thetorontostar--2020-01-20--McConnell proposes swift impeachment trial with long days

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday proposed a condensed , two-day calendar for each side to give opening statements in President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , ground rules that are raising objections from Democrats on the eve of the landmark proceedings .
The Republican leader outlined the process in a four-page resolution that will be voted on as one of the first orders of business when senators convene Tuesday .
It also pushes off any votes on witnesses until later in the process , rather than up front , as Democrats demanded .
McConnell has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquittal of the charges against the president , and the closely held rules package arrived Monday after Trump ’ s legal team asserted in a legal brief that he did “ absolutely nothing wrong , “ urging the Senate to swiftly reject the “ flimsy ” and rigged impeachment case against him .
With Republicans holding the Senate majority , McConnell ’ s proposal is likely to be approved by senators in the president ’ s party .
“ It ’ s clear Senator McConnell is hell-bent on making it much more difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on rushing the trial through , ” Schumer said .
He vowed to propose votes to try to amend the package .
The rules package arrived late Monday as the Capitol was bracing for the start of the trial .
After the four days of opening statements — two days per side — senators will be allowed up to 16 hours for questions to the prosecution and defence , followed by four hours of debate .
Only then will there be votes on calling other witnesses .
In the rare event that senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propose that any witness must be deposed and the Senate would then decide which ones , if any , would testify in public .
At the end of deliberations , the Senate would then vote on each impeachment article .
The White House welcomed the proposal for a speedy trial .
“ We are gratified that the draft resolution protects the President ’ s rights to a fair trial , and look forward to presenting a vigorous defence on the facts and the process as quickly as possible , and seeking an acquittal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House Legislative Affairs Director Eric Ueland .
In a brief from Trump ’ s lawyers , they argued he did “ absolutely nothing wrong ” and urged the Senate to swiftly reject the “ flimsy case.
” “ All of this is a dangerous perversion of the Constitution that the Senate should swiftly and roundly condemn , “ the lawyers wrote .
“ The articles should be rejected and the president should immediately be acquitted.
” The 110-page brief from the White House , plus the House Democratic response , come as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the rare trial taking place in an election year , with some of the very senators running to replace Trump as president sitting as jurors .
Democrats warned that such a plan would almost certainly push the proceedings into hours when Americans may not be watching .
With security tightening at the Capitol , the House prosecutors made their way through crowds of tourists in the Rotunda to tour the Senate chamber .
The White House legal team led by Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow soon followed , both sides under instructions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onlookers and the media .
Four TV monitors were set up inside to show testimony , exhibits and potentially tweets or other social media , according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorized to discuss it who spoke on condition of anonymity .
Senators are poised for only the third trial of its kind in U.S. history , but first they must contend with a rules fight and whether to allow new witnesses .
In their own filing Monday , House prosecutors issued fresh demands for a fair trial in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his impeachment is a partisan ‘ hoax.
’ He is wrong , ” the prosecutors wrote .
The House Democrats led by Chairman Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee said the president can ’ t have it both ways -- rejecting the facts of the House case but also stonewalling congressional subpoenas for witnesses and testimony .
“ Senators must honour their own oaths by holding a fair trial with all relevant evidence , “ they wrote .
The White House document released Monday says the two articles of impeachment brought against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Congress — don ’ t amount to impeachable offences .
It asserts that the impeachment inquiry , centred on Trump ’ s request that Ukraine ’ s president open an investigation into Democratic rival Joe Biden , was never about finding the truth .
The impeachment case accuses Trump of abusing power by withholding military aid from Ukraine at the same time that he was seeking an investigation into Biden , and of obstructing Congress by instructing administration officials not to appear for testimony or provide documents , defying congressional subpoenas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats called Trump ’ s conduct the “ worst nightmare “ of the framers of the Constitution .
“ President Donald J. Trump used his official powers to pressure a foreign government to interfere in a United States election for his personal political gain , ” the House prosecutors wrote , “ and then attempted to cover up his scheme by obstructing Congress ’ s investigation into his misconduct.
” But Trump ’ s team contended Monday that even if Trump were to have abused his power in withholding the Ukraine military assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it did not violate a specific criminal statute .
The president ’ s team issued several opinions from the Justice Department ’ s Office of Legal Counsel to back up its claims and support its position that it had not illegally defied Congress .
While the Senate , with a 53-47 Republican majority , is not at all expected to mount the two-thirds voted needed for conviction , the president ’ s lawyers went so far as to suggest such an outcome would be an “ unconstitutional conviction ” because of the overly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Trump team claims that the Constitution requires that senators agree “ on the specific basis for conviction ” and that there is no way to ensure that the senators agree on which acts are worthy of removal , because a single count contains multiple allegations .
Administration officials have argued that similar imprecision applied to the perjury case in the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton , who was acquitted by the Senate .
The Trump lawyers accused Democrats of diluting the standards for impeachment , an argument that echoed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attorneys , Alan Dershowitz , who contended in talk shows that impeachable offences must be “ criminal-like conduct.
“ That assertion has been rejected by scholars , and Schiff called it an “ absurdist position.
“ The White House also suggests the House inquiry was lacking because it failed to investigate Biden or his son Hunter , who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine while his father was vice-president .
There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden .
Associated Press writer Laurie Kellman contributed to @ @ @

Zeke Miller, Eric Tucker And Lisa Mascaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Grenade kills at least 7 at wedding party in Sudan’s capital

CAIRO - A grenade exploded during a wedding party in Sudan ’ s capital Monday , killing at least seven people , including three children , security and medical officials said .
The officials said the explosion also injured at least two dozen adults and children , who were taken to nearby hospitals from the party in the Shegla neighbourhood in Khartoum ’ s al-Haj Youssef district .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media .
Images shared online showed injured people with bandages and blood on their bodies being treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two people at the party escalated into one of them throwing the grenade and causing the explosion , the health ministry said in a statement .
While such explosions are rare in Khartoum , the city has suffered from insecurity in recent months .
Police found at least three people slain in unclear circumstances in different parts of the capital over the past two weeks .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Panama begins exhumation of victims from 1989 US invasion

PANAMA CITY - Forensic workers took preliminary steps Monday for digging up the remains of some victims of the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama , an effort that has lifted the hopes of Panamanians who had relatives die or disappear and have lived with unanswered questions about their fate for 30 years .
Authorities gave the approval for exhumation of the 19 bodies buried in a Panama City cemetery after a truth commission set up three years ago documented about 20 disappearances from the U.S. military action to topple strongman Manuel Noriega .
Prosecutor Maribel Caballero told reporters the remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNA from relatives in 14 cases .
Work began with the placing of yellow tape where the forensic experts would begin digging , though no soil had yet been turned by afternoon .
On hand to witness the process were relatives of missing and dead Panamanians , including the wife of a lieutenant in Noriega ’ s military who along with her daughters is asking for the opening of a coffin that they contend was mistakenly identified as containing his remains .
“ I am going to demand they open that coffin for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s name there , ” said Brigitte Bethancourt , 60 , daughter of Braulio Bethancort .
“ It is a lack of respect to put the name knowing that three times I told prosecutors it was not my father.
” The cemetery contains more than 100 people killed during the invasion that were first exhumed months after the event because they had been buried in common graves .
DNA testing is expected to take months .
“ For me this is a celebration of being able to know where my father will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in California .
“ We are already past the mourning.
” About 514 Panamanians including soldiers and civilians were killed in the invasion , according to official estimates , while the U.S. military reported 23 troop casualties .
Human rights groups believe the number of Panamanian dead could be higher .


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Baker apologizes for calling Pressley’s MLK speech a ‘rant’

BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker apologized Monday after he used the word “ rant ” to describe remarks from U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley at an event honouring Martin Luther King Jr. Pressley , a Boston Democrat , had delivered a speech about inequality and the unfinished fight for civil rights at the 50th annual MLK Memorial Breakfast in Boston .
“ I ’ m still an abolitionist , because my people still are not free , ” she told the more than 1,000 audience members , according to WBUR .
“ And I mean that in every way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Crow and mass incarceration , but because we don ’ t have economic justice.
” Baker , a Republican , spoke immediately after Pressley and jokingly told the crowd that he would have to follow “ that rant.
” He quickly added that he agreed with Pressley ’ s comments about celebrating diversity .
The governor apologized for his word choice after the breakfast , according to his spokeswoman , Lizzy Guyton .
“ The governor agreed with Congresswoman Pressley ’ s remarks today and believes her speech was moving , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groaned after Baker ’ s ‘ rant ’ comment , which was heavily criticized on social media by people who praised Pressley ’ s comments .
“ It was thoughtful , personal , and anything but a rant , ” tweeted Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey , a Democrat .
“ Language like that is dismissive and perpetuates the very harm we seek to end.
” Pressley , who represents the state ’ s 7th Congressional District , has been propelled onto the national stage in part by her association with three other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York , Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — labeled the “ squad.
“ In 2018 , Pressley defeated longtime Democratic congressman Michael Capuano , a 20-year veteran of the House , to become the first black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts .
The 45-year-old Pressley previously served as former Secretary of State John Kerry ’ s political director when he was a U.S. senator and became the first black woman elected to the Boston City Council in 2009 .
Other elected leaders attending Monday ’ s Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor Marty Walsh and U.S. Sen. Edward Markey , both Democrats .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Pro-gun rally by thousands in Virginia ends peacefully

RICHMOND , Va. - Tens of thousands of gun-rights activists from around the country rallied peacefully at the Virginia Capitol on Monday to protest plans by the state ’ s Democratic leadership to pass gun-control legislation — a move that has become a key flash point in the national debate over gun violence The size of the crowd and the expected participation of white supremacists and fringe militia groups raised fears that the state could see a repeat of the violence that exploded in 2017 in Charlottesville .
But the rally concluded uneventfully around noon , and the mood was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USA !
” and waving signs denouncing Democratic Gov .
Ralph Northam .
Many protesters chose not to enter the designated rally zone , where Northam had imposed a temporary weapons ban , and instead packed surrounding streets , many dressed in tactical gear and camouflage and carrying military-style rifles as they cheered on the speakers .
“ I love this .
This is like the Super Bowl for the Second Amendment right here , ” said P.J .
Hudson , a truck driver from Richmond who carried an AR-15 rifle just outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the few African American rally-goers in a crowd that was overwhelmingly white and male , and was frequently stopped and asked to pose for pictures wearing his “ Black Guns Matter ” sweatshirt .
An estimated 22,000 people attended , according to authorities , who said one woman was arrested on felony charge of wearing a mask in public .
The protesters came out despite the frigid temperature to send a message to legislators , they said .
“ The government doesn ’ t run us , we run the government , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security officer from northern Virginia who brought a white flag with a picture of a rifle captioned , “ Come and take it.
” Northam was a particular focus of the protesters ’ wrath .
One poster showed his face superimposed on Adolf Hitler ’ s body .
The governor said in a statement he was “ thankful ” the day passed peacefully and that “ he will continue to listen to the voices ” of Virginians while doing everything in his power “ to keep our commonwealth safe.
” “ The issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress is often difficult , ” Northam said .
Democratic lawmakers said the rally wouldn ’ t impact their plans to pass gun-control measures , including universal background checks and a one-handgun-purchase-a-month limit .
Democrats say tightening Virginia ’ s gun laws will make communities safer and help prevent mass shootings like the one last year in Virginia Beach , where a dozen people were killed in a municipal building .
“ I was prepared to see a whole lot more people show up than actually did and I think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric is bluster , quite frankly , “ said Del .
Chris Hurst , a gun-control advocate whose TV journalist girlfriend was killed in an on-air shooting in 2015 .
Some of the protesters waved flags with messages of support for President Donald Trump .
Trump , in turn , tweeted support for their goals .
“ The Democrat Party in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia are working hard to take away your 2nd Amendment rights , “ he tweeted .
” This is just the beginning .
Don ’ t let it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Virginia State Police , the Virginia Capitol Police and the Richmond Police had a heavy presence , with officers deploying on rooftops , patrolling in cars and on bicycles .
Authorities were looking to avoid a repeat of the violence that erupted in Charlottesville during one of the largest gatherings of white supremacists and other far-right groups in a decade .
Attendees brawled with counterprotesters , and an avowed white supremacist drove his car into a crowd , killing a woman and injuring dozens more .
Law enforcement officials faced scathing criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and anti-racism protesters said was a passive response .
On Monday , Southern Poverty Law Center staff members attended the rally and identified members of extremist militia groups , including the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters , as well as the League of the South , according to outreach director Lecia Brooks .
The League of the South , which the centre designates a hate group , advocates for Southern secession .
In contrast to Charlottesville , there was little sign of counterprotesters challenging the gun-rights activists .
Police limited access to Capitol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long line formed to get into the rally zone .
Gun-rights advocates also filled the hallways of the building that houses lawmakers ’ offices .
One couple , Jared and Marie March , travelled from Floyd County , over three hours west of Richmond , to meet with lawmakers .
“ Guns are a way of life where we live , ” said Marie March , who was concerned about a proposed red-flag law she said would allow citizens to be stripped of their guns due to “ subjective criteria.
” A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ more Big Brother , ” she said .
“ We just feel like we need to push government back into their rightful spot.
” Monday ’ s rally was organized by an influential grassroots gun-rights group , the Virginia Citizens Defence League .
The group holds a yearly rally at the Capitol , typically a low-key event with a few hundred gun enthusiasts listening to speeches from a handful of Republican lawmakers .
But this year ’ s event was unprecedented .
Second Amendment groups have identified the state as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they see as a national erosion of gun rights .
The pushback against proposed new gun restrictions began immediately after Democrats won majorities in both the state Senate and House of Delegates in November , with much of the opposition focused on a proposed assault weapons ban .
More than 100 localities have since passed measures declaring support for the Second Amendment .
Erich Pratt , senior vice-president of Gun Owners of America , said voters need to replace the Democrats in control of the government in Virginia .
“ We need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to clean house in the next election , ” he told the crowd .
House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert complimented the behaviour of the rally-goers and said Democrats should take a lesson from them .
“ The law-abiding gun owners in attendance today are the ones who would bear the brunt of their anti-gun proposals , which would have little to no impact on crime or criminals , ” he said in a statement .
The rally coincided with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday , which is typically a chance for everyday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lobby their legislators .
However , the threat of violence largely kept other groups away from the Capitol , including gun control groups that hold an annual vigil for victims of gun violence .
When that event was cancelled , students from March for Our Lives , the movement launched after 17 were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018 , decided they had to do something .
A group of about 15 college students and one high schooler slept overnight in the offices of two Democratic lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Capitol area safely .
The lawmakers , Hurst and Del .
Dan Helmer — who ’ s sponsoring a bill that would block the National Rifle Association from operating an indoor gun range at its headquarters — camped out as well .
Michael McCabe , a 17-year-old high school senior from northern Virginia , said he was there to underscore the “ moral urgency ” felt by a generation “ unduly affected ” by gun violence .
“ Our main goal is not to engage with gun extremists today , ” McCabe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be present in the legislature to make our voices heard.
“

Alan Suderman And Sarah Rankin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Iraqi officials: 3 dead, dozens wounded in Baghdad protests

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces fired tear gas and live rounds during clashes with anti-government protesters overnight and Monday morning in Baghdad , killing three and wounding dozens of demonstrators , officials said .
Separately , three katyusha rockets landed in Baghdad ’ s fortified Green Zone , the seat of Iraq ’ s government and home to several foreign embassies , but caused no injuries or damage , two security officials said .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .
The clashes prompted authorities to close key streets and thoroughfares leading to the Iraqi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the latest since protests in Iraq reignited last week after a brief lull amid soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran following a U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad earlier this month .
Anti-government protests have similarly resumed in Lebanon after a brief hiatus , entering a new , violent phase as anger against a worsening economic crisis and politicians ’ inaction mounts .
Hundreds of people were injured over the weekend as security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets in clashes in downtown Beirut .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ embassy in the Green Zone , and are the latest in several similar attacks .
As in the other incidents , the perpetrators were not immediately known but the strike comes during a sensitive time as the U.S. and Iran step back from taking further escalating action on Iraqi soil .
Two rockets fell in the Green Zone on Jan. 8 .
In Baghdad , the tear gas and live rounds were fired near Sinak Bridge and also the nearby Tayaran Square , which have been the scene of violence in recent days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A gunshot wound killed one protester , while a second died after being struck in the head by a tear gas canister , medical officials said .
A third later succumbed to his injuries , the officials said .
A statement from the Baghdad Operations Command said fourteen officers were wounded by a group of rock-throwing “ inciters of violence ” while trying to secure the entrance to Tahrir Square , the epicenter of the protest movement .
Among the dead was Yousif Sattar , 21 , a local journalist covering the protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist said .
“ Despite these actions our forces continued to exercise restraint and follow up on the security duties assigned to them , ” said the statement .
A security official said at least nine arrests have been made so far after the National Security Council authorized security forces to arrest demonstrators seen blocking main thoroughfares and roundabouts .
The U.N. envoy to Iraq , meanwhile , urged Iraqi political elites to resume pushing for reforms and for protests to remain peaceful .
“ Any steps taken so far to address the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if they are not completed , “ said Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in a statement issued by the U.N. “ Violent suppression of peaceful protesters is intolerable and must be avoided at all costs.
” In the southern city of Nasiriyah , protesters blocked the highway linking the city to the southern oil-rich province of Basra .
At least six protesters were wounded when an unknown gunmen fired at them from a speeding car , a medical official said .
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations .
On Sunday , protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , blocking main streets .
Clashes in Baghdad wounded at least 27 people .
Iraqi activists gave the government a week ’ s deadline to act on their demands for sweeping political reforms or said they would up the pressure with new demonstrations .
The uprising began on Oct. 1 when thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to decry rampant government corruption , poor public services and a scarcity of jobs .
Protesters are demanding an end to Iraq ’ s sectarian political system , alongside early elections and the stepping aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement had scored several successes before the U.S. strike diverted public attention .
In December , pressure from demonstrations lead Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani , Iraq ’ s most revered Shiite cleric , to withdraw support for the government of Adel Abdul-Mahdi , prompting the prime minister ’ s resignation .
Later that month , lawmakers passed a key new electoral law that would give voters more say in who ’ s elected to office .
But bickering between rival political factions has set back talks over the selection of a new premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ product of a provisional agreement between rival parliamentary blocs led by the influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr , and another led by Hadi al-Ameri .
Since the protests first erupted in October , at least 500 have died under fire from security forces .
Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj in Baghdad contributed to this report .

Qassem Abdul-Zahra And Samya Kullab - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Trump heading to Switzerland as impeachment trial reconvenes

WASHINGTON - When President Donald Trump ’ s historic impeachment trial is called to order in the Senate this week , he won ’ t be watching from inside the chamber or on television from the White House .
He ’ ll be thousands of miles away at the Davos economic forum in the Swiss Alps , trying to charm global CEOs over dinner .
Trump ’ s participation in the annual World Economic Forum will provide a conspicuous split-screen moment in a presidency familiar with them .
His two-day visit to Switzerland will test his ability to balance his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to project leadership on the world stage .
Administration officials say Trump remains focused on serving the public .
“ The president ’ s work doesn ’ t stop just because of the impeachment sham , ” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in an email .
Trump , who departs Washington on Monday night , said he ’ s going to Davos to encourage businesses to invest in the U.S. “ We ’ re now where the action is , ” he said at a farmers ’ convention Sunday in Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his second appearance at the annual Swiss economic forum , Trump was scheduled to arrive at the ski resort early Tuesday and jet back on Wednesday to a Washington that will be consumed by the impeachment trial .
Trump will give a speech at the forum and meet with world leaders and business executives .
The Democratic-controlled House impeached the Republican president last month for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after it was revealed that he had pressed Ukraine ’ s president to announce investigations into former Vice-President Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign aid that Congress had approved for the Eastern European nation and dangled the prospect of an Oval Office meeting as leverage .
Trump denies any wrongdoing and argues that Democrats want to remove him from office because they know they can ’ t deny him reelection in November .
Trump would be forced to leave office if convicted , but the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to acquit him .
Trump said he would attend the Davos forum despite the awkward timing because he wants to encourage businesses to come back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country anywhere in the world , ” he said at the White House last week .
“ There ’ s nothing even close .
I ’ ll be meeting the biggest business leaders in the world , getting them to come here.
” The White House has not named any of the business leaders Trump is set to meet with .
But he will hold talks with the leaders of Iraq , Pakistan , Switzerland and Iraq ’ s self-governing Kurdish region , as well as the forum ’ s founder , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have his first meeting with the new European Commission president , Ursula von der Leyen , the first woman to hold the position .
That meeting could be the most significant , said analyst Matt Goodman , given Trump ’ s many disagreements with Europe over tax and trade policy , like a new digital levy by the French that will force American tech giants such as Amazon and Google to pay up .
“ She ’ s new and she ’ s formidable , ” said Goodman , who studies international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Center for Strategic and International Studies .
“ It could either go very well or very badly , ” Goodman said .
Trump has smarted over the French tax , and his administration has announced plans to impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 100 % on cheese , wine , lipstick and other French imports .
France has threatened to fight back .
But after speaking to Trump on Monday , French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that they had a “ great discussion ” about the digital tax and “ will work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tariff escalation.
” The U.S. has also threatened to impose retaliatory duties on $ 7.5 billion worth of European airplanes , cheese , wine and other goods in a separate dispute over subsidies for Airbus , a competitor to Chicago-based Boeing Co. Trump also has sought to wring trade concessions from the EU by threatening tariffs on German autos , including BMW and Mercedes-Benz .
Trump heads to Switzerland as just the third American president , after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton , to face a Senate impeachment trial .
Johnson and Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is precedent for international travel by an impeached U.S. leader .
During his impeachment over an affair with a White House intern , Clinton visited Japan , South Korea , Israel and the Palestinian Authority .
He travelled to Jordan for King Hussein ’ s funeral in February 1999 , just a few days before he was acquitted by the Senate .
Two days after acquittal , Clinton went to Mexico on a state visit .
Trump is planning to make his first visit to India at the end of February , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial .
He also has talked about travelling soon to Beijing , although he has given no dates , to open a new round of trade talks with China .

Darlene Superville - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Police: Guard ‘saved lives’ in Kansas City bar shooting

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
- An armed security guard saved several lives when he shot and killed a heavily armed man who opened fire on a line of people waiting to get into a Kansas City , Missouri , bar , killing one person and wounding at least 15 others , Kansas City ’ s police chief said Monday .
Police were still trying to determine a motive for the late Sunday shooting at the 9ine Ultra Lounge in eastern Kansas City that created a chaotic scene as hundreds of patrons fled the scene on foot and in cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We know that there were multiple firearms involved , so we think the security guard ’ s actions definitely saved lives , ” said Smith .
The security guard , whose identity was not released , fatally shot Jahron Swift , 29 , of Kansas City , police said .
The woman who died was identified as Raeven Parks , 25 , of Kansas City .
It was not known if there was any connection between Swift and Parks , Smith said .
Smith said police had received complaints in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the parking lot shortly before the shooting and saw nothing suspicious .
A disturbance occurred in the line shortly before the shooting but it wasn ’ t clear if the suspect was involved in that confrontation , he said .
The security guard , who is licensed to be a guard but is not an off-duty officer , heard the disturbance from inside the bar and went outside and confronted the shooter , Smith said .
Police officers didn ’ t fire any shots at the scene .
Police said three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical injuries but Smith added that those numbers could change as more witnesses are interviewed .
He could not say if all the injuries were gunshot wounds .
It was also not clear Monday what types of firearms were used but Smith said there was no evidence that anyone other than the suspect shot at the victims .
A Facebook post on 9ine Ultra Lounge ’ s page advertised Sunday night ’ s “ Sold Out Sundays ” event , which appeared to be a celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s artwork — beat the Tennessee Titans on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl .
The club was on police ’ s radar because of a drive-by shooting in the parking lot about a week ago .
Smith said officers also interviewed several people who complained about incidents at the club in the past .
Smith and Mayor Quentin Lucas both expressed frustration that the shooting marred what was otherwise a happy and uplifting day in Kansas City .
The shooting also came as Kansas City continues to grapple with a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve got a problem in Kansas City , ” Lucas said .
“ We ’ ve said a few times that it is an epidemic of gun violence .
We ’ re losing too many lives , we had too many shot each year .
We will remain committed , both at city hall and the police department , and every agency in Kansas City is making sure that we stop this problem.
” A lack of co-operation from witnesses has contributed to Kansas City ’ s gun violence , both officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happened at the club were circulating on social media but few people had called investigators to offer help .
Smith said the shooting happened despite having extra officers and increased security across the region because of the AFC championship game , which attracted visitors from across the country .
“ We want to roll out the red carpet .
We want Kansas City to be that place that they want to come to , that they enjoy and they had a great time at .
The violent crime Achilles heel keeps coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Smith , who implored citizens to co-operate with authorities to reduce violence in the city .
Also late Sunday , two people were shot to death and at least five were injured in an attack outside a bar in San Antonio , Texas .
The suspected gunman was still on the loose Monday , police said .

Margaret Stafford - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Hawaii man suspected of killing 2 cops described as unhinged

HONOLULU - A Hawaii handyman with a history of run-ins with police and neighbours faced eviction when he stabbed his landlord and killed two officers before the house he and two women were believed to be inside burned , authorities and neighbours said .
Police responding Sunday to a call for help at the location found a woman stabbed in the leg and resident Jaroslav “ Jerry ” Hanel , began shooting , killing Officers Tiffany Enriquez , a seven-year veteran , and Kaulike Kalama , a nine-year veteran , Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard said .
Police suspect Hanel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two women who have not been identified were inside the house when it caught fire .
They were presumed dead and Ballard said it could take days to recover the remains and process evidence .
The fire destroyed seven homes and left others damaged .
As it raged , the sound of dozens of apparent gunshots rang out .
Ballard said no other officers were injured but authorities were investigating whether ammunition , incendiary devices or explosives contributed to the intensity of the blaze .
The apparent gunfire prompted authorities to initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Malcolm Lutu , president of Hawaii ’ s statewide police union , said he does not have any concerns about the approach police took in dealing with the situation .
“ They had past dealings with him where no violence was present , “ Lutu said .
“ Where the shots came from , they were in a no-win situation.
” Lutu said he knew one of the two officers personally .
He said Officer Tiffany Enriquez , 37 , was was a single mother of three daughters and had one grandchild .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently sought to evict Hanel , who lived in the home for free in exchange for his work , according to court records and his lawyer .
A neighbour told The Associated Press she saw Cain being put into an ambulance suffering from knife wounds .
Her condition was not disclosed .
The normally peaceful neighbourhood is at the far end of famed Waikiki Beach .
Ian Felix , a Honolulu resident and combat veteran with medical training , told the AP he was walking by the home when he saw a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from her leg .
Felix put a tourniquet on the woman ’ s leg until the first police officer arrived .
Two more officers arrived moments later ; Felix said he then heard two gunshots and that he and the officer carried the injured woman into a neighbour ’ s garage .
Neighbours described Hanel as mentally disturbed and Ballard said he did not have any gun permits .
Hawaii has some of the toughest gun laws in the U.S .
Residents can ’ t buy firearms without permits approved by local police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applicants have not been convicted of felonies or misdemeanour crimes .
People are also denied permits if they have been acquitted of crimes because of mental problems or have been diagnosed with significant mental , behavioural or emotional disorders .
Attorney Jonathan Burge has represented Hanel since 2015 in various disputes with neighbours , including temporary restraining orders that three obtained against him .
Hanel , a native of the Czech Republic who used Czech interpreters in court , faced a hearing next week on a charge of misusing 911 services , Burge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew Hanel to be violent , but that “ he ’ s kind of a quirky guy and had problems.
” Hanel believed the government was watching him and tapping his phone , Burge said .
Cain was supportive of him in his disputes with neighbours , Burge said .
But she wanted him to move out so she could move into the home and their relationship also soured because Hanel ’ s dog had died and Cain wouldn ’ t let him get a new one .
“ I know that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was moving back to Hawaii and had to live there herself .
So that ’ s kind of the extent of what was going on , but I heard she had just filed for the eviction on Friday , “ Burge told KHON-TV .
” Maybe she was serving it to him and it pushed him over the edge.
” In the complaint for Hanel ’ s eviction , Cain said Hanel did not have a rental agreement and that despite repeated demands , he refused to vacate the premises .
Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .

Caleb Jones And Jennifer Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Schumer navigates rocky terrain as impeachment trial unfolds

NEW YORK - Sen. Chuck Schumer stood at the finish line of a half-marathon in New York City , slapping high-fives .
Then he was off to Washington for a meeting about the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump .
By the end of the night , he was back in New York , insisting at a news conference that witnesses are needed for a fair impeachment trial .
The whiplash schedule comes as the New York Democrat tries to navigate the tough terrain as the Senate moves into the third impeachment trial of a sitting president in American history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence dealing with a host of local issues in New York .
“ I can do two things at once , and I ’ m always going to do that .
I have always been able to , ” Schumer said in an interview with The Associated Press .
For the impeachment trial to be fair , Democrats say it ’ s imperative that the Senate subpoena testimony from four current and former White House officials and request documents that Trump blocked House investigators from receiving .
With the GOP controlling the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from at least four Republicans to reach the necessary 51-vote majority .
Some , like Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , may join with Democrats to support a motion to call witnesses .
But Collins is also a top target for Democrats in this year ’ s elections and has said Schumer seems more interested in ensuring she ’ s out of a job than anything else .
“ Make no mistake about it : We will force votes on witnesses and documents , and it will be up to four Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side with our democracy , to side with rule of law , ” Schumer said .
The way Democrats see it , if the half-dozen or so at-risk Republicans vote against Schumer ’ s push for impeachment witnesses , they ’ ll be seen as carrying water for Trump , which could end their reelection chances .
If they vote alongside Democrats , it ’ ll be a win , even as Schumer and other Democrats recognize there ’ s almost no chance the Republican-led Senate will convict the president .
Republicans say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political cost for impeachment .
“ Chuck Schumer made it clear he intended to take a page from Nancy Pelosi ’ s playbook and turn this into a political circus .
Democrats in battleground states across the country will suffer the consequences because of it , “ said Jesse Hunt , a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee .
The impeachment case centres on Trump ’ s dealings with Ukraine ’ s president and whether he abused his office by seeking an investigation into a political rival .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely nothing wrong “ and urged the Senate to swiftly reject an impeachment case that it called “ flimsy ” and a “ dangerous perversion of the Constitution.
“ Schumer and Trump , both New Yorkers , have known each other for years , but they aren ’ t exactly on good terms .
Trump has derided the longtime senator as a liberal hack , and Schumer has been one of the most outspoken critics of Trump ’ s actions in office .
At home , Schumer faces rocky territory , an unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far-left primary challenge in the next election and a fairly large swath of the state that voted for Trump in 2016 .
But even in those districts , primarily in upstate New York and on Long Island , Schumer secured a high majority of the vote in his last race — and he makes it a point to visit and address local issues .
There ’ s been some criticism from progressives in the party that Schumer is exerting too much energy on his signature constituent issues — the size of airline seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bomb-sniffing technology in New York ’ s airports and rail terminals , among other topics — and not enough on the impeachment fight and flipping Senate seats for Democrats .
“ People said this when I became minority leader : ‘ How you going to have time to be minority leader and take care of your district ?
You ’ ll never do the 62 counties , ’ “ he said , referencing an annual commitment he ’ s made for the last two decades to tour all 62 counties in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of energy , ” he quipped .
On a recent trip , Schumer boarded an eight-seat , two-propeller plane with a body so small he could not stand up straight inside and headed off to make the last two stops on his annual county tour .
The first was Johnstown , a city of 8,500 — in a county with about 90 % Republican voters — where Schumer stood shoulder-to-shoulder with firefighters in front of a polished truck he helped procure a few years ago .
He lamented the federal government wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments in New York to hire new recruits and to purchase new trucks and safety gear .
“ It is important for him to show up , ” said Vern Jackson , the Republican mayor of Johnstown who posed for a photo with Schumer after the announcement .
“ I think it is important to show your face here , at least to show there is interest in the county.
” In the car between events , Schumer was dialing his flip phone , getting constant updates from his staff in Washington about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell had been saying about the impeachment inquiry and giving the final sign-off on a letter demanding the White House turn over documents and emails ahead of the impeachment trial .
Even in a majority Republican district , the senior senator from New York is a celebrity — and aside from reporters , not a single person he met during the trip asked him about impeachment .
At a deli near Hudson Falls , patrons were more focused on local projects than what was happening in the Beltway .
Later in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hudson Falls , where he called on federal officials to conduct a study on farmer and rancher suicides , citing a suicide rate that is 3 1/2 times the national average .
On the ride home , he grabbed a Tupperware container of latkes his wife made as he continued strategizing about the next steps in the impeachment inquiry .
Less than an hour after he was back in New York City , Schumer was before a bank of television cameras , again calling on McConnell to make a deal .


thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Former inmate shares message of transformation on MLK Day

NASHVILLE - Cyntoia Brown-Long , who was released from prison in August , shared a message of transformation , appreciation and motivation on Martin Luther King Jr. Day .
Brown-Long engaged in a wide-ranging discussion Monday with Judge Richard Dinkins at the state museum in Nashville , The Tennessean reported .
Championed by celebrities as a symbol of unfair sentencing , Brown-Long was released last year from the Tennessee Prison for Women , where she had been serving a life sentence for killing a man who had picked her up for sex at 16 .
Kim Kardashian West , Rihanna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobbied for her release , calling her a sex trafficking victim .
She was granted clemency last January by outgoing Gov .
Bill Haslam , who cited her rehabilitation behind bars and youth at the time of the crime .
Dinkins frequently tied Brown-Long ’ s experience with the work and message of King .
“ Martin Luther King had a social justice ministry , ” he said .
“ You are here about social justice.
” Brown-Long said King ’ s message was to get people to see one another .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had never felt seen , ” she said .
She said that as she went through the criminal justice system , many prosecutors and judges did not see her as a person and she wants to help others in similar circumstances who are still incarcerated .
“ I want them to see that I ’ m not just , you know , some miraculous occurrence .
There are thousands of people who are just like me in there.
” Brown-Long later told reporters that she was working on legislation with state Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help juveniles .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-20--Major doctors’ group calls for US to assure coverage for all

WASHINGTON - With health care an election-year priority , a major doctors ’ organization on Monday called for sweeping government action to guarantee coverage for all , reduce costs and improve the basic well-being of Americans .
Declaring that the U.S. health care system “ is ill and needs a bold new prescription , ” the American College of Physicians endorsed either of the two general approaches being debated by Democratic presidential candidates : a government-run “ single-payer ” system that would cover everyone , or a new “ public option ” government plan that would offer comprehensive coverage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group ’ s president , Dr. Robert McLean , said his organization is not signing on to specific proposals , such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ “ Medicare for All ” bill or former Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s combination of a public option , improvements to “ Obamacare “ and deputizing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices .
Instead , he said , the group arrived at its recommendations by analyzing available evidence on what might best address the nation ’ s problems with high costs , gaps in insurance coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We think there is a realistic chance that either of these two approaches could get us to a much , much better place , ” said McLean .
“ It is not looking to be partisan , but I would say it is unavoidably political because policy is political.
” One problem Sanders ’ plan poses for McLean ’ s group is its reliance on Medicare rates , which are well below what private insurance pays .
Although less well known than the American Medical Association , the group represents doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
Its 141,000 members in the U.S. are internal medicine specialists , focusing on adults from Medicare recipients to people in their working years covered by employer plans .
Doctors have traditionally been central in the nation ’ s health care debates .
The AMA ’ s approval helped President Barack Obama pass the Affordable Care Act , and physicians ’ groups were a core element of the coalition that blocked President Donald Trump ’ s efforts to repeal it .
About half of U.S. adults support a national Medicare for All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation .
A public option garners more support , with about two-thirds backing it .
Both ideas face strong opposition from health insurance companies and other industry players .
McLean said his group is seeking comprehensive solutions that address coverage , cost , quality and complexity .
Tackling one area and not the others won ’ t suffice , he said .
He said Republican proposals to encourage patients to be better consumers of health care fall short because they don ’ t address coverage gaps or guarantee comprehensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was outlined in a series of papers published in its journal , Annals of Internal Medicine .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Iraq officials: 9 wounded, protesters take a Baghdad highway

BAGHDAD - Iraqi riot police opened fire on Tuesday amid clashes with anti-government protesters on a central Baghdad highway , wounding at least nine , officials said , the latest since violence erupted again last week between demonstrators and security forces .
The clashes on the key Mohammed al-Qassim highway broke out when riot police moved in to disperse a crowd of mostly young men who had gathered there .
The protesters burned tires , halting traffic along the key artery and some protesters hurled Molotov cocktails , or fire bombs at the riot police .
Police shot live rounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd .
It was not immediately known how serious the wounds of the nine protesters were .
As the violence escalated , the police pulled back , allowing demonstrators to take over the thoroughfare , eyewitnesses said , speaking on condition of anonymity , fearing reprisals .
Meanwhile , outgoing Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi condemned an overnight triple-rocket attack targeting the heavily fortified Green Zone , the seat of Iraq ’ s government , and ordered an investigation into the incident , military spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf said .
The Katyusha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but caused no casualties .
The Mohammed al-Qassim highway connects areas in Baghdad ’ s Rusafa , a district to the east of the Tigris River .
Protesters have already blocked three central bridges — Sinak , Jumhuriyah and Ahrar .
Blocking the highway threatens to halt movement altogether in the central part of Baghdad .
The Green Zone attack was the second rocket attack to target the area in the last two weeks , amid soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran after a U.S. drone strike killed top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a security official , two of the rockets had breached the outermost fence but did not strike near the embassy ’ s heavily fortified walls .
All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations .
Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj in Baghdad contributed to this report .
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Samya Kullab And Qassem Abdul-Zahra - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--As coronavirus spreads, anxiety rises in China and overseas

WUHAN , China - Face masks sold out and temperature checks at airports and train stations became the new norm as China strove Tuesday to control the outbreak of a new coronavirus that has reached four other countries and territories and threatens to spread further during the Lunar New Year travel rush .
Anxiety grew both at home and abroad after Chinese government expert Zhong Nanshan confirmed fears on state television late Monday that the virus can spread from human to human .
Six people have died and 291 have been infected in China , the National Health Commission said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies that sell masks rose Tuesday , but markets fell in much of Asia as investors worried about the potential impact on tourism and the economy .
Concerned about a global outbreak similar to SARS , another coronavirus that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003 , numerous nations have adopted screening measures for travellers from China , especially those arriving from Wuhan , the central city where the virus appears to have originated .
Guards at Wuhan ’ s airport pointed electronic thermometers at travellers .
Several online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which were being sold for more than 10 times their original price .
Users of the popular Weibo social media platform urged others to wash their hands and stay home .
The first cases late last month were connected to a seafood market , and transmission was thought to be occurring from animals to humans .
Authorities previously had not confirmed human-to-human transmission .
In addition to 198 cases in Wuhan , more than 20 have been diagnosed in Beijing , Shanghai and southern Guangdong province , and four cases have been confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Japan and Thailand .
A Taiwanese woman who just returned from Wuhan tested positive for the virus , Taiwan ’ s Centers for Disease Control reported Tuesday .
Fifteen medical workers have also tested positive for the virus , the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said .
Two cases in Guangdong were people who had not visited Wuhan but fell ill after family members returned from there .
Zhong cited those as evidence the disease had spread between humans .
Australia , Japan , South Korea and the U.S. were among the countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights from Wuhan to Sydney will be met by border security and biosecurity staff for assessments , chief Australian medical officer Brendan Murphy told reporters .
“ Please take every possible precaution , ” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed the health minister and other government departments .
The coronavirus family includes those that cause the common cold , but some found in bats , camels and other animals have evolved into more severe illnesses like SARS , or severe acute respiratory syndrome , and MERS , Middle East respiratory syndrome .
Initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cough , tightness of the chest and shortness of breath .
The possibility the virus can be transmitted between people increases the chances it could spread faster and more widely .
The Chinese government has estimated people will make around 3 billion trips during the Lunar New Year travel season , but some social media users have said they may stay home due to concern about the virus .
In his first public remarks on the illness , Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed government departments to promptly release information on the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began infecting people in southern China , the Chinese government initially tried to conceal the severity of the epidemic , which ended up killing nearly 800 people .
The coverup was exposed by a high-ranking physician .
Gabriel Leung , dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong , said Chinese authorities have responded much more quickly this time .
“ Our underlying assumptions are the force of infection is very different now ... because so many public health measures have been undertaken and so many interventions have been executed , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leung , who was heavily involved in the response to SARS , said modeling shows that cases will multiply over the coming weeks but the outbreak will gradually lose momentum as precautions take effect .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wuhan is controlling the flow of people entering and leaving the city .
“ In order to tackle the Wuhan epidemic , China has taken rigorous measures and adopted a comprehensive plan , ” Geng told reporters at a regular briefing .
“ We will resolutely contain the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Beijing United Family Hospital , where all visitors had their temperatures taken at the entrance .
At one pharmacy in Shanghai , a shopkeeper named Liu Zhuzhen said more than 100 people had bought masks by midday .
They were already sold out despite having recently been restocked .
3M , an American brand popular in China for anti-pollution masks , was sold out of masks on its official online stores on e-commerce platforms Taobao and JD.com as of Tuesday afternoon .
Other retailers were selling 3M masks at a markup , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( $ 7 ) a mask .
Websites that track online pricing show the same masks used to sell for 3 yuan ( 53 cents ) each .
Outside the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center , where many of the coronavirus patients are receiving care , several workers were dressed in full-body biohazard suits , supplemented by goggles , masks and plastic wrapped around their shoes .
While many wore masks in Wuhan , streets were far from deserted and people appeared to be carrying on with their regular activities .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Helen Cao , a Wuhan resident who was shopping on a downtown avenue lined with stores and full of pedestrians .
Like many in the city , she began wearing a mask after hearing Zhong ’ s assessment of human-to-human transmission .
“ Maybe people from other places are more concerned about our health , but ( Wuhan ) locals actually are continuing to eat , go out and take strolls , go clubbing at night , ” Cao said .
“ Everything ’ s very normal , so long as you wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing .
Associated Press journalists Moussa Moussa in Sydney , Alice Fung in Hong Kong and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo , and researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report .

Emily Wang, Dake Kang And Yanan Wang - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--The Latest: Pope urges Davos to focus on people, not profits

DAVOS , Switzerland - The Latest on the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland ( all times local ) : The founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei has shrugged off U.S. pressure on his company .
Ren Zhengfei struck a casually defiant tone at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland when asked about the U.S. government ’ s blacklisting of Huawei .
He said Tuesday that being added to a U.S. list of sanctioned companies “ didn ’ t hurt us much.
” President Donald Trump ’ s administration has been lobbying allies in Europe and elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s equipment in next-generation superfast mobile networks over concerns it could facilitate cyberespionage by the Chinese government .
The company has denied the allegations .
Ren spoke just as Trump arrived in Davos to deliver a speech and meetings .
“ This year the U.S. might further escalate their campaign against Huawei but I feel the impact on Huawei ’ s business would not be very significant , “ Ren said , speaking through an interpreter .
Huawei has learned from its experiences and put in a stronger team , Ren said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can survive even further attacks , “ he said .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Planned Parenthood endorses challenger to Sen. Susan Collins

PORTLAND , Maine - Planned Parenthood announced Tuesday that it is endorsing a Democratic challenger to Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine , saying Collins “ turned her back ” on women and citing her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as well as other judicial nominees who oppose abortion .
Sara Gideon , speaker of the Maine House of Representatives , welcomed the endorsement from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund .
“ There ’ s never been a more important time to stand up for reproductive rights , ” she said , in the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country.
” Collins , who was honoured by Planned Parenthood as recently as 2017 as “ an outspoken champion for women ’ s health , “ is facing perhaps the toughest reelection fight of her career .
Critics have vowed they won ’ t forget her key vote for Kavanaugh , whose nomination survived an accusation that he sexually assaulted someone in high school .
“ From her decisive vote to confirm Kavanaugh to her refusal to stop Republican attacks on our health and rights , it ’ s clear that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be championing , ” said Alexis McGill Johnson , acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood .
She said Collins “ has abandoned not only the people of Maine , but women across the country.
” The endorsement was one of several announced Tuesday , the day before the anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion legal .
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund also is backing Democrat Jaime Harrison , who ’ s seeking to unseat GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , and Democrat Barbara Bollier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open Senate seat in Kansas .
In Maine , Collins and Planned Parenthood have had a complicated relationship .
Collins has consistently fought efforts to cut funding for the organization , and she received its endorsement once before , in her 2002 reelection campaign .
She was honoured by the group in 2017 with its Barry Goldwater Award to a public official who has acted as a leader within the Republican Party to support Planned Parenthood .
“ Senator Collins has been an outspoken champion for women ’ s health .
Thanks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constituents , tens of thousands of women in Maine and millions of women across the country still have access to essential health care , “ Cecile Richards , then-president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America , said at the time , about a year before the Kavanaugh vote .
The relationship with the organization has gone downhill since then .
The 67-year-old Collins said Kavanaugh , who denied the sexual assault allegation , vowed to respect precedent including the Roe v. Wade ruling .
But Planned Parenthood contends 26 proposals to limit abortions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then .
Gideon , meanwhile , supports Medicaid expansion and expanded health care for women and has vowed to continue “ the fight to protect and expand reproductive rights.
” “ As a former Planned Parenthood patient , she knows what it means to be able to get the care you need from a trusted provider and how hurtful it is to see your provider attacked by extremist politicians , ” Nicole Clegg , of Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund , said in a statement .
Money is already pouring into the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must vulnerable Republican senators in the nation , a new position for her in a state where rising polarization and partisanship is clashing with a culture of independence .
Gideon is backed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee .
But she faces activist Betsy Sweet , attorney Bre Kidman , former Google executive Ross LaJeunesse and travel agent Michael Bunker in the Democratic primary .
Both Collins and Gideon already have raised millions of dollars for the race .
Tracking firm Advertising Analytics projects that the candidates and outside groups will spend $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--8 Indians die after falling unconscious at resort in Nepal

KATHMANDU , Nepal - Eight Indian tourists , including four children , were declared dead Tuesday after being found unconscious in their room at a mountain resort in Nepal , officials said .
Rescue helicopters flew the tourists to Kathmandu , where they were declared dead at a hospital in the capital , police official Hobindra Bogati said .
A doctor at the Hospital for Advanced Medicine and Surgery in Kathmandu , Kamal Thapa , said the four adults and four children showed no signs of life when they arrived at the hospital .
The eight tourists were part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Nepal from the Indian state of Kerala .
Thapa said another member of the tour group said they had tried to wake the eight around 7:30 a.m. but found them unconscious .
The group reportedly turned on a gas heater inside the room while the windows and doors were closed .
Police were investigating the case .
The resort at Daman is popular with tourists for mountain views and snowfall during winter .
It is about 56 kilometres ( 35 miles ) west of Kathmandu .
The resort was fully booked so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Experts defuse World War II bomb in German city of Cologne

BERLIN - Explosives experts on Tuesday successfully defused an unexploded American bomb from World War II in the western German city of Cologne , authorities said .
The 500-kilogram ( 1,100-pound ) bomb was found Monday evening during construction near the Rhine River in the centre of the city .
A TV station and the opera house had to be evacuated during the defusing operation .
Shipping on the river and air traffic overhead were also interrupted before the defusing operation got underway .
Officials closed down a bridge across the Rhine that takes most trains to Cologne ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s major rail hubs .
The suspension of traffic in Cologne led to delays in train services across all of Germany .
Almost 75 years after the end of the war , unexploded bombs are frequently found in Germany .
Disposing of them sometimes entails large-scale evacuations as a precaution .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Buckle up: What to watch as impeachment trial takes off

WASHINGTON - Senators like to float above messy politics in what ’ s known by some as the dignified “ upper chamber , “ home of Congress ’ cooler heads and lofty rhetoric .
But as a court of President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment , the Senate beginning Tuesday might seem more like the economy cabin of an oversold flight on an especially tense , mandatory work trip .
Rock star legal teams will cram the airy well of the chamber just a few feet from each other and Chief Justice John Roberts .
Four television screens take up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats near the wall .
A podium stands at the centre aisle .
As for phones , it ’ s worse than airplane mode : They are banned from the chamber .
That maroons 100 chatty senators — including four Democrats in the heat of a nomination fight — for the serious constitutional business of the impeachment trial , for hours at a time .
“ I ’ m going to be stuck in Washington for God knows how long , “ Sen. Bernie Sanders told supporters in Des Moines Monday night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the trial gets underway around 1 p.m. EST Tuesday : But first , naturally , some talk from senators .
The Senate opens with debate on the structure and rules of the proceedings .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is proposing a condensed , two-day calendar for opening arguments on the articles passed by the House on Dec. 18 .
They charge Trump with abusing power by pressuring Ukraine to help him politically , and obstructing Congress when it tried to find out what happened .
McConnell ’ s ground rules are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be voted on as one of the first orders of business .
It pushes off any votes on witnesses until later in the process , rather than up front , as Democrats had demanded .
But McConnell ’ s plan on witnesses lines up with the organizing resolution that set the structure of President Bill Clinton ’ s trial in 1999 .
“ At all times , ” according to Senate rules , a majority of senators present can vote to close the proceedings and debate in private .
That would mean the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not a member of the Senate kicked out of the chamber until the senators choose to reopen it .
Senators did that at various points during the Clinton trial .
McConnell then argued that members of the chamber listen to each other better in private .
After the four days of opening arguments — maximum 24 hours per side — senators will be allowed up to 16 hours for questions to the prosecution and defence , followed by four hours of debate .
Only then will there be votes on calling other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must proceed six days a week — all but Sunday — until it is resolved .
OFF THE TRAIL , OFF THE GRID Watch a coterie of Democratic senators who literally would rather be somewhere else — specifically Iowa and New Hampshire — ahead of their party ’ s kickoff votes for the right to try to unseat Trump in the November election .
Watch Sens .
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , Bernie Sanders of Vermont , Michael Bennet of Colorado and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota for signs of fatigue from flying between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being off the internet for hours at a time .
Also look for the surrogates , video calls to supporters and ads designed to give them a measure of presence in the early nominating states .
Leading the case for the House is Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of Californian and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York .
Five other Democrats round out the prosecution team , a group House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she chose in part for their experience with the law .
Rep. Zoe Lofgren , D-Calif. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting with the one that helped persuade President Richard Nixon to resign .
Rep. Val Demings of Florida is not a lawyer , but she is a former police chief and a member of both committees deeply familiar with the case against Trump .
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is a lawyer and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus , so he ’ s close to Pelosi ’ s ranks .
Pelosi also chose two freshmen who helped flip the House from GOP control in 2018 .
Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas is a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado is a retired Army Ranger who was one of the seven new members with national security backgrounds to call for Trump ’ s impeachment over his conduct with Ukraine .
Trump cast some big personalities for seats at the defence table .
White House counsel Pat Cipollone and personal lawyer Jay Sekulow are expected to lead the argument that Trump committed no crimes , that abuse of power is not an impeachable offence and that the president is a victim of a political “ witch hunt ” by Democrats .
Bringing experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of impeachment , he ’ s adding retired law professor Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr , the independent counsel who investigated Clinton .
The team also will include Pam Bondi , the former Florida attorney general .
The team , less experienced in the Senate than the House prosecutors as a whole , visited the Senate chamber Monday , in part to test the equipment they expect to use for audio-visual presentations .
Look for signs of tension involving the president ’ s outside legal team and lawyers within the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the president .
51 : The number of senators who must agree on almost anything to make it happen during an impeachment trial .
Four : The number of Republican senators who must join Democrats to get to the magical 51 .
2/3 : The proportion of senators required to convict and remove a president from office .
So 67 members of the Senate would have to vote to convict if every senator is voting .
Both sides will be keeping tabs on the Senate ’ s moderates for an emerging gang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome on such matters as whether to subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton .
That vote won ’ t be taken for days if not weeks .
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has been meeting with a small number of GOP colleagues who want to consider witness testimony and documents that weren ’ t part of the House impeachment investigation .
Watch GOP Sens .
Mitt Romney of Utah , Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for signs of whether this group can stick together and force @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Countries around world gear up response to new coronavirus

BEIJING - Countries in Asia and elsewhere have begun body temperature checks at airports , railway stations and along highways in hopes of catching people carrying a new coronavirus that is believed to have spread from Wuhan in central China and sickened more than 290 people in that country .
The recent confirmation that the disease can spread between humans has heightened fears as millions of Chinese travel during the annual Lunar New Year holiday .
The measures are part of a widening effort aimed at preventing a repeat of the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS , another coronoavirus that started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , paralyzed transport and damaged Asian economies .
One case has been detected in Japan , and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has urged officials to step up quarantine checks at airports and other entry points , with many visitors from China expected to arrive during the Lunar New Year holiday .
The number of Chinese tourists has risen steadily in recent years , with more than 9 million visiting last year .
Japan will require visitors arriving from Wuhan to fill in health forms , Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said .
Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man in his 30s who tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from Wuhan .
The Ministry of Health , Labor and Welfare said it has tracked down 41 people who had contacts with the patient and is monitoring them .
It says none has developed pneumonia symptoms .
Brendan Murphy , Australia ’ s chief medical officer , said flights from Wuhan are being met by biosecurity staff and by state health officials in New South Wales who are distributing pamphlets in English and Chinese to all passengers describing the symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify themselves if they have any .
Australian health officials said a man was placed in isolation in Brisbane after developing a respiratory illness after travelling to Wuhan but has now recovered .
The U.S. has begun screening passengers on flights from Wuhan arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport , San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International airport — the three major ports of entry to the U.S .
Initial screenings are expected to involve around 5,000 passengers , according to the Centers for Disease Control .
It says it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus which it plans to share with domestic and international partners .
“ Based on current information , however , the immediate health risk ... to the general American public is deemed to be low at this time .
Nevertheless , CDC is taking proactive preparedness precautions , ” it said .
The semi-autonomous Chinese city is one of the most popular destinations for mainland Chinese .
Along with stepped-up surveillance , additional cleaning and disinfection measures have been ordered for planes and trains from Wuhan as well as for train stations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and low levels of vigilance were blamed for Hong Kong becoming the second-hardest hit area by SARS after mainland China .
Officials are determined not to see a replay .
Acting Chief Executive Matthew Cheung on Tuesday said authorities are ready for a worst-case scenario and are on extremely high alert .
As in much of mainland China , Hong Kong residents favour traditional markets where live poultry and other animals are sold .
The government health department has advised against visiting such markets or touching animals or their droppings .
The outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market in Wuhan .
South Korea , which reported its first case of the virus on Monday , has enacted strict airport monitoring measures .
At Incheon airport near Seoul , the only airport in South Korea with direct flights from Wuhan , authorities have been operating two special gates for passengers from the city since Jan. 3 .
Officials use ear thermometers to check passengers ’ temperatures .
Since Jan. 2 , airport staff have also been spraying disinfectant at arrival halls twice a week , up from once a week previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , elevator buttons and doors , drinking fountains and other sensitive areas are also wiped with disinfectant twice a day , the airport said .
In 2015 , South Korea suffered an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome which killed 36 people and sickened nearly 200 .
Nigeria ’ s government says health authorities at points of entry are on alert for cases of coronavirus arriving in Africa ’ s most populous country .
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control asked that travellers from Wuhan report to a medical facility and the centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s top trading partner .
South Africa ’ s National Institute for Communicable Diseases said anyone with a severe respiratory illness should be tested if they have travelled to Wuhan within two weeks or had close physical contact with a coronavirus patient or treatment at a facility where a confirmed case has been reported .
There were more than 200,000 Chinese workers in Africa as of the end of 2017 , not including numerous informal migrants such as traders and shopkeepers , according to the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Changi Airport , one of Asia ’ s busiest travel hubs , for all travellers on flights arriving from China beginning on Wednesday .
The health ministry said individuals with pneumonia and a history of travel to Wuhan within 14 days of the onset of symptoms will be isolated in a hospital as a precautionary measure and investigated .
Neighboring Malaysia has also beefed up screening at Kuala Lumpur International Airport .
Deputy health Minister Lee Boon Chye , inspecting health screening at the airport Tuesday , said staff are being trained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a case emerges , then we may have to take more drastic measures , but for now , we hope we can nip it at the entry point , “ Lee told reporters .
China ’ s often secretive Communist government was blamed for making SARS far worse by initially hiding information and blocking the work of the World Health Organization .
This time , leader Xi Jinping has led calls for tough measures , ordering that “ party committees , governments and relevant departments at all levels should put people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airport in Wuhan , the temperatures of departing passengers were being checked and outbound tour groups were banned from leaving the city .
Virtually anyone in a public role , from traffic policemen to bank tellers , along with many riding public transport have donned protective masks .
Associated Press journalists Moussa Moussa in Canberra , Australia , Kim Hyung-jin in Seoul , South Korea , Cara Anna in Johannesburg , South Africa , Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--US Pelosi visits Auschwitz ahead of liberation anniversary

WARSAW , Poland - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a Congress delegation are paying a visit to the site of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau ahead of the 75th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet troops .
At the memorial site in southern Poland , Pelosi and Poland ’ s Senate Speaker , Tomasz Grodzki , laid wreaths Tuesday at the Auschwitz Death Wall where inmates were executed .
In a statement ahead of her trip , Pelosi said it was to “ reaffirm America ’ s enduring commitment , our sacred pledge : Never again.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those murdered in this incomprehensible horror by maintaining constant vigilance against hatred and persecution today , “ said the statement .
From Poland , Pelosi and the bipartisan delegation of six Congress members travel to Israel to attend a conference marking the anniversary of the World War II camp ’ s liberation .
From 1940-45 , some 1.1 million people , mostly Europe ’ s Jews , were killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau .
It was liberated Jan. 27 , 1945 , by the Red Army .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Winter storm lashing Spain leaves 4 dead, power cuts

MADRID - A winter storm lashed much of Spain for a third day Tuesday , leaving 200,000 people without electricity @ @ @ @ @ blocked by snow as it killed four people .
Massive waves and gale-force winds smashed @ @ @ @ @ many shops and restaurants .
Much of the northeastern province of Gerona was without electricity @ @ @ @ @ in the power connection with France , emergency services said on their Twitter account .
@ @ @ @ @ the northeastern region of Catalonia as well as the Valencia region further south and the @ @ @ @ @ Spanish media said .
Traffic authorities said dozens of roads remained impassable because of the @ @ @ @ @ highway between the northeastern town of Figueres and the French border .
The storm , @ @ @ @ @ has so far claimed lives of three men and one woman .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--As ethnic violence persists in Congo, many fleeing to Uganda

KAMPALA , Uganda - A Ugandan official says hundreds of Congolese have fled to the East African nation in recent days to escape deadly ethnic-based fighting .
Gerald Menya , commissioner for refugees in Uganda , told The Associated Press on Tuesday that two to three Congolese are arriving each hour .
He said over 60,000 have sought shelter in Uganda in the past year , fleeing clashes between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups in Congo ’ s mineral-rich northeastern ituri province .
The United Nations reported earlier this month that more than 700 people were killed and at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 2017 to September 2019 , with the Hema herding community mostly targeted by the Lendu farming community .
The U.N. human rights office said killings , rapes and other violence targeting the Hema may amount to crimes against humanity .
Menya said the Congolese arrivals are “ bringing a lot of shock ” to available resources in Uganda , a country that already hosts 1.3 million refugees , many who fled the civil war in neighbouring South Sudan .
The U.N. refugee agency noted funding gaps in September , saying it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total requirements .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Thai court acquits opposition party of sedition charge

BANGKOK - Thailand ’ s constitutional Court on Tuesday acquitted the country ’ s third-largest political party of seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy in another legal case highlighting political divisions in the Southeast Asian nation .
The court ruled that the Future Forward Party showed no intention of committing sedition and that the complaint had not been filed correctly .
The party still could be dissolved under another pending charge of breaking election laws by taking a large loan from its leader .
No court date has been set in that case .
The party was founded in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions that are anathema to the royalist ruling elite .
Its surprisingly strong finish in an election last year and its popularity among young people rattled the government , which is led by the same people who staged a military coup in 2014 .
The party criticized the military at a news conference at which it gave its reaction to the court ruling .
Its secretary-general , Piyabutr Saengkanokkul , said he and party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkrit have no intention of overthrowing the constitutional monarchy .
“ On the contrary , coups d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrosion of democracy under the constitution , ” he said .
“ Tearing up the whole constitution and establishing oneself as the sovereign definitely destroys the constitutional monarchy .
A group of military officers who hold guns are the ones who destroy the constitutional monarchy.
“ Piyabutr , one of the party ’ s 76 lawmakers , said he would submit a proposal in the next session of Parliament asking it to study how to prevent coups .
The case drew special attention because the legal complaint sought to link the party to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is purportedly an elite organization seeking world domination .
The complaint , filed last year by lawyer Natthaporn Toprayoon , listed statements by party officials supposedly critical of Thai traditions , and pointed out that its logo is a triangle which vaguely resembles the alleged symbol of the Illuminati .
It claimed the Illuminati had sought to overthrow European monarchies and influence the U.S .
Declaration of Independence .
“ This is the first time I ’ ve ever heard about the Illuminati being invoked in a genuine political dispute , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer who has researched the conspiracy theory .
” It ’ s a rather preposterous idea , to be honest .
...
It smacks of political oppression and paranoia.
” The sedition case is one of a series filed against the party and its leader , Thanathorn .
In November , the constitutional Court stripped Thanathorn of his lawmaker status , ruling he violated a regulation on media ownership .
There is a widespread belief that one way or another , the party will end up being disbanded , with its leaders banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The party has taken positions critical of the military for its interference in politics .
It also seeks to amend the constitution , drafted after the 2014 coup , to make it more democratic .
The military and the courts are two main pillars of the Thai establishment and have consistently acted to curb threats to the status quo .
In its ruling Tuesday , the constitutional Court ordered Future Forward to clarify its regulations to comply with the constitutional provision that political parties must not oppose the constitutional monarchy .
The party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when several thousand supporters rallied in Bangkok in one of the largest political demonstrations since the 2014 coup .
“ I think it shows that people will not tolerate dictatorship anymore , ” Thanathorn said at the time of the protest .
Thanathorn is a 41-year-old billionaire whose family fortune was made in the auto parts industry .
His opponents have tried to smear him by accusing his party of backing former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra , a billionaire populist whose policies and popularity upset royalists , and who was ousted by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long and sometimes violent power struggle between his supporters and opponents .
The court ’ s ruling provides some political cover for the party , said Prajak Kongkirati , a political science professor at Bangkok ’ s Thammasat University .
“ From now on , it is harder for political rivals to harm the party by using the same accusation of overthrowing the constitutional monarchy , ” he said .
He cautioned , however , that the pending case involving a 191 million baht ( $ 6.3 million ) loan that Thanathorn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with .
The case was forwarded to the court by the state Election Commission after it concluded the loan violated election laws .
Prajak said the loan is not clearly covered by law , but that in similar circumstances in the past , other politicians have been found guilty based on unfavourable interpretations by the courts .

Busaba Sivasomboon And Grant Peck - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Trump impeachment trial to begin with rules fight, long days

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial is set to unfold at the Capitol , a contentious proceeding to render judgment on his Ukraine actions as Americans form their own verdict at the start of an election year .
As the Senate reconvenes with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding over the rare impeachment court , senators sworn to “ impartial justice , ” the legacy of Trump ’ s presidency and the system of checks and balances are at stake before a politically divided nation .
A first test will come midday Tuesday when the session gavels open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell ’ s proposed rules for debate .
On the eve of the trial , the Republican leader offered a compressed calendar for opening statements , just two days for each side , as Trump ’ s lawyers argued for swift rejection of the “ flimsy ” charges against the president and acquittal .
“ All of this is a dangerous perversion of the Constitution that the Senate should swiftly and roundly condemn , “ the president ’ s lawyers wrote in their first full filing Monday .
“ The articles should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquitted.
” Democrats — as the House prosecutors practiced opening arguments well into the night on the Senate floor — vowed to object to a speedy trial as they pressed for fresh witnesses and documents .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned of a “ coverup ” with McConnell ’ s plan that could lead to back-to-back 12-hour days .
“ It ’ s clear Sen. McConnell is hell-bent on making it much more difficult to get witnesses and documents and intent on rushing the trial through , ” Schumer said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disgrace.
” The first several days of the trial are now almost certain to be tangled in procedural motions playing out on the Senate floor or , more likely , behind closed doors , since senators must refrain from speaking during the trial proceedings .
Senators are poised for only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history , coming just weeks before the first primaries of the 2020 election , with four senators running for the Democratic nomination sidelined from campaigning .
Sen. Bernie Sanders , the Vermont independent , told supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have to “ carry the ball ” for him while he takes his seat in Washington .
The Iowa caucuses are in less than two weeks .
At the White House , with the president embarked on a trip to the global leaders conference in Davos , Switzerland , officials welcomed the Republican trial proposal .
“ We are gratified that the draft resolution protects the President ’ s rights to a fair trial , and look forward to presenting a vigorous defence on the facts and the process as quickly as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swiftly as possible , ” said White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will also be away for the proceedings , leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to Poland and Israel to commemorate the 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz at the end of World War II .
House Democrats impeached the Republican president last month on two charges : abuse of power by withholding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as he pressed the country to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden , and obstruction of Congress by refusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution gives the House the sole power to impeach a president and the Senate the final verdict by convening as the impeachment court for a trial .
The president late Monday named eight House Republicans , some of his fiercest defenders , to a special team tasked with rallying support beyond the Senate chamber in the court of public opinion .
McConnell is angling for a quick trial and acquittal , and with Republicans holding the Senate majority , the trial proposal is likely to be approved by senators in the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised to set rules similar to the last trial , of President Bill Clinton in 1999 , but his resolution diverged in key ways , which may leave some senators from both parties uneasy .
After the four days of opening arguments , senators will be allowed up to 16 hours for questions to the prosecution and defence , followed by four hours of debate .
Only then will there be votes on whether or not to call other witnesses .
At the end of deliberations , the Senate would then vote on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romney of Utah signalled in an email message to his constituents Monday night that he was on board with the the resolution put forth by McConnell , even as he said the allegations against Trump are “ extremely serious — did the President abuse his office for personal political gain , and did he obstruct Congress ’ investigation by blocking subpoenas ?
” Romney is among a small number of Republican senators who want to consider witness testimony and documents that weren ’ t part of the House impeachment investigation , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later .
With security tightening at the Capitol , the House prosecutors led by Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff made their way Monday through crowds of tourists in the Rotunda to tour the Senate chamber .
The White House legal team led by Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow soon followed .
The doors of the Senate chamber were closed to onlookers and the media during the walk-throughs .
Four TV monitors were set up inside the Senate chamber to show testimony , exhibits and potentially tweets or other social media , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unauthorized to discuss it by name .
In their own filing Monday , House prosecutors issued fresh demands for a fair trial .
“ President Trump asserts that his impeachment is a partisan ‘ hoax.
’ He is wrong , ” the prosecutors wrote .
The House Democrats said the president can ’ t have it both ways — rejecting the facts of the House case but also stonewalling congressional subpoenas for witnesses and testimony .
“ Senators must honour their own oaths by holding a fair trial with all relevant evidence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document released Monday says the two charges against the president don ’ t amount to impeachable offences .
It asserts that the impeachment inquiry , centred on Trump ’ s request that Ukraine ’ s president open an investigation into Democratic rival Biden , was never about finding the truth .
House Democrats in their initial court filing over the weekend called Trump ’ s conduct the “ worst nightmare “ of the framers of the Constitution .
“ President Donald J. Trump used his official powers to pressure a foreign government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his personal political gain , ” the House prosecutors wrote , “ and then attempted to cover up his scheme by obstructing Congress ’ s investigation into his misconduct.
” But Trump ’ s team contended Monday that even if Trump were to have abused his power in withholding the Ukraine military assistance , it would not be impeachable because it did not violate a specific criminal statute .
No president has ever been removed from office .
With its 53-47 Republican majority , the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it did , the White House team argues it would be an “ ’ unconstitutional conviction ’ ’ because the articles of impeachment were too broad .
Administration officials have argued that similar imprecision applied to the perjury case in Clinton ’ s impeachment trial .
The White House also suggests the House inquiry was lacking because it failed to investigate Biden or his son Hunter , who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine while his father was vice-president .
There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this report .

Lisa Mascaro, Eric Tucker And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Swedish capital hit again by predawn blasts, 1 injured

COPENHAGEN - Two predawn explosions minutes apart rocked suburban Stockholm on Tuesday , damaging buildings and slightly injuring one person .
Explosives were used , but authorities have ruled out terrorism .
Following the blasts at housing complexes on the Swedish capital ’ s northwestern outskirts , some 50 people were evacuated .
The explosions , which damaged balconies , windows , doors and the interiors of several apartments , took place some 500 metres ( yards ) apart .
Sweden in recent years has seen explosions and shootings linked to feuding criminal gangs .
Police did not explicitly link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not explain why terrorism was ruled out .
Tuesday ’ s blasts occurred eight days after a predawn explosion rocked central Stockholm , damaging buildings and parked cars but causing no injuries .
That explosion occurred outside the entrance to a building housing a business and several apartments and led to the evacuation of dozens of apartments .
Police have not made any arrests and are looking for video surveillance which could be used in the investigation .
It was not clear what kind of explosives were used in Tuesday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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