thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Trial highlights: Transcript talk, handshakes for defence

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s lawyers on Saturday argued a robust version of one of his favourite phrases to tweet : “ Read the transcript !
” It was the first day of defence arguments in Trump ’ s impeachment trial as the Senate gathered for two quick hours in a rare Saturday session .
The White House lawyers had said it would be a “ sneak preview ” of their defence , continuing Monday , and they spent the morning rebutting the House impeachment managers ’ arguments by charging that they were politically motivated .
To begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transcript of a July call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that is at the heart of the House impeachment case .
While Democrats point to the conversation as a prime reason to remove the president , the White House lawyers say it points to Trump ’ s innocence .
Trump often tweets , sometimes in all caps , that people should read the transcript in an effort to clear himself .
Highlights of Saturday ’ s session and what ’ s ahead as senators conduct just the third impeachment trial of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump abused power in a broad campaign to push Ukraine to investigate Democrats , including presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden .
They point to the July call , in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to probe Biden .
At the time , Trump had ordered the U.S. to withhold military aid from Ukraine .
The defence argued that there ’ s no evidence that the military aid was a “ quid pro quo ” for the investigations .
They said Trump was concerned about general corruption in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Deputy White House counsel Michael Purpura argued that everyone knows that when Trump asked Zelenskiy to “ do us a favour , “ he meant the U.S. , not himself .
Democrats have disagreed and said Trump didn ’ t release the aid until he “ got caught.
” The defence lawyers said the House managers didn ’ t know what Trump ’ s motivations were .
Trump ’ s defence team used just two hours of the senators ’ time on and promised not to run out the 24-hour clock allotted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats nearly did prosecuting the case .
The White House team also displayed quick-cut video presentations on the Senate ’ s overhead screens , turning soundbites from key players in the impeachment case into fast-snapping clips .
It all seemed to command the attention of senators , likely a welcome change of pace for those who had grown tired of the prosecution ’ s long and often repetitive presentations .
Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow gave his word to the senators , “ We ’ re not going to play the same clips seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators .
The president ’ s team arrayed in the well of the chamber also looked different than the House managers — defending Trump were four white men .
One woman , attorney Pam Bondi , is also on Trump ’ s team .
The seven-person House manager team reflected a cross section of America that included women and people of colour .
On Saturday the counsel ’ s table was without its TV-famous lawyers , Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr , who have yet to appear before the Senate but are expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats ’ case is politically motivated , the White House lawyers focused on the person who has been at the head of the inquiry : lead impeachment manager and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. As part of their presentation , they played video of one of Schiff ’ s opening statements during a hearing early in the impeachment probe .
In the statement , Schiff parodied Trump ’ s push for the investigations , comparing it to a mafia shakedown .
Republicans , and Trump in particular , have focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made up a conversation that didn ’ t exist .
Schiff , in the chamber as as a prosecutor in the impeachment trial , looked straight ahead as they played the video , sitting just feet from the lawyers .
The lawyers also played video of Schiff saying early in the investigation that the Intelligence Committee hadn ’ t had any contact with the whistleblower who first revealed the call between Trump and Zelenskiy .
In fact , the whistleblower had talked to committee staff .
Schiff later said he should have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session adjourned , Schiff said that the defence was employing an old courtroom trick .
“ When your client is guilty , when your client is dead to rights , you don ’ t want to talk about your client , you want to attack the prosecution , ” he said .
NOT QUITE HIGH FIVES , BUT HANDSHAKES As the Senate adjourned , several Republican senators , some closely allied with the president , made their way to the defence counsel ’ s table to shake their hands .
Sens .
Lindsey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Wyoming and Mike Lee of Utah stopped by .
Sekulow and Purpura walked through an aisle greeting more senators as the cameras shut off , including John Thune of South Dakota .
Sekulow also checked in with the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , Jim Risch of Idaho .
One GOP senator mentioned in the impeachment inquiry Ron Johnson of Wisconsin , engaged for several minutes in conversation with the counsel team .
Last year , Johnson attended Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ’ s inauguration with other U.S. officials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having discussed the Ukraine situation with Trump .
The Trump team ’ s outreach did have some bipartisan moments .
At one point , White House counsel Pat Cipollone chatted extensively with Sen. Tim Kaine , D-Va. , and later appeared to be lingering to say hello to Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , a Democratic presidential candidate .

Mary Clare Jalonick And Lisa Mascaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Woman kills retired trooper, self at Chicago-area cigar bar

LISLE , Ill. - A woman fatally shot a retired Illinois State Police trooper and wounded another retired state trooper and an off-duty trooper Friday night before turning the gun on herself at a cigar lounge in the Chicago suburbs , police said .
The shooting at the Humidor Cigar Lounge in Lisle was “ without apparent provocation , ” Lisle police said after reviewing surveillance video .
The footage shows several seated people watching a big-screen television when the woman stands up , shooting 51-year-old Gregory Rieves in the back of the head and firing several rounds at two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head , police said .
Acting Lisle Police Chief Ron Wilke later said that the woman — identified as Lisa V. McMullan , of Chicago — and the victims were “ acquaintances.
” “ I believe they know each other , but do not believe there is any relation , ” he told reporters .
McMullan was found dead at the scene .
Rieves , who retired from the state police in March after 25 years with the agency , was rushed to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
Retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trooper Kaiton Bullock , 48 , who was off-duty at the time , remained hospitalized Saturday with injuries that were not considered life-threatening , police said .
“ The Illinois State Police family have heavy hearts this morning , ” state police Director Brendan F. Kelly said in a statement .
“ We are mourning the loss of a retired trooper , and praying for a full recovery of both our active and retired officers .
Please keep all our officers and families in your prayers in the dark and painful moment.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room within the building .
According to its website , Humidor ’ s Lisle location features a total of nearly 12,000 square feet ( 1,115 square meters ) of lounge space , including public and members-only lounges .
Lisle , in the western Chicago suburbs , is just north of Naperville .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-25--If the $6.5M hat isn’t Lincoln’s, why not ask for a refund?

SPRINGFIELD , Ill. - In 2007 , Springfield ’ s gleaming new shrine to Abraham Lincoln was open , but it lacked touchstone pieces to show off , so organizers paid $ 6.5 million for the most symbolic Lincoln artifact available : one of the 16th president ’ s stovepipe hats .
A dozen years and as many studies and hand-wringing public statements later , there ’ s no concrete evidence that the felted beaver-fur hat ever sat atop Lincoln ’ s 6-foot-4 frame .
No , and it doesn ’ t appear anyone will soon .
The foundation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,500-piece , $ 23 million deal with California collector Louise Taper is not considering action , vice chairman Nick Kalm said .
It ’ s supporting further research directed last week by Ray LaHood , chairman of the newly organized trustees of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum .
LaHood , former U.S. transportation secretary and congressman from Peoria , formed a committee to oversee continued study by state historian Samuel Wheeler , whose December report after 16 months of research on the hat ’ s connection to the Great Emancipator was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done , ” LaHood said .
“ We ’ re trying to get to some finality on the authenticity of it so we can move forward from there.
” He would not comment on the prospect of renegotiating with Taper , whom The Associated Press was unsuccessful in contacting for comment .
Legal experts all but rule out successful court action , and while there ’ s the possibility of appealing to the seller through moral suasion , few are of a mind to do it .
“ They could ask , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said former Gov .
Jim Edgar , foundation board chairman at the time of the purchase .
“ She thought it was authentic .
...
The consensus was this was the most important privately held Lincoln collection in the world.
” The hat came from a former state legislator in southern Illinois whose father claimed he received it from Lincoln during a visit to Washington in 1861 .
The legislator ’ s widow sold it for $ 1 in 1958 to an antique store , where it was retrieved by James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was among the nation ’ s foremost Lincolniana experts .
It rode in a special car on the 1975-76 Bicentennial American Freedom Train that crisscrossed the country , travelled on a late 1980s trade mission to Asia with then-Gov .
James Thompson , and more than once served as the receptacle for a drawing to determine which political party would craft legislative district maps .
Taper bought it from Hickey for an undisclosed amount in 1990 , and experts representing the foundation did little additional work to authenticate the hat before the 2007 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donation of $ 2 million in items .
News reports by the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ Radio later raised questions about the hat ’ s provenance .
The foundation ’ s difficulty in retiring about $ 8.8 million remaining on the loan — and its 2018 claim that it might have to sell parts of the collection to retire the debt before negotiating an extension — kept the hat in the headlines .
Even if statutes of limitations didn ’ t limit the chances for successful legal action , experts said there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chance to verify Taper ’ s claim of the Lincoln link pre-purchase .
Courts typically regard statements of authenticity as opinion , not fact , and “ a buyer can not sue on that basis , ” said Patty Gerstenblith , a DePaul University law professor and director of DePaul ’ s Center in Art , Museum and Cultural Heritage Law .
To prove fraud , a court would need evidence of “ intention to deceive , ” said Leila Amineddoleh , a New York City lawyer specializing in art , cultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No one alleges deception .
“ Has the museum reached out to Louise to demand a refund and rescission of the purchase agreement ?
Seeing that she is well-known in this area , she should want to protect her reputation by refunding the money , ” Amineddoleh said .
There ’ s a hardball approach , too .
The negative publicity and potential price of a threatened lawsuit might prompt Taper to “ have the good sense and moral compass to return the money to the museum , ” Amineddoleh said .
Taper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for precious Lincoln relics and gobbling them up at auctions , has been on the other end herself .
In a 2009 panel discussion about collecting Lincolniana sponsored by the presidential library in honour of Lincoln ’ s birth bicentennial , Taper recalled buying a note allegedly penned by President Lincoln .
“ When it came to the house , it was obvious it was a forgery ... .
I panicked , and I called them up and I said , ‘ This isn ’ t good , this isn ’ t real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ “ said Taper , adding that she got her refund .
The idea of a refund was first floated six years ago when , amid growing questions , Illinois officials commissioned a brief assessment of the hat by experts from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Chicago History Museum .
Lacking better evidence , the historians suggested asking Taper to take the hat back or make it a donation .
“ This would shine a positive light on a generous donor who believes in the history of the hat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchased a very expensive item without thorough documentation , ” they wrote .
Of course , pressing too hard could poison a previously harmonious relationship with Taper , who ’ s still collecting .
In the 2009 discussion , when a panelist mentioned Taper ’ s sale and donation to the Lincoln museum , she added , “ There ’ s a lot more in the future .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Venezuela’s Guaidó visits a politically agitated Spain

MADRID - Juan Guaidó , the man who one year ago launched a bid to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro , on Saturday paid a visit to Spain , where a thriving community of Venezuelans and a storm among Spanish political parties awaited him .
Venezuela ’ s main opposition leader is on an international tour to bolster support for his U.S.-backed effort to remove Maduro and lead the country until a presidential election deemed to be transparent can be held .
After stops in London , Paris and the Davos Economic Forum earlier this week , where Guaidó was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership and heads of government including Britain ’ s Boris Johnson and France ’ s Emmanuel Macron , Guaidó is walking into a kerfuffle in the Spanish capital .
It ’ s his position as a challenger to Maduro ’ s legitimacy that puts Spain in a tricky balancing act .
Despite being one of the nearly 60 countries that last year recognized Guaidó as Venezuela ’ s interim president , Spain ’ s new left-wing coalition has not granted the politician an audience with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez .
Instead , Foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting with the 36-year-old politician .
That has earned Sánchez strong criticism from his political opposition , which includes three parties spanning from the ideological centre-right to the far-right .
The Socialist leader has governed since earlier this month in partnership with the anti-austerity Unidas Podemos ( United We Can ) party , whose members have shown strong support for Maduro ’ s government .
But the criticism turned into a full-scale opposition-led offensive against Sánchez after media disclosed this week details of a secretive encounter at Madrid ’ s airport between a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s vice-president , Delcy Rodríguez , who is banned from stepping into EU territory .
Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos , a key figure in Sánchez ’ s Socialist party , first denied the episode , then argued that he had been at the airport last Sunday at midnight on a private visit to welcome Venezuela ’ s Tourism Minister Félix Plasencia , a friend of his who was in Madrid for a tourism fair .
Finally , on Friday , the government changed again the initial account to explain that Ábalos had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had convinced her not to attempt to enter Spain because that would violate EU sanctions .
Although Spanish police sources told The Associated Press that Rodríguez never left the airport and that she technically didn ’ t enter the country , the Spanish government has been in damage control mode over its handling of the episode .
After days of silence , Sánchez addressed the controversy for the first time on Saturday , saying that he had no intention of dismissing Ábalos as the conservative opposition demanded .
“ He did everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
And he succeeded , “ Sánchez said .
As a powerful ally of Maduro , Rodríguez is on an EU sanction list and barred from entering the territory of any of the bloc ’ s members since mid-2018 .
Since the first reports of the encounter at the airport appeared in media late on Thursday , neither the Venezuelan vice-president nor Maduro ’ s government have publicly commented on the trip .
At the Madrid city hall , Guaidó received the city ’ s Golden Keys from its conservative mayor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are some who are still attempting to call for moderation and dialogue to keep us disengaged , perhaps answering to their own interests , ” the mayor said , in a clear reference to Sánchez ’ s left-wing coalition .
Guaidó thanked the warm reception and said he took it as a “ a recognition and a boost to the struggle of millions of Venezuelans.
“ The Venezuelan politician was expected to lead a march through the centre of the Spanish capital demanding the end of Maduro ’ s government and free presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , dozens gathered at the gates of Spain ’ s Ministry of Foreign Affairs , protesting instead against Guaidó ’ s visit and referring to the politician as “ clown ” and “ puppet ” of the U.S. “ No to imperialist interference in Venezuela and Latin America , ” read a big banner that also showed support to “ Venezuela ’ s people and Nicolás Maduro .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Alaska schools hire counsellors, promote emotional learning

KENAI , Alaska - An Alaska school district has hired six counsellors in its elementary schools , making progress toward its goal to provide more support to its students , a district superintendent said .
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent John O ’ Brien presented during a Soldotna Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday to provide insight into the district ’ s goals , Peninsula Clarion reported .
The district is about halfway through their five-year strategic plan to empower students to positively shape their future , O ’ Brien said .
The plan includes the introduction of personalized learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotional learning to students that need it , he said .
“ Unfortunately , we do have many of our students who don ’ t have perfect home lives , ” O ’ Brien said .
“ They may have families that have experienced a tremendous amount of trauma , whether it ’ s something as simple as divorce or drug addiction within the family .
Perhaps they have a parent who has died or they ’ re dealing with some other sort of adverse experience.
” Social and emotional learning teaches kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other emotional challenges in healthy ways , district officials said .
The plan stems from an increase in suicide risk assessments and referrals by staff members to the Office of Children ’ s Services for suspected neglect or abuse , officials said .
During the presentation , O ’ Brien said the school district handled 204 suicide risk assessments and 258 referrals last year compared to the 47 assessments and 153 referrals in 2013 .
The school district has appropriated more than $ 2 million from their undesignated general fund that included funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
During O ’ Brien ’ s 15 years working in the school district , there haven ’ t been any counsellors at the elementary school level , he said .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Israel to allow citizens to visit Saudi Arabia

JERUSALEM - Israel ’ s Interior Ministry said Sunday that it will now allow Israelis to travel to Saudi Arabia for religious or business visits .
The announcement is the latest sign of quiet but warming relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia .
It also came days before the White House is to announce its Mideast peace plan — which is expected to seek Saudi support .
Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have formal diplomatic relations .
But the two sides have found common ground in their shared animosity toward Iran .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frequently boasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under Sunday ’ s announcement , Israeli Muslims can go to Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimages .
In the past , such visits required special permission from the government , the ministry said .
And in a first , it said Jewish Israelis will be permitted to go to Saudi Arabia to conduct business deals .
While some Israelis are believed to already visit Saudi Arabia , this requires either a foreign passport or special permission .
In its announcement , the Interior Ministry said Israeli visitors would require an official invitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision had been co-ordinated with Israeli security officials and other “ relevant ” bodies , including the Foreign Ministry .
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia .
Israel has formal peace treaties with just two Arab countries — Egypt and Jordan .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Burundi’s ruling party picks general as presidential hopeful

NAIROBI , Kenya - Burundi ’ s ruling party has chosen an army general to be its candidate in the presidential election set for May , signalling that the country ’ s president will now retire after serving three terms .
Gen. Evariste Ndayishimiye was chosen Sunday during a national conference for the ruling CNDD-FDD party in the rural province of Gitega .
The rise of Ndayishimiye means President Pierre Nkurunziza will now retire after presiding over a disputed third term that sparked violence and forced hundreds of thousands to flee the tiny central African country .
Ndayishimiye , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ruling party ’ s secretary-general .
Nkurunziza , a former rebel leader , took power in 2005 at the end of a deadly civil war .
His influence could still linger after the election , since he could receive the title of “ paramount leader ” under draft legislation approved by the government last week .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Italians vote in 2 regions; Salvini eyes return to power

ROME - Right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini is telling Italians who are voting in two regions to use their ballots to help his anti-migrant party return to national power .
Voting began Sunday morning in Emilia-Romagna , a northern region where the left-wing has held power for decades , and in Calabria , in the south , an area Salvini ’ s League party once disparaged as unproductive but where it now wants to expand a foothold .
Results , expected early Monday , of the voting for governor and regional legislatures could rock Italy ’ s squabbling central government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early election to end Premier Giuseppe Conte ’ s coalition government , whose junior partner is the centre-left Democrats .
Left-wing forces have ruled Emilia-Romagna for decades and a loss there could weaken the Democratic Party ’ s leverage in Conte ’ s government .
The senior party in Conte ’ s government is the populist 5-Star Movement , which has been plagued by infighting and defections .
Salvini in a Facebook post told Italians as they headed to vote to “ liberate these splendid regions ” from the Democrats and then “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Salvini , who in Conte ’ s previous government took a hard line against immigration , lost his job and his right-wing party lost its place in government last year when the League leader yanked his support in a failed bid for an early election .
Conte then formed a government with the Democrats .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Japan: Flight readied for Japanese to come home from Wuhan

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday that he is making arrangements to fly Japanese people home from the Chinese city of Wuhan , the epicenter of an outbreak of a new viral illness that has killed dozens .
Abe told reporters that Japanese who wish to be evacuated will be flown out on a chartered flight .
He said he is in talks with China on the plan , and Japanese officials had been working on such preparations through the weekend .
“ I have decided to have all those who wish to do so to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that various options had been studied in recent days .
The new virus has been linked with 56 deaths so far in China .
The U.S. Consulate in Wuhan announced Sunday that it will evacuate its personnel and some private citizens aboard a charter flight .
The French Consulate also was considering an evacuation of its nationals from the city .
It said it ’ s working on arranging a bus service to help French citizens leave Wuhan .
Government officials have said they have found three cases of the new virus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Toyota Motor Corp. has halted business trips to Hubei province , including Wuhan .
Japanese media reports have said that several hundred Japanese people are believed to be living in the area .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Virus death toll in China rises as US prepares evacuation

BEIJING - The new virus accelerated its spread in China with 56 deaths so far , and the U.S. Consulate in the epicenter of the outbreak , the central city of Wuhan , announced Sunday it will evacuate its personnel and some private citizens aboard a charter flight .
Chinese President Xi Jinping called the outbreak a grave situation , and the government stepped up efforts to restrict travel and public gatherings while rushing medical staff and supplies to Wuhan , which remains on lockdown .
The latest figures reported Sunday morning cover the previous 24 hours and mark an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a total of 1,975 infections .
The government also reported five cases in Hong Kong , two in Macao and three in Taiwan .
Small numbers of cases have been found in Thailand , Japan , South Korea , the U.S. , Vietnam , Singapore , Malaysia , Nepal , France and Australia .
Canada said it discovered its first case , the man is his 50s who recently flew from Wuhan to Guangzhou , China , and then on to Toronto .
A notice from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. citizens on the Tuesday flight from Wuhan that will proceed directly to San Francisco .
It said that in the event there are not enough seats , priority will be given to to individuals “ at greater risk from coronavirus.
“ French automaker PSA Group said it will evacuate its employees from Wuhan , quarantine them and then bring them to France .
The Foreign Ministry said it was working on “ eventual options ” to evacuate French citizens from Wuhan “ who want to leave.
” It didn ’ t elaborate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong ’ s biggest attractions , Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park , announced they were closing for the time being .
“ As a precautionary measure in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong , we are temporarily closing Hong Kong Disneyland park out of consideration for the health and safety of our guests and cast members , “ the park said in a statement .
It said a reopening date would be announced based on the advisement of local authorities .
Travel agencies have been told to halt all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the potential impact of millions of people travelling back to the cities after the Lunar New Year holiday ends on Thursday .
The vast majority of the infections and all the deaths have been in mainland China , but fresh cases are popping up .
Singapore reported its fourth case on Sunday , a 36-year-old man from Wuhan .
The Health Ministry said he did not exhibit any symptoms on his flight .
He developed a cough the next day , sought treatment on Jan. 24 and was immediately isolated .
South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Yonhap news agency .
In the heart of the outbreak where 11 million residents are already on lockdown , Wuhan banned most vehicle use , including private cars , in downtown areas starting Sunday .
The city will assign 6,000 taxis to neighbourhoods to help people get around if they need to .
Wuhan plans to build a second makeshift hospital with about 1,000 beds to handle the growing number of patients .
The city has said another hospital was expected to be completed Feb. 3 .
Medical workers in Wuhan have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported a doctor had died of the virus on Saturday morning .
The 62-year-old physician worked at the ear , nose and throat department at Hubei Xinhua Hospital .
He was hospitalized on Jan. 18 and died a week later .
Xinhua also said medical supplies are being rushed to the city , including 14,000 protective suits , 110,000 pairs of gloves and masks and goggles .
The National Health Commission said it is bringing in medical teams to help handle the outbreak , a day after videos circulating online showed throngs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examinations and complaints that family members had been turned away at hospitals that were at capacity .
The Chinese military dispatched 450 medical staff , some with experience in past outbreaks , including SARS and Ebola , who arrived in Wuhan late Friday to help treat many patients hospitalized with viral pneumonia , Xinhua reported .
The new virus comes from a large family of what are known as coronaviruses , some causing nothing worse than a cold .
It causes cold- and flu-like symptoms , including cough and fever , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It can worsen to pneumonia , which can be fatal .
China cut off trains , planes and other links to Wuhan on Wednesday , as well as public transportation within the city , and has steadily expanded a lockdown to 16 surrounding cities with a combined population of more than 50 million — greater than that of New York , London , Paris and Moscow combined .
Around China , authorities cancelled a host of Lunar New Year events , and closed major tourist destinations and movie theatres .
Temple fairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City and Shanghai Disneyland closed , and people cancelled restaurant reservations ahead of the holiday , normally a time of family reunions , sightseeing trips and other festivities in the country of 1.4 billion people .
In Beijing and other cities , most people wore medical masks on buses and the subway or to public places like grocery stores , where workers dispensed hand sanitizer to customers .
Some parts of the country had checkpoints for temperature readings and made masks mandatory .
The rapid increase in reported deaths and illnesses does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but could reflect better monitoring and reporting of the virus .
Those killed by the virus have mostly been middle-aged or elderly people , sometimes suffering from other conditions that weaken their ability to fight back .
It is not clear how lethal the new coronavirus is or even whether it is as dangerous as the ordinary flu , which kills tens of thousands of people every year in the U.S. alone .
Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto , researcher Henry Hou and video journalist Dake Kang in Beijing contributed to @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Coroner: 2 dead, 7 injured in South Carolina bar shooting

HARTSVILLE , S.C. - Two people were killed and seven people were injured early Sunday in a shooting at a @ @ @ @ @ officials said .
The shooting took place at Mac ’ s Lounge in Hartsville , @ @ @ @ @ told news outlets .
The conditions of those injured weren ’ t immediately clear .
@ @ @ @ @ what led to the shooting , were immediately released .
More information will be released @ @ @ @ @ .
The coroner said the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division would help process the scene @ @ @ @ @ page , Mac ’ s Lounge also serves as a music venue .
Hartsville is @ @ @ @ @ kilometres ) northwest of Florence , South Carolina , and about 40 miles ( 64 @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina state line .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--UN says ‘blatant’ violations of Libya arms embargo continue

CAIRO - The United Nations decried “ continued blatant violations ” by several countries of an arms embargo on war-torn Libya , flying in the face of recent pledges made last week at an international conference in Berlin .
The U.N. support mission in Libya didn ’ t name any specific nations , but said they included “ several who participated in the Berlin Conference.
” Saturday ’ s statement said these countries were supplying advanced weapons , armoured vehicles and foreign fighters .
Libya sits on Africa ’ s Mediterranean coast , and is divided between rival governments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign backers .
It has the ninth largest known oil reserves in the world and the biggest oil reserves in Africa .
The weak but U.N.-recognized government in the capital Tripoli is backed by Turkey , and to a lesser degree Qatar and Italy .
Rival forces loyal to military commander Khalifa Hifter receive support from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt , as well as France and Russia .
“ Over the last ten days , numerous cargo and other flights have been observed landing at Libyan airports in the western and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties with advanced weapons , armoured vehicles , advisers and fighters , ” the U.N. statement said .
The U.N. warned that continuing to funnel arms into the conflict threatens the “ fragile truce ” in Tripoli .
Hifter ’ s forces have laid siege to the capital since last April .
A cease-fire was brokered earlier this month by Russia and Turkey .
At the Berlin summit , many world powers with an interest in Libya pledged to halt foreign interference and honour the U.N. arms embargo .
Among those who attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , French President Emmanuel Macron , Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte , and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
The peace push followed a surge in Hifter ’ s offensive against Tripoli , which threatened to plunge Libya into chaos rivaling the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi .
Earlier this month , powerful tribal groups loyal to Hifter also seized several large oil export terminals along the eastern coast as well as southern oil fields .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fields and production facilities has resulted in losses of more than $ 255 million in the six-day period ending Jan. 23 , the country ’ s national oil company said Saturday .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Turkish teams hunt for quake survivors as death toll hits 35

ANKARA , Turkey - Turkish rescue teams continued to pull survivors from collapsed buildings Sunday , more than a day and a half after a powerful earthquake hit the country ’ s east , killing at least 31 people , officials said .
The magnitude 6.8 quake injured 1,556 people , and 45 people had been pulled from the rubble so far , the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency ( AFAD ) said .
As overnight temperatures dropped to -5 degrees Celsius ( 23 degrees Fahrenheit ) , emergency teams set up more than 9,500 tents for displaced residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rescue teams concentrated their efforts in the Mustafa Pasa neighbourhood of the city of Elazig and the nearby town of Sivrice , the closest residential area to the epicenter of Friday night ’ s quake .
Turkish television showed Ayse Yildiz , 35 , and her 2-year-old daughter Yusra being saved from a collapsed apartment building in Mustafa Pasa district .
They had been trapped for 28 hours after the earthquake struck .
Nearly 600 aftershocks rocked the region as rescue teams worked .
A magnitude 4.3 quake hit Puturge district in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFAD said .
Friday ’ s main quake hit at 8:55 p.m. local time ( 1755 GMT ) .
Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey , which sits atop two major fault lines .
A pair of strong earthquakes struck northwest Turkey in 1999 , killing around 18,000 people .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Survivor in Slovenia turns 100 on Holocaust Remembrance Day

RAKEK , Slovenia - For Marija Frlan it ’ s as symbolic as it can get : A survivor of a Nazi concentration camp during World War II , the Slovenian woman turns 100 years old on Monday , the international Holocaust Remembrance Day .
Frlan , who was held at the Nazi ’ s Ravensbruck camp in northern Germany for over a year in 1944-45 , will join other survivors and officials in Poland on Monday for ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Ahead of the ceremonies , Frlan told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ length about what it was like in the Ravensbruck camp , but that only those who were there really know how horrific it was .
“ The ones who didn ’ t survive this , they can ’ t understand , no , “ the energetic woman said at her home in the small village of Rakek in southwestern Slovenia .
“ It was terrible.
” Frlan said prisoners at the Nazi camp for women were given just enough food to survive and had to work throughout the day .
Obligatory inspections were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least one hour .
“ One time , the inspection was going on for four hours , “ she recalled .
“ It was a rainy day .
It is impossible to explain if you weren ’ t there.
” Women at the camp encouraged each other not to give up , telling one another “ Girls , hold on !
“ and “ No moaning !
” she recalled .
The Ravensbruck concentration camp was the second in size only to the women ’ s camp in Auschwitz , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the war , some 50,000 prisoners , mostly women , were held at the camp .
Frlan was shipped to Ravensbruck in March 1944 from a prison in her native Slovenia .
After having to clean the the offices of the secret Gestapo police for nine months , Frlan was jailed for helping the resistance movement in Slovenia in a bombing .
“ The Gestapo knew that I was responsible for the bombs , “ she said .
“ So they took me to prison.
” It was then that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
He was captured too and executed soon after .
“ We even couldn ’ t say hello , “ she said .
“ That was it.
” Frlan was sent to Ravensbruck on train via Munich with a group of other prisoners .
The only meal she had in five days was a bowl of soup and three loaves of bread .
The inmates at Raversbruck came from some 30 countries , with the biggest number from Poland .
Soviet troops liberated the camp in April 1945 .
With the Red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prisoners to walk out of the camp toward the front lines , Frlan said .
The march continued until early May .
“ Suddenly , there were no Germans anymore and a Russian soldier appeared on a horse , “ she remembered .
“ He said : The war is over !
” The prisoners from Slovenia and other nations in the former Yugoslavia then decided to walk back home together , Frlan said .
Once she was back in Slovenia , the despair hit again .
“ I had lost my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ she said .
“ Nothing.
” Still , Frlan managed to get back on her feet .
She married again and had a family , giving birth to six children .
She worked as a cleaner and factory worker after the war and even climbed Slovenia ’ s highest Alpine peak of Triglav at the age of 70 .
Her family — Frlan has survived her second husband and three of her children — is planning a big birthday party in the village once she returns from Poland .
Still generally healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Frlan always keeps a magnifying glass close by because of poor eyesight .
So what is her recipe for longevity ?
“ I always worked hard , “ she said .


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--German military resumes training troops in northern Iraq

BERLIN - The German military resumed training Iraqi troops in the country ’ s Kurdish north on Sunday , about three weeks after it was suspended following the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general in Baghdad .
The military said the commander of the international operation fighting the Islamic State group lifted the suspension .
Germany resumed training in Irbil on Sunday morning together with its partners .
The Bundeswehr has about 90 soldiers in Irbil .
However , Germany ’ s training mission in central Iraq is still suspended and there was no immediate word on whether or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 soldiers out of Iraq from bases in Taji and Baghdad on Jan. 7 , most of them to neighbouring Jordan .
That was described as a temporary measure .
The decision was made after the Jan. 3 killing by the United States of Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani drastically raised regional tensions and escalated a crisis between Washington and Tehran .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--China temporarily bans wildlife trade in wake of outbreak

BEIJING - The outbreak of a new virus linked to a wildlife market in central China is prompting renewed calls for enforcement of laws against the trade in and consumption of exotic species .
It ’ s also raising questions about how it could happen again after the lessons learned from the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS , or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome , which was traced to consumption of wild animals in the southern city of Guangzhou .
Demand for wild animals in Asia , especially China , is hastening the extinction of many species , on top of posing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to fully address despite growing risks of a global pandemic .
In response to the crisis that has been centred in the big industrial city of Wuhan , China ’ s Agriculture Ministry issued an order earlier this week ordering tightened controls on trade in wildlife .
The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society , meanwhile , appealed for an end to wildlife markets everywhere , not just in China .
Zoonotic diseases , or those contracted by humans that originated in other species , account for a large share of human infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the wildlife trade : rabies is endemic across many species and one of the biggest causes of death in the developing world .
But mixing species of wild animals increases the risk of diseases mutating and growing more virulent as they spread in unregulated markets , experts say .
The emergence of such diseases is a “ numbers game , ” said Christian Walzer , executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society ’ s health program .
“ If these markets persist , and human consumption of illegal and unregulated wildlife persists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face heightened risks from emerging new viruses , potentially more lethal and the source of future pandemic spread , ” he said .
“ These are perfect laboratories for creating opportunities for these viruses to emerge.
“ The order issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs , dated Jan. 21 , banned all shipments of wild animals out of Wuhan .
It also called for stepped up inspections and for raising public awareness about the risks of eating them .
Researchers have not yet announced a definitive source for this latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can infect multiple species .
One of the first measures taken by Wuhan authorities was to close down the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market , where 41 of the first cases originated .
“ That ’ s the big black box right now , ” said Jon Epstein , an epidemiologist with the Ecohealth Alliance .
He was in China following the SARS outbreak and helped the ongoing global effort over nearly two decades to find the wild source of that virus , which sickened more than 8,000 and killed less than 800 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including bats and the cat-like masked palm civet .
Bats are known to harbour coronaviruses , but scientists have yet to fully understand the new virus and how it leapt from animals to people .
Epstein said researchers suspect but haven ’ t proven that the Wuhan virus came from bats .
Before it infected humans , it likely first jumped to an as yet unidentified mammal .
“ There ’ s no plausible evidence to support snakes being involved with this virus , ” Epstein said , referring to recent media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nature .
Researchers don ’ t know which species exactly were sold in the Wuhan market , but Epstein said mammals commonly found in such markets—such as ferret badgers , raccoon dogs or civets—might be involved in the transmission of the new virus to people .
The crackdown on wildlife trafficking and sales persisted only about six months after the SARS outbreak faded in mid-2003 , Walzer said .
“ The solution is simple , ” he said .
“ In the sense that we know where the problem is.
” In cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s little sign of markets catering to gourmands seeking “ ye wei , ” or “ wild flavours.
” But in provincial cities and in some parts of Laos , Vietnam , Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries , those determined to eat such exotic dishes can find all sorts of creatures for sale : pangolins , badgers , salamanders , scorpions , hedgehogs and even wolf puppies .
A photo of a menu list from a vendor in the Wuhan market called “ Wild Game Livestock for the Masses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 110 species for sale .
Court records show that authorities in Hubei , the province where Wuhan is located , investigated 250 cases related to wildlife trafficking and poaching in 2019 alone .
According to local media reports , since 2018 an estimated 16,000 wild animals were hunted in the province of more than 60 million people .
Hubei is home to Shennongjia , a UNESCO World Heritage nature reserve that is a habitat of great biodiversity with many rare species including the clouded leopard , golden snub-nosed monkey and the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conservation activist in eastern China ’ s Zhejiang and Anhui provinces , which also have a long tradition of consuming wild species , showed many wild species laid out for inspection in a market .
In most cases , vendors are registered to sell some unprotected species , usually a limited amount of just a few , such as hares , wild boar and muntjac , a kind of tiny deer .
But enforcement is “ not that strict , ” said Tian Jiang Ming of the Anti-Poaching Squad , a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on illegal wildlife sales .
The illegal offerings tend to be kept hidden away in back freezers , he said .
“ The vendors are selling illegally poached animals with these licenses in hand , “ he told The Associated Press .
Only in 2014 did China criminalize consumption of protected species with a law specifying a maximum three-year jail term .
But it also has allowed commercial farming of certain species , including tigers — a practice that conservation advocates say encourages illicit trafficking in protected species .
It ’ s difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to prove animals have been poached , Tian Jiang Ming said .
“ The forestry department needs to prove illegal poaching by the sellers but they don ’ t have the investigative resources to find them , “ he said .

Sam McNeil, Penny Yi Wang And Elaine Kurtenbach - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Netanyahu hopes to ‘make history’ with White House visit

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he hopes to “ make history ” during his upcoming trip to the White House for the expected unveiling of President Donald Trump ’ s Mideast peace plan .
Addressing his Cabinet shortly before departing for Washington , Netanyahu described the current environment , characterized by close ties with Trump , as a once in a lifetime opportunity for Israel that “ we must not miss.
“ Trump ’ s plan is expected to be extremely favourable to Israel .
“ We are in the midst of very dramatic political events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ For three years I have discussed with President Trump and his team our security and national needs — dozens of discussions and hundreds of hours .
In all of these talks , I found a receptive ear in the White House for the essential needs of the state of Israel , ” he said .
“ I am going to Washington with a great sense of purposes , great responsibility and great chance , and I am hopeful we can make history.
” The plan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems to have little chance of success .
The Palestinians , accusing Trump of being unfairly biased toward Israel , have already rejected it .
But the plan could give Netanyahu , who is in the middle of his third re-election campaign in under a year , a lift as he tries to remain in office while fighting criminal charges of fraud , breach of trust and accepting bribes .
Netanyahu has tried to divert attention away from his legal troubles and focus his campaign on his close ties with Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused his campaign on Netanyahu ’ s criminal charges and expected trial .
Gantz announced on Saturday that he would also be going to Washington for a private meeting with Trump .
He turned down a joint appearance with Netanyahu at the White House , fearing the prime minister would use it to upstage him .
Instead , Gantz will quickly return to Israel to proceed with his plans in parliament to block a request by Netanyahu to receive immunity from prosecution .


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Grenade attack on Afghan wedding injures 20, including kids

KABUL - An hand grenade attack on an Afghan wedding ceremony wounded at least 20 people , including several children , a provincial official said Sunday .
At least one of the injured children was in critical condition , said Adel Haider , a spokesman for the police chief of the eastern Khost province , which borders Pakistan .
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Saturday night ’ s attack .
There was no evidence that the Taliban were behind the attack , although they have a strong presence in the area .
Haider said the Taliban ’ s ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to believe that they could have been the culprits .
But it ’ s also common in that part of Afghanistan to settle personal vendettas with such attacks .
Haider said police are investigating all possible motives and so far no one has come forward with any information about tribal rivalries involving the wedding party .
All of the injured wedding guests were men , but it was not immediately clear if the groom was injured in the attack , Haider said .
Last August , a suicide bomber from the Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a wedding in Kabul , the deadliest attack in the capital in 2019 .
The Taliban , which the U.S. hopes will help curb the IS affiliate ’ s rise , condemned the attack as “ forbidden and unjustifiable.
” The Taliban control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan , staging near-daily attacks .
They usually target Afghan and U.S. forces , but scores of civilians die in the crossfire .
The Taliban and the U.S. are currently holding peace talks in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The negotiations have become bogged down over a mechanism that will end or substantially reduce hostilities .
A reduction in violence would allow a U.S.-Taliban peace agreement to be signed , letting America bring its troops home after 18 years of war .
The peace deal would also start negotiations between Afghans on both sides of the conflict to determine what the country ’ s post-war landscape would look like .


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--India celebrates Republic Day with military parade

NEW DELHI - Thousands of Indians converged on a ceremonial boulevard in the capital amid tight security to celebrate the Republic Day on Sunday , which marks the 1950 anniversary of the country ’ s democratic constitution .
During the celebrations , schoolchildren , folk dancers , and police and military battalions marched through New Delhi ’ s parade route , followed by a military hardware display .
Beyond the show of military power , the parade also included ornate floats highlighting India ’ s cultural diversity as men , women and children in colorful dresses performed traditional dances , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90-minute event , broadcast live , was watched by millions of Indians on their television sets across the country .
Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro was the chief guest for this year ’ s celebrations .
He was accorded the ceremonial Guard of Honor by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhawan , the sprawling presidential palace .
Bolsonaro joined the two Indian leaders as the military parade marched through a central avenue near the Presidential Palace .
At the parade , Bolsonaro watched keenly as mechanized columns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locally made nuclear-capable missile systems and other hardware rolled down the parade route and air force jets sped by overhead .
Apart from attending the Republic Day celebrations , Bolsonaro ’ s visit was also aimed at strengthening trade and investment ties across a range of fields between the two countries .
On Saturday , Modi and Bolsonaro reached an agreement to promote investment in each other ’ s country .
Before the parade , Modi paid homage to fallen soldiers at the newly built National War Memorial in New Delhi as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover .
Smaller parades were also held in the state capitals .
Police said five grenades were lobbed in the eastern Assam state by separatist militants who have routinely boycotted the Republic Day celebrations .
No one was injured , police said .
Sunday ’ s blasts also come at a time when Assam has been witnessing continuous protests against the new citizenship law that have spread to many Indian states .
The law approved in December provides a fast-track to naturalization for persecuted religious minorities from some neighbouring Islamic countries , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of people from different faiths and backgrounds together , in part because the law is seen by critics as part of a larger threat to the secular fabric of Indian society .
Associated Press writer Wasbir Hussain contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Philippine volcano alert lowered, thousands return home

MANILA , Philippines - Philippine authorities on Sunday lowered the alert level at Taal Volcano , two weeks after it began spewing ash , steam and rocks , a move that will allow many of the more than 376,000 displaced villagers to return home .
A popular tourist destination just south of Manila because of its picturesque setting in the middle of a lake , Taal erupted on Jan. 12 .
It caused no known deaths but delivered an early crisis this year for one of the world ’ s most disaster-prone nations .
“ Taal volcano ’ s condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined into less frequent volcanic earthquake activity , decelerated ground deformation ... and weak steam and gas emissions at the main crater , ” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said .
The government ’ s agency lowered the alert level from 4 to 3 , which means there ’ s a “ decreased tendency toward a hazardous eruption.
” The highest level-5 alert indicates a major and much more dangerous eruption .
The agency also reduced to half the danger zone where residents have to be evacuated , from the 14-kilometre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Taal had last erupted 43 years ago .
“ We have to be careful of Taal because of the danger it may still bring , so at the lower level , there should be heightened preparedness .
People should brace for rapid evacuation , ” Renato Solidum , the head of the institute , said in a televised news conference .
Mayor Daniel Reyes of Agoncillo , a town along the western shores of Taal Lake overlooking the island where the volcano lies , said he was relieved but remained concerned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ still not return home because of the towns ’ proximity to the volcano .
“ It ’ s somehow a relief but we ’ re still under a total lockdown , ” Reyes told The Associated Press , adding all the 44,000 villagers of his town will remain in evacuation centres .
More than 376,000 people fled to safety from ash-blanketed towns and cities in hard-hit Batangas province .
Nearly half of them sought accommodation in some 500 state-run emergency shelters , mostly school and government buildings .
The eruption had shut Manila @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night due to volcanic ash , forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights .
A thriving tourism industry in Batangas and in upland Tagaytay city , where hundreds of hotels , venues , spas and parks have benefited from its vantage view of one of the world ’ s smallest volcanoes , came to a halt for days .
Resort towns around Taal Lake resembled ash-covered ghost towns .
Police set up barricades and checkpoints to prevent residents from sneaking back to the danger zone to check their homes , rescue pets or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sparking arguments .
The 1,020-foot ( 311-meter ) Taal is the second-most restive of about two dozen active Philippine volcanoes and precariously lies near densely populated areas .
On the small island where the volcano lies , more than 5,000 villagers , many of them working as tourist guides , fled as the ground shook and the volcano belched a tall plume of dark-gray ash and steam into the sky .
Hundreds of horses , cows and other animals were left behind .
The Philippine archipelago lies in the so-called Pacific “ Ring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region around the ocean basin , where most of the world ’ s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur .


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Democratic race in Iowa heats up as caucus approaches

DES MOINES , Iowa - Democratic presidential candidates roared back into Iowa on Saturday touting fresh endorsements , critiquing their rivals and predicting victories in the caucuses that will soon launch the process of deciding who will challenge President Donald Trump .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she was “ delighted “ to pick up a coveted endorsement from The Des Moines Register .
The state ’ s largest newspaper called the Massachusetts Democrat “ the best leader for these times ” and said she “ is not the radical some perceive her to be.
“ But Warren ’ s progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , predicted victory in Iowa and campaigned alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , one of the most prominent leaders on the left .
Joe Biden , meanwhile , appeared for the first time alongside Rep. Cindy Axne , D-Iowa , who is the latest in a growing list of local politicians backing the former vice-president ’ s candidacy .
And Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , sought to position himself a Washington outsider above the partisan fray .
But as the candidates set out to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volatility of the race was evident .
Several candidates began their day in Washington , sitting as jurors in Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
They will have to return to Capitol Hill early next week as the trial continues , sidelining them from campaigning during a critical period .
More fundamentally , there ’ s no clear front-runner despite the fact that many candidates have now spent more than a year courting Iowans .
A New York Times/Siena College poll released Saturday showed Sanders with a slight — but not commanding — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show Biden , Buttigieg and Warren remain among the front-runners .
“ There ’ s still plenty of time for movement , ” said Kurt Meyer , chairman of the Tri-County Democrats in northern Iowa .
“ Every part of the ground game counts.
” Still , Sanders returned to Iowa exuding a sense of confidence .
Hundreds of supporters filled the municipal auditorium in Ames and additional voters crowded an overflow room .
Earlier in the night , he told voters in Marshalltown that he had an “ excellent chance to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his is the only campaign that can weave broad support from voters .
“ I believe that our campaign , our energy , our grassroots movement , our agenda is the approach that will speak to working people who , in many cases , have given up on politics , ” he said .
“ I think we will resonate with them .
I think we have in the past , I think we will in the future.
” Polls suggest Biden also has a substantial appeal among Democratic voters , especially African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Sanders in the past , he kept his focus instead on the threat of four more years of Trump in the White House .
“ I don ’ t believe we are the dark , angry nation that Donald Trump tweets about at night , “ he told a large crowd in Ankeny .
“ We are so much better than Donald Trump.
” Biden scored the endorsement of the Sioux City Journal , which called him “ the candidate best positioned to give Americans a competitive head-to-head matchup with President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at attracting support from “ independents and disgruntled Republicans.
” Compared to Biden , Buttigieg was more dire in his reaction to the prospect of Sanders gaining strength in the Democratic contest .
Hours after The New York Times/Siena College poll was released , his campaign sent an email to supporters with the subject line : “ Bernie Sanders could be the nominee.
“ “ We need a nominee who can galvanize our country , “ the email said .
“ The Trump presidency will end one way or another , and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can rally this country around a vision for the next generation .
We know that candidate is Pete.
” “ Speaking to reporters later in the day , Buttigieg stopped short of directly hitting Sanders , but noted that “ we are getting into the heart of the competition.
“ “ I believe that we should be very mindful that the very worst risk we can take at a time like this is to recycle the same Washington-style of political warfare that that brought us to this point , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to win , and I sure do , then the best thing we could do is put forward a candidate who offers something new.
“ Sen. Amy Klobuchar campaigned in Muscatine , Iowa , but won a key newspaper endorsement in New Hampshire , which hosts the first-in-the-nation primary just a week after Iowa ’ s caucuses .
The Union Leader picked the Minnesota Democrat after saying any realistic challenger to Trump called for a nominee with “ a proven and substantial record of accomplishment across party lines , an ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strength and stamina to go toe-to-toe with the Tweeter-in-Chief.
“ Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut in Washington , Thomas Beaumont in Storm Lake , Iowa , Sara Burnett in Muscatine , Iowa , and Will Weissert in Marshalltown , Iowa contributed to this report


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--US Consulate to evacuate staff from epidemic-stricken Wuhan

BEIJING - The U.S. Consulate in the epidemic-stricken Chinese city of Wuhan will evacuate its personnel and some private citizens @ @ @ @ @ .
A notice Sunday from the embassy in Beijing said there would be limited capacity @ @ @ @ @ the flight that will proceed directly to San Francisco .
It said that in the @ @ @ @ @ seats , priority will be given to to individuals “ at greater risk from coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ disease that has sickened 1,975 people and killed 56 , almost all in Wuhan .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Mexican women protest murders of activists, target monuments

MEXICO CITY - Several hundred feminist activists warmed up with chants Saturday next to a monument to murdered Mexican women before filling a street in the capital and dousing female police officers with red paint .
It was the latest in a series of rowdy all-female protests that have flooded central avenues since August , when thousands of women took to the streets of Mexico City in anger over the alleged rape of a teenager by city police and rampant violence against women .
Now , the feminists themselves feel like targets after two of their fellow activists were murdered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
“ Once again the women are taking to the streets to shout to society that they are killing us , ” said Nelly Ornelas , 24 , who belongs to a collective called Love is Not Violence , which seeks to stamp out domestic violence .
On average , 10 women are murdered every day in Mexico , making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women .
Only one of every 10 reported crimes in Mexico results in jail time .
Ornelas thinks the shooting death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist Isabel Cabanillas in Ciudad Juarez , a city just south of El Paso , Texas , was meant as a message to the women who are fighting for greater safety .
“ Since the authorities are indifferent , lazy , the men think that they can keep killing women .
So the feminists , we are going to keep going out until they learn to respect us , ” said Ornelas .
Nearby , mothers and sisters of murdered women took turns at a microphone to describe how their girls were murdered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perpetrators remain free .
Many family members receive death threats for their pursuit of justice .
Tears streamed down the face of teenager Tessa Lagunas as she listened to the tales .
“ Sometimes I feel like staying home and not going anywhere , ” she said , as her mother consoled her .
In August , female protesters shocked Mexico by trashing a bus station , police precinct and spray-painting messages like “ rape state ” onto the base of the Angel of Independence , a major monument in the capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who complained about the graffiti , the protesters argued , care more about statues than real women .
Defacing monuments along the city ’ s stately Reforma Avenue has since become a priority for some , who wear masks to conceal their identities .
On Saturday the masked protesters poured red paint onto a statue of a man riding a pegasus , threw a flaming projectile at a statue of explorer Christopher Columbus and tied a green bandanna -a symbol of abortion rights- around the ankle of a statue of French chemist Louis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to get our anger out and also to give visibility to the movement , ” said a 19-year-old with a black mask on her face .
Lines of female police in riot helmets stood shoulder to shoulder in an effort to protect the monuments .
The protesters shifted directions at several points , resulting in an elaborate game of cat and mouse that blocked traffic on key arteries for several hours .
The protesters shouted “ traitor !
” at the female officers , who pursed their lips and resisted fighting back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uniform briefly caught fire from a Molotov cocktail .
“ Really , we are with them , ” said a veteran female police officer whose face was splattered with red paint .


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Coronavirus outbreak underscores potential health risks in China’s wild-animal trade

TOKYO — China failed to learn one of the most important lessons of the SARS outbreak eight years ago — that wild-animal markets are a potent breeding ground for disease with the possibility of ailments jumping to humans , health experts say .
SARS , severe acute respiratory syndrome , was thought to have originated in masked palm civets , a tree-dwelling mammal native to parts of Asia .
The trigger point for the current coronavirus remains unclear ; scientists are looking closely at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan , which despite its name also appeared to be selling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , snakes and marmots .
China implemented controls on wildlife markets after the SARS epidemic , but those controls soon evaporated .
The country remains a major consumer of wild and endangered animals for meat , as well as in traditional medicine .
Yuen Kwok-yung at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital , one of the authors of a new study on coronavirus and a leading authority on SARS , said the wild-animal or game-meat trade had been rekindled since the SARS outbreak ended in 2003 .
The SARS outbreak claimed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is understandable that change of food or eating culture is always a difficult issue , ” he wrote in an email .
“ But the lesson of this major epidemic is that the life , ecosystem and habitat of wildlife must be respected.
” Viruses from wildlife can easily mutate and jump from animals to humans , and then from humans to humans , he said .
“ The price of such an epidemic is staggering and this should not be allowed to happen again.
” Struggling to contain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel bans on 15 cities in central Hubei province — effectively placing 48 million people on lockdown — and has granted itself wide-ranging emergency powers across the country to enforce blockades , requisition housing and transport , and close businesses and schools .
China has been praised for reacting more swiftly and more transparently to this latest outbreak than with SARS in 2002 , when it was widely accused of initially trying to cover up the epidemic .
A study published in the Lancet medical journal Friday confirmed the current outbreak is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closest to the SARS-related coronaviruses found in Chinese horseshoe bats .
Some scientists believe another species was involved in transmitting the disease to humans , but no consensus has emerged on which animal , with theories ranging from snakes to mink .
“ Wild-animal markets are a Petri dish for an epidemic and an unacceptable risk that should be consigned to history as soon as possible , ” said Peter Knights of WildAid , a San Francisco-based group that works to end wildlife trade .
“ Stress , dehydration , malnourishment , filthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and domestic , are the perfect cocktail to create a new deadly disease and basing them in urban centers ensures a quick and wide dispersal to wider world , ” he said .
The trade represents a massive risk to human health and economies in parts of Asia as well as in Africa , he said .
“ After SARS and now this China urgently needs a strictly enforced ban on these markets and a massive awareness campaign to reduce demand for bushmeat , ” he said .
China has shown it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it wants to , banning the ivory trade at the end of 2017 and enforcing a customs crackdown on ivory smuggling .
But a strong lobby within the government , led by the State Forestry Administration , see wild animals not as something to be protected but generally as a resource that can be utilized .
The Wuhan city government closed the seafood market at the beginning of January after the first cases of coronavirus emerged in people working there .
On the Weibo social media platform , a user posted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wild chickens , snakes and marmots .
“ There was even a signboard saying that they have live monkeys and deer for sale , ” the post said , according to China Daily .
This provides “ ideal conditions for the emergence of new viruses that threaten human health , economic stability , and ecosystem health , ” Christian Walzer , executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society health program said in a statement .
“ The re-assortment and exchange of viral components between species at live animal markets is seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Walzer cited avian influenza , swine influenza , SARS and MERS , or Middle East respiratory syndrome , as examples of diseases originating in animals and subsequently transmitted between humans “ creating the conditions for a rapid global pandemic spread .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-25--Authorities ID woman killed in downtown Seattle shooting

SEATTLE - Authorities identified the woman who was killed in a downtown Seattle shooting that also wounded seven people and raised questions about safety in the city ’ s centre .
The King County Medical Examiner ’ s Office said Friday that Tanya Jackson , 50 , a resident of a group housing facility , was killed in the shooting Wednesday night , the Seattle Times reported .
Jackson was in a good mood when she left Plymouth Housing to go downtown , said Kelli Larsen , chief program officer at the facility for people who suffer from physical- and/or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional housing on their own challenging .
“ She said ‘ Bye ’ and she had a great big smile on her face , ” said Larsen , who was told of the exchange by one of her staff members .
Jackson had a reputation as always being joyful among the staff members who managed her building , A.L .
Humphrey House in Seattle ’ s Belltown neighbourhood , the Times reported .
“ She had a very rich life , ” Larsen said .
Like others who were caught in the crossfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her day like she always did .
“ It ’ s just not right , ” Larsen said .
“ It shouldn ’ t happen.
” Harbourview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg said two shooting victims remained hospitalized Saturday and that a 9-year-old boy who was shot was released from the hospital Friday afternoon .
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said a 21-year-old man wounded in the shooting is also a suspected shooter who was arrested at the hospital Wednesday night on a charge of unlawful gun possession .
Best said police were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dangerous : Marquise Latrelle Tolbert and William Ray Tolliver , both 24 .
Records show both have lengthy arrest records , and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said both have gang connections .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--The Latest: NTSB sending team to Kobe Bryant crash site

LOS ANGELES - The Latest on the death of retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant ( all times local ) : The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team of 18 people to the scene of the helicopter crash that killed NBA icon Kobe Bryant and eight others .
NTSB member Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference that investigators will look at the pilot ’ s history , the maintenance records and information on the helicopter ’ s owner and operator .
Homendy said investigators were not sure how many people the aircraft was configured to carry .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S-76 .
Michael Jordan has reacted to the news about the death of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter in a helicopter crash .
“ I loved Kobe - he was like a little brother to me , ” Jordan said .
Jordan was the most notable of former and current NBA stars to express how shocked they were at the news .
Jordan commended Bryant for his fierce competitive streak and called him “ one of the greats of the game.
” Bryant ’ s legacy is often compared to that of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , compared to Jordan ’ s six .
Authorities say nine people died in the helicopter crash that killed former NBA star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter .
Initial reports indicated that Bryant was among five people killed in the crash .
At the news conference , authorities also described the fiery wreckage and scene that was difficult to access after the crash at 10 a.m. A source familiar with the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant says the former NBA star ’ s 13-year-old daughter was among those onboard who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anonymity because details of the crash had not been released publicly .
The crash happened around 10 a.m. Sunday about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles .
Five people were killed in the crash , which remains under investigation .
The Grammy Awards pre-telecast ceremony opened with a moment of silence for Kobe Bryant .
Interim Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. opened the ceremony where dozens of Grammys are handed out before the main show , telling attendees , “ As most of you may know , we lost Kobe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ “ Since we are in his house , I would ask you to join me in a moment of silence , ” Mason said .
Artists arriving at the show reacted to Bryant ’ s death and his influence .
British artist Labrinth said : “ It was insane news to hear this morning .
He ’ s been part of my life for a very long time .
...
I couldn ’ t believe it.
” Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash Sunday .
He was 41 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells the AP that Bryant died in a crash near Calabasas , California .
It was unclear if other family members were on the helicopter .
Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers .
Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading scorer in NBA history and held that spot until LeBron James overtook him Saturday night .


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Who can topple Trump? Dems’ electability fight rages in Iowa

DES MOINES , Iowa - The urgent fight for the Democratic presidential nomination raged across Iowa on Sunday as the party ’ s leading candidates scrambled to deliver closing arguments centred on the defining question of the 2020 primary : Who can beat President Donald Trump ?
Former Vice-President Joe Biden demonstrated the breadth of his appeal by appearing at separate events with Catholics , union members and African Americans .
He told black voters with a smile that “ I ’ ve gone to more black churches than you have , probably , because I ’ m older.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the heart of the progressive movement pitted Elizabeth Warren against Bernie Sanders with dueling rallies 200 miles apart as they raced to reach voters before being forced back to Washington when Trump ’ s impeachment trial resumed Monday .
With Iowa ’ s first-in-the-nation caucuses just eight days away , it was unclear when the senators would be able to return to the state .
“ We got ta win , ” Warren told several hundred people in Davenport , on the eastern edge of the state .
“ And also , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Women win .
The world changed when Donald Trump got elected.
” At another rally in Cedar Rapids , a voter asked why people should caucus for Warren instead of Sanders .
She replied : “ I know how to fight and I know how to win.
” Sanders and a collection of high-profile surrogates made an equally aggressive case in the rural community of Perry in central Iowa , having spent much of the weekend highlighting his ability to energize what Sanders has often called “ a multi-generational , multi-racial , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to win here in Iowa is we have the strongest grassroots movement of any campaign , ” Sanders said .
The candidates were running out of time to change the direction of the high-stakes nomination fight ahead of Iowa ’ s Feb. 3 caucuses , the first of four primary contests in February in which momentum is critical .
Establishment-minded Democrats were increasingly concerned about Sanders ’ strength , fearing that the 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist might be too radical to beat Trump this fall should he win the nomination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign teased a general election attack against Sanders .
The Vermont senator had spent much of the day before campaigning alongside New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , and the president ’ s team sent out an email with the title “ Socialist invasion.
” “ Why is radical socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spending so much time campaigning for Bernie ?
Because he ’ s the godfather of her extreme agenda and socialist vision for America , ” the email said .
Seizing on concerns about Sanders , Democratic rival Sen. Amy Klobuchar told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was more electable and would be a better candidate at the top of the ticket than the Vermont senator .
“ My argument is that I will make our tent bigger , our coalition wider , and my coattails ( are ) longer , ” Klobuchar said .
“ I actually have the receipts .
I do not come from a state that ’ s as blue as Vermont.
” The youngest candidate in the race , 38-year-old Pete Buttigieg , also played up warnings about Sanders — at least in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , Buttigieg ’ s campaign sent a message to supporters warning that the Vermont senator might become the nominee .
Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , insisted that “ it is time for something new ” as he courted more than 1,000 people at an elementary school in West Des Moines .
“ We can not run the risk of trying to defeat this president with the same Washington political warfare mentality that brought us to this point , ” he said , declining to single out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is time for something different .
It is time to turn the page.
” As a deep sense of uncertainty loomed over the Iowa contest , Trump ’ s impeachment trial remained a major complication .
Four candidates will be compelled by the Constitution to sit as jurors in Trump ’ s Senate impeachment trial .
The proceedings make it virtually impossible for the senators — Sanders , Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Michael Bennet of Colorado — to appear in Iowa during the week , although there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be over by week ’ s end .
As Iowa drew the most focus , billionaire candidate Tom Steyer reminded union workers in Nevada , which hosts the third contest on the primary calendar , that he hasn ’ t forgotten about them .
“ I ’ m know that I ’ m the only person who showed up here , ” Steyer told reporters at a union conference in Las Vegas .
“ I try to show up and show that I care.
” Back in Iowa , Warren tried to maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement from The Des Moines Register .
The newspaper called her “ the best leader for these times “ and said she “ is not the radical some perceive her to be ” even if “ some of her ideas for ‘ big , structural change ’ go too far.
” Warren leaned into her gender as she courted several hundred voters at an elementary school gymnasium in Davenport .
“ We took back the House and we took back statehouses around the nation because of women candidates and the women who get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
Biden scored the endorsement of the Sioux City Journal , which called him “ the candidate best positioned to give Americans a competitive head-to-head matchup with President Trump ” and said he would be best at attracting support from “ independents and disgruntled Republicans.
” The former vice-president ’ s itinerary reflected his ability to assemble just that kind of coalition .
A devout Catholic , Biden attended Mass in Des Moines in the morning , spoke at a union hall and then faced a gathering of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I was raised in the black church politically .
Not a joke , ” Biden told a man who asked about his engagement with the faith-based minority community .
“ That ’ s where my political identity comes from , ” he said of the black community .
Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont and Bill Barrow in Des Moines , Iowa , Sara Burnett in Davenport , Iowa , Will Weissert in Perry , Iowa and Michelle Price in Las Vegas contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Mexican march for peace swarmed by angry protesters

MEXICO CITY - A four-day pilgrimage by family members of murdered or missing Mexicans culminated in a tense confrontation in the capital ’ s main square Sunday as supporters of Mexico ’ s president hurled insults at the families — including dozens of Mormons with dual U.S.-citizenship .
Fervent followers of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador swarmed the Caravan for Truth , Justice and Peace as it neared the National Palace with the intention of leaving a letter for the president .
“ Leave the country !
“ they yelled , accusing the victims ’ families of being provocateurs or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president .
The hostilities underscored the difficulties of bringing peaceful solutions to a country shaken by frequent and brutal killings that often go unpunished .
There were nearly 35,000 homicides in Mexico last year — a record high for the country and a disappointing figure for López Obrador ’ s first full year in office .
That works out to a rate of roughly 23 killings per 100,000 people , compared with five per 100,000 in the United States .
Tens of thousands more Mexicans have gone missing over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their final resting places and little help from authorities in tracking them down .
Members of the LeBaron Mormon community in northern Mexico lent their voice to the protest Sunday .
Their settlement was upended in November when gunmen ambushed a convoy travelling on a rugged mountain road a few hours drive south of Arizona .
Three American women and six of their children were killed .
The LeBaron community traces its origins to a polygamist group that left the U.S. for Mexico several generations ago , after the Mormon Church banned plural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and four grandchildren in the November attack .
Before the slayings , he said , he was like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand — “ unaware of the massacre taking place in Mexico.
” “ Now , I have lifted my head to never bury it again , ” LeBaron said .
Critics have accused LeBaron of seeking attention .
He said staying silent would be an insult to the memory of his daughter and grandchildren and counterproductive for the hopes he has for Mexico to be a safer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shame to not give a face to a tragedy like this , ” LeBaron said .
Lenzo Widmar , another member of the LeBaron community , encouraged those walking in the protest march to remove a shoe in honour of 9-year-old Mackenzie , a survivor of the attack on the Mormons who trekked more than 10 kilometres ( six miles ) semi-barefoot to summon help for her wounded siblings .
Widmar said marches like the one in Mexico City are an opportunity to draw attention to the many other cases of slain and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw much attention from the media , or even a proper investigation by police .
Walking in the procession were women like Maria Alicia Guillen , whose 6-year-old son , Eduardo , vanished without a trace while playing marbles outside their home in the southern state of Chiapas in 2012 , and María del Carmen Volante , whose 23-year-old daughter , Pamela , was last seen at a music festival on the south side of Mexico City more than two years ago .
“ All of us Mexicans have to look to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Widmar .
“ It ’ s an embarrassment that we have this much violence in Mexico.
” As the procession advanced , trudging in silence for hours toward the presidential palace , it paused at “ anti-monuments ” positioned along Paseo de la Reforma , the capital ’ s premier boulevard , to mark searing tragedies .
Marchers shouted “ Truth !
Justice !
Peace !
” next to a pastel-colored structure marking the deaths of 49 toddlers and infants in a fire at a government daycare centre and for which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then they paused to count to 43 next to a metal installation that sits at an intersection to recall the college students of Ayotzinapa who were abducted and purportedly killed by a drug cartel working in cahoots with police .
Farther along , more than a dozen mothers of missing young men waited for the procession while holding images of their boys with personal details , such as a puma tattoo on the left forearm .
The mothers chanted : “ Son , listen .
Your mother is in the fight.
” All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extended LeBaron family : “ You are not alone !
” But when the marchers reached the central Zocalo plaza , hundreds of the president ’ s supporters briefly blocked their path while chanting phrases like : “ It ’ s an honour to be with Obrador ” and “ Get out !
” LeBaron responded from a platform while speaking into a microphone that the caravan was made up of human beings of all political stripes .
“ This is a call for conciliation , “ he said , his voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in the heart .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-26--3 missing after barge crash on Mississippi River

LULING , La .
- Three people were missing after two barge towing vessels collided Sunday on the Mississippi River in an accident that also may have released a small amount of toxic vapour into the air , the Coast Guard said .
The Coast Guard said in a news release that the two vessels collided Sunday morning near Luling , Louisiana .
The towing vessel , RC Creppel , sank , and three crew members were missing .
A fourth person aboard the vessel was rescued by a private boater .
The Coast Guard did not release the names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the river was closed to vessel traffic .
“ We will continue to keep covering the area , searching the area until we find these individuals , “ Commander Robert Trevino told reporters at a news conference .
The RC Creppel was pushing two barges carrying sulfuric acid and the barges broke away during the accident .
One of those barges was damaged in the incident and reportedly released a small amount of vapour into the air , the Coast Guard said .
Trevino said it was determined to be a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure valve was damaged and that air quality was being monitored as a precaution .
He said there are no indications of a leak .
The barge was above the waterline and penned against the bank .
St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell said there were no immediate health concerns .
He said the waterworks and industries along the river were told to close water intakes from the river as a precaution .
“ This is a complex response that has a search-and-rescue component , as well as a pollution component that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Capt .
Kristi Luttrell , the Commanding Officer of Sector New Orleans , said in a statement .
The other towing vessel involved in the accident is named the Cooperative Spirit .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-26--Kobe Bryant, Lakers great and basketball icon, dies in crash

LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant , the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers , died in a helicopter crash Sunday .
He was 41 .
Bryant died in the foggy hills above Calabasas , California , about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles , a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press .
A different person familiar with the case confirmed Bryant ’ s 13-year-old daughter Gianna also was killed .
Authorities said nine people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presumed dead .
No names were released .
Both of the AP ’ s unnamed sources spoke on condition of anonymity because few details of the crash had been released publicly .
The crash happened around 10 a.m. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the helicopter was a Sikorsky S-76 , and it was not known what caused the crash .
Bryant lived south of Los Angeles in coastal Orange County for much of his adult life , and he often used helicopters to save time and avoid Southern California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices and games by helicopter before his playing career ended in 2016 , and he kept up the practice after retirement as he attended to his business ventures .
The crash occurred about 20 miles from Mamba Sports Academy , Bryant ’ s basketball training complex in Thousand Oaks , California .
Bryant , who had four daughters with his wife , Vanessa , dedicated himself to boosting women ’ s sports in recent years , coaching and mentoring basketball players .
Gianna , better known as Gigi , was a talented basketball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago as the third-leading scorer in NBA history , finishing two decades with the Lakers as a prolific shooter with a sublime all-around game and a relentless competitive ethic .
He held that spot in the league scoring ranks until Saturday night , when the Lakers ’ LeBron James passed him during a game in Philadelphia , Bryant ’ s hometown .
“ Continuing to move the game forward ( at ) KingJames , ” Bryant wrote in his last tweet .
“ Much respect my brother.
” On Saturday night , James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in any conversation with Kobe Bean Bryant , one of the all-time greatest basketball player to ever play .
One of the all-time greatest Lakers.
” News of Bryant ’ s death inspired an outpouring of grief around the sports world and beyond , but it was felt particularly painfully in Los Angeles , where Bryant was unquestionably the most popular athlete and one of the city ’ s most beloved public figures .
The Lakers ’ next game isn ’ t until Tuesday night against the crosstown rival Clippers , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jerseys and Lakers gear — spontaneously gathered at Staples Center and in the surrounding LA Live entertainment complex on Sunday , weeping and staring at video boards with Bryant ’ s image before the Grammy awards ceremony .
“ I thought he was going to live forever , ” Lakers great Magic Johnson told KCBS-TV .
“ I thought he was invincible .
...
There was nobody who took more pride in putting on that Laker uniform than Kobe .
Nobody .
He was just special .
We will miss him and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but let ’ s not forget how he impacted the world , too.
” The NBA kept its games on as scheduled when the news broke , but the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors both took voluntary 24-second shot clock violations at the start of their game in honour of Bryant , who wore No .
24 for the second half of his career .
Bryant opened a production company and entered the entertainment field in retirement .
He won an Academy Award in 2018 for his contributions to “ Dear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his relationship to the game .
He also produced content for ESPN .
In 2003 , Bryant was charged with attacking a 19-year-old employee at a Colorado resort .
He had said the two had consensual sex , and the charge was eventually dropped .
The woman later filed a civil suit against Bryant that was settled out of court .
Bryant ’ s adulation remained strong in Los Angeles even during the sexual assault allegations .
Bryant had one of the greatest careers in recent NBA history and became one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of the 16-time NBA champion Lakers franchise .
He was the league MVP in 2008 and a two-time NBA scoring champion .
He earned 12 selections to the NBA ’ s All-Defensive teams .
He teamed with Shaquille O ’ Neal in a combustible partnership to lead the Lakers to NBA titles in 2000 , 2001 and 2002 .
He later teamed with Pau Gasol to win two more titles in 2009 and 2010 .
“ There ’ s no words to express the pain I ’ m going through with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & my brother ( at ) KobeBryant , “ O ’ Neal wrote on Twitter .
“ I ’ m sick right now.
” A two-time Olympic gold medallist with the dominant U.S. team , Bryant retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final NBA game .
In December 2017 , the Lakers hung banners retiring his No .
8 and No .
24 jerseys in the Staples Center rafters in an unprecedented double honour .
Bryant looms large over the current generation of NBA players , most of whom grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work ethic and competitive spirit in the same way Bryant ’ s generation learned from Michael Jordan .
After James passed Bryant on Saturday , he remembered listening to Bryant when the superstar came to speak at a childhood basketball camp .
“ I remember one thing he said : If you want to be great at it , or want to be one of the greats , you ’ ve got to put the work in , ” James said .
James later teamed up with Bryant on the 2008 U.S. Olympic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero flaws offensively , ” James said .
“ Zero .
You backed off of him , he could shoot the 3 .
You body him up a little bit , he could go around you .
He could shoot from mid-range .
He could post .
He could make free throws .
...
He was just immortal offensively because of his skill set and his work ethic.
” Bryant was a basketball superstar for his entire adult life .
He entered the NBA draft straight out of high school in 1996 after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where his father , former NBA player Joe “ Jellybean ” Bryant , played professionally .
He spoke four languages , and was a huge part of the NBA ’ s international growth , travelling the world , connecting with athletes in other sports and celebrities .
The Lakers acquired the 17-year-old Bryant in a trade shortly after Charlotte drafted him , and he immediately became one of the most exciting and intriguing players in the sport alongside O ’ Neal , who had signed with the Lakers as a free agent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rookie , and the Lakers gradually grew into a team that won three consecutive championships .
Bryant and Spanish star Pau Gasol formed the nucleus of another championship team in 2008 , reaching three straight NBA Finals and winning two more titles .
Between those title runs and before the quiet final years of his career , Bryant accomplished innumerable feats including an 81-point game against Toronto in January 2006 .
Bryant ’ s final NBA seasons were dogged by injuries , but he still went into retirement with that jaw-dropping 60-point @ @ @ @