washingtontimes--2020-08-23--'End of the world': Countdown to Beirut's devastating blast

BEIRUT ( AP ) - The 10 firefighters who received the call shortly before 6 p.m. - about a big fire at the nearby port of Beirut - could not know what awaited them .
The brigade of nine men and one woman could not know about the stockpile of ammonium nitrate warehoused since 2013 along a busy motorway , in the heart of a densely populated residential area - a danger that had only grown with every passing year .
They and nearly all the population of Beirut were simply unaware .
They were not privy to the warnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and ignored : ammonium nitrate is highly explosive , used in fertilizer and sometimes to build bombs .
The stockpile was degrading ; something must be done .
They knew , of course , that they lived in a dysfunctional country , its government rife with corruption , factionalism and negligence that caused so much pain and heartbreak .
But they could not know that it would lead to the worst single-day catastrophe in Lebanon ’ s tragic history .
Across the city , residents who noticed the grey smoke billowing over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balconies and windows , watching curiously as the fire grew larger .
Phones were pulled out of pockets and pointed toward the flames .
The firefighters piled into a fire engine and an ambulance and raced to the scene - and to their doom .
Seven years ago , a ship named the Rhosus set out from the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi carrying 2,755.5 tons of ammonium nitrate destined for an explosives company in Mozambique .
It made an unscheduled detour , stopping in Beirut on Nov. 19 , 2013 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he struggled with debts and hoped to earn extra cash by taking on pieces of heavy machinery in Lebanon .
That additional cargo proved too heavy for the Rhosus and the crew refused to take it on .
The Rhosus was soon impounded by Lebanese authorities for failing to pay port fees .
It never left the port ; it sank there in February 2018 , according to Lebanese official documents .
The Port of Beirut is considered one of the most corrupt institutions in a country where nearly every public institution is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notorious for taking bribes .
A bribe from an importer , for example , will ensure an incoming shipment is mislabeled to get lower customs duties - or escapes duties and taxes completely .
Confiscated goods are sometimes sold off on the sly for a profit .
For years , Lebanon ’ s ruling political factions have divvied up positions at the port and handed them out to supporters - as they have ministries , public companies and other facilities nationwide .
The longtime head of customs is known to be a loyalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while the head of the port is in the camp of Saad Hariri , the Sunni leader who has repeatedly served as prime minister .
The Hezbollah militant group and , even more , its Shiite ally the Amal faction headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri , also have loyalists at the port , though Hezbollah doesn ’ t have the same influence as it does at , for example , the airport , which it controls and uses to ferry in cash from Iran .
The result is a port divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessarily work together and are sometimes outright rivals .
Individual port authorities are sometimes more concerned with their scams than with proper functioning .
And government officials avoid looking too closely at goings-on at the port to protect their loyalists .
The first known warning came on Feb. 21 , 2014 , three months after the ship docked at the port .
In a letter to the customs authority ’ s anti-smuggling department , senior customs official Col. Joseph Skaff wrote that the material on board was “ extremely dangerous and endangers public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skaff ever received a response or if he sent other letters .
He was found dead outside his house near Beirut under mysterious circumstances , shortly after he retired in March 2017 .
At least one medical report suggested he might have been murdered .
Skaff ’ s son , Michel , said he was killed by a blow to the head .
He said his father dealt with other sensitive matters , including drug trafficking .
“ Someone maybe was trying to hide what is happening at the port , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City .
In the years that followed , Skaff ’ s letter was followed by other correspondence that went back and forth between top customs and port officials and members of the judiciary and the army .
On June 27 , 2014 , with the ammonium nitrate still aboard the Rhosus , Jad Maalouf , a judge for urgent matters , warned the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation in correspondence that the ship was carrying dangerous material and could sink .
He said the ministry should deal with the ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place it in a suitable place that it ( the ministry ) chooses , and it should be under its protection.
” It is not clear if there was ever a reply .
Ministry officials did not respond to requests from The Associated Press asking for comment .
In October 2014 , the ammonium nitrate was moved into the port ’ s Warehouse 12 , which holds impounded materials .
A chemical forensic expert , commissioned by the courts and the owners of the ammonium nitrate , got a look at the stockpile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible shape , ” she said in her February 2015 report .
Most of the sacks - she estimated more than 1,900 of the 2,750 sacks- were torn open , their contents spilling out .
Some of the crystals had darkened , a sign of decomposition .
The sacks were piled so haphazardly that she could not count them to be sure all were still there .
The inspector recommended the chemicals be disposed of according to environmental guidelines .
Her report was uncovered by Riad Kobaissi , an investigative reporter with Al @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the port and within the customs authorities since 2012 .
On Oct. 26 , 2015 , the army command asked customs to sample the material and check the level of nitrogen “ and based on that we can give a suggestion regarding them.
” The then-head of the customs department , Shafeeq Merhi , wrote back in February 2016 , saying an expert found the nitrogen level was 34.7 % , a very high and dangerous level , well above the acceptable concentration of around 11 % .
The army command responded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t need the ammonium nitrate .
It asked customs to contact Lebanese Explosives Co. - a maker of explosives for construction of roads and tunnels and for imploding structures - to see if that private company could use it .
If not , the material should be exported at the expense of the ship owner who brought it to Lebanon , the army said in its letter .
An administrator at Lebanese Explosives told the AP that it was “ not interested in buying confiscated material because we did not know where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality nor its expiry.
” Merhi and his successor as customs chief , Badri Daher , sent multiple letters in the following years to the Courts of Urgent Matters , warning of the danger and seeking permission to sell the material or a ruling on another way to get rid of it .
Daher told the AP and other media that he never received any reply from the court .
But Kobaissi , the investigative reporter , found documents showing the court responded each time that it didn ’ t have jurisdiction and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide .
Over the years , Lebanese built and bought luxury property opposite the port , a nearby Beirut Marina including restaurants , cafes and retail shops was built up , concerts were held , children rode their bicycles and workers went about their daily business , oblivious to the massive “ bomb ” waiting to explode .
At some point , someone battered open a door to Warehouse 12 and knocked a hole in one of its walls .
When is not known .
It was reported when State Security inspected the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 report , it warned that the warehouse ’ s “ Door Number 9 has suffered a blow in the middle , knocking it away from the wall enough to allow anyone to enter and steal the ammonium nitrate.
” It also noted the hole in the wall and pointed out that there was no guard at the warehouse , “ making theft even easier.
” The report to President Michel Aoun and then-Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned that thieves could steal the material to make explosives .
Or , it said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion “ that would practically destroy the port.
” Kobaissi shared the report with the AP .
Aoun has been in office since 2016 .
After the explosion , he said the State Security report was the first time he ’ d heard of the dangerous stockpile .
He said he immediately ordered military and security agencies to do “ what was needed ” - though he added he had no authority over the port .
After being criticized by rival politicians and on social media for not doing more , Aoun ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his military adviser had immediately forwarded the State Security report to the Higher Defense Council , the top defense body in the country .
But a government official said security agencies had repeatedly sent warnings directly to the government .
“ The same memo was sent roughly every year basically since that ship arrived , and it became clear the stuff wasn ’ t moving .
So , it was like a tradition and it wasn ’ t marked as priority , ” the official told AP , speaking on condition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talk to the media .
Kobaissi , the investigative reporter , said all political factions in the country benefited from using the port for patronage , and most overlooked dubious dealings .
He said many people knew about the initial warning by Skaff , including Hezbollah ’ s former point man at the port .
Port and customs officials “ are a gang , a mafia , appointed by a mafia gang that has come to office through an election process , ” Kobaissi told the AP .
He believes officials at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal cover to sell off the ammonium nitrate and skim off some of the money .
He noted a similar scheme was run in the past when containers of confiscated asbestos were auctioned off .
He said there were many instances of port officials profiting off impounded shipments , even keeping some goods - like Mini Coopers - for themselves .
Both the customs chief Daher and the head of the port , Hassan Koraytem , are among those detained in the wake of the explosion .
On the afternoon of Aug. 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had been working for several days to weld the broken Door Number 9 of Warehouse 12 finished work and left the facility .
The cause of the original fire has still not been determined and is at the heart of the current investigation .
Some have questioned whether the welding may have sparked stocks of flammable liquids used in making detergents , as well as tons of fireworks that were also being kept in Warehouse 12 .
Other possibilities such as sabotage are also being investigated .
The metalworkers , who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ port authorities in response to the security report , have been detained for questioning , according to security officials .
Shortly after the 10 firefighters arrived at the port , they sent an urgent call back to headquarters , asking for reinforcements .
Photos they sent from their mobile phones to their colleagues showed them trying to open the gate of Warehouse 12 .
“ When they called us , they said they are hearing the sound of fireworks , ” Beirut fire chief Nabil Khankarli told the AP .
No one told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stored in the warehouse .
No port officials were even there to help them open the gate , Khankarli said .
A second team jumped into their vehicles and headed toward the port .
All across the city , flames and the pillar of black smoke could be seen pouring into the sky , lit up by popping fireworks .
Many residents would later report hearing a jet or a drone and presuming it was Israeli , since Israel sends reconnaissance flights over Lebanon on an almost daily basis .
No evidence has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an initial explosion , sending shredded debris into the air .
That first blast , survivors would recount later , sent some who had been watching the fire scurrying for cover .
Twelve seconds later , at 6:08 p.m. , the ammonium nitrate detonated in one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded .
In an instant , a blast with the force of hundreds of tons of TNT sucked in the air - one video showed a luxury store window exploding outward from the suction , spraying a bride and groom taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - and then unleashed its power across the city .
It blew a crater nearly 200 meters ( yards ) wide out of the port where Warehouse 12 once stood , and seawater poured in to fill it .
The port was leveled .
A grain silo right next to the warehouse was shredded and sheared in half - though its massive bulk partially shielded sections of the city from the blast .
For miles around , in people ’ s homes and in shops and hospitals , windows were shattered , doors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walls blown in a vicious whirlwind onto those inside .
Alaa Saad and his friends were out diving , about 2.5 kilometers ( 1.5 miles ) off the coast of Beirut , when they started hearing noises from the direction of the port and saw the smoke .
Was it fireworks ?
Ammunition ?
“ There were lots of flashes going off inside the smoke , ” he said .
He heard some kind of eruption , like a volcano .
“ Something that was boiling very much , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is when I saw the cloud or the wave that was coming toward us at very high speed , ” he said .
“ It was insane speed .
I could not even think if I wanted to jump in the water or stay on the boat.
” Saad fell on the deck .
A friend tumbled into the water .
“ After that , ” he said , “ I thought it was the end of Beirut or the end of the world or the war has started.
” More than 6,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 180 were killed - among them the 10 first responders .
It would take days of searching before colleagues found all their bodies in the rubble .
Nearly three weeks later , theories abound .
In the deeply polarized country , some have turned their suspicion to Hezbollah , which maintains a huge weapons stockpile in the country and dominates its politics .
A member of the militant group was sentenced to six years in prison after he was arrested in Cyprus in 2015 in connection with the seizure of nine tons of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was staying .
An investigative team that includes Kobaissi , working with The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project , found that the shadow owner of the Rhosus was actually a Cypriot who owed money to a Lebanese bank linked to Hezbollah - raising speculation that he brought in the ammonium nitrate for the group .
The businessman , Charalambos Manoli , denied the report , insisting to the AP that he sold the ship in May 2012 .
Others have peddled a theory that rivals of the group had sought to accrue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the war in neighboring Syria .
The documents show clear negligence and failure ; the question of whether something more triggered the blast depends on an investigation that so far has seemed predictably slow and ineffectual .
The fire chief , Khankarli , is furious .
So much destruction .
So much bloodshed .
All of it avoidable .
“ We are waiting for the investigation , ” he said .
“ But what is gone can not be recovered .
”

BASSEM MROUE, SARAH EL DEEB and ZEINA KARAM

BEIRUT (AP) - The 10 firefighters who received the call shortly before 6 p.m. - a big fire at the nearby port of Beirut - could not know what awaited them.
The brigade of nine men and one woman could not know about the stockpile of ammonium nitrate warehoused since 2013 along a busy motorway, in the heart of a densely populated residential area - a danger that had only grown with every passing year.
They and nearly all the population of Beirut were simply unaware. They were not privy to the warnings authorities had received, again and again, and ignored: ammonium nitrate is highly explosive, used in fertilizer and sometimes to build bombs. The stockpile was degrading; something must be done.
They knew, of course, that they lived in a dysfunctional country, its government rife with corruption, factionalism and negligence that caused so much pain and heartbreak. But they could not know that it would lead to the worst single-day catastrophe in Lebanon’s tragic history.
Across the city, residents who noticed the grey smoke billowing over the facility Aug. 4 were drawn to streets, balconies and windows, watching curiously as the fire grew larger. Phones were pulled out of pockets and pointed toward the flames.
The firefighters piled into a fire engine and an ambulance and raced to the scene - and to their doom.
___
Seven years ago, a ship named the Rhosus set out from the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi carrying 2,755.5 tons of ammonium nitrate destined for an explosives company in Mozambique.
It made an unscheduled detour, stopping in Beirut on Nov. 19, 2013. The ship’s Russian owner said he struggled with debts and hoped to earn extra cash by taking on pieces of heavy machinery in Lebanon. That additional cargo proved too heavy for the Rhosus and the crew refused to take it on.
The Rhosus was soon impounded by Lebanese authorities for failing to pay port fees. It never left the port; it sank there in February 2018, according to Lebanese official documents.
The Port of Beirut is considered one of the most corrupt institutions in a country where nearly every public institution is riddled with corruption. Port officials are notorious for taking bribes. A bribe from an importer, for example, will ensure an incoming shipment is mislabeled to get lower customs duties - or escapes duties and taxes completely. Confiscated goods are sometimes sold off on the sly for a profit.
For years, Lebanon’s ruling political factions have divvied up positions at the port and handed them out to supporters - as they have ministries, public companies and other facilities nationwide.
The longtime head of customs is known to be a loyalist of President Michel Aoun, for example, while the head of the port is in the camp of Saad Hariri, the Sunni leader who has repeatedly served as prime minister. The Hezbollah militant group and, even more, its Shiite ally the Amal faction headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, also have loyalists at the port, though Hezbollah doesn’t have the same influence as it does at, for example, the airport, which it controls and uses to ferry in cash from Iran.
The result is a port divided into factional fiefdoms that don’t necessarily work together and are sometimes outright rivals. Individual port authorities are sometimes more concerned with their scams than with proper functioning. And government officials avoid looking too closely at goings-on at the port to protect their loyalists.
___
The first known warning came on Feb. 21, 2014, three months after the ship docked at the port.
In a letter to the customs authority’s anti-smuggling department, senior customs official Col. Joseph Skaff wrote that the material on board was “extremely dangerous and endangers public safety.”
It is not known if Skaff ever received a response or if he sent other letters. He was found dead outside his house near Beirut under mysterious circumstances, shortly after he retired in March 2017. At least one medical report suggested he might have been murdered.
Skaff’s son, Michel, said he was killed by a blow to the head. He said his father dealt with other sensitive matters, including drug trafficking. “Someone maybe was trying to hide what is happening at the port,” he said by telephone from his home in New York City.
In the years that followed, Skaff’s letter was followed by other correspondence that went back and forth between top customs and port officials and members of the judiciary and the army.
On June 27, 2014, with the ammonium nitrate still aboard the Rhosus, Jad Maalouf, a judge for urgent matters, warned the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation in correspondence that the ship was carrying dangerous material and could sink. He said the ministry should deal with the ship, remove the ammonium nitrate and “place it in a suitable place that it (the ministry) chooses, and it should be under its protection.”
It is not clear if there was ever a reply. Ministry officials did not respond to requests from The Associated Press asking for comment.
In October 2014, the ammonium nitrate was moved into the port’s Warehouse 12, which holds impounded materials.
A chemical forensic expert, commissioned by the courts and the owners of the ammonium nitrate, got a look at the stockpile soon after. It was “in terrible shape,” she said in her February 2015 report. Most of the sacks - she estimated more than 1,900 of the 2,750 sacks- were torn open, their contents spilling out. Some of the crystals had darkened, a sign of decomposition. The sacks were piled so haphazardly that she could not count them to be sure all were still there.
The inspector recommended the chemicals be disposed of according to environmental guidelines. Her report was uncovered by Riad Kobaissi, an investigative reporter with Al Jadeed TV who has followed corruption at the port and within the customs authorities since 2012.
On Oct. 26, 2015, the army command asked customs to sample the material and check the level of nitrogen “and based on that we can give a suggestion regarding them.”
The then-head of the customs department, Shafeeq Merhi, wrote back in February 2016, saying an expert found the nitrogen level was 34.7%, a very high and dangerous level, well above the acceptable concentration of around 11%.
The army command responded the following April, saying it didn’t need the ammonium nitrate. It asked customs to contact Lebanese Explosives Co. - a maker of explosives for construction of roads and tunnels and for imploding structures - to see if that private company could use it.
If not, the material should be exported at the expense of the ship owner who brought it to Lebanon, the army said in its letter.
An administrator at Lebanese Explosives told the AP that it was “not interested in buying confiscated material because we did not know where they were brought from, what is the quality nor its expiry.”
Merhi and his successor as customs chief, Badri Daher, sent multiple letters in the following years to the Courts of Urgent Matters, warning of the danger and seeking permission to sell the material or a ruling on another way to get rid of it.
Daher told the AP and other media that he never received any reply from the court. But Kobaissi, the investigative reporter, found documents showing the court responded each time that it didn’t have jurisdiction and that the Public Works Ministry had to decide.
Over the years, Lebanese built and bought luxury property opposite the port, a nearby Beirut Marina including restaurants, cafes and retail shops was built up, concerts were held, children rode their bicycles and workers went about their daily business, oblivious to the massive “bomb” waiting to explode.
___
At some point, someone battered open a door to Warehouse 12 and knocked a hole in one of its walls.
When is not known. It was reported when State Security inspected the site this summer. In a July 20 report, it warned that the warehouse’s “Door Number 9 has suffered a blow in the middle, knocking it away from the wall enough to allow anyone to enter and steal the ammonium nitrate.” It also noted the hole in the wall and pointed out that there was no guard at the warehouse, “making theft even easier.”
The report to President Michel Aoun and then-Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned that thieves could steal the material to make explosives. Or, it said, the mass of material could cause an explosion “that would practically destroy the port.” Kobaissi shared the report with the AP.
Aoun has been in office since 2016. After the explosion, he said the State Security report was the first time he’d heard of the dangerous stockpile. He said he immediately ordered military and security agencies to do “what was needed” - though he added he had no authority over the port.
After being criticized by rival politicians and on social media for not doing more, Aoun’s office issued a further statement saying that his military adviser had immediately forwarded the State Security report to the Higher Defense Council, the top defense body in the country.
But a government official said security agencies had repeatedly sent warnings directly to the government.
“The same memo was sent roughly every year basically since that ship arrived, and it became clear the stuff wasn’t moving. So, it was like a tradition and it wasn’t marked as priority,” the official told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media.
Kobaissi, the investigative reporter, said all political factions in the country benefited from using the port for patronage, and most overlooked dubious dealings. He said many people knew about the initial warning by Skaff, including Hezbollah’s former point man at the port.
Port and customs officials “are a gang, a mafia, appointed by a mafia gang that has come to office through an election process,” Kobaissi told the AP.
He believes officials at the port were trying to find a legal cover to sell off the ammonium nitrate and skim off some of the money. He noted a similar scheme was run in the past when containers of confiscated asbestos were auctioned off. He said there were many instances of port officials profiting off impounded shipments, even keeping some goods - like Mini Coopers - for themselves.
Both the customs chief Daher and the head of the port, Hassan Koraytem, are among those detained in the wake of the explosion.
___
On the afternoon of Aug. 4, security officials say, three metalworkers who had been working for several days to weld the broken Door Number 9 of Warehouse 12 finished work and left the facility.
The cause of the original fire has still not been determined and is at the heart of the current investigation. Some have questioned whether the welding may have sparked stocks of flammable liquids used in making detergents, as well as tons of fireworks that were also being kept in Warehouse 12. Other possibilities such as sabotage are also being investigated. The metalworkers, who were hired to fix the door by the port authorities in response to the security report, have been detained for questioning, according to security officials.
Shortly after the 10 firefighters arrived at the port, they sent an urgent call back to headquarters, asking for reinforcements. Photos they sent from their mobile phones to their colleagues showed them trying to open the gate of Warehouse 12.
“When they called us, they said they are hearing the sound of fireworks,” Beirut fire chief Nabil Khankarli told the AP.
No one told the emergency responders that dangerous material was stored in the warehouse. No port officials were even there to help them open the gate, Khankarli said.
A second team jumped into their vehicles and headed toward the port. All across the city, flames and the pillar of black smoke could be seen pouring into the sky, lit up by popping fireworks. Many residents would later report hearing a jet or a drone and presuming it was Israeli, since Israel sends reconnaissance flights over Lebanon on an almost daily basis. No evidence has yet emerged of warplanes.
There was an initial explosion, sending shredded debris into the air. That first blast, survivors would recount later, sent some who had been watching the fire scurrying for cover.
Twelve seconds later, at 6:08 p.m., the ammonium nitrate detonated in one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded.
In an instant, a blast with the force of hundreds of tons of TNT sucked in the air - one video showed a luxury store window exploding outward from the suction, spraying a bride and groom taking their wedding video on the sidewalk outside - and then unleashed its power across the city.
It blew a crater nearly 200 meters (yards) wide out of the port where Warehouse 12 once stood, and seawater poured in to fill it. The port was leveled. A grain silo right next to the warehouse was shredded and sheared in half - though its massive bulk partially shielded sections of the city from the blast. For miles around, in people’s homes and in shops and hospitals, windows were shattered, doors knocked off their hinges, ceilings or walls blown in a vicious whirlwind onto those inside.
Alaa Saad and his friends were out diving, about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) off the coast of Beirut, when they started hearing noises from the direction of the port and saw the smoke. Was it fireworks? Ammunition?
“There were lots of flashes going off inside the smoke,” he said. He heard some kind of eruption, like a volcano. “Something that was boiling very much,” he said.
“Five seconds passed, and this is when I saw the cloud or the wave that was coming toward us at very high speed,” he said. “It was insane speed. I could not even think if I wanted to jump in the water or stay on the boat.”
Saad fell on the deck. A friend tumbled into the water.
“After that,” he said, “I thought it was the end of Beirut or the end of the world or the war has started.”
More than 6,000 people were injured, and at least 180 were killed - among them the 10 first responders. It would take days of searching before colleagues found all their bodies in the rubble.
Nearly three weeks later, theories abound. In the deeply polarized country, some have turned their suspicion to Hezbollah, which maintains a huge weapons stockpile in the country and dominates its politics. A member of the militant group was sentenced to six years in prison after he was arrested in Cyprus in 2015 in connection with the seizure of nine tons of ammonium nitrate at a house where he was staying.
An investigative team that includes Kobaissi, working with The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, found that the shadow owner of the Rhosus was actually a Cypriot who owed money to a Lebanese bank linked to Hezbollah - raising speculation that he brought in the ammonium nitrate for the group. The businessman, Charalambos Manoli, denied the report, insisting to the AP that he sold the ship in May 2012.
Others have peddled a theory that rivals of the group had sought to accrue the fertilizer for use as explosives in the war in neighboring Syria.
The documents show clear negligence and failure; the question of whether something more triggered the blast depends on an investigation that so far has seemed predictably slow and ineffectual.
The fire chief, Khankarli, is furious. So much destruction. So much bloodshed. All of it avoidable.
“We are waiting for the investigation,” he said. “But what is gone cannot be recovered.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--AP Explains: Why revolt in Belarus is different from Ukraine

MINSK , Belarus ( AP ) - A former Soviet republic on the fault line between Russia and Europe is boiling with revolt this summer .
Sounds familiar - but Belarus 2020 isn ’ t Ukraine 2014 , and that ’ s why it ’ s hard to predict what will happen next .
Here is a look at what ’ s different this time , and why it matters : The uprising in Belarus erupted last week in a democratic vacuum , in a country where challengers to President Alexander Lukashenko are jailed or exiled and where there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the forefront of Minsk protest marches have been ordinary Belarusians , instead of established political leaders like those who helped galvanize crowds and funding for Ukraine ’ s 2014 protest movement , centered around the Maidan independence square in Kyiv .
In Belarus , “ the absence of bright leaders undoubtedly weakens the protests … Leaders bring awareness , ” independent political analyst Valery Karbalevich said .
So Belarusian protesters formed a new Advisory Council this week to try to “ offer the street a clear plan and agenda , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kolesnikova argues that the mass protests this month in Minsk , which came together in decentralized clusters via messaging app Telegram , show that Belarusians no longer need a vertical hierarchy telling them what to do .
And a leaderless protest has one key advantage , she said : “ It can not be beheaded.
” ORDERLY , AND OK WITH RUSSIA When unprecedented crowds of 200,000 people marched through the tidy , broad avenues of Minsk on Sunday , they came to a halt at red traffic lights , waiting obediently until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by contrast , “ protesters burned tires and threw Molotov cocktails , ” said Syarzhuk Chyslau , leader of the Belarusian White Legion organization .
That ’ s in part because the Minsk marches lack the kind of far-right and neo-Nazi militant groups that joined Ukraine ’ s uprising and fanned the violence .
It ’ s also because Belarusians aren ’ t driven by the deep-seated anger at Russian influence that fueled Ukraine ’ s uprisings in 2004 and 2014 , or Georgia ’ s ground-breaking Rose Revolution in 2003 .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pro-Russian camps since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 , Belarusians are broadly Moscow-friendly .
Not a single European Union flag has appeared at the Minsk rallies , and the protesters aren ’ t pursuing NATO membership at the Kremlin ’ s expense ; they just want to freely choose their own leader after an election they believe was stolen from them .
Pavel Latushko , a former Lukashenko loyalist now on the protesters ’ Advisory Council , hopes this could allow Belarusians to count on help from both Brussels and Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the EU and Russia together acted as a mediator in resolving the Belarusian crisis , this would be an ideal option , ” Latushko told The Associated Press .
While Ukraine ’ s protest movement built a huge tent camp in the center of Kyiv , complete with food delivery and security forces , the only perks for protesters in Belarus so far are bottles of water .
“ There are no oligarchs in Belarus who would give money for hot meals , medical treatment and tents .
Even to pay police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” analyst Alexander Klaskouski said .
Unlike Ukraine ’ s largely privatized economy , Belarus ’ economy remains 80 % state-run , and little has evolved since the Soviet era .
That makes it even more remarkable that workers at state-run factories have joined this week ’ s protests and strikes .
“ The structure of the economy allowed Ukrainians not to be afraid of the state , which in Belarus could throw any person out on the street with nothing at all , ” said Klaskouski .
The EU and U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 2014 uprising , but have only a marginal role in the largely closed-off Belarusian economy .
Given that , the Kremlin can ’ t easily portray Belarus ’ protests as a Western-backed effort to sow chaos in its backyard the way it could in Ukraine .
Russia used that argument to justify its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and backing for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine in a war that still simmers , six years on .
But Russia ’ s role in Belarus is pivotal , as the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So far , Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear to Germany and France that they should steer clear of any interference , but hasn ’ t revealed how he wants to deal with the protesters or with Lukashenko , the only leader in the former Soviet space who ’ s been in power longer than Putin himself .
Ukraine has been a cacophonous democracy for much of the 29 years since winning independence from the USSR , and Belarus is dubbed Europe ’ s last dictatorship - but they share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same mistake as ( former Ukrainian President Viktor ) Yanukovych - he began to brutally beat peaceful protesters , which sparked a tsunami of popular protest , insulted dignity and triggered a revolution , ” said analyst Vladimir Fesenko , director of the Penta Center in Kyiv .
Belarusian economist Dmitry Rusakevich , 46 , participated in the Kyiv protests on the Maidan , and now goes out to Minsk ’ s Independence Square every evening .
“ Maidan woke up Belarusians and showed that we need to fight for freedom , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calm Belarusians a long time to muster the courage to say no to the dictator.
” Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report .
Follow AP ’ s coverage of the political turmoil in Belarus at https : //www.apnews.com/Belarus

MINSK, Belarus (AP) - A former Soviet republic on the fault line between Russia and Europe is boiling with revolt this summer. Sounds familiar - but Belarus 2020 isn’t Ukraine 2014, and that’s why it’s hard to predict what will happen next.
Here is a look at what’s different this time, and why it matters:
LEADERLESS RESISTANCE
The uprising in Belarus erupted last week in a democratic vacuum, in a country where challengers to President Alexander Lukashenko are jailed or exiled and where there is no experienced parliamentary opposition.
So those at the forefront of Minsk protest marches have been ordinary Belarusians, instead of established political leaders like those who helped galvanize crowds and funding for Ukraine’s 2014 protest movement, centered around the Maidan independence square in Kyiv.
In Belarus, “the absence of bright leaders undoubtedly weakens the protests … Leaders bring awareness,” independent political analyst Valery Karbalevich said.
So Belarusian protesters formed a new Advisory Council this week to try to “offer the street a clear plan and agenda,” he said.
However, opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova argues that the mass protests this month in Minsk, which came together in decentralized clusters via messaging app Telegram, show that Belarusians no longer need a vertical hierarchy telling them what to do.
And a leaderless protest has one key advantage, she said: “It cannot be beheaded.”
ORDERLY, AND OK WITH RUSSIA
When unprecedented crowds of 200,000 people marched through the tidy, broad avenues of Minsk on Sunday, they came to a halt at red traffic lights, waiting obediently until they turned green.
In Ukraine, by contrast, “protesters burned tires and threw Molotov cocktails,” said Syarzhuk Chyslau, leader of the Belarusian White Legion organization.
That’s in part because the Minsk marches lack the kind of far-right and neo-Nazi militant groups that joined Ukraine’s uprising and fanned the violence.
It’s also because Belarusians aren’t driven by the deep-seated anger at Russian influence that fueled Ukraine’s uprisings in 2004 and 2014, or Georgia’s ground-breaking Rose Revolution in 2003.
While Ukraine has been geopolitically split between pro-West and pro-Russian camps since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Belarusians are broadly Moscow-friendly.
Not a single European Union flag has appeared at the Minsk rallies, and the protesters aren’t pursuing NATO membership at the Kremlin’s expense; they just want to freely choose their own leader after an election they believe was stolen from them.
Pavel Latushko, a former Lukashenko loyalist now on the protesters’ Advisory Council, hopes this could allow Belarusians to count on help from both Brussels and Moscow to settle the current tensions.
“If the EU and Russia together acted as a mediator in resolving the Belarusian crisis, this would be an ideal option,” Latushko told The Associated Press.
SHOESTRING BUDGET
While Ukraine’s protest movement built a huge tent camp in the center of Kyiv, complete with food delivery and security forces, the only perks for protesters in Belarus so far are bottles of water.
“There are no oligarchs in Belarus who would give money for hot meals, medical treatment and tents. Even to pay police fines, Belarusian protesters collect money themselves,” analyst Alexander Klaskouski said.
Unlike Ukraine’s largely privatized economy, Belarus’ economy remains 80% state-run, and little has evolved since the Soviet era. That makes it even more remarkable that workers at state-run factories have joined this week’s protests and strikes.
“The structure of the economy allowed Ukrainians not to be afraid of the state, which in Belarus could throw any person out on the street with nothing at all,” said Klaskouski.
The EU and U.S. also had economic interests in Ukraine before its 2014 uprising, but have only a marginal role in the largely closed-off Belarusian economy.
MOSCOW’S HAND
Given that, the Kremlin can’t easily portray Belarus’ protests as a Western-backed effort to sow chaos in its backyard the way it could in Ukraine. Russia used that argument to justify its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and backing for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine in a war that still simmers, six years on.
But Russia’s role in Belarus is pivotal, as the country’s top trade partner and main military ally.
So far, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear to Germany and France that they should steer clear of any interference, but hasn’t revealed how he wants to deal with the protesters or with Lukashenko, the only leader in the former Soviet space who’s been in power longer than Putin himself.
POTENTIAL PARALLELS
Ukraine has been a cacophonous democracy for much of the 29 years since winning independence from the USSR, and Belarus is dubbed Europe’s last dictatorship - but they share some similarities.
“Lukashenko made the same mistake as (former Ukrainian President Viktor) Yanukovych - he began to brutally beat peaceful protesters, which sparked a tsunami of popular protest, insulted dignity and triggered a revolution,” said analyst Vladimir Fesenko, director of the Penta Center in Kyiv.
Belarusian economist Dmitry Rusakevich, 46, participated in the Kyiv protests on the Maidan, and now goes out to Minsk’s Independence Square every evening.
“Maidan woke up Belarusians and showed that we need to fight for freedom,” he said. “It took the calm Belarusians a long time to muster the courage to say no to the dictator.”
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Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the political turmoil in Belarus at https://www.apnews.com/Belarus


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Collision of bus, van in Poland kills 9, injures 7

WARSAW , Poland ( AP ) - A bus and a passenger van have collided in Poland , killing all @ @ @ @ @ and injuring seven people who were traveling in the bus , rescue officials and media @ @ @ @ @ occurred late Saturday near the town of Gliwice , in Silesia , a region in @ @ @ @ @ involved a larger bus carrying 49 passengers and a Renault Trafic passenger van with nine @ @ @ @ @ officials .
A police spokesman , Marek Słomski , said preliminary findings indicate that the @ @ @ @ @ control of his vehicle and swerved to avoid hitting the side of the road .
@ @ @ @ @ roof collided with the front of the larger bus .
Capt .
Damian Dudek , @ @ @ @ @ Gliwice , told the news agency PAP that 49 people were traveling in the bus @ @ @ @ @ Seven of them were taken to hospitals , and the driver is the one in @ @ @ @ @

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - A bus and a passenger van have collided in Poland, killing all nine people in the van and injuring seven people who were traveling in the bus, rescue officials and media reported Sunday.
The crash occurred late Saturday near the town of Gliwice, in Silesia, a region in southwestern Poland.
The collision involved a larger bus carrying 49 passengers and a Renault Trafic passenger van with nine people aboard, according to officials.
A police spokesman, Marek Słomski, said preliminary findings indicate that the driver of the van lost control of his vehicle and swerved to avoid hitting the side of the road. The van overturned and its roof collided with the front of the larger bus.
Capt. Damian Dudek, a spokesman for firefighters in Gliwice, told the news agency PAP that 49 people were traveling in the bus, including the driver. Seven of them were taken to hospitals, and the driver is the one in the most serious condition.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--AP PHOTOS: Splash! Virus spawns portable pool fad in Spain

SEVILLE , Spain ( AP ) - As pretty much everywhere else , the coronavirus pandemic has meant more time at home for Spaniards .
For many of those furloughed or out of business it has also meant less income and no way to afford a vacation to escape the sweltering temperatures of the Spanish summer .
Searching for a solution to keep cool , portable pools have become the newest fad , taking over backyards , terraces , communal patios and even the streets of Seville in the country ’ s south .
Sales of all portable pools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year as early as May , when Spain was still in the middle of a strict lockdown and few feared that their summer would mean they would be confined at home .
By June , most models had sold out from shopping malls and online websites .
Javier Salcedo , a 44-year-old construction manager in Seville , decided to purchase a sturdy model , a quality pool with plastic walls , but had to find it in the second-hand market .
In hindsight , he ’ s happy he didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see , ” he said .
“ Public pools or private clubs were closed and the rest of the plans for the summer were up in the air.
” But few own a private yard like Salcedo ’ s in Sevilla , where thermometers that often hit the 40 C ( 104 F ) mark can see even higher temperatures during heat waves .
Isabel , a 30-year-old who raises four children in one of the Seville ’ s poorest neighborhoods , bought an inflatable pool especially to make the heat more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ syndrome .
“ I have no other place to put it but in the street , ” she said .
“ It ’ s horrible to live in these precarious circumstances.
” With more than 377,000 total infections for the new virus and close to 29,000 confirmed deaths , Spain is trying to contain one of Europe ’ s most severe coronavirus outbreaks .
In two months since ending a strict lockdown , the country has recorded close to 132,000 new infections .

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) - As pretty much everywhere else, the coronavirus pandemic has meant more time at home for Spaniards. For many of those furloughed or out of business it has also meant less income and no way to afford a vacation to escape the sweltering temperatures of the Spanish summer.
Searching for a solution to keep cool, portable pools have become the newest fad, taking over backyards, terraces, communal patios and even the streets of Seville in the country’s south.
Sales of all portable pools, including the cheapest inflatable models, started this year as early as May, when Spain was still in the middle of a strict lockdown and few feared that their summer would mean they would be confined at home. By June, most models had sold out from shopping malls and online websites.
Javier Salcedo, a 44-year-old construction manager in Seville, decided to purchase a sturdy model, a quality pool with plastic walls, but had to find it in the second-hand market. In hindsight, he’s happy he didn’t wait anymore.
“It was easy to see,” he said. “Public pools or private clubs were closed and the rest of the plans for the summer were up in the air.”
But few own a private yard like Salcedo’s in Sevilla, where thermometers that often hit the 40 C (104 F) mark can see even higher temperatures during heat waves.
Isabel, a 30-year-old who raises four children in one of the Seville’s poorest neighborhoods, bought an inflatable pool especially to make the heat more bearable for a son who has Down syndrome.
“I have no other place to put it but in the street,” she said. “It’s horrible to live in these precarious circumstances.”
With more than 377,000 total infections for the new virus and close to 29,000 confirmed deaths, Spain is trying to contain one of Europe’s most severe coronavirus outbreaks. In two months since ending a strict lockdown, the country has recorded close to 132,000 new infections.
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Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--US envoy joins Taiwan president at military memorial

KINMEN , Taiwan ( AP ) - The U.S. envoy to Taiwan joined President Tsai Ing-wen at a military memorial service Sunday in a fresh show of warming relations that threatened to add to irritants in Washington ’ s relations with Beijing .
Neither the director of the American Institute in Taiwan , William Brent Christensen , nor Tsai spoke at the annual event for soldiers killed by Chinese bombing in 1958 on Kinmen , a Taiwanese-controlled island near the mainland coast .
Attendees , wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus , observed one minute of silence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ graves .
Washington has no official relations with Taiwan , which split with the communist-ruled mainland in 1949 following a civil war .
The Trump administration has made gestures toward Taiwan as relations with Beijing soured .
This month , Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit , prompting a Chinese protest .
Despite that lack of official ties , the United States is Taiwan ’ s most important ally and weapons supplier .
The AIT is a non-profit corporation instead of an embassy but is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no immediate official Chinese comment Sunday about U.S. participation in the memorial .
Sunday marked the first appearance by an AIT director at the annual memorial .
Christensen has previously attended events with Tsai , but Sunday ’ s was unusually high-profile .
Some Taiwan TV channels broadcast the memorial live .
Christensen , who brought an eight-member delegation , and Tsai said nothing to reporters .
Previous Taiwanese presidents have spoken at the memorial .
Tsai , who took office in 2016 , made no speech last year but talked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington ’ s support for Taiwan ’ s democratically elected government has been a chronic irritant in relations with Beijing .
More recently , the two sides are at odds over Beijing ’ s technology ambitions , spying accusations , trade , the South China Sea and China ’ s response to the virus pandemic .
The soldiers commemorated Sunday were killed after the mainland ’ s People ’ s Liberation Army began artillery attacks on Kinmen , which lies near the Chinese coast , on Aug. 23 , 1958 .
Their intensity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t end until Washington and Beijing formed official relations in 1979 .

KINMEN, Taiwan (AP) - The U.S. envoy to Taiwan joined President Tsai Ing-wen at a military memorial service Sunday in a fresh show of warming relations that threatened to add to irritants in Washington’s relations with Beijing.
Neither the director of the American Institute in Taiwan, William Brent Christensen, nor Tsai spoke at the annual event for soldiers killed by Chinese bombing in 1958 on Kinmen, a Taiwanese-controlled island near the mainland coast. Attendees, wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus, observed one minute of silence. Military personnel lit incense at soldiers’ graves.
Washington has no official relations with Taiwan, which split with the communist-ruled mainland in 1949 following a civil war. The Trump administration has made gestures toward Taiwan as relations with Beijing soured. This month, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit, prompting a Chinese protest.
Despite that lack of official ties, the United States is Taiwan’s most important ally and weapons supplier. The AIT is a non-profit corporation instead of an embassy but is staffed by State Department employees.
There was no immediate official Chinese comment Sunday about U.S. participation in the memorial.
Sunday marked the first appearance by an AIT director at the annual memorial.
Christensen has previously attended events with Tsai, but Sunday’s was unusually high-profile. Some Taiwan TV channels broadcast the memorial live.
Christensen, who brought an eight-member delegation, and Tsai said nothing to reporters.
Previous Taiwanese presidents have spoken at the memorial. Tsai, who took office in 2016, made no speech last year but talked to reporters about events in Hong Kong.
Washington’s support for Taiwan’s democratically elected government has been a chronic irritant in relations with Beijing. More recently, the two sides are at odds over Beijing’s technology ambitions, spying accusations, trade, the South China Sea and China’s response to the virus pandemic.
The soldiers commemorated Sunday were killed after the mainland’s People’s Liberation Army began artillery attacks on Kinmen, which lies near the Chinese coast, on Aug. 23, 1958.
Their intensity declined the following October but they didn’t end until Washington and Beijing formed official relations in 1979.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--South Korea elevates distancing as virus nears spring levels

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - Churches were closed and professional baseball games were played in empty stadiums on Sunday as South Korea stepped up measures nationwide to fight a resurgence in coronavirus cases that has raised concerns that the epidemic is getting out of control .
The 397 new cases reported by South Korea ’ s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , or the KCDC , marked the 10th straight day of triple-digit increases and indicated that the speed of the virus ’ s spread was nearing levels seen during the worst of the outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began in the densely populated Seoul area before reaching practically every major city and provincial town over the past week , is a major setback for a country that had been eager to tout its hard-won gains against the virus .
After avoiding stringent social distancing measures because of concerns about hurting the economy , officials stepped up restrictions nationwide on Sunday .
They banned gatherings of more than 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors and shut nightclubs , karaoke rooms , buffet restaurants and computer-gaming cafes .
Churches can hold online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from professional sports , just weeks after baseball and soccer teams had been allowed to sell limited portions of their seats .
Such measures were first implemented in the greater Seoul area on Wednesday , but officials announced Saturday that they would be expanded nationwide after it became clear that the outbreak was spreading throughout the country .
KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said things will probably get worse before they get better .
The daily jumps could become even bigger in the coming days because health workers are increasingly struggling to keep up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to trace and test the contacts of virus carriers , she said .
“ We don ’ t see the current state as the peak … we believe that infections could further increase , ” Jeong said during a virus briefing .
“ Patients are increasing not only in the Seoul metropolitan region , but also across the 17 ( major ) cities and provinces throughout the country , pushing us on the verge of a massive nationwide outbreak.
” The Seoul city government announced Sunday that it will require people to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - starting Monday .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear how the capital could effectively enforce such requirements .
Seoul has been mandating masks on mass transport since May , but enforcement has been relatively lax as it depends on bus drivers and subway station workers .
There ’ s a possibility that government officials this week could further elevate social distancing measures to “ Level 3 , ” which could include prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people , shutting schools , halting professional sports and advising private companies to have employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ‘ Level 3 ’ practically means the stoppage of all daily activities aside of essential social and economic activities , and that would bring painful results to all our people and the economy as a whole , ” senior Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho said during a separate briefing .
He called for vigilance by citizens to slow the spread of the virus , and pleaded that people cancel or push back large events such as weddings .
Sunday ’ s jump in infections marked the third consecutive day they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases have come from the Seoul area , home to half of the country ’ s 51 million people .
Cases were also reported in other major cities such as Busan , Gwangju , Daejeon and Daegu , the epicenter of the previous major outbreak in late February and March .
The country managed to stabilize the situation in the Daegu area by April through aggressive testing and contact tracing .
That approach worked because many of the infections had been tied to a single church congregation with thousands of members .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be as effective now , with the virus spreading nationwide .
“ With the number of virus patients rising rapidly , it has become difficult for anti-virus measures alone to contain the outbreak - the reduction of human-to-human contact is crucial , ” Jeong said .
Churches have constantly been a major source of infection .
More than 840 cases so far have been linked to a Seoul church led by a bitter critic of the country ’ s president .
The spread worsened after thousands of anti-government protesters , including members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative pastor , Jun Kwang-hun , marched in downtown Seoul last week despite official pleas to stay home .
Jeong said at least 136 infections have so far been linked to the protest .
Jun has been hospitalized since Monday after testing positive for the virus .
Health workers have used cellphone location data to identify some 50,000 people who spent more than 30 minutes on the street during the Aug. 15 protest 15 and have been urging them to get tested .

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Churches were closed and professional baseball games were played in empty stadiums on Sunday as South Korea stepped up measures nationwide to fight a resurgence in coronavirus cases that has raised concerns that the epidemic is getting out of control.
The 397 new cases reported by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the KCDC, marked the 10th straight day of triple-digit increases and indicated that the speed of the virus’s spread was nearing levels seen during the worst of the outbreak in the spring.
The resurgence, which began in the densely populated Seoul area before reaching practically every major city and provincial town over the past week, is a major setback for a country that had been eager to tout its hard-won gains against the virus.
After avoiding stringent social distancing measures because of concerns about hurting the economy, officials stepped up restrictions nationwide on Sunday.
They banned gatherings of more than 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors and shut nightclubs, karaoke rooms, buffet restaurants and computer-gaming cafes. Churches can hold online services only, while fans were removed from professional sports, just weeks after baseball and soccer teams had been allowed to sell limited portions of their seats.
Such measures were first implemented in the greater Seoul area on Wednesday, but officials announced Saturday that they would be expanded nationwide after it became clear that the outbreak was spreading throughout the country.
KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said things will probably get worse before they get better. The daily jumps could become even bigger in the coming days because health workers are increasingly struggling to keep up with the pace of infection, scrambling to trace and test the contacts of virus carriers, she said.
“We don’t see the current state as the peak … we believe that infections could further increase,” Jeong said during a virus briefing. “Patients are increasing not only in the Seoul metropolitan region, but also across the 17 (major) cities and provinces throughout the country, pushing us on the verge of a massive nationwide outbreak.”
The Seoul city government announced Sunday that it will require people to wear masks in public - indoors and outdoors - starting Monday. It wasn’t immediately clear how the capital could effectively enforce such requirements. Seoul has been mandating masks on mass transport since May, but enforcement has been relatively lax as it depends on bus drivers and subway station workers.
There’s a possibility that government officials this week could further elevate social distancing measures to “Level 3,” which could include prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people, shutting schools, halting professional sports and advising private companies to have employees work from home.
“An elevation to ‘Level 3’ practically means the stoppage of all daily activities aside of essential social and economic activities, and that would bring painful results to all our people and the economy as a whole,” senior Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho said during a separate briefing. He called for vigilance by citizens to slow the spread of the virus, and pleaded that people cancel or push back large events such as weddings.
Sunday’s jump in infections marked the third consecutive day they’ve crossed 300. Most of the new cases have come from the Seoul area, home to half of the country’s 51 million people. Cases were also reported in other major cities such as Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon and Daegu, the epicenter of the previous major outbreak in late February and March.
The country managed to stabilize the situation in the Daegu area by April through aggressive testing and contact tracing. That approach worked because many of the infections had been tied to a single church congregation with thousands of members.
But it’s unclear if the formula will be as effective now, with the virus spreading nationwide.
South Korea has 17,399 confirmed cases overall, including 309 deaths.
“With the number of virus patients rising rapidly, it has become difficult for anti-virus measures alone to contain the outbreak - the reduction of human-to-human contact is crucial,” Jeong said.
Churches have constantly been a major source of infection. More than 840 cases so far have been linked to a Seoul church led by a bitter critic of the country’s president.
The spread worsened after thousands of anti-government protesters, including members of the Sarang Jeil Church and its conservative pastor, Jun Kwang-hun, marched in downtown Seoul last week despite official pleas to stay home.
Jeong said at least 136 infections have so far been linked to the protest. Jun has been hospitalized since Monday after testing positive for the virus.
Health workers have used cellphone location data to identify some 50,000 people who spent more than 30 minutes on the street during the Aug. 15 protest 15 and have been urging them to get tested.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Asia Today: South Korea sees 11th day of 3-digit increases

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - South Korea counted its 11th straight day of triple-digit daily jumps in coronavirus cases Monday after social distancing restrictions were tightened nationwide .
Most of the 266 new cases reported by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were in the Seoul metropolitan area , home to half of the country ’ s 51 million people , but new infections were also reported in other major cities , including Busan , Daejeong and Sejong .
KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong said it ’ s likely the country will continue to report huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers scramble to trace and test contacts of virus carriers .
Officials consider the current outbreak South Korea ’ s biggest crisis since the emergence of COVID-19 , given the population density of the capital region and the spread of the virus among various sources .
The country since Sunday has banned larger gatherings , shut down nightspots and churches and removed fans from professional sports nationwide .
In other developments around the Asia-Pacific region : - China has gone eight days without reporting a new local case of COVID-19 , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are returning .
The festival being held this week was postponed from April and is being held without a red carpet for the first time .
Across the country , theaters have reopened after being closed for months and a Shanghai film festival that ended Aug. 2 drew almost 150,000 viewers to the city ’ s cinemas .
China ’ s 16 new virus cases reported Monday were all in overseas travelers .
China has reported 4,634 deaths from COVID-19 among 84,967 cases recorded since late last year .
The semiautonomous southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases have spiked recently , added 25 new cases and one death to bring its totals to 4,682 cases with 77 deaths .
- Australia ’ s hard-hit Victoria state on Monday recorded its lowest tally of new coronavirus cases in eight weeks with the state capital Melbourne half way through a six-week lockdown .
Victoria reported 116 new cases and 15 deaths .
That is the lowest daily tally of new cases since 87 were reported on July 5 .
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said although daily case numbers are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a downward trajectory .
Health authorities have warned that the daily tally would need to fall to single digits or low double digits before the Melbourne lockdown is relaxed .

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea counted its 11th straight day of triple-digit daily jumps in coronavirus cases Monday and health officials pleaded for people to follow guidelines or risk further restrictions or strains on hospitals.
Most of the 266 new cases reported by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were in the Seoul metropolitan area, home to half of the country’s 51 million people, but new infections were also reported in other major cities, including Busan, Daejeon and Sejong.
KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong said it’s likely the country will continue to report huge infection numbers in coming days as health workers scramble to trace and test contacts of virus carriers.
She pleaded people to stay home unless for essential reasons, wear masks if they do, and maintain distance between other individuals so that “students could continue to learn, small merchants could continue to do business and to prevent the medical system from collapsing.”
The 397 new cases reported on Sunday was South Korea’s highest single-day total since March 7, during an outbreak that was largely limited to its southeastern region and was stabilized by April. Officials consider the current outbreak South Korea’s biggest crisis since the emergence of COVID-19, given the population density of the capital region and the spread of the virus among more varied sources.
The country since Sunday has banned larger gatherings, shut down nightspots and churches and removed fans from professional sports nationwide.
Seoul, Sejong and the island province of Jeju began requiring people to wear masks in public Monday but enforcement was unclear. Seoul’s existing mandate for wearing masks on mass transport has been dependent on bus drivers and subway station workers.
The country is also working to prevent hospital systems in the capital area from being overwhelmed, such as adding more temporary shelters to treat mild cases while saving hospital beds for patients who are more seriously ill. The six current shelters - including one built at a Seoul training center for Olympic athletes - could accommodate some 1,400 people, but officials are hoping to increase the capacity to 4,000, senior Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho said.
Jeong and other officials said the country could be forced to elevate social distancing restrictions if the virus doesn’t slow after this week. That could possibly mean banning of gatherings of more than 10 people, shutting schools, halting professional sports and recommending private companies’ employees work from home, measures that would batter an already weak economy.
Churches had been a major source of infections before authorities shut them down. As of Monday afternoon, 875 infections were linked to a northern Seoul church whose pastor led a march of thousands of anti-government protesters earlier this month.
Jeong said 176 infections have been linked to the protests so far, including seven among police officers who were deployed to watch demonstrators. The pastor, who shared a microphone with other activists on stage during the rally, has been hospitalized a week with COVID-19.
In other developments around the Asia-Pacific region:
- The lockdown of New Zealand’s largest city has been extended by four days as authorities try to stamp out a coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the two-week lockdown of Auckland, which was due to end Wednesday, will continue through Sunday. She said authorities need to be sure they have found the perimeter of the outbreak and that few cases occur outside of those detected by contact tracing. Masks will be mandated on public transit beginning next week. Ardern said the restrictions in place for the rest of the country would continue for now. New Zealand went 102 days without any community transmission of the virus before the Auckland cluster surfaced this month. Health authorities on Monday reported nine new virus cases.
- India registered 61,408 additional cases Monday, driving the country’s virus tally past 3.1 million. The Health Ministry also reported 836 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 57,542. India has been recording at least 60,000 new infections per day from the last two weeks. Western Maharashtra state and three southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are the worst-hit regions. The country has largely reopened its economy, though with restrictions mainly in place for infection hot spots.
- China has gone eight days without reporting a new local case of COVID-19, with the Beijing International Film Festival among public events that are returning. The festival being held this week was postponed from April and is being held without a red carpet for the first time. Many events are being held online, including 250 of the planned 300 screenings. Across the country, theaters have reopened after being closed for months and a Shanghai film festival that ended Aug. 2 drew almost 150,000 viewers to the city’s cinemas. China’s 16 new virus cases reported Monday were all in overseas travelers. The semiautonomous southern Chinese city of Hong Kong, where cases have spiked recently, added 25 new cases and one death.
- Australia’s hard-hit Victoria state on Monday recorded its lowest tally of new coronavirus cases in eight weeks with the state capital Melbourne half way through a six-week lockdown. Victoria reported 116 new cases and 15 deaths. That is the lowest daily tally of new cases since 87 were reported on July 5. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said although daily case numbers are “jumping around” he expected they were on a downward trajectory. Health authorities have warned that the daily tally would need to fall to single digits or low double digits before the Melbourne lockdown is relaxed.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Court told New Zealand shooter planned to burn down mosques

WELLINGTON , New Zealand ( AP ) - The white supremacist who slaughtered 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques had intended to burn down the mosques afterward , a prosecutor said in court Monday , while describing two of those praying as making heroic efforts to stop the mass shooting .
New details about the March 2019 attacks were outlined during the first day of a four-day sentencing hearing at the Christchurch High Court .
The hearing gave some families and survivors their first chance to confront the gunman .
“ You killed your own humanity , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgive you for your horrible crime , ” said a tearful Maysoon Salama , the mother of 33-year-old Atta Elayyan , who was killed in the attacks .
“ You thought you can break us .
You failed miserably.
” The gunman , 29-year-old Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant , pleaded guilty in March to 51 counts of murder , 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism - the first terrorism conviction in New Zealand ’ s history .
He could become the first person in New Zealand to be sentenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parole .
Tarrant was brought into the courtroom shackled and wearing a gray prison outfit .
In the dock , unshackled and surrounded by five officers , he showed little emotion throughout the hearing .
He occasionally looked around the room , tapped his fingers , and watched the survivors as they spoke .
The courtroom was only half full due to coronavirus distancing requirements , while many others watched from adjacent courtrooms where the hearing was streamed .
Survivors and family members occasionally wept and comforted each other .
The hearing began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26-page summary of facts , the first detailed account by authorities about what happened that day .
Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes said that two months before the attacks , Tarrant flew a drone directly over the Al Noor mosque , recording an aerial view of the grounds and buildings and taking note of the entry and exit doors .
Hawes said the gunman planned his attacks for when the maximum number of worshippers were present , and that 190 people were in the Al Noor mosque for Friday prayers on the day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gunman had six guns - two AR-15 rifles , two other rifles , and two shotguns , the court heard .
He also brought with him four modified gas containers which he planned to use to burn down the mosques after he finished shooting , Hawes said .
The gunman later told police he wished he had used them .
Hawes also detailed the bravery of Naeem Rashid , who was killed at the Al Noor mosque .
“ He ran at the defendant from the southeastern corner of the room .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the defendant , the defendant swung the AR-15 around and fired four shots at point-blank range , ” Hawes said .
“ Mr .
Rashid crashed into the defendant and the defendant went down on one knee , ” Hawes said , adding that Tarrant was able to get back up and shoot Rashid again .
At the second mosque , Abdul Aziz chased Tarrant down the driveway screaming at him , prosecutors said , and threw a discarded rifle at his car , shattering a glass panel .
Aziz was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is representing himself during the sentencing , raising fears he could try to use the occasion as a platform to promote his racist views .
He can choose to speak once the survivors have spoken , although the judge will likely shut down any attempts he makes to grandstand .
New Zealand abolished the death penalty for murder in 1961 , and the longest sentence imposed since then has been life imprisonment with a minimum 30-year non-parole period .
Justice Cameron Mander will decide on the gunman ’ s sentence at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting people praying at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques shocked New Zealand and prompted new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons .
They also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook , where it was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people .
Prosecutors said that after Tarrant left the Linwood mosque he planned to drive to the town of Ashburton and attack a third mosque .
But he was rammed by two police officers , dragged out of his car and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Al Noor mosque who survived the shooting , told the court that the gunman ’ s actions were misguided .
“ We are a peaceful and loving community who did not deserve your actions , ” Fouda said .
“ Your hatred is unnecessary .
If you have done anything , you have brought the world community closer with your evil actions .
”

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Families and survivors had their first chance to confront the white supremacist who slaughtered 51 worshippers in a mass shooting at two New Zealand mosques as his four-day sentencing hearing began Monday.
“You killed your own humanity, and I don’t think the world will forgive you for your horrible crime,” said a tearful Maysoon Salama, the mother of 33-year-old Atta Elayyan, who was killed in March 2019 attacks. “You thought you can break us. You failed miserably.”
The gunman, 29-year-old Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant, pleaded guilty in March to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism — the first terrorism conviction in New Zealand’s history. He could become the first person in New Zealand to be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, the toughest sentence available.
Tarrant was brought into the Christchurch High Court shackled and wearing a gray prison outfit. In the dock, unshackled and surrounded by five officers, he showed little emotion throughout the hearing. He occasionally looked around the room, tapped his fingers, and watched the survivors as they spoke.
The courtroom was only half full due to coronavirus distancing requirements, while many others watched from adjacent courtrooms where the hearing was streamed. Survivors and family members occasionally wept and comforted each other.
Two dozen victims and family members told the court about the pain of losing husbands, wives, sons and brothers. Some had family members around them for support, others spoke through translators or on pre-recorded videos from abroad.
One of those was grandmother Saira Patel, who spoke from Melbourne in Australia and described the moment she thought she would die in the Linwood mosque.
“I stretched both my arms toward my husband so we would die together,” she said.
But it was her husband of 36 years, Musa, who was shot in the back. When paramedics arrived, she said, they told her to push on the bullet hole to lessen the bleeding, but her hands kept slipping with all the blood. When they took over, she said, she held her husband’s warm hands until they dropped. He had died.
“I’m still searching for my husband’s beautiful face in the crowds, but he’s nowhere to be seen,” she said.
Some speakers raised their voices in anger when they addressed the gunman. One said nothing less than the death penalty would be fair. Janna Ezat, whose son Hussein Al-Umari was killed, looked at Tarrant and spoke softly.
“I forgive you,” she said. “The damage is done, Hussein will never be here. I only have one choice and that is to forgive.”
Monday’s hearing began with prosecutors outlining the attacks in a 26-page summary of facts, the first detailed account by authorities about what happened that day, including the revelation that Tarrant had intended to burn down the mosques.
Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes said Tarrant moved to New Zealand in 2017 and began buying an arsenal of high-powered weapons, as well as 7,000 rounds of ammunition.
Two months before the attacks, Tarrant flew a drone directly over the Al Noor mosque, recording an aerial view of the grounds and buildings and taking note of the entry and exit doors, Hawes said.
Hawes said the gunman planned his attacks for when the maximum number of worshippers were present, and that 190 people were in the Al Noor mosque for Friday prayers on the day of the attacks.
In his car, the gunman had six guns — two AR-15 rifles, two other rifles, and two shotguns, the court heard. He also brought with him four modified gas containers that he planned to use to burn down the mosques after he finished shooting, Hawes said. The gunman later told police he wished he had used them and that he wished he’d shot more people.
Hawes also detailed the bravery of Naeem Rashid, who was killed at the Al Noor mosque.
“He ran at the defendant from the southeastern corner of the room. When Mr. Rashid was approximately 1 meter from the defendant, the defendant swung the AR-15 around and fired four shots at point-blank range,” Hawes said.
“Mr. Rashid crashed into the defendant and the defendant went down on one knee,” Hawes said, adding that Tarrant was able to get back up and shoot Rashid again.
At the second mosque, Abdul Aziz chased Tarrant down the driveway screaming at him, prosecutors said, and threw a discarded rifle at his car, shattering a window. Aziz was not injured.
Tarrant has dismissed his lawyers and is representing himself during the sentencing, raising fears he could try to use the occasion as a platform to promote his racist views. He can choose to speak once the survivors have spoken, although the judge will likely shut down any attempts he makes to grandstand.
New Zealand abolished the death penalty for murder in 1961, and the longest sentence imposed since then has been life imprisonment with a minimum 30-year non-parole period. Justice Cameron Mander will decide on the gunman’s sentence at the end of the hearing.
The attacks targeting people praying at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques shocked New Zealand and prompted new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons. They also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook, where it was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.
Prosecutors said that after Tarrant left the Linwood mosque he planned to drive to the town of Ashburton and attack a third mosque. But he was rammed by two police officers, dragged out of his car and arrested.
Gamal Fouda, the imam of the Al Noor mosque who survived the shooting, told the court that the gunman’s actions were misguided.
“We are a peaceful and loving community who did not deserve your actions,” Fouda said. “Your hatred is unnecessary. If you have done anything, you have brought the world community closer with your evil actions.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Kellyanne Conway, Trump adviser, to leave White House at end of month

Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway will reportedly leave the White House before the end of August .
Mrs. Conway , according to a statement first reported in the Washington Post , is leaving to focus on family issues and her “ Never Trump ” husband will also be stepping back from daily politicking .
“ We disagree about plenty , ” Mrs. Conway said in the statement , “ but we are united on what matters most : the kids .
Our four children are teens and ‘ tweens starting a new academic year in the middle school and high school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a least a few months .
As millions of parents nationwide know , kids ‘ doing school from home ’ requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times.
” According to the Post , she told President Trump of her decision Sunday night at the White House .
Mrs. Conway , Mr. Trump ’ s third 2016 campaign manager and the first woman to head a victorious presidential campaign , called her time “ heady ” and “ humbling ” and said she was leaving on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely my choice and my voice .
In time , I will announce future plans .
For now , and for my beloved children , it will less drama , more mama , ” she wrote .
Claudia Conway , the high-school aged daughter of Mrs. Conway and husband George , had earlier Sunday said on Twitter that social media was “ becoming way too much ” and was taking “ a mental health break.
” Miss Conway had frequently attacked the politics of both her parents and Mr. Trump on Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets that she later walked back that she was seeking “ emancipation ” from her parents .
According to the Post , Mrs. Conway Conway still plans to speak at Wednesday night ’ s Republican national Convention .

Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway will leave the White House before the end of August.
Mrs. Conway, according to a statement she posted to Twitter and was first reported by The Washington Post, is leaving to focus on family issues, and her “Never Trump” husband will also be stepping back from daily politicking.
“We disagree about plenty,” Mrs. Conway said in the statement about herself and George Conway, “but we are united on what matters most: the kids. Our four children are teens and ‘tweens starting a new academic year in the middle school and high school that will be conducted remotely from home for a least a few months. As millions of parents nationwide know, kids ‘doing school from home’ requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times.”
According to The Post, she told President Trump of her decision Sunday night in the Oval Office.
Mrs. Conway, Mr. Trump’s third 2016 campaign manager and the first woman to head a victorious presidential campaign, called her time “heady” and “humbling” and said she was leaving on her own terms.
“This is completely my choice and my voice. In time, I will announce future plans. For now, and for my beloved children, it will less drama, more mama,” she wrote.
Claudia Conway, the Conways’ high-school aged daughter, had earlier Sunday said on Twitter that social media was “becoming way too much” and was taking “a mental health break.”
Miss Conway had frequently attacked the politics of both her parents and Mr. Trump on Twitter. She also said earlier this weekend in tweets that she later walked back that she was seeking “emancipation” from her parents.
Mr. Conway said Sunday night on Twitter that he plans to step away from the “Lincoln Project,” an anti-Trump conservative group pushing Democrats up and down the ticket.
“So I’m withdrawing from @ProjectLincoln to devote more time to family matters. And I’ll be taking a Twitter hiatus. Needless to say, I continue to support the Lincoln Project and its mission. Passionately,” he wrote.
According to The Post, Mrs. Conway still plans to speak at Wednesday night’s Republican National Convention.
• Alex Swoyer contributed to this report.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Police shooting in Wisconsin leaves 1 person hospitalized

KENOSHA , Wis. ( AP ) - A person was hospitalized in serious condition following a police shooting in Kenosha , Wisconsin , that prompted neighbors and crowds to gather and confront officers at the scene Sunday night .
The shooting happened about 5 p.m. as officers were responding to a “ domestic incident , ” the Kenosha Police Department said in a news release .
Police did not provide details about what led to the shooting , but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment .
In a video posted on social media Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the street , three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at a man who walked around the front of an SUV parked on the street .
As the man opened the driver ’ s side door and leaned inside , one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle .
At least seven shots could be heard , though it was unclear if more than one officer fired .
Following the shooting , neighbors could be seen gathering in the streets and hurling comments at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ No justice , no peace.
” Kenosha Police referred all questions to the Wisconsin Department of Justice , which did not immediately respond to messages seeking to confirm details of the video .
The Kenosha Sheriff ’ s Department and Wisconsin State Patrol were requested at the scene so another law enforcement agency could take over , police said in the news release .
The city of Kenosha is located on Lake Michigan , about 40 miles ( 64.37 Kilometers ) south of Milwaukee .
A Kenosha Police Department dispatcher referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin Department of Justice , the agency that will be investigating the shooting .
A message left with DOJ was not immediately returned .

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) - Neighbors confronted law enforcement at the scene of a police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday that drew a harsh rebuke from the governor and prompted crowds to march in the streets after a video posted on social media appeared to show officers shoot at a man’s back seven times as he leaned into a vehicle.
Kenosha Police said a person was hospitalized in serious condition following a shooting by officers about 5 p.m. as police were responding to a “domestic incident,” the Kenosha Police Department said in a news release. Police did not provide details about what led to the shooting or the officers involved, but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment.
In the video posted on social media that appeared to show the shooting from across a street, three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at the man, who appeared to be Black, as he walked around the front of an SUV parked on the street. As the man opened the driver’s side door and leaned inside, one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle. Seven shots could be heard on the video, though it was unclear if more than one officer fired.
Following the shooting, social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the surrounding streets and hurling comments at police. Some could be heard chanting, “No justice, no peace.”
Later Sunday, in a scene that mirrored the months of protests over racial injustice around the world that have followed the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people killed by police, marchers headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, which authorities had mostly blocked off. Protesters marched along lines of cars honking on their way to the station and eventually made their way to the rear parking lot. A man could be seen breaking the window of a patrol car parked along the street. Some police officers were positioned on the roof of the station as people continued toward the building
Outside the station, protesters faced off with officers who were dressed in riot gear that included plastic facemasks and held plastic shields and batons that they occasionally used to push people back.
Gov. Tony Evers on Sunday night released a statement on Twitter condemning the shooting of a man who “was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight” and whom he identified as Jacob Blake.
“While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country,” Evers said. “We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country …
“And we stand against excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with Black Wisconsinites. I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy, equally important is our action. In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long.”
Kenosha Police referred all questions to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which did not immediately respond to messages seeking to confirm details of the shooting video.
The Kenosha Sheriff’s Department and Wisconsin State Patrol were requested at the scene so another law enforcement agency could take over, police said in the news release.
Meanwhile, Kenosha County late Sunday night declared a state of “emergency curfew,” which the Kenosha Sheriff’s Department would enforce until 7 a.m.
The city of Kenosha is located on Lake Michigan, about 40 miles (64.37 Kilometers) south of Milwaukee.
A Kenosha Police Department dispatcher referred calls by The Associated Press to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the agency that will be investigating the shooting. A message left with DOJ was not immediately returned.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Trump second-term agenda includes term limits for Congress

President Trump would push for congressional term limits and focus heavily on ending American reliance on China , his campaign said late Sunday , outlining a wish-list for a second term before the Republican National Convention .
The list says Mr. Trump wants to bring home 1 million manufacturing jobs from China and provide tax credits and “ 100 % expensing deductions ” for pharmaceutical companies and other firms that move from the communist nation to the U.S .
The bullet points say companies that outsource to China shouldn ’ t get federal contracts and Mr. Trump wants to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus to spread around the world , ” though doesn ’ t say how .
The coronavirus pandemic that ’ s killed over 176,000 people in the U.S. would loom over any post-election honeymoon for Mr. Trump if he defeats former Vice President Joseph R. Biden .
His agenda list predicts a vaccine by the end of 2020 and a “ return to normal ” next year , while refilling stockpiles of needed supplies for future pandemics .
The campaign says all essential medicines should be made in the U.S. , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ revamp the code to provide more take-home pay and offer “ Made in America ” tax credits , while pursuing a goal of creating 10 million jobs and 1 million small businesses .
The push for congressional term limits is under a section labeled “ drain the swamp , ” which also calls for “ taking on international organizations that hurt American citizens.
” The plan , dubbed “ Fighting for You , ” is designed to give voters a flavor of what Mr. Trump will outline during his convention-capping speech on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pledges in the outline are vague , such as building the “ world ’ s greatest ” infrastructure system , stopping “ endless wars ” and cutting prescription drug prices and covering preexisting health conditions , which is already required under Obamacare .
Other items hit on familiar themes for the president , such as hiring more police officers instead of “ defunding ” the police .
He also wants to treat drive-by shootings as acts of “ domestic terrorism ” and keep dangerous criminals accused of new crimes “ locked up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head off attempts to extend welfare , health care or college tuition benefits to illegal immigrants , require new immigrants to be able to support themselves financially and require deportation for non-citizen gang members .
“ Over the coming weeks , the president will be sharing additional details about his plans through policy-focused speeches on the campaign trail , ” the campaign said .

President Trump would push for congressional term limits and focus heavily on ending American reliance on China, his campaign said late Sunday, outlining a wish-list for a second term before the Republican National Convention.
The list says Mr. Trump wants to bring home 1 million manufacturing jobs from China and provide tax credits and “100% expensing deductions” for pharmaceutical companies and other firms that move from the communist nation to the U.S.
The bullet points say companies that outsource to China shouldn’t get federal contracts and Mr. Trump wants to “hold China fully accounting for allowing the virus to spread around the world,” though doesn’t say how.
The coronavirus pandemic that’s killed over 176,000 people in the U.S. would loom over any post-election honeymoon for Mr. Trump if he defeats former Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
His agenda list predicts a vaccine by the end of 2020 and a “return to normal” next year, while refilling stockpiles of needed supplies for future pandemics. The campaign says all essential medicines should be made in the U.S., too.
On taxes, Mr. Trump wants to revamp the code to provide more take-home pay and offer “Made in America” tax credits, while pursuing a goal of creating 10 million jobs and 1 million small businesses.
The push for congressional term limits is under a section labeled “drain the swamp,” which also calls for “taking on international organizations that hurt American citizens.”
The plan, dubbed “Fighting for You,” is designed to give voters a flavor of what Mr. Trump will outline during his convention-capping speech on Thursday from the White House.
Some of the pledges in the outline are vague, such as building the “world’s greatest” infrastructure system, stopping “endless wars” and cutting prescription drug prices and covering preexisting health conditions, which is already required under Obamacare.
Other items hit on familiar themes for the president, such as hiring more police officers instead of “defunding” the police. He also wants to treat drive-by shootings as acts of “domestic terrorism” and keep dangerous criminals accused of new crimes “locked up until trial.”
His immigration agenda would head off attempts to extend welfare, health care or college tuition benefits to illegal immigrants, require new immigrants to be able to support themselves financially and require deportation for non-citizen gang members.
“Over the coming weeks, the president will be sharing additional details about his plans through policy-focused speeches on the campaign trail,” the campaign said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.