spoke outside the courthouse Monday shortly after a jury convicted Weinstein of rape and sexual assault .
The jury found him not guilty of the most serious charge , predatory sexual assault , which could have resulted in a life sentence .
Weinstein was immediately handcuffed and transported to jail following his conviction .
Harvey Weinstein was hauled out a side door of the courtroom with his hands cuffed in front of him after he was convicted Monday of rape and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been using a walker to get in and out of court during his trial in Manhattan .
After he was convicted and ordered to jail immediately , court officers held him up by his arms to help him along as they led him out .
Weinstein lawyer Donna Rotunno had argued that recent back surgery was not successful and that her client needed more medical attention .
Judge James Burke said he would make a judicial request for Weinstein to be put in an infirmary .
Harvey Weinstein had a look of resignation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at trial Monday of forcibly performing oral sex on a woman in 2006 and of third-degree rape in 2013 .
The jury found him not guilty of the most serious charge , predatory sexual assault , which could have resulted in a life sentence .
The once-powerful Hollywood mogul stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read in court in Manhattan .
As the jury was taken back behind closed doors , Weinstein continued to sit at the defence table , with several court officers standing close by .
He then began talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicted Monday at his sexual assault trial , sealing his dizzying fall from powerful Hollywood studio boss to archvillain of the # MeToo movement .
The verdict followed weeks of often harrowing and excruciatingly graphic testimony from a string of accusers who told of rapes , forced oral sex , groping , masturbation , lewd propositions and that ’ s-Hollywood excuses from Weinstein about how the casting couch works .
The conviction was seen as a long-overdue reckoning for Weinstein after years of whispers about his behaviour turned into a torrent of accusations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave rise to # MeToo , the global movement to encourage women to come forward and hold powerful men accountable for their sexual misconduct .
The jury says it has reached a verdict Monday in Harvey Weinstein ’ s rape trial in New York City .
The jury has been deliberating the rape and sexual assault charges against the once-powerful movie mogul for five days .
Weinstein has said any sexual encounters were consensual .
Jurors at Harvey Weinstein ’ s New York City rape trial are set to resume deliberations Monday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top charges in the closely watched # MeToo case .
The jury sent a note to Judge James Burke at the end of a fourth day of deliberations on Friday , asking if it was permissible for the panel to be hung on one or both counts of predatory sexual assault against the disgraced movie mogul while reaching a unanimous verdict on lesser charges .
The judge responded by ordering the jury to keep deliberating and try to reach a unanimous decision .
The query sparked speculation that the trial could end with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not addressed that .


thetorontostar--2020-02-24--Girl, 11, brings AR-15 to Idaho hearing on gun legislation

BOISE , Idaho - An 11-year-old girl toting a loaded AR-15 assault weapon appeared Monday at a legislative hearing with her grandfather , who is supporting a proposal that would allow visitors to Idaho who can legally possess firearms to carry a concealed handgun within city limits .
Charles Nielsen addressed the committee that voted to send the legislation to the full House as Bailey Nielsen stood at his side with the weapon slung over her right shoulder , but did not say anything .
“ Bailey is carrying a loaded AR-15 , ” Charles Nielsen told lawmakers .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that which they do not understand .
She ’ s been shooting since she was 5 years old .
She got her first deer with this weapon at 9 .
She carries it responsibly .
She knows how not to put her finger on the trigger .
We live in fear in a society that is fed fear on a daily basis.
” He said Bailey was an example of someone who could responsibly handle a gun , and lawmakers should extend that to non-residents .
“ When they come to Idaho , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because they carry responsibly , ” he said .
“ They ’ re law-abiding citizens .
It ’ s the criminal we have to worry about.
” There was no notable reaction among lawmakers to the girl carrying the AR-15 , and none asked Charlie Nielsen any questions after he testified .
Guns are not an uncommon sight in the Statehouse when gun legislation is being debated , particularly handguns on belt holsters .
Long rifles such as AR-15s also appear occasionally .
Some Idaho lawmakers are known to carry concealed weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Statehouse , and one and sometimes two are typically present at committee meetings where emotions can become strong .
Republican Rep. Christy Zito , who is proposing the measure opposed by the three Democrats on the House State Affairs Committee , said the legislation is intended to clear up confusion about state gun laws .
Backers also say it will give people the ability to defend themselves if needed .
Idaho residents 18 and older are allowed to carry a concealed handgun within city limits in Idaho without a permit or training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place last summer .
The legislation would extend that to any legal resident of the United States or a U.S. armed services member .
“ I stand here before you today as a mother and grandmother who has had to use a firearm to defend their child , ” Zito said .
She said two men once approached her vehicle with her daughter inside .
“ Even though I didn ’ t have to pull the trigger , just the fact that they could see it , and they knew that I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Zito said .
Opponents say allowing teenagers to carry a concealed weapon without any required training within city limits is a bad idea and could lead to shootings .
If the bill becomes law , Idaho would be among a handful of states that allow that type of concealed carry .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Stocks open sharply lower on Wall Street; Dow sinks 1.8%

NEW YORK - Stocks are opening sharply lower on Wall Street , putting the market on track for its worst week since October 2008 during the global financial crisis .
U.S. indexes fell 1.8 % following steep losses in Europe and Asia .
The rout is driven by fear that the virus that emerged in China will derail the global economy .
Investors continue to buy up low-risk assets like bonds , sending yields to record lows .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 463 points , or 1.8 % , to 25,311 .
The S & P 500 lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 2,922 .
The Nasdaq fell 143 points , or 1.7 % , to 8,423 .
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE .
AP ’ s earlier story follows below : Global stock markets plunged further Friday on spreading fears over the impact of the new coronavirus , with some indexes set to close out their worst week since the depths of the financial crisis in 2008 .
Germany ’ s DAX skidded as much as 5 % before stabilizing , Tokyo and Shanghai closed 3.7 % lower .
Wall Street looked set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its biggest one-day drop in nine years .
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S & P 500 were down 0.4 % .
Investors had been growing confident the disease that emerged in China in December might be under control .
But outbreaks in Italy , South Korea , Japan and Iran have fueled fears the virus is turning into a global threat that might derail trade and industry .
Anxiety intensified Thursday when the United States reported its first virus case in someone who hadn ’ t travelled abroad or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Virus fears “ have become full-blown across the globe as cases outside China climb , ” Chang Wei Liang and Eugene Leow of DBS said in a report .
In Europe , London ’ s FTSE 100 sank 2.9 % to 6,599 and Frankfurt ’ s DAX tumbled 3.3 % to 11,955 .
France ’ s CAC 40 lost 2.7 % to 5,346 .
The Stoxx Europe 600 index is heading for its sharpest weekly drop since October 2008 .
Markets in China and Hong Kong had been doing relatively well despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with credit by authorities to shore up prices after trading resumed following an extended Lunar New Year holiday .
Chinese investor sentiment also has been buoyed by promises of lower interest rates , tax breaks and other aid to help revive manufacturing and other industries .
But now , major companies are issuing profit warnings , saying factory shutdowns in China are disrupting supply chains .
They say travel bans and other anti-disease measures are hurting sales in China , an increasingly vital consumer market .
In Asian trading on Friday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 21,142.96 and the Shanghai Composite Index also fell 3.7 % , to 2,880.30 .
Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng lost 2.5 % to 26,129.93 .
The Kospi in Seoul fell 3.3 % to 1,987.01 and Sydney ’ s S & P-ASX 200 sank 3.2 % to 6,441.2 .
India ’ s Sensex skidded 3.6 % to 38,331.87 .
New Zealand and Southeast Asian markets also retreated .
On Thursday , the S & P 500 fell 4.4 % to 2,978.76 .
The index is down 12 % from its all-time high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into what traders call a correction .
Some analysts have said that was overdue in a record-setting bull market , though Mizuho Bank noted hitting that status in just six days was “ the fastest correction since the Great Depression ” in the 1930s .
Investors came into 2020 feeling confident the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates at low levels and the U.S.-China trade war posed less of a threat to company profits after the two sides signed a truce in January .
The market ’ s sharp drop this week partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. and global economies could take a bigger hit from the coronavirus than previously thought , weakening consumer confidence and depressing spending .
The Dow shed 1,190.95 points on Thursday , its largest one-day point drop in history , bringing its loss for the week to 3,225.77 points , or 11.1 % .
To put that in perspective , the Dow ’ s 508-point loss on Oct. 19 , 1987 , was equal to 22.6 % .
“ It is a race to the bottom for U.S. indices , ” Jingyi Pan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It may still be too early to call a bottom given the uncertainty around the matter of the coronavirus impact.
” U.S. bond prices soared Thursday as investors fled to safe investments .
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note , or the difference between the market price and what an investor will be paid if the bond is held to maturity , fell to a record low of 1.16 % .
A shrinking yield caused by investors shifting money into the relative safety of bonds and pushing up their market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the economy .
Most access to the city of Wuhan , a manufacturing hub of 11 million people at the centre of the outbreak , was suspended Jan. 23 .
The Lunar New Year holiday was extended to keep factories and offices closed .
The government told the public to stay home .
China has begun trying to reopen factories and other businesses in areas with low risk after shutting down much of its economy to stem the spread of the infection .
Travel controls remain in effect in many areas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases mount .
Japan is preparing to close schools nationwide and officials on the northern island of Hokkaido , where there are more than 60 confirmed cases of the virus , declared a state of emergency and asked residents to stay home over the weekend if possible .
Saudi Arabia has banned foreign pilgrims from entering the kingdom to visit Islam ’ s holiest sites .
Italy has become the centre of the outbreak in Europe .
“ The more countries that are faced with fighting a pandemic , the wider the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased recessionary risks , ” said Tai Hui of J.P. Morgan Asset Management in a report .
In energy markets Friday , benchmark U.S. crude fell $ 1.35 to $ 45.74 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
The contract lost $ 1.64 on Thursday .
Brent crude oil , used to price international oils , sank $ 1.11 to $ 50.62 per barrel in London .
It declined $ 1.25 the previous session .
The dollar rose to 108.74 yen from Thursday ’ s 109.58 yen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.0998 .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Northern California city at epicenter of coronavirus mystery

VACAVILLE , Calif. - Residents of a Northern California community are at the epicenter of what officials are calling a turning point in the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus , as investigators try to retrace the steps of a hospitalized woman they believe to be the first in the U.S. to be infected without travelling internationally or being in close contact with anyone who had it .
As infectious disease experts fanned out in Vacaville , some residents in the city of 100,000 stocked up on supplies amid fears things could get worse despite official reassurances , while others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city lies between San Francisco and Sacramento in Solano County , in the agricultural Central Valley and near California ’ s famous wine region .
It is about 10 miles ( 16 kilometres ) from Travis Air Force Base , which has been used as a virus quarantine location .
Public health officials said they can find no connection between the infected woman and passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship who were evacuated to the base when the ship was docked in Japan .
The case of the infected woman marks an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. because it means the virus could spread beyond the reach of preventative measures like quarantines , though state health officials said that was inevitable and that the risk of widespread transmission remains low .
But McKinsey Paz , her husband and her boss at a Vacaville private security company weren ’ t taking any chances .
They hustled to a warehouse store Thursday to buy bottled water , canned food , staples like rice and beans and cases of toilet paper and paper towels .
“ We ’ re not sure what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems to do that to you , ” Paz said .
“ In case things get a little crazy , we didn ’ t want to be the last ones .
We ’ re preparing for the worst.
” Solano County Public Health Officer Dr. Bela Matyas said public health officials have identified dozens of people — but less than 100 — who had close contact with the woman .
They are quarantined in their homes and a few who have shown symptoms are in isolation , Matyas said .
Officials are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casual contact , because federal officials think the coronavirus is spread only through “ close contact , being within six feet of somebody for what they ’ re calling a prolonged period of time , ” said Dr. James Watt , interim state epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health .
The virus can cause fever , coughing , wheezing and pneumonia .
Health officials think it spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes , similar to how the flu spreads .
Several Vacaville residents said they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while taking other routine and recommended precautions like frequent and thorough hand-washing .
But others plan to do more .
“ I ’ m definitely going to wear my mask and gloves at work , because I ’ m a server , ” said bowling alley worker Denise Arriaga , who has seen more patrons wearing masks recently and said she doesn ’ t care if she ’ s criticized for the extra precautions .
“ At the end of the day , it ’ s my life , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly public health officials are moving to diagnose and treat new cases .
State and federal health officials disagreed about when doctors first requested the woman be tested .
Doctors at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento said they asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test the woman for the virus on Feb. 19 .
But they said the CDC did not approve the testing until Sunday “ since the patient did not fit the existing CDC criteria ” for the virus , according to a memo posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The woman first sought treatment at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville , before her condition worsened and she was transferred to the medical centre .
CDC spokesman Richard Quartarone said a preliminary review of agency records indicates the agency did not know about the woman until Sunday , the same day she was first tested .
That ’ s the kind of confusion that concerns Paz , whose security company has already stockpiled 450 face masks and is scrambling for more “ since they ’ re hard to come by.
” The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disinfectant supplies to both scrub down the office and send home with employees .
But they appeared to be at the extreme for preparations .
Eugenia Kendall was wearing a face mask , but in fear of anything including the common cold .
Her immune system is impaired because she is undergoing chemotherapy , and she has long been taking such precautions .
“ We ’ re not paranoid .
We ’ re just trying to be practical , ” said her husband of 31 years , Ivan Kendall .
“ We wipe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and when I get back in the car I wipe my hands — and just hope for the best.
” In their investigation of the movements of the hospitalized woman , officials were trying to figure out how she got it and who else she may have unwittingly infected .
They are interviewing immediate family members and expanding their net to include more distant family members who may have been in contact , social gatherings like church that the patient may have attended and any possible time spent at work or events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all of the 59 other cases in the U.S. have been for people who travelled abroad or had close contact with others who travelled .
Earlier U.S. cases included 14 in people who returned from outbreak areas in China , or their spouses ; three people who were evacuated from the central China city of Wuhan ; and 42 American passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship .
The global count of those sickened by the virus hovered Friday around 83,000 and caused more than 2,800 deaths , most of them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Don Thompson And Adam Beam - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Former Prague Muslim leader sentenced on terror charges

PRAGUE , Czech Republic - A Czech court on Friday convicted a former Prague Muslim leader of being part of a terror group and financing terrorism , sentencing him to 10 years in prison .
Prosecutors said imam Samer Shehadeh helped his brother Omar and later his brother ’ s wife , Fatima Hudkova , travel to Syria to join a terror group known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham .
Prosecutors also said Shehadeh sent unspecified sums of money to the group that seeks to replace the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad with an Islamic state .
Two other people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terror charges in absentia by Prague ’ s Municipal Court .
One received a prison term of 11 years and the other person was given a term of six years .
Shehadeh didn ’ t deny the charges but said he didn ’ t consider his deeds a crime because he doesn ’ t recognize the Syrian government and doesn ’ t consider the group terrorist .
Shehadeh can still appeal the verdict .
The members of Prague ’ s Muslim community distanced themselves from his activities .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Buffalo Roman Catholic Diocese seeks bankruptcy protection

BUFFALO , N.Y. - The embattled Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo filed for bankruptcy protection Friday , taking another major step in its effort to recover from a clergy misconduct scandal that ‘ s been the basis for hundreds of lawsuits , Vatican intervention and the resignation of its bishop .
With its filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court , the western New York diocese became the second in the state to file for Chapter 11 reorganization , and one of more than 20 dioceses to seek bankruptcy protection nationwide .
Most recently , the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buffalo diocese has faced particular turmoil in recent months , culminating in the Dec. 4 resignation of Bishop Richard Malone following a Vatican-mandated investigation .
Malone had faced intense pressure from members of his staff , clergy and the public to step down amid criticism that he withheld the names of dozens of credibly accused priests and mishandled reports of misconduct against others .
“ We have no more urgent work than to bring about justice and healing for those harmed by the scourge of sexual abuse , ” Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intense emotional , mental and spiritual pain inflicted on these innocent victim survivors is a heavy burden they are forced to carry throughout their lives.
” Scharfenberger , who is temporarily overseeing the Buffalo diocese , said the decision will enable the highest possible number of victims to be compensated while allowing the work of the diocese to continue .
The diocese includes 163 parishes and missions across eight western New York counties .
It already has paid out about $ 18 million — including $ 1.5 million from the sale of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 100 victims under an independent compensation program established in 2018 .
It faces more than 240 new lawsuits filed since August , when the New York ’ s Child Victims Act suspended the statute of limitations to give childhood victims one year to pursue even decades-old allegations of abuse .
The bankruptcy filing does not include individual parishes or Catholic elementary and high schools , which are separately incorporated , Scharfenberger said .
Attorneys Steve Boyd and Jeff Anderson , who represent some alleged sexual misconduct victims , criticized the filing as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proceedings can limit victims ’ access to sensitive records with the potential to expose additional wrongdoing by priests or senior church officials .
“ The Diocese of Buffalo is using bankruptcy to continue to conceal the truth about predator priests in this diocese , ” Anderson said in a statement .
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester was the first of the state ’ s eight dioceses to seek bankruptcy protection when it filed in September .
Several others have said bankruptcy was a consideration .
More than a dozen attorneys general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviews of clergy abuse in the wake of a shocking Pennsylvania grand jury report last year .
The report asserted that about 300 priests had abused at least 1,000 children in the state over seven decades .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Mexico confirms first 2 cases of coronavirus

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s assistant health secretary announced Friday that the country now has two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus .
Hugo Lopez-Gatell said one of the patients is in Mexico City and the other in the northern state of Sinaloa .
While a second test is still pending on that case , he said , “ We are treating this as confirmed.
” Neither is seriously ill. At least five family contacts of the first patient have been placed in isolation .
He said one of the men had contact with someone who had travelled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been an outbreak .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador appeared to downplay the seriousness of the COVID-19 virus , saying “ it isn ’ t even equivalent to flu.
“ Seasonal flu kills more people because it has infected far more people , but the new virus appears to have a far higher mortality rate .
In the central China city of Wuhan , where the new coronavirus first exploded , 2 % to 4 % of patients have died , according to the World Health Organization .
But in the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.7 % .
On average , the death rate from seasonal flu is about 0.1 % .
“ I repeat , according to the available information , it is not something terrible , fatal , ” López Obrador said .
“ There shouldn ’ t be any yellow journalism , or exaggerations , to cause a mass psychosis of fear , of terror.
” Brazil on Wednesday confirmed Latin America ’ s first confirmed case of the new coronavirus in a man who travelled to Italy this month .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Markets slide, auto show cancelled as virus impact spreads

LONDON - Stock markets are heading for their worst week since 2008 , Europe ’ s top auto show has been cancelled and companies keep lowering their earnings estimates .
Here ’ s a look at the latest developments : MARKETS : Share indexes are down sharply again , with losses of over 3 % in Japan and Germany .
Wall Street is expected to drop further , with futures down 1 % .
At this pace , stocks are set to have their worst week since 2008 , at the height of the global financial crisis .
The price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to falling under $ 50 a barrel for the first time since the middle of 2017 .
EVENTS : The Geneva auto show was cancelled after Swiss authorities banned large events of more than 1,000 people .
The trade fair is a big event , particularly for European automakers , which are already struggling with the need to reduce carbon emissions .
Sports events were being cancelled in many parts of the world .
Tourism is heavily affected , too , with hotels laying off staff .
A theme part in Thailand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RUN ON MASKS : Fear of the virus has led to a global run on sales of face masks despite medical experts ’ advice that most people who aren ’ t sick don ’ t need to wear them .
Many businesses are sold out , while others are limiting how many a customer can buy .
Amazon is policing its site , trying to make sure sellers don ’ t gouge panicked buyers .
EARNINGS AND JOBS : British Airways warned that its earnings have been hit as people put off or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrier ’ s owner , International Airlines Group , said it has seen lower demand on its Asian and European routes as well as weaker business travel due to the cancellation of industry events and corporate travel .
Philippine Airlines is laying off 300 ground personnel as part of an ongoing restructuring that was aggravated by travel restrictions caused by the virus .
Emerson Electric , which said two weeks ago that it would take a $ 75 million to $ 100 million hit because of the virus , said Friday that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
The St. Louis company makes everything from industrial valves to residential air conditioning systems , has substantial production facilities in China .
It now anticipates its second-quarter sales will be hurt by at least $ 100 million to $ 150 million .
Emerson said in a regulatory filing that the longer the virus continues , the less likely it is to see a sales recovery this year .
Key facilities in China are operating at 85 % capacity after a number of them were shut down .
The company said logistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 75 % the normal rate .
Transit times are delayed and rates have risen .
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK : Policymakers were downgrading their forecasts due to the widespread disruption to business .
The outgoing head of the Bank of England told Sky News that it is unclear how big the economic knock will be .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Afghans view US-Taliban deal with well-earned skepticism

KABUL - Many Afghans view Saturday ’ s expected signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal with a heavy dose of well-earned skepticism .
They ’ ve spent decades living in a country at war — some their whole lives — and wonder if they can ever reach a state of peace .
The deal expected to be signed in Doha , Qatar is meant to set the stage for a U.S. troop withdrawal and to usher in talks among Afghans on both sides of the conflict about their country ’ s future .
There ’ s been bitter squabbling among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truce being undermined , and the challenge of uniting a fractured country remains daunting .
Also on Saturday , but in the Afghan capital Kabul , U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will sign a declaration “ recommitting the international community ’ s commitment to Afghanistan , ” said Sediq Sediqqui , spokesman for Afghanistan ’ s President Ashraf Ghani .
Arash , an Afghan policeman in the capital of Kabul , was 7 years old when a U.S.-led military coalition ousted the Taliban government in 2001 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ harbouring Osama Bin Laden while he masterminded the Sept. 11 terror attacks .
“ We ’ ve had no escape from war , ” said Arash , who only gave his first name because he had not received permission from his superiors to speak to reporters .
He said he and his colleagues want peace , but that political leaders “ are only thirsty for power , not for peace.
” He said the Taliban are fellow Afghans and that “ we should have peace with them.
” Afghanistan ’ s economy has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite billions of dollars spent on nation building .
Some 55 % live in poverty , or less than $ 1 a day , up from 34 % in 2012 .
On a recent chilly Kabul morning , dozens of labourers waited to be picked up for a day ’ s work .
Dressed in tattered paint-splattered clothes , some carrying their own paintbrushes , they squatted on the sidewalk in the heart of the capital , where new high-rise buildings butt up against small dingy shops .
“ Everyone is looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands like us all over the city , ” said Qatradullah , who like many Afghans goes by just one name .
He said he favours the peace deal and hopes it will bring jobs , but that government corruption has been crippling .
He said the vast sums pumped into Afghanistan have “ gone into the pockets of our leaders.
” Transparency International last year ranked Afghanistan 173rd of 180 countries it monitors , scoring it 16 out of 100 .
President Donald Trump has been critical of Washington ’ s spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really serving , not as a military force , as we are a police force , ” Trump said earlier this week while on a visit to India .
“ They have to police their own country.
“ Under the peace plan , 13,000 U.S. troops will initially draw down to 8,600 , Trump said .
Much of the plan remains vague , except to say American troops will withdraw and that the Taliban promise not to let extremists use the country as a staging ground for attacking the U.S. or its allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if everything goes according to plan , all U.S. soldiers would be out of Afghanistan in 14 months .
Washington has not confirmed such a timeline .
The agreement also stipulates the release of 5,000 Taliban from Afghan-run jails , but it ’ s not clear if the government will agree to that .
The Taliban and representatives from Kabul , including the government , are to sit together within 10 to 15 days of Saturday ’ s signing .
They ’ ll try to negotiate the framework of a post-war Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more permanent cease-fire and the rights of women and minorities .
Negotiators will try to figure out how to re-integrate tens of thousands of Taliban insurgents and thousands more militiamen loyal to warlords in Kabul , who have grown powerful and wealthy during 18 years .
Shepherding the sides toward intra-Afghan negotiations has been one of the biggest headaches for U.S. negotiators , according to Afghans familiar with the process .
It ’ s been complicated by President Ashraf Ghani ’ s insistence to hold an election last September .
He wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Taliban .
But critics say a divisive election has only fragmented the political landscape in Kabul .
The country ’ s election commission declared Ghani the winner earlier this month , despite charges of irregularities from his opponents and from the elections complaints commission U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday pleaded for Kabul to come up with a “ fully representative ” team for talks with the Taliban .
Hamid Gailani , an Afghan negotiator in preliminary talks , said that “ the biggest challenge that I see is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that needs to be resolved.
“ He called on the fractious leadership to think of the greater good and not to miss a rare window of opportunity .
“ God forbid , if we lose this opportunity , then it is gone forever , ” he said .
In 2001 , many Taliban fighters returned to their communities after their government collapsed .
But the new administration in Kabul sought revenge , often using the U.S.-led coalition to exact it , demanding money from former Taliban or threatening to hand them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fighters to once again take up arms and head back into the mountains , according to former Taliban members and analysts explaining their group ’ s resurgence .
The Taliban now control or hold sway over half the country , and are at their most powerful since the U.S. invasion .
Only one militant group ever signed a peace agreement with Ghani ’ s government .
The group ’ s leader , warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar , said many of his fighters faced harassment , intimidation and even prison when they attempted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience is not be repeated with the Taliban , ” Hekmatyar he said in an interview this week .
At an Afghan National Army post in the capital , the AP spoke with two soldiers , including one who served for 14 years .
They welcomed a peace deal with the Taliban .
Neither wanted to give their name as they gestured to their torn uniforms and disintegrating army boots , fearing retribution from their commanding officers if they spoke too freely .
One soldier said he hadn ’ t received his salary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only half a month ’ s salary .
“ We ’ ll be happy to have the Taliban serving with us , but if the government isn ’ t paying us , how can they pay them ?
” he said .
“ Maybe the Taliban should think twice before wanting to join the army.
” Associated Press writer Tameem Akhgar in Kabul , Afghanistan , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Guests evacuated after boat at Disney World takes on water

ORLANDO , Fla. - A boat filled with guests at Walt Disney World had to be evacuated Thursday after it @ @ @ @ @ one was hurt , and the passengers aboard the Jungle Cruise boat got off the @ @ @ @ @ the resort ’ s private government were called to the scene , according to Disney @ @ @ @ @ was opened a short time later .
Disney officials didn ’ t say how many @ @ @ @ @ or what caused it to take on water .
A photo posted on Twitter by @ @ @ @ @ standing on seats with water covering the boat ’ s bottom .
Another photo showed @ @ @ @ @ employee standing in knee-deep water on the partially submerged boat .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-28--‘Boy Next Door’ Killer expected to get death for 2 murders

LOS ANGELES - A judge is expected to give a death sentence Friday to a man prosecutors call “ The Boy Next Door Killer , “ who was found guilty of the home-invasion murders of two women .
A Los Angeles jury recommended the death penalty in October for 44-year-old Michael Thomas Gargiulo , whose victims included 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin , a fashion design student killed in Hollywood in 2001 just before she was to go on a date with actor Ashton Kutcher , who testified at the trial .
Superior Court Judge Larry P. Fidler will sentence Gargiulo on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defence motions for a new trial or a reduced sentence .
Even if he is given a death sentence , Gargiulo is unlikely to be put to death anytime soon .
California has not executed anyone since 2006 .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom last year halted executions for as long as he is in office , though courts have been proceeding on the assumption that executions may one day resume .
Gargiulo , an air-conditioning and heater repairman , bouncer and aspiring actor whose nicknames from media outlets included “ The Chiller Killer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” was also found guilty of the 2005 murder of 32-year-old Maria Bruno in El Monte , east of Los Angeles .
The deputy district attorneys who presented the case against him called him the “ Boy Next Door Killer ” because he lived near all his victims and watched them before the attacks .
The jury also convicted him of the attempted murder in 2008 of Michelle Murphy , who fought him off in Santa Monica , forcing him to flee and leave a trial of blood that also led to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After his sentencing he will face trial in his Chicago-area hometown for the 1997 killing of Tricia Pacaccio .
She lived just down the street from Gargiulo in suburban Glenview .
Gargiulo was a friend of her brother ’ s and 17 at the time Pacaccio was stabbed to death on her front porch.. Later police said DNA collected from Pacaccio ’ s fingernails matched Gargiulo .
Evidence in that case was allowed in Gargiulo ’ s Los Angeles trial to establish a pattern in a case where little physical evidence tied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killings .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--National Symphony cancels Japan concerts due to virus

WASHINGTON - The National Symphony Orchestra cancelled the five remaining performances in Japan of its Asian tour because of a new virus epidemic .
The orchestra originally was to play eight concerts in its first international tour with music director Gianandrea Noseda .
On Feb. 4 , the NSO called off shows in Beijing on March 13 and 14 and one in Shanghai on March 17 .
In an announcement Thursday night , the orchestra scrapped performances from March 6-11 in Fukui , Sakai , Hiroshima and Tokyo .
It cited a recommendation from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next two weeks .
“ After multiple consultations with officials at U.S. government agencies and recommendations from the Japanese government , it became clear that these evolving circumstances are beyond our control , ” NSO executive director Gary Ginstling said in a statement .
The NSO is based at the Kennedy Center in Washington , D.C. , and hopes fill the void in its schedule with orchestra and chamber music in the Washington area .
The Boston Symphony Orchestra cancelled an Asian tour from Feb. 6-16 that had included performances in Seoul , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shanghai and Hong Kong .
The COVID-19 illness caused by a new type of coronavirus has sickened tens of thousands of people , most of them in China .
Japan and South Korea also have been hard hit among Asian countries .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Virus outbreak in Iran sickens hundreds, including leaders

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - After facing sanctions and the risk of war amid tensions with the United States , Iran ’ s Shiite theocracy now has an enemy in the new coronavirus that infiltrated its leadership in plain view of state-controlled media and despite repeated denials of any looming threat .
The outbreak of the new virus in Iran has been dramatic — the head of Iran ’ s task force to stop the illness , known as COVID-19 , was seen coughing , sweating and wheezing across televised interviews before acknowledging he was infected .
Then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sat only meters ( feet ) away from President Hassan Rouhani and other top leaders before she too reportedly came down with the virus .
The virus has also laid bare the challenges facing the Islamic Republic some 40 years after its founding .
While its civilian government urges Shiite shrines to be closed , clerics keep them open and some circulate purported remedies to the virus that have no basis in science .
Tehran ’ s top-down government , where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has final say on all state matters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the highest death toll from the virus outside of China , days after insisting everything was fine .
Iran ’ s success — or failure — in combating in the virus will have an impact far beyond the country ’ s 80 million people as the majority of cases in the Mideast now link back to Iran .
“ We will have a tough week ahead , ” Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki warned .
“ The main peak of the coronavirus will be in next week and coming days.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again reported a huge spike in cases , saying there were now 388 confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran and 34 deaths .
In brief remarks from Tehran , he cautioned the number of cases would likely further spike as Iran now has 15 laboratories testing samples .
In Tehran and other cities , authorities cancelled Friday prayer services to limit crowds .
In the capital Radio Tehran , which typically carries the prayer , played only traditional Iranian music .
Universities are to remain closed another week .
Schools will be closed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Parliament also will be closed , state television said , citing a lawmaker .
Meanwhile , Iranian state media made a point to show the government is addressing the crisis .
In the city of Mashhad , at the Imam Reza Shrine , hazmat-suited cleaners fogged disinfectant across surfaces that the faithful kiss and touch as workers installed hand sanitizers .
Trucks from Iran ’ s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard sprayed down streets and sidewalks in the holy city of Qom , the epicenter of the country ’ s outbreak .
But questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Experts , including at the World Health Organization , worry the Islamic Republic may be underreporting the number of cases in the country .
Iran denied for days that the virus was in the country acknowledging it just as it was trying to pump up enthusiasm for the country ’ s parliamentary election — a vote that saw the lowest voter turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution .
By doing so , Iran likely allowed the virus to spread rapidly , reaching even into the upper echelons of its power structure as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other officials .
On Thursday , word spread that one of Iran ’ s many vice-presidents , Masoumeh Ebtekar , had contracted the virus .
Ebtekar , 59 , is better known as “ Sister Mary , ” the English-speaking spokeswoman for the students who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and sparked the 444-day hostage crisis .
Ebtekar on Wednesday attended a Cabinet meeting chaired by Rouhani , 71 .
Other top officials , most in their late 50s and 60s , sat within several meters ( feet ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Health Ministry spokesman , said the average age of those killed by the virus and the illness it brings is over 60 .
State media has not said what measures those attending the meeting with Ebtekar were now taking .
However , the concern about the virus ’ spread among Iran ’ s elite has reached into Austria , where Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg tested negative for it after a recent trip to Tehran .
Worries persist over Shiite shrines remaining open in the country .
Saudi Arabia on Thursday took the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites in Islam to foreign pilgrims over the coronavirus , disrupting travel for thousands of Muslims already headed to the kingdom and potentially affecting plans later this year for millions more ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan and the annual hajj pilgrimage .
Some Iranian clerics also have offered advice with no basis in science , like Sheikh Abbas Tabrizian in Qom who told followers to give themselves a suppository of essential oils to ward off the virus .
Elsewhere , a major cycling race in the United Arab Emirates was cancelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the new virus , setting off a quarantine at two Abu Dhabi hotels that also ensnared four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome of Britain .
That pushed the overall number of confirmed cases to 21 in the UAE , a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula .
In Cairo , authorities allowed a plane carrying 114 Chinese tourists into Egypt despite EgyptAir halting flights to China amid the outbreak .
The tourists showed no symptoms of the virus and will be monitored during their weeklong vacation , said officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were not authorized to speak to journalists .
Lebanon has flights and barred citizens of China , Iran , Italy and South Korea from visiting the country , though Lebanese citizens and residents will be allowed back in .
Qatar separately flew home its citizens from Iran and put them in a 14-day quarantine .
The Iran government ’ s slow response and the unrelenting pressure Iranians face , especially as the country ’ s rial currency this week hit its lowest value in a year against the U.S. dollar , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jokes spread fast across social media , including one saying a government that previously cracked down on demonstrators now will lock up the virus .
Then come the videos .
Iraj Harirchi , who led Iran ’ s coronavirus task force , sweated at the podium during a news conference and then later coughed all over the set of a state TV interview program , its female host looking down and away .
“ I came from a cold place , ” Harirchi said , attempting to joke before bringing the crook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I made a mistake .
I should cover my mouth like this.
” Soon afterward , Harirchi acknowledged testing positive for the virus .
Associated Press writers Noha el-Hennawy in Cairo and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--The prince and the pop star work on charity single in London

LONDON - Prince Harry joined Jon Bon Jovi at Abbey Road Studios in London on Friday as the singer recorded a charity single to support the foundation that oversees the Invictus Games — a multinational sports event for sick and injured servicemen .
The prince and the popstar greeted each other at the studio where the Beatles recorded a string of iconic albums .
Bon Jovi was re-recording his 2019 single “ Unbroken ’ ’ in aid of the foundation that oversees the sporting event founded by Harry .
The song was created to shine a spotlight on veterans living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were seen in a recording booth wearing headphones .
Bon Jovi had a guitar .
“ We ’ ve been gargling next door , so we ’ re ready to go , ” Harry told an engineer .
The event is one of the last official engagements being undertaken by Prince Harry , who has announced he is stepping back from royal duties next month .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Italy tries a return to some normalcy after virus closures

ROME - Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia , as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country ’ s economy into recession .
Even in the most heavily affected regions — Lombardy and Veneto in the north , where some entire small towns have been under quarantine in the heart of the outbreak — political leaders said Friday they hope health authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas , too , next week .
At least 650 people have tested positive in Italy , almost entirely in the country ’ s productive north , where scientists have been trying to determine just how the outbreak , with no known link to China ’ s massive epidemic , began .
“ The aim is to return to normalcy , ’ ’ Veneto Gov .
Luca Zaia told state TV in an interview , noting that 79 of the 133 people in Veneto with COVID-19 “ have no symptoms and are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions , other parts of the world are still closing down activities and venues in an attempt to rein in the virus ’ spread .
Italy ’ s neighbour , Switzerland , on Friday banned all events involving more than 1,000 people until March 15 , including the annual Geneva International Motor Show .
In Japan , Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea will be closed from Saturday to March 15 , operator Oriental Land Co. , said .
In South Korea , which has the next highest number of cases in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BTD cancelled a concert planned for April in Seoul .
France saw case totals suddenly jump to 38 , prompting authorities to test a raft of people , limit some public activities and try to determine the source of the latest infections .
Most are concentrated in the Oise region north of Paris , where a teacher with the virus died this week and where the source of the outbreak is unknown .
Germany has reported 53 cases .
Spain has experienced an uptick in cases , raising the tally to 32 by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them linked to Italy ’ s outbreak .
Since Thursday night , new cases with links to Italy have been reported in Nigeria — the first known case in sub-Saharan Africa — United Arab Emirates , Greece , France , Lithuania and the Netherlands .
Moves to ease some restrictions in Italy began in areas where few cases were reported .
A tribunal in the east central region of Marche suspended a regional ordinance that had shut down schools and museums .
In the western region of Liguria , which has reported about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students could resume school next week .
The majority of Italy ’ s cases have been reported in Lombardy , a populous region that includes Italy ’ s financial hub , Milan .
One of Milan ’ s top tourist attractions , the iconic Gothic cathedral known as the Duomo , will open to guided tours on Monday , but Masses still haven ’ t been scheduled .
The bustling metropolis has resembled more of a ghost town lately , as workers stayed home and tourism has dwindled there , and in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s resolve with a sing in the window displaying a popular hashtag # milanononsiferma — Milan doesn ’ t stop .
Ten towns in Lombardy are under quarantine , after nearly all the early cases of COVID-19 were clustered there , with no known link to the virus outbreak in China .
Researchers at Milan ’ s Sacco Hospital announced that they had isolated in four patients an Italian variation of COVID-19 , with differences from the strain identified in Wuhan , China , where the epidemic began .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more targeted treatment of patients .
The research suggests that the virus might have been present for some time in Italy before cases started exploding in Lombardy .
“ The virus has been circulating under the radar for a few weeks , ” Massimo Galli , the hospital ’ s director of biomedical and clinical services , told state TV .
The drop in tourism , one of Italy ’ s biggest industries , is also being keenly felt in Veneto ’ s most famous city , Venice , which lives off tourism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its knees ” Veneto ’ s governor said , noting that that sector brings in $ 18 billion ( $ 20 million ) in revenues .
“ It ’ s the biggest industry in Veneto , ” Zaia said .
The Italian government scheduled a Cabinet meeting expected to focus on mitigating economic damage , which could push the nation ’ s long-stagnant economy into a recession .
Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said that among the suffering sectors were hotels , which have been forced to return reservation deposits .
“ They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Franceschini , saying cancellations were running as high as 80 per cent in some places , including many locations without infections .
Among the many companies reeling from the virus ’ damage to the economy was long-ailing airline Alitalia .
With tourists scrapping plans to visit Italy just ahead of usually packed Easter and summer seasons , Alitalia is seeking to temporarily lay off 3,000 employees on top of 1,000 already on temporary layoff for months .
Frank Jordans in Berlin , Mike Corder in The Hague , Aritz Parra in Madrid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new coronavirus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak