thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Dems launch Justice probe, seek Stone-related interviews

WASHINGTON - The House Judiciary Committee is launching a wide-ranging probe of Attorney General William Barr and the Justice Department , demanding briefings , documents and interviews with 15 officials as it tries to determine whether there has been improper political interference in federal law enforcement .
Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , on Friday sent Barr a letter listing a series of matters that the committee finds “ deeply troubling , ” including Barr ’ s involvement in the case of President Donald Trump ’ s longtime confidant Roger Stone .
Stone was convicted in November of lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overruled prosecutors who had recommended that Stone be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison , leading the four top prosecutors on the case to step down from it .
Nadler also is questioning Barr about his involvement in other cases related to friends and associates of Trump and about internal investigations into department employees who investigated Trump after the 2016 election .
“ Although you serve at the President ’ s pleasure , you are also charged with the impartial administration of our laws , ” Nadler wrote to Barr .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee is charged with holding you to that responsibility.
” The committee is asking for briefings on the issues listed and interviews with 15 Justice Department officials involved in those matters , including the four prosecutors who resigned from the Stone case .
It is unclear whether the department , which declined to comment on Nadler ’ s letter , will co-operate with any part of the probe .
Trump has vowed to block “ all ” of the subpoenas from Democrats and refused to co-operate with their impeachment inquiry last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration officials came forward during the impeachment probe once faced with subpoenas .
Barr has already agreed to testify before the committee on March 31 .
It will be the first time he has appeared before the panel since he became attorney general a year ago , and the meeting is sure to be contentious .
Since Barr was sworn in , House Democrats have questioned whether he was too close to Trump , criticized his handling of former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia report and impeached Trump for his pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate acquitted Trump this month .
In the letter , Nadler asked for a broad swath of documents related to the committee ’ s concerns , including communications between Trump and the Justice Department .
The committee is unlikely to get any of those documents , as a president ’ s personal conversations are generally considered privileged by the courts .
The sharpened look at Barr ’ s activities comes as many Democrats have been wary of prolonging the Ukraine inquiry that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have put off — but not ruled out — a subpoena for former national security adviser John Bolton , who refused to participate in the House impeachment inquiry but later said he would testify in the Senate trial .
The Senate voted not to call witnesses , but Bolton is writing a book that could detail his involvement in the Ukraine matter .
Just after the Senate voted to acquit Trump , Barr faced blowback over his decision to overrule the prosecutors in the Stone case .
Trump congratulated Barr shortly afterward .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign co-ordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election .
He was sentenced last week to more than three years in prison .
Barr appeared to try to deflect some of the rising criticism over Stone , saying in an interview with ABC News that Trump ’ s tweets about Justice Department prosecutors and cases “ make it impossible for me to do my job.
” But Barr also said the decision to undo the sentencing recommendation was made before Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had not asked him to intervene in any cases .
Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report .

Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--What’s happening: Virus fears hit Africa, markets, schools

PARIS - Amusement parks , sporting events , religious gatherings , reality TV shows , even schools .
More and more of daily life in a growing swath of the world is being affected by the new coronavirus .
And that ’ s messing with global financial markets as basic business , trade and tourism suffers from the disruptions .
Here are some of the latest developments : While parts of China had already banned fun events , the virus is now cancelling gatherings around the world as it spreads .
Disney closed its parks in Tokyo for two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming concert series in Seoul .
CBS is suspending production of “ The Amazing Race.
“ Formula One teams are worried about being able to travel to races with the season set to start in two weeks .
And the Swiss government is banning any event with more than 1,000 people — including the Geneva International Motor Show , one of the car industry ’ s showcase events .
The virus has now officially reached sub-Saharan Africa , after Nigeria reported its first case .
The patient is an Italian traveller who recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest city — home to 20 million people .
Isolated cases of the virus were confirmed in Egypt and Algeria in north Africa , but there is growing concern that cases around Africa are going unreported .
Health officials had worried the virus could hit countries with weak health systems , and that ’ s increasingly what ’ s happening , from Africa to Afghanistan and beyond .
AS MARKETS FALL , ARE JOBS NEXT ?
Down , down , down.Financial markets around the world kept dropping and Wall Street suffered its worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Companies say factory shutdowns in China are disrupting supply chains .
In the U.S. , officials reported the first drug shortage tied to the outbreak but stressed that alternative medicines are available .
British Airways warned of a hit to its profit as people put off or postpone trips .
Philippine Airlines is laying off 300 ground personnel as part of an ongoing restructuring that was aggravated by travel restrictions caused by the virus .
Some airlines in Europe cancelled flights due to reduced demand .
U.S. President Donald Trump has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impacts could weigh on the election campaign .
The panic-driven shopping that cleared shelves in Asia last month has made it to Europe .
Online supermarket Kosik.cz has had to limit the size of its deliveries in the Czech Republic , which hasn ’ t reported a single case of the virus .
Suppliers can ’ t keep up with the spike in demand , which is even higher than during the Christmas shopping season .
Kosik.cz is now imposing a 50-kilogram ( 110-pound ) limit per delivery , saying that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luck trying to find a mask .
Demand has exploded — even though experts say most people don ’ t need to cover their faces .
Compounding the shortage , supplies are also down because as many as a half of surgical masks are made in China .
As false rumours ignite social networks , shoppers around Asia have emptied store shelves of toilet paper and napkins in the belief they could be used as improvised masks .
At a fashion show in Paris , one designer even sent models down the runway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruise lines are trying to reassure nervous passengers , even as some of their ships are being turned away from ports over virus fears .
Travel advisers say they weren ’ t seeing many cancellations yet .
But some travellers are spooked by a quarantined ship in Japan earlier this month , where more than 700 on board ended up infected with the virus .
There ’ s also the possibility ships could be turned away and forced to find another place to dock .
“ What if something happens and my kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Chris Ciciora , an accountant from Chicago who cancelled a cruise he was scheduled to take with his wife .
While the virus has hit China the hardest , it ’ s now spreading in all kinds of ways .
South Korea ’ s daily virus toll is now higher than China ’ s .
Iran now has more deaths than anywhere outside China .
Italy ’ s number of virus cases jumped to more than 800 .
From California to France and beyond , officials are stepping up preparations as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Governments are expanding travel warnings .
In the U.S. , schools are cancelling trips abroad and preparing online lessons to brace for the possibility that the virus could start spreading in their communities .
Follow AP coverage of the new virus at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak .
Cara Anna in Johannesburg , Frank Jordans in Berlin , Ee Ming Toh in Singapore , Mike Corder in The Hague , Karel Janicek in Prague , Angela Charlton in Paris , Collin Binkley in Boston , Matthew Perrone in Washington , Linda A. Johnson in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Tamara Lush in Miami contributed .

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thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Trump pushing for three-way arms control with Russia, China

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has informed Moscow that the U.S. is open to holding a summit with other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council in hopes of pushing for three-way arms control pact with Russia and China , a senior administration official said Friday .
The New START treaty , the last major arms-control treaty remaining between the U.S. and Russia , expires in 2021 .
There has been talk of negotiating an extension to the existing treaty , but the White House thinks the next generation of arms control must also include China , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its stockpile during the next decade Russia has asked the U.S. to extend the New START treaty for up to five years , but Moscow also has embraced the idea of bringing China into an agreement .
The U.S. and Russia have has three bilateral meetings .
The U.S. and China have discussed having a similar dialogue , but the planned meeting would be the first time that representatives of all three countries would be at the same table discussing the issue .
“ Russia wants to make a deal very much on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s smart .
And so do we .
We think it would be a good thing , ” Trump said at a news conference in December in London with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg .
“ And we ’ ll also certainly bring in , as you know , China .
And we may bring them in later , or we may bring them in now.
” China has nuclear weapons , ballistic missile capabilities and the know-how to make chemical and biological weapons — and it is updating its nuclear arsenal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreements , but none limiting nuclear weapons .
The time and place of the meeting has not been determined , but a senior administration official said the U.S. will use the gathering to pursue a trilateral arms control agreement that would bring China into the fold .
The meeting is expected to include leaders of the U.S. , Russia , China , Britain and France — the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council .
The official spoke on condition of anonymity according to White House guidelines .
The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia and China into the international arms control framework and head-off a costly arms race , the administration official said .
Tim Morrison , former senior director for countering weapons of mass destruction at the National Security Council at the White House , said other countries might need to be pulled into arms control agreements in the future .
“ I think it is essentially the direction of the future not only to bring the Chinese around to the necessity of negotiated restraint on weapons of mass destruction , and particularly nuclear weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the other nuclear weapon states ... particularly India and Pakistan and focus on how we ensure that we do not face a highly nuclearized security environment in the future , “ Morrison said at a recent event at George Washington University .


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Serie A, soccer clubs clash in Italy amid coronavirus chaos

MILAN - Amid a global health crisis Italian soccer teams and Serie A ’ s governing body are squabbling with each other about when to play games , with Inter Milan chief executive Giuseppe Marotta saying the season even runs the risk of being unable to finish .
Five games scheduled in the top tier of the Italian league this weekend were postponed on Saturday in an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak .
“ The decision was down to me , but the clubs involved were contacted by telephone , so we know everyone ’ s positions which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pino , the president of governing body Lega Serie A , said on Sunday .
“ I invite everyone to think as Serie A , not as individual clubs.
” Lega Serie A announced on Sunday that it has called an emergency assembly for Wednesday to “ examine the consequences the governmental measures related to coronavirus have had on the fixture list.
” There have been 29 deaths from the COVID-19 illness in Italy and more than 1,100 people have tested positive , almost all in the country ’ s north .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Veneto regions , the biggest fixture lost from the Serie A program was Juventus ’ home game Sunday against Inter Milan in Turin — a match known as the Derby d ’ Italia , or Italy ’ s derby .
That match and the other four games affected were set to be played in a stadium with no fans to comply with the ban on sporting events imposed by the government .
That ban is set to end in three of the six regions in which it has been imposed on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes Turin ) one of the three to have restrictions lifted .
Marotta attacked the league ’ s decision but Dal Pino said on Sunday that Inter had refused another option offered to the clubs .
“ On Friday we proposed to Inter to move the match against Juventus to Monday night to be able to play it with fans present , ” Dal Pino said .
“ Inter categorically refused to go out onto the field , so it should assume its own responsibilities and not talk about sportsmanship or a falsified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Inter , I look after the general interests of all of Serie A , which unfortunately means daily conflicts of interests tied to each and every club .
I have to promote Italian soccer and its image to the world , transmitting games in empty stadiums would have been a terrible calling card for the country.
” The Derby d ’ Italia , which could also be a title-decider , is now due to be played May 13 .
It was the second straight week that Inter had seen a match postponed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new date for Sampdoria has yet to be scheduled , with Inter also still involved in the Italian Cup and the Europa League .
Also , Thursday ’ s Europa League match at San Siro was played without fans .
Inter fans protested outside the Serie A headquarters on Sunday , unveiling two banners .
One read : “ Shameful Lega .
You should be ashamed of yourselves , ” with the Juventus logo inserted in place of two “ i ” letters in the original Italian .
The second banner read : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans.
” Marotta was asked in an interview by Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport about the suggestion that Juventus pressure was behind the decision to postpone the match .
“ I ’ m not very interested in that discussion , ” he said .
“ I say that the whole situation was dealt with badly .
It should ’ ve been handled much quicker .
The championship has been falsified .
It ’ s been unbalanced .
Inter has been damaged , our fixture list for May is incredible .
“ What will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it should have been the same for all teams this round , even postponing the whole round.
” Marotta was also asked if there was the risk the season wouldn ’ t be able to finish .
“ Yes , ” he said .
“ If more matches are called off then , yes.
” If Inter ’ s match at Juventus had gone ahead in an empty stadium , it would have taken place at the same time on Sunday as the “ clásico ” between Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made , there should not be even the shadow of suspicion of the uniformity of Serie A , ” Italy ’ s sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora said on Sunday .
“ We gave the Lega Serie A two options : postpone or play without fans .
The Lega opted to postpone , also to avoid having the spectacle of empty stadiums .
“ Now it ’ s up to the Lega to sort this out , even taking apart the fixture list apart and putting it back together if needs be , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
As minister , I will ask that it does the maximum to guarantee each club equal treatment .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Virus fears close down France’s famed Louvre Museum

PARIS - The spreading coronavirus epidemic shut down France ’ s Louvre Museum on Sunday , with workers who guard its famous trove of artworks fearful of being contaminated by the museum ’ s flow of tourists from around the world .
Almost three-quarters of the Louvre ’ s 9.6 million visitors last year came from abroad .
The world ’ s most popular museum welcomes tens of thousands of fans daily in Paris .
“ We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere , ” said Andre Sacristin , a Louvre employee and union representative .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very great , “ he said in a phone interview .
While there are no known virus infections among the museum ’ s 2,300 workers , “ it ’ s only a question of time , ” he said .
A short statement from the Louvre said a staff meeting about virus prevention efforts stopped the museum from opening as scheduled Sunday morning .
Would-be visitors were still waiting Sunday afternoon to get inside but the Louvre later announced it would not open at all on Sunday .
Among the frustrated visitors was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his wife , Jeanette , chose Paris to celebrate their first wedding anniversary and bought tickets in advance for the Louvre , home to the “ Mona Lisa ” and other famous artworks .
He posted a video on Twitter of the long lines of people waiting to get in .
“ We waited for about 3 hours before giving up , ” he told The Associated Press .
“ It was incredibly disappointing.
” The shutdown followed a French government decision Saturday to ban indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fears of Louvre workers that they might be in danger of contamination .
Louvre staffers were also concerned about museum workers from northern Italy who had come to the museum to collect works by Leonardo da Vinci that were loaned for a major exhibition , he said .
Italy , with over 1,100 coronavirus cases and 29 deaths , has been the epicenter of the outbreak in Europe .
Another meeting about virus prevention at the Louvre is scheduled for Monday between union representatives and the museum management .
Sacristin , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors should be subjected to health checks to protect staffers and if any cases of coronavirus contamination are confirmed “ then the museum should be closed.
” Workers have asked for masks to be distributed but so far have been given only an alcohol-based solution to disinfect their hands , he said .
“ That didn ’ t please us at all , ” he said .
Follow AP ’ s coverage of the new coronavirus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Democrats gather for ‘Bloody Sunday’ commemoration in Selma

SELMA , Ala. - Democratic presidential candidates gathered Sunday in this crucible of the civil rights movement to appeal for black support in a town where demonstrators were once beaten for marching for the right to vote .
Two days before the crucial Super Tuesday vote , themes of fighting voter suppression , providing the poor with a way up and defeating President Donald Trump took centre stage at events marking the 55th anniversary of “ Bloody Sunday , ” when white police attacked black marchers in Selma , Alabama .
Just hours after strong support by black voters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first primary victory , the former vice-president was set to speak during the morning worship at historic Brown Chapel AME Church , where former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also planned to talk .
The two split the endorsements of leading black political groups in Alabama , one of 14 states voting on Tuesday .
Those two candidates plus Sens .
Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg were scheduled to join marchers re-enacting the walk across the steel-arched Edmund Pettus Bridge that ended in mayhem decades ago .
Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign after a poor showing in South Carolina .
Rep. Terri Sewell , the lone black member of Alabama ’ s congressional delegation , urged hundreds of people attending a community breakfast to vote for Biden and enable “ a return to civility.
” “ Joe Biden not only knows me , he knows you , ” she said .
Alabama state troopers beat and tear-gassed hundreds of voting-rights demonstrators trying to march from Selma to Montgomery , the capital , on March 7 , 1965 .
Only 25 at the time and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Lewis led the marchers and was among the injured .
The confrontation both set the stage for the massive Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march led by Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. weeks later and helped inspire passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year .
The years since have been tough on Selma , where shuttered businesses and vacant , dilapidated homes stand just blocks from magnificent antebellum mansions .
The city and surrounding Dallas County typically have some of the highest jobless rates in the state .
The town ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Census statistics show 41 % of the estimated 17,800 people who remain live in poverty .
About 82 % of the town ’ s residents are black , and both schools and neighbourhoods are mostly segregated by race with blacks attending public schools and whites attending private academies .
Crime , much of it linked to gangs , is a constant problem , authorities say .
Selma Mayor Darrio Melton endorsed Biden as someone who could help .
“ Joe understands the issues families in Selma and communities across the country face , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles west of Montgomery , Selma has deep ties to both civil rights and the Civil War .
Aside from being the site of Bloody Sunday , the Edmund Pettus Bridge is named for a Confederate general and U.S. senator who advocated for white supremacy .


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Markets want Fed to save them. Why its tools might not work.

NEW YORK - As stocks around the world tumble on worries about a fast-spreading virus , investors have been clamouring for the superheroes of the financial world to ride to the rescue once again .
Yet this time , there are doubts : Can central banks really fix this crisis as they have so many others ?
As much as anything , the Federal Reserve and its counterparts around the world have helped drive up stocks over the past decade with their interest-rate cuts , stimulus programs and promises of support .
Through the 2008 financial crisis , the 2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a looming recession , actions by central banks have helped place a floor under stock prices .
And one result was the longest U.S. bull market on record .
Now , with the Standard & Poor ’ s 500 stock index having just plunged 12.8 % in barely more than a week — the dizziest such fall since the 2008 financial crisis — many investors are calling for the Fed to swoop in yet again with rate cuts and perhaps other stimulative actions .
“ We need the Fed to come out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we got your back , ’ ” said Gene Goldman , chief investment officer at Cetera Financial Group .
Traders are pricing in a 100 % certainty that the Fed will cut interest rates at its next meeting on March 18 .
A month ago , those traders had seen less than an 8 % likelihood , according to CME Group .
“ The Fed is being called into action , ” BofA Global Research economists wrote in a report Friday .
They expect the Fed to cut short-term interest rates by half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and possibly even before then .
That would be the steepest rate cut since the financial crisis was still at full bore in 2008 .
The hope — and expectation — that the Fed can provide the ultimate backstop for stock prices isn ’ t surprising given its recent history of serving just that role .
Its abrupt reversal from having raised rates four times in 2018 to cutting them three times in 2019 helped launch the S & P 500 into one of its most dazzling years in decades — a 31.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distinct from most others .
And some investors say the tools at the Fed ’ s disposal aren ’ t ideally suited to address the economic damage from a viral outbreak verging on a global pandemic .
That reality has set the market up for a series of potential disappointments .
One is that the Fed won ’ t yield to expectations for a rate cut , perhaps so as not to appear unduly beholden to investor demands .
The Fed ’ s dual mandate as an institution is to maximize employment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street .
“ It ’ s dangerous when the expectation is 100 % that we ’ re going to get a cut , ” said Ann Miletti , head of active equity at Wells Fargo Asset Management .
“ When expectations get disjointed from reality , that gets problematic.
” That risk might have been lessened after the central bank put out a statement Friday that pledged to “ use our tools ” to support the economy , a sign that Fed officials may indeed decide to cut rates soon .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can lead people and businesses to borrow and spend , which can boost economic activity .
But they can ’ t make sick people healthy , reopen factories whose workers are kept home because of quarantines or restart supply chains in areas of the world struck by the outbreak .
“ From an optics perspective , maybe a rate cut makes a difference in psychology ” for investors , said Debbie Cunningham , chief investment officer of global liquidity markets at Federated Hermes .
“ I don ’ t think , on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference.
” The virus is squeezing sales and profits for many companies , large and small , around the world .
Sharp drops in tourism have hurt shopkeepers from Bangkok to Venice to Seoul .
Economists worry that if COVID-19 breaks out as a global pandemic , panicky consumers would avoid shopping malls and restaurants , while businesses would close as workers stay home .
Many companies would delay hiring , expanding and investing .
Collectively , those trends could tip the U.S. and global economies into recession .
The Fed would face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low .
Its benchmark short-term rate is in a range of 1.50 % to 1.75 % , down from 2.25 % -2.50 % in late 2018 and from 5.25 % before the Great Recession .
That means the Fed would have less ammunition in the form of rate cuts — even if lower borrowing rates were the right prescription for this crisis .
Other central banks have even less monetary firepower after having already cut their benchmark rates below zero .
Ultimately , some investors say , the markets will be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contained — regardless of what the Fed does in the interim .
Melda Mergen , deputy global head of equities at Columbia Threadneedle Investments , said she is optimistic that the market ’ s sell-off will let up soon .
Still , she suggested , investors are likely monitoring the number of new infections outside China .
If that number were to accelerate , stock prices will likely head further down , regardless of what the Fed does .
“ Maybe it helps the market on a short-term basis because people say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we need them to do that , ’ ” said Miletti of Wells Fargo Asset Management .
“ They ’ re important , but they can ’ t solve all the problems.
” One potential source of support for the market is the federal government in the form of spending programs on infrastructure or a new tax cut .
Yet given that Capitol Hill is essentially paralyzed by partisan gridlock in an election year , few expect anything to get done anytime soon .
That leaves the central banks .
Stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profits companies make , along with how much investors are willing to pay for each $ 1 of those earnings .
When the Fed cuts rates , it can encourage investors to pay higher prices than they otherwise would for stocks because bonds become less attractive as rival investments .
But by several measures , stocks are still trading at above-average prices relative to their earnings , even after last week ’ s plunge .
Still , some investors who are hopeful for a robust market recovery if the virus can be contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been relatively healthy .
Corporate profits are still near record highs even if they aren ’ t growing quickly anymore .
The unemployment rate is low .
And economists have been expecting a pickup in growth as trade tensions diminished .
All of that is why some analysts say that even if the coronavirus tips the economy into recession , they expect a relatively quick rebound .
Most acknowledge , though , that it ’ s particularly hard to forecast how the economy and any response from the Fed will unfold .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented , both globally and in the U.S. , “ said Kathy Bostjancic , chief financial economist at Oxford Economics .
Rugaber contributed from Washington .
AP Business Writer Damian J. Troise in New York also contributed to this report .

Stan Choe And Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Buttigieg at crossroads after poor finish in South Carolina

RALEIGH , N.C. - The window is closing for Pete Buttigieg ’ s longshot presidential campaign .
His fourth-place finish in South Carolina exposed a core vulnerability , namely the inability to attract the support of black voters who are vital to any winning Democratic coalition .
Now he heads into Super Tuesday without momentum and scraping for money against other candidates who have both .
Even some Democrats who are among his admirers are saying that it may be time to consider whether it ’ s wise to go much farther .
“ I think he ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon , ” said David Axelrod , former senior adviser to President Barack Obama .
“ Let ’ s just stipulate he ’ s the star performer of 2020 .
If you would have said a year ago , Pete Buttigieg would be among the delegate leaders going into South Carolina , everybody would laugh .
“ But his path to actually pulling it off required achieving escape velocity by winning Iowa , winning New Hampshire and propelling himself into Nevada and South Carolina in a way that would earn him a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving him one , ” Alexrod said .
The disastrous vote-counting issues in Iowa diminished the thrust he might have achieved from a once unthinkable win , while an unexpected surge by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar likely kept him from picking off the New Hampshire primary winner , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
“ So , either before or after Super Tuesday , my sense is he ’ s going to have to make a decision as to whether there is a way forward and , if not , whether it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
I think it ’ s that simple , ” Axelrod said .
In an interview on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press , “ Buttigieg vowed to go at least through Super Tuesday , but was vague on what would happen if he did not fare well .
Aides said Saturday they believe Buttigieg can come out of the primary voting with a plurality of delegates , but only if he is able to hold down Sanders ’ margins .
For that reason , the campaign is advertising in Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hopes of having running room post-Super Tuesday , when states , such as Michigan , appear more favourable to Buttigieg .
Also , their plan relies on candidates dropping from the race , as billionaire activist Tom Steyer did Saturday after a disappointing third-place finish in South Carolina .
Neither Klobuchar nor Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has suggested she would follow Steyer ’ s exit .
“ We really believe this is about limiting Sen. Sanders ’ lead and making sure that it is possible to close that gap in the remaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Halle , Buttigieg ’ s senior strategist , told reporters Saturday .
However , he stopped short of saying how many of the 1,331 total delegates at stake on Tuesday Buttigieg must win to continue to be viable .
Still , some early and still-loyal fundraisers were grudgingly voicing doubt that Buttigieg could maintain the financial resources and post sufficient gains across the country on Tuesday to long survive into March .
One Buttigieg donor , who spoke on the condition on anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daunting because of its scale , and that it would be exceedingly difficult for him to make a serious comeback .
Others were less dire , pointing to a combination of pride and wistfulness in the story of the 38-year-old , former mid-sized city mayor , who raised $ 75 million last year and has survived this long to share the debate stage last week with the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination .
Buttigieg ’ s schedule remains aggressive .
He planned events in Dallas on Sunday and Oklahoma City and San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Diego fundraisers in between , before a rally in a working-class Detroit suburb on Tuesday evening .
The Macomb County , Michigan , event is its own statement of optimism .
Michigan , the heart of the industrial Midwest that Buttigieg has long argued he reflects most , holds its primary on March 10 .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign has been issuing steady fundraising appeals , calling on donors to help him reach $ 13 million by Tuesday , though all this past week the campaign has been issuing updates showing him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flagging energy in Raleigh late Saturday , where thousands packed the Broughton High School gym , where Buttigieg was headlining a rally as the results were still coming in from South Carolina .
“ We have to come together to write a new story for our future .
So let ’ s make this election about that future , “ Buttigieg said , prompting roars from the energized audience .
Despite those heady cheers , Axelrod described Buttigieg as a “ hyper-analytical guy “ who “ among all the candidates is psychologically , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And I think that he is very sober and calm and will make a sober and calm analysis , “ Axelrod said .
“ The only thing that might tug on him is the supporters he has around the country , who are going to be less eager to give it up .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Sanders raised stout $46.5M in February; Warren got $29M

VIRGINIA BEACH , Va. - Bernie Sanders ’ presidential campaign said Sunday that it raised more than $ 46.5 million in February , a show of financial strength after the Vermont senator finished a distant second behind Joe Biden in South Carolina ’ s primary .
Fellow progressive Elizabeth Warren announced collecting a respectable $ 29 million last month , as she copes with a weaker South Carolina showing .
But both did better than that state ’ s winner .
Biden said on CNN that he ’ d raised about $ 17 million since the start of February — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last 24 hours that coincided with his first win of the primary .
Sanders ’ team said it was making television ad buys in nine more states : Idaho , Michigan , Mississippi , Missouri and Washington , which vote on March 10 , and Arizona , Florida , Illinois and Ohio , which vote a week later .
The campaign said it is “ currently on the air in 12 out of the 14 states ” that are voting on Super Tuesday , in two days .
“ The senator ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeps fueling his campaign for transformational change a few bucks at a time , ” Sanders ’ campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a statement .
He said that , of the more than 2 million donations received this month , more than 1.4 million were from voters in Super Tuesday states .
The eye-popping haul follows an already impressive January that raised more than $ 25 million .
Sanders ’ campaign immediately said it would use the January funds to purchase $ 5.5 million in television and digital advertising in 10 Super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be paying off at a time when some rivals in a Democratic field that remains crowded may struggle to raise money after disappointing finishes in early states .
Both Warren and Sanders — who are competing for the Democratic Party ’ s most liberal wing against more moderate candidates like Biden — continue to demonstrate the formidable power of attracting small , online donations nationwide .
That allows contributors to give repeatedly without exceeding federal limits .
It ’ s a departure from traditional methods , where candidates organize high-dollar fundraisers or approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign — and then can ’ t ask again without the intervention of an outside political group .
Warren , who finished fifth in South Carolina , hasn ’ t placed better than third since Iowa ’ s first-in-the-nation caucus .
But , in a memo to supporters , her campaign manager Roger Lau attempted to project confidence going forward .
He said the campaign was spending more than $ 2.4 million on TV , digital and traditional media ads in Super Tuesday states , as well as more than $ 4.1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March and in Wisconsin , which holds its primary April 7 .
Lau said the field will “ greatly winnow ” after Super Tuesday , where his campaign ’ s internal projections continue to show Warren winning delegates in nearly all of the 14 states voting .
But , in a dramatic departure from previous public pronouncements on strategy , Lau also made clear that , rather than heading to this summer ’ s Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee clearly ahead of her rivals , Warren is hoping to earn enough delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long .
“ As the dust settles after March 3rd , the reality of this race will be clear : no candidate will likely have a path to the majority of delegates needed to win an outright claim to the Democratic nomination , ” Lau wrote , betting on the jumbled early field keeping a clear front-runner from emerging .
Sanders , though , thinks he can get to the convention in first place .
His campaign said the February totals came from more than 2.2 million donations , including contributions from 350,000-plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time .
It also said it raised $ 4.5 million on the final day of the month , as Sanders finished second in South Carolina , the best fundraising day since the campaign ’ s launch a year prior .
Sanders ’ 2020 presidential bid has now surpassed the total number of individual contributions received by his unsuccessful challenge of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary .
After wins in New Hampshire and Nevada , Sanders appeared to be emerging as the primary ’ s top candidate .
But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a state featuring heavy concentrations of African American Democrats and where Clinton trounced him in 2016 .
The former vice-president ’ s victory was decisive , with him claiming almost half of the votes cast in a six-way race .
“ You can ’ t win ‘ em all , “ Sanders told a crowd of 3,500 in a college gym at a rally in Virginia Beach , Virginia , on Saturday night .
That prompted boos , but Sanders continued : “ That will not be the only defeat .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and nobody wins them all .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--South Africa removes migrants squatting in Cape Town

JOHANNESBURG - Hundreds of foreign migrants have been removed from central Cape Town by South African authorities following a months-long stand-off .
The migrants , who were moved in an operation Sunday , had demanded to be relocated to other countries , claiming they had been threatened by xenophobic violence last year .
But the group lost their court bid to compel the government to fly them to what they said would be safer countries , including the U.S. and Canada .
The foreigners had camped outside the Central Methodist Church at Cape Town ’ s Green Market Square .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their identities and will process those seeking asylum .
The Nigerian government last year evacuated about 600 of its citizens from South Africa following violent demonstrations against foreigners .
The removal of the foreigners was largely a calm operation , with the authorities getting little resistance from the migrants , except for some heckling and chanting .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Iran raises death toll to 54 from new coronavirus

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran ’ s health ministry on Sunday raised the nationwide death toll from the new coronavirus to 54 as the number of confirmed infected cases jumped overnight by more than half to 978 people .
The ministry ’ s spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said new cases were confirmed in a number of cities , including Mashhad , which is home to Iran ’ s most important Shiite shrine that attracts pilgrims from across the region .
Calls by Iran ’ s civilian government to clerics to close such shrines to to the public have not been uniformly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among those that have remained open .
The new figures represent 11 more deaths than reported on Saturday and a whopping 385 new cases of infections .
The new numbers , however , bring down the percentage of deaths to infections to around 5.5 % .
Still , that is much higher than other countries , suggesting the number of infections in Iran may be much higher than current figures show .
Jahanpour said in his daily briefing that the number of cases is “ still inclining ” across Iran .
Of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Tehran , where schools and cinemas have remained closed for the second week .
Public buses and the metro are still operating , but are being disinfected daily there .
Authorities also doused busy streets in the capital .
The ministry spokesman said that 44 cases were also confirmed for the first time in the central Markazi province .
Also on Sunday , Iran ’ s state broadcaster said all flights to and from the city of Rasht , the capital of nothern Gilan province , had been suspended .
It gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gilan has some of Iran ’ s highest number of infections after the capital , Tehran , and the holy city of Qom , the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the country .
The Revolutionary Guard said it plans to install mobile hospitals in Qom and Rasht cities , where the virus has infected high numbers of people .
The Guard has also been photographed in state media leading disinfection efforts in some cities .
Ali Reza Jalali , the head of the Guard ’ s medical college , told state TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard time and dangerous period.
“ He claimed the group is researching a possible vaccine for the disease .
There is currently no vaccine for the novel coronavirus .
Researchers around the world are working to find one , but anything widely usable is likely more than a year away .
The illness , known as COVID-19 and which originated in central China , has infected at least seven government officials in Iran , including one of its vice-presidents and a senior health ministry official .
After days of assurances that the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledged Iran is preparing for the possibility of “ tens of thousands ” of people getting tested for the virus .
The first cases were not reported in Iran until Feb. 19 , the same day that the two elderly infected people died .
Since then , of the more than 1,100 cases in the Middle East , the majority trace back to Iran .
Cases from Iran have been reported in Kuwait , Bahrain , Oman , the United Arab Emirates , Qatar , Lebanon , Afghanistan , Iraq and Pakistan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UAE licensed by the education ministry were closed for at least two weeks to limit the spread of the virus , and Kuwait suspended school until March 12 .
The virus has infected more than 86,000 people worldwide and caused more than 2,900 deaths since emerging in China .
Iran has the world ’ s highest death toll outside of China , where there has been 2,870 deaths among close to 80,000 cases .
The outbreak in Iran has prompted its neighbours to seal their borders to Iranians , while other Gulf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Saturday , the U.S. announced heightened warnings about travel to certain regions of Italy and South Korea , as well as a ban on travel to Iran , due to the virus .
Ali Ahmadi , a resident in Tehran , said the U.S. has already made it difficult for Iranians , including its scientists , to travel there .
“ Now that the virus has appeared , we expect nothing less from America , ” he said , expressing widespread frustration with U.S. policies on Iran .
Islam ’ s holiest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to foreign pilgrims to limit the spread of the virus .
The kingdom does not have any reported cases of the virus , and has halted all fights to and from China and Iran .
One of the most important Shiite shrines in the world in Iraq ’ s Najaf city has also closed to Iranian pilgrims after a student from Iran studying there was confirmed to have the highly infectious virus .
Saeed Moghaddam , also in Tehran , said Iranians are suffering because of a virus that came from China “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus spreading in other countries .
We are battling with this ourselves , ” he said .
Also , Sudanese authorities on Sunday said the United Arab Emirates was helping evacuate some 160 Sudanese students from Wuhan , the city at the centre of the virus outbreak in China .
The evacuation was scheduled Sunday but moved to Tuesday due to logistical reasons , they said .
It was unclear whether the students would be quarantined upon return in Sudan or the UAE , which has also helped evacuate Yemeni students from Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tehran and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Biden, Sanders see momentum heading into Super Tuesday

COLUMBIA , S.C. - Joe Biden said Sunday he can “ unite this country , the whole country ” after scoring a thundering victory in South Carolina ’ s Democratic primary that could force moderate rivals out of the race and blunt the rise of progressive leader Bernie Sanders .
Biden vowed he would improve his campaign operation , his fundraising haul — and even his own performance — as the race pushes toward Super Tuesday , making the case he is the candidate that can win up and down the ballot and in states beyond those voting next week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said on ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” “ I can win and I can bring along Democratic victories.
” Biden commanded the airwaves with back-to-back interviews after Saturday ’ s win , which came on the strength of African American support and at a perilous moment in his 2020 bid .
He needed an emphatic rebound after underwhelming performances this month in Iowa , New Hampshire and Nevada .
The race now pivots to the 14 states from Maine to California that vote on Tuesday in what in effect will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly becoming a match-up between the two powerhouses representing divergent paths for the party .
Sanders led in fundraising hauls announced Sunday with an eye-popping $ 46.5 million for February , his campaign said .
The senator said it ’ s not the total amount that should impress but the enthusiasm of working people digging into their pockets for his candidacy .
“ No campaign out there has a stronger grassroots movement than we do , ” Sanders said on CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation.
” “ That ’ s how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren brought in $ 29 million last month and Biden trailed with $ 18 million , but the former vice-president said he raised $ 5 million in the last 24 hours , which is more than any previous day in his bumpy campaign .
Seven candidates remain in the Democrats ’ quest to find the strongest possible nominee to take on President Donald Trump in November .
Pressure is mounting on the trailing candidates to justify their campaigns or step aside so Biden can engage in a more direct match-up against Sanders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to surpass his rivals in amassing delegates for the nomination .
“ It ’ s not for me to tell another candidate to get out of the race , ” Biden said on “ Fox News Sunday.
” Biden made his own direct attack on Sanders saying , “ The people aren ’ t looking for revolution .
They ’ re looking for results.
” Biden won about three times as many delegates in South Carolina as Sanders , his nearest rival , giving a momentary respite to anxious Democrats who feared that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four consecutive top finishes that would make it difficult for anyone to overtake him .
The Associated Press declared Biden the winner just after the polls closed in South Carolina .
The AP based the call on data from AP VoteCast , a survey of the electorate conducted for the AP by NORC at the University of Chicago .
The survey showed a convincing win for Biden .
Even with the victory , the shortcomings of Biden ’ s campaign remain , including a lack of robust funding and organization , and next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face Mike Bloomberg , a billionaire who has spent more than $ 500 million advertising in the Super Tuesday states .
Bloomberg announced his own plan to deliver a three-minute prime-time address Sunday night on two television networks .
He didn ’ t say how much he paid for the air time , which is unprecedented in recent decades .
Biden is barely running any television advertising in Super Tuesday states .
And both Sanders and Bloomberg have many more staff and volunteers .
But Biden is making an aggressive round of media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counter Bloomberg ’ s massive spending .
He ’ s also working to secure endorsements from prominent Democrats and , shortly after the Saturday results were in , he got the backing of former Virginia Gov .
Terry McAuliffe .
Biden downplayed the lack of an endorsement from former President Barack Obama , whose name he often invokes on the campaign trail to voters nostalgic for his administration .
Biden said on ABC he has to earn this “ on my own.
” The South Carolina primary was the first major test of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That courtship will continue on Sunday when many of the White House hopefuls travel to Selma , Alabama , to participate in ceremonies commemorating civil rights heroism .
A number of states that vote on Super Tuesday , including Alabama , Tennessee , North Carolina and Virginia , have substantial black populations .
One of the candidates who spent recent weeks wooing black voters , billionaire activist Tom Steyer , ended his campaign on Saturday after a disappointing third-place finish .
He spent more than $ 24 million on television advertising in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his rivals combined -- but never found a clear lane in the crowded contest .
Trump weighed in on Twitter early Sunday , taunting Bloomberg — as he often does potential rivals .
The president suggested the billionaire ’ s advisers are simply on a “ gravy train ” leading him down a “ dark and lonely path “ without hopes of winning the nomination .
Aides to Bloomberg ’ s campaign said earlier they still believe the former New York mayor can win in a handful of states that vote on Super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma , Virginia and North Carolina .
Lower performing candidates including former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg , Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Warren , the Massachusetts senator , are showing no signs they would exit before Tuesday .
Buttigieg said Sunday his campaign will be “ assessing at every turn ” not only his own standing but the best steps for defeating Trump .
“ Our country can ’ t take four more years of this , ” he said on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthy , but shrinking , delegate lead .
The AP has allocated at least 56 delegates to Sanders with a few more expected as South Carolina ’ s remaining votes dribble in .
Biden vaulted past Buttigieg into second place with at least 48 delegates and he ’ s likely to get several more .
Buttigieg , Warren and Klobuchar remain stuck at 26 , eight and seven , respectively .
Trump was paying close attention to the Democratic race .
“ How could you be easier to beat than Joe ?
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together , ” Trump told attendees Saturday of the Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Washington .
“ But you know he is more down the middle .
Everyone knows he ’ s not a communist and with Bernie there a real question about that.
” Biden won 63 % of the votes cast by African Americans .
He also did well with older voters , women , moderates and conservatives and regular churchgoers , according to AP VoteCast .
Sanders earned the support of roughly 14 % of African American voters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
There was also evidence that Biden ’ s status as fObama ’ s two-term vice-president helped him win over African Americans .
VoteCast found that 45 % voters in South Carolina wanted to return to the politics of the past , compared to about a third in Iowa and New Hampshire .
That includes the 51 % of African American voters who said they want a Democratic presidential nominee who would emulate the Obama presidency .
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez cautioned Democrats that it ’ s still early in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina Democratic Party fundraising gala , Perez noted that to win the nomination , a Democrat must win 1,991 delegates — and only a fraction of those have been allocated in the party ’ s first four primaries .
“ We have a long way to go , ” he said .
Peoples reported from Washington .
Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro , Darlene Superville , Hope Yen , Brian Slodysko , Will Weissert and Seth Borenstein in Washington , Thomas Beaumont in Columbia and Charleston , South Carolina , and Alexandra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to this report .

Steve Peoples, Meg Kinnard And Bill Barrow - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Center-right president taking office in Uruguay

MONTEVIDEO , Uruguay - A right of centre president takes office in Uruguay on Sunday , promising to crack down on crime and tighten government finances after a 15-year string of left-leaning governments .
Luis Lacalle Pou , a 46-year-old surfing enthusiast and son of a former president , narrowly won election in November in his second try for the office .
He inherits a country of nearly 3.4 million people that had grown steadily under the outgoing Broad Front government , but rising crime in recent years dented its popularity and economists have grown concerned about a rising fiscal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic product last year .
Lacalle Pou has promised to cap government spending and to end impunity for criminals , bolstering the country ’ s security forces and toughening sentences .
“ In the interior of the country we used to sleep with the door open ... .
Even vehicles were left with doors and windows open and the key in the ignition .
But lately the houses are all fenced ... .
We hope that this government takes some measures and can change that , ” said Natalia Cardozo , a 37-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inaugural ; day parade .
Lacalle Pou , who spent many years in Uruguay ’ s congress , grew up in an intensely political family .
He father Luis Lacalle Herrera was president from 1990 to 1995 and his mother , Julia Pou , was a senator .
His great-grandfather Luis Alberto de Herrera was a major figure in the National Party .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Thousands bury Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria’s Idlib

BEIRUT—Thousands of mourners thronged the coffins of five fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah , whose funeral was held Sunday in southern Beirut after they were killed in neighbouring Syria ’ s northwestern Idlib region .
The fighters were among at least eight Hezbollah members who died Friday in Turkish attacks amid fierce fighting between Syrian President Bashar Assad ’ s forces and Turkish troops and allied militiamen .
The deaths marked the highest for Hezbollah in Syria in years .
Hezbollah sent thousands of its battle-hardened fighters into Syria in 2012 , a year after the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been helping Assad ’ s forces win major battles against rebels , and along with Russian air power have turned the tide of the war .
Over the past two years , as the security situation stabilized in many areas , Hezbollah withdrew much of its forces , leaving only a few hundred fighters in several areas across the war-torn country .
The funeral was held in Beirut ’ s southern district of Ghobeiri .
A crowd of a few thousand people — relatives and supporters — walked behind five coffins wrapped in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allahu Akbar , ” meaning “ God is great.
” Heavy gunfire rang out as supporters fired in the air , a traditional sign of mourning .
At least five people were seen being taken on stretchers after they fainted , apparently overwhelmed by emotion .
It was not clear exactly how many Hezbollah fighters were killed in Friday ’ s attacks in Idlib .
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 14 Hezbollah fighters were killed Friday afternoon in the village of Talhiyeh when Turkish drones attacked their post as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Observatory ’ s chief , Rami Abdurrahman , said the 14 Hezbollah fighters included 10 Lebanese citizens and four of other nationalities , including at least one Iranian .
Hezbollah later released a statement listing the names and photos of eight of its fighters , including an Iranian cleric identified as Sayyed Ali Zengani .
It gave no details other than saying that they “ were martyred while performing their jihadi duties.
” More than a thousand Hezbollah fighters , including several founding members , have been killed in Syria .


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Officials say Yemen’s rebels seize strategic northern city

CAIRO - Yemen ’ s Houthi rebels wrested control of the strategic northern city of Hazm , officials on both sides of the conflict said Sunday , a major blow to the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia .
Capturing the capital of Jawf province after weeks of fighting could pave the way for the rebels to move toward the central province of Marib , one of the shrinking safe spots for those opposing the Houthis in northern Yemen .
It also could cause a new wave of displacement in the war-torn country .
Yemen , the Arab world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convulsed by civil war since 2014 .
That ’ s when the Iran-backed Houtis took control of the country ’ s north including the capital , Sanaa .
A Saudi-led military coalition intervened against the Houthis the following year .
Despite relentless Saudi airstrikes and a blockade of Yemen , the war has ground to a stalemate .
The conflict has killed over 10,000 people and created the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis , leaving millions suffering from food and medical care shortages and pushing the country to the brink of famine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday that the Shiite group had pushed government forces out of Hazm and were “ now chasing them in its outskirts.
” Two government officials confirmed the city had fallen , but said government forces aided by Saudi coalition airstrikes were attempting to push back .
All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media .
The coalition spokesman ’ s office said their “ operations “ in Jawf “ are still ongoing , ” but did not elaborate .
The Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least three airstrikes in Jawf on Sunday .
The rebels earlier this year seized a key supply line linking Marib with Jawf provinces , located along the border with Saudi Arabia .
They also took control of the strategic district of Nehm , some 60 kilometres ( 37 miles ) northeast of the rebel-held capital Sanaa .
“ With the seizure of Hazm , the entire Jawf ( province ) is now considered in their hands , and this would enable them to expand to Marib and even try to take over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a non-resident scholar at the Washington-based Middle East Institute .
She said Houthi advances would increase the vulnerability of both civilians , including tribes , allied with the Saudi-backed government of Yemen ’ s president , Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi .
At least 1,400 families , who were displaced into the district of Gail in Jawf province had moved to Hazm earlier this month .
“ Now thousands more are expected to leave their homes “ because of the Houthi advance , she said .
Oil-rich Jawf province is where the Houthis shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raising alarm among the Saudi-led camp that the rebels are acquiring advanced weaponry apparently from Iran , which has long denied arming the Houthis .
The U.S. and the Saudi-led coalition have for years said Iran supplies weapons to the Houthis , ranging from assault rifles to the ballistic missiles fired into the kingdom .
The U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Friday condemned “ the recent military escalation ” in Jawf , saying it was “ seriously undermining the prospects of peace.
” He warned that the warring parties have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlement ” for ending the drawn-out conflict .

Maggie Michael And Samy Magdy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--No beach booze in March in Florida spring break town

PANAMA CITY , Fla. - Spring breakers be forewarned : you still can ’ t drink booze in March on @ @ @ @ @ town seeking to curb rowdy parties .
The Panama City News Herald reports that the @ @ @ @ @ a 2 a.m. deadline to buy alcohol anywhere within city limits .
Panama City Police @ @ @ @ @ tolerance policy originally enacted in 2015 has helped the city transition from a national spring @ @ @ @ @ family-friendly destination all year long .
Whitman says enforcing the ban includes extra officers on @ @ @ @ @ all-terrain vehicles .
Violators can be fined or even jailed .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Turkey, Syria fighting escalates; refugees mass at borders

KASTANIES , Greece - Thousands of migrants and refugees massed at Turkey ’ s western frontier Sunday , trying to enter Greece by land and sea after Turkey said its borders were open to those hoping to head to Europe .
In Syria , Turkish troops shot down two Syrian warplanes after the Syrian military downed a Turkish drone , a major escalation in the direct conflict between Syrian and Turkish forces .
Turkey ’ s decision to ease border restrictions came amid a Russia-backed Syrian government offensive into Syria ’ s northwestern Idlib province .
That offensive has killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surge of nearly a million Syrian civilians fleeing the fighting toward Turkey ’ s sealed border .
Turkey backs the Syrian rebels fighting in Idlib province , and has sent thousands of troops into the area .
Idlib is the last opposition-held stronghold in Syria , and is dominated by al-Qaida linked fighters .
A Turkish official said the fighting in Idlib was directly linked to Turkey ’ s decision to open the gates for refugees to Europe .
He said Ankara had changed its focus to preparing for the possibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preventing refugees who intend to migrate to Europe.
” “ Europe and others must take robust action to address this monumental challenge , ” said Fahrettin Altun , the communications director for Turkey ’ s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
“ We can ’ t be expected to do this on our own.
” Erdogan ’ s decision open his country ’ s borders with Europe made good on a longstanding threat to let refugees into the continent .
His announcement marked a dramatic departure from previous policy of containment , an apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more support in dealing with the fallout from the Syrian war to its south .
Under a 6 billion euro deal in 2016 , Turkey agreed to stem the tide of refugees to Europe in return for financial aid , after more than a million people entered Europe in 2015 .
It has since accused the EU of failing to honour the agreement , and Erdogan has frequently threatened to allow refugees and migrants to head to Europe unless more international support was provided .
Turkey already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asia and the Middle East .
On the Greek-Turkish land border , Greek army and police patrols using tear gas and stun grenades to thwart attempts overnight by thousands to push into the country .
Officials said the situation was much calmer Sunday morning .
But in the afternoon , authorities used tear gas and water cannons to push back another crowd attempting to cross .
Migrants threw rocks and other objects , and one policeman was injured .
The United Nations migration organization reported at least 13,000 people had massed on Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the vast majority apparently from Afghanistan .
In Istanbul , a steady stream of buses , taxis , cars and minibuses were ferrying hundreds of migrants throughout Sunday to Edirne , a town near the border with Greece .
The vehicles weren ’ t part of any regular bus route .
Those boarding the buses — the vast majority Afghans — said they were heading to Greece and eventually hoped to get to Germany .
On the Greek islands , initial figures showed about 500 people had arrived from the nearby Turkish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend continued , it would mark an increase in the usual number of people who arrive on eastern Aegean islands from Turkey .
Existing migrant camps on the islands are already dramatically overcrowded , and tensions there have mounted .
In a small harbour on Lesbos , angry local residents refused to allow migrants — including families with young children and babies — to disembark from a dinghy that had just arrived .
Groups of migrants who arrived on other parts of the island remained there for hours because locals prevented buses from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main camp .
More than 19,300 people already live in and around island ’ s migrant camp , which has a capacity of 2,840 .
Protests by local residents last week over the migrant situation degenerated into clashes with riot police on Lesbos and Chios .
Greece said it was using “ all available means ” to tell migrants that the country ’ s borders were closed , including text messages to foreign mobile phones in the border area .
In Syria , fighting escalated on the ground and in the skies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the four pilots ejected and landed safely after their two jets were shot down .
Turkey ’ s Defence Ministry said it had hit the two SU-24 aircraft as well as Syrian air defence systems after one of its aerial drones was downed .
Earlier Sunday , Syria said northwestern airspace was closed and any aircraft or drone that entered “ will be treated as hostile and shot down.
” The Syrian announcement followed two days of Turkish drone strikes in Idlib province .
Syrian activists said the strikes killed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Turkey has lost 54 soldiers in February , including 33 killed Thursday in a single airstrike .
Outraged , Erdogan announced his country ’ s European borders were open Saturday .
The crisis in Idlib stems from a Syrian government offensive with Russian military support , which began Dec. 1 .
The heavy fighting triggered a humanitarian catastrophe and the single largest wave of displacement in Syria ’ s nine-year civil war , with about 950,000 civilians fleeing their homes .
Turkey is worried it might come under renewed international pressure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer refuge to hundreds of thousands more Syrian civilians .
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar , speaking from a military headquarters near the Syrian border , said Turkey aimed to confront Syrian government forces rather than Russian troops .
He called on Moscow to persuade Syria ’ s President Bashar Assad to withdraw to 2018 cease-fire lines on the edges of Idlib .
Referring to losses inflicted on Syria , he said Turkey had “ neutralized ” more than 2,200 Syrian troops , 103 tanks and eight helicopters .
The operation is Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 2016 .
Altun , the Turkish communications director , claimed 80,888 migrants had left Turkey for Europe “ in the past several days.
“ There was no evidence to support his claim .
Greece ’ s Foreign Ministry tweeted that these numbers were “ false and misleading.
” Greek Deputy Defence Minister Alkiviadis Stefanis told the local broadcaster Skai there were around 9,600 attempts to illegally cross Greece ’ s border overnight Saturday into Sunday .
He said all were successfully thwarted .
Previously , several dozen migrants had managed to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of the Greek border community of Kastanies , said Turkish soldiers used wire cutters to actively help people cross in secret .
Twenty-year-old Afghan Ayamuddin Azimi made it to the Greek border village of Nea Vyssa along with a compatriot .
He said Turkey had opened its borders “ to save the refugees ” but when they got to the frontier they found the Greek side closed .
He said he crossed clandestinely anyway .
“ What can I do ?
We have nothing to do .
This is our life.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Badendieck in Istanbul , Albert Aji in Damascus , Syria , Elena Becatoros in Athens and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report .

Costas Kantouris And Andrew Wilks - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Some states make it harder for college students to vote

MEMPHIS , Tenn. - Vanderbilt University student Will Newell wishes it was easier for college students like him to cast ballots in Tennessee , one of 14 states holding a presidential primary on Super Tuesday .
The campus has no locations for early voting , so students must visit an off-campus polling location to cast a ballot on Election Day .
Newell drives but worries that many students who don ’ t have their own transportation won ’ t make it to a precinct .
He said some campus groups offer rides to students , but the university itself does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill introduced in the Tennessee Legislature that would require early voting locations at large colleges and universities in the state .
That ’ s not the only restriction working against college students in the state .
Tennessee , where overall voter turnout is low , is among several states that does not allow a college student ID .
But it does allow a handgun license .
“ It just makes the last part of actually getting them to the polls to vote a lot more difficult , “ Newell , a senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ballot-casting hurdles faced by students in the state .
As Democratic candidates seek a boost from young voters in 2020 , their impact at the polls could be blunted in a number of states that make voting more difficult for college students .
Those include laws related to voter IDs , residency requirements and on-campus polling places .
Critics say many of those laws are designed to dampen turnout among voters who typically lean Democratic .
College groups aligned with the Democratic Party are mobilizing this year in an effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Matt Nowling , national director of communications for the College Democrats of America .
“ Republicans see that and they ’ re scared , ” said Nowling , a junior at Denison University in Granville , Ohio .
“ College Democrats have been at the forefront of fighting against these issues.
” Democrats say Republican-controlled legislatures in some states are actively trying to keep college students away from the polls .
Some laws have been challenged in court , such as in New Hampshire , where a law essentially makes out-of-state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtaining a state driver ’ s license or registering their vehicles .
In Texas , Democrats have sued over a law requiring early voting locations to be open for the entire early voting period of 12 days .
The law is geared to stopping “ rolling polling , “ which allowed local governments to use temporary mobile voting sites at college campuses , nursing homes and other locations .
Supporters say it ’ s a response to placement of temporary voting locations at high school events during elections that feature local bond measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Policy Foundation , a conservative think-tank , calls rolling polling a “ predatory practice ” that causes taxpayers to suffer .
“ You had the bad actors go out there and use mobile voting locations to target particular voters , ” said James Quintero , director of the foundation ’ s Center for Local Governance .
Quintero said the new law allows polling places to be open on campuses for all 12 days of early voting .
But Democrats have pointed to the timing of the law , which was passed months after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
Glen Maxey , legislative affairs director for the Texas Democratic Party , said the law hurts certain voting groups , such seniors and students .
“ It was very clear they were trying to stop college student voting , ” Maxey said .
Texas and Tennessee are among seven states where college identification cards are not allowed at polling places , with laws enacted by Republican-controlled legislatures between 2008 and 2018 .
The others are Arizona , Iowa , North Dakota , Ohio and South Carolina — all are states won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working their way through some state legislatures also address college voting .
A law proposed by a Republican lawmaker in Arizona would prohibit students using college dormitory addresses in voter registration .
The state already keeps student IDs off its list of approved voter identification .
A bill proposed in the Arizona House would explicitly prohibit the use of college or university IDs at polling places .
“ It ’ s not just trying to come up with laws that directly disenfranchise students , “ said Rachel Clay , southeast regional director for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s creating laws that make something that ’ s already challenging and confusing more challenging and confusing for young people.
” The Campus Vote Project was launched in 2012 by the Fair Elections Center , a non-partisan voting rights group , and has been working to increase interest in voting among college students .
Democrats are counting on increasing the college voter turnout in this year ’ s presidential election , which also could help their candidates in races for Congress and state legislatures .
A report from Tufts University ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that college student voting rates in the 2018 midterm elections doubled compared with the 2014 midterms .
Some Democratically controlled states , like California , are trying to make campus voting easier .
A new law requires county elections officials to consider placing voting centres on university or college campuses .
State universities also are required to designate one person per campus as a “ civic and voter empowerment co-ordinator.
” In Tennessee , Democratic state Rep. London Lamar has proposed a law that would require county election commissions to place early voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 8,000 students .
In Lamar ’ s hometown of Memphis , Landon Shelby has to vote off-campus .
Shelby , a University of Memphis junior and a Republican , said he would like to see campus polling places so students don ’ t have to drive or hitch a ride to a precinct .
“ In years past , the University of Memphis has helped find transportation to the polls , but I would definitely like to see it become more common , ” said Shelby , secretary of student government government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that happening any time soon aren ’ t great .
Lamar ’ s early voting legislation will face an uphill fight in the Republican-dominated General Assembly , especially in an election year .
But the bill has a Republican co-sponsor , and Lamar hopes her GOP colleagues agree that it ’ s important to simplify the voting process for college students .
“ The bill is about everybody being able to vote on college campuses , ” Lamar said .
“ It ’ s to ensure that the younger generation takes part @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--UK reports 12 new coronavirus cases, bringing tally to 35

LONDON - British health authorities on Sunday announced 12 more confirmed cases of the new coronavirus , bringing the country @ @ @ @ @ 35 .
The government ’ s chief medical officer , Prof. Chris Whitty , said @ @ @ @ @ “ had no relevant travel and it is not yet clear whether they contracted it @ @ @ @ @ individual who had recently returned from abroad.
” Whitty said medical workers were still investigating @ @ @ @ @ infection .
Three of the new COVID-19 patients were contacts of an existing patient .
@ @ @ @ @ cases , six infected people had recently travelled from Italy and two had arrived from @ @ @ @ @ hit by the coronavirus that emerged late last year in central China .
Follow AP @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak Get more of the Star in your inbox @ @ @ @ @ from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Virus outbreak batters economies, raises fear of spread

TOKYO - Amid fears about where the next outbreak of a fast-spreading new virus would appear , infections and deaths continued to rise across the globe Sunday , emptying streets of tourists and workers , shaking economies and rewriting the realities of daily life .
Panic-buying of daily necessities emerged in Japan , tourist sites across Asia , Europe and the Mideast were deserted , and governments closed schools and banned big gatherings .
Amusement parks have been shuttered and concerts cancelled .
In Paris , the Louvre Museum closed its doors and priests stopped placing sacramental bread in worshippers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has extended its reach across the world , geographic clusters of infections were emerging , with Iran , Italy and South Korea seeing rising cases .
The United States , meanwhile , recorded its first death , a man in his 50s in Washington state who had underlying health conditions but who hadn ’ t travelled to any affected areas .
“ Additional cases in the United States are likely , but healthy individuals should be able to fully recover , ” President Donald Trump said at a Saturday briefing , where officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions of Italy and South Korea as well as a ban on travel to Iran .
China on Sunday reported a slight uptick in new cases over the past 24 hours to 573 , the first time in five days that number has exceeded 500 .
They remain almost entirely confined to the hardest-hit province of Hubei and its capital , Wuhan .
South Korea reported 210 additional cases and two more deaths from the virus , raising its totals to 3,736 cases and 20 fatalities .
South Korea has confirmed the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , with most of the cases reported in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby areas .
South Korea ’ s president used a speech marking the 101st anniversary of an anti-Japanese independence uprising to call for national unity to overcome the soaring virus outbreak .
Iran ’ s death toll from COVID-19 , the disease the virus causes , climbed to 54 as the number of confirmed cases jumped overnight by more than half , to 978 people .
The new figures represent 11 more deaths than reported on Saturday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran has prompted its neighbours to seal their borders to Iranians , while other Gulf states have halted flights to Iran .
The list of countries hit by the virus has climbed past 60 .
More than 87,000 people worldwide have contracted the virus , including nearly 3,000 deaths .
Many cases of the virus have been relatively mild , and some of those infected apparently show no symptoms at all .
That can allow for easier spread , and worries are mounting that prolonged quarantines , supply chain disruptions and a sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weaken the global economy or even cause a recession .
Around the world , the virus , and the fear that accompanies it , caused turmoil .
Islam ’ s holiest sites were closed to foreign pilgrims , while professional baseball teams played in deserted stadiums in Japan .
Officials in France advised residents to forgo customary greeting kisses .
The spreading epidemic even shut down France ’ s Louvre Museum on Sunday , with workers who guard its trove of artworks fearful of being contaminated by the museum ’ s flow of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere , ” said Andre Sacristin , a Louvre employee and union representative for its staffers .
“ The risk is very , very , very great , “ he said in a phone interview .
While there are no known virus infections among the museum ’ s 2,300 workers , “ it ’ s only a question of time , ” he said .
A short statement from the Louvre said a staff meeting about virus prevention efforts stopped the museum from opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , would-be visitors were still waiting to get inside .
The shutdown followed a government decision Saturday to ban indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people .
South Korea ’ s men ’ s professional basketball league said its regular season would be halted from Sunday , after an infection was reported at a hotel in southern South Korea where a team had stayed .
Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan announced they would close , and big events were cancelled , including a concert series by the K-pop supergroup BTS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crew members got off the Diamond Princess on Sunday , vacating the contaminated cruise ship and ending Japan ’ s much criticized quarantine that left more than one fifth of the ship ’ s original population infected with the new virus .
The British-flagged and U.S.-operated Diamond Princess had carried an infected passenger part way before returning to its home port in Yokohama , near Tokyo , on Feb. 3 .
Of the 3,711 passengers and crew members on board , 705 were infected on the ship , triggering international criticism of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capability .
In France , the archbishop of Paris advised parish priests not to administer communion by placing the sacramental bread in worshippers ’ mouths .
Instead , priests were told to place the bread in their hands .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recommended that a meeting March 9 where about 10,000 people are to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a U.N. conference on women ’ s rights be drastically scaled back because of the spread of COVID-19 .
Thailand reported its first death from the disease on Sunday , a 35-year old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had contact with foreign tourists .
Italian authorities say the country now has more than 1,100 coronavirus cases , with 29 deaths so far .
Pakistan ’ s interior ministry said it was closing its Chaman border with Afghanistan for a week amid the virus outbreak .
Pakistan has confirmed four cases , and Afghanistan has confirmed one case .
As governments scrambled to control the spread and businesses wrestled with interruptions , researchers working to better understand the disease reported that the death rate may be lower than initially feared as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study by Chinese researchers published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine analyzing 1,099 patients at more than 500 hospitals throughout China calculated a death rate of 1.4 % , substantially lower than earlier studies that focused on patients in Wuhan , where it started and has been most severe .
Assuming there are many more cases with no or very mild symptoms , “ the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1 % , ” U.S. health officials wrote in an editorial in the journal .
That would make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seasonal flu than a disease similar to its genetic cousins SARS , severe acute respiratory syndrome , or MERS , Middle East respiratory syndrome .
There ’ s growing evidence of the vast cost and economic turmoil of the disease that emerged in central China in December .
A new report shows a sharp decline in Chinese manufacturing in February after efforts to contain the virus shut down much of the world ’ s second-largest economy .
The survey comes as global stock markets fall sharply on fears that the virus will spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Seoul , South Korea , Nasser Karimi in Tehran , Iran , John Leicester in Paris , Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo , Joe McDonald in Beijing , Zarar Khan in Islamabad and Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--The truth about alligators in the sewers of New York

They are big .
They are vicious .
Some say they are albinos , because of a lack of sunlight .
They are the alligators that supposedly infest New York City ’ s sewer system , slithering through the bowels just under the street level , feeding on rats and rubbish and terrorizing sewer workers armed with guns for self-defence .
These gators may be the city ’ s most entrenched urban myth , one that has permeated pop culture and has become a recurring theme in books , television shows and movies .
That century-old myth has spawned hoaxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become an official quasi-holiday in the city : Alligator in the Sewer Day is in February .
And the tales are sort of true .
The city rescues several alligators a year , typically former pets that have been abandoned after having outgrown their cute phase .
With every new sighting , the legend gets another boost .
1907 : Bit by a sewer gator in New Jersey Reports in The New York Times of alligator sightings in the New York area go back more than a century .
A 1907 article described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey town about 12 miles from Midtown Manhattan , who was bitten by a small gator while he cleaned out a sewer .
By the 1930s , news proliferated about sightings in and around New York City .
Alligator sightings sometimes prompted hunting expeditions , such as one in 1932 after several of the reptiles disappeared from captivity in Belleville , a town along the Passaic River in New Jersey .
The same year , the police mobilized a hunt in Westchester County , just north of New York City , after two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and claimed that the Bronx River was swarming with live ones .
Armed with fishing nets and chunks of calves ’ liver , officers combed “ the jungles of the Bronx River to capture alligators for the Bronx Zoo , ” The Times reported , adding that the hunt was discontinued when the police realized that the boys had merely found an escaped pet .
By the 1930s , advertisements for purchasing baby gators by mail were common in magazines , including Popular Mechanics .
Vacationers to Florida would also bring back the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pets got too big , the theory goes , they would often wind up in the sewer after being flushed down a toilet or dumped into a street drain .
“ It was a time when all these alligators were being brought up to New York and either escaping on their own or being let loose by unhappy parents , ” said Michael Miscione , a former Manhattan borough historian .
The seminal New York City sewer-gator event came on Feb. 9 , 1935 , when some East Harlem teens spied an alligator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hauled it up with a clothesline .
After the reptile — roughly 8 feet long and 125 pounds — snapped at them , they killed it with their shovels .
“ Alligator Found in Uptown Sewer , ” read the headline in the The Times .
The article speculated that it had escaped from a passing steamer in the East River and had swum into a sewer outflow pipe .
“ The charm of the 1935 sighting was that it was discovered by young boys and was the talk of this working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the Great Depression , ” Miscione said .
In 1937 , a barge captain pulled a four-foot , eight-inch alligator out of the East River by lassoing the animal around its “ wildly waving forefeet , ” reported The New York Herald Tribune .
“ The tropical visitor was clearly exhausted and seemed in no humour to fight , ” the newspaper added .
A week later , a two-foot alligator crawling along a Brooklyn subway platform shocked waiting passengers after crawling out of a trash can where it had apparently been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reptile , managing to avoid its snapping jaws while another officer tied them shut .
By the 1950s , the legend had worked its way into popular culture .
In a 1957 episode of the television series “ Leave it to Beaver , ” for instance , the characters Beaver and Wally bought an alligator from an ad in the back of a comic book .
By the 1960s , sewer gators had found their way into numerous cartoons and books , including Thomas Pynchon ’ s 1963 novel “ V , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchased from Macy ’ s for 50 cents and the character Benny Profane makes a living hunting albino white alligators “ alive and breeding ” in the sewer system .
The 2002 children ’ s book “ Alberto the Dancing Alligator ” follows Alberto ’ s journey down one toilet and through the underground water system before he surfaced in other toilets and sparked a citywide gator scare .
In “ Alligator , ” the 1980 horror-comedy , a baby alligator flushed down the toilet in an unnamed city becomes a gigantic killer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rats that were injected with growth hormones .
Even pornographic films were not immune to the gator legend .
The plot of 1975 ’ s “ Sue Prentiss , R.N.
” involves a unit of nurses treating a team of scuba divers returning from a gator-hunting expedition in New York City ’ s sewers .
1982 : The “ expert on the most durable urban myth ” In a 1982 column in The Times , Anna Quindlen interviewed a New York City sewer chief , John T. Flaherty , whom she called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most durable urban myth in the history of cities , reptiles or waste disposal.
” Flaherty ’ s list of sewer sightings includes rats , insects , stray fish , dead bodies and even street-gang clubhouses — but no gators .
Yet , he said , he constantly responded to letters from people asking about albino gators , or wondering if sewer workers did indeed carry pistols “ to protect themselves from the ravages of rapacious reptiles.
” In 1982 , a two-foot alligator was found swimming in a Westchester County reservoir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s water supply .
The city ’ s Department of Environmental Protection , which oversees the sewer and drinking water system , organized a boat expedition to capture the gator , which workers lassoed and gave to the Bronx Zoo .
Inquiries from around the world about sewer alligators are still fielded by the department , whose mascot was once a sunglasses-sporting gator emerging from a manhole .
The city sold T-shirts with that mascot and the slogan , “ The legend lives ... ” for years .
The gator legend also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1987 , in the “ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ” comics and video games .
Flushed down the toilet as a pet , he becomes a giant mutant alligator who lives in the sewers .
In the past couple of decades , New York has had sporadic street-level sightings and rescues .
Prominent ones included the four-foot gator pulled out of Kissena Lake in Queens in 1997 , and the two-foot-long caiman caught in Central Park in 2001 .
A three-foot gator found by a dog walker in Alley Pond Park in Queens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ park officials .
And a two-foot-long baby crocodile was spotted under a car in Astoria in 2010 .
At the time , a police spokesman seemed to anticipate a reporter ’ s question “ Before you ask , ” the spokesman said , “ no cops could confirm it came out of the sewer.
” 2001 : That one gator in the subway At least one gator is in the subway : the bronze sewer alligator sculpture made by Tom Otterness and installed in 2001 as part of his “ Life Underground ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the 14th Street/Eighth Avenue station , depicts a gator coming out of a manhole to bite a figure with a money bag for a head .
Otterness has said the piece exemplified “ the impossibility of understanding life in New York.
” The non-profit Animal Care Centers of NYC , which runs the city ’ s animal shelters , has handled five alligators in the past two years , a spokeswoman , Katy Hansen , said .
Most rescues , she said , were pets .
Some have come from the outdoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sewers .
They are rarely more than three feet and are placed in a sanctuary .
“ People get them as pets , ” Hansen said , “ but then they grow and people say , ‘ What am I going to do ?
It ’ s in the bathtub.
’ And we have to come get them.
” ‘ There ain ’ t no alligators in my sewers ’ The gator legend was elevated further by Teddy May , a New York City sewer official who reported spotting the animals in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author Robert Daley wrote that May was dubious when his crew first reported seeing a big albino alligator and various gator colonies in the sewers .
So , he ventured down himself to “ prove to youse guys that there ain ’ t no alligators in my sewers , ” the book recounts .
After seeing the gators himself , May had his men take up rifles and hunt them down , he claimed .
His feat was also noted in a 1954 column by Meyer Berger , a Pulitzer-winning reporter for The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1960 obituary in The Times , which credited him with having “ led a squad in clearing the sewers of a number of live alligators that , discarded in the sewers as tiny pets , had survived and grown large.
” While May ’ s 1959 account seems wildly embellished at best , Daley told The Times in 2009 that he believed May ’ s story , even if the numbers were exaggerated .
It is illegal under both New York state and city law to buy , sell or own alligators without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result in criminal charges for endangering the public .
But many states lack such laws , so alligators can be bought online and legally mailed through the Postal Service , whose regulations permit the mailing of “ small , harmless cold-blooded animals.
” There are numerous stories about post offices that deal with escaped baby alligators .
How true is the myth ?
Experts say the water in New York ’ s sewers is too cold and toxic for alligators to survive very long , especially if they ’ re eating rats and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the myths of special breeds — that the lack of sunlight creates blind , albino gators , and a steady diet of toxic waste produces giant , mutant alligators .
More simply , Flaherty , the sewer chief , said in 1982 that alligators would be likely to succumb to the volume of water rushing through mains during heavy rainfalls — or to a food source that “ has been , to put it as delicately as possible , predigested .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-01--Last crew members leave cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo

TOKYO—The last group of about 130 crew members got off the Diamond Princess on Sunday , vacating the contaminated cruise ship and ending Japan ’ s much criticized quarantine that left more than one fifth of the ship ’ s original population infected with the new virus .
Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told a news conference that the ship is now empty and ready for sterilization and safety checks to prepare for its next voyage .
He did not give a timeline .
The British-flagged and U.S.-operated Diamond Princess had carried an infected passenger part way before returning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tokyo , on Feb. 3 .
Of the 3,711 passengers and crew members on board , 705 were infected on the ship , triggering international criticism of the quarantine and Japan ’ s disease control capability .
Kato said the government would investigate the handling of the cruise ship .
“ We should investigate the case so that we will not expand infections again , “ he said .
He also said , however , that crisis management of a foreign-flagged and operated ship is difficult for a single government to deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to promote a global framework in tackling future crises .
Japan ’ s Defence Ministry said its troops transported about 70 Indonesian crew members of the Diamond Princess by bus to Tokyo ’ s Haneda airport , where they were to fly home on an Indonesian government chartered flight .
The troops also transported about 60 other crew members to a government facility near Tokyo for an additional quarantine .
Hundreds of foreign passengers of the ship were evacuated by their governments and returned home on chartered flights before completing a 14-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dozen of them have tested positive since returning home .
In Japan , about 1,000 passengers were allowed to return home via public transportation despite warnings from experts and are now under self-quarantine at home .
Several of them have been confirmed infected after returning home .
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