thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Cruise stranded by virus fears ends with roses in Cambodia

SIHANOUKVILLE , Cambodia - Hundreds of cruise ship passengers long stranded at sea by virus fears cheered as they finally disembarked Friday and were welcomed to Cambodia by the nation ’ s authoritarian leader who handed them flowers .
Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed to let the Westerdam dock at the port of Sihanoukville on Thursday after Thailand , Japan , Taiwan , the Philippines and Guam had barred the ship earlier .
“ Today , although Cambodia is a poor country , Cambodia has always joined the international community to solve the problems that the world and our region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first passengers disembarked .
“ How wonderful it is to be here .
Thank you very much to the prime minister .
He has a wonderful heart , ” said Anna Marie Melon , from Queensland , Australia .
“ I ’ m very excited ( to be here ) , “ she said as she waved a rose Hun Sen handed to her .
The passengers cheered as they walked toward waiting buses and waved goodbye to other passengers watching from the ship ’ s deck .
“ Your country did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job .
Thank you very much .
We appreciate it very much , ” Joe Spaziani , 74 , from Florida , told reporters .
He and many other passengers wore a krama , a traditional Cambodian scarf , around their necks .
“ Cambodia alone , even the United States , Guam , did not let us land , but Cambodia did , so that ’ s wonderful .
Absolutely wonderful , “ Spaziani said .
” We appreciate it very very much .
It ’ s been a long struggle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Westerdam was unwelcome elsewhere even though operator Holland America Line said no cases of the COVID-19 viral illness have been confirmed among its 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members .
Some 20 passengers had reported stomachaches or fever , but tests for the virus done at the Pasteur Institute in Phnom Penh showed none had the illness .
Hun Sen has said he acted for humanitarian reasons and said at the dock he wanted to allow passengers to return to their home countries .
“ If Cambodia did not allow this ship to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go ?
” he said .
“ I want to inform Cambodians and the world that I coming here even for a short time means this is no time for discrimination and to be scared , but a time for everyone to be in solidarity to solve the problems we are facing now.
” A strong supporter of China , Hun Sen has downplayed threats from the new virus and unlike other Asian nations , he declined to ban direct flights between Cambodia and China , saying that would disturb bilateral relations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cambodia has one confirmed case of the virus , a visitor from China , despite its popularity with Chinese tourists .
Acting as a good Samaritan is an unusual role for Hun Sen , who has been in power for 35 years .
His party swept 2018 elections that drew sharp condemnation as neither free nor fair after a court dissolved the only credible opposition party .
The U.S. has imposed diplomatic sanctions due to Cambodia ’ s repressive political climate , and the European Union earlier this week declared its intention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and trade union violations .
Taking advantage of the opportunity to boost his country ’ s tourism profile , Hun Sen said the passengers were free to go to the beach , go sightseeing in Sihanoukville or even visit the famous centuries-old Angkor Wat temple complex in the northwest .
Mang Sineth , the vice governor in Preah Sihanouk province , told reporters 414 passengers will leave the port Friday and fly to Cambodia ’ s capital before travelling to their final destinations .
Three flights from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh were arranged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passengers .
He said that if the flying arrangements went smoothly , all passengers would probably be leaving Sihanoukville by Sunday .
U.S .
Ambassador to Cambodia W. Patrick Murphy on Twitter called the disembarking activities “ heartwarming sights ... with Cambodian hospitality on full display.
“ He said “ joint operation ‘ Homeward Bound ’ is underway !
” The COVID-19 illness has sickened tens of thousands of people in China and a few hundred elsewhere , including 218 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship , which made stops in Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
The Westerdam began its cruise in Singapore last month and its last stop before it was refused further landings was in Hong Kong , where 53 cases of the disease and one death have been confirmed .


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Saudi foreign minister: No meeting planned with Netanyahu

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - Saudi Arabia ’ s foreign minister said no meeting is planned between the kingdom ’ s crown prince and Israel ’ s prime minister , a statement apparently meant to quash reports circulating in Israeli media this week of an alleged summit between the two .
“ There is no meeting planned between Saudi Arabia and Israel .
Saudi Arabia ’ s policy has been very clear since the beginning of this conflict , “ Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya English news website in a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel and the kingdom stands firmly behind Palestine , ” the minister said , adding that it ’ s not unique to have shared interests with Israel in countering Iran since there are many other countries with a similar policy .
Still , the statement was an unusual rebuttal by the kingdom ’ s most senior diplomat to reports circulating in Israeli media , which had reported that a meeting was being planned between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations , despite quietly strengthening ties in past years .
Reports emerged last week on the Israel Hayom news website , which quoted unnamed Arab diplomats as saying there were discussions among the United States , Israel , Egypt and Saudi Arabia to arrange a summit in Cairo that would include the United Arab Emirates , Sudan , Bahrain and Oman .
Whispers of a meeting with Saudi crown prince could help bolster a politically embattled Netanyahu as he tries to fend off a slew of criminal corruption charges and squares off for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year against an increasingly popular opponent in elections next month .
The young crown prince is seen as less sympathetic toward the Palestinians and more amenable to security co-operation with Israel than his father , King Salman .
Saudi Arabia continues to publicly stress it is not softening its policies toward Israel .
It recently rebuffed suggestions that Israelis would be granted visas to the kingdom following a change in Israel and allow Israeli citizens to travel to Saudi Arabia .
Saudi Arabia expressed support for President Donald Trump ’ s efforts at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later joined other Muslim nations in rejecting the White House ’ s plan as “ biased.
” Meanwhile , Netanyahu is working to bolster Israel ’ s ties with a range of Arab states in the absence of a peace deal with the Palestinians .
He secured a rare meeting with the head of Sudan ’ s transitional government in Uganda earlier this month and afterwards announced that the two countries were “ normalizing relations.
“ The meeting was seen as a chance for Sudan to use Israel ’ s standing in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its international pariah status and rebuild its economy .

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thetorontostar--2020-02-14--With Britain out, the unwieldy EU faces major budget battle

BRUSSELS - The Brexit drama shook the foundations of the European Union for years and laid bare the need for much-delayed political renovations at the 27-nation bloc .
But now that Britain has finally left , where does the EU revamp even start and who is going to foot the bill ?
Those questions loom large for EU officials and European leaders alike , because substantial structural changes require some common vision of what a future EU should look like .
Yet even without such unity , the bloc is already a major construction site — with changes pondered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enlargement into the Balkans , just to name a few projects aimed at making the EU reach its full potential .
The clamour for change has come from both outside and inside the bloc , including from French President Emmanuel Macron , EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the new EU foreign policy chief .
“ It all requires a renewal of the European approach , “ Macron said .
“ We no longer live in the world of the 1990s.
” The EU ’ s lack of clout to match @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond the departure of Britain .
The EU ’ s institutional quagmire makes smooth , swift decision-making a pipe dream and its shared euro currency proved quite wobbly during the bloc ’ s financial crisis , which almost saw debt-strapped Greece leave the euro .
But like little else , Brexit brought home the EU ’ s need to change with the times .
Beyond losing an economic giant , the departure of the United Kingdom was also a geopolitical blow to the EU , since Britain is a U.N. Security Council permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world outside Europe that few other countries can match .
Britain ’ s vote to leave the EU in 2016 was followed by U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s arrival on the world stage .
Since then , the feeling has only grown in the EU that its foreign policy has to change to meet the bruising , confrontational challenges of a new age .
“ The European Union needs to shoulder greater responsibility for its own security and also step up its geopolitical presence , “ EU foreign policy chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week .
” When it comes to something as vital as defence , EU powers are limited.
“ That calls for some fundamental changes , Borrell said .
For decades now , the EU has tried to be the counterpoint of alpha male superpower politics , spreading its “ soft power “ brand across the globe based on economic and developmental aid , cultural clout and the promotion of human rights , among other non-coercive strategies .
That system is now close to a breaking point .
“ We Europeans must adjust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world as it is , not as we hoped it would be , “ Borrell wrote in an article last week .
“ To avoid being the losers in today ’ s U.S.-China competition , we must relearn the language of power.
” That will be something made even more difficult without the military clout of Britain .
French leader Macron says “ Europeans must take more responsibility for European defence.
” The EU has been stung by the unraveling of its geopolitical pet project , the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t produce nuclear weapons .
Trump two years ago decided to turn against the deal co-brokered by his predecessor , Barack Obama , and Iran has responded by saying it would ignore some of deal ’ s demands .
Firas Modad , a senior analyst with IHS Markit , issued a downbeat assessment of the EU ’ s stature as it struggled unsuccessfully to keep the Iran nuclear agreement intact .
“ Europe is regulated from Washington , “ he said .
“ The European banking system depends on the dollar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banking system .
The Europeans don ’ t spend on their own defence .
The weak don ’ t have a say .
Full stop.
” Somehow , the EU ’ s 15.3 trillion euro ( $ 16.6 trillion ) economy is not delivering its political equivalent .
The EU can often be held back by unanimity rules that require everybody to be on board before any action can be taken .
And even as it drops to 27 nations with the loss of Britain , the objections and power of a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To change this paralysis , many in the EU hope to increase majority voting in more cases .
“ ” With unanimity rules , “ Borrell wrote last week , “ the risk of paralysis is always present .
Member states must realize that using the vetoes weakens not just the union , but also themselves.
” This split between what ’ s good for the EU and what works best for an individual EU member is at the heart of a budgetary quandary playing out these days at EU headquarters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with a new , 1 trillion euro ( $ 1.09 trillion ) EU budget — give or take a few tens of billions — for the next seven-year span .
No EU nation wants to pay more to make up for the 75 billion euro ( $ 81.5 billion ) gap the British have left in the next EU budget , but a great many poorer EU members want to receive at least as much from the bloc as they did in the past .
And new projects , like the vaunted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become climate neutral 2050 , need to be funded .
To reconcile the irreconcilable , EU Council President Charles Michel has asked EU leaders to see what their budget demands are and how he can temper them ahead of a special summit next week .
The fight comes down to whether the EU ’ s budget will be 1 % , 1.1 % or 1.3 % of the bloc ’ s GDP .
That fight over a fraction of a percentage point — as much as lofty goals about the EU ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU for the next few months much like Brexit dominated the bloc ’ s agenda for the last four years .
Still , when EU leaders gather next Thursday for the special summit on the budget their chances of immediate success are considered minimal .
“ Arriving at an agreement will therefore be a serious challenge , we all know this , “ von der Leyen acknowledged .


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--In 2 years, Florida ‘red flag’ law removes hundreds of guns

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. - A 23-year-old man who posted on Facebook , “ I don ’ t know why I don ’ t go on a killing spree.
“ A West Palm Beach couple who shot up their home while high on cocaine .
A 31-year-old Gulf Coast man who pointed a semiautomatic rifle at a motorcyclist .
All four Florida residents had their guns taken away by judges under a “ red flag ” law the state passed three weeks after a mentally disturbed gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by legislators of both parties , has been applied more than 3,500 times since , with the pace accelerating during the last half of 2019 .
Even so , an Associated Press analysis of the law showed its use is inconsistent , with some counties and cities using it rarely and others not at all .
Advocates of Florida ’ s red flag measure say before it existed , it was often difficult to remove firearms from those making threats or suffering severe mental breakdowns .
Investigators did not act on reports that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a school massacre .
But even if they had , it is likely he would have been allowed to keep his guns because he had no felony convictions or involuntary , long-term mental commitments , they say .
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri , who leads a commission that investigated the massacre ’ s causes , says the shooter would have easily qualified for a red flag order .
Gualtieri says while it is impossible to say that would have prevented the shooting , the gunman wouldn ’ t have been able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making his preparation difficult .
“ We have needed this law for decades , ” said Gualtieri , who started a unit in his department that handles only red flag cases .
But the law also has vocal critics : those who say it violates the U.S. and state constitutions , including the right to bear arms , and others who argue that laws already on the books in Florida made it unnecessary .
Still others say it discriminates against the poor : Because the hearing with a judge is not a criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided with a free lawyer .
Sixteen other states plus the District of Columbia have similar laws , 11 of which were enacted after the Feb. 14 , 2018 , shooting at Stoneman Douglas .
President Donald Trump has at times supported a federal proposal , but has not strongly advocated it before Congress .
To get an order in Florida , police agencies must file a request with a civil court , citing serious mental illness or threats a person has made .
If the judge agrees , the person must surrender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , a hearing is held during which the judge decides whether to take the person ’ s weapons away for a year .
Police agencies can apply for an extension if there is evidence a person remains a threat after a year .
If not , the guns are returned .
Orlando attorney Kendra Parris , who is trying to get a case before the state Supreme Court to overturn the law , says it doesn ’ t adequately define some terms , such as what constitutes serious mental health issues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , other Florida statutes , such as misdemeanour breach of the peace , already allow police to take firearms from the truly dangerous before they act .
That statute could easily have been invoked against the Stoneman Douglas shooter , she said .
“ Probably two dozen times this guy could have been charged for breach of the peace and had his firearms removed , ” Parris said .
The AP analysis shows that from March 2018 , when the law was enacted , through December 2019 , there was a wide disparity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 67 counties .
Twenty issued at least one for every 5,500 residents during that time period , the statewide average .
Three issued at least one for every 2,000 residents , including Gualtieri ’ s Pinellas County , which includes the Tampa Bay area , and has nearly 1 million people .
Highlands County , near Lake Okeechobee , ranked No .
1 , issuing one for every 850 residents .
On the other extreme , 12 counties issued one for every 30,000 residents or less .
Two neighbouring Panhandle counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one for every 100,000 residents or more .
Another nine small , rural counties issued none .
Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman said he doesn ’ t know why his county is No .
1 , but he noted that his deputies average two calls daily for mental health crises .
The county has just over 100,000 residents and was the scene of a bank shooting last year that left five women dead .
“ If someone has made a threat to hurt themselves or others and is intent on using a firearm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk protection order against them so we can take away those guns , ” Blackman said .
But even the law isn ’ t a guarantee : Two Highlands men who received orders still killed themselves , one with carbon monoxide and the other with an illegally obtained gun , he said .
The sheriffs whose counties had no or few red flag orders during the reviewed period said in an AP questionnaire that they are not philosophically opposed to the law — they just haven ’ t needed it .
Santa Rosa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ fluke ” that his county of 155,000 had only issued one order .
Baker County Maj. Randy Crews explained that the lack of red flag orders from his county on the Georgia border west of Jacksonville has to do with the fact that his deputies know most of the 27,000 residents and can intercede quickly if someone is having a breakdown and making threats .
Crews said most potential red flag cases are asked to surrender their guns to a relative , who is told to not return them until the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that approach works better than confrontation and has never backfired .
He said the office would not hesitate to use the law , however , if someone didn ’ t co-operate .


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--China’s virus crackdown leaves millions working at home

BEIJING - In the middle of a phone call with a customer , an important visitor knocks on Michael Xiong ’ s door : his 3-year-old son .
Xiong , a salesman in Chibi , a city near the centre of a virus outbreak , is one of millions of people in China who are obeying government orders to work from home as part of the most sweeping anti-disease measures ever imposed .
After breakfast , Xiong leaves the 3-year-old and his 10-month-old brother with their grandparents .
The salesman for IQAir , a Swiss maker of household air purifiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smog-choked cities , goes into a bedroom to talk to customers and try to find new ones by phone and email .
His son “ comes to knock on the door when I am in a meeting , asking for hugs , ” Xiong said .
“ I put myself on mute , open the door and tell him I will be with him later , and he is fine with that.
” Most access to Wuhan , a city of 11 million people where Xiong usually works , was cut off Jan. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel restrictions .
Controls imposed on business to try to stem the spread of infection extend nationwide , affecting tens of thousands of companies and hundreds of millions of employees .
The government extended the Lunar New Year holiday to keep factories and offices closed .
Cinemas , temples and other tourist sites were shut down to prevent crowds from forming .
Group tours were cancelled and businesspeople told to put off travel .
China ’ s vast manufacturing industries can not function without workers in factories .
But as some businesses reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can work from home to stay there .
That is forcing employees , from solo entrepreneurs to automaker Volkswagen AG ’ s 3,500-member headquarters staff in Beijing , to stay in touch with customers and business partners and keep companies functioning by phone and email .
Millions of Chinese entrepreneurs operate house-cleaning , small trading and other businesses out of their homes .
Many have suffered the same impact as bigger businesses from restrictions on movement and orders to families to stay indoors .
Maggie Zhang , co-founder of SheTalks , a company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is working out of her parents ’ apartment in the northwestern city of Zhangye in Gansu province .
She went for the Lunar New Year and said she might stay through March .
Zhang temporarily stopped organizing talks and other public events and is gathering material for her company ’ s social media account to attract users .
In the morning , “ I will do some interviews over the phone or online with women working at the front in fighting the epidemic and sometimes foreign businesswomen working in China , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working , my parents always try to keep quiet and not disturb me.
” Zhang said she uses the sunny living room to write and moves to a bedroom to do interviews or talk to colleagues .
She works out on an elliptical machine during those calls “ because my mind works faster when I exercise.
” Numbers of new virus cases reported daily have declined , but economists warn against assuming the disease and its impact on the world ’ s second-largest economy might soon be under control .
Quarantines in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan , and some neighbouring areas still are in place .
Many large companies have told employees to stay home .
“ A return to normal isn ’ t yet in sight , ” said Roger Diwan of IHS Markit in a report .
Many employees already were equipped to work from home due to China ’ s almost universal adoption of smartphones , the internet and messaging and video call services , including the popular WeChat operated by Tencent Holdings Ltd. China is “ probably one of the best countries to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is in charge of marketing for the Volkswagen auto brand in China .
A 27-year veteran of VW , he came to China from India three years ago .
“ This would be hard to do in Europe .
People here are much more open to using digital tools , ” said Mayer .
“ As sad as it sounds , this is the best place for us to try this experiment.
” After breakfast with his three teenagers , Mayer moves into a back room of their Beijing apartment to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while his children study in their bedrooms .
They meet again for lunch .
“ Now everybody ’ s at home , ” said Mayer .
“ Not too bad .
Actually quite interesting and quite pleasant.
” Volkswagen plans to reopen its Beijing offices on Monday but is waiting for updates from health authorities , said Mayer .
Xiong of IQAir expressed frustration at not being able to make his sales pitch to potential clients face to face but said the quarantine gives him more time with his son .
Xiong and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who also looking after children who are cooped up at home because schools have been closed indefinitely .
Xiong said he helps his son with lessons sent over WeChat by the kindergarten .
“ Usually , when I get home from work , it is almost time for his bath and bed , ” said Xiong .
“ Now that we spend time together every day , I think I know my child more and he relies on me more .
Our connection is stronger , and so is the whole family.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost three weeks .
Cities including Hangzhou , an industrial metropolis of 10 million people southwest of Shanghai that is home to e-commerce giant Alibaba , are allowing only one household member out each day to buy food .
Apartment complexes in Beijing and other cities have been ordered to check visitors for fever .
Many allow only residents to enter .
Zhang said she has left her parents ’ complex only once to go shopping .
She was nearly barred by security guards from returning .
“ There are almost no people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
Ray Cheng , a Macau-born entrepreneur in the southern city of Guangzhou , said he starts the day by making a plan for his 7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son — “ what they need to do , then lunch , then what to do ” — and then gets on the phone with his employees and customers .
“ When I work , I arrange for them to do something they like .
They are very focused and won ’ t bother me , ” Cheng told a reporter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lion King ’ so I can talk to you.
” IQAir ’ s China sales manager , Mike Bearden , said he usually spends 50 % of his time on the road but has been at home in Beijing for three weeks talking by phone with potential customers .
He said sales might get a boost from the virus because families and hospitals are thinking more about clean air .
“ It ’ s probably the longest stretch I ’ ve stayed in Beijing in the last 10 years , ” said Bearden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seattle .
“ My exercise is basically pacing my apartment while having phone conversations.
” Associated Press researcher Yu Bing contributed to this report .
This story has been corrected to show that Zhang is co-founder of SheTalks .


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Salvage firm asks US judge to halt removal of capsized ship

SAVANNAH , Ga. - A maritime salvage company is asking a federal judge to stop the Coast Guard and a rival firm from carrying out their plans to remove a cargo ship that overturned five months ago on the Georgia coast .
The multiagency team overseeing removal of the South Korean freighter Golden Ray recently announced plans to carve the ship into eight giant pieces that would be loaded onto barges using a towering crane in the waters of St. Simons Sound .
Removal is to start soon after crews surround the wreck with a large mesh barrier to trap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month .
The salvage company Donjon-SMIT filed a complaint Thursday in U.S. District Court seeking a judge ’ s injunction to stop any removal efforts .
The company said the Coast Guard violated a 1990 federal law intended to improve oil spill responses by allowing the ship ’ s owner to drop Donjon-SMIT as its pre-designated salvage responder .
Donjon-SMIT said the ship ’ s owner , identified in the court filing as GL NV24 Shipping Inc. , had rejected its plan to remove the ship “ in small sections weighing approximately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” so crews could systematically remove 4,200 cars still inside the ship ’ s cargo decks .
The company said the owner instead hired another firm , T & T Salvage , willing to remove the vessel in larger chunks of up to 4,100 tons ( 3,720 metric tonnes ) .
The multiagency command team released some details of the plan Feb. 5 , but has not said what it intends to do about the cars inside .
“ In short , the cars need to be safely removed to avoid environmental disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filing .
Campbell Houston , a spokesman for the multiagency command overseeing the salvage operation , had no immediate comment when reached by phone Friday .
T & T Salvage did not immediately reply to an email message seeking comment .
A woman who answered the phone at the company ’ s main office in Galveston , Texas , said no one there could speak to a reporter .
The Golden Ray capsized Sept. 8 in the St. Simons Sound shortly after leaving the Port of Brunswick .
All crew members were successfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days later .
Salvage experts concluded the ship couldn ’ t safely be returned upright and floated away intact , opting instead to take it out in pieces .
Donjon-SMIT ’ s legal complaint says ships like the Golden Ray must have pre-approved plans for responding to wrecks , spills and other emergencies under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 .
The company says it had been the Golden Ray ’ s designated salvage responder since September 2017 .
The company said its crews assisted in the rescue of the ship ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They also helped stabilize the shipwreck by placing rocks around it and removed 320,000 gallons ( 1.2 million litres ) of oil mixed with water from the vessel ’ s fuel tanks .
Donjon-SMIT said it was dropped from the salvage operation after presenting its plan to remove the vessel in November .


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Man indicted in fatal shooting of Louisiana Walmart employee

NEW ORLEANS - A man accused of fatally shooting a New Orleans Walmart employee and wounding a female customer has been indicted on murder charges , according to the district attorney ’ s office .
An Orleans Parish grand jury on Thursday indicted Kentrell Banks , 21 , of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder , District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro ’ s office told news outlets .
Banks is accused of fatally shooting London McKnight , 28 , in January at a Gentilly Walmart and wounding an unknown female bystander .
McKnight was working near the front checkout lines when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
A New Orleans police officer working an off-duty security detail in the store immediately confronted Banks and handcuffed him .
Before the indictment , Magistrate Court Commissioner Melvin Zeno ruled that Banks was mentally unable to proceed with a trial at the moment , The Times-Picayune/ The New Orleans Advocate reported .
He made the ruling after hearing from a doctor who mentally evaluated Banks and arguments from prosecutors and public defender Leon Roche .
Zeno ordered Banks to be treated at the state ’ s forensic mental health hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indictment won ’ t affect Zeno ’ s order and the case is still in line to be moved to another judge at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Freezing weather compounds crisis for displaced in Syria

BEIRUT - A military offensive on an opposition-controlled region of northwestern Syria has created one of the worst catastrophes for civilians in the country ’ s long-running war , sending hundreds of thousands of people fleeing , many of them sleeping in open fields and under trees in freezing temperatures .
The military campaign in Idlib province and the nearby Aleppo countryside has also killed hundreds of civilians , and a bitter winter has compounded the pain .
The weather has contributed to at least 10 deaths , including four who suffered hypothermia , a family of four that died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who burned to death when their tent caught fire , according to Mohammed Hallaj , a co-ordinator for the area ’ s Response Coordination Group .
Nizar Hamadi , 43 , lost his brother and three other family members , including a three-year old .
Their family had been displaced multiple times to escape the swift government offensive , ending up in a settlement made up of rudimentary tents stitched together with sticks and cloth .
“ It was God ’ s destiny that it was really cold .
The temperatures was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is rare in Syria , “ he said , speaking to The Associated Press from the Idlib town of Binnish .
He said his brother , Steif Abdel-Razak Hamadi , had moved north , as Binnish also came under attack , to set up his family ’ s next shelter in Killi .
On Tuesday , he set up a coal heater and by nightfall , as the fire died down , he moved it inside the tent and went to sleep with his family including his wife , two children and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the heater was sucking out all the oxygen in the tent , ” Hamadi said .
When the son sleeping in another tent woke up and came to their tent , he found them all dead .
The government ’ s Russian-backed assault on Idlib , the Syrian opposition ’ s last stronghold , has uprooted more than 830,000 people since Dec. 1 , most of them fleeing toward safer areas near the border with Turkey , U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday .
At least 143,000 people have been displaced in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs are increasing exponentially , ” Dujarric said .
“ The ongoing emergency compounds the already dire humanitarian situation for people in the northwest , who have been made vulnerable by years of crisis , violence , economic downturn and , of course , multiple displacements , ” Dujarric said .
Terrified families piled on trucks and vehicles , sitting on top of mattresses and blankets , clogging sludgy rural roads in harrowing scenes of exodus that have been recurrent in Syria ’ s conflict , now in its ninth year .
Around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been displaced from other parts of Syria , so formal camps are full .
“ It ’ s cold , it ’ s snowing and our life is terrible , we can ’ t take this cold and neither can the kids , ” said a woman , who identified herself by her nickname Um Muhammad , who recently fled and was staying at a tent camp near the Turkish border .
“ This life , what can I say ?
We are broken now .
I am an old woman with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us , ” she said , her face wrapped up in big black scarf against the cold .
The fighting has killed 1,700 people since last April , and the latest military campaign is disrupting aid operations , according to the United Nations .
As of Feb. 11 , at least 72 health facilities have suspended services due to insecurity or mass displacement , it says .
The U.N. Security Council held a closed meeting Friday on the escalating violence in Idlib at the request of its European Union members — France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with former member Poland .
Afterward , the five EU nations issued a statement expressing alarm at the military escalation and demanding an immediate end to the attacks .
“ This is one of the worst man-made displacements that we have seen anywhere in the world in years .
And it has been and continues to be entirely avoidable , “ the nations said in the statement .
The United Nations World Food Programme said it was forced to temporarily stop food distributions because of the recent upsurge in hostilities disrupted the movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Turkey .
In the camps , refugees dig up mud from their flooded tent , other dust off the snow dumped by unusually cold spell .
New trucks pull up with new arrivals , and mattresses piled on top .
Hooriya Al-Essa , a camp resident who arrived with his family last month from the Idlib countryside , said they lacked heaters , blankets , mattresses and firewood .
“ Our situation is very bad .
This entire camp is poor .
We have nothing .
We need help — money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , standing next to a snow-covered tent .
On Friday , a government helicopter was shot down and its crew killed amid the fighting in Idlib .
It was the second helicopter shot down in a week .
Another government helicopter gunship was downed three days earlier , near the village of Nairab .
Videos posted online Friday showed a helicopter spiraling downward from the sky , with flames trailing behind as onlookers cheered .
A military official told Syrian state media that the helicopter was hit by a “ hostile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aleppo province .
The unnamed official said the helicopter crashed and its crew was killed .
Turkey-backed opposition fighters claimed responsibility , saying it was hit in response to the Syrian army ’ s indiscriminate targeting of civilians .
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , which has a network of activists on the ground , said the helicopter was downed Friday in the village of Qibtan al-Jebel , north of Aleppo city .
It said two crew members were killed and their bodies were found near the site of the crash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downed Friday by Turkish military forces stationed in the opposition-held region .
There was no immediate comment from Turkey .
Insurgents have sought to acquire portable defence systems to target government warplanes , often acquiring them from seized stockpiles or from outside supporters .
Turkey , backer of Syria ’ s opposition , has been deploying equipment and troops in the region , which is home to more than 3 million people , in an attempt to halt the Syrian military ’ s advances .
But the increased Turkish footprint has also resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clashes between the two sides have killed 13 Turkish military personnel and 13 Syrian troops .
Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara , Turkey , contributed to this report .

Sarah El Deeb And Zeina Karam - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Japanese man who visited Hawaii confirmed with coronavirus

HONOLULU - A man who visited Hawaii was confirmed to have coronavirus when he returned home to Japan , Hawaii officials said Friday .
Health officials were tracking down details about his travel in the Aloha State , including his flight information and people with whom he had close contact .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified Hawaii about the man having the illness known as COVID-19 on Friday morning , Hawaii Health Director Bruce Anderson said .
The man was in Hawaii Jan. 28 to Feb. 7 .
He first visited the island of Maui , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
He was on Oahu , the state ’ s most populated island , Feb. 3 to 7 .
While on Oahu , he had cold-like symptoms , but no fever , Anderson said Because of when his symptoms began , officials believe he became infected in Japan or while in transit , said Dr. Sarah Park , state epidemiologist .
He is from Japan ’ s Aichi Prefecture .
The man was travelling with his wife , and while on Oahu , they stayed in a timeshare , Grand Waikikian By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 250 confirmed cases of the new disease that apparently started in Wuhan , a city in central China , in December .
Japan announced Thursday its first death from the virus , hours after confirming 44 more cases on a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo as fears of the spreading disease mount in the country .
So far , only 15 U.S. cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed , and no deaths .
All but two of the cases were in people who had travelled to Wuhan , China , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining two were spread from travellers to their spouses .
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Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Mexican activists protest after gruesome killing of woman

MEXICO CITY - Dozens of women spray-painted slogans such as “ We won ’ t be silenced ” on the facade and doorway of Mexico City ’ s National Palace on Friday , and hundreds marched later through the capital ’ s centre to protest the gruesome slaying of a young woman .
Not only have attacks on women become more frequent in Mexico , they have become more grisly .
In September , a young female musician in the southern state of Oaxaca was burned with acid by two men who testified they had been hired by a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affair with her .
But the weekend killing of Ingrid Escamilla , a young Mexico City resident who was allegedly killed by a boyfriend , has horrified Mexicans for its brutality .
The man , who has been arrested and purportedly confessed to killing Escamilla with a knife , mutilated her body and flushed part of her corpse into the sewer .
Indignation grew after some local media published horrific photos of the skinned corpse , apparently leaked by city police officers .
The protesters read a statement Friday saying “ it enrages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the media put her body on display.
” “ It enrages us that the public judges us , saying ‘ this isn ’ t the right way to express your rage , ’ “ the statement continued .
“ We are not mad , we are furious.
” In the past , women ’ s protests in Mexico City had been criticized for spray-painting historical monuments and trashing city infrastructure , but the damage Friday was minor , and criticism almost non-existent .
Instead , officials condemned media outlets for publishing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who may have taken the photos with their cellphones at the crime scene .
The Interior Department said in a statement it “ condemns the publication and distribution of such material , given that it re-victimizes people and promotes sensationalism and morbid curiosity .
It is an attack on the dignity , privacy and identity of the victims and their families.
” The Friday morning protest occurred as President Andrés Manuel López Obrador gave his daily news conference inside the colonial-era palace .
López Obrador said such killings were hate crimes and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early this week , he showed little patience for those who questioned him about the government ’ s commitment to fighting violence against women .
“ This issue has been manipulated a lot in the media , ” the president said Monday , adding that “ I don ’ t want the issue just to be women ’ s killings.
” About 10 women are slain each day across Mexico just because they are women , the government and activists say .
Last year there were 3,825 in all , which was up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal figures .


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--No ‘Plan B’ for Olympics; questions over Chinese presence

Tokyo Olympic organizers and the International Olympic Committee said Friday there is no “ Plan B ” for the 2020 Games , which open in just over five months and have been jolted by the outbreak of a virus in neighbouring China .
The coronavirus has infected almost 64,000 people globally with almost 1,400 deaths in China , but only one in Japan where fear is rising with so much attention focused on the outbreak .
“ Certainly the advice we ’ re received externally from the WHO ( World Health Organization ) is that there ’ s no case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games or moving the games , “ John Coates , the head of an IOC inspection team , said to wrap up a two-day visit that was dominated by the virus issue .
Coates and Tokyo Olympic organizers took 11 questions at a news conference on Friday .
All 11 were about the virus , or the presence of Chinese athletes in 19 remaining test events in Japan , or about Chinese fans , or repeated questions seeking reassurance the games will go ahead as planned .
A Japanese reporter asked Tokyo organizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact the games are going ahead , would there be any “ organizational changes ” in how the games are run .
“ No , at this stage , no .
We are not thinking of any such possibility , “ said Mori , a former Japanese prime minister , speaking in Japanese .
Mori , Coates and CEO Toshiro Muto looked glum sitting at a head table taking essentially the same question over and over .
“ We can confirm that Tokyo 2020 remains on track , ” Coates said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a CNN reporter if he was 100 % confident that the Tokyo Olympics would go on as scheduled and open on July 24 .
Coates talked positively about keeping a close watch on Chinese athletes , and talked optimistically about their eventual presence in Tokyo , where they would probably field a team of 600 athletes — one of the largest delegations .
“ We continue also to monitor , particularly the Chinese that will be coming here , ” Coates said .
“ You ’ ll find that the Chinese teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the athletes and officials.
” Others away from the Olympic circle are uncertain what course the virus outbreak will take .
“ Frankly speaking , there is no guarantee that the outbreak will come to an end before the Olympics because we have no scientific basis to be able to say that , ” Shigeru Omi , a former regional director of the WHO and an infectious disease expert from Japan , said Thursday .
“ So it is meaningless to predict a timing when it may come to an end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should assume that the virus has already been spreading in Japan .
People should understand that we can not only rely on border controls to prevent the spread of the disease.
” Dr. Mike Ryan , WHO chief of emergencies , said at a news conference Friday in Switzerland that WHO only offers technical advice and it ’ s up to the IOC and organizers to make decisions related to the Olympics .
“ We have not offered advice to the IOC for the Olympics one way or another , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s not the role of WHO to call off — or not call off — any event .
It is the role of WHO to offer technical advice.
” Mark Woolhouse , a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh , told The Associated Press in an email : “ I don ’ t think anyone right now can confidently predict the state of affairs come late summer.
” “ One slight word of caution , “ he added .
” Influenza is regarded as a winter infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we encountered a new strain in 2009-10 — pandemic strain , or swine flu — we did see cases in the summer months.
” That is not particularly good news , where many talk of the hot , humid Tokyo summer taking its toll on the virus .
The AP requested but was declined an interview with Dr. Richard Budgett , the IOC ’ s medical and scientific director who was in Tokyo for the meetings .
The dynamic growth of the Olympics makes any schedule change difficult .
About 73 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue in a four-year Olympic cycle comes from broadcasting rights from networks like NBC and NHK in Japan .
Moving the Olympics back even two months would clash in North America with a full plate of sports broadcasts : NFL , NBA , baseball , and college football .
There is also the matter of millions of tickets sold , flights and hotels booked , and $ 3 billion in local sponsorship sold in Japan with advertisers expecting some results for their expenditure .
A reporter for the Chinese news agency Xinhua asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alibaba — a major Olympic sponsor — would be free to come to the Olympics despite the fact he is from one of the two provinces has been the most severely affected by the virus .
“ Depends where he ’ ll be holidaying before he comes here , ” Coates said , cracking one of the few jokes of the night .
“ Whoever it is has to comply with the rules of the Japanese ( immigration ) authorities .
”

Stephen Wade And Mari Yamaguchi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Man declared incompetent in San Francisco pier killing case

SAN FRANCISCO - A Mexican man who was acquitted of killing a woman on a San Francisco pier in a case that became a national flash point was found incompetent to stand trial Friday on federal gun charges .
U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria said in a court order that a psychiatric evaluator had concluded Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate was not competent to stand trial “ because of mental illness that is not presently being treated.
“ Chhabria said he would meet with lawyers from both sides next week to discuss the next steps .
If either side objects to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be required to examine Garcia-Zarate ’ s competency .
If neither side disputes the findings , the court will discuss whether the defendant should be treated locally for mental illness or sent to a federal facility outside California .
Defence attorney Tony Serra said he would contest the finding .
“ He is entitled to a hearing , “ Serra said .
“ I ’ m protesting that he is competent enough for this case.
” Friday ’ s decision is the latest delay to a case that touched off a national debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia-Zarate was due to stand trial in January for two counts of illegal gun possession .
But Chhabria postponed the trial for an evaluation amid concerns about his “ apparent mental illness.
” President Donald Trump and others in his administration have repeatedly pointed to the case as a reason for toughening the country ’ s immigration policies .
Garcia-Zarate was living in the country illegally and had been deported five times before the shooting .
Jurors in California court found him not guilty of killing Kate Steinle in 2015 .
But they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possession of a gun , leading to a three-year jail sentence .
A state appeals court threw out the conviction last August , finding that jurors received improper instructions from the trial judge .
Federal prosecutors then charged him with gun possession in 2017 .
Garcia-Zarate acknowledged holding the gun that killed Steinle .
But he said it fired accidentally when he found it wrapped in a T-shirt under a bench on the pier , where Steinle was walking with her father .
The weapon belonged to a U.S. Bureau of Land Management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parked car .
The case fueled criticism of San Francisco ’ s sanctuary city policy , which limits local officials from co-operating with federal immigration authorities on deportations .
The San Francisco sheriff ’ s department released Garcia-Zarate from jail several weeks before the shooting despite a federal request to detain him until immigration authorities could take him into custody .


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Alaska court allows recall group to gather signatures

JUNEAU , Alaska - The Alaska Supreme Court agreed Friday to allow a group seeking to recall Gov .
Mike Dunleavy to gather signatures while the court weighs an appeal in the case .
Last month , Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth put a hold on his ruling that would have allowed the Recall Dunleavy group to advance to a new , signature-gathering phase .
In issuing the stay , Aarseth agreed with arguments from recall opposition group Stand Tall With Mike , which argued that voter confusion and legal disputes could arise if the signature-gathering began and the high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ application .
The order from the Supreme Court Friday said Aarseth “ did not expressly consider the harm to Recall Dunleavy resulting from a stay.
“ “ The loss of several months of signature-gathering in this process is at least a ‘ not inconsiderable ’ injury , ” the order states .
The order directs the state Division of Elections to prepare petition booklets “ forthwith “ for issuance to the recall group .
The division previously stated that process would take a week , division Director Gail Fenumiai said by email Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and oral arguments for March 25 .
Attorney General Kevin Clarkson , in a statement , said the division “ is prepared to proceed according to the order ” that lifted the stay pending appeal .
The Department of Law , which Clarkson oversees , is representing the division in this case , department spokeswoman Maria Bahr said .
The division in November rejected the recall application , a decision Fenumiai has said was based on a legal opinion from Clarkson .
That opinion found the reasons listed for recall were “ factually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dunleavy appointee who was confirmed by lawmakers .
A message seeking comment was left for an attorney with Stand Tall With Mike .
Claire Pywell , who manages the Recall Dunleavy campaign , said the group was grateful for Friday ’ s order .
The group will need to gather 71,252 signatures in seeking to force a recall election .
Dunleavy , a Republican , took office in late 2018 , and public anger over deep budget cuts he proposed during his first year helped fuel the recall effort .
He has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for recall in Alaska are lack of fitness , incompetence , neglect of duties or corruption .
Recall Dunleavy , among its claims , said the governor violated the law by not appointing a judge within a required time frame , misused state funds for partisan online ads and mailers , and improperly used his veto authority to “ attack the judiciary .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Sheriff: Texas man accused of hanging puppy `out of boredom’

MONTE ALTO , Texas - A Texas man accused of hanging a small puppy by the neck from a tree and posting a video on Facebook told deputies that he was acting “ out of boredom , ” a sheriff said .
Claudio Gomez , 21 , of Monte Alto , Texas , was being held Friday in the Hidalgo County Jail , charged with torturing a non-livestock animal , a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison .
Bond was set at $ 10,000 .
Sheriff ’ s Sgt .
Frank Medrano said deputies traced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted to hanging the dog .
Gomez was arrested on Wednesday .
Medrano said authorities later found the puppy dead .
Rubio Salinas , Gomez ’ s attorney , declined to comment on the case until he could confer with his client .
Monte Alto is an unincorporated community of about 2,100 residents 20 miles ( 33 kilometres ) northeast of McAllen .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-14--De Blasio endorses former 2020 rival Sanders for president

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is endorsing Bernie Sanders for president , a move that puts de Blasio in a position to become a leading voice in opposition to Sanders ’ newest rival , Mike Bloomberg , his predecessor in leading the nation ’ s largest city .
De Blasio , an unabashed liberal who was elected in 2013 , will campaign for Sanders in Nevada this weekend , the Sanders campaign said Friday in a news release .
De Blasio hopes to be a significant surrogate for Sanders four years after he dithered about his presidential endorsement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , backed Hillary Clinton instead of the Vermont senator , who shared far more of his ideology .
“ I am standing with Bernie because he stands with working families , and always has , ” de Blasio said in the news release .
“ New Yorkers know all too well the damage caused by Donald Trump ’ s xenophobia , bigotry and recklessness , and Bernie is the candidate to take him on and take him down De Blasio , whose own 2020 presidential bid ended with a whimper months before any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important role for Sanders , who now sits atop the progressive portion of the Democratic field , as the senator squares off against several more moderate choices , including Bloomberg , who led New York for the 12 years before de Blasio .
De Blasio ’ s 2013 campaign was styled as a rebuke to Bloomberg , who oversaw a city that rebuilt itself after the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terror attacks to become the nation ’ s safest biggest city and leading tourist destination .
But Bloomberg ’ s tenure also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and concern about police tactics like stop and frisk , which disproportionately affected communities of colour .
De Blasio , who has frosty relations with his predecessor , has repeatedly voiced his opposition to the billionaire ’ s late presidential bid .
“ This is a Democratic Party today that ’ s getting more progressive , that wants to address the concerns of working people , that does not accept the status quo , ” de Blasio said after Bloomberg announced his candidacy .
“ There ’ s no way in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the status quo.
” Additionally , the strongest piece of de Blasio ’ s political base at home has been African American voters drawn to his promises of police reform , combating income inequality and his biracial family .
And the mayor aims to stress those bona fides just as the Democratic nominating process heads to far more diverse states like Nevada and South Carolina .
De Blasio has long sought to play an outsize role on the national stage trumpeting progressive ideas but has struggled to raise his profile much beyond New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sponsored ahead of the 2016 election was cancelled because of a lack of interest from candidates , and his own advisers have expressed regret as to how he handled his endorsement for that campaign .
Although de Blasio was far more aligned with Sanders , he also had a debt of loyalty to the Clintons ; he was the campaign manager for Hillary Clinton ’ s 2000 Senate run in New York , and the former first couple presided over the mayor ’ s inauguration in 2013 .
But de Blasio sat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventual lukewarm endorsement for Clinton led to him being banished to a secondary role at the Democratic convention and on the campaign trail .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Post-impeachment, Donald Trump is a law unto himself

WASHINGTON—In a blizzard of actions since his impeachment acquittal last week , U.S. President Donald Trump has been using the levers of government to punish his opponents and protect himself in what ’ s being called a threat to the rule of law and a slide toward autocracy .
Trump has always had strongman tendencies — the grandiose rallies and military parades , proclaimed admiration for dictators , declarations that his actions are beyond scrutiny — but his actions this week amplified that affinity in ways that could do lasting damage .
Jason Stanley , a Yale University professor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” told Business Insider that the tactics employed by the president and his Republican Party are “ straight from the literature on authoritarianism.
” First there was the punishment of his perceived enemies : shortly after his acquittal , Trump fired some of those whose testimony to the House impeachment investigation had been deemed unflattering .
In what has been dubbed the “ Friday Night Massacre , ” Trump dismissed his ambassador to the European Union , Gordon Sondland , and marched decorated war veteran Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman out of the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twin brother , Yevgeny , who also worked in the White House but played no role in the impeachment trial .
Trump suggested the Pentagon should consider disciplining Vindman .
The apparent message : the perception of disloyalty will not be tolerated .
More explicit was Trump ’ s proclamation that he would use policy to punish New York unless it dropped investigations and lawsuits into his taxes .
New York ’ s attorney general has been investigating several matters related to Trump and his businesses ; recently , the Department of Homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to trusted traveller programs that speed entry at border crossings .
Trump appeared to connect the two when he tweeted that Gov .
Andrew Cuomo needs to understand , in the context of the “ national security ” issues , that “ New York must stop all of its unnecessary lawsuits & harassment.
” Walter Shaub , the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics , responded by tweeting that this was “ quid pro quo extortion.
” “ Time to call fascism by its name .
Pay attention , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also referring to what many have considered the most alarming episode of the past week .
On Monday , the U.S. attorneys who successfully prosecuted former Trump adviser Roger Stone for crimes related to Trump ’ s 2016 campaign suggested a prison sentence of seven to nine years , which was in line with the standards set out in federal guidelines .
On Tuesday morning , Trump tweeted that the recommendation was “ horrible and unfair , ” and insisted that “ the real crimes were on the other side.
” Hours later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own staff and suggest leniency for Stone .
In response , all four prosecutors withdrew from the case , with one even resigning from the department .
“ What political leadership did here — mandating a favour for a friend of the president in line with the president ’ s publicly expressed desire in the case — significantly damages the rule of law and the perception of Justice Department fairness , ” former U.S. attorney Chuck Rosenberg wrote in the Washington Post .
“ This is not normal and it is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the rule of law.
” While Attorney General Bill Barr said the decision was unrelated to Trump ’ s interference , he also said the president should stop commenting publicly on such matters .
“ I think it ’ s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases , ” Barr told ABC .
“ I can not do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me.
” In response , Trump insisted in a tweet that he has a “ legal right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
Separately , he suggested to reporters that former FBI director James Comey and the FBI officers who investigated Trump ’ s 2016 campaign ought to be charged .
White House insiders claimed the flurry of actions was the result of Trump feeling “ both vindicated and strengthened by his acquittal , ” the Associated Press reported .
After she voted to acquit him , Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she hoped Trump had learned a lesson from the impeachment process .
This week , she acknowledged that “ there haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has .
Not so , said Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown — Trump ’ s “ retribution tour ” shows he has indeed learned something from acquittal : “ The lesson is he can do whatever he wants , whenever he wants.
” What ’ s at stake if Trump ’ s behaviour remains unchecked ?
Former U.S. attorney Joyce White Vance told the Washington Post , “ That means that a president is fully above the law in the most dangerous kind of way .
This is how democracies die .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--US won’t charge ex-FBI official McCabe, a Trump target

WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors have declined to charge former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe , closing an investigation into whether the longtime target of President Donald Trump ’ s ire lied to federal officials about his involvement in a news media disclosure , McCabe ’ s legal team said Friday .
The decision , coming at the end of a tumultuous week between the Justice Department and the White House , is likely to further agitate a president who has loudly complained that federal prosecutors have pursued cases against his allies but not against his perceived political enemies .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly two years ago with a referral from the Justice Department ’ s inspector general ’ s office , which concluded that McCabe had repeatedly lied about having authorized a subordinate to share information with a newspaper reporter for a 2016 article about an FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation .
The case was handled by the U.S. attorney ’ s office in Washington , which was at the centre of a public rift with Justice Department leadership this week over the recommended sentence for Trump ally Roger Stone .
Senior Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison sentence that they felt was too harsh , prompting the trial team to quit the case .
Attorney General William Barr also took a rare public swipe at Trump by saying in a television interview that the president ’ s tweets about the Stone case and other matters were making his job “ impossible.
” Separately , the Justice Department has begun reviewing the handling of the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn , a person familiar with the matter said Friday .
On Friday , prosecutors notified McCabe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a letter that they were closing the case .
The letter , signed by the chief of the office ’ s public corruption unit , did not give a precise reason but said the decision was reached after “ careful consideration ” and “ based on the totality of the circumstances and all of the information known to the government at this time.
” McCabe ’ s lawyers , Michael Bromwich and David Schertler , said they were gratified by the decision .
“ At long last , justice has been done in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ We said at the outset of the criminal investigation , almost two years ago , that if the facts and the law determined the result , no charges would be brought.
” Speaking Friday on CNN , where he works as a contributor , McCabe said it was an “ absolute disgrace ” that the investigation had taken so long and that he was relieved to be done with a process that he described as “ so unbelievably tense.
“ Though federal prosecutors wrote that they consider the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last few months have proven unpredictable , with a willingness to scrutinize or revisit decisions that had appeared resolved .
McCabe , a frequent target of Trump ’ s attacks , has denied that he intentionally misled anyone .
He has said his 2018 firing — for what the Justice Department called “ lack of candour ” — was politically motivated .
He sued the Justice Department in August , saying officials had used the inspector general ’ s conclusions as a pretext to rid the FBI of leaders Trump perceived as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to further exacerbate tensions between Trump and Barr , who before speaking out in the television interview had privately complained to aides and the president himself that Trump ’ s comments about the Justice Department were undercutting his political agenda and raising questions about the department ’ s credibility .
The White House was not given a heads-up about the decision beforehand , a person familiar with the matter said .
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations .
The moment came against a backdrop of growing anger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president has seethed that more of his political enemies have not been charged , included former FBI Director James Comey and his associates .
The president was particularly incensed no charges were filed over Comey ’ s handling of memos about his interactions with Trump , a matter that was referred to the Justice Department for potential prosecution , according to a White House official and Republican close to the White House who weren ’ t authorized to speak publicly about private discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over it , according to the officials .
Aides expected that the decision not to charge McCabe could produce a similar eruption of rage .
Trump did not address the matter during a media appearance Friday .
Trump has also repeatedly complained about FBI Director Christopher Wray in recent months , saying he has not done enough to rid the bureau of people who are disloyal to Trump .
It was not immediately clear what had prompted a review of the Flynn case , though the person familiar with the matter said U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on it .
The New York Times first reported Jensen ’ s involvement .
The decision to spare McCabe criminal charges eliminates the prospect of a sensational trial that would have refocused public attention on the chaotic months of 2016 , when the FBI was entangled in presidential politics through investigations touching both main contenders — Democrat Hillary Clinton and Trump , her Republican opponent .
The criminal investigation arose from an October 2016 story in The Wall Street Journal that described internal debates roiling the FBI and the Justice Department weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Clinton Foundation should be investigated .
The article recounted a particularly tense phone call between McCabe and a senior Justice Department official .
The inspector general ’ s report said McCabe told internal investigators that he had not authorized anyone at the FBI to speak with the reporter and that he did not know who did .
The report said McCabe ultimately corrected that account and confirmed that he had encouraged the conversation with the reporter to counter a narrative that he thought was false .
McCabe has denied any wrongdoing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tumult surrounding the FBI and the White House during the times he was questioned .
One of the interviews took place the same day that Comey was fired .
“ During these inquiries , I answered questions truthfully and as accurately as I could amidst the chaos that surrounded me , ” McCabe has said in a statement .
“ And when I thought my answers were misunderstood , I contacted investigators to correct them.
” McCabe has been a target of Trump ’ s attacks since even before he was elected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 that McCabe ’ s wife had accepted campaign contributions from a political action committee associated with ex-Virginia Gov .
Terry McAuliffe during an unsuccessful run for the state Senate there .
Associated Press writer Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report .

Eric Tucker And Michael Balsamo - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--5-year-old who rescued family from fire gets honour

KINGSTON , Ga. - A 5-year-old boy who saved his family from a house fire received special recognition Friday from officials in northwest Georgia .
Noah Woods woke up Sunday to flames in the room he and his 2-year-old sister , Lilly , shared .
Officials said he pulled himself and his sister to safety through a bedroom window .
He then ran next door , according to an online funding campaign , and grabbed his uncle , who helped the rest of the family of eight escape .
On Friday , Noah was presented with a proclamation from Bartow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his very own day , WXIA-TV reported .
“ I proclaim today , Valentine ’ s Day , February , 14 , 2020 , as Noah Woods Day in Bartow County , ” Taylor said at the ceremony .
The Bartow County Fire Department also presented Noah with his own badge , certificate , helmet and firefighter pyjamas .
He also got a chance to ride in the firetruck .
“ I ’ m thankful that his act of bravery ... models a lot of the home exit drills and safety that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Fire Chief Dwayne Jamison .
“ Because of his quick actions ... a total of eight family members were able to get out of the house with only minor injuries and smoke inhalation.
” “ Noah ’ s brave actions saved the life of the family , ” outgoing fire chief Craig Millsap said .
Fire officials said the family ’ s house in Kingston did not have working smoke detectors .
The family said the home is a total loss , and they ’ re now turning to their community to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s difficult for us to ask for help from our community , however we know this feat is too great for us to achieve alone , ” the family said .
Fire officials said they suspect the fire was sparked by an electrical malfunction that started in the children ’ s bedroom , WXIA-TV reported .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Hurricanes prompt Spirit to move operations control centre

MIAMI - Spirit Airlines is moving its operations control centre from South Florida to just outside Nashville , Tennessee , after recent hurricanes forced the low-cost carrier to temporarily move some staff during storms , the company said Friday .
The project to move the operations centre from Miramar , Florida , to Williamson County , Tennessee , represents an investment of $ 11.3 million and will bring 345 jobs to Tennessee over the next five years , Tennessee officials said Thursday .
About 240 positions are being moved from the Florida headquarters , which has about 1,000 employees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will leave fewer than 800 workers in Florida , but Sutton said the company expects to be back up to 1,000 Florida employees within two years when they move into a new building in Dania Beach .
The operations control centre handles flight dispatch , crew scheduling , maintenance control , aircraft routing , air traffic control co-ordination and other aspects of the business , which has nearly 150 planes .
Sutton said the centre will outgrow its existing location as the airline expands to 300 planes over the next five years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ building , emergency relocations during Hurricanes Irma in 2017 and last year ’ s Hurricane Dorian prompted them to move the centre away from the East Coast .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-14--8 men slain in Mexico’s Michoacan as president visits state

MEXICO CITY - The bodies of eight slain men were found in southern Michoacan state Friday — the same day President Andrés Manuel López Obrador visited the state to celebrate the opening of another National Guard installation there .
Authorities said the shooting deaths happened in Huetamo , roughly 250 miles ( 400 kilometres ) southeast of Jiquilpan , where the president celebrated the guard ’ s new deployment on Valentine ’ s Day .
The men had all been shot high-powered weapons , official said .
A stolen SUV was also found at the scene .
No further details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing record-levels of homicides since López Obrador took office Dec. 1 , 2018 , after campaigning on a “ hugs not bullets ” platform that rejected prior government efforts to stem violence .
Michoacan is one of the deadliest Mexican states .
Last week , gunmen killed three boys , a teenager and five others who were playing video games at an arcade in Uruapan , another dangerous city in the state where drug organizations are battling for territory .
At the celebration Friday for the National Guard ’ s latest installation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his philosophy , saying the country must address the roots of violence first , like creating more jobs with better pay and seeing justice through .
“ You can ’ t confront evil with evil , ” he said .
The National Guard now has 22 outposts in Michoacan , López Obrador said .
The president created the guard to combat violence , although thousands of its agents have been given the task of immigration enforcement across the country .
“ We are committed to guaranteeing peace and tranquility in our country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported 35,588 homicides in Mexico last year , the most since comparable records began to be kept in the 1990s , though the rate of increase was far lower than in previous years .
Since then-President Felipe Calderón launched a militarized anti-drug offensive beginning in late 2006 , annual killings have more than tripled in the country .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-14--US prosecutors end old terror case against California man

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - Federal prosecutors in California on Friday ended what once was among the nation ’ s highest profile anti-terrorism cases , after a judge earlier overturned the conviction that grew from conspiracy allegations in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks .
Hamid Hayat , a cherry picker from the community of Lodi in the Central Valley agricultural heartland , was freed in August after spending more than 14 years in prison .
That was more than half his sentence on charges of providing material support to terrorists and lying to FBI agents .
A federal judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges of plotting an attack in the United States after attending a terrorist training camp in Pakistan .
The judge ruled that Hayat , who proclaimed his innocence , hadn ’ t received a proper defence at trial .
Hayat ’ s family and new legal team , led by the law firm of Riordan & Horgan , said in a statement that the case is “ a stark example of how , in the post 9-11 era , the government ’ s effort to protect the public from terrorism could and did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prosecutors could have appealed the judge ’ s decision or sought a new trial , but instead filed a brief motion to dismiss the case Friday .
“ We have determined that the passage of time and the interests of justice counsel against resurrecting this 15 year old case , ” they said in a statement .
Prosecutors noted that his conviction was overturned “ based solely on the effectiveness of the lawyer of his own choosing.
” The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Sacramento , along with the U.S. Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviewed the case and the evidence that would be available during a new trial before opting not to proceed , prosecutors said .
Hayat said he didn ’ t initially believe it when attorney Dennis Riordan told him the case is over .
“ Honestly , it was like a dream , ” he said in a brief statement thanking his family , legal team and other supporters “ for standing by me every step of the way.
” Riordan said Hayat would not immediately comment beyond the statement .
“ While we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 years Hamid spent behind bars on charges of which he was innocent remain a grave miscarriage of justice , ” his family and lawyers said in their statement .
“ Hamid ’ s exoneration is a cause for celebration , but the story of his case is tragedy that must not be repeated.
” They noted that both the federal judge and a federal magistrate found that multiple witnesses credibly testified , years after his conviction , that Hamid could not have committed the crimes .
Both judges decided “ that Hamid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the powerful evidence of his innocence that won his freedom in 2019 been presented to his jury in 2006 , ” the attorneys and family said in their statement .
Investigators initially alleged that five men were part of an al-Qaida “ sleeper cell ” in Lodi .
But only Hayat , who was born in California , was convicted of terror-related crimes , while three other suspects were eventually deported without charges .
Hayat ’ s father , an ice cream truck driver , admitted to a customs violation after a jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether he lied to federal agents about his son ’ s activities .
U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. found that inexperienced defence attorney Wazhma Mojaddidi failed to find those alibi witnesses , who would have testified that Hayat never had time to receive terror training while visiting relatives and getting married in his ancestral village in Pakistan .
They said that the longest Hayat was absent from his family ’ s ancestral village of Behboodi while visiting Pakistan with family members between 2003 and 2005 was one week .
That directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training camp for three to six months .
His defence attorney also should have provided a witness to testify that what prosecutors said was an incriminating note found in Hayat ’ s wallet was in fact a religious supplication commonly used by many Muslims , he ruled .
“ An entire community was left traumatized due to prosecution taking advantage of anti-Muslim , post-9-11 hysteria , “ Basim Elkarra , executive director of the Sacramento Valley office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations , said in a statement calling it an ” egregious @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Parkland widow renovates home, preserves memories

HOLLYWOOD , Fla. - Debbi Hixon was a bundle of nerves waiting to see the 10-day makeover that had transformed her home .
She wasn ’ t concerned about the new kitchen counters or paint colours ; the Parkland shooting widow was worried the fancy new decor would wipe away memories of her husband .
Athletic director Chris Hixon was one of 17 people killed on Valentine ’ s Day two years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School , the largest school shooting in U.S. history .
The 49-year-old military veteran was gunned down while trying to run back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he loved so dearly , his wife said during an interview with The Associated Press on Friday .
“ He ’ s still part of our family and I didn ’ t want it to feel like he ’ s not here anymore , ” she said of the home renovation , completed in a whirlwind 10 days for the show “ Military Makeover.
” The 10-week TV show aired its first episode Friday morning .
Chris ’ presence can still be felt everywhere , as if he could walk through the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jacket hangs casually in a front hallway with several other clothes .
The pool bar he built out of wooden pallets two weeks before the shooting remains untouched .
Also unchanged is the colour of the master bedroom , still painted in the unconventional brick red that Chris insisted on after randomly spying it while driving down the street one day .
The focal point of the bedroom are three shelves that serve as a memorial to Chris .
His black athletic director shirt is framed on the top and there are photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did of him after he died .
“ That ’ s my favourite picture of him , “ Debbi Hixon said , pointing to one .
“ It looks like he ’ s looking at me .
It ’ s alive.
” The couple had hoped to renovate the kitchen in the tiny South Florida home that Debbi Hixon grew up in .
Post-renovation , wood floors shine and the bright , open new kitchen features modern countertops and a breakfast nook with a cozy , oversize bench for family gatherings .
Plumbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community were among the hundreds of volunteers who helped the “ Military Makeover ” crews .
Displaying that same community spirit , Stoneman Douglas students on Friday organized a special breakfast for first responders as part of a Day of Service and Love throughout the Broward County school district .
All county schools observed a moment of silence and classes were let out early to allow staff and students to participate in community service projects .
Married 28 years when he was killed in 2018 , Debbi and Chris Hixon struggled during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iraq with the Navy for six months during Desert Storm .
But the distance only deepened their love , she said .
He often surprised her by sending flowers , roses especially , and was constantly buying her jewelry , even though she scolded him , saying they couldn ’ t afford it .
She baked brownies in care packages and they exchanged lengthy letters that one of the crew members found in the attic during the home makeover .
When the youngest of their two sons was born , they faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago with severe bleeding on his brain and without the left side of his heart .
He underwent nine open heart surgeries before he was 8 years old .
He was also born with Kabuki Syndrome , an extremely rare genetic disorder with some similarities to Down Syndrome .
But the couple soldiered on , surrounded by a close-knit extended family and strong ties to their school and church .
Chris Hixon was always inviting people over to the house for impromptu dinners without telling her , Debbi Hixon said , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed with more than a dozen people .
“ That was what Chris did .
He brought people together , “ she said .
“ He made you feel like you were part of his family.
” At school , Chris Hixon was known for helping maintenance crews set up before and after wrestling matches and for volunteering for just about everything .
Debbi Hixon also worked at the school as a marine science teacher .
Every night before bed , Debbi Hixon said , she listens to the few voicemails from her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Of course he ’ s talking about sports in all of them , ” she said , laughing , noting that he was always coming or going from a school event .
Each one of the messages , though , ended with the same simple phrase : “ I love you.
” On Valentines Day 2018 , the couple was rushing to get out the door , but son Corey insisted they stop and open presents .
If he hadn ’ t , Debbi Hixon said , she never would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It would have been too painful .
Chris ’ signature from the Valentine is now tattooed on her wrist with a cardinal , a symbol that appears throughout the home in trinkets and drawings .
Every time the family sees one , it feels like a sign that he ’ s watching them .
“ It ’ s like standing in quicksand and you keep trying to move out of it and something keeps pulling you back in , ” she said of the last two years , wiping away tears .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arena.
“ Hixon is trying to use that platform to make changes .
She recently decided to run for a seat on the county school board and has become active in the debate about making schools safer .
Debbi Hixon and her oldest son , Tom , watched the gut-wrenching school surveillance video of Chris ’ last moments .
It confirmed what they knew : He fought until the very last moment trying to protect his students .
But she still thinks some of his greatest victories were during the mundane , everyday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband .
“ I don ’ t want people to forget that he was a hero every day , not just that day , “ she said .


thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Judge denies document request in Abrams ethics investigation

ATLANTA - A judge handed Democrat Stacey Abrams ’ 2018 campaign for Georgia governor a victory in a legal skirmish Friday , denying a request from the state ethics commission for the campaign to hand over more records .
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick said in a one-page order that she lacked jurisdiction to enforce a subpoena from the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission .
The commission was seeking all correspondence between Abrams ’ campaign and several outside groups , including some that register and mobilize voters .
The commission is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-ordinated with non-profit organizations during the race , which she narrowly lost to Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp .
The campaign has said there was no illegal co-ordination .
It said it has already turned over 4,000 documents including financial records and said the commission doesn ’ t have evidence to support the allegations .
The judge ’ s order relied on a prior case in which courts lacked jurisdiction to enforce subpoenas from the commission during a preliminary investigation .
“ We disagree with the judge ’ s ruling , and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” David Emadi , director of the commission , said Friday , according to the newspaper .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Alaska Capitol room to be named for late lawmaker Davis

JUNEAU , Alaska - An Alaska Capitol room that hosts House education and social service committee hearings will be named for the late former lawmaker Bettye Davis .
The Senate voted Friday to rename Capitol room 106 for Davis , who was the first black woman elected to the state House and the first black senator in Alaska .
Davis died in 2018 .
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson , an Anchorage Democrat , became emotional during a floor speech , describing Davis as a friend and an inspiration .
“ She paved the way for me to be sitting here with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second African-American woman to serve with this body , and I am truly honoured , “ Gray-Jackson said .
In a statement , she described Davis as an advocate for public education , foster care , mental health , suicide prevention and juvenile justice .
Anchorage Democratic Rep. Ivy Spohnholz , who sponsored the measure , called Davis a trailblazer .
A bronze plaque will be placed near the door of the room memorializing Davis , according to the resolution passed Friday .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-14--Brazil homicides fall to lowest level in at least 12 years

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro celebrated Friday after a crime index showed homicides fell to their lowest level in more than a decade during the first year of his term .
Brazil had 41,635 killings in 2019 , down 19 % from the prior year and the least number of homicides since 2007 , when the so-called Violence Monitor index was launched .
It is a partnership between the non-profit Brazilian Forum of Public Security , the University of Sao Paulo ’ s Center for the Study of Violence , and news website G1 , which published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOVERNMENT HOMICIDES , VIOLENCE AND FALLACIES FALL !
” an exultant Bolsonaro wrote on his Twitter account , sharing the G1 news report .
“ Our government extends a strong embrace to all the security agents of the country .
Brazil continues on the right path.
” Bolsonaro , a far-right politician , made fighting crime and violence one of his signature campaign issues that ultimately swept him to the presidency in a country where people had grown weary of growing insecurity .
He has deployed rhetoric that encourages violence against crime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be awarded medals rather than slapped with lawsuits .
In 2016 , the most deadly year in the Violence Monitor ’ s records , Brazil had nearly 60,000 homicides .
Robert Muggah , co-founder of security think-tank Igarapé Institute , said the fall in homicides was indeed “ stunning , ” but questioned the government ’ s claim about its cause .
He said crimes began to fall early in 2018 , before Bolsonaro won the presidential election , and noted that the leader signed an anti-crime bill to tackle violence just at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolsonaro and his supporters have sought to own recent improvements in public security , there are other factors at play that have little to do with their efforts , ” Muggah said .
He and other security experts don ’ t agree that more aggressive policing is responsible for better security indicators .
They have offered other theories for the national improvement : individual states adopting new security policies , easing conflict between rival drug factions , demographic shifts , the transfer of gang members to federal prisons , stronger economic activity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young people off the streets .
Muggah said the various factors have influenced events in different degrees , but the impact of each is not clear .
Tough talk against crime has gained strength in Brazilian politics .
Former police and military officers who mimicked Bolsonaro ’ s rhetoric also rode his coattails to office in the nation ’ s Congress and state assemblies .
Residents of Brazil ’ s two biggest cities , Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo , elected governors in 2018 who promised zero tolerance for crime .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decrease inf homicides has been accompanied by a jump in killings by police .
Those aren ’ t classified as homicides and are rarely investigated .


thetorontostar--2020-02-16--USS Arizona crew member, Pearl Harbor survivor dies age 97

COLORADO SPRINGS , Colo. - One of the remaining USS Arizona crew members who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor has died .
Donald Stratton passed away at his Colorado Springs home in his sleep Saturday with his family in attendance .
The 97-year-old veteran had been in poor health since contracting pneumonia in October .
“ He was a very humble , very quiet hero , ” said his son , Randy Stratton .
“ He didn ’ t want or seek the attention he received.
” Stratton was one of the survivors of the Dec. 7 , 1941 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu , Hawaii .
More than 1,100 crew members died on the battleship .
Nearly 2,500 Americans died as a result of the Pearl Harbor attack that prompted America ’ s entry into World War II .
“ One of Donald ’ s final wishes was that people remember Pearl Harbor and the men aboard the USS Arizona .
Share their story and never forget those who gave all for our great country , ” a post on Stratton ’ s Facebook page said .
Following Stratton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ken Potts remain the last living members of the Arizona ’ s crew .
Stratton attended many of the annual Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremonies and was the author of the bestselling book , “ All the Gallant Men.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-16--Clash between police, students at Mexican school injures 8

MEXICO CITY - Police and students at a rural teachers ’ college in southern Mexican clashed Sunday leaving eight people injured in what authorities said was an operation to clear a road blockade and students called an unprovoked attack .
The confrontation outside the Mactumactza Normal Rural school in Tuxtla Gutierrez , the capital of Chiapas state , came during a visit by the parents of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa teachers ’ college in Guerrero state who disappeared in 2014 in what has become a symbolic human rights case in Mexico .
Authorities said two police officers were injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights group said three students , two mothers and a 3-year-old girl were also hurt .
The Chiapas prosecutor ’ s office said in a statement that it was investigating what happened .
The two sides offered widely different versions of events .
The ministry of public security said riot police cleared a road blocked by students who had assaulted two police officers , vandalized a patrol car and threw Molotov cocktails and stones at the officers .
The human rights group Tlachinollan , which serves as a spokesperson for the parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protest was scheduled for Sunday afternoon and had not yet begun when a large contingent of riot police arrived .
The police began to hurl tear gas at the students “ without any valid explanation , ” it said in a press release .
“ There is no room for any expression that violates the right to free expression even less so if violent and repressive methods are used , ” the commission said in a statement .
Students at Mexico ’ s rural teachers ’ colleges have held many protests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the years .
In the Ayotzinapa case , authorities say leftist students were abducted by police in the town of Iguala in September 2014 and handed over to the drug gang Guerreros Unidos .
Jesús Murillo Karam , attorney general under then-President Enrique Peña Nieto , infamously announced the “ historic truth ” about the students ’ disappearance — that they were killed and their bodies incinerated at a garbage dump .
But independent experts said there was no evidence to support the conclusion that the bodies had been burned there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrés Manuel López Obrador to initiate criminal proceedings against officials , ramp up collaboration between prosecutors and a truth commission , and require the army to answer more than 100 unanswered questions .


thetorontostar--2020-02-16--Floods put Mississippi capital in ‘precarious situation’

FLOWOOD , Miss .
- With the waters in the Pearl River continuing to rise in and around Mississippi ’ s capital city and more rain on the way this week , the governor warned residents that it would be days before flood waters start to recede .
Gov .
Tate Reeves said Sunday morning that the Pearl would continue to rise throughout the day , and he warned that the state faces a “ precarious situation that can turn at any moment.
” In a bit of good news , officials at a reservoir upriver of the capitol said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had stabilized , allowing them to send less water downriver .
The National Weather Service , which had been anticipating the river would crest Sunday at 38 feet , on Sunday slightly reduced that to 37.5 feet .
The river is now anticipated to crest Monday .
But even with that development , officials urged residents to pay attention to evacuation orders , check on road closures before travelling and stay out of floodwaters , warning that even seemingly placid waters could mask fast-moving currents and pollution .
Law enforcement officials went door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to evacuate , Reeves said .
Rescuers performed four assisted evacuations Saturday , although they said none were needed overnight .
“ We expect the river to continue to rise over the next 24 hours or so , “ Reeves said at a news conference in Jackson .
“ We are not out of the woods yet.
” Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba said power had been shut off to 504 residences as a safety precaution .
He said some city homes had been flooded but officials do not yet know how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelter that has been set up in Jackson , he said .
Nearly 2,400 structures across the three counties closest to the river and the reservoir — Hinds , Rankin and Madison counties — could be impacted , meaning they either get water inside or are surrounded by water , said Malary White , of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency .
In the suburb of Flowood , John and Jina Smith had packed up as much as they could and left their home as waters rose Thursday .
On Sunday , their neighbour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house in a rowboat , where they checked on the damage , then got in their own canoe and rowed away .
“ We ’ ve been able to stay in here when the water gets up , “ John Smith said .
“ But as you ’ ve watched it over the years , you know when to get out .
It ’ s time to get out this time.
” A foot and a half of water was inside his house , Smith said .
He ’ d already been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about rebuilding .
Both he and his wife said they love their home , where they can sit on their back porch and watch deer and other wildlife .
” It ’ s going to take a while for us to rebuild , but we are safe , and we ’ re all OK , “ Jina Smith said .
On Frazier ’ s lot next door , the water was at the bottom of the driveway but had not crept inside the one-story house where he ’ s lived for 23 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to my house .
It could flood ; it could not flood .
It depends on the crest right now , ” he said .
Down the street , a Presbyterian church and several businesses were flooded .
While the focus now is on the Jackson area , the heavy rains and flooding has affected a much larger swathe of the state .
State emergency management officials said Sunday that they had received preliminary damage reports from 11 counties connected with the severe weather that hit the state starting on Feb. 10 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 43.2 feet on April 17 , 1979 .
The second-highest level occurred May 5 , 1983 , when the river rose to 39.58 feet .
On Saturday night , officials released water from the nearby Barnett Reservoir to control its levels .
They urged residents in northeastern Jackson who live in the flood zone downstream from the reservoir to leave immediately .
By Sunday morning , Reeves said the reservoir ’ s inflow and outflow had equalized .
Reservoir officials said that allowed them to release less water than expected .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ said John G. Sigman , who oversees the reservoir ’ s operations , during a separate news conference Sunday afternoon .
Once the river crests Monday , it will take the water three to four days to go down significantly .
Part of the reason is that forecasters expect more rain between midday Tuesday and Wednesday evening .
” It will be days before we are out of the woods and waters start to recede , ” the governor said .
This version corrects the name of the reservoir .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barnette Reservoir .

Rogelio V. Solis And Rebecca Santana - The Associated Press