thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Trump signs order on police reform, doesn’t mention racism

WASHINGTON - Following weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd , President Donald Trump has signed an executive order he said would encourage better police practices .
But he made no mention of the roiling national debate over racism spawned by police killings of black people .
Trump met privately with the families of several black Americans killed in interactions with police before his Rose Garden signing ceremony and said he grieved for the lives lost and families devastated .
But he quickly shifted his tone and devoted most of his public remarks to a need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women in blue who police our streets and keep us safe.
” He characterized the officers who ’ ve used excessive force as a “ tiny ” number of outliers among “ trustworthy ” police ranks .
“ Reducing crime and raising standards are not opposite goals , “ he said before signing the order Tuesday , flanked by police officials .
Trump and Republicans in Congress have been rushing to respond to the mass demonstrations against police brutality and racial prejudice that have raged for weeks across the country in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black Americans .
It ’ s a sudden shift that underscores how quickly the protests have changed the political conversation and pressured Washington to act .
But Trump , who has faced criticism for failing to acknowledge systemic racial bias and has advocated for rougher police treatment of suspects , has continued to hold his “ law and order ” line .
At the signing event , he railed against those who committed violence during the largely peaceful protests while hailing the vast majority of officers as selfless public servants .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that tracks police officers with excessive use-of-force complaints in their records .
Many officers who wind up involved in fatal interactions have long complaint histories , including Derek Chauvin , the white Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in Floyd ’ s death .
Those records are often not made public , making it difficult to know if an officer has such a history .
The order would give police departments a financial incentive to adopt best practices and encourage co-responder programs , in which social workers join police when they respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and homelessness issues .
Trump said that , as part of the order , the use of chokeholds , which have become a symbol of police brutality , would be banned “ except if an officer ’ s life is at risk.
“ Actually , the order instructs the Justice Department to push local police departments to be certified by a “ reputable independent credentialing body ” with use-of-force policies that prohibit the use of chokeholds , except when the use of deadly force is allowed by law .
Chokeholds are already largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump hailed his efforts as “ historic , ” Democrats and other critics said he didn ’ t go nearly far enough .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said , “ One modest inadequate executive order will not make up for his decades of inflammatory rhetoric and his recent policies designed to roll back the progress that we ’ ve made in previous years.
” Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the order “ falls sadly and seriously short of what is required to combat the epidemic of racial injustice and police brutality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Kristina Roth at Amnesty International USA said the order “ amounts to a Band-Aid for a bullet wound.
“ But Trump said others want to go too far .
He framed his plan as an alternative to the “ defund the police ” movement to fully revamp departments that has emerged from the protests and that he slammed as “ radical and dangerous.
“ “ Americans know the truth : Without police there is chaos .
Without law there is anarchy and without safety there is catastrophe , “ he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and members of Congress and came after he met privately at the White House with the families of people who have been killed in interactions with police .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that many tears were shed at the meeting and “ the president was devastated.
” Trump listed the families ’ relatives who died and said : “ To all the hurting families , I want you to know that all Americans mourn by your side .
Your loved ones will not have died in vain.
” White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was “ a mutual decision ” for the families not to attend the public signing .
The White House action came as Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been rolling out their own packages of policing changes .
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina , the sole African American Republican in the Senate , has been crafting the GOP legislative package , which will include new restrictions on police chokeholds and greater use of police body cameras , among other provisions .
While the emerging GOP package isn ’ t as extensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headed for a House vote next week , it includes perhaps the most far-reaching proposed changes ever from a party that often echoes Trump ’ s “ law and order ” rhetoric .
It remains unclear whether the parties will be able to find common ground .
Though their proposals share many similar provisions — both would create a national database so officers can not transfer from one department to another without public oversight of their records , for instance — differences remain .
The Republican bill doesn ’ t go as far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of eliminating qualified immunity , which would allow people injured by law enforcement personnel to sue for damages .
The White House has said that ’ s a step too far .
As an alternative , Scott has suggested a “ decertification ” process for officers involved in misconduct .
During the Obama administration , Attorney General Eric Holder opened a series of civil rights investigations into local law enforcement practices that often ended with court-approved consent decrees that mandated reforms .
Those included Ferguson , Missouri , after the killing of Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death of Freddie Gray .
Hours before he resigned as Trump ’ s first attorney general in November 2018 , Jeff Sessions signed a memo that sharply curtailed the use of consent decrees .
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick , Kevin Freking , Colleen Long , Michael Balsamo , Alexandra Jaffe and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report .

Jill Colvin, Lisa Mascaro And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Mexico posts more high virus numbers, acknowledges plateau

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s coronavirus cases continued to increase at near-record levels Wednesday , as officials acknowledged the country is on a plateau with few signs of decrease , even as the economy starts reopening .
The Health Department reported that confirmed cases rose by 4,930 , the second-highest daily increase to date , to reach an accumulated total of 159,793 .
Deaths rose by 770 , the third-highest daily number , after one-day increases of 1,092 and 816 earlier this month .
Those death tolls rivaled those of the United States .
Mexico ’ s overall death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case and death totals are clearly undercounts because Mexico does very little testing .
Moreover , reporting has been slow and faulty .
The Mexican Social Security Institute , the nation ’ s largest health care provider , said Wednesday that 957 confirmed COVID-19 deaths had not been added to official counts because the information had not been typed into computer systems .
Mexico ’ s official toll will probably also rise when deaths at home , or deaths where no test were performed , are added .
Health officials acknowledged Mexico is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of transmission and deaths , with few if any signs of a decrease .
Despite that , business are beginning to reopen after mandatory lockdowns due to the coronavirus .
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell said the numbers indicate a “ progressive tendency of prolonging the epidemic ... longer than originally predicted.
” López-Gatell had originally predicted a peak in the epidemic in May , but the latest figures show a peak in early June .
However , because of delays in testing and reporting — and the large number of suspected coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed — it is unclear when the peak occurred or it if is still to come .
He also predicted the first wave of the epidemic may not go into definitive decline until September or October , especially in some states are just starting to be hit hard .

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada
Postal Code


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Bolton: Trump said Xi was right to detain ethnic minorities

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump told China ’ s Xi Jinping that he was right to build detention camps to house hundreds of thousands of ethnic minorities , former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton alleged in a new book that could make the president ’ s tough-on-China mantra a hard sell .
At a summit in Japan in 2019 , with only interpreters present , Xi gave Trump an explanation for the Chinese camps for Uighurs , who are ethnically and culturally distinct from the country ’ s majority Han population and are suspected of harbouring separatist tendencies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interpreter , Trump said that Xi should go ahead with building the camps , which he thought was exactly the right thing to do , ” the book said .
That would be a stunning statement coming from the president of the United States , where the First Amendment protects the right to religious beliefs and practices and prevents the government from creating or favouring a religion .
It could drive a wedge between Trump and his Republican China hawks on Capitol Hill .
It also could take some punch out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Vice-President Joe Biden as soft on China .
The Trump campaign released an online video last month that included clips of Biden previously describing that country as “ not bad folks ” and saying economic growth there was in the U.S. interest .
The Associated Press obtained an advance copy of Bolton ’ s book on Wednesday .
It was the same day that Trump signed legislation that increases pressure on China over its crackdown in Xinjiang , where authorities have detained more than a million people — from ethnic groups that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a vast network of detention centres .
Many have been subjected to torture and forced labour and deprived of adequate food and medical treatment .
The law imposes sanctions on specific Chinese officials , such as the Communist Party official who oversees government policy in Xinjiang .
In his signing statement , Trump took issue with one sanctions provision , saying it intruded on executive authority and he would regard it as non-binding .
Trump ’ s alleged comment to Xi was at odds with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment of the Uighurs .
“ In China , state-sponsored repression against all religions continues to intensify , ” Pompeo said in releasing the department ’ s latest annual International Religious Freedom report .
“ The Chinese Communist Party is now ordering religious organizations to obey CCP leadership and infuse communist dogma into their teachings and practice of their faith .
The mass detentions of Uighurs in Xinjiang continues.
” It also contradicts the position of lawmakers who have taken hard-line positions against Beijing .
Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho , chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said “ the internment of at least a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities is reprehensible and inexcusable , and the Chinese Communist Party and government must be held to account.
” Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , said the legislation was evidence that the U.S. supports the Uighurs and “ will not sit idly by as the Chinese government and communist party commit egregious human rights abuses and crimes against humanity.
” Nihad Awad , director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations , a Washington-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump signed the legislation on the same day that details of Bolton ’ s book became public .
“ We condemn President ’ s Trump ’ s reported approval of China ’ s concentration camps -- places of untold suffering , torture , abuse , rape , and death — for Uyghur Muslims , ” Awad said .
“ Congress must immediately investigate whether Trump gave his blessing to round up , imprison and oppress an ethnic religious community in concentration camps.
” The bill was expected to further inflame already tense relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration ’ s criticism of Beijing ’ s response to the outbreak of the coronavirus .
Trump issued a statement upon signing the legislation that the new law would hold “ perpetrators of human rights violations ” accountable .
The law requires the U.S. government to report to Congress on violations of human rights in Xinjiang as well as China ’ s acquisition of technology used for mass detention and surveillance .
It also requires American authorities to look into the pervasive reports of harassment and threats of Uighurs and other Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeff Merkley , a co-sponsor of the legislation , said the act requires the secretary of state to determine whether individuals responsible for “ appalling human rights violations ” meet the criteria for sanctions .
“ The United States can not remain silent in the face of these atrocious and horrifying abuses , ” the Oregon Democrat said .
“ As millions of Americans fight for racial justice here at home , we must also stand strong as a champion of human rights abroad .
”

Ben Fox And Deb Riechmann - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--US virus outbreaks stir clash over masks, personal freedom

PHOENIX - When the coronavirus flared in China ’ s capital this week , Beijing cancelled flights , suspended reopenings and described the situation as “ extremely grave.
” But with cases rising in some U.S. states , local officials have balked at even requiring people to wear masks .
In the United States , which has the most confirmed cases and deaths in the world , authorities wrestled Wednesday with balancing demands for constitutional rights and personal freedom with warnings from health officials that being lax will have deadly consequences .
China responded to a new outbreak in Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its flights to the capital , cancelling classes and strengthening requirements for social distancing .
It was a sharp retreat for the nation that declared victory over COVID-19 in March .
“ This has truly rung an alarm bell for us , ” Party Secretary Cai Qi told a meeting of Beijing ’ s Communist Party Standing Committee .
China ’ s actions follow about 137 new cases , a fraction of the number some U.S. states see each day .
In Arizona , more than 1,100 people visited emergency rooms on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alabama also is running out of hospital space , stirring impassioned debate over a mask requirement .
Other states that haven ’ t mandated face coverings , like Texas and Florida , are seeing infections soar .
With masks becoming a political symbol , Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has taken aim at President Donald Trump ’ s approach to the pandemic .
“ Donald Trump wants to style himself as a wartime president .
Unlike any other wartime leader , he takes no responsibility , he exercises no leadership , now he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden said Wednesday .
Biden has worn a mask repeatedly at public events , while Trump hasn ’ t , even on occasions such as touring auto factory floors when they are required .
Aides say Trump believes they ’ re unflattering and that wearing one projects weakness .
The mask debate is playing out nationwide , notably in hard-hit states where face coverings have become a political and cultural debate .
Hundreds of medical professionals signed a letter urging Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey to require them .
Facing mounting pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican said cities were free to mandate masks .
Ducey , who removed his mask before speaking to reporters , said there were vastly different rates of infection across the state .
“ For some things , a statewide directive or executive order works very well , ” he said .
“ If you have 12 or 13 counties that say ‘ pound sand ’ on an executive order ... it ’ s a self-defeating executive order.
” Ducey has attributed Arizona ’ s soaring cases to increased testing .
The state has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yield more cases , but health experts say a better way to see if more people are getting sick is to look at the percentage of positive tests .
When that percentage rises , it means the outbreak is worsening — not just that more people are getting tested .
Arizona has the nation ’ s highest seven-day average positive test rate : 17.7 % , or about double the national average and well above the 10 % threshold that health officials find worrisome .
It also has the most new cases per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days .
The state ’ s leading hospital system says it ’ s almost running out of beds .
Ducey said roughly 300 National Guardsmen would help with contact tracing .
Several restaurants and other businesses have closed because staff tested positive in the last week .
The same thing is happening in parts of Florida , where people under 35 are testing positive at a higher rate since the pandemic began , contributing to a surge in cases , officials said Wednesday .
The coastal city of St. Petersburg had three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it ’ s now requiring workers who have contact with the public to wear masks — which some hard-hit cities in southern Florida have been doing for weeks .
Mayor Rick Kriseman said he also plans to require people to cover their faces in businesses and other public spaces .
“ We can wear a mask , protect others and ourselves , or we can contribute to someone ’ s death .
Maybe even our own , ” Kriseman said .
The Democrat said Republican Gov .
Ron DeSantis has encouraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
DeSantis said he has no intention of closing Florida ’ s economy again despite the statewide spike in new cases , which topped 1,000 Wednesday for the 15th consecutive day .
He said many of those getting sick are young and unlikely to suffer serious illness or death .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in younger people pushed officials in the San Antonio area to order masks in public as infections keep rising in Texas .
“ What we are doing here is to protect the life and safety of the San Antonio community , ” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said , adding that most infections in the area are in people younger than 40 .
Later Wednesday , Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott , a Republican , said local governments could force businesses to require customers and workers to wear masks but that he wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state set daily records for new COVID-19 cases , with 3,129 , and hospitalizations .
The 2,793 hospitalizations mark a daily high for the 10th time in 11 days .
In Montgomery , Alabama , where cases are spiking , the issue of masks erupted during a City Council meeting , where members rejected a proposal to mandate them at public gatherings of 25 or more .
Dr. Bill Saliski , a lung specialist at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery , called on the city to pass a mask requirement and declared : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going , we ’ re going to be overrun.
” Some city leaders voiced concern about trampling on people ’ s rights .
“ I think to make somebody do something or require somebody to wear something is an overreach , ” councilman Brantley Lyons said .
Since the virus emerged in China late last year and spread worldwide , there have been more than 8.3 million confirmed cases and over 447,000 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Experts say the true toll is much higher .
The U.S. death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which embarked on a wide-scale reopening this week , watched Asia and the Americas with trepidation .
After lockdown restrictions were relaxed in Iran , Health Minister Saeed Namaki said he realized the extent of the challenge when he took a domestic flight .
“ Many people have become careless , frustrated with wearing masks , ” he said .
Moritsugu reported from Beijing , and Pane from Boise , Idaho .
Associated Press reporters around the world contributed .

Terry Tang, Ken Moritsugu And Lisa Marie Pane - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Couple accused of killing son by forcing him to drink water

COLORADO SPRINGS , Colo. - A Colorado couple accused of killing their 11-year-old son by forcing him to drink large amounts of water are facing several charges , including child abuse and first-degree murder .
The Colorado Springs Gazette reports 41-year-old Ryan Sabin and 42-year-old Tara Sabin turned themselves in to authorities Tuesday and are being held without bail at the El Paso County jail .
Prosecutors say Zachary Sabin died in Black Forest on March 11 after the couple made him drink the water because his urine was dark .
The county coroner ’ s office determined the boy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was told to drink four 24-ounce ( .7-litre ) bottles of water over four hours without eating .
According to an arrest affidavit , Tara Sabin , the boy ’ s stepmother , told authorities he wore a diaper at night because of a hereditary urological problem .
Ryan Sabin , Zachary ’ s father and a sergeant based at Fort Carson , called 911 after he found the boy in his bed with foam coming from his mouth and blood on his bed .
An arrest affidavit says Zachary suffered other physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Online booking documents do not indicate if the Sabins have hired an attorney who can speak on their behalf .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Public opinion on police brutality shifting dramatically in U.S., new poll suggests

DETROIT - A dramatic shift has taken place in the nation ’ s opinions on policing and race , as a new poll finds that more Americans today than five years ago believe police brutality is a very serious problem that too often goes undisciplined and unequally targets Black Americans .
The new findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggest the death of George Floyd and the weeks of nationwide and global protests that followed have changed perceptions in ways that previous incidents of police brutality did not .
About half of American adults now say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ very ” or “ extremely ” serious problem , up from about a third as recently as September last year .
Only about 3 in 10 said the same in July 2015 , just a few months after Freddie Gray , a Black man , died in police custody in Baltimore .
In the latest poll , roughly 3 in 10 said police violence is a moderately serious problem .
Those who say it is not a serious problem has declined from a third in 2015 to about 2 in 10 today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died in late May after a police officer in Minneapolis pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes .
Experts say the dramatic change in opinion about police violence that has followed is an indication the country is grappling with how to confront centuries of structural racism and inequity .
“ I have long argued that we can not have a racial reconciliation in the United States because there ’ s not been an admission of what has gone on , ” said Wornie Reed , director of the Race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tech .
“ The nation is constructed on ( racism ) .
… It ’ s not an accident or something that America decided to do on the way to its greatness .
It ’ s the means by which it became great.
” The new AP-NORC poll finds that more Americans now think police in most communities are more likely to use deadly force against a Black person than a white person , 61 % , up from 49 % in July 2015 .
Only about a third say the race of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the use of deadly force against them , compared with roughly half in 2015 .
And Americans are far more likely now than they were five years ago to say that police officers who cause injury or death in the course of their job are treated too leniently by the justice system , 65 % vs. 41 % , rather than too harshly or fairly .
Fewer now think they ’ re treated either fairly or too harshly .
Changes in opinions about social issues are more often slow and incremental , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the AP-NORC Center .
Benz said such significant changes can often indicate meaningful or lasting change has taken place in public awareness and attitudes .
“ The data show noteworthy changes of a magnitude we don ’ t see very often , especially on long-standing cultural or social issues , ” Benz said .
“ While this poll was certainly conducted at a moment of tremendous attention on racism in our society , we have empirical signals from other data to suggest that these changes are not purely a reaction to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 39 % call police violence against the public a very serious problem , up from 19 % in 2015 , while 35 % say it ’ s moderately serious .
Most Black Americans continue to say police violence is a very serious problem .
The poll also found that 51 % of Black Americans say they have been unfairly treated by a police officer because of their race , compared with just 6 % of white Americans .
That includes Mississippi resident Sandra Smith , who said she and many others she knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the years .
Smith also feels many white Americans are unaware of the fear or anxiety Black Americans experience in those interactions .
“ I think it has reached its boiling point and I say that it ’ s like a volcano that was waiting to erupt , ” said Smith , a 61-year-old Black woman .
“ And looking back on 400 years of oppression of African Americans and the atrocities that we had to face to try to even make it in this country , when you look at all those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given to the black man , those things build up.
“ Majorities of Americans across racial groups say police use of deadly force is more common against a Black person , including 92 % of black Americans and 54 % of white Americans .
Five years ago , just 39 % of white Americans said police were more likely to use deadly force against a black person .
Separate from use of deadly force , the poll also finds about 7 in 10 Americans say white people are treated more fairly in dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a quarter say the race of a person does not make a difference .
Nine in 10 Black Americans and 7 in 10 white Americans say white people are treated more fairly .
“ My eyes have been opened in the last month of how serious the problem really is , ” said Jeffrey Boord-Dill , a 62-year-old white man , who lives in Kentucky .
“ I think it was a problem before now , but not nearly on the level that I see today , and having people of colour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their shoes from those stories , I can ’ t imagine how damn tired everybody is of walking out the door and wondering if they ’ re going to come home or not .
That , in this country , is inexcusable.
” Fingerhut reported from Washington .
AP video journalist Noreen Nasir in Chicago contributed to this report .
The AP-NORC poll of 1,301 adults was conducted June 11-15 using a sample drawn from NORC ’ s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel , which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ respondents is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points .

Kat Stafford And Hannah Fingerhut - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Deadly clash in the Himalayas ups ante for China and India

NEW DELHI - India and China sought Wednesday to deescalate tensions after flexing their muscles in a clash along a disputed border high in the Himalayas that left 20 Indian soldiers dead .
The skirmish Monday in the desolate alpine area of Ladakh , in Kashmir , followed changes by India to the political status of Kashmir amid a geopolitical tug-of-war with the United States in the region .
Chinese officials said Wednesday that both sides had agreed to peacefully resolve their Himalayan border tension through dialogue .
India should “ not take unilateral actions that might complication the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a speech Wednesday that “ India wants peace but is capable of giving a befitting reply.
” He has called a meeting of India ’ s major political parties on Friday to discuss the China situation .
Twenty Indian soldiers , including a colonel , died of severe injuries suffered in sub-zero temperatures , Indian officials said , after the two sides threw rocks and traded blows in the culmination of a months-long standoff in the Galwan Valley near the Line of Actual Control that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were fired because neither side ’ s patrolling soldiers carry firearms , in accordance with the terms of the unresolved border dispute , Indian officials said , speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren ’ t authorized to disclose information .
Still , it was the worst violence since 1962 , when a war over completing claims on the remote Himalayan area ended with an uneasy truce .
Thousands of soldiers backed by armoured trucks and artillery have been facing off near the border .
Scuffles are not uncommon , but Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its troops breached the line of control .
China accused Indian forces of carrying out “ provocative attacks ” on its troops .
It did not say if any of its soldiers died .
As the countries around the region grapple with the coronavirus pandemic , China has been asserting its territorial claims and influence across the region , notably toward Hong Kong and Taiwan and in the South China Sea .
In South Asia , the sides have been engaged in a “ very complex dance ” along the line of actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M. Smith , a research fellow in Heritage ’ s Asian Studies Center .
That has fanned anti-Chinese sentiments already running high due to Beijing ’ s opposition to India ’ s decision in August to revoke the statehood and semi-autonomy of Kashmir , parts of which are claimed by both Pakistan and China , and split it into two territories governed by New Delhi .
Tussles for power between China and India , the first and second-most populous nations , date back centuries , though the two have sought to keep political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outright bloodshed .
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have met more than a dozen times for talks , most recently in October in India , to smooth relations and build up trade .
But India ’ s unilateral decision in August to split Kashmir rankled Beijing .
“ I think what is interesting is how quickly Sino-Indian relations have deteriorated , ” said Joe Fewsmith , a China politics expert at Boston University .
“ A few years ago , Xi Jinping expressed hope that China and India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ) not likely now.
” The pandemic ’ s origins in the central Chinese city of Wuhan are another factor : With more than 354,000 coronavirus cases and 11,903 deaths India is now the fourth worst affected country in the world .
But the bigger cause for antagonism lies in the Himalayas : a region China has always considered a strategically vital corridor between its restive Muslim Xinjiang region and Tibet .
At the U.N. General Assembly , China has supported Pakistan ’ s opposition to India ’ s decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh .
The U.S. backed India ’ s assertion of its sovereign right to make such changes within its borders .
While troops brawled in eastern Ladakh region in May , President Donald Trump offered to mediate .
The Trump administration has withdrawn U.S. support from Pakistan in favour of India , which it sees as a bulwark against China ’ s growing influence .
After two high-profile meetings between Modi and Trump — including rallies in Houston , Texas , and Gujarat , Modi ’ s home state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion in American arms .
The U.S. and India have balked at China ’ s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative , a string of infrastructure and finance development projects from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean .
In response to the pandemic , a movement has emerged to build up India as an alternative to China for Western markets and to boycott Chinese goods .
Chris Biggers , a former government satellite imagery analyst , said Monday ’ s clash fits a pattern of Chinese “ intimidation ” along the border .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tri-border area of Doklam broke out as China pushed into disputed territory , bringing in troops , building roads , expanding airbases , and flying drones and jets .
Yet , the forces amassed at Galwan dwarf what was seen at Doklam .
“ I ’ ve never seen anything , outside of a military exercise , of this kind of mobilization of force , particularly between India and China , ” Biggers said .
A further escalation shouldn ’ t be ruled out , said Pravin Sawhney , a military expert and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on national security .
“ They ( China ) are fully prepared for it .
Their belligerence is quite open not only on the border but in the South China Sea , too .
On the other hand , India ’ s response has been very subdued and defensive in nature .
There is no immediate threat of an all-out war with China but India should be concerned about an exit strategy and I fear they have none , ” he said .
Associated Press writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Prosecutors: Officer had knee on Floyd for 7:46, not 8:46

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota prosecutors acknowledged Wednesday that a Minneapolis police officer had his knee on the neck of George Floyd for 7 minutes , 46 seconds — not the 8:46 that has become a symbol of police brutality — but said the one-minute error would have no impact on the criminal case against four officers .
The initial May 29 complaint alleges Derek Chauvin “ had his knee on Mr. Floyd ’ s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in total .
Two minutes and 53 seconds of this was after Mr. Floyd was non-responsive.
” But timestamps cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident , much of which is caught on video , showed Chauvin had his knee on Floyd for 7 minutes , 46 seconds , including 1 minute , 53 seconds after Floyd appeared to stop breathing .
“ These kinds of technical matters can be handled in future amendments to the criminal complaint if other reasons make it necessary to amend the complaint between now and any trials , ” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman ’ s office said in a statement .
“ The one minute error made no difference in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuing legal hearings.
” The office had no further comment .
The Associated Press began asking about the error the day after the initial charges were filed , and continued to inquire about it after Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison became the lead prosecutor on the case .
Prosecutors repeatedly declined to address the discrepancy , even as the time frame of 8:46 began being used by protesters worldwide .
Prosecutors repeated their timeline and the 8 minutes , 46 seconds detail on June 3 when they added a more serious murder charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other three officers .
The AP published a story about the issue June 4 , and at the time John Stiles , a spokesman for Ellison ’ s office , said prosecutors were continuing to review new evidence .
Floyd , a black man who was handcuffed , died May 25 after Chauvin , a white officer , used his knee to pin Floyd to the ground .
Chauvin , who kept his knee on Floyd ’ s neck even after he said he couldn ’ t breathe and stopped moving , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder and manslaughter .
The other officers , J. Kueng , Thomas Lane and Tou Thao , have all been charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter .
All four officers were fired .
If convicted , they potentially face the same penalty as Chauvin : up to 40 years in prison .
It was not immediately clear whether the criminal complaints would be amended .
In this case , one minute is unlikely to have a major legal significance .
But in the days after Chauvin ’ s initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mourners seized on 8:46 as a quiet way to honour Floyd at a time of angry and sometimes violent clashes with police .
It also became a symbol of the suffering Floyd — and many other black men — have experienced at the hands of police .
“ A one-minute difference is not significant in the grand scheme of things , ” said Nekima Levy Armstrong , a civil rights activist and former head of the Minneapolis NAACP .
“ The bottom line is , it was more than enough time for Derek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choking the life out of George Floyd.
” When someone takes a moment of silence for 7:46 , or 8:46 , you realize just how much time it that is , Levy Armstrong said .
“ It was more than enough time for any rational , compassionate and professional human being to know that their actions were deadly and unconscionable , ” she said .
Earlier this month , in Boston and Tacoma , Washington , demonstrators staged “ die-ins ” for precisely 8 minutes , 46 seconds .
In Washington , Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Emancipation Hall for the nearly nine minutes of silence .
Mourners at a memorial service for Floyd in Minneapolis stood in silence for 8 minutes , 46 seconds , after the Rev .
Al Sharpton asked them to “ think about what George was going through , laying there for those eight minutes , begging for his life.
” “ We can ’ t let this go , ” he said at the memorial .
“ We can ’ t keep living like this .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Officer charged with murder for shooting Rayshard Brooks

ATLANTA - Prosecutors brought murder charges Wednesday against the white Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks in the back , saying that Brooks was not a deadly threat and that the officer kicked the wounded black man and offered no medical treatment for over two minutes as he lay dying on the ground .
Brooks , 27 , was holding a stun gun he had snatched from officers , and he fired it at them during the clash , but he was running away at the time and was 18 feet , 3 inches from Officer Garrett Rolfe when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Howard said in announcing the charges .
Stun guns have a range of around 15 feet .
“ I got him !
” the prosecutor quoted Rolfe as saying .
The felony murder charge against Rolfe , 27 , carries life in prison or the death penalty , if prosecutors decide to seek it .
He was also charged with 10 other offences punishable by decades behind bars .
The decision to prosecute came less than five days after the killing outside a Wendy ’ s restaurant rocked a city — and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd under a police officer ’ s knee in Minneapolis late last month .
“ We ’ ve concluded at the time that Mr. Brooks was shot that he did not pose an immediate threat of death , ” Howard said .
A second officer , Devin Brosnan , 26 , stood on Brooks ’ shoulder as he struggled for his life , Howard said .
Brosnan was charged with aggravated assault and violating his oath .
The district attorney said Brosnan is co-operating with prosecutors and will testify , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such cases in which an officer had come forward to do so .
But an attorney for Brosnan emphatically denied he had agreed to be a prosecution witness and said he was not pleading guilty to anything .
A lawyer for Brooks ’ widow cautioned that the charges were no reason to rejoice .
“ We shouldn ’ t have to celebrate as African Americans when we get a piece of justice like today .
We shouldn ’ t have to celebrate and parade when an officer is held accountable , ” attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widow , Tomika Miller , said it was painful to hear the new details of what happened to her husband in his final minutes .
“ I felt everything that he felt , just by hearing what he went through , and it hurt .
It hurt really bad , ” she said .
The news came on a day of rapid developments involving race and equal justice .
Republicans on Capitol Hill unveiled a package of police reform measures .
And the movement to get rid of Confederate monuments and other racially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table , with the maker of Aunt Jemima syrup and pancake mix dropping the 131-year-old brand .
Brooks ’ killing Friday night sparked new demonstrations in Georgia ’ s capital against police brutality after occasionally turbulent protests over Floyd ’ s death had largely died down .
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned less than 24 hours after Brooks died , and the Wendy ’ s restaurant was burned .
Rolfe was fired after the shooting , while Brosnan was placed on desk duty .
Ahead of the district attorney ’ s announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement saying the officer feared for his safety and that of others around him and was justified in shooting Brooks .
Rolfe opened fire after hearing a sound “ like a gunshot and saw a flash in front of him , ” apparently from the stun gun .
“ Mr .
Brooks violently attacked two officers and disarmed one of them .
When Mr. Brooks turned and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe , any officer would have reasonably believed that he intended to disarm , disable or seriously injure him , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney said the stun gun that Brooks held had already been fired twice and was thus empty and no longer a threat .
Brosnan ’ s lawyer , Amanda Clark Palmer , said the charges against the officer were baseless .
She said Brosnan stood on the wounded man ’ s hand , not his shoulder , for a short period of time — seconds — to make sure Brooks did not have a weapon .
Police had been called to the restaurant over complaints of a car blocking the drive-thru lane .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wheel , and a breath test showed he was intoxicated .
Police body-camera video showed Brooks and officers having a relatively calm and respectful conversation — “ almost jovial , ” according to the district attorney — for more than 40 minutes before things rapidly turned violent when officers tried to handcuff him .
Brooks wrestled with officers , grabbed one of their stun guns and fired it at one of them as he ran through the parking lot .
An autopsy found he was shot twice in the back .
One shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
At least one bullet went into a vehicle that was in line at the Wendy ’ s drive-thru .
After Brooks was shot , he was given no medical attention for over two minutes , despite Atlanta police policy that says officers must offer timely help , Howard said .
The district attorney said Rolfe and Brosnan had until 6 p.m. Thursday to surrender .
He said he would request $ 50,000 bond for Brosnan and no bail for Rolfe .
The charges reflect a potential “ sea change ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caren Morrison , a Georgia State University law professor who used to be a federal prosecutor .
Morrison said the view until now has generally been that officers are justified in using deadly force in a case in which the suspect had a stun gun or other weapon that could cause “ grievous bodily harm.
” In the Minneapolis case , Derek Chauvin , the officer who put his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes , has been charged with murder .
Three other officers have been charged with aiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and could get up to 40 years in prison .
In Washington , meanwhile , Senate Republicans announced the most ambitious GOP police-reform package in years , including an enhanced use-of-force database , restrictions on chokeholds and new commissions to study law enforcement and race .
The bill is not as sweeping as a Democratic proposal set for a House vote next week , but it shows how swiftly the national debate has been transformed since Floyd ’ s death .
A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago believe police brutality is a very serious problem that too often goes undisciplined and unequally targets black Americans .
Associated Press writers Matt Ott in New York ; Lisa Mascaro and Jim Mustian in Washington ; Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta ; and Russ Bynum in Savannah , Ga. , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Texts show timeline leading to Kobe Bryant helicopter crash

LOS ANGELES - The pilot of the helicopter that crashed in thick fog northwest of Los Angeles in January , killing Kobe Bryant and seven other passengers , may have become disoriented in thick fog , according to a National Transportation Safety Board report released Wednesday .
Ara Zobayan reported he was climbing when he actually was descending toward a hillside , according to the document .
There had been concerns about the weather the day before the flight , but the pilot reported that the weather seemed acceptable to fly less than 90 minutes before the accident , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Before and during flights with Bryant , group texts would be sent that included the pilot ; Whitney Bagge , vice-president of Island Express Helicopters , which owned the helicopter ; Ric Webb and Patti Taylor , co-owners of OC Helicopters , which co-ordinated the flight , and Bryant ’ s drivers , including one identified as Gary , so they would know when to expect him .
Here are excerpts of texts and summaries provided by Bagge to the NTSB : 5:24 p.m. - Patti : Ok And weather looks ok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best day tomorrow but it is not as bad as today 6:11 p.m. — Patti advises that there is a revised departure for the flight , now set for 9 a.m. Jan. 26 , and adds : “ Advised weather could be issue ... .
” 7:30 a.m. — Ara : Morning Weather looking ok 8:20 a.m. — Patti : Ara how is weather looking for 9 departure 8:21 a.m. — Ara : Should be OK 8:22 a.m. — Patti : Copy Will inform them 9:33 a.m. — Gary : Just started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Not yet 9:49 a.m. — Patti called Bagge and asked him to find the pilot ’ s location using a real-time flight tracker but it had stopped tracking the helicopter at 9:45 a.m. Bagge asked another employee , Angel , to try to reach the pilot by radio .
The employee said he couldn ’ t reach the pilot .
“ I kept refreshing the tracker praying that it was just broken , ” Bagge said .
A few minutes later , after Angel was unable to contact the airport , Bagge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Response Manual and they began going down the list of procedures .
10:02 a.m. — Ric : Ara , you okay ?
10:22 a.m. — Another helicopter takes off for the last tracked location of the helicopter carrying Bryant .
10:27 a.m. — Bagge tells Angel to have the helicopter turn around because “ there is a confirmed airplane crash in the same area.
” All Island Express flights for the day are cancelled .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Robert C. Byrd’s name removed from a college health centre

CHARLESTON , W.Va. - A private college in West Virginia said Wednesday it is removing the name of the late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd from its health centre , saying his name had caused “ divisiveness and pain “ without explicitly noting his complicated past on racial matters .
Byrd was a member of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s but subsequently denounced the organization .
He served in the Senate for 51 years and died in 2010 at age 92 .
Bethany College President Tamara Rodenberg said on the school ’ s website that Byrd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Robert C. Byrd Health Center “ to demonstrate Bethany College ’ s capacity to change , to listen , and to learn.
” Bethany ’ s statement did not specifically mention Byrd ’ s past ties to the Klan .
“ Our lives are marked by decisions , by actions , and by grace , and today we embrace all three in a tangible , visible way at our beloved Bethany College , ” Rodenberg wrote .
Bethany College ’ s statement said the college recognized in the past few weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health centre “ created divisiveness and pain for members of Bethany community , both past and present.
” While the college said it respects the Byrd family name , “ we can no longer let it represent how we lead in today ’ s world.
” Protests have erupted around the world since the death last month of George Floyd in Minnesota , a black man who died after a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck as he pleaded for air .
Much of the conversation has focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black people in the United States .
Byrd , a Democrat , brought billions of dollars to his home state as the powerful chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee .
His name is attached to dozens of buildings , roads , schools , scholarships and other public works projects in West Virginia .
In 2010 , President Barack Obama , Vice-President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton gave speeches at memorial service for Byrd at the state capitol in Charleston .
His accomplishments followed a childhood of poverty in West Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came despite a complicated past on racial issues .
While supporting later civil rights bills , he opposed busing to integrate schools .
As a young man , he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan for a time , and he joined Southern Democrats in an unsuccessful filibuster against the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act .
He later apologized for both actions , saying intolerance has no place in America .
A private liberal arts college founded in 1840 , Bethany is located about 45 miles ( 70 kilometres ) southwest @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Denver neighbourhood with ties to KKK recommends name change

DENVER - A Denver neighbourhood voted Wednesday to recommend changing its name after a yearslong debate over its association with a former mayor with ties to the Ku Klux Klan .
The 11 elected neighbourhood delegates of the Stapleton Master Community Association voted unanimously in favour of the change and to work with the registered neighbourhood association to come up with a new name .
The neighbourhood was named for Benjamin F. Stapleton and built beginning in 2001 on the site of the former Stapleton International Airport .
Stapleton was Denver ’ s mayor for 20 years between 1923 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KKK .
More than 65 % of voting property owners opted to retain the Stapleton name in a referendum last summer .
But the death of George Floyd and the ensuing unrest renewed the debate .
“ A lot of people have woken up to the social injustice and the endemic racism that permeates through the society , ” said Keven Burnett , executive director of the community association .
“ Things have changed in a major way.
” Floyd , a black man , died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground .
His death prompted protests across the U.S. and around the world against police brutality and racial injustice .
Christie Spilsted , a delegate on the Stapleton neighbourhood ’ s community association , said she initially was against changing the name because it would cost too much and the community had decided against it .
“ I had a change of heart .
... By not acting more decisively on this , I was holding up the process of racial equality , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The community association ’ s recommendation will be followed by a vote by a community board of directors .
The community ’ s master developer and the City and County of Denver also need to approve a name change before it can take effect .
Former gubernatorial candidate and state treasurer Walker Stapleton , the great-grandson of the former mayor , tweeted Sunday that he was disappointed the democratic process represented by previous resident votes was being overlooked .
But Stapleton said he supported the name change if it “ brings more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denver residents and Colorado residents of colour .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Norway, Ireland win UN council seats in vote amid pandemic

TANZANIA , Tanzania - Norway and Ireland won contested seats on the powerful U.N. Security Council Wednesday in a series of U.N. elections held under dramatically different voting procedures because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
In the most closely watched race , Canada lost out to the two European countries for two Western seats on the 15-member council .
It was Canada ’ s second consecutive defeat in a bid for a seat and a blow to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
In the other contested race , neither Kenya nor Djibouti received the required two-thirds majority in voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande announced that a second ballot will be held on Thursday .
In previous years , ambassadors from all U.N. member states have gathered in its vast chamber to vote by secret ballot , but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world body to adopt new rules .
While the U.N. headquarters complex overlooking New York ’ s East River remains open for essential workers , Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has ordered staff to work from home until July 31 because of the pandemic .
On Wednesday morning the new rules went into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the assembly during spaced-out time slots to avoid a large gathering and ensure social distancing .
And instead of voting separately for the next General Assembly president , five new members of the Security Council and 18 new members of the Economic and Social Council , the three elections were held at the same time by secret ballot .
Each arriving ambassador wore a mask , presented a voting card to a U.N. staff member , received three different colored paper ballots in an envelope , and went up an escalator into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presided over the elections .
Among the early voters were U.S .
Ambassador Kelly Craft and the ambassadors of Poland and Turkey .
Each sat in a spaced-out seat behind the nameplate of their country , marked their ballots , and then walked to the front of the chamber to deposit them in three colour-coded , separate boxes .
Because of its powers including authorizing war and imposing sanctions , winning a seat on the Security Council is considered a pinnacle of achievement for many countries .
It gives them a strong voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranging from conflicts in Syria , Yemen , Libya , Africa and Ukraine to the nuclear threat posed by North Korea and Iran , and attacks by extremist groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida .
Before COVID-19 , countries running for Security Council seats often invited ambassadors for lavish visits to their nations , put on dinners and held receptions with entertainments , and sent senior government officials around the globe lobbying for votes .
But the pandemic has curtailed all of that since March .
The council has five permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China , Britain and France — and 10 members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms , with seats allocated to regional groups and five new members elected every year .
In Wednesday ’ s voting , a two-thirds majority of 128 votes was required to win a Western seat and Norway received 130 votes , Ireland got 128 votes and Canada 108 votes .
India ran unopposed for the Asia-Pacific seat and received 184 votes and Mexico ran unopposed for the seat for Latin America and the Caribbean and got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Erna Solberg said her country would use its experience from many years of engaging in peace and reconciliation efforts “ to build bridges and seek solutions to the seemingly intractable conflicts that appear on the Security Council ’ s agenda.
” “ The world needs more international co-operation to promote peace and security , ” she said .
Speaking in Dublin , Ireland ’ s Prime Minister said its victory “ underpins Ireland ’ s place in the world as a global island , with a clear and tangible ambition to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace and security.
” In Mexico , Jesús Ramirez , spokesman for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , wrote in his Twitter account : “ We will honour the internationalist tradition of our nation to work for peace and security in the world.
” India ’ s U.N .
Ambassador T.S .
Tirumurti said the country “ will become a member of the Security Council at a critical juncture and we are confident that in the COVID and in pot-COVID world India will continue to provide leadership and a new orientation for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ François-Philippe Champagne declined to say why he thought Canada lost , adding there will be ample time for lessons learned .
He said he was proud of Canada ’ s four-year campaign which allowed the country “ to renew and strengthen many of our bilateral relations.
” The election will put two women ambassadors on the council — Norway ’ s Mona Juul and Ireland ’ s Geraldine Byrne Nason — in addition to the ambassadors from the U.S. and St. Vincent and the Grenadines .
France ’ s U.N .
Ambassador Nicolas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four women is better than two and he would prefer more .
“ You have two big players coming in , India and Mexico , ” he said , “ and it ’ s sometimes pretty good for the council to have strong and big and active members because it makes the council stronger.
” In the other elections , Volkan Bozkir of Turkey was elected president of the 75th session of the General Assembly which begins in September .
The post rotates annually by region and he was the candidate of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greece , Cyprus and Armenia asked for a vote rather than electing him by consensus .
The 18 candidates for seats in the Economic and Social Council all ran unopposed and were elected .
Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Pelosi requiring masks for lawmakers for House hearings

WASHINGTON - Speaker Nancy Pelosi is requiring that House members wear masks when attending committee hearings , an edict that comes amid spiking COVID-19 cases in many states .
Results were mixed Wednesday .
The requirement does not apply to the House floor , where a Republican lawmaker who tested positive for coronavirus was recently seen without a face covering .
Pelosi , D-Calif. , wears a mask when making her way about the Capitol but removes it when speaking .
The tightening mask rules came as the House Judiciary panel conducted a drafting session Wednesday on a policing bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new rules permitting remote attendance .
At a hearing last week , several GOP lawmakers , including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California , declined to wear masks , which are considered an easy , effective way to combat the spread of the virus .
On Wednesday , top Judiciary panel Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio declined to wear a mask for much of the session , and California Republican Tom McClintock scrapped with Chairman Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , who declared he would not call upon lawmakers who were failing to were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a duty and a responsibility to maintain order and decorum in our proceedings , which includes making sure that we conduct our business in as safe a manner.
” An advisory by Attending Physician Brian Monahan said that for House members “ in a limited enclosed space , such as a committee hearing room , for greater than 15 minutes , face coverings are REQUIRED.
” It said face coverings will be provided for those who arrive without face covers .
The Capitol physician ’ s guidance “ cites new studies that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effectiveness of mask-wearing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 , ” the Democratic aide said in an accompanying statement , adding that the Sergeant of Arms will deny entry to lawmakers who don ’ t wear masks and committee chairs can refuse to recognize them .
Pelosi is requiring lawmakers to conform to the guidance , according to an advisory to lawmakers shared by a senior Democratic aide on condition of anonymity .
The Capitol complex is typically bustling at this time of year , but the House , with 431 voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absent , voting most recently late last month .
Some members , often those who take their political cues from President Donald Trump — who does not wear a mask — have simply declined to wear one as well .
The Senate , more manageable with 100 members , has been voting regularly , and most members are disciplined about wearing a mask .
House panels are ramping up their legislative work amid the pandemic , preparing to draft an annual defence measure and the yearly spending bills .
Wednesday ’ s Judiciary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the coronavirus shut down the Capitol in March .
Many states are seeking to reopen aggressively and mask usage is uneven at best as the country enters the summer .
Rep. Tom Rice , R-S.C. , announced earlier this week that he have contracted COVID-19 but has recovered .
He was spotted on the House floor recently without a mask .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Biden calls on Trump to ‘wake up’ to havoc caused by virus

DARBY , Pa. - Joe Biden unleashed a stinging critique Wednesday of President Donald Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus , calling on Trump to “ wake up ” to the havoc caused by the pandemic and do more to prevent further harm .
“ Donald Trump wants to style himself as a wartime president , “ the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said at a recreation centre in the Philadelphia suburbs .
” Unlike any other wartime leader , he takes no responsibility , he exercises no leadership .
Now he has just flat surrendered the fight.
” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s leadership in recent weeks .
But his remarks Wednesday were especially sharp , trying to counter the populism Trump hopes to ride to reelection with stern warnings about how dangerous such an approach would be .
At times pounding his lectern for emphasis , Biden said the Republican president wants to declare the pandemic over even as the outbreak continues to kill Americans and disrupt the economy .
“ We may lose some of the progress we ’ ve begun to make , all because he ’ s lost interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has topped 2 million confirmed coronavirus infections , and some states are reporting increases in cases after reopening their economies .
A surge has been reported this week in Florida and Arizona , likely political battlegrounds in the November election .
Still , Trump is eager for the country to return to normalcy .
He ’ s hoping that the reopening of businesses and other aspects of life will revive the economy — and his reelection prospects .
Trump will be in Tulsa , Oklahoma , on Saturday for his first major campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials .
Biden is taking a much different course .
He ’ s spent much of his time inside his Delaware home to prevent the spread of the virus .
Most campaign activities , including fundraisers , have moved online , a strategy that probably will continue in the coming weeks .
Biden has announced a virtual fundraiser next week with former President Barack Obama , the first time the two have appeared together in months .
When Biden does make public appearances , they usually are limited to locations in Delaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included strict rules for wearing masks and practicing social distance .
He hasn ’ t taken questions from reporters since April 2 .
Beyond Pennsylvania , Biden hasn ’ t visited any of the premier battleground states such as Michigan and Wisconsin since the pandemic struck .
Biden ’ s toned-down campaign style was on display before his Wednesday remarks when he appeared at a nearby soul food restaurant and bar to participate in a socially distanced listening session to hear how the pandemic has affected small businesses .
Sitting 6 feet ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tables outdoors , local business owners expressed concerns over a lack of guidance from the federal government on reopening .
Scott Richardson , the owner of Occasionally Yours Cafe and catering company in Swarthmore , Pennsylvania , said he cut his workforce from 12 employees to four .
He told Biden that he voted for Trump in 2016 , but now he says the president is more interested “ in day trading ” than long-range planning to combat the coronavirus .
Biden told the group that “ no one ” in the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak .
Biden ’ s campaign has pledged to resume a normal campaign schedule that will take him around the country , but not before authorities and health officials deem it safe .
Trump officials have argued that Biden is using the pandemic as an excuse for holding heavily controlled events .
Neither Trump nor Biden engages in many unscripted moments with voters .
But Tim Murtaugh , a spokesman for the president ’ s reelection campaign , slammed Biden for preferring “ campaigning from the comfort of his basement ” rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and making the case for his candidacy.
” “ These events have been either tightly controlled or covered by press in a pool arrangement , ” Murtaugh wrote of the former vice-president ’ s recent stops .
“ At what point will Biden subject himself to the scrutiny American voters deserve when considering the next President of the United States ?
” Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game.
” This story has been corrected to reflect that the last name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richardson , not Peterson .

Will Weissert And Alexandra Jaffe - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Plaintiffs drop 1 lawsuit, file another over Lee statue

RICHMOND , Va. - A group of property owners along Richmond ’ s famed Monument Avenue dropped one lawsuit and immediately replaced it with another on Wednesday seeking to block the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee , an attorney for the group said .
The six plaintiffs had initially filed a state lawsuit in Richmond Circuit Court on Monday , but Attorney General Mark Herring moved it to federal court .
The plaintiffs then dropped the lawsuit altogether on Wednesday and filed a new , similar suit again in the state court , said attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ralph Northam ’ s authority to order the equestrian statue ’ s removal from its prominent place in the ex-capital of the Confederacy .
It argues doing so would violate the terms of the deed conveying the statue , a 1889 legislative provision and state laws .
It also says removing the statue would strip a stretch of Monument Avenue of its current National Historic Landmark designation , resulting in “ the loss of favourable tax treatment ” and reduced property values .
Northam announced earlier this month that the statue would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while his administration seeks public input on its future .
He cited the pain gripping the country over the killing of George Floyd , a black man in Minneapolis who pleaded for air as a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck .
Floyd ’ s death has sparked global protests that participants have vowed to turn into a sustained movement focused on addressing racial injustice and police brutality .
It has also led to an intense reexamination of statues and monuments of historical figures around the world .
The governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his authority to remove the statue .
Herring , a Democrat like Northam , has pledged to defend Northam ’ s plans , calling the Lee statue a “ divisive relic.
” The statue is one of five memorials to the Confederacy along Monument Avenue , and the only one on state property .
The Richmond City Council has expressed unanimous support for removing the rest , which demonstrators have covered with graffiti in recent weeks .
A hearing is scheduled Thursday in Richmond Circuit Court in a separate state lawsuit over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge in that case has issued a temporary injunction preventing its removal .
McSweeney said he filed a motion to consolidate that case and his clients ’ .
This story has been updated to correct the time element in the first and second paragraphs .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Mexico president: Killing of federal judge will be punished

MEXICO CITY - Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Wednesday that those responsible for the murders of a federal judge and his wife in the western state of Colima will be punished , and a senior official said the judge was apparently killed because of his work .
López Obrador said there will not be impunity for the killings of District Court Judge Uriel Villegas Ortiz and his wife , Verónica Barajas .
He spoke during an appearance in the central state of Puebla .
Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero said that she knew Villegas personally and that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He died for doing his job and he was doing it well , ” she said .
She noted that some of his cases involved organized crime figures .
A federal official confirmed that Villegas had been handling cases involving drug cartels .
The dominant cartel in Colima is the Jalisco New Generation Cartel .
Villegas had handled some appeals filed by Ruben Oseguera , alias “ El Menchito , ” the son of Jalisco cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera , who wanted to be returned to a prison in Jalisco state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not authorized to be quoted by name , said Villegas had not ruled against the younger Oseguera .
“ El Menchito ” was arrested in 2015 and spent several years filing legal appeals , fighting his extradition to the United States .
He was finally extradited in February , and has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine and meth , and use of a firearm in commission of a drug trafficking offence .
While it is unclear whether the Oseguera case could have been a motive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known for hyperviolent tactics and its willingness to directly attack police , soldiers and marines .
Killings of federal judges are rare in Mexico , but the Pacific coast state of Colima has Mexico ’ s highest homicide rate .
In part that is because drug cartels value , and fight over , the seaport of Manzanillo , which they use as a hb for trafficking drugs and precursor chemicals .
Federal judges in Mexico hear many of the most serious cases , like drug trafficking and weapons possession .
On Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party , Guadalupe Murguía , said that Villegas had been given security protection because of drug cartel threats but that it had been withdrawn .
Murguía said 303 judges nationwide had reported receiving threats , and 79 had been granted security measures , which often include a couple of bodyguards and a bullet-resistant vehicle .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Charleston officials to remove statue of slavery advocate

COLUMBIA , S.C. - Despite a South Carolina law protecting monuments , officials in the historic city of Charleston announced Wednesday that they plan to remove a statue of slavery advocate John C. Calhoun from a downtown square .
Mayor John Tecklenburg announced he will send a resolution to the City Council to remove the statue at a news conference on the fifth anniversary of the slaying of eight black church members and their pastor in Dylann Roof ’ s racist attack at a downtown Charleston church .
The move comes as monuments to Confederates and other historical figures who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed across the country .
“ What a beautiful show of support from our City Council , ” Tecklenburg said , adding that he was happy to see so many come together in the effort “ not to erase our long and often tragic history but to begin to write a new and more equitable future.
” The mayor anticipated the statue will go to a local museum or educational institution .
The next meeting of the Charleston City Council is scheduled for Tuesday .
Dozens of protesters linked arms around the monument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it down !
” Video posted on Twitter also showed signs and spray-painting on the monument .
Police said they were making arrests for vandalism and would provide details later .
After the 2015 church shooting , many conservative Republican lawmakers came together to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse lawn in Columbia .
But just days later , Republican House Speaker Jay Lucas said no more monuments would be moved or removed during his tenure .
Lucas has kept his word , even as other killings of African Americans roiled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trying to thread moving the Calhoun statue through the law , saying the city owns the statue instead of the state and it is on private , not public land .
Several black lawmakers are urging local governments and colleges to act on their own and defy the 2000 monument protection law because it carries no stated penalties and hasn ’ t faced a court challenge .
On Tuesday , the current pastor of Mother Emanuel stood with civil rights activists and politicians who called for the removal of the Calhoun statue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that presides over Francis Marion Square in the heart of the city .
Calhoun ’ s support of slavery never wavered .
And in an 1836 speech before the U.S. Senate , he said slaves in the South were better off than free blacks in the North .
The Rev .
Nelson Rivers said Calhoun “ represents Dylann Roof to us.
” “ The time has come to not just acknowledge your racist evil wicked past .
The time has come to take down the monuments that honour the evil that was done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the name of South Carolina , ” Rivers said Tuesday at the foot of Calhoun ’ s statue .
The 2015 Confederate flag debate was the last time the General Assembly invoked a 2000 law called the Heritage Act , which protects all historical monuments and names of buildings .
Tecklenburg said the move isn ’ t covered under the Heritage Act , noting the Calhoun monument is not on public property or in commemoration of one of the historical events listed in the act .
According to the National Parks Service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the monument sits and “ is to be kept open forever as a parade ground for the Sumter Guards and the Washington Light Infantry.
” “ This council before you today has the full authority to order its relocation to a setting where it can be placed in full historical context , ” Tecklenburg said .
“ And it will be preserved and protected in another place where the full story of history can be told.
” It remains to be seen if Tecklenburg ’ s interpretation will be disputed .
A two-thirds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required to make any changes under the Heritage Act .
That ’ s a tough task in a state where conservative Republicans dominate the House and Senate .
House Speaker Lucas has not responded to repeated interview requests and questions about whether his stance has changed .
Pressure is mounting , however .
Clemson University trustees voted Friday to ask the General Assembly to let it change the name of Tillman Hall , a main building on campus named for “ Pitchfork ” Ben Tillman .
Tillman gained prominence supporting a white mob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after they surrendered .
He later became South Carolina ’ s governor and a U.S. senator , committed to destroying any rights blacks obtained after the Civil War .
The president of the University of South Carolina wants lawmakers to let the school remove the name of J. Marion Sims from a women ’ s dorm .
Sims is honoured as the father of modern gynecology but conducted experimental treatment on slaves without anesthesia .
Sims and Tillman also have statues on the Statehouse lawn .
Some African American lawmakers want plaques added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like Rep. Justin Bamberg , want them gone .
“ I don ’ t like seeing ‘ Pitchfork ’ Ben Tillman every dang day I go to the Statehouse , ” the Democrat said .
“ He boldly and proudly supported lynching my people.
” Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https : //twitter.com/JSCollinsAP and Meg Kinnard at https : //twitter.com/MegKinnardAP .

Meg Kinnard And Jeffrey Collins - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--'That 70s Show' actor Danny Masterson charged with raping three women

LOS ANGELES - “ That ’ 70s Show ” actor Danny Masterson was charged with the rapes of three women in the early 2000s , Los Angeles prosecutors said Wednesday , the culmination of a three-year investigation that resulted in a rare arrest of a famous Hollywood figure in the # MeToo era .
The three counts of rape by force or fear against Masterson were filed Tuesday , and an arrest warrant isssued .
Masterson , 44 , was arrested late Wednesday morning , jail records showed .
He was released a few hours later after posting bond and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Masterson ’ s attorney Tom Mesereau said his client is innocent , and “ we ’ re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify.
” Prosecutors allege that Masterson raped a 23-year-old woman sometime in 2001 , a 28-year-old woman in April of 2003 , and a 23-year-old woman he had invited to his Hollywood Hills home between October and December of 2003 .
If convicted , he could face up to 45 years in prison .
Prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Masterson cases that police had investigated , one because of insufficient evidence and the other because the statute of limitations had expired .
Masterson has been married to actor and model Bijou Phillips since 2011 .
“ Obviously , Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock considering that these nearly 20-year old allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed , but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out , “ said Mesereau , who has previously represented Michael Jackson and Bill Cosby in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.
” The alleged rapes came at the height of Masterson ’ s fame as he starred on the retro sitcom “ That ’ 70s Show ” alongside Ashton Kutcher , Mila Kunis and Topher Grace .
The series ran on Fox TV from 1998 to 2006 and has had a long afterlife in reruns .
He said in a 2017 statement that “ in the current climate , it seems as if you are presumed guilty the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reunited with Kutcher on the Netflix western sitcom “ The Ranch ” when the LAPD investigation of him was revealed in March 2017 .
The news did not have immediate career repercussions for Masterson , but later in the year , after allegations against Harvey Weinstein shook Hollywood ’ s culture , he was written off the show .
Masterson decried the Hollywood atmosphere that led to his losing the job , and also suggested at the time that his high-profile membership in the Church of Scientology was leading to his persecution .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Masterson ’ s case was not among those taken up by a task force formed by Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey to investigate sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry .
That task force has declined to file charges in more than 20 cases in the two years of its existence , charging only Weinstein himself .
Los Angeles prosecutors have begun efforts to bring Weinstein to California to face charges of rape and sexual assault .
He is being held in a New York prison after being convicted of similar charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case still stands out as just the second set of charges Los Angeles prosecutors have filed against a famous Hollywood figure in the # MeToo era .
Masterson worked steadily starting in the early 1990s , largely in TV sitcoms including “ Cybill ” and “ Men at Work ” along with “ That ’ 70s Show ” and “ The Ranch .
His film credits include the 2008 Jim Carrey comedy “ Yes Man , ” “ The Bridge to Nowhere ” in 2009 , in which he starred with his future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Chicago 8 , ” in which he played 1960s antiwar activist Jerry Rubin .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Pompeo meets Chinese officials amid Bolton book revelations

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was meeting with a top Chinese official in Hawaii on Wednesday as new revelations about President Donald Trump and China rocked Washington .
Pompeo and his deputy Stephen Biegun were holding closed-door talks with the Chinese Communist Party ’ s top diplomat , Yang Jiechi , at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu , according to a senior State Department official on the base .
No reporters were allowed to travel with Pompeo and Biegun , and coverage of the event was expected to be extremely limited .
The discussions , which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contentious issues that have sent relations between the two countries plummeting , got underway shortly after explosive details from a new book by Trump ’ s former national security adviser John Bolton began to emerge .
Bolton alleges that Trump sought China ’ s help in winning reelection in 2020 by ending a trade war and encouraged Chinese President Xi Jinping to build concentration camps for Uighur Muslims in western China .
On Wednesday , Trump signed a bill that seeks to punish China for its crackdown on the Uighurs and other ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed with little opposition , includes sanctions on Chinese officials involved in the mass surveillance and detention .
Trade and human rights — along with China ’ s policies toward Hong Kong and its response to the coronavirus pandemic — are among the most divisive matters expected to be on Pompeo and Biegun ’ s agenda with Yang .
In his book , Bolton writes that Trump appealed for Xi ’ s help in getting a second term at a G-20 leaders dinner in Osaka , Japan .
“ Trump then , stunningly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. presidential election , alluding to China ’ s economic capability and pleading with Xi to ensure he ’ d win .
He stressed the importance of farmers and increased Chinese purchases of soybeans and wheat in the electoral outcome , “ Bolton wrote .
Bolton also wrote that Pompeo , who led Trump ’ s early outreach to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before handing the reins to Biegun , was highly skeptical of the effort and never believed a deal was possible .
Biegun ’ s presence at the Hawaii @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would also be a topic of conversation .
The State Department had no comment on any aspect of Bolton ’ s book and referred questions to the White House .
Despite Bolton ’ s portrayal of Trump being enthralled with Xi , China has become a key element in the 2020 presidential campaign , with Trump and his supporters seeking to make the administration ’ s tough stance with Beijing a main foreign policy selling point .
They have also painted Democratic candidate Joe Biden as being soft on China .
Last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. would be rescinding special trade and economic privileges it had extended to Hong Kong after the former British territory reverted to Chinese control in 1997 .
The move was in response to Beijing ’ s decision to impose strict new national security laws limiting the right to free speech and assembly similar to those on the mainland .
Since last year , both sides have ramped up hostile rhetoric and taken reciprocal steps to expel journalists and restrict diplomats ’ ability to travel .


thetorontostar--2020-06-17--Kentucky governor seeks to revive health insurance exchange

FRANKFORT , Ky. - Reversing his Republican predecessor , Kentucky ’ s Democratic governor announced plans to bring back a health insurance program his father started that was credited with signing up hundreds of thousands of people for coverage before it was dismantled .
Gov .
Andy Beshear said Wednesday that he sent a letter to federal officials notifying them of his plans to revive the state ’ s health insurance exchange at the start of 2022 .
The program was an outgrowth of the landmark Affordable Care Act championed by then-President Barack Obama .
Beshear ’ s father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s online exchange in 2013 , but it was dismantled by the Republican governor who followed .
The state ’ s exchange , dubbed kynect , allowed Kentuckians to purchase commercial health plans or sign up for Medicaid — a joint federal and state health care program for poor and disabled people .
Steve Beshear ’ s successor , GOP Gov .
Matt Bevin , had abolished the state exchange , fulfilling a campaign promise from his election in 2015 .
Bevin said it was too costly and that Kentuckians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health insurance .
Andy Beshear unseated Bevin in last year ’ s election , and on Wednesday the new governor took the step of moving to revive the state exchange as part of his efforts to expand health insurance coverage .
“ We have an opportunity to be better , to get healthier , to save money and ultimately to provide that basic human right that is health care , ” Beshear said .
The state can do a better job of running the exchange , he said , adding that doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentuckians .
They now pay a 3 % surcharge on insurance plans obtained through the federal site , amounting to $ 9.8 million a year , he said .
Beshear said the coronavirus outbreak has reinforced a “ critical and deadly lesson ” on the importance of health care coverage in a state plagued by high disease rates .
“ This pandemic shows us that the lack of good health care options makes us more vulnerable and less resilient , “ he said .
“ In the last four years , we moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of uninsured children and overall the rate of uninsured Kentuckians grew.
” Under the state ’ s health exchange , about a half million newly eligible Kentuckians were enrolled for coverage through Medicaid or other health plans , Beshear said .
“ Kynect was one of the most successful exchanges in the country , “ he said .
“ And because of it , we reduced our uninsured Kentuckians at the highest rate in the country for several straight years.
” The governor said last week that his goal is to have every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Medicare .
He said then that an early focus would be on signing up black Kentuckians for coverage , noting they have suffered disproportionately from the coronavirus .
Relaunching the state exchange will result in a $ 5 million , one-time fee , followed by yearly operating costs of $ 1 million to $ 2 million , the governor said .
Resuming the state ’ s own exchange will give it the added flexibility to extend enrolment periods to sign people up , he said .
It ’ s the latest move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care policies .
Early in his term , Beshear halted Bevin ’ s efforts to impose work requirements as a condition for some able-bodied adults to receive Medicaid health coverage .
Beshear signed an executive order rescinding Bevin ’ s plan to require that the affected recipients either work , study , volunteer or perform other “ community engagement ” activities to qualify for Medicaid coverage .
A federal judge blocked the requirements before they took effect , but Bevin ’ s administration had appealed .


thetorontostar--2020-06-18--Ex-driver for Bolsonaro’s son arrested in Brazil probe

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian authorities on Thursday arrested a man sought as part of an investigation into allegedly suspicious movements of money he made while a driver for Flavio Bolsonaro , a Brazilian senator and son of President Jair Bolsonaro .
Fabrício Queiroz was arrested as part of a joint operation between public prosecutors of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo states , the Rio prosecutors ’ office said in a statement .
Images on local television showed police escorting him out of a property in Atibaia , a town in Sao Paulo ’ s interior .
The investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for financial transactions detected suspicious movements in the bank account of Queiroz , according to authorities .
It is suspected the money may form part of a corruption scheme involving appropriation of salaries from phantom employees of Flavio Bolsonaro ’ s office while he was a lawmaker in Rio state ’ s legislature .
The financial regulator has said that many of the payments to Queiroz came on pay days for people on Flavio Bolsonaro ’ s payroll .
In December , Rio prosecutors carried out searches at 24 properties , including a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past , Flavio Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing .
President Bolsonaro has said that prosecutors and Brazilian media are trying to drag his son ’ s reputation through the mud in order to damage his administration .
In recent months , “ Where is Queiroz ?
” became a rallying cry for Bolsonaro opponents who were dismayed that the former driver continued to elude authorities .


thetorontostar--2020-06-18--Jean Kennedy Smith, last surviving sibling of JFK, dies

NEW YORK - Jean Kennedy Smith , the last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy and a former ambassador to Ireland , died Wednesday , her daughter confirmed to The New York Times .
She was 92 .
Smith died at her home in Manhattan , her daughter Kym told the Times .
Smith was the eighth of nine children born to Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy , and she tragically outlived several of them by decades .
Her siblings included older brother Joseph Kennedy Jr. , killed in action during World War II ; Kathleen “ Kick ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plane crash ; the president , assassinated in 1963 and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy , slain in 1968 .
Sen. Edward Kennedy , the youngest of the Kennedy siblings , died of brain cancer in August 2009 , the same month their sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver died .
Smith , who married Kennedy family financial adviser and future White House chief of staff Stephen Edward Smith in 1956 , was viewed for much of her life as a quiet sister who shunned the spotlight .
In her memoir “ The Nine of Us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote that for much of the time her childhood seemed “ unexceptional.
” “ It is hard for me to fully comprehend that I was growing up with brothers who eventually occupy the highest offices of our nation , including president of the United States , ” she explained .
“ At the time , they were simply my playmates .
They were the source of my amusement and the objects of my admiration.
” Though she never ran for office , she campaigned for her brothers , travelling the country for then-Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency in 1960 .
In 1963 , she stepped in for a travelling Jacqueline Kennedy and co-hosted a state dinner for Ireland ’ s president .
The same year , she accompanied her brother — the first Irish Catholic president — on his famous visit to Ireland .
Their great-grandfather , Patrick Kennedy , was from Dunganstown in County Wexford in southeastern Ireland .
Three decades later , she was appointed ambassador to Ireland by President Bill Clinton , who called her “ as Irish as an American can be.
” During her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her brother , describing it as “ one of the most moving experiences of my own life.
” As ambassador , she played a role in the Northern Ireland peace process .
She helped persuade Clinton to grant a controversial visa in 1994 to Gerry Adams , chief of the Irish Republican Army-linked Sinn Fein party .
The move defied the British government , which branded Adams as a terrorist .
She later called criticism of her actions toward the IRA “ unfortunate ” and said she thought history would credit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Northern Ireland .
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said in 1998 that “ it is not an understatement to say that if ( the visa for Adams ) didn ’ t happen at the time , perhaps other events may not have fallen into place.
” In 1996 , though , Smith had been reprimanded by Secretary of State Warren Christopher for punishing two of her officers who objected to the visa for Adams .
In December 1998 , Smith again risked controversy by taking communion in a Protestant cathedral in Dublin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roman Catholic church .
Her decision was a strong personal gesture of support for Irish President Mary McAleese , a fellow Catholic who had been criticized by Irish bishops for joining in the Protestant communion service .
“ Religion , after all , is about bringing people together , ” Smith told The Irish Times .
“ We all have our own way of going to God.
” When she stepped down as ambassador in 1998 , she received Irish citizenship for “ distinguished service to the nation.
” Diplomacy , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family .
Her father was ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1940 .
Niece Caroline Kennedy served as ambassador to Japan during the Obama administration .
“ We ’ re the first father-daughter ambassadors , ” Smith told The Irish Times in 1997 .
“ So I can ’ t remember a time when we were not an actively political family.
” In 1974 , Smith founded Very Special Arts , an education program that supports artists with physical or mental disabilities .
Her 1993 book with George Plimpton , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” features interviews with disabled artists .
The program followed in the footsteps of her sister Eunice ’ s creation of the Special Olympics for disabled athletes .
Smith and her husband had four children , Stephen Jr. , William , Amanda and Kym .
Her husband died in 1990 .
Her son , Dr. William Kennedy Smith , made headlines in 1991 , when he was charged with rape at the Kennedy estate in Palm Beach , Florida .
He was acquitted after a highly publicized trial that included testimony from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had roused his nephew and son to go to some nightclubs that Easter weekend .
Among Smith ’ s other siblings , Rosemary died in 2005 ; and Patricia in 2006 .
“ Certainly a distinct characteristic of our family was its size , ” Smith wrote in her memoir .
“ A child in a big family constantly feels surrounded and supported .
For me , there was always someone to play with or someone to talk to just around the corner , out on the porch , or in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-18--Taiwan unveils plan to help Hong Kongers looking to leave

HONG KONG - Taiwan announced Thursday that it will set up a specialized office to support Hong Kongers seeking to leave the territory now that China is moving forward with a national security law for Hong Kong that critics see as an erosion of its freedoms .
The office opening July 1 will offer assistance to Hong Kong professionals seeking to move to Taiwan , including for school , employment , investment , entrepreneurship and immigration , according to a statement by the Mainland Affairs Council in Taiwan , which handles the island ’ s relations with Beijing .
Taiwan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for a plan to help Hong Kongers after China ’ s ceremonial parliament decided to enact the national security law in the semi-autonomous city .
Beijing says the national security legislation is aimed at curbing subversive and secessionist activity in Hong Kong , after months of anti-government protests last year saw violent clashes between police and protesters .
Critics say that the law will erode freedoms promised to the former British colony and may be used to curb dissent .
The Taiwan government will fund the new office , which will work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection , as well as a basic allowance for immigrants from Hong Kong , including those who have fled due to political reasons , the statement said .
The plan to help Hong Kongers demonstrates the government ’ s support for the “ protection of democracy , freedom and human rights of the Hong Kong people , ” the statement read .
Chen Ming-tong , minister of Taiwan ’ s Mainland Affairs Council , said that given the situation in Hong Kong , it is a “ great opportunity for Taiwan to attract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing and most of the world recognize it as part of China .
Since the anti-government protests in Hong Kong began , more Hong Kongers have sought to move to Taiwan , including several protesters who fear prosecution if they remained in the city .


thetorontostar--2020-06-18--German prosecutors charge Russian over brazen Berlin killing

BERLIN - German prosecutors on Thursday filed murder charges against a Russian man accused in the brazen daylight slaying in Berlin last year of a Georgian man , and said that the Russian state ordered the killing — adding to tensions between the two countries .
The case prompted Germany in December to expel two Russian diplomats , citing a lack of co-operation with the investigation of the Aug. 23 killing .
Russia ’ s ambassador was called in to the foreign ministry in Berlin again on Thursday .
The victim , Tornike K. , who also has widely been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelimkhan “ Tornike ” Khangoshvili , was a Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity who fought against Russian troops in Chechnya .
He had previously survived multiple assassination attempts and continued to receive threats after fleeing to Germany in 2016 .
On Thursday , federal prosecutors filed charges of murder and a violation of weapons laws in a Berlin district court against a Russian citizen they identified as Vadim K. , alias Vadim S. His last name was withheld in line with German privacy laws but has been widely reported as Vadim Krasikov , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that , at some point before mid-July last year , “ state agencies of the central government of the Russian Federation ” tasked him with “ liquidating ” the victim .
The suspect “ accepted the state killing assignment , ” prosecutors said in a statement .
“ He either hoped for a financial reward or he shared the motives of those who tasked him to kill a political opponent and take revenge for his participation in earlier conflicts with Russia.
” Proseutors say that the killer approached Tornike K. from behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tiergarten park and shot him in the torso with a Glock handgun equipped with a silencer .
The victim fell , and the assailant then fatally shot him twice in the head .
The suspect was arrested near the scene shortly afterward and has been in custody ever since .
Prosecutors say that the suspect flew from Moscow to Paris on Aug. 17 — using a passport that had been issued by a government office in Bryansk , Russia , in the name of his alias on July 18 — then continued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the killing , he travelled to Berlin .
The murder case and alleged Russian involvement in the 2015 hacking of the German parliament have weighed on relations between the two countries in recent months .
Last month , Germany said it was seeking European Union sanctions against a Russian man over his alleged role in the hacking .
Speaking to reporters in Vienna on Thursday , after the prosecutors ’ announcement , German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said : “ We once again invited the Russian ambassador for a meeting at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unmistakably clear again to the Russian side , and the German government expressly reserves the right to take further measures in this case.
” “ This is certainly an exceptionally serious matter , and so from the German government ’ s point of view it is imperative that this matter be cleared up comprehensively by judicial authorities and the courts , ” he said .
Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s spokesman , Dmitry Peskov , last year called the allegations of Russian involvement in the killing “ absolutely groundless.
” The victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since late 2016 .
According to German prosecutors , he led an anti-Russian militia in the second Chechen war of 2000-2004 , then in 2008 was tasked by the Georgian government with putting together a volunteer unit to defend that country ’ s South Ossetia region .
The unit was never deployed because of peace negotiations between Georgia and Russia .
Russian authorities had classified him as a terrorist and accused him of being a member of the “ Caucasus Emirate ” extremist organization , prosecutors said .