thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Ex-UN human rights chief calls for Hong Kong special envoy

LONDON - The United Nations ’ former human rights chief and eight former U.N. special envoys urged the body ’ s secretary-general Thursday to appoint a special envoy on Hong Kong , saying they are deeply concerned about a potential “ humanitarian tragedy ” as Beijing prepares to impose a draconian national security law on the city .
Zeid Raad Al-Hussein , who was the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights during 2014-2018 , and the eight former special rapporteurs called for the unusual procedure because of the “ severity of the deterioration , the impending grave threats under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the symbolism that a human rights crisis in what had been one of Asia ’ s freest cities entails.
” A law that could be enacted as soon as next week would criminalize secession , subversion of state power , terrorist activities and colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security .
The central government in Beijing also would set up a national security office in Hong Kong to collect and analyze intelligence and deal with criminal cases related to national security .
The plans have not been officially published , and details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
The measures have been widely seen as the most significant erosion to date of Hong Kong ’ s British-style rule of law and high degree of autonomy China promised Hong Kong would have under the “ one country , two systems ” principle since the territory ’ s handover from colonial Britain in 1997 .
“ We believe there are now very real fears of a human rights and humanitarian tragedy in Hong Kong , ” the former U.N. officials ’ statement said .
“ It is imperative that the international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its member states , act urgently to establish a mechanism for observing , monitoring and reporting on the human rights and humanitarian situation in Hong Kong.
” Beijing ’ s decision to rush the law into effect , bypassing Hong Kong ’ s legislature , followed the often-violent clashes in the city between pro-democracy protesters and police last year .
The demonstrations subsided due to coronavirus concerns earlier this year , but have returned lately in opposition to the security law .
On Thursday , police fired pepper spray and arrested 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mall protest in Hong Kong ’ s New Territories .
Former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said Thursday ’ s move by the former U.N. officials sends a powerful message and signals that the crisis in Hong Kong has grown from a mostly local dispute to an international one .
“ From the Chinese government ’ s point of view that is a disaster , ” he told The Associated Press .
“ It ’ s the last thing they would want .
And yet it ’ s going to get much worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if this is all happening before they try to apply this new law , imagine what the reaction is going to be if they start to extradite people.
” However , he acknowledged that further action within the U.N. would be difficult because of the Chinese veto in the Security Council .
Lawmakers and senior politicians in the U.K. , U.S. , European Union and elsewhere have been considering options to join forces and push for collective action should Beijing enact the law .
On Thursday , the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the police , that undermine Hong Kong ’ s autonomy or erode freedoms promised to Hong Kong residents .
The bill targets Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for imposing the national security law on the city , as well as banks that do business with entities found to violate the city ’ s autonomy .
In the U.K. , Rifkind and Chris Patten , the last British governor of Hong Kong , recently led a grouping of more than 900 international parliamentarians from 43 countries in decrying Beijing ’ s law .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign secretaries who have urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take a stronger leadership role and co-ordinate an international contact group on the topic .
“ We have a legal obligation to raise these matters .
But we are not naïve , we recognize the U.K. by itself will only have limited influence , ” Rifkind said .
“ We hope the cumulative effect will persuade ( President ) Xi Jinping that whatever his aspirations in Hong Kong ... the government elite will lose more than it will gain.
” He also sharply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sino-British Joint Declaration , the agreement that paved the way for the city ’ s transition to Chinese rule , was a historic document .
“ What they ’ re saying is manifestly absurd .
It ’ s pathetic because they know perfectly well they ’ re talking rubbish , “ he said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Some states pause reopening as virus cases near record high

NEW YORK - The coronavirus crisis deepened in Arizona on Thursday , and the governor of Texas began to backtrack after making one of the most aggressive pushes in the nation to reopen , as the daily number of confirmed cases across the U.S. closed in on the peak reached during the dark days of late April .
While greatly expanded testing probably accounts for some of the increase , experts say other measures indicate the virus is making a comeback .
Daily deaths , hospitalizations and the percentage of tests that are coming back positive also have been rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country , mostly in the South and West .
In Arizona , 23 % of tests conducted over the past seven days have been positive , nearly triple the national average , and a record 415 patients were on ventilators .
Mississippi saw its daily count of confirmed cases reach record highs twice this week .
“ It ’ s not a joke .
Really bad things are going to happen , ” said Dr. Thomas Dobbs , Mississippi ’ s health officer .
Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott of Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen , put off lifting any more restrictions and reimposed a ban on elective surgeries in some places to preserve hospital space after the number of patients statewide more than doubled in two weeks .
Some Arizona hospitals also halted elective surgeries .
Nevada ’ s governor ordered face masks be worn in public , Las Vegas casinos included .
“ The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses , ” Abbott said .
The U.S. reported 34,500 COVID-19 cases Wednesday , slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the high of 36,400 reached April 24 , according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University .
The daily average has climbed by more than 50 % over the past two weeks , an Associated Press analysis found .
The true numbers are probably much higher because of limited testing and other factors .
Whether the rise in cases translates into an equally dire surge in deaths across the U.S. will depend on a number of factors , experts said , most crucially whether government officials make the right decisions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ after peaking at about 2,200 in mid-April .
“ It is possible , if we play our cards badly and make a lot of mistakes , to get back to that level .
But if we are smart , there ’ s no reason to get to 2,200 deaths a day , ” said Dr. Ashish Jha , director of Harvard ’ s Global Health Institute .
The nation ’ s daily death toll has actually dropped markedly over the past few weeks even as cases climbed , a phenomenon experts said may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to prevent infections at nursing homes , and a rising proportion of cases among younger people , who are more likely than their elders to survive a bout with COVID-19 .
“ This is still serious , ” said Dr. Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , but “ we ’ re in a different situation today than we were in March or April.
” Several states set single-day case records this week , including Arizona , California , Nevada , Texas and Oklahoma .
Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second day in a row .
Mississippi ’ s Dobbs blamed a failure to wear masks and observe other social-distancing practices .
“ I ’ m afraid it ’ s going to take some kind of catastrophe for people to pay attention , ” he said .
“ We are giving away those hard-fought gains for silly stuff.
” Tom Rohlk , a 62-year-old grocery store worker from Overland Park , Kansas , complained that young people sometimes act as if they don ’ t care : “ It seems like it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has greatly ramped up testing in the past few months , and it is now presumably finding many less-serious cases that would have gone undetected earlier in the outbreak , when testing was limited and often focused on sicker people .
But there are other more clear-cut warning signs , including a rising number of deaths per day in states such as Arizona and Alabama .
The numbers “ continue to go in the wrong direction , ” Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey said .
“ We can expect our numbers will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The number of confirmed infections , in itself , is a poor measure of the outbreak .
CDC officials , relying on blood tests , estimated Thursday that 20 million Americans have been infected .
That is about 6 % per cent of the population and roughly 10 times the 2.3 million confirmed cases .
Officials have long known that many cases have been missed because of testing gaps and a lack of symptoms in some infected people .
Worldwide , over 9.5 million people have been confirmed infected , and nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 122,000 in the U.S. , the world ’ s highest toll , by Johns Hopkins ’ count .
“ Globally , it ’ s still getting worse , ” World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said .
While some states impose new restrictions or pause their reopenings , some businesses also are backing off .
Disney delayed its mid-July reopening of Disneyland .
As politicians try to strike a balance between public health and the economy , the government reported that the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are slowing but still painfully high .
Elsewhere around the world , Paris ’ Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors after its longest peacetime closure : 104 days .
With hospitals overwhelmed in New Delhi , Indian troops provided care in railroad cars converted to medical wards .
And in China , where the virus first appeared late last year , an outbreak in Beijing appeared to have been brought under control .
Johnson reported from Washington state .
Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

Jennifer Peltz And Carla K. Johnson - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Virgin Galactic marks second glide flight over New Mexico

UPHAM , N.M. - Virgin Galactic on Thursday celebrated the second successful glide flight of its spaceship over Spaceport America in southern New Mexico .
Unlike the first glide test in early May , the pilots flew at higher speeds to help evaluate the ship ’ s systems and performance in preparation for the next stage of testing .
That will involve rocket-powered flights .
“ Our focus for this year remains unchanged on ensuring the vehicles and our operations are prepared for long-term , regular commercial spaceflight service , ” Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midst of final testing , officials have yet to offer a date for the start of commercial flights .
Officials said the data from the latest flight has to be analyzed .
Other steps include making final modifications to the spaceship ’ s customer cabin and completing detailed inspections .
During Thursday ’ s flight , the spaceship reached a glide speed of Mach 0.85 after being released from the carrier ship VMS Eve at an altitude of 51,000 feet ( 15,545 metres ) .
The pilots conducted various tests and manoeuvrs before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Galactic teams last weekend did a “ wet ” dress rehearsal in which they positioned the spaceship on the runway and loaded it with fuel .
Virgin Galactic is the anchor tenant of the taxpayer-financed Spaceport America — the world ’ s first facility designed and built specifically for launching commercial passengers and payloads into suborbital space .
The company now has close to 180 people working out of the desert outpost .
More than 600 customers from around the world have purchased tickets to be launched into the lower fringes of space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a view of the Earth below .
The suborbital flights are designed to reach an altitude of at least 50 miles ( 80.5 kilometres ) before gliding to a landing .
In addition to a few hundred people who have put down deposits for a ride with Virgin Galactic , more than 9,100 have registered their interest online .
Company officials expect the interest to surpass the company ’ s capacity for flights for a few years .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Alabama players, Saban appear in anti-racism video

TUSCALOOSA , Ala. - The University of Alabama football team released an emotional video on Thursday speaking out against racism and ending with the message that “ all lives can ’ t matter until Black lives matter.
” Head Coach Nick Saban and many prominent players , both Black and white , appear in the video that was written by Alabama left tackle Alex Leatherwood .
The video begins with the players saying , “ We are a team , Black , white , brown .
Together , we are a family .
We are brothers who represent ourselves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university and our country.
” The players and coach speak of the importance of listening to understand another person ’ s perspective .
“ In this moment in history , we can ’ t be silent .
We must speak up for our brothers and sisters , for our sons and daughters , ” Saban says in the video .
“ Until I listen with an open heart and mind , I can ’ t understand his experience and his pain.
” The video ends with the message , “ all lives can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ’ The video was released Thursday afternoon on the team ’ s social media accounts and was quickly shared thousands of times .
It drew wide praise and some criticism online from commenters .
Some commenters offered to “ happily take ” season tickets from anyone who was offended by the video .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Virus whistleblower alleges retribution has only intensified

WASHINGTON - A government whistleblower ousted from a leading role in battling COVID-19 alleged Thursday that the Trump administration has intensified its campaign to punish him for revealing shortcomings in the U.S. response .
Dr. Rick Bright , former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , said in an amended complaint filed with a federal watchdog agency that he has been relegated to a lesser role in his new assignment at the National Institutes of Health , unable to lend his full expertise to the battle against COVID-19 .
The complaint also said that Health and Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ co-ordinated effort ” to undermine Bright in his new duties , and that has led to former colleagues shunning the sidelined scientist .
The pressure is coming straight from the top , the complaint said , with President Donald Trump calling Bright an “ angry , disgruntled employee ” and setting the tone for a campaign of “ public disparagement “ to “ unnerve and intimidate ” him .
Bright , a vaccine expert , was supposed to be working on virus diagnostic tests in his new job at NIH .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine work , cut off from all therapeutic work , and has a very limited role in the diagnostic work , ” said the complaint .
“ His extremely narrow role is confined to making contracts with diagnostics companies that have already developed diagnostics , to scale up their production.
” Where Bright previously oversaw 200 or more projects at BARDA , he ’ s now been given responsibility for five to eight projects , involving diagnostic tests already approved by the Food and Drug Administration .
The complaint said former colleagues of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now avoiding him .
It described a conversation with one such colleague , who is not identified by name .
The former colleague is quoted as saying that the agency ’ s new acting director , Dr. Gary Disbrow , had warned him “ to be ‘ very careful ’ ” about dealing with Bright .
The complaint said Disbrow had explained that Azar “ was very angry with Dr .
Bright and was ‘ on the war path.
’ ( Disbrow ) explained that Secretary Azar directed HHS employees to refrain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bright be successful in his new role.
” Disbrow also said that “ Secretary Azar said that if anyone were to help Dr .
Bright be successful , ‘ there would be hell to pay , ’ ” the complaint said .
HHS spokesman Michael Caputo said on Twitter that Bright ’ s complaint is “ filled with one-sided arguments and misinformation that have been completely debunked .
When will the media stop carrying his water ?
” HHS released a statement attributed to Disbrow on Thursday saying : “ I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Azar has never spoken to me in the manner alleged .
I have also never instructed any BARDA employee not to talk to Rick .
In fact , I had a conversation with him yesterday about how to collaborate ...
I am confused by these untrue statements and allegations , which distract from the important work we are doing in response to the coronavirus.
” But Bright ’ s lawyers , Debra Katz and Lisa Banks , responded that he “ stands by his allegations in the complaint.
” The lawyers say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus have been proved right and “ the failure of the administration to heed those warnings has had a catastrophic effect on this country.
” The Office of Special Counsel , an agency that investigates complaints from government whistleblowers , previously found “ reasonable grounds ” that Bright was punished after trying to warn the White House and HHS early this year that the nation was unprepared for the coronavirus outbreak .
Bright is a flu and infectious-disease expert with 10 years at the biomedical agency .
His particular focus was on vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to be working on coronavirus testing , but he is now alleging that he has been sidelined .
The agency that Bright had led is a unit of HHS that focuses on countermeasures to infectious diseases and bioterrorism .
Bright had received a job performance review of outstanding before he was summarily transferred in April , with his agency email cut off without warning .
Investigators earlier requested that Azar reinstate Bright in his old job while they looked into his allegations .
In the complaint , Bright ’ s lawyers ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision .
In his initial complaint filed last month , Bright said the final straw for his bosses seemed to come when he resisted efforts to flood the New York area with hydroxychloroquine , a malaria drug once touted by Trump as a “ game changer ” for COVID-19 .
Bright said he argued successfully for limiting approved use of the drug to certain settings , such as hospitals treating COVID-19 patients .
Trump has since revealed that he has taken hydroxychloroquine , apparently to try to prevent infection after several White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The FDA recently revoked its emergency use approval for the malaria drug ’ s use on COVID-19 patients , citing known heart risks and unproven benefits against the virus .

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Dueling Trump-Biden events offer contrasting virus responses

LANCASTER , Pa. - A presidential campaign that has largely been frozen for several months because of the coronavirus took on a degree of normalcy on Thursday when President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden swung through critical battleground states presenting starkly different visions for a post-pandemic America .
Touring a shipyard in Marinette , Wisconsin , Trump insisted the economy is “ coming back at a level nobody ever imagined possible.
” But in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , Biden warned that “ no miracles are coming “ and slammed Trump ’ s handling of the virus .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most basic fact of this crisis : To fix the economy we have to get control over the virus , ” Biden said .
“ He ’ s like a child who can ’ t believe this has happened to him .
His whining and self-pity.
“ With just over four months remaining until the election , the contrasting styles of Trump and Biden are increasingly on display .
The president is itching to move past an outbreak that has dashed the economy and killed more than 125,000 people .
Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a competent and calming leader ready to level with the nation about the hardships that may be required to emerge from the current turmoil .
Beyond knocking Trump ’ s leadership , Biden spent much of Thursday defending the Obama administration ’ s signature health care law and decrying what he said was a White House-led effort to dismantle it via a court challenge .
It was part of a larger Democratic effort to refocus the 2020 election on health care , an issue that helped the party retake the House last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with even more voters amid the pandemic .
Narrow 2016 victories in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania were vital in sending Trump to the White House .
That he would build his travel around trying to do that again — and that Biden would respond with trips meant to flip the states back to Democratic — wouldn ’ t usually be a surprise .
But the coronavirus has upended normal campaign travel since March .
After long campaigning virtually from his Delaware home , Biden has in recent weeks begun visiting Pennsylvania , allowing him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far .
Lancaster is about an hour and 15 minutes by car from Biden ’ s house , and yet it is the farthest he ’ s travelled lately , aside from a trip to Houston to meet with the family of George Floyd , whose death in police custody sparked protests around the nation .
Trump , by contrast , staged a rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , last weekend and spoke at an Arizona megachurch on Tuesday .
On Thursday , he visited a rural Wisconsin shipyard and taped a town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Channel from an airport in Green Bay .
Vice-President Mike Pence also hit another key state , Ohio .
Biden ’ s team has organized small events and enforced social distancing .
Trump has refused to wear a mask in public , and his campaign says Biden is using a cautious approach to hide the fact that he can ’ t draw large , enthusiastic crowds .
“ I know , as Americans , it ’ s not something we ’ re used to .
But it matters , ” Biden said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one “ everywhere I go.
” Biden donned his mask while meeting in an outdoor courtyard with three mothers and two children who told of benefiting from the health care law .
Beyond the police cordon , a group of Trump supporters could be heard chanting “ four more years ” and “ USA.
” Biden ’ s subsequent speech was behind a placard proclaiming “ Protect and Build on the Affordable Care Act.
” He scoffed at Trump ’ s suggestion during last weekend ’ s rally that he ’ d asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus because it was uncovering more cases .
“ He thinks finding out that more Americans are sick will make him look bad .
And that ’ s what he ’ s worried about , ” Biden said .
“ He ’ s worried about looking bad.
” Trump countered during his Wisconsin stop : “ If we didn ’ t test , we wouldn ’ t have cases.
” Polls in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania show Biden ahead , but nearly every poll had Trump trailing in 2016 before his base came together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump predictably went maskless for an event at Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard that was outside .
Hundreds attended , and some didn ’ t wear masks , despite requirements to do so .
Trump toured vessels under construction , then took credit for a new contract won in April to build Navy frigates at the facility .
Trump said it injected economic growth to the community and saved the plant from closure .
Weissert reported from Washington .
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report from Marinette , Wis .

Will Weissert And Marc Levy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Israel says it reached deal with UAE to jointly fight virus

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that his government and the United Arab Emirates will soon announce a partnership in the fight against the coronavirus .
The deal , which the UAE later said involved two private companies , comes despite recent warnings from UAE officials that Israel ’ s planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank would harm its efforts to improve relations with Arab states .
In a speech to graduating Israeli fighter pilots , Netanyahu said an announcement was expected “ in a few moments ” and came after months of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in the fields of research and development , technology , in areas that will improve the confidence in health throughout the region , ” he said .
The Emirates ’ state-run WAM news agency later published an item acknowledging two private firms signed a deal with two Israeli companies “ to develop research and technology to fight COVID-19 , “ the illness caused by the coronavirus .
The announcement did not name the firms .
“ As a result of the pandemic ’ s spread worldwide , it is imperative to place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of global action to overcome this unprecedented crisis , ” WAM said .
It ’ s unclear what that research will involve .
The UAE has been working closely with China on the virus .
Israel and the UAE , home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi , do not have formal diplomatic relations , but they are believed to maintain close behind-the-scenes contacts because of their shared concerns about Iran .
Earlier this month , the UAE ’ s ambassador to the United States published an op-ed in an Israeli newspaper confirming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceeding with annexation would “ upend ” any efforts to normalize relations with Arab states .
“ Annexation will certainly and immediately upend Israeli aspirations for improved security , economic and cultural ties with the Arab world and with UAE , ” Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba wrote .
However , last week , another leading UAE official said it was open to co-operating with Israel on efforts to combat the coronavirus and other humanitarian issues despite the political disagreement over annexation .
“ Can I have a political disagreement with Israel but at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the relationship ?
I think I can , ” Anwar Gargash , the UAE ’ s minister of state for foreign affairs , said in an interview with the American Jewish Committee advocacy group .
Last month , the UAE sent a cargo plane to Israel loaded with coronavirus-related aid it said was destined for the Palestinians .
The Palestinian Authority said it could not receive the aid because there had been no prior co-ordination .
Netanyahu has vowed to annex all of Israel ’ s far-flung settlements and the strategic Jordan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 % of the occupied West Bank .
President Donald Trump ’ s Middle East plan endorsed the move , which has been rejected by the Palestinians and much of the international community .
Israel could begin the annexation process as soon as July 1 , but the Trump administration may apply the brakes in an effort to revive peace negotiations .
The UAE is a close and influential U.S. military ally .
Opponents of annexation say it would make it virtually impossible to create a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seized by Israel in the 1967 war .
A two-state solution is still widely seen as the only way of resolving the conflict .
Netanyahu has boasted of quietly improving ties with Arab states , but full normalization still appears unlikely without a resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians .
Jordan and Egypt are the only two Arab countries to have made peace with Israel .
Jordan , another close U.S. ally , is staunchly opposed to any annexation , saying it would cause a “ massive conflict.
” Associated Press writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emirates , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Trump tweets about plan for BLM mural in front of his Tower

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump has taken issue with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ’ s plan to paint “ Black Lives Matter ” in giant letters on the street in front of Trump ’ s namesake Manhattan tower .
Trump tweeted Thursday that de Blasio “ wants to paint the fabled & beautiful Fifth Avenue , right in front of Trump Tower/Tiffany , with a big yellow Black Lives Matter sign.
” “ “ Pigs in a Blanket , Fry ’ Em Like Bacon ” , referring to killing Police , is their chant .
NYC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
But that has not in fact been a common chant at protests in New York or elsewhere since the death of George Floyd one month ago in Minneapolis .
City Hall officials announced Wednesday that the “ Black Lives Matter ” rallying cry would be painted in bold letters on the street in front of the president ’ s midtown skyscraper .
“ The president is a disgrace to the values we cherish in New York City , ” de Blasio spokesperson Julia Arredondo said .
“ He can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing , and any time he wants to set foot in the place he claims is his hometown , he should be reminded Black Lives Matter.
” De Blasio announced earlier this month that the city would paint “ Black Lives Matter ” on streets at locations around the city .
The first such block-long message was put on a street in Brooklyn .
The announcement follows the move by officials in Washington , D.C. , to paint the slogan in enormous yellow letters on the street leading to the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming week on the mural in front of Trump Tower , which was not on the city ’ s original list of locations .
De Blasio tweeted back at Trump on Thursday evening , saying , “ Only warped minds equate the words Black Lives Matter with violence .
It ’ s a movement to recognize and protect the lives of Black people.
“ Trump lived in Trump Tower before he took office as president but has spent little time there since .
He changed his official residence to Florida last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Mexico passes 25,000 dead; treasury secretary gets virus

MEXICO CITY - Mexico pushed past 25,000 reported coronavirus deaths and 200,000 confirmed cases Thursday , as the treasury secretary @ @ @ @ @ would self-isolate while working from home .
The Health Department reported 6,104 newly confirmed infections @ @ @ @ @ 24-hour counts so far .
That brought the country ’ s confirmed cases to 202,951 @ @ @ @ @ , bringing the total since the pandemic began to 25,060 .
Only Brazil and the @ @ @ @ @ tolls in the Americas .
Treasury Secretary Arturo Herrera said he had only minor symptoms @ @ @ @ @ he continued to work from home .
It was unclear how recently he was in @ @ @ @ @ Manuel López Obrador , who refuses to use a face mask and has resumed public @ @ @ @ @ is the country ’ s highest-ranking Cabinet member to be infected so far .
Previously @ @ @ @ @ Mexican Social Security Institute tested positive but later returned to work .
Several state governors @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Colorado reexamines Elijah McClain’s death in police custody

DENVER - The Colorado governor on Thursday ordered prosecutors to reopen the investigation into the death of Elijah McClain , a 23-year-old Black man put into a chokehold by police who stopped him on the street in suburban Denver last year because he was “ being suspicious.
” Gov .
Jared Polis signed an executive order directing state Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate and possibly prosecute the three white officers previously cleared in McClain ’ s death .
McClain ’ s name has become a rallying cry during the national reckoning over racism and police brutality following the deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elijah McClain should be alive today , and we owe it to his family to take this step and elevate the pursuit of justice in his name to a statewide concern , ” Polis said in a statement .
He said he had spoken with McClain ’ s mother and was moved by her description of her son as a “ responsible and curious child ... who could inspire the darkest soul.
“ Police in Aurora responded to a call about a suspicious person wearing a ski mask and waving his arms as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 .
Police body-camera video shows an officer getting out of his car , approaching McClain and saying , “ Stop right there .
Stop .
Stop .
...
I have a right to stop you because you ’ re being suspicious.
” Police say McClain refused to stop walking and fought back when officers confronted him and tried to take him into custody .
In the video , the officer turns McClain around and repeats , “ Stop tensing up.
” As McClain tries to escape the officer ’ s grip , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or I ’ m going to have to change this situation.
” As other officers join to restrain McClain , he begs them to let go and says , “ You guys started to arrest me , and I was stopping my music to listen.
” One of the officers put him in a chokehold that cuts off blood to the brain , something that has been banned in several places in the wake of Floyd ’ s death May 25 under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer and the global protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McClain tells officers : “ Let go of me .
I am an introvert .
Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking.
” Those words have appeared on scores of social media posts demanding justice for McClain .
He was on the ground for 15 minutes as several officers and paramedics stood by .
Paramedics gave him 500 milligrams of the sedative ketamine to calm him down , and he suffered cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital .
McClain was declared brain dead Aug. 27 and was taken off life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathologist could not determine what exactly led to his death but said physical exertion during the confrontation likely contributed .
McClain ’ s younger sister , Samara McClain , told The Denver Post shortly after his death that her brother was walking to a corner store to get tea for a cousin and often wore masks when he was outside because he had a blood condition that caused him to get cold easily .
In the video , Elijah McClain sobs as he repeatedly tells officers , “ I ’ m just different.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a massage therapist who planned to go to college .
The Police Department put the three officers on leave , but they returned to the force when District Attorney Dave Young said there was insufficient evidence to support charging them .
“ Ultimately , while I may share the vast public opinion that Elijah McClain ’ s death could have been avoided , it is not my role to file criminal charges based on opinion , but rather , on the evidence revealed from the investigation and applicable Colorado law , ” Young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopened .
Aurora police said interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson won ’ t comment to avoid interfering with the investigation .
Mari Newman , the McClain family ’ s attorney , said she was pleased with the governor ’ s decision .
“ Clearly , Aurora has no intention of taking responsibility for murdering an innocent young man , ” she said .
“ Its entire effort is to defend its brutality at all costs , and to lie to the public it is supposed to serve .
It is time for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attorney general said in a statement that the investigation will be thorough and “ worthy of public trust and confidence in the criminal justice system.
” Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

Patty Nieberg And Thomas Peipert - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Contempt case alleging Alaska quarantine break dismissed

JUNEAU , Alaska - A federal magistrate judge has dismissed a criminal contempt complaint against a man who prosecutors had accused of violating a judge ’ s order and breaking Alaska quarantine rules following his early release from prison amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith this week granted a request by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Anchorage to dismiss the case against Duane Byron Fields .
Prosecutors in their request cited testimony from Daniel Poulson , an assistant federal defender who had represented Fields .
Poulson had successfully petitioned to have Fields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and secured his early release from a prison in California that had been hit hard by the coronavirus .
A judge ’ s May 6 order granting the request cited the need for Fields to follow quarantine and other measures upon release .
But Poulson said he didn ’ t believe Fields received that order .
Fields was released from Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island in California on May 8 , according to court records .
Poulson did not notify the prison of the order or speak with Fields about it , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also says Poulson testified he had not had any phone calls with Fields since March due to contact and visitation restrictions at the prison .
Fields testified that because of the restrictions , he did not speak to anyone outside the prison between the end of March and his release , her ruling states .
“ The evidence does not show there is probable cause to believe Fields ’ s disobedience of the order was wilful , ” Smith wrote .
Poulson , in response to a request for comment , confirmed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak to Fields about the May 6 order or its conditions before Fields ’ release .
Chloe Martin , a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Anchorage , by email said the admission by the federal defender ’ s office “ is especially concerning given the urgency to self-quarantine during a pandemic , and not only for their client ’ s sake , but for the health and safety of our community.
” Cindy Franklin , a private attorney appointed to represent Fields in the contempt case in place of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are trying to blame Poulson when they brought a shoddy case .
She called the dismissal the “ right result.
” Fields , who has battled cancer , was granted compassionate release by Senior U.S. District Judge James K. Singleton Jr. Singleton , in his May 6 order , said the court “ may fashion an appropriate sanction ” should Fields fail to follow quarantine or social distancing measures or any other condition of release .
Alaska then required people arriving in the state to quarantine for 14 days to help guard against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are to leave their location only for medical emergencies or care .
Singleton ’ s order stated the probation office was OK with Fields staying with his mother but noted she would require him to quarantine elsewhere first .
Poulson indicated Fields could quarantine at an Anchorage hotel where Fields ’ daughter worked .
Smith , in her ruling , said when Fields boarded his flight for Anchorage , he carried a notice of release from the U.S. Department of Justice stating he was to be taken to his mother ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but later went to the hotel when his daughter came to get him .
His daughter testified she had not had a chance to tell him about staying at the hotel before he returned to Alaska .
Smith said there were differences in the accounts of Fields and his daughter and that of Probation Officer Timothy Astle , including whether Fields was allowed to go to his mother ’ s to get clothing .
Astle said during calls with Fields there was buffering and periods of poor reception .
Astle found Fields at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when he learned Fields had tested positive for COVID-19 at the prison .
Franklin has said the test came back positive the day before Fields was allowed to travel to Alaska but no one told Fields the result .
The magistrate judge , Smith , said Fields ’ family members tested negative and there was no evidence he infected anyone .
Martin said officials continue to monitor Fields ’ compliance with conditions of his supervision .
Franklin said federal officials seem “ absolutely determined that he is going to fail “ when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to try to help him succeed .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Watchdog condemns arrest of Egyptian editor, later released

CAIRO - A leading media watchdog group condemned the arrest of an editor-in-chief of one of Egypt ’ s last independent news platforms , who was eventually released late Thursday after an extensive interrogation , her outlet said .
Nora Younis , editor of the al-Manassa news website , was arrested Wednesday pending investigation into charges of managing a news website without an operating license after security forces raided her office in Cairo , al-Manassa said of the government ’ s latest attempt to clamp down on news media .
After spending the night in police custody , Younis on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 10,000 Egyptian pounds ( approximately $ 625 ) and ordered her release from a police station in southern Cairo ’ s Maadi district , the outlet reported .
Late Thursday , several hours after the release order , security forces let her go home .
“ By means of constant administrative stalling , the authorities prevented Al-Manassa from legalizing its situation , so that the lack of an official permit to operate became a pretext for judicial proceedings , ” the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders said .
The group urged Egyptian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In recent months security forces have also targeted the senior editors of another independent outlet , Mada Masr , for arrest and harassment .
Most of Egypt ’ s other news agencies are either state-owned or have been acquired by companies affiliated with the country ’ s intelligence service .
Media outlets are required to have permission to work in Egypt , but withholding accreditation is often used as a pretext to silence reporting that the state sees as critical .
Al-Manassa has said in previous statements that it applied for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a response .
Younis is a rights activist , journalist and blogger .
She formerly worked as a managing editor at Al-Masry Al-Youm , Egypt ’ s most popular daily newspaper .
Younis founded Al-Manassa in 2015 , but authorities blocked the website in 2017 , one of hundreds of sites banned or blocked in recent years .
The outlet , however , continued to publish through mirror sites .
Egypt ’ s government , under general-turned-president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi , has overseen an unprecedented political crackdown , silencing critics and jailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has imprisoned dozens of reporters and occasionally expelled some foreign journalists .
It remains among the world ’ s worst jailers of journalists , along with Turkey and China , according to the Committee to Protect Journalists .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Paraplegic rower found dead during California-Hawaii voyage

HONOLULU - The body of a paraplegic woman rowing from California to Hawaii was headed to Tahiti after she was found lifeless in the water over the weekend , the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday .
A friend of Angela Madsen , 60 , contacted the Coast Guard Sunday after not hearing from her for more than 24 hours , Chief Petty Officer Sara Muir said .
Madsen , who had been at sea for 59 days , was about 1,145 miles ( 1,842 kilometres ) east of Hilo , Hawaii , when she was last heard from , Muir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go for a swim .
“ She was out in the middle of the ocean , with not really anything around , ” Muir said .
The Coast Guard reached out to commercial vessels in the area of Madsen ’ s last known location and asked an Air National Guard flight crew headed from California to Hawaii to fly over the area .
The air crew “ could see that she was in the water , tethered to the vessel , but there was no reaction to their presence , ” Muir said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polynesia , a ship in the area , retrieved her body .
“ Now they ’ re continuing on their scheduled course and they ’ re going to take the body to Tahiti , where the family will do whatever they need to do to get her home to California , ” Muir said .
According to a website , rowoflife.org , Madesen was a three-time Paralympian and Marine Corps veteran who aimed to be the first paraplegic and oldest woman to row the Pacific Ocean .
“ We are processing this devastating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the website by Debra Madsen , her wife , and Soraya Simi , who was making a documentary about her .
“ To row an ocean solo was her biggest goal .
She knew the risks better than any of us and was willing to take those risks because being at sea made her happier than anything else .
She told us time and again that if she died trying , that is how she wanted to go.
” In 2014 , while getting ready to row from California to Hawaii , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paralyzed people can excel .
“ You get out of your chair and just get on a boat and nobody knows the difference between you and anybody else out here , ” Madsen said .

Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Sudan warns window closing in Nile dam dispute, asks UN help

TANZANIA , Tanzania - Sudan has joined Egypt in asking the U.N. Security Council to intervene in a dispute over Ethiopia ’ s newly built hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile , warning that the window for the three countries to reach an agreement “ is closing by the hour.
” Sudanese Foreign Minister Asmaa Mohammed Abdalla asked the council in a letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press to call on leaders of the three countries “ to demonstrate their political will and commitment by resolving the few remaining issues and conclude an agreement ” on the basis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethiopia announced last Friday that it would begin filling the huge dam ’ s reservoir in July after last week ’ s talks with Egypt and Sudan failed to reach an accord governing how the dam will be filled and operated .
Egypt formally asked the Security Council to intervene in a three-page letter the same day .
The Egyptian letter asked the U.N. ’ s most powerful body to call Ethiopia back into talks for a “ fair and balanced solution , ” and to urge it to refrain from unilateral acts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dam without a deal “ constitutes a clear and present danger to Egypt , ” with repercussions that “ threaten international peace and security.
” Filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would potentially bring the years-long dispute between Egypt , Sudan and Ethiopia over the $ 4.6 billion mega-project to a critical juncture , with some fearing it could escalate into military conflict .
Commentators in Egypt ’ s pro-government media have often called for action to stop Ethiopia .
Ethiopia says the electricity that will be generated by the dam is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of poverty .
With the start of the rainy season in July bringing more water to the Blue Nile , the Nile ’ s main tributary , Ethiopia wants to start filling the reservoir .
Egypt , which relies on the Nile for more than 90 % of its water supplies , fears a devastating impact if the dam is operated without taking its needs into account .
Sudan , which also largely depends on the Nile for water , has been caught between the competing interests .
The parties have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethiopia will release downstream from the dam if a multi-year drought occurs and on how Ethiopia , Egypt and Sudan will resolve any disputes .
Sudan ’ s Abdalla urged the Security Council to “ discourage all parties from unilateral actions including starting the filling of the reservoir before reaching an agreement.
” The council will hold an open meeting on the dam dispute Monday and be briefed by U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo .
In her letter , Abdalla urged all parties involved to “ work very hard to mark a historic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn the dam into “ a trigger for co-operation instead of a cause for conflict and instability.
” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry told AP on Sunday that his country wants the Security Council to “ undertake its responsibilities ” to prevent Ethiopia from starting to fill the dam without an agreement .
e accused Ethiopian officials of stoking antagonism between the countries and said “ certainly the unilateral actions by Ethiopia in this regard would constitute ... a threat ” to international peace and security .
Abdalla said Sudan is “ deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start filling the dam , which is only 15 kilometres ( nine miles ) downstream from the Sudanese Roseires reservoir .
With Sudan ’ s reservoir only one-tenth the size of the Ethiopian dam , Ethiopia ’ s unilateral action in filling the dam will put the operation of Roseires “ and hence the lives of millions of people living downstream at a very high risk , ” Abdalla said .
The United States earlier this year tried to broker a deal , but Ethiopia did not attend the signing meeting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ siding with Egypt .
Last week , the U.S. National Security Council tweeted that “ 257 million people in east Africa are relying on Ethiopia to show strong leadership , which means striking a fair deal.
” Egypt ’ s foreign minister warned that filling the reservoir without an accord would violate the 2015 declaration of principles governing their talks — and rule out a return to negotiations .
“ We are not seeking any coercive action by the Security Council , ” Shukry said .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the negotiating process “ is still moving forward ” and fully supports it .
“ We believe that the only way out in a situation like this is through dialogue among the parties , and we will be at the disposal of the parties , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Gunmen injure Mexico City police chief; deaths reported

MEXICO CITY - Heavily armed gunmen attacked and wounded Mexico City ’ s police chief in a brazen operation that left some people dead , Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday .
Sheinbaum said on Twitter that the capital ’ s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch was being treated in a hospital , but was out of danger .
“ There were deaths and several arrests , ” she said .
Sheinbaum said she would share more information at a news conference later in the day .
The police said in a statement that gunmen armed with .50 calibre sniper rifles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s security detail .
The statement said two police were wounded .
Harfuch was hospitalized in stable condition , it said .
The attack occurred around 6:30 a.m. on Mexico City ’ s grand boulevard Paseo de la Reforma in an area of large homes surrounded by walls and foreign embassies .
There was no immediate word on motive or the identity of the attackers , but a number of organized crime groups operate in the city .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador offered his support and solidarity to Sheinbaum and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It has to do without a doubt with the work he is carrying out to guarantee peace and tranquility , ” López Obrador said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Police urge people to avoid area in Glasgow after incident

LONDON - Police in Glasgow say emergency services are currently dealing with an incident in the centre of Scotland ’ @ @ @ @ @ urging people to avoid the area .
There is a heavy police presence on West @ @ @ @ @ a dozen police vehicles in attendance .
Greater Glasgow Police said the situation Friday is @ @ @ @ @ and there is no danger to the general public.
” In a traffic information bulletin @ @ @ @ @ City Council said that due to “ a serious police incident ” a number of @ @ @ @ @ According to Sky News , several people have been stabbed .


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Maine hotels reopen to out-of-staters, but will they come?

PORTLAND , Maine - Maine innkeepers and hoteliers are opening their doors to out-of-state tourists on Friday for those who ’ ve either tested negative for the coronavirus or are willing to quarantine for 14 days .
But many say visitors are cancelling over the measures .
Greg Dugal , spokesman for HospitalityMaine , said a survey of 51 testing locations between Maine and Virginia revealed only four locations where someone could get tested and get results within 72 hours or arriving in Maine .
“ There ’ s not enough availability for tests , ” Dugal said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the recovery of the state ’ s tourism industry is recommending easing the testing and quarantine requirements .
The requirements apply to all states except New Hampshire and Vermont .
Draft recommendations from the Hospitality , Tourism and Retail subcommittee of Gov .
Janet Mills ’ Economic Recovery Committee suggests Maine ’ s outlier status is going to hurt the state ’ s tourism industry , the Portland Press Herald said .
“ We feel compelled to make this recommendation because the economic consequences are so massive for these sectors and Mainers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , The subcommittee ’ s suggestions are not final and may be revised based on input from the full economic recovery panel .
The Maine Principals ’ Association has released rules for high school sports , but has not yet scheduled any fall games .
The phased-in approach allows students to reenter athletic facilities for the first time since early spring to begin physical training , and to participate in two-week summer sessions aimed at individual disciplines .
There will be no team hydration stations during the early phases , so students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own water or face being turned away , the MPA said .
Masks will be required when social distancing can not be maintained with exceptions for training periods and intense physical activities , the MPA said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Spacewalking astronaut loses mirror, newest space junk

CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. - A spacewalking astronaut added to the millions of pieces of junk orbiting the Earth on Friday , losing a small mirror as soon as he stepped out of the International Space Station for battery work .
Commander Chris Cassidy said the mirror floated away at about a foot per second .
Mission Control said the mirror somehow became detached from Cassidy ’ s spacesuit .
The lost item posed no risk to either the spacewalk or the station , NASA said .
While millions of pieces of space debris orbit Earth , more than 20,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satellites are big enough to be tracked in order to safeguard the space station and functional satellites .
Spacewalking astronauts wear a wrist mirror on each sleeve to get better views while working .
The mirror is just 5 inches by 3 inches , and together with its band has a mass of barely one-tenth of a pound .
The mirror came loose in darkness .
Later , once he was in sunlight , Cassidy inspected his sleeve for clues that might explain how the mirror came off .
“ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ he told Mission Control .
Cassidy and Bob Behnken , who followed him out without mishap , conducted the first of at least four spacewalks to replace the last bunch of old station batteries .
Once the six new lithium-ion batteries are installed , the orbiting lab should be good for the rest of its operational life , according to NASA .
The big , boxy batteries — more powerful and efficient than the old nickel-hydrogen batteries coming out — keep the station humming when it ’ s on the night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began in 2017 , with previous crews putting in 18 lithium-ion batteries , half as many as the old ones replaced .
Cassidy and Behnken have six more to plug in before the job is complete .
It ’ s cumbersome work : Each battery is about a yard ( meter ) tall and wide , with a mass of 400 pounds ( 180 kilograms ) .
Their spacewalks are expected to continue through July before Behnken returns to Earth in August aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule .
Behnken and Doug Hurley made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SpaceX ’ s first astronaut launch .
This was the seventh spacewalk for both men .
Each has spent more than 30 hours out in the vacuum of space .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Vienna police brace for violence after Kurdish demo attacked

VIENNA - Police in Vienna are bracing for possible violence at a protest by Kurdish groups Friday after Turkish nationalists @ @ @ @ @ the Austrian capital this week .
Vienna police said stones , bottles and fireworks were @ @ @ @ @ two groups Thursday afternoon that continued for several hours .
Police said officers were also @ @ @ @ @ them and a service dog injured .
Three people were detained .
This followed a @ @ @ @ @ protesting Turkey ’ s recent offensive against Kurdish separatists .
Vienna police said further rallies @ @ @ @ @ days and “ several hundred officers will actively , decisively and resolutely act against disruptions @ @ @ @ @ “


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Perfect storm: Mass gatherings in England stoke concerns

LONDON - In many ways , it has been a perfect storm for illegal gatherings in England as days of hot weather and Liverpool Football Club ’ s first league title in 30 years have prompted people to abandon their cooped-up coronavirus existence .
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that authorities have the power to close beaches and other public spaces in England amid mounting concerns over the public ’ s adherence to social-distancing rules .
Following widespread rule-breaking at crammed beaches , illegal street parties in London that turned violent and a mass celebration in Liverpool on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many residents have ditched their risk-averse attitude as the government eases its lockdown restrictions .
That ’ s particularly true in Bournemouth , a coastal town in southern England that witnessed huge crowds of sun-seekers on its beaches in the past couple of days .
With many people not working during the pandemic , most children out of school , holidays abroad curtailed and restaurants and bars closed until July 4 , popular popular locations such as Bournemouth are feeling the pressure as the mercury rises .
“ It was just mayhem .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , but they just don ’ t give a monkey ’ s about others , ” Pat Munday , 73 , said .
Late Thursday , the hottest day of the year so far in the U.K. , three men from London in their 20s were stabbed following a fight near the amusements on the town ’ s pier .
Their injuries were described as not life-threatening .
Police are investigating .
With the hot weather persisting Friday , there was potential for more mass gatherings .
Under lockdown restrictions in England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people are advised to avoid public transport whenever possible .
Early indications were that people had not converged onto Bournemouth ’ s beaches in anything like the numbers they did on the previous two days .
The local council said extra police patrols were brought in following the “ irresponsible ” behaviour of crowds .
“ Until there ’ s a vaccine , we should not be seeing behaviour like this , ” local lawmaker Tobias Ellwood said .
Local resident Munday described visitors double-parking their cars and blocking driveways , preventing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even of people using the gardens of her apartment block as a toilet .
“ When they urinate in your garden , it ’ s the pits , ” she said .
The images from around Bournemouth prompted the health secretary to issue his warning .
While saying he was “ reluctant ” to take such action given the stress people have endured during the lockdown , Hancock told U.K. radio station Talk Radio that “ we will take action ” if there is a spike in the number of coronavirus cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ also issued a rare warning on social media that cases will rise again if people don ’ t follow the guidelines .
“ Naturally people will want to enjoy the sun but we need to do so in a way that is safe for all , ” Professor Chris Whitty said in a tweet .
The scenes of revelry were evident overnight on the streets of London and Liverpool , two of the worst-affected cities during the pandemic , which has claimed 43,230 lives across the U.K. , by far the highest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the south London district of Brixton following a street party , which left 22 police officers injured , London ’ s Metropolitan Police said officers attended further unlicensed music events , block parties and raves .
Kensington and Chelsea Police said a gathering in Notting Hill in west London was dispersed by around 2 a.m. Friday .
And though there were no confirmed reports of serious injury , it said objects had been thrown at police officers .
“ Such behaviour and any violent acts will not be tolerated , ” it said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Brixton on Wednesday night , the Met said it was undertaking an “ enhanced policing operation ” across London , which involved additional officers in place .
In Liverpool , the scenes were far more jubilant as the Reds ended a three-decade wait to be champions of England again .
Fireworks lit up the sky and thousands of delighted fans packed the streets after Manchester City ’ s defeat to Chelsea meant no team could catch Liverpool in the Premier League .
“ You want to be amongst it , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place just days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave notice that a number of lockdown restrictions would be eased from July 4 , including allowing pubs and restaurants to open their doors .
Johnson also effectively announced that the two-meter ( 6.5-foot ) social-distancing rule would be reduced to a meter ( around three feet ) from that date , a move that is largely aimed at bolstering businesses .
The relaxation has met with a lot of criticism , not least because the U.K. is still recording a relatively high daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
AP Sports Writer Rob Harris in Liverpool contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Country music reckons with racial stereotypes and its future

NASHVILLE - When country singer Rissi Palmer was working on her debut album , she wanted a song like Gretchen Wilson ’ s “ Redneck Woman , ” a song that would introduce her and tell her story to fans .
On her 2007 debut single , “ Country Girl , ” she celebrated her country roots while explaining that she didn ’ t have to look or talk a certain way to call herself a country girl .
“ I said that I am not white in the first verse , and the label was like , ‘ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Palmer , who then rewrote the lyrics to make it feel more universal .
“ It was very intentional when I wrote that song to talk about all the women , or all the people , that might not necessarily fit in the box , but are still of the same mindset.
” The country music industry has long been hesitant to address its long and complicated history with race , but the death of George Floyd in police custody and the protests it sparked in the U.S. and around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genre to ignore .
Over the past weeks , country artists , labels and country music organizations posted about Black Lives Matter on social media , participated in the industry wide Blackout Tuesday or denounced racism outright .
On Thursday , Grammy-winning country group , The Dixie Chicks announced it would drop “ dixie ’ ’ from its name .
The group said in a statement that it wanted to meet “ this moment.
” But Black artists say the industry still needs to address the systematic racial barriers that have been entrenched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that country music is just for white audiences , written by white songwriters , and sung by mostly white males are reinforced daily on country radio , playlists , label rosters and tour lineups .
In recent years , however , the conversations about country music have shifted to a broader acknowledgement that non-white artists have always been in the genre , even if they aren ’ t always recognized .
Artist/scholar Rhiannon Giddens received a MacArthur Foundation grant for her work to reclaim Black contributions to country and folk music .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jimmie Allen have all had No .
1 country hits in recent years , while Mickey Guyton just released an unflinching song called “ Black Like Me.
” But that ingrained culture of exclusivity remains a struggle to change .
“ You can look at the reviews of my first album .
I was called colored , like , ‘ I didn ’ t know colored people like country music , ’ ” said Palmer , who had three singles reach the Hot Country Songs Chart .
“ I used to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , ‘ I am so sick of you .
Why are you trying to be white ?
’ or ‘ Why are you trying to take over country music ?
’ ” Change hasn ’ t been easy .
After Grammy-winning country group Lady Antebellum announced they were changing their name to Lady A , they later had to apologize to a Black singer who had been using that stage name for years .
Atlanta-based country rapper Breland also wanted to address , with a wink and a smile , country music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ song “ My Truck.
” The music video starts with a white guy in a black cowboy hat singing as smoke billows across a dusty landscape , then Breland abruptly shoves him out of the frame to announce , “ Don ’ t touch my truck.
” “ I just felt like it was time for people to change their perspective on what country music is and what country music can be , because there is an audience of country music listeners under 30 who believe Black Lives Matter , ” said Breland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Billboard ’ s Hot Country Songs chart and has been remixed with Sam Hunt .
Like Lil Nas X ’ s genre bending “ Old Town Road , ” Breland playfully fuses trap rhythms with country tropes about horses , do-si-dos and beer on his self-titled EP and sings with country artists Chase Rice and Lauren Alaina .
Breland said country music labels can ’ t just continue to focus on one type of audience .
“ There ’ s a group of country listeners who love country music because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t love some of the politics that they know are going on behind the scenes , ” he said .
Historically country music was created by and played in both white and Black communities in the South , but the music became marketed along racial lines in the Jim Crow era , said Amanda Marie Martinez , a historian and writer who is studying country music and race .
White country music was stigmatized early on as “ hillbilly music ” so the industry started pushing it toward the rising white middle class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more respected and hugely profitable .
“ In the process , they ’ ve also prioritized the white , middle income , relatively conservative listener as their demographic , kind of the opposite of youth culture , ” Martinez said .
But there were periods of diversity , such as the post-Civil Rights era , when Black artists like Charley Pride , Linda Martell , O.B .
McClinton and Stoney Edwards were having success , alongside Johnny Rodriguez and Freddy Fender , who were singing in English and Spanish .
Black artists today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmingly white domains .
Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony , who work as a duo called Louis York , were already hit-making songwriters and producers behind pop songs like “ Party in the USA ” by Miley Cyrus and “ Grenade ” by Bruno Mars when they moved to Franklin , Tennessee , a Nashville suburb that is home to historical sites of a major Civil War battle and plantations where slaves were once held .
There they set up their Weirdo Workshop artist collective and have worked with Jimmie Allen and noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew that if we were to make our mark in this town as musicians and as Black musicians that playing the Grand Ole Opry would be the pinnacle for that , ” Harmony said .
They got a standing ovation at the Opry , but more importantly for Harmony , he wanted the audience to learn about country music ’ s roots .
“ I just wanted their unbiased , undivided attention , so that they can make the correlation between the music that they came to see and the music that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association started diversity task forces more than a year ago when country music was being criticized for a lack of female voices and women were being left out of major categories like entertainer of the year .
Becky Gardenhire , a top executive at talent agency WME in Nashville who leads ACM ’ s diversity task force , said they are looking at ways to recruit and retain diverse voices , both in the boardroom and on the stage , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to build up a pipeline of future leaders and artists .
“ We ’ re hungry for diversity .
We want the candidates to come and knock on the door , but we have to also show them that the door is open for them , ” said Damon Whiteside , CEO of ACM .
But just as country artists outwardly reflect a predominantly white image , there are few Black country music executives working behind the scenes .
Candice Watkins got one of her first big breaks in country music working as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2009 and 2011 .
“ That changed my life because obviously he ’ s a superstar , ” said Watkins , who is now the vice-president for marketing for Big Loud Records , whose roster includes Jake Owen and Morgan Wallen .
But in that manager ’ s role , she realized that she was often the only Black person at the boardroom table .
Watkins said her label supports her and values her opinion , but she knows that might not be the same for other minorities and their companies .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person empowered to come back to the table and maybe pitch a Black artist or person of colour ?
Culturally speaking , do they feel free to do that or do they automatically know this is dangerous ground for them to even bring up ?
” Watkins said .
“ There ’ s a dismantling of culture that needs to happen.
” Palmer , who is recording a podcast that focuses on the experiences of women of colour in country music , said she feels optimistic that the current discussions about race and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if real changes are implemented .
“ I love country music , always have , always will .
It ’ s healing music .
It ’ s beautiful music at its core .
It ’ s heartfelt .
It ’ s spiritual , ” Palmer said .
“ And it would be a shame if not everybody got to enjoy it because of the outward package .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Seawater seeping into decaying oil tanker off Yemen coast

CAIRO - The United Nations said an abandoned oil tanker moored off the coast of Yemen loaded with more than 1 million barrels of crude oil is at risk of rupture or exploding , causing massive environmental damage to Red Sea marine life , desalination factories and international shipping routes .
Meanwhile , Houthi rebels who control the area where the ship is moored have denied U.N. inspectors access to the vessel .
Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press shows that seawater has entered the engine compartment of the tanker , which hasn ’ t been maintained for over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipelines and increasing the risk of sinking .
Rust has covered parts of the tanker and the inert gas that prevents the tanks from gathering inflammable gases , has leaked out .
Experts say maintenance is no longer possible because the damage to the ship is irreversible .
For years , the U.N. has been trying to send inspectors to assess the damage aboard the vessel known as the FSO Safer and look for ways to secure the tanker by unloading the oil and pulling the ship to safety .
But one European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tanker ’ s company owner said that Houthi rebels have resisted .
The diplomat said the rebels are treating the vessel as a “ deterrent like having a nuclear weapon.
” All three individuals spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject .
“ They do say that openly to the U.N. , ‘ We like to have this as something to hold against the international community if attacked , ’ “ the diplomat said .
“ Houthis are definitely responsible for failure of the U.N. to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an issue , the diplomat said , adding that the Houthis initially were demanding millions of dollars in return for the oil stored in the tanker .
The U.N. is trying to reach an arrangement where money could be used to pay workers and employees at Yemen ’ s Red Sea ports , the diplomat added .
Some experts , however , criticize both the Houthis and the U.N. for failing to fully understand the magnitude of the crisis with the abandoned ship .
Ian Ralby , founder of I.R .
Consilium , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told the AP that U.N. ’ s efforts to send a team to assess the ship is “ futile.
” What the vessel needs is a salvage team , he said .
“ It ’ s real shame that they wasted so much money and time in this futile operation , ” said Ralby .
“ If you are taking these years to get a simple team to assess , we will not have a second chance to salvage , ” he added .
Ralby , who has written extensively about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declining oil prices the cost spent on cleaning up the environmental damage from an explosion or leakage will be much more than the millions worth of oil on the ship .
But the Houthis have refused to back down from their demands .
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi , the rebel group ’ s leader , blamed the U.S. and Saudis for not letting the rebels sell the oil , saying in a June 18 Twitter post that any “ disastrous consequences ... God forbid , ” that could result from the collapse of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two countries .
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are in control of the western Red Sea ports , including Ras Issa , 6 kilometres ( 3.7 miles ) from where the FSO Safer tanker has been moored since the 1980s .
They are at war with the internationally recognized government , which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition and the United States .
President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi is in exile in Saudi Arabia and his government in disarray .
The floating tanker is a Japanese-made vessel built in the 1970s and sold to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for export up to 3 million barrels pumped from oil fields in Marib , a province in eastern Yemen .
The ship is 360 metres ( 1,181 feet ) long with 34 storage tanks .
A senior official at the state-owned oil company in charge of the tanker , said because of a shrinking operational budget , which used to be around 20 million dollars a year before the war , the company could no longer afford to purchase fuel needed to run the boilers on the ship .
The boilers are needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things , keep an inert gas that prevents explosions flowing .
The tanker needs 11,000 tons of the fuel , which cost about 8 million dollars each year .
“ After the stoppage of the boilers the strong majority of the equipment and the machines of the tanker stopped because they all depend on steam power , ” the company official said .
That includes the machines that power the ventilation system , which reduces humidity and prevents corrosion , he said .
Since 2015 , annual maintenance on the ship has come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members , except for 10 people , were pulled off the vessel after the Saudi-led coalition imposed a land , sea , and air embargo before waging an extensive air campaign to dislodge the Houthi rebels from areas they seized including the capital Sanaa .
The civil war in Yemen has caused massive destruction in most of the areas under Houthis control .
Because of the proximity of the tanker to the contested Hodeida port , fears have grown that a stray shell or bullet could hit the tanker causing massive explosion or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hodeida was at the centre of Yemen ’ s civil war in 2018 when coalition forces made major advances to take over the vital port , which is considered the life-line of most of northern Yemen , where most of Yemenis live and where the Houthis enjoy full control .
A U.N.-brokered peace deal put an end to the offensive but failed to achieve peace or loosen Houthis ’ grip over the ports .
Over the past two years , the Yemeni government in exile , the U.N. , and western diplomats have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Houthis to secure the tanker .
The rebels initially agreed to let inspectors examine the tanker but later backtracked .
Top Houthi leaders often expressed cynicism toward the international community warnings .
“ The life of the shrimps is more precious than the life of Yemeni citizen to the U.S. and its allies .
Is this because they care about their naval ships or the Israeli presence in the Red Sea ?
” wrote Mohammed Ali al-Houthi in a May 25 Twitter post .
“ Why is Safer more dangerous than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , British , Saudi , Emirati and their allies on the people ?
” he added in reference to the US-backed , Saudi-led coalition targeting the rebels in Yemen .
Yahia Sharaf Eddin , the deputy head of Yemen Red Sea Ports Corporation , defended the Houthis rebels and told the AP that the group had instructed port authorities to assist U.N. inspectors .
He said it was the Saudi-led coalition that refused to give the U.N. a green light to board the decaying tanker .
The more delays in reaching a solution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it poses , Sharaf Eddin said .
A recent internal government memo obtained by the AP shows that earlier this month a diving team was dispatched by the state-run oil company that owns the tanker to seal holes in the ship that have allowed seawater to leak into the engine room .
The divers were able to make repairs , but it remain unclear if the work will hold , according to the July 13 report .
“ We believe that the plugs/seals that were installed to prevent the entry of seawater into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long , ” the report read .
An earlier letter dated Oct. 2019 sent by the Yemeni minister of oil — who is affiliated with the Saudi-backed government — to the prime minister , and seen by the AP , found other problems with the tanker .
“ Rust has covered some parts of the tanker along with equipment , fire distinguishing system stopped working , and what is more dangerous is that the gas which was covering the oil inside the tanks has leaked out .
It was used to protect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read .
The oil minister ’ s letter recommended three different approaches to deal with the tanker : make repairs , pump the oil to another ship , or to pull the tanker away and safely unload it in another port .
The minister wrote that because of the “ collapsing condition ” of the vessel , the best solution is to pull it away to another port .
“ We are notifying you about this dangerous situation to do your best and to get Yemen and the region out from such environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter came months after the U.N. ’ s projects arm , known as UNOPS , put out a tender to hire an international agency to inspect the vessel after an initial agreement with Houthis .
The U.N. hired a team of experts and had them standing by in Djibouti .
The AP obtained a copy of the tender letter and documents showing the experts ’ proposed inspection program and a list of equipment needed , including gas detector and oil sampling kits .
But the Houthis backed out of the agreement before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mark Lowcock , the U.N. humanitarian chief , told the U.N. Security Council last year that the U.N. assessment team was ready to be deployed but “ the necessary permits remain pending with the Ansar Allah authorities ” in reference to Houthis .
“ I would just like to note that this is additionally frustrating when one recalls that the same authorities wrote to the United Nations early last year requesting assistance with the tanker and promising to facilitate our work , ” he added .
Sharaf Eddin , the Yemeni ports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Saudi-coalition and misleading the public by blaming Houthis for the delays .
“ This is the same U.N. which is exploiting Yemen tragedy to collect donations then spend it on its own employees , ” he said , echoing Houthis ’ widely held anti-U.N. sentiment .
He added that the coalition in 2017 refused to give access to a fuel vessel to head to the Safer tanker to run the power generators .
“ What is Houthis ’ interest in preventing a disaster ?
Any spark could cause massive explosion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent by Houthi-appointed government officials last summer , including one from the foreign minister , approving the visit by the U.N .
But the European diplomat said the Houthis revoked their initial approval and put new conditions on U.N. activities .
The U.N. has repeatedly warned that delays in taking action to fix the FSO Safer could lead to a man-made environmental disaster in the Red Sea four times greater than the Exxon Valdez oil spill .
The Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989 was one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thick , toxic crude oil into Alaska ’ s pristine Prince William Sound .
Scores of herring , sea otters and birds were soaked in oil , and hundreds of miles of shoreline polluted .
The spill destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of commercial fishermen in the area .
The senior official at the state-owned company in charge of the tanker issued an appeal for help to the international community saying that a similar oil spill off the coast of Yemen could accelerate Yemen ’ s worsening humanitarian disaster .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said , “ Rescue Yemen from a terrible , imminent disaster that will add to Yemen ’ s burdens for tens of years and deprive thousands from their source of living , and kill marine life in the Red Sea .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--SUPREME COURT NOTEBOOK: Election-year retirement unlikely

WASHINGTON - The last time a Supreme Court justice announced his retirement in a presidential election year , most of the current justices were too young to vote .
It was 1968 , and things didn ’ t work out as planned .
The nomination to replace Chief Justice Earl Warren failed in that turbulent year , and no justice has retired in an election year since .
The pattern is not likely to be broken in 2020 , despite persistent chatter that Justice Clarence Thomas could give President Donald Trump a seat to fill before the election .
Retirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as Justice Anthony Kennedy did in 2018 .
But the conservative Thomas has made clear to anyone who has asked , including an interviewer last year , that he has no plans to retire .
“ Let ’ s fast forward to 20 years from now .
Twenty years from now , at your retirement party , ” his interviewer , Pepperdine University law professor James Gash , began .
“ I ’ m not retiring , ” Thomas broke in to say .
The 72-year-old Georgia native is the longest-serving justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serves another eight years , he would eclipse the service of record-holding Justice William O. Douglas , whose tenure lasted 36 years and nearly 8 months .
If Thomas does stay that long , he ’ ll only be 80 — younger than Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer are today .
In 1968 , Warren announced his retirement , but it didn ’ t take effect until the Senate confirmed his successor .
President Lyndon Johnson quickly named Justice Abe Fortas for the job .
The president also nominated a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thornberry , for Fortas ’ seat .
It didn ’ t go well for Fortas , whose nomination was blocked by Republicans and conservative Democrats in the Senate .
Thornberry never got a vote either , once it became clear Fortas wasn ’ t moving up .
When Richard Nixon won the 1968 election , he got a bonus , the opportunity to select a chief justice who would be nothing like the liberal Warren .
The outgoing chief justice served another year , until Warren Burger took the oath of office in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has occurred in an election year since was in 2016 , when Justice Antonin Scalia died .
President Barack Obama named Merrick Garland to fill the seat and Senate Republicans refused to act on the nomination .
When Trump shocked the nation by winning the presidency , he too had a seat to fill and quickly named Justice Neil Gorsuch .
Enough of things that are not likely to happen .
For the first time in 24 years , the court ’ s work is almost certain to extend into July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s response to the coronavirus pandemic .
The justices heard arguments by telephone in 10 cases in May , after closing the building to the public in mid-March and abandoning most in-person activities for a court in which 6 of the 9 justices are 65 and older , and most at risk of serious complications from COVID-19 .
None of those cases has been decided yet , and the justices still have pending three earlier cases , including one dealing with abortion clinic regulations in Louisiana .
More opinions are expected Monday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thomas , Ginsburg and Breyer were the only three justices who were on the court the last time it didn ’ t finish issuing opinions in June .
That was in 1996 , when the court held on July 1 that the government could be sued by once-healthy savings and loans that were forced into the red as part as the congressional response to the S & L crisis of the 1980s .
Charles Cooper , who argued the S & Ls ’ case at the Supreme Court , recalled that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of copy-cat cases had been clogging “ court dockets for years .
The court also issued opinions in July a few years earlier , in 1989 .
That July , the court struck down a nativity display inside a government building in Pittsburgh , while upholding a menorah erected outside a different public building in Pittsburgh .
The next day , the justices upheld or allowed to take effect several abortion restrictions in Missouri .
When Burger was chief justice , from 1969 to 1986 , the court routinely kept working into July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feldman , the creator of the Empirical Scotus blog , provided the data cited above .
Another reason there is no special urgency to finishing up by the end of June is that the justices have nowhere to go this year .
The last decisions of the term typically are followed closely by flights to very desirable locations , in the Alps , the Rockies , European capitals , even “ an island fortress “ in the Mediterranean , as Chief Justice John Roberts described Malta before heading there on the heels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Affordable Care Act in 2012 .
The law schools that usually are thrilled to snag a justice to teach for a week or two in a study-abroad program all cancelled their summer sessions this year because of the coronavirus outbreak .
“ I think we have reason to believe no one needs to jet off to Europe , ” Supreme Court lawyer Paul Clement said , joking that the term could last to August 10 at the current pace of decisions .
Associated Press writer Jessica Gresko contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Pentagon chief seeks to reassure NATO over US troop plans

BRUSSELS - U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Friday sought to reassure allies at NATO that Washington will consult them on any future troop movements , after President Donald Trump surprised partners at the military alliance by announcing the withdrawal of thousands of personnel from Germany .
At a time when videoconferencing has become the norm due to the coronavirus , Esper paid a short in-person visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels , a week after several allied defence ministers expressed concern about the unpredictability of U.S. troop plans in Europe and amid a draw down in Afghanistan .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with allies , while making clear that the U.S. commitment to European security remains strong , ” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a joint video statement before holding talks with Esper .
Both men arrived at their lecterns wearing face masks .
Media are not generally permitted to enter NATO headquarters because of virus-related restrictions .
Last week , Trump said that he is ordering a major reduction in troop strength in Germany , from around 34,500 personnel down to 25,000 .
Members of his own party have criticized the move as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to U.S. national security .
Germany is a hub for U.S. operations in the Middle East and Africa .
Trump said this week that the troops could be moved to Poland .
Germany wasn ’ t notified of the move , which came after Trump branded its NATO ally “ delinquent ” for failing to pay enough for its own defence , by not meeting a goal set in 2014 for members to halt budget cuts and move toward spending at least 2 % of gross national product on defence by 2024 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I continue to urge all of our allies to meet their target goal of 2 % of GDP .
We ’ ve moved a good distance here in the last few years but there ’ s much , much more we need to do to ensure our collective security.
” On Thursday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again took aim at Germany .
“ We do consider Russia to be a serious threat .
Spending 1 % of your GDP on defence , as Germany does , acknowledges that they may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a threat as the United States of America takes it .
They need to , ” Pompeo said .
“ That doesn ’ t show the resolve that ( Russian President ) Vladimir Putin needs to see from Germany , ” he added .
According to NATO figures , Germany will spend 1.38 % of GDP on its defence budget this year .
Berlin aims to hit 1.5 % by 2024 and insists that this level of spending allows it to meet NATO ’ s defence planning goals .
The U.S. — at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more on defence than all 29 other allies combined .
In a statement after his talks with Esper , Stoltenberg underlined that “ the U.S. military presence in Europe is important for Europe , and it ’ s also important for North America .
Because only by working together can we address the great challenges we face.
” On Afghanistan , where NATO has led security efforts since 2003 and recently began to pull troops out in line with a U.S.-brokered peace deal with the Taliban , the statement said the alliance “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that this will “ be done in close co-ordination with allies and partners .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--US police registry would fail without changes in states

HOUSTON - Without major changes in almost every state , a national police misconduct database like what the White House and Congress have proposed after George Floyd ’ s death would fail to account for thousands of problem officers .
Lawmakers nationwide are struggling with how to reform policing following massive demonstrations , increased calls for change and a stark shift in public opinion on the topic .
Democrats want to create a policing registry that would catalogue disciplinary records , firings and misconduct complaints ; President Donald Trump ’ s executive order calls on the attorney general to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of information ” between law enforcement agencies .
Any eventual registry that emerges would depend on states reporting into it .
But states and police departments track misconduct very differently , and some states currently don ’ t track it at all .
The result is a lack of reliable official data and a patchwork system in which officers can stay employed even after being arrested or convicted of a crime .
In the wake of Floyd ’ s death , lawmakers in several states have proposed bolstering their states ’ powers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think the politicians have been reluctant to take a step that might be perceived as anti-police , ” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said .
Yost and Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine , both Republicans , have proposed giving their state ’ s police licensing agency the power to remove officers from law enforcement for racial profiling or other misconduct that doesn ’ t lead to a criminal charge , a power many states already have .
“ The potential for reform is better than it ’ s been in my professional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That doesn ’ t mean it ’ s a certainty on how much we ’ re going to get , but there ’ s a genuine interest and willingness to look at these things seriously and honestly.
” One measure of police misconduct at a state level is decertification .
Almost all states issue licenses to police officers by mandating standards and training .
Most states can decertify an officer ’ s license to prevent a bad one from working in law enforcement .
The Associated Press this month asked all 50 states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decertified for the last five full years .
Georgia said it decertified 3,239 officers between 2015 and 2019 .
Minnesota , where Floyd died after a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes , decertified 21 .
Maryland decertified just one officer .
Minnesota revokes an officer ’ s license automatically only after the officer is convicted of a felony .
Georgia can take an officer ’ s license on several grounds , including misuse of force , committing a theft that isn ’ t prosecuted or lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis police officer who killed Philando Castile , a Black man , during a 2016 traffic stop was never decertified .
The officer , Jeronimo Yanez , was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter and later left his department under a settlement .
He is not working in law enforcement elsewhere in Minnesota , according to the state licensing board .
A federal requirement to collect police misconduct data already exists .
According to criminal justice experts , the Justice Department has never met a requirement in the landmark 1994 crime bill — signed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it would “ acquire data about the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers “ and publish an annual summary .
Then-President Barack Obama created a task force on policing that in 2015 recommended the creation of a police misconduct registry , but no action was taken .
And the outlook for a policing bill is newly uncertain after Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked a Republican proposal from moving forward .
The House approved a far-reaching police overhaul from Democrats on Thursday , but it has almost zero chance of becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most complete information on officer shootings , sexual assaults and arrests has been compiled by university researchers and news organizations .
In 2015 , The Associated Press found that nearly 1,000 officers had been decertified across the country over six years for sexual assault or other forms of sexual misconduct .
The AP ’ s investigation uncovered examples of officers who were accused of sexual misconduct at one agency , fired or allowed to resign , then rehired in law enforcement and accused of misconduct again .
Five states — California , Hawaii @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island — have no decertification process at all .
Neither does the federal government for most of its estimated 130,000 law enforcement officers , including agents in the FBI , U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol .
The Department of Justice declined to comment on how it would implement Trump ’ s executive order .
For now , states voluntarily submit the names of officers to a private database called the National Decertification Index that police agencies can use in hiring .
But Georgia doesn ’ t submit names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a governmental institution , ” according to Ryan Powell , deputy director of the state ’ s standards board .
Meanwhile , Minnesota and almost all other states do .
The index was created and updated with Department of Justice grant funding but last received federal money in 2005 , said Mike Becar , director of the organization that runs the index .
He runs the database on roughly $ 1,000 a month .
“ The federal government could apply a lot more pressure , “ Becar said .
“ The biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own individual laws and regulations and legislatures.
” In the meantime , the attorneys general of California and New Jersey , both Democrats , announced they support creating a system to decertify police officers in their states .
And New York , which implemented police decertification in 2016 , this month repealed a law that shielded police misconduct records from public disclosure .
Even if an eventual national registry of officers were incomplete , it would still be helpful , said Yost , the Ohio attorney general .
Ohio decertified 93 officers between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is better than no information , “ Yost said .
” Because the thing is hard doesn ’ t mean we shouldn ’ t start and do what we can.
” Associated Press reporters Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles and Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-26--Iraqi forces arrest men suspected of attacks targeting US

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces arrested over a dozen men suspected of a spate of rocket attacks against the U.S. presence in Iraq , the Iraqi military said Friday .
Two senior Iraqi officials said the 14 men who were arrested had ties to an Iran-backed militia group .
The arrests marked a bold move by the government to crack down on groups that have long been a source of tension for U.S.-Iraq relations .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .
A raid by Iraq ’ s elite Counter-Terrorism Service was carried out late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A military statement did not explicitly state the men had militia ties and said a special investigative committee formed to include the Interior Ministry and other Iraqi security forces would follow up on the case .
Following the arrests , armed groups in government vehicles entered the Green Zone “ without official approval ” and surrounded the headquarters of the counter-terrorism service , the statement said .
“ These parties do not want to be part of the state and its obligations and seek to remain outside the authority of the Commander-in-Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation was carried out according to a judicial order based on Iraq ’ s anti-terrorism laws , and was issued following intelligence reports indicating the men had orchestrated attacks against U.S. installations in Baghdad airport and inside the heavily fortified Green Zone , where the U.S. embassy is located .
The statement said further intelligence reports indicated another plot targeting the Green Zone .
Two launching pads for rockets were discovered during the raid by security forces .
On Monday , a rocket struck in the vicinity of the airport without causing casualties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting the U.S. presence since Baghdad embarked on strategic talks with the U.S. on June 11 .
The attacks were proving to be a key challenge for Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi , whose government had promised to take action against militia groups suspected of orchestrating them .
Two senior government officials said the men detained had ties to the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia group , which the U.S. has blamed for orchestrating attacks against its embassy and troops located inside Iraqi bases .
The arrests are an indication of the prime minister ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity , on official said .
They said intelligence reports indicated the group was planning on carrying out more attacks targeting the airport .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .

Qassim Abdul-Zahra And Samya Kullab - The Associated Press