thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Churches amid the pandemic: Some outbreaks, many challenges

NEW YORK - Crowded bars and house parties have been identified as culprits in spreading the coronavirus .
Meat packing plants , prisons and nursing homes are known hot spots .
Then there ’ s the complicated case of America ’ s churches .
The vast majority of these churches have co-operated with health authorities and successfully protected their congregations .
Yet from the earliest phases of the pandemic , and continuing to this day , some worship services and other religious activities have been identified as sources of local outbreaks .
They are by no means at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , but they have posed challenges for government leaders and public health officials whose guidelines and orders are sometimes challenged as encroachments on religious liberty .
“ If we wanted to have zero risks , the safest thing would be to never open our doors , ” said prominent Dallas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress .
“ The question is how can you balance risk with the very real need to worship.
” In the past two weeks alone , there have been two notable church-government confrontations in California .
San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order in late June to the Roman Catholic archdiocese , alleging that some of its churches had violated a local ban on large indoor gatherings .
The archdiocese promised to comply .
A few days later , state officials temporarily banned “ indoor singing and chanting activities ” at all places of worship , prompting some pastors to defy the rule .
Evangelical pastor Samuel Rodriguez said worshippers at his Sacramento megachurch joined in singing hymns on July 5 , even as most of them wore face masks and obeyed social-distancing guidelines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is morally reprehensible , ” Rodriguez said .
“ That is how we petition heaven.
” The extent to which religious gatherings have contributed to the pandemic ’ s toll may never be known with any precision .
But there ’ s no question they have played a role throughout , internationally as well as in the United States , even as myriad houses of worship halted in-person services for safety reasons .
Of the first wave of cases in South Korea in February , several thousand were members of the secretive Shincheonji @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases were linked to a Muslim missionary movement event in late February in Malaysia that was attended by about 16,000 people from numerous East Asian countries .
In the second week of March , before warnings and lockdown orders proliferated in the U.S. , 35 of the 92 people who attended events at a rural Arkansas church developed COVID-19 , and three of them died , according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report issued in May .
More recently , in mid-June , a small-town church in northeastern Oregon became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest coronavirus outbreak when 236 people linked to the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church tested positive .
According to the Observer newspaper in nearby La Grande , the church in Island City had held religious services , a wedding and a graduation ceremony in the weeks preceding the outbreak , sometimes with more than 100 people in attendance in defiance of state restrictions on gatherings .
Union County , with a population of 25,000 people , had recorded fewer than 25 cases during the pandemic prior to the church outbreak .
Within two weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capita rate of coronavirus infections .
Also in June , West Virginia ’ s health department announced outbreaks linked to five churches in different parts of the state .
The biggest was at Graystone Baptist Church in Lewisburg with 51 cases , three of them fatal .
In several cases , churches that resumed in-person services opted to close again after outbreaks .
Among them : — A church and an administrative office affiliated with the Church of God in Cleveland , Tennessee , which is the home base for the Pentecostal denomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released , but a senior leader of the denomination , General Overseer Tim Hill , confirmed that the number of verified cases is growing , and that several church leaders were among those seriously ill. One pastor , Ernie Varner of Lenoir City , Tennessee , died Friday , six days after posting on Facebook , “ I ’ m in the ICU with COVID .
Please pray for me.
“ — Calvary Chapel , an evangelical church in Universal City , Texas .
It reopened in early May only to close anew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and churchgoers tested positive , including Pastor Ron Arbaugh and his wife .
Arbaugh says he regrets telling worshippers last month they could resume the tradition of hugging each other during an interlude of mid-service socializing .
— Holy Family Catholic Church in Las Vegas .
The diocese announced Thursday that the church would be closed indefinitely after a priest who celebrated Mass this week tested positive .
— First Baptist Church of Tillmans Corner in Mobile , Alabama .
It resumed in-person services May 17 after the governor gave a statewide green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least through July 31 after more than 20 of the congregation ’ s 1,500 members tested positive .
Pastor Derek Allen wrote a blog post describing the outbreak as a “ harrowing and demoralizing journey , ” and offering advice to other pastors : “ Assume every sniffle is COVID-19 , and act quickly .
We ’ ve learned that the tests take too long , and false positives are possible along with false negatives.
“ Another Baptist church , First Baptist Dallas , was in the spotlight June 28 when it hosted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday celebrations .
Most of the 2,400 attendees wore face masks , but some criticism surfaced after the choir sang without masks .
Jeffress , the church ’ s pastor and a prominent evangelical conservative with close ties to President Donald Trump , said the choir and orchestra had been tested for COVID-19 beforehand .
The church said a few who tested positive did not take part in the event .
Jeffress bristled at the idea that choirs should be temporarily banned .
“ Choirs will always be a part of worship for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We think it ’ s possible to still have them but do it in a safe way.
” A few days after the Freedom Sunday event , Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott issued an order requiring people wear face masks in most public settings — with several exceptions , including participants in religious services .
Some churches , through their physical attributes and the decisions of their leaders , have been able to minimize risks as worship resumes .
In Incline Village , Nevada , along the north shore of Lake Tahoe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage of a unique feature to relaunch scaled-back , in-person services this month : its outdoor mountain amphitheatre chapel shaded by pine trees .
Church officials took precautionary measures such as moving the log-bench pews farther apart , capping attendance at 50 and requiring worshippers have their temperature taken , employ hand sanitizer and wear masks .
There was no Eucharist or passing of the peace , and the usual post-service coffee hour was held by video conference .
“ Good morning , children of God , ” the Rev .
Sarah Dunn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said from behind a plexiglass screen , welcoming parishioners back to the socially distanced service July 5 after 16 Sundays apart .
She acknowledged feeling “ mixed emotions ” : apprehension as the virus remains a threat , but joy at being able to gather in the sacred space .
Associated Press reporters Peter Orsi in Truckee , California , Anthony Izaguirre in Charleston , West Virginia , and Sara Cline in Salem , Oregon , contributed to this report .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solely responsible for this content .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Over 200,000 vote in Hong Kong pro-democracy primaries

HONG KONG - Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents turned up over the weekend to vote in an unofficial two-day primary election held by the city ’ s pro-democracy camp as it gears up to field candidates for an upcoming legislative poll .
The primary was held two weeks after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the semi-autonomous territory in a move widely seen as chipping away at the “ one country , two systems ” framework under which Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997 .
It was passed in response to last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy and more police accountability .
Throngs of people lined up at polling booths in the summer heat to vote despite a warning last week by Hong Kong ’ s constitutional affairs minister , Eric Tsang , that the primaries could be in breach of the new national security law because it outlaws interference and disruption of duties by the local government .
Organizers have dismissed the comments , saying they just want to hold the government accountable by gaining a majority in the legislature .
The new law prohibits what Beijing views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or as foreign intervention in Hong Kong affairs .
Under the law , police now have sweeping powers to conduct searches without warrants and order internet service providers and platforms to remove messages deemed to be in violation of the legislation .
On Friday , police raided the office of the Public Opinion Research Institute , a co-organizer of the primaries .
The computer system was suspected of being hacked , causing a data leak , police said in a statement , and an investigation is ongoing .
Hong Kong ’ s pro-democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is attempting to join forces and use the primaries as a guide to field the best candidates in the official legislative election in September .
Its goal is to win a majority in the legislature , which is typically skewed toward the pro-Beijing camp .
To hold the primaries , pro-democracy activists had raised money via crowd funding .
They pledged to veto the government ’ s budget if they clinch a majority in the legislature .
Under Hong Kong ’ s mini-constitution , known as the Basic Law , the city ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill such as the budget is vetoed twice .
On Saturday alone , nearly 230,000 people voted at polling booths set up across the city , exceeding organizers ’ estimates of a turnout of 170,000 over the entire weekend .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Poland holds momentous, tight presidential election runoff

WARSAW , Poland - Voting started Sunday in Poland ’ s razor-blade-close presidential election runoff between the conservative incumbent , President Andrzej Duda , and liberal , pro-European Union Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski .
Duda is backed by the ruling right-wing party and the government , as he seeks a second 5-year term .
Trzaskowski , a former European Parliament lawmaker , runs for the main opposition Civic Platform party that was in power in from 2007 to 2015 .
Both candidates are 48 .
Latest polls showed that the race may be decided by a very small margin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 million eligible voters to cast ballots , turnout is expected to be higher than the 64.51 % in the first round on June 28 .
In the first round , Duda got 43.5 % and Trzaskowski 30.5 % , but in the second round he is expected to get support from many voters who backed candidates who have now been eliminated .
Lines started forming at some voting stations early Sunday , and cars could be seen bringing elderly or disabled people .
“ We should vote because otherwise we have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Eugeniusz Kowalski , 67 , a retired office clerk .
“ We could use some change , ” he said after voting in Warsaw .
The State Electoral Commission said there were some incidents of people putting up new posters and destroying others , but the voting procedure was going smoothly .
Voting stations remain open until 9 p.m. ( 1900 GMT ) , when exit polls will be released .
The final official results are expected early in the week .
The outcome of the election will decide the shape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least until 2023 , when parliamentary elections are scheduled .
The head of Poland ’ s influential Roman Catholic Church , Archbishop Wojciech Polak , said the new president should be conciliatory .
“ In the situation when we see constant discord , divisions , the rift in society , let him be a unifying one , the president of all Poles , ” Polak said after voting in Gniezno .
If Duda is reelected , the right-wing Law and Justice party that backs him will continue to have a close ally in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost all key instruments of power in the country .
The party and Duda have won popularity through a welfare program that improved the lives of many families and elderly people , especially in rural and small town areas , and also through its attachment to Poland ’ s traditional Roman Catholic values .
But the party has drawn criticism from EU leaders for steps allowing it to influence the justice system .
It has also exposed and deepened social rifts between the conservatives and the liberals .
Trzaskowski ’ s win would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed by the ruling party .
Poland ’ s tone would also be softened on the international arena and especially with the EU .
He has vowed to close the social rifts and to continue the social benefits policy .
His support is strongest in larger cities and among more highly educated people , according to data from the first round .
The voting is being held under strict sanitary conditions due to the still spreading coronavirus .
Poland has registered over 37,000 infections and almost 1,600 deaths .
Voters must wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and use hand sanitizer .
They can use their own pens to mark ballots .
Election officials must wear masks , too , and sit wide apart from each other .
Ballot boxes will be regularly disinfected and the polling stations will be ventilated .

Monika Scislowska - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Libyan forces set conditions for lifting oil blockade

CAIRO - Forces loyal to a Libyan commander said they will only allow the reopening of oil fields and terminals once a mechanism has been set up to fairly distribute revenue across the country , which is split between rival , warring factions .
Powerful tribes in eastern Libya loyal to Khalifa Hifter closed export terminals and choked off major pipelines at the start of the year .
The move was aimed at pressuring their rivals in the U.N.-supported government in the capital , Tripoli , in the country ’ s west .
In a statement late Saturday , Ahmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s forces , called for oil revenues to flow into a bank account in a foreign country with a “ clear mechanism ” to distribute funds fairly among Libya ’ s regions .
He did not name a country to host the account .
He also demanded international guarantees that oil revenues would not to be used to fund “ terrorists and mercenaries.
” He was apparently referring to the mercenaries , mostly Syrians , that Turkey brought in recent months to fight on the side of the Tripoli government , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as Turkey , Qatar and Italy .
Hifter ’ s forces are also backed by a patchwork of armed groups as well as foreign patrons , including the United Arab Emirates , Egypt , Russia and France .
Al-Mosmari also called for an audit to Libya ’ s central bank in Tripoli to review the spending in the past years .
Oil , the lifeline of Libya ’ s economy , has long been at the centre of the civil war , as rival authorities jostle for control of Africa ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deprived authorities of over $ 6.5 billion .
Hifter ’ s supporters say the Libyan Central Bank , which is based in the capital and collects oil revenue , only uses it for the benefit of the Tripoli government .
Last month , the tribes offered to end the closure as part of a political settlement .
They mandated Hifter ’ s forces to negotiate the opening of the oil facilities .
The state-run National Oil Corporation said Friday it has resumed crude exports , shipping 730,000 barrels to Italy .
Al-Mosmari said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the closures , was allowed in order to ease the strain on storage facilities .
In recent weeks , “ regional countries ” have been quietly negotiating with the Tripoli-based government over the distribution of oil revenues in talks supervised by the U.N. and the U.S. , according to the state-run oil company .
Hifter ’ s forces launched an offensive in April last year to try to capture Tripoli .
The offensive quickly stalled , however , and in recent weeks Hifter ’ s forces have fallen back as the Tripoli-allied militias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upper hand .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--UK-China ties freeze with debate over Huawei, Hong Kong

LONDON - Only five years ago , then-British Prime Minister David Cameron was celebrating a “ golden era ” in U.K.-China relations , bonding with President Xi Jinping over a pint of beer at the pub and signing off on trade deals worth billions .
Those friendly scenes now seem like a distant memory .
Hostile rhetoric has ratcheted up in recent days over Beijing ’ s new national security law for Hong Kong .
Britain ’ s decision to offer refuge to millions in the former colony was met with a stern telling-off by China .
And Chinese officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treats it as a “ hostile country ” and decides to cut Chinese technology giant Huawei out of its critical telecoms infrastructure amid growing unease over security risks .
All that is pointing to a much tougher stance against China , with a growing number in Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s Conservative Party taking a long , hard look at Britain ’ s Chinese ties .
Many are saying Britain has been far too complacent and naive in thinking it could reap economic benefits from the relationship without political consequences .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut ties with China .
It ’ s that China is itself becoming a very unreliable and rather dangerous partner , ” said lawmaker and former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith .
He cited Beijing ’ s “ trashing ” of the Sino-British Joint Declaration — the treaty supposed to guarantee Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy when it reverted from British to Chinese rule — and aggressive posturing in the South China Sea as areas of concern .
“ This is not a country that is in any way managing itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in anything at the moment .
That ’ s why we need to review our relationship with them , ” he added .
“ Those who think this is a case of separating trade from government … you can ’ t do that , that ’ s naïve.
” Duncan Smith has lobbied other Tory lawmakers to cut Huawei out from Britain ’ s superfast 5G network .
Not only that : He says all existing Huawei technology in the U.K. telecoms infrastructure also needs to be eliminated as soon as possible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tensions between China and Britain , as U.K. officials review how the latest U.S. sanctions — imposed over allegations of cyber spying and aimed at cutting off Huawei ’ s access to advanced microchips made with American technology — will affect British telecom networks .
Johnson decided in January that Huawei can be deployed in future 5G networks as long as its share of the market is limited , but officials have since hinted that that decision could be reversed in light of the U.S. sanctions .
A new policy is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely caught in the middle of a U.S.-China battle over trade and technology .
It has consistently denied allegations it could carry out cyber espionage or electronic sabotage at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party .
“ We ’ ve definitely been pushed into the geopolitical competition , ” Vice-President Victor Zhang said Wednesday .
U.S. accusations about security risks are all politically motivated , he said .
Nigel Inkster , senior adviser to the International Institute for Strategic Studies and former director of operations and intelligence at Britain ’ s MI6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huawei was not so much about immediate security threats .
Rather , he said , the deeper worry lies in the geopolitical implications of China becoming the world ’ s dominant player in 5G technology .
“ It ’ s less about cyber espionage than generally conceived because , after all , that ’ s happening in any place , ” he said .
“ This was never something of which the U.K. was lacking awareness.
” Still , Inkster said he ’ s been cautioning for years that Britain needed a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic and security factors .
“ There was a high degree of complacency ” back in the 2000s , he said .
“ There was always less to the ‘ golden era ’ than met the eye.
” Britain rolled out the red carpet for Xi ’ s state visit in 2015 , with golden carriages and a lavish banquet at Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II .
A cyber security co-operation deal was struck , along with billions in trade and investment projects — including Chinese state investment in a British nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambitions for Britain to become China ’ s “ best partner in the West.
” Enthusiasm has cooled significantly since .
The English city of Sheffield , which was promised a billion-pound deal with a Chinese manufacturing firm in 2016 , said the investment never materialized .
Critics have called it a vanity project and a “ candy floss deal.
” Economic and political grumbles about China erupted into sharp rebukes earlier this month when Beijing imposed sweeping new national security laws on Hong Kong .
Johnson ’ s government accused China of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Declaration , and announced it would open a special route to citizenship for up to 3 million eligible Hong Kong residents .
That amounts to “ gross interference , ” Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said .
Liu also warned that a decision to get rid of Huawei could drive away other Chinese investment in the U.K. , and derided Britain for succumbing to U.S. pressure over the company .
Rana Mitter , an Oxford history professor specializing in China , said that the security law — combined with broader resentment about Chinese officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — helped set the stage for a perfect storm of wariness among Britain ’ s politicians and the public .
Mitter added that Britain has careened from “ uncritically accepting everything about China ” to a confrontational approach partly because of a lack of understanding about how China operates .
Some have cautioned against escalating tensions .
Philip Hammond , the former British Treasury chief , warned that weakening links with the world ’ s second-largest economy was particularly unwise at a time when Britain is severing trade ties with Europe and seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was concerned about an “ alarming ” rise of anti-Chinese sentiment within his Conservative Party .
Duncan Smith rejected that , saying concerns about China ’ s rise are cross-party and multinational .
He is part of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China , a newly launched group of lawmakers from more than a dozen countries — from the U.S. to Australia to Japan — that want a co-ordinated international response to the Chinese challenge .
“ We need to recognize that this isn ’ t something one country can deal with , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kirka in London contributed to this story .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--2 officers, suspect killed in Texas border town shooting

MCALLEN , Texas - Two police officers were shot and killed Saturday by a suspect who later fatally shot himself in a South Texas border town after responding to a domestic disturbance call , authorities said .
McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez identified the slain officers as Edelmiro Garza , 45 , and Ismael Chavez , 39 .
Garza was an officer with the police department for more than eight years while Chavez had over two years of experience .
“ We have lost two brave public servants who sought only to keep peace in our City , “ Rodriguez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McAllen ) Monitor .
The officers first met with two people who reported assaults that took place inside a nearby home on the south side of McAllen around 3:30 p.m. Saturday , Rodriguez said .
But the alleged shooter , whom police identified as 23-year-old Audon Ignacio Camarillo , opened fire when officers attempted to enter the home .
“ They were doing their job .
That is what they were supposed to do .
The person was a suspect of the incident , met our officers at the door , and shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Both officers suffered fatal wounds , they have both passed away as a result .
The officers never had a chance to suspect deadly assault on them , much less death.
” Camarillo shot and killed himself shortly after opening fire on the officers , Rodriguez said , adding that the suspect hid behind a vehicle after other officers responded to the scene .
Camarillo had a few run-ins with police beginning in 2016 to his most recent arrest last month on assault charges , according to public records .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chavez responded to were not immediately known .
Rodriguez said the attack happened suddenly and fellow police officers didn ’ t learn of the officers ’ deaths until arriving to the area moments later .
Rodriguez said he doesn ’ t expect his department to get over the deaths of their fellow officers anytime soon .
“ The next few days for us , moving forward as well , will be very , very difficult , for ourselves at the department and at the city of McAllen , but our strength will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We gather our strength from our police officers , and we gather our strengths from our colleagues , as you can see here.
” Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott , who spoke with Rodriguez , offered the full backing of the state and expressed his support via social media .
“ Two of our finest were killed in the line of duty while working to protect residents in their community , ” Abbott wrote on Twitter .
“ We unite to # BackTheBlue.
” Lt. Christopher Olivarez , spokesman for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DPS was among the agencies assisting McAllen police on Saturday .
Olivarez noted that DPS sent troopers to secure the scene after the McAllen Police Department requested their assistance .
He said his agency received a call about the incident around 4:30 p.m. McAllen is located at the southern tip of Texas , about 70 miles ( 113 kilometres ) west of the Gulf of Mexico .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted that his office will provide the McAllen Police Department with any help needed .
“ Our prayers and full support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the # CityofMcAllen PD this evening , ” the tweet read .
“ We are grateful for police in McAllen and around this great state.
” U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen said in a statement that receiving news of the two officers ’ deaths was “ devastating.
” “ This is devastating news to our community .
My heart breaks for these fallen officers and their families , ” Gonzalez said .
“ They served McAllen bravely and honourably and I will keep them in my prayers.
” Rodriguez said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , ” he expects a resilient law enforcement community to stand tall and persevere through it .
“ The strength and the resolve we have to serve our communities , all of us here , will allow us to do what we do every day , ” Rodriguez said .
Law enforcement from several cities in Hidalgo County gathered Saturday evening at McAllen Medical to honour Garza and Chavez .
More than 50 police cars were part of a procession that accompanied the bodies of the officers , who were taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--As beach towns open, businesses are short foreign workers

BOSTON - At this time of the year , The Friendly Fisherman on Cape Cod is usually bustling with foreign students clearing tables and helping prepare orders of clam strips or fish and chips .
But because of a freeze on visas , Janet Demetri won ’ t be employing the 20 or so workers this summer .
So as the crowds rush back , Demetri must work with nine employees for her restaurant and market — forcing her to shutter the business twice a week .
“ It ’ s really disturbing because we are really busy , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t keep up once the doors are open.
” The Trump administration announced last month that it was extending a ban on green cards and adding many temporary visas to the freeze , including J-1 cultural exchange visas and H-2B visas .
Businesses from forestry to fisheries to hospitality depend on these visas , though there are exceptions for the food processing sector .
The move was billed as a chance to free up 525,000 jobs to Americans hard hit by the economic downturn , though the administration provided no evidence to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hailed the move and insisted it should be easy to find Americans to bus tables and sell souvenirs at popular tourist destinations .
“ The work that people on H-2B visas do or on J-1 summer work travel is not something that is alien to Americans , ” said Mark Krikorian , executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies , which advocates for restrictions .
“ Those jobs are already mostly done by Americans whether its landscaping , making beds or scooping ice cream .
The employers are just going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are 20 million people who are unemployed whom they could be drawing from.
” Hardest hit by the ban are beach communities and mountain getaways up and down the East Coast from parts of New Hampshire to Myrtle Beach , South Carolina .
Businesses said they want to hire Americans but are in regions with tiny labour pools that are no match for the millions of tourists visiting each summer .
Companies also face the challenge of convincing unemployed workers , many who are still collecting federal benefits , to take a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Rising housing prices as well as a lack of child care amid the pandemic also pose hurdles .
Mark Carchidi , whose company Antioch Associates USA II Inc. processes paperwork for H-2B visas on the East Coast , said businesses he works with were counting on an additional 30,000 visas this year beyond the 66,000 already allowed under the program .
More than 108,000 J-1 summer work travel visas were issued last year , according to the State Department , but only 1,787 so far this year .
“ Any seasonal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can think in whatever part of the country has really been hurt terribly hard by this , ” Carchidi said .
The ban has left seasonal businesses scrambling to fill openings just as economies are restarting .
Many are forced to scale back hours and amenities or close completely .
Patrick Patrick , who has relied upon 10 to 15 J-1 visa holders to work at his army navy surplus store in Provincetown , Massachusetts , got none this year .
He reduced the store ’ s hours and isn ’ t offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you are in hospitality , accommodations or restaurants and you truly have no staff , you can ’ t fake it , ” said Patrick , who is also the local chamber of commerce president .
“ We are faking it .
We ’ re throwing merchandise on the floor and letting customers walk on it and hopefully , they buy it .
You can ’ t do that in a restaurant.
” In Myrtle Beach , businesses only got a fraction of the 3,000 J-1 and H-2B visas they were expecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association .
Mark Lazarus , the president and owner of Lazarus Entertainment Group , employs 1,000 workers at his three theme parks .
About 150 of those are usually J-1 visa holders but none came this year .
As a result , he has cut his hours and reduced the number of cashiers .
Lazarus agrees with Trump ’ s efforts to crackdown on illegal immigration but admits the J-1 ban “ baffles me.
” There aren ’ t enough students to fill seasonal jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and worries the ban will hurt the fragile economy .
“ Our revenues are going to be down because we are cutting our hours and they will be down because we can ’ t open all the amenities that everyone has , “ he said .
The shortage , however , has been eased somewhat by the pandemic ’ s continued impact on the tourism industry .
In Myrtle Beach , bars , theatres and larger venues are still shuttered and visitor numbers are down .
Maine , too , is not seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fraction of what the state sees in a normal summer .
Still , the visa ban adds another layer of uncertainty for businesses like the 145-bed Meadowmere , one of the largest hotels in Maine .
It received only half of its requested H-2B visas and likely won ’ t be getting seven or eight J-1 student visas .
Other businesses are soldiering on and adjusting to the new reality .
In Hampton , New Hampshire , businesses have hired relatives and are working longer hours .
Some were able to hire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I have a group of kids now that are 17-years-old replacing the J-1s who hopefully will be here for the next five years , ” said Tom McGuirk , who owns a hotel and restaurant and was able to replace seven J-1 visa workers with teenagers who worked in shuttered movie theatres and camps .
“ That is exactly what we have been missing from the market for the past few years.
” At the Friendly Fisherman , Demetri hasn ’ t been as fortunate .
She advertised in newspapers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counter help .
Despite offering to pay $ 14 an hour for training and starting wages of $ 16 an hour plus tips , she had few takers beyond “ 14-year-old kids “ who are limited by the hours they can work and jobs they can do .
“ These students aren ’ t taking any jobs away from locals , not a single one , ” Demetri said of the J-1 visa holders .
AP reporter David Sharp in Portland , Maine , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Foreign students in NC fear online classes mean deportation

RALEIGH , N.C. - Although most North Carolina universities — including Duke , UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State — still plan to bring students back to campus for some in-person classes starting next month , international students are fearful of what could happen if classes move entirely online .
They would be forced to leave the country , according to new guidelines announced this week by federal immigration authorities .
“ The looming threat is what if the coronavirus does exacerbate late in the fall and Duke and other schools do end up going virtual , ” said Dennis Wang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the scenario would be worse than when most universities went all virtual in the spring .
There was an exemption that allowed international students to stay in the U.S. for the spring and summer online courses and maintain their status .
“ Now you have to leave the country , ” said Wang , who ’ s from Canada .
Some students might have to stay in a quarantine area if they returned to their home countries , Wang said .
Others live in rural places and might see their education impacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences .
“ We are already the minority , ” Wang said .
“ I think the fact that this is coming out just tells us that we are more unwelcome than we thought we were.
” WHAT IS THE NEW POLICY ?
The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools that are fully online for the fall semester , and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will not allow those students to come into the United States , according to a news release from the U.S. Immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. and enrolled in online-only programs , as Harvard University recently announced , must either leave the country or transfer to a school that offers in-person instruction .
For students attending schools with a mixture of online and face-to-face classes , the university must fill out a form to certify that the program is not solely online and that a student isn ’ t taking all online courses for the semester .
Duke President Vincent Price said the university is “ deeply concerned ” about the new policy .
He said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and scholars to begin or continue their studies in the U.S. , including the thousands of international students who study at Duke each year .
“ This is a misguided effort that will only harm talented young people and the colleges and universities that are vital to our society , ” Price said in a statement .
Price said Duke is committed to allowing international students to begin and complete their education at Duke because it aligns with their mission to “ train leaders for the global community.
” “ We will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging times , ” Price said , “ and will work with the higher education community to advocate for policies that open doors , not close them.
” The new policy also puts pressure on international students to take in-person classes , and it could limit their options for courses , particularly for first and second-year students taking larger introductory classes that are typically taught in an auditorium setting .
“ It ’ s effectively forcing those who feel uncertain or unsafe in that situation to choose between continuing their education or being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mark Nance , an associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at N.C. State University .
An online petition from university professors around the state urges the UNC System to move classes online this fall .
Faculty at UNC-CH , NCSU , East Carolina University , UNC Charlotte , N.C. Central University , Appalachian State University , Western Carolina University , UNC Wilmington , UNC Asheville and Fayetteville State signed the petition , which had more than 500 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon .
“ Because the COVID-19 epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities surrounding our campuses are put at risk by campus activities , it is unsafe for students and instructors to return to face-to-face instruction , ” the petition says .
Carolina Guenther , an N.C. State computer science major from Brazil , opted to stay in Raleigh for a summer internship after finishing the spring semester online .
She doesn ’ t have to worry about getting back into the United States , but she is nervous about the return to campus and the pandemic getting worse .
“ There ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone comes back the situation is going to be very different , ” Guenther said .
“ There may be a big rise in cases or put you at a bigger risk of infection.
” But Guenther said going to class is the only option for her to stay in the United States and maintain her visa status .
If N.C. State switches to online courses , she ’ d be forced to go back to Brazil within 10 days of that announcement .
“ As a rising senior , I really want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I just don ’ t want my progress on my courses to be impacted by that.
” NOT ALLOWED BACK IN THE U.S. Rafael Albuquerque , a junior at N.C. State from Brazil , wanted to take all of his classes online , because the U.S. now restricts travel from Brazil .
But with this new rule and N.C. State having a hybrid model , he would need to come back to Raleigh to maintain his visa status and take at least one in-person class .
Albuquerque fears he ’ ll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That means he ’ d lose his student visa and have to re-apply for it .
“ It ’ s very nerve-wracking because if we do choose to take a gap year , it could impact our chances to get a work visa after we graduate and get sponsored by companies , ” Albuquerque said .
“ Maybe it will be the logical thing to do , but of course it ’ s something that we get very worried about.
” He said the travel ban , non-refundable tuition and paying rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t live in are already stressful .
This policy adds to the overall feeling of anxiety .
N.C. State ’ s Office of International Services hosted a town hall Wednesday for students to ask questions about the new Immigration and Custom Enforcement guidance .
“ Supporting the health , safety and academic success of all our students — domestic and international — remains critical as we move forward in uncertain times , ” spokesman Mick Kulikowski said in a statement .
Additional information may be forthcoming but is not guaranteed , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of International Student and Scholar Services .
“ International Student and Scholar Services is working closely with senior University leaders to ensure the University is compliant with this new guidance and to continue to support international students , ” Costant said in a statement .
International students typically pay the highest rates of tuition at universities , and others work as teaching assistants who help faculty and often teach their own courses , according to N.C. State ’ s Nance .
He said losing those students would cause a problem financially and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very careful about the student to faculty ratio and the need for social distancing .
Universities also miss out on those perspectives from all over the world that international students bring to labs and classrooms in a variety of fields that enhance the educational experience for everyone , Nance said .
He said he views the decision as a political move aimed at appealing to President Trump ’ s voter base .
“ The whole point is to make the U.S. and universities less attractive to international students , ” Nance said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recruit the best and the brightest form around the world , they seem to be actively working against it for electoral gain.
” International students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $ 41 billion and supported 458,290 jobs during the 2018-2019 academic year , according to an economic analysis by NAFSA : Association of International Educators .
In North Carolina , the more than 21,000 international students contributed about $ 722 million and created more than 9,000 jobs .
The long term implications of this policy are the students next year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to apply to U.S. colleges and universities , according to Nance .
He said that means they don ’ t stick around to contribute academically and in the business community and don ’ t found that company , which can ’ t be measured .
He hopes the UNC System , which holds a lot of political weight , and other universities get in touch with congressional leaders to express their dismay at this policy .
“ It ’ s awful , ” Nance said .
“ I think it ’ s short-sighted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RULES BE CHANGED ?
Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sued ICE over the new rule , and others are trying to find loopholes like creating an in-person class solely for international students , the News & Observer reported .
Some critics of the policy , including Chris Marsicano , an expert on higher education lobbying and a visiting professor at Davidson College , suggested tweeting about the issue and reaching out to political representatives to fight it .
“ ... call your members of Congress and tell them you oppose the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Judiciary Committees in the House and the Senate , ” Marsicano tweeted .
Teddy Kellogg , from Advance , N.C. , took that suggestion to heart .
Kellogg , 27 , and his partner Alix Choinet , a French national , are currently living in France and planning to move to New York to attend PhD programs at Cornell University .
Kellogg said they woke up to the news with dismay .
“ We have already been under stress regarding the uncertainty of our arrival in Ithaca , NY , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Kellogg said in an email .
“ We have both spent the day exploring different avenues to challenge the decision.
” Kellogg wrote a letter opposing the policy to U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina , who is one of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and on the subcommittee for Border Security and Immigration .
“ This means he has some sway here , ” Kellogg said .
Beyond triggering uncertainty for international students to get back into the country and the threat of long-term career plans being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they are an expendable resource , Kellogg told the News & Observer .
“ At best , Trump is trying to coerce universities into having in-person classes while taking these students hostage , ” Kellogg said .
“ At worst , it is just a hard-line anti-immigration initiative meant to send a message of nationalist protectionism .
”

Kate Murphy, The News & Observer - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--New Zealand mosque gunman to represent himself at sentencing

WELLINGTON , New Zealand - The Australian white supremacist who admitting killing 51 worshippers in a mass shooting at two New Zealand mosques has dismissed his lawyers and will represent himself when he is sentenced next month .
Brenton Harrison Tarrant had pleaded guilty in March to 51 charges of murder , 40 of attempted murder and one charge of engaging in a terrorist act for the shootings in Christchurch in 2019 .
His sentencing hearing , delayed by the coronavirus pandemic , is scheduled to begin in Christchurch on Aug. 24 and could last more than three days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court session in Christchurch on Monday that was attended by some shooting survivors .
Tarrant ’ s defence team , lawyers Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson , applied during Monday ’ s hearing for permission to withdraw as his counsel , a role they have filled since April 2019 .
They told the court they had been instructed by Tarrant to withdraw as he wishes to exercise his right to represent himself .
Tarrant participated in Monday ’ s proceedings by video link from his Auckland jail .
Justice Cameron Mander approved Tarrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying he was satisfied he understood his right to legal representation and wished to waive that right .
A lawyer will still be appointed by the court to provide advice if Tarrant requests it .
Mander called for a pre-sentence report and statements from victims for the hearing .
Tarrant faces life imprisonment , with the judge having some discretion in deciding how many years Tarrant must serve before becoming eligible for parole .
The attacks targeting people praying at the mosques shocked New Zealand , where new laws were quickly approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook , where it was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people .
The sudden guilty plea in March surprised survivors and relatives and relieved many people who had feared Tarrant would try to use his trial as a platform to promote his views .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Trump aides undercut Fauci as he speaks up on virus concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s advisers undercut the country ’ s top infectious disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci , over the weekend , anonymously providing details to various news outlets about statements he had made early in the coronavirus outbreak that they said were inaccurate .
The move to treat Fauci , who has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades , as if he were a warring political rival came as he has grown increasingly vocal in his concerns about the national surge in coronavirus cases , as well as his lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
It has been accompanied by more measured public criticism from administration officials , including the president .
And it came just days after the White House called school reopening guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overly restrictive , part of a pattern of the administration trying to sideline recommendations that could slow the reopening of the economy , which Trump views as vital to his flailing re-election effort .
Aides to Trump first released to the Washington Post what the paper called a “ lengthy list ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus when it was in its early stages .
That list featured several comments from Fauci that White House aides had privately complained about for months , including one in February in which he minimized the chance of asymptomatic spread and said people did not need to make big changes to their lives .
An official told the Post that several other officials were concerned about how often Fauci had been wrong .
For example , White House officials pointed to a statement by Fauci in a Feb. 29 interview that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to change anything that you ’ re doing on a day-by-day basis.
” But they omitted a warning he delivered right after .
“ Right now the risk is still low , but this could change , ” he said in the interview , conducted by NBC News .
“ When you start to see community spread , this could change and force you to become much more attentive to doing things that would protect you from spread.
” In the same interview , Fauci also warned that the coronavirus could become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of statements , laid out in the style of a campaign ’ s opposition research document , was later released to several news outlets .
It was an extraordinary move for the White House to provide news organizations with such a document about a health official who works for the administration and retains a high level of public trust .
Fauci declined to comment .
A White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity insisted that the administration was not trying to discredit Fauci , who it acknowledged is an expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public of his record and that it should be listening to a range of doctors .
A poll conducted for the New York Times by Siena College last month showed that 67 per cent of Americans trusted Fauci when it came to the virus ; only 26 per cent trusted the president .
With the United States leading the world by a large margin in both cases and deaths , Fauci has grown more outspoken recently in interviews with his concerns about the virus , even as Trump has tried to push for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to withhold federal money from school districts if they do not reopen in the fall .
In a recent interview on a podcast with FiveThirtyEight.com , Fauci said that a few states had the virus under control but that “ as a country , when you compare us to other countries , I don ’ t think you can say we ’ re doing great .
I mean , we ’ re just not.
” By contrast , Trump has tried to play down the threat almost without interruption while making false claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has responded to it .
White House officials would not speak for the record .
But a senior administration official said the document provided to the Post was intended to push back on any belief that the administration was negligent if it did not always adhere to Fauci ’ s words .
The official argued that people who disliked Trump outside the administration had given outsize value to Fauci ’ s voice .
And in a White House where almost everything is treated in terms of how it relates to Trump , staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
Trump recently told Fox News that Fauci had been wrong about many aspects of the pandemic .
Fauci “ is a nice man , but he ’ s made a lot of mistakes , ” the president said .
Despite claims early on in the fight against the virus that they enjoyed each other ’ s company , Trump has long been dismissive of Fauci in private , according to White House officials , taking note of the amount of time he spent on television and of when the doctor contradicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing frustrated with Fauci when he expressed concerns about the efficacy of using hydroxychloroquine , a malaria drug , to treat people who had the coronavirus .
Trump has continued to evangelize in support of the drug , even after the Food and Drug Administration withdrew an emergency authorization allowing it to be used in coronavirus cases .
The president ’ s advisers have echoed , and sometimes amplified , Trump ’ s frustrations .
“ Dr .
Fauci is not 100 per cent right , and he also doesn ’ t necessarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole national interest in mind , ” Admiral Brett P. Giroir , an assistant health and human services secretary , said in an interview aired Sunday on the NBC program “ Meet the Press.
” “ He looks at it from a very narrow public health point of view .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Exit poll: Duda leads Poland’s tight presidential runoff

WARSAW , Poland - A late exit poll in Poland ’ s presidential runoff Sunday showed the conservative , populist incumbent , Andrzej Duda , leading against the liberal , pro-Europe mayor of Warsaw , but with the race still too close to call .
It appeared to be the closest election in Poland ’ s history , reflecting the deep divisions in this European Union nation .
Although the country is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic and problems in its health and education systems , the campaign was dominated by issues of culture and saw strains of homophobia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ipsos institute showed Duda with 50.8 per cent of the vote and challenger Rafal Trzaskowski with 49.2 per cent .
An earlier exit poll had showed Duda with 50.4 per cent and Trzaskowski 49.6 per cent .
The polls had margins of error of plus-or-minus one percentage point and two points , respectively .
Official results are not expected until Monday or Tuesday .
The results would lead Poland down starkly different political paths , at least until 2023 , when the next parliamentary election is scheduled .
Duda , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice party and the government , campaigned on traditional values and social spending in this mostly Catholic country as he sought a second five-year term .
As the race became tighter in recent weeks , Duda turned further to the right in search of votes .
He seized on gay rights as a key theme , denouncing the LGBTQ rights movement as an “ ideology ” worse than communism .
Duda ’ s campaign also cast Trzaskowski as someone who would sell out Polish families to Jewish interests , tapping into old anti-Semitic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Europe ’ s largest Jewish community before being decimated by Germany in the Holocaust .
On Sunday night , Duda said he didn ’ t regret anything he said in the campaign because “ I said what I believe.
” Trzaskowski , a former European Parliament lawmaker , jumped into the race relatively late to oppose Duda ’ s and Law and Justice ’ s erosion of democratic rights under the ruling party .
He represented the centrist opposition Civic Platform party , which was in power in from 2007 to 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would confirm his victory , and he called the high turnout “ a beautiful testimony of our democracy.
” Duda said the turnout was around 70 per cent , which would be a record high for a presidential election in the 30 years since Poland threw off communism , embraced democracy and later gained membership in NATO and the EU .
Long lines outside some polling stations Sunday night forced them to stay open past their official closing time of 9 p.m. for what many considered to be one of the most crucial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those supporting Trzaskowski saw the election as possibly a last chance to halt an erosion of the rule of law and discriminatory rhetoric under Duda and the ruling party , both in power since 2015 .
At an election-night event , Trzaskowski said he still believed the numbers could turn in his favour .
Exit polls do not reflect the votes cast from abroad , and a majority of them were expected to go to Trzaskowski .
He said he was still dreaming of a Poland “ that knows how to rebuild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it ’ s tradition , that is looking to the future , that is just , European , tolerant , where no one divides us.
” If Duda is re-elected , the populist Law and Justice party will keep a close ally in the president and maintain its hold on almost all key instruments of power in the country of 38 million people .
A win for Trzaskowski would give him the power to veto laws passed by the ruling conservatives and give Poland a less contentious relationship with European Union officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government , public media and the help of U.S. President Donald Trump , who welcomed him at the White House last month and said he was doing a “ terrific job.
” The ballot was supposed to be held in May , but after much political wrangling was delayed by health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Some 30 million voters were eligible to cast ballots .
In the first round with 11 candidates , Duda got 43.5 per cent support and Trzaskowski 30.5 per cent .
The ruling party and Duda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that improved the lives of many impoverished retirees and families with children , especially in rural areas and small towns , and also through their attachment to Poland ’ s traditional Roman Catholic values .
But the ruling party has drawn criticism from EU leaders for taking steps to politically influence the justice system and the media in Poland .
It has also deepened social rifts with verbal attacks on urban liberals , Jews and the LGBTQ community .
Trzaskowski vowed to close the social rifts in Poland but keep the benefits payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed his support strongest among younger people , in larger cities and among more highly educated people .
Due to the pandemic , the voting was held under strict sanitary regulations .
Poland has registered more than 37,000 infections and almost 1,600 virus-related deaths .
Voters had to wear masks and gloves , maintain a safe distance and use hand sanitizer .
They used their own pens to mark ballots .

Vanessa Gera And Monika Scislowska - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Appeals court: 1st federal execution in 17 years can proceed

WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court ruled Sunday that the first federal execution in nearly two decades may proceed as scheduled on Monday .
The ruling from the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals overturns a lower court order that had put the execution of 47-year-old Daniel Lewis Lee on hold .
Lee , of Yukon , Oklahoma , had been scheduled to die by lethal injection on Monday at a federal prison in Indiana .
He was convicted in Arkansas of the 1996 killings of gun dealer William Mueller , his wife , Nancy , and her 8-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled Friday in Indiana that the execution would be put on hold because of concerns from the family of the victims about the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more than 135,000 people and is ravaging prisons nationwide .
The Justice Department argued that the judge ’ s order misconstrued the law and asked the appeals court to immediately overturn the ruling .
The appeals court found that the claim from the victims ’ family “ lacks any arguable legal basis and is therefore frivolous.
“ The Justice Department also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has taken measures to accommodate the family and implemented additional safety protocols because of the pandemic , the family ’ s concerns “ do not outweigh the public interest in finally carrying out the lawfully imposed sentence in this case.
” But in a court filing Sunday , Justice officials said a staff member involved in preparing for the execution had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Justice Department said the development would not mean an additional delay in the government ’ s timetable because the worker had not been in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact with anyone on the specialized team sent to the prison to handle the execution .
The relatives would be travelling thousands of miles and witnessing the execution in a small room where the social distancing recommended to prevent the virus ’ spread is virtually impossible .
There are currently four confirmed coronavirus cases among inmates at the Terre Haute prison , according to federal statistics , and one inmate there has died .
The victims ’ family had argued they weren ’ t trying to overturn Lee ’ s death sentence but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawful rights to attend the execution of Lee , so that they can be together at that moment in time as they grieve their losses , ” according to the filing .
The family will appeal to the Supreme Court .
“ The federal government has put this family in the untenable position of choosing between their right to witness Danny Lee ’ s execution and their own health and safety , “ said family attorney Baker Kurrus .
“ Because the Government has scheduled the execution in the midst of a raging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put their lives at risk to travel cross-country at this time.
” The family hopes there won ’ t be an execution , ever .
They have asked the Justice Department and President Donald Trump not to move forward with the execution and have long asked that he be given a life sentence instead .
The relatives , including Earlene Branch Peterson , who lost her daughter and granddaughter in the killing , have argued that their grief is compounded by the push to execute Lee in the middle of a pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not left the county where she lives since February , was told by her doctor she should not travel and should avoid contact with others as much as possible to during the pandemic , the filing said .
“ Plaintiffs face the unacceptable choice between exercising their right to witness the execution and risking exposure to a deadly disease , ” the lawyers wrote in an appeals court filing on Saturday .
Attorney General William Barr told The Associated Press in recent days that he believes the Bureau of Prisons could “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk.
” The agency has put a number of additional measures in place , including temperature checks and requiring witnesses to wear masks .
The injunction that was imposed late Friday delays the execution until there is no longer such an emergency .
The court order applies only to Lee ’ s execution and does not halt two other executions that are scheduled for later in the week .
The decision to resume executions has been criticized as a dangerous and political move .
Critics argue that the government is creating an unnecessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t high on the list of American concerns right now .
The federal prisons system has struggled in recent months to stem the exploding coronavirus pandemic behind bars .
As of Friday , more than 7,000 federal inmates had tested positive ; the Bureau of Prisons said 5,137 of them had recovered .
There have been nearly 100 inmate deaths since late March .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--New Orleans’ 1st Black subdivision officially historic

NEW ORLEANS - The first subdivision built for middle- and upper-class Black residents of New Orleans — and one of the first in the nation — is now on the National Register of Historic Places .
It ’ s great to have national recognition of the neighbourhood ’ s historical significance after years of work , Gretchen Bradford , president the Pontchartrain Park Neighborhood Association , said Thursday .
“ As soon as this stuff with COVID-19 is over we ’ re going to have a grand celebration , ” she said in a telephone interview .
Pontchartrain Park opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court had ruled a year earlier that segregated public schools were unconstitutional , segregation was still strictly enforced law in Louisiana and other Southern states .
“ We could only go to City Park one day a week , ” Bradford said .
“ When the Pontchartrain Park neighbourhood was established , we had a park where we could go and play every day.
” The park ’ s golf course was designed by Joseph M. Bartholomew , an African American who had designed courses around the country as well as at City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was the first public golf course he designed on which he was allowed to play , ” noted a news release Thursday from the state Office of Cultural Development .
The houses and streets were designed like those in an adjacent white subdivision , with ranch-style houses , wide lawns , and driveways .
“ It was designed and built as kind of the American dream of home ownership , ” said Danielle Del Sol , executive director of the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans , which worked with the neighbourhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the first planned neighbourhood that I know of ” in New Orleans for African Americans , she said .
“ People consider Treme one of the oldest African American neighbourhoods in the country .
Pontchartrain Park is different in that it was a suburban-style development.
” Its residents have included the city ’ s first Black mayor , Dutch Morial , and his son , Marc Morial , who also was elected mayor , and Chief Justice Bernette Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme Court .
Grammy-winning musician Terence Blanchard , actor Wendell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lisa Jackson also have lived there .
Del Sol said Pontchartrain Park is the 22nd district in New Orleans to be placed on the register administered by the National Parks Service .
It was accepted June 23 .
Others include the French Quarter , Faubourg Marigny , Bywater , Irish Channel and Esplanade Ridge , which includes Treme .
Del Sol said people worried that Hurricane Katrina , which flooded the neighbourhood up to 10 feet ( 3 metres ) deep might have destroyed too much to let the neighbourhood qualify .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early 1960s .
Of nearly 800 remaining , 636 either were spared by Katrina or were rebuilt including enough period material and detail to count as historic , Del Sol said in an email .
“ We were thrilled to learn that enough preexisting fabric remained and the spirit of resiliency shown after the storm was appreciated by the National Park Service , ” she said .

Janet McConnaughey - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Dengue prevention efforts stifled by coronavirus pandemic

JAKARTA , Indonesia - To slow the spread of the coronavirus , governments issued lockdowns to keep people at home .
They curtailed activities that affected services like trash collection .
They tried to shield hospitals from a surge of patients .
But the cascading effects of these restrictions also are hampering efforts to cope with seasonal outbreaks of dengue , an incurable , mosquito-borne disease that is also known as “ breakbone fever “ for its severely painful symptoms .
Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Indonesia have dealt with concurrent outbreaks of dengue and coronavirus this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.6 million COVID-19 infections , at least 1.1 million cases of dengue have been reported , with nearly 400 deaths , according to the Pan American Health Organization .
Dengue cases are likely to rise soon with the start of seasonal rains in Latin American countries like Cuba , Chile and Costa Rica , as well as the South Asian countries of India and Pakistan .
Dengue typically isn ’ t fatal , but severe cases may require hospitalization .
Prevention efforts targeted at destroying mosquito-breeding sites , like removing trash or old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are still the best ways to curb the spread of the disease .
But coronavirus-era lockdowns and other restrictions have meant that these efforts have been reduced or stopped altogether in many countries .
In northwestern Pakistan , plans to disinfect tire shops and markets that had dengue outbreaks in 2019 were shelved due to funds being used for the coronavirus , said Dr. Rizwan Kundi , head of the Young Doctor ’ s Association .
Health workers who would destroy mosquito-breeding sites in India ’ s capital of New Delhi are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Having to identify thousands of virus cases has meant that dengue surveillance has suffered in many Latin American countries , added Dr. Maria Franca Tallarico , the head of health for the Americas regional office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies .
Experts say that disrupting such prevention efforts is ominous for the global battle against dengue .
The World Health Organization says 2019 was the worst year on record for dengue cases , with every region affected , and some countries were hit for the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreads dengue , is most prevalent in cities , and experts warn that increased urbanization and warming temperatures due to climate change means that its range will keep increasing .
Experts say that while reduced travel means fewer opportunities for mosquitoes to bite people with dengue to become carriers themselves , the coronavirus pandemic has introduced other variables .
Staying home -- one way to slow outbreaks of COVID-19 , especially in cities -- poses greater risks for spreading dengue , said Singapore ’ s National Environment Agency ( NEA ) .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the day , and with more people staying home , where mosquito populations are high , the more likely they are to be bitten .
The impact is already visible .
Singapore recorded a five-fold increase in the mosquito larvae detected in homes and common corridors of residential areas during the two-month coronavirus lockdown period , compared with the previous two months .
By July 6 , the total of dengue cases in Singapore was more than 15,500 .
The NEA says the number of cases this year is expected to exceed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which at the time was the largest dengue outbreak in Singapore ’ s history .
Oliver Brady , an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine , said Central America and the Caribbean were at higher risk due to overlapping outbreaks .
Working with communities in Latin America to stop mosquitoes from breeding had been the most successful anti-dengue strategy in recent years , Tallarico said .
But with strict limitations on movement , she said they didn ’ t know whether these measures were still happening , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us.
” A shortage of protective equipment also means limiting the number of first responders who can check on people with fever or cough , she said .
“ My concern is that you have ( many ) more cases of dengue ... but the capacity of the system to notify ( and ) test is limited , ” she said .
Dengue patients need acute care , and this could lead to a “ double whammy ” that overwhelms health care systems , said Scott O ’ Neill , founder and director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The health care system is already crumbling .
...
I am not sure how ( India ’ s ) existing health care system will be able to handle this load , ” said Dr. S.P Kalantri , a public health specialist .
Global research into dengue also will be affected by the coronavirus pandemic , Brady said .
At the WMP Tahija Foundation Research Laboratory in Yogyakarta , Indonesia , which has been studying dengue for years , “ it became too difficult to enrol patients with the social-distancing measures , ” O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now being used as a COVID-19 testing site .
Similarly , the National Institute of Malaria Research in New Delhi has stopped all field work after it was converted into a centre for validating COVID-19 testing kits , said Dr. R.C Dhiman , who studies mosquitoes and climate change .
In Bangladesh , where dengue season is just starting , the launch of a mobile app to help people report their cases was delayed by the pandemic , said Afsana Alamgir Khan , who oversees the country ’ s dengue program .
Experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only increase the risks of dengue infections .
Ghosal reported from New Delhi .
Associated Press writers Edna Tarigan in Jakarta , Indonesia , Kathy Gannon in Islamabad and Julhas Alam in Dhaka , Bangladesh , contributed to this report .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Victoria Milko And Aniruddha Ghosal - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--21 injured in fire aboard ship at Naval Base San Diego

SAN DIEGO - Twenty-one people suffered minor injuries in an explosion and fire Sunday on board a ship at Naval Base San Diego , military officials said .
The blaze was reported shortly before 9 a.m. on the USS Bonhomme Richard , said Mike Raney , a spokesperson for Naval Surface Force , U.S. Pacific Fleet .
Seventeen sailors and four civilians were hospitalized with “ non-life-threatening injuries , ” Raney said in a brief statement .
He didn ’ t provide additional details .
Previously , officials said at least one person was treated for smoke inhalation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It wasn ’ t immediately known where on the 255-metre amphibious assault vessel the blast and the fire occurred .
The flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke visible around San Diego .
San Diego is the Bonhomme Richard ’ s home port , and the ship was undergoing routine maintenance at the time of the fire .
About 160 sailors and officers were on board , Raney said — far fewer than the thousand typically on the ship when it ’ s on active duty .
All crew members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gilday , chief of naval operations .
“ We are grateful for the quick and immediate response of local , base , and shipboard firefighters aboard USS Bonhomme Richard , ” Gilday said in a statement .
The 23-year-old ship has the capacity to deploy and land helicopters , smaller boats and amphibious vehicles .
Because of its age , a fire could be particularly destructive , especially if it reached the engine room and other tight spaces with machinery , said Lawrence B. Brennan , a professor of admiralty and international maritime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The heat of a fire of this nature can warp the steel , and that can be a major problem for any ship , ” Brennan said .
“ On an older ship , it ’ s even more of a problem.
” Two other docked ships , the USS Fitzgerald and USS Russell , were moved to berths away from the fire , officials said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Bartering child’s dress for food: Life in Lebanon’s economic crisis

BEIRUT—For three decades , chef Antoine El Hajj has appeared on television five days a week to help cooks across Lebanon improve their grasp of the culinary arts .
Two months ago , as an economic crisis caused Lebanon ’ s currency to collapse and prices to soar , he realized that many of his viewers could no longer afford staples he had long relied on in his recipes , like beef .
“ There used to be a middle class in Lebanon , but now the rich are rich , the middle class has become poor and the poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 65 , said in a recent interview before going on the air .
He has since cut beef from his menus and fills his segments with tips on how to keep dishes tasty with less oil , fewer eggs and cheaper vegetables .
Lebanon ’ s crisis , the result of years of government corruption and financial mismanagement , has caused unemployment and poverty rates to skyrocket , businesses to shutter and salaries to lose their value as inflation soars .
Mass protests against the political elite erupted across the country last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations tapered off when the country shut down because of the coronavirus , but have recently picked up again as the lockdown has added to the economic distress .
The effects of the economic meltdown are increasingly infiltrating the daily lives of many Lebanese .
Power cuts darken streets , banks refuse to hand over depositors ’ cash and families struggle to buy imported essentials like diapers and laundry detergent .
The government has long failed to provide sufficient electricity .
But blackouts have grown so long that the din of traffic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 5.4 million people live , has been replaced by the roar of overworked generators .
Their exhaust fouls the air , and many residential buildings are shutting them off to rest at night , depriving residents of air-conditioning during the sweatiest stretch of the Mediterranean summer .
For two days recently , Rafik Hariri University Hospital , the main facility treating Beirut ’ s COVID-19 cases , suddenly went from one hour without power per day to 20 hours without power , according to its director , Dr. Firass Abiad .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ power six hours a day , has closed some operating rooms and delayed surgeries .
“ It feels like you are continuously firefighting with no end in sight , ” Abiad said .
After dark , Beirut ’ s once-raucous nightlife has given way to an eerie desolation .
Bars have few patrons , main streets are dark and traffic lights at major intersections are out , leaving drivers to navigate on their own , flashing their high beams and hoping for the best as they plow through .
The swift collapse has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Lebanese , who often have claimed to have the Middle East ’ s best cuisine and have seen themselves as more sophisticated than others in the region .
Now , many wonder how far their standard of living will fall .
“ Beirut is a survival city .
People always find ways to eat and drink and make music and do activism .
But now , the air is very thick , ” said Carmen Geha , an assistant professor of public administration at the American University of Beirut .
“ Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford to eat outside the house .
It ’ s like you take your salary and divide it by nine.
” The Lebanese pound , or lira , has lost about 85 per cent of its value on the black market since last fall , getting its own satirical Twitter feed where it reacts to its own decline .
“ I ’ m the cheapest but I ’ m not a piece of junk , ” the account said early this month amid reports that it was trading at 9,500 to the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of 1,500 .
Much of the financial distress comes from chaos in the banking system .
The central bank ran what critics have called a Ponzi scheme , enticing commercial banks to make large deposits of U.S. dollars with high interest rates that could be covered only by bringing in more large depositors with even higher interest rates .
But that system ground to a halt last year when new investors stopped coming , leaving the country ’ s banks far short of the dollars they owed their depositors .
The banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out dollars , which the Lebanese had long used interchangeably with local currency in daily life .
A former Lebanese banker , Dan Azzi , has taken credit for coining a term now widely used for these theoretical dollars that exist only in Lebanese banks : lollars .
The result has been financial pandemonium and pain .
The government has sought to control the black market exchange , where changing money on better terms than the official rate can feel like buying drugs , requiring quick meetings in alleyways with money-changers who use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects of the crisis on the country ’ s poor have been acute , as was made clear by four recent suicides in one two-day period , all linked to the economic crisis .
A man who shot himself on one of Beirut ’ s best-known boulevards left behind a handwritten sign reading “ I am not an infidel , ” a line from a well-known song whose next lyric is “ but hunger is an infidel.
” Membership of a Facebook group called Lebanon Barters has swelled , its members offering everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for food .
Their posts read like tragic poetry .
“ New weights , never used , to trade for a package of diapers , size 6 , and a bottle of oil , ” read a post with a photo of dumbbells still in the box .
“ People need them.
” Another post featured a lime-green dress that Fatima al-Hussein , a mother of six from northern Lebanon , had bought as a gift for her daughter .
She was looking to trade it for sugar , milk and detergent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her husband makes 200,000 Lebanese pounds per week as a manual labourer , an amount that used to be worth $ 130 ( U.S. ) .
Now it is worth less than $ 30 , leaving her family struggling to afford essentials .
She said she decided to trade the dress after she had to start feeding her children bread dipped in water .
But so far , she had found no takers .
When her neighbours cook , she closes her doors and windows .
“ I don ’ t want my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
Before going on air recently , El Hajj , the television chef , said that what counted as affordable recipes was a moving target .
“ Beef got expensive so we moved to chicken , and now people are telling me that chicken is expensive , too , ” he said .
As he prepared the dishes for the day ’ s show , he fielded calls from viewers struggling with preserving food amid power cuts .
How do you make jam from plums or cherries ?
How do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t count on the freezer ?
He laid out the options .
Fruits and vegetables could be canned , pickled or dried .
Ground meat could be preserved in fat as confit .
“ Everything has a solution , ” he said after the show , and added , “ What is important for me with my program is to help people to continue to eat .
”

Ben Hubbard - The New York Times,Hwaida Saad


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--As US grapples with virus, Florida hits record case increase

ST. PETERSBURG , Fla. - With the United States grappling with the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world , Florida hit a grim milestone Sunday , shattering the national record for a state ’ s largest single-day increase in positive cases .
Deaths from the virus have also been rising in the U.S. , especially in the South and West , though still well below the heights hit in April , according to a recent Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University .
“ I really do think we could control this , and it ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It should be an effort of our country .
We should be pulling together when we ’ re in a crisis , and we ’ re definitely not doing it , ” said University of Florida epidemiologist Dr. Cindy Prins .
Adm. Brett Giroir , a member of the White House coronavirus task force , called mask-wearing in public , which has been met with resistance in some U.S. states , “ absolutely essential.
” Giroir , the assistant secretary at the Health and Human Services Department , told ABC ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we don ’ t have that , we will not get control of the virus.
’ ’ President Donald Trump wore a mask in public for the first time Saturday , something Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday showed he has “ crossed a bridge.
” Pelosi told CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” that she hopes it means the president “ will change his attitude , which will be helpful in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
” In hard-hit Houston , Texas , two top Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fourth-largest city to lock back down as area hospitals strained to accommodate the onslaught of sick patients .
In Florida , where parts of Walt Disney World reopened Saturday , 15,299 people tested positive , for a total of 269,811 cases , and 45 deaths were recorded , according to state Department of Health statistics reported Sunday .
California had the previous record of daily positive cases — 11,694 , set on Wednesday .
The numbers come at the end of a record-breaking week as Florida reported 514 fatalities — an average of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the state was averaging 30 deaths per day .
Researchers expect deaths to rise in the U.S. for at least some weeks , but some think the count probably will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring because of several factors , including increased testing .
The World Health Organization , meanwhile , reported another record increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases over a 24-hour period , at over 230,000 .
The U.N. health agency said the United States again topped the list among countries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures don ’ t necessarily account for delays in reporting cases , and are believed to far underestimate actual totals .
Countries in Eastern Europe were among those facing rising waves of new infections , leading to riots in Serbia , mandatory face masks in Croatia and travel bans or quarantines imposed by Hungary .
“ We see worrisome signs about an increase in the number of cases in the neighbouring countries , Europe and the whole world , ” said Gergely Gulyas , Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ’ s chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect our own security and prevent the virus from being brought in from abroad.
“ Hungarian authorities said Sunday they have sorted countries into three categories — red , yellow and green — based on their rates of new coronavirus infections , and will impose restrictions , including entry bans and mandatory quarantines , depending on which country people are arriving from .
Serbia , where health authorities are warning that hospitals are almost full due to the latest surge , reported 287 new infections on Sunday , although there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures .
Officially , the country has over 18,000 confirmed infections and 382 deaths since March .
Sunday ’ s report of 11 coronavirus deaths was the country ’ s second-highest daily death toll .
Serbian police clashed with anti-government protesters for four nights last week , demonstrations that forced the Serbian president to withdraw plans to reintroduce a coronavirus lockdown .
Many of the increasing infections have been blamed on crowded soccer matches , tennis events and nightclubs .
In Bulgaria , authorities reintroduced restrictions lifted a few weeks ago because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also has seen a significant increase in infections since mid-May , when it eased lockdown measures .
The Balkan nation reported 93 new cases , over twice as many as the highest daily figures in March and April , and the health ministry called the situation at the main infectious disease hospital “ grave.
” Croatia , whose island-dotted Adriatic Sea coast is a major tourist destination , is making wearing masks mandatory in stores beginning Monday .
Yet the numbers of infections in Eastern Europe pale in comparison to daily coronavirus reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose virus-denying president has tested positive .
India , which has the most cases after the United States and Brazil , saw a record surge of 28,637 cases reported in the past 24 hours .
Authorities also announced a weeklong lockdown beginning Tuesday in the key southern technology hub of Bangalore , where the offices of top tech companies like Microsoft , Apple and Amazon are located .
South Africa has reported over 10,000 new daily cases for several days in a row , including 13,497 new infections announced Saturday night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the virus hot spots .
With over 264,000 cases and 3,971 deaths , South Africa accounts for over 40 % of all the reported coronavirus cases in Africa .
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday the country would return to a ban of alcohol sales to reduce the volume of trauma patients so that hospitals have more beds to treat COVID-19 .
The country is also reinstating a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents and has made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks in public .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ its coronavirus outbreak to a few hundred cases , an annual film festival wrapped up with an awards ceremony this weekend where actors and others lined up for photo shoots with no social distancing , and participants didn ’ t wear masks .
Gorondi reported from Budapest , Hungary .
Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report .
Follow all of AP ’ s pandemic coverage at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Tamara Lush And Pablo Gorondi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Mass celebrated after fire damages centuries-old church

SAN GABRIEL , Calif. - Mass was celebrated Sunday on the grounds of a historic Catholic church in Southern California that had been heavily damaged by fire a day earlier .
The blaze early Saturday destroyed the rooftop and most of the interior of San Gabriel Mission , which was undergoing renovation to mark its upcoming 250th anniversary celebration .
Archbishop Jose H. Gomez presided over Sunday ’ s service at a chapel near the burned sanctuary .
Liccia Beck said she was saddened by news of the fire at her home parish .
She was among a crowd of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rosary before the Mass .
“ I ’ m hoping that more people will show up throughout the day , ” Beck said .
“ We need to pray for our churches and our people that they ’ re safe.
” Parishioners wore masks and kept a distance from each other because of the coronavirus epidemic .
Nobody was hurt in the fire .
Gomez said in a statement that historic paintings and other artifacts had been removed as part of the renovations .
Firefighters entered the church around 4 a.m. Saturday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they had to retreat when roofing and other structural materials began to fall , San Gabriel Fire Capt .
Paul Negrete said .
The cause of the fire was under investigation , Negrete said .
He said the recent toppling of monuments to Junipero Serra , the founder of the California mission system who has long been a symbol of oppression among Indigenous activists , will be a factor in the investigation .

Marcio Sanchez And Christopher Weber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Joe Biden wins Democratic primary in Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden has won the Democratic presidential primary in Puerto Rico .
Biden faced seven other candidates on @ @ @ @ @ the others have dropped out of the race .
Biden has already locked up enough @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nominee .
The primary was scheduled for March but was delayed until Sunday @ @ @ @ @ .
Residents of Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens but they can not vote in the @ @ @ @ @ However , both Democrats and Republicans invite delegates from the U.S. territory to their respective @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Protesters loot office of Mali president’s political party

BAMAKO , Mali - Protesters ransacked a building belonging to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita ’ s political party on Sunday , underscoring the tensions that remain in Mali , even after the president met one of their top demands .
The latest unrest at a neighbourhood headquarters for Keita ’ s RPM party came as mourners returned from funerals to bury several of the victims who have died during political demonstrations in recent days , witnesses said .
Only hours earlier , the president had announced in a televised speech that he had dissolved the constitutional court as demanded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider re-doing contested legislative elections .
The movement ’ s leaders are no longer calling for the resignation of Keita , who has three years left in his final term .
But Sunday ’ s unrest showed there are still elements deeply dissatisfied with his leadership .
Eleven people were killed in the violent demonstrations held Friday and Saturday , officials said .
The police crackdown now threatens to further escalate the crisis , with one political party already criticizing the government for deploying anti-terrorism forces to the streets during the demonstrations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a top demand for the protesters because the body had released official results from legislative elections this spring that now are being disputed by several dozen candidates .
Keita also told Malians he was willing to consider re-doing the legislative elections in those areas , saying such concessions are needed to save Mali from further violence .
“ We must go beyond ourselves and only consider Mali , ” the president said in his televised address late Saturday .
The president , who was elected in 2013 and won a second term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week to dissolve the court .
Demonstrators , though , have said they also want the National Assembly dissolved , a move Keita has yet to endorse .
On Friday , thousands marched through the streets of the capital , even briefly occupying the state television offices .
The unrest in the capital continued Saturday , when police fired tear gas on crowds that were smaller than the day before .
All scenarios are still possible in Mali , where the last democratically elected president was overthrown in a military coup in 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political analyst .
“ It is difficult now to say whether President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita can still benefit from the support of the army , ” Dakono said .
Even if senior military officers are loyal to Keita ’ s government , lower-ranking officers and army rank-and-file can be unpredictable , he said .
When Keita was elected in 2013 , a French-led military operation had ousted Islamic extremists from key towns in northern Mali just months earlier .
In the seven years since , though , those militants have regrouped and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces despite the presence of U.N. peacekeepers , French troops and regional forces .
The violence wracked by extremists also has greatly expanded into central Mali during Keita ’ s presidency , fueling tensions between ethnic groups seen as allying with the jihadists and those seen as loyal to the Malian government .
Last year was particularly deadly as hundreds of soldiers were killed in the north , forcing the military at one point to close down some of its most remote and vulnerable outposts .
It prompted criticism of how Keita ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A similar wave of violence targeting Malian soldiers in the north , launched by separatist rebels , precipitated the 2012 coup that overthrew President Amadou Toumani Toure .
The coup ’ s leader later handed over power to a transitional civilian government following international pressure , and democratic elections were then organized which Keita won .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--South Africa returns to ban on alcohol sales as virus surges

JOHANNESBURG - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country will immediately return to a ban on the sale of alcohol to reduce the volume of trauma patients so that hospitals have more beds open to treat COVID-19 patients .
Confronted by surging hospitalizations due to the coronavirus , South Africa is also reinstating a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents and made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks when in public .
Ramaphosa said , in a nationally televised address Sunday night , that top health officials warn of impending shortages of hospital beds and medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 cases , expected between the end of July and September .
He said some hospitals have had to turn away patients because all their beds are full .
South Africa ’ s rapid increase in reported cases has made it one of the world ’ s centres for COVID-19 , as it is ranked as the 9th country most affected by the disease , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The country has reported increases of more than 10,000 confirmed cases for several days and the latest daily increase was nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of all the confirmed cases in Africa , with 276,242 , an increase of 12,058 in one day .
South Africa has recorded 4,079 deaths , 25 % of which have been in the past week , said Ramaphosa .
“ While the surge of infections has been expected , the force and the speed with which it has progressed has , quite understandably , caused great concern , “ said Ramaphosa .
“ Many of us are fearful of the danger this presents for ourselves , and for our families.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol was re-introduced on in June , hospitals have experienced a spike in admissions in their trauma and emergency wards .
The countrywide curfew mandates that people must not be on the roads between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. effective Monday .
Masks have also been declared mandatory , with all transport operators , employers , and owners of businesses and buildings now legally obliged to ensure everyone entering their businesses or premises are wearing masks .
Ramaphosa lambasted citizens who have continued to have social gatherings , including parties and overcrowded funerals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rapid spread of the virus .
“ In the midst of our national effort to fight against this virus there are a number of people who have taken to organizing parties , who have drinking sprees , and some who walk around in crowded spaces without masks , ” he said .
South Africa imposed one of the world ’ s strictest lockdowns in April and May , including closing virtually all mines , factories and businesses , and a ban on sales of liquor and cigarettes .
The measures slowed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s economy , already in recession , contracted dramatically , increasing unemployment above 30 % and hunger .
In June the country began relaxing restrictions to allow millions of South Africans to return to work .
The easing of restrictions allowed the sales of alcohol on four days a week .
However , within a few weeks the country ’ s numbers of confirmed cases and hospitalizations increased dramatically , bringing Ramaphosa to reimpose the ban on alcohol sales and other restrictions .
More than 30 % of South Africa ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gauteng province , which includes the largest city , Johannesburg , and the capital , Pretoria .
The tourist centre of Cape Town also has a high number of cases .
Johannesburg ’ s densely populated Soweto township has a high concentration of cases , according to officials .
“ We knew that with the easing of restrictions , the number of cases would go up .
But what is surprising is the speed with which the case numbers have grown , ” said Dr. Salim Abdool Karim , who is on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We can expect to see the numbers of cases and hospitalizations to increase for a number of weeks ... this will continue for the next six to eight weeks .
By October we may be seeing a decline.
” South Africa has carried out 2.1 million tests , on its population of 58 million .
Because of an international shortage of testing materials , South Africa in June experienced a long delay in the time to get test results , at one point reaching 12 days in government clinics .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get test results is five days in by public laboratories and two days in private labs , according to the latest figures issued by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases .
Africa ’ s 54 countries have reported 577,904 cases , according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The continent ’ s confirmed cases are concentrated in four countries -- South Africa , Egypt with 81,158 cases , Nigeria with 31,987 cases and Algeria with 18,712 cases – which together make up more than 65 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of actual cases in Africa is believed to be much higher , as the testing rate is very low in many countries .

Mogomotsi Magome And Andrew Meldrum - The Associated Press