washingtontimes--2020-11-17--As virus cases spiral, Los Angeles readies plan for curfew

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Los Angeles County imposed new restrictions on businesses Tuesday and is readying plans for a mandatory curfew for all but essential workers if coronavirus cases keep spiking .
The county of 10 million residents - the nation ’ s most populous - has seen daily confirmed cases more than double in the last two weeks to nearly 2,900 .
Hospitalizations have topped 1,100 , a rise of 30 % in that period .
The county , which for most of the pandemic has had a disproportionately large share of California ’ s cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to limit indoor capacity to 25 % and restaurants to 50 % capacity outdoors .
Restaurants already are not allowed to serve customers indoors .
All those businesses must close at 10 p.m .
The changes take effect Friday .
Additionally , services at salons and other personal care businesses may only be provided by appointment and customers and staff must wear face coverings .
Services such as facials that require customers to remove their face coverings are not permitted .
All gatherings must be outdoors and limited to 15 people from no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also warned of increasingly restrictive policies if cases keep rising .
If the five-day average of cases tops 4,000 or hospitalizations are above 1,750 per day , outdoor restaurant dining will be banned .
If cases reach 4,500 per day or hospitalizations top 2,000 , the county will impose a three-week lockdown that will restrict people to their homes for all but essential services .
A nighttime curfew for all but essential workers would run from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. “ Los Angeles County is at a critical moment to save lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Barbara Ferrer , director of public health .
“ Lives and livelihoods are at stake and our entire community will be affected by our collective action if we do the right thing.
” The announcement came a day after California Gov .
Gavin Newsom deployed an “ emergency brake ” on 28 counties and moved them into the most restrictive of four tiers for reopening .
Those counties joined Los Angeles and 13 others already at that level , and together they account for 94 % of the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are seeing huge surges of coronavirus cases and imposing new restrictions .
On Tuesday , Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine ordered a three-week statewide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for most residents .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles County imposed new restrictions on businesses Tuesday and is readying plans for a mandatory curfew for all but essential workers if coronavirus cases keep spiking.
The county of 10 million residents - the nation’s most populous - has seen daily confirmed cases more than double in the last two weeks to nearly 2,900. Hospitalizations have topped 1,100, a rise of 30% in that period.
The county, which for most of the pandemic has had a disproportionately large share of California’s cases, issued new restrictions ordering nonessential retail businesses to limit indoor capacity to 25% and restaurants to 50% capacity outdoors. Restaurants already are not allowed to serve customers indoors.
All those businesses must close at 10 p.m. The changes take effect Friday.
Additionally, services at salons and other personal care businesses may only be provided by appointment and customers and staff must wear face coverings. Services such as facials that require customers to remove their face coverings are not permitted.
All gatherings must be outdoors and limited to 15 people from no more than three households.
The county also warned of increasingly restrictive policies if cases keep rising. If the five-day average of cases tops 4,000 or hospitalizations are above 1,750 per day, outdoor restaurant dining will be banned.
If cases reach 4,500 per day or hospitalizations top 2,000, the county will impose a three-week lockdown that will restrict people to their homes for all but essential services. A nighttime curfew for all but essential workers would run from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“Los Angeles County is at a critical moment to save lives and curb the spread of COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health. “Lives and livelihoods are at stake and our entire community will be affected by our collective action if we do the right thing.”
The announcement came a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed an “emergency brake” on 28 counties and moved them into the most restrictive of four tiers for reopening. Those counties joined Los Angeles and 13 others already at that level, and together they account for 94% of the state’s nearly 40 million residents.
Most states are seeing huge surges of coronavirus cases and imposing new restrictions. On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a three-week statewide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for most residents.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Canada reviewing NBA plan to play in Toronto amid pandemic

TORONTO ( AP ) - The Canadian government is reviewing a proposal from the NBA and the Raptors to play in Toronto amid the pandemic .
A spokesman for Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Tuesday officials have been in contact with the Raptors and will continue to engage with them “ in the coming weeks.
” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster told Sportsnet television the team needs to know “ in the coming days .
This is not a next week type thing.
” The Raptors and the NBA need an exemption to a requirement that anyone entering Canada for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S.-Canada border remains closed to nonessential travel .
The federal government denied the Blue Jays ’ request to play in Toronto earlier this year because health officials didn ’ t think it was safe for players to travel back and forth from the United States , one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic .
The number of cases in both countries , but particularly in the U.S , has surged since then .
“ The health and safety of Canadians is our government ’ s top priority and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be top of mind , ” Hajdu ’ s office said in statement .
“ We understand that many Canadians are eager to see their favorite professional teams return to play .
We are reviewing a proposal from the NBA and the Toronto Raptors for the resumption of NBA basketball in Canada.
” The NBA season is set to open Dec. 22 , with training camps beginning in about two weeks .
Time is running out for the Raptors .
“ We are working on , as everyone knows , a kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay in Toronto but as we all know time is of the essence and we are also working on a path to play elsewhere , ” Webster said on a call with reporters Tuesday .
“ We want to be in Toronto .
We want to play here .
But we are also realistic about the timing and respectful of the protocols .
… It doesn ’ t necessarily affect our operations .
We all know we ’ ll run a basketball team and the 72 games will get played .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a - as everyone can imagine - drain on personal decisions and families which always looms large in this industry.
” Dr. Andrew Morris , a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Sinai-University Health Network , doesn ’ t think the Raptors should be allowed to play in Canada .
Nor does he expect the government to approve it .
“ I anticipate the Raptors will have to play south of the border , ” Morris said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense.
” Morris calls the U.S. a disaster and noted there won ’ t be a bubble in the NBA this time .
This season will require teams to travel in the U.S .
The Blue Jays failed to persuade the federal government to grant exemptions and played home games in Buffalo this year .
Two cities in Florida - Tampa and Fort Lauderdale - along with Nashville have been reported as potential destinations for the Raptors .
The Canadian government requites a comprehensive public health plan and written support from local health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Public Health Agency of Canada .

TORONTO (AP) - The Canadian government is reviewing a proposal from the NBA and the Raptors to play in Toronto amid the pandemic.
A spokesman for Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Tuesday officials have been in contact with the Raptors and will continue to engage with them “in the coming weeks.” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster told Sportsnet television the team needs to know “in the coming days. This is not a next week type thing.”
The Raptors and the NBA need an exemption to a requirement that anyone entering Canada for nonessential reasons must self-isolate for 14 days. The U.S.-Canada border remains closed to nonessential travel.
The federal government denied the Blue Jays’ request to play in Toronto earlier this year because health officials didn’t think it was safe for players to travel back and forth from the United States, one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. The number of cases in both countries, but particularly in the U.S, has surged since then.
“The health and safety of Canadians is our government’s top priority and reducing the spread of COVID-19 must always be top of mind,” Hajdu’s office said in statement. “We understand that many Canadians are eager to see their favorite professional teams return to play. We are reviewing a proposal from the NBA and the Toronto Raptors for the resumption of NBA basketball in Canada.”
The NBA season is set to open Dec. 22, with training camps beginning in about two weeks. Time is running out for the Raptors.
“We are working on, as everyone knows, a kind of parallel path here which is we want to stay in Toronto but as we all know time is of the essence and we are also working on a path to play elsewhere,” Webster said on a call with reporters Tuesday.
“We want to be in Toronto. We want to play here. But we are also realistic about the timing and respectful of the protocols. … It doesn’t necessarily affect our operations. We all know we’ll run a basketball team and the 72 games will get played. But just where that is probably more of a - as everyone can imagine - drain on personal decisions and families which always looms large in this industry.”
Dr. Andrew Morris, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Sinai-University Health Network, doesn’t think the Raptors should be allowed to play in Canada. Nor does he expect the government to approve it.
“I anticipate the Raptors will have to play south of the border,” Morris said. “The logistics, the optics, make no sense.”
Morris calls the U.S. a disaster and noted there won’t be a bubble in the NBA this time. This season will require teams to travel in the U.S.
The Blue Jays failed to persuade the federal government to grant exemptions and played home games in Buffalo this year. Two cities in Florida - Tampa and Fort Lauderdale - along with Nashville have been reported as potential destinations for the Raptors.
The Canadian government requites a comprehensive public health plan and written support from local health officials. The plan is being reviewed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Biden, Modi discuss US-India ties in phone conversation

NEW DELHI ( AP ) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first phone conversation with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden , and they agreed to work closely to further advance the Indo-U.S. comprehensive global strategic partnership , India ’ s External Affairs Ministry said Wednesday .
Modi congratulated Biden during their conversation on Tuesday and they discussed their priorities , including containing the coronavirus pandemic , promoting access to affordable vaccines , tackling climate change and cooperating in the Indo-Pacific Region , the ministry said in a statement .
Modi had earlier tweeted his congratulations to Biden and Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Modi recalled his earlier interactions with Biden , including during his official visits to the United States in 2014 and 2016 .
Biden had chaired the Joint Session of the U.S. Congress that was addressed by Modi during his 2016 visit to Washington .
Modi is known for his public displays of bonhomie with President Donald Trump , who visited India last February .
Stepping up the Trump administration ’ s anti-China message in India , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Defense chief Mark Esper visited India a week ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
Pompeo and Esper signed an agreement expanding military satellite information sharing and highlighted strategic cooperation between Washington and New Delhi .

NEW DELHI (AP) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first phone conversation with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, and they agreed to work closely to further advance the Indo-U.S. comprehensive global strategic partnership, India’s External Affairs Ministry said Wednesday.
Modi congratulated Biden during their conversation on Tuesday and they discussed their priorities, including containing the coronavirus pandemic, promoting access to affordable vaccines, tackling climate change and cooperating in the Indo-Pacific Region, the ministry said in a statement.
Modi had earlier tweeted his congratulations to Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Nov. 8.
Modi recalled his earlier interactions with Biden, including during his official visits to the United States in 2014 and 2016. Biden had chaired the Joint Session of the U.S. Congress that was addressed by Modi during his 2016 visit to Washington.
Modi is known for his public displays of bonhomie with President Donald Trump, who visited India last February.
Stepping up the Trump administration’s anti-China message in India, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Defense chief Mark Esper visited India a week ahead of America’s Nov. 3 presidential election.
Pompeo and Esper signed an agreement expanding military satellite information sharing and highlighted strategic cooperation between Washington and New Delhi.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Man charged in Virginia woman's killing is convicted rapist

PRINCE GEORGE , Va. ( AP ) - A man charged in the killing of a missing Virginia woman was convicted of abducting and raping a 14-year-old girl in 2007 , court records showed .
Benjamin Franklin Chiarky , 31 , was charged Thursday with second-degree murder in the death of Corrine Lee Huddleston .
The 20-year-old was last seen the first week of October leaving a Prince George home where she frequently stayed , Prince George County Police have said .
Last week , investigators located human remains in a wooded area in Surry County near where Chiarky lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office was continuing to work with police to identify the remains and determine a cause of death , but officials said they were believed to belong to Huddleston .
Police Chief Keith Early said last week that Chiarky and Huddleston “ were familiar with each other , ” but did not comment further , The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported .
It was not immediately clear what motivated the killing .
More than 10 years before , Chiarky was sentenced to 25 years in prison with 17 years suspended for raping an underage girl at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 18 , the newspaper said .
He pleaded not guilty in 2008 trial but was convicted .
Chiarky was supposed to serve eight years but was released after about six for good behavior , according to court documents .
He was arraigned Friday in Surry General District Court on the murder charge in Huddleston ’ s case .
He was also charged with a felony drug charge and failure to comply with terms and conditions of probation .
Chiarky was in jail without bond as of last Thursday .
A preliminary hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf .

PRINCE GEORGE, Va. (AP) - A man charged in the killing of a missing Virginia woman was convicted of abducting and raping a 14-year-old girl in 2007, court records showed.
Benjamin Franklin Chiarky, 31, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder in the death of Corrine Lee Huddleston. The 20-year-old was last seen the first week of October leaving a Prince George home where she frequently stayed, Prince George County Police have said.
Last week, investigators located human remains in a wooded area in Surry County near where Chiarky lived. The state medical examiner’s office was continuing to work with police to identify the remains and determine a cause of death, but officials said they were believed to belong to Huddleston.
Police Chief Keith Early said last week that Chiarky and Huddleston “were familiar with each other,” but did not comment further, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. It was not immediately clear what motivated the killing.
More than 10 years before, Chiarky was sentenced to 25 years in prison with 17 years suspended for raping an underage girl at her friend’s house when he was 18, the newspaper said.
He pleaded not guilty in 2008 trial but was convicted. Chiarky was supposed to serve eight years but was released after about six for good behavior, according to court documents.
He was arraigned Friday in Surry General District Court on the murder charge in Huddleston’s case. He was also charged with a felony drug charge and failure to comply with terms and conditions of probation. Chiarky was in jail without bond as of last Thursday. A preliminary hearing was set for Jan. 11.
It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Montana official says lawmakers should caucus remotely

HELENA , Mont .
( AP ) - A public health officer in Montana has recommended that local lawmakers participate remotely in upcoming caucuses and orientations .
“ This request comes as the state of Montana as well as Lewis and Clark County are experiencing a sharp increase in daily COVID-19 case incidence , hospitals are stretched beyond capacity to serve our communities and we are losing our neighbors , friends and family to this disease , ” Lewis and Clark County Health Officer Drenda Niemann wrote in a letter to legislators Monday .
The meetings scheduled to begin Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership is selected and orientation takes place .
More than half of Montana ’ s 48,000 coronavirus cases have occurred since October , and more than half of the state ’ s 522 deaths have occurred since October as well .
Susan Fox , the executive director of the Legislative Services Division , said Monday that roughly 100 lawmakers out of 150 have indicated they would attend some part of the events in-person .
But that number is still in flux , Fox said .
Most of the legislative staff will be working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a staff member in each of the caucus rooms , Fox said .
CareHere , the state employee health center , will do temperature checks for each person who enters the building , Fox said .
The meetings have been moved to larger physical spaces to allow for more distance between attendees , Fox said .
Members of the media and members of the public will have space in the House and Senate galleries , Fox said .
Social distancing and face coverings will be mandated for everyone in the building .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shoulders of party leadership , Fox said .
“ We don ’ t really have that authority over them , ” Fox said .
Earlier this year Republican legislators met in the Capitol for an interim meeting without wearing face coverings a day after outgoing Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock issued a mask mandate .
Democratic Sen. J.P. Pomnichowski said Monday that the majority of Senate Democrats plan to caucus remotely Wednesday .
Several Republican legislators who have either held or are seeking leadership positions did not return calls Monday from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their caucuses planned to attend the meetings in-person .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A public health officer in Montana has recommended that local lawmakers participate remotely in upcoming caucuses and orientations.
“This request comes as the state of Montana as well as Lewis and Clark County are experiencing a sharp increase in daily COVID-19 case incidence, hospitals are stretched beyond capacity to serve our communities and we are losing our neighbors, friends and family to this disease,” Lewis and Clark County Health Officer Drenda Niemann wrote in a letter to legislators Monday.
The meetings scheduled to begin Wednesday at the Capitol building are where party leadership is selected and orientation takes place.
More than half of Montana’s 48,000 coronavirus cases have occurred since October, and more than half of the state’s 522 deaths have occurred since October as well.
Susan Fox, the executive director of the Legislative Services Division, said Monday that roughly 100 lawmakers out of 150 have indicated they would attend some part of the events in-person. But that number is still in flux, Fox said.
Most of the legislative staff will be working remotely, though there will still be a staff member in each of the caucus rooms, Fox said.
CareHere, the state employee health center, will do temperature checks for each person who enters the building, Fox said.
The meetings have been moved to larger physical spaces to allow for more distance between attendees, Fox said.
Members of the media and members of the public will have space in the House and Senate galleries, Fox said.
Social distancing and face coverings will be mandated for everyone in the building. But enforcement of coronavirus-related protocol ultimately falls on the shoulders of party leadership, Fox said.
“We don’t really have that authority over them,” Fox said.
Earlier this year Republican legislators met in the Capitol for an interim meeting without wearing face coverings a day after outgoing Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock issued a mask mandate.
Democratic Sen. J.P. Pomnichowski said Monday that the majority of Senate Democrats plan to caucus remotely Wednesday.
Several Republican legislators who have either held or are seeking leadership positions did not return calls Monday from the Independent Record asking how many people in their caucuses planned to attend the meetings in-person.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--3 former pro-democracy lawmakers arrested in Hong Kong

HONG KONG ( AP ) - Hong Kong police arrested three former opposition lawmakers Wednesday for disrupting legislative meetings several months ago , as concerns grow over a crackdown on the city ’ s pro-democracy camp .
Posts on the Facebook accounts of Ted Hui , Eddie Chu and Raymond Chan said they had been arrested in relation to the incidents in the legislature ’ s main chamber .
The trio separately disrupted legislative meetings by splashing pungent liquids and other items on two occasions .
Hong Kong police said in a statement that they had arrested three former lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and intent to cause harm to others .
Police did not identify them by name .
The pro-democracy camp has in recent months accused the Hong Kong government and the central Chinese government in Beijing of tightening control over the semi-autonomous Chinese territory in response to demands for more democracy , destroying the autonomy promised to the city , a global financial center with Western-style civil liberties .
The three former lawmakers disrupted meetings debating the now-approved National Anthem ordinance , which criminalizes any insult to or abuse of the Chinese national anthem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On May 28 , Hui rushed to the front of the legislature , dropping a rotten plant and attempting to kick it at the legislature ’ s president .
Chu splashed a bottle of liquid in the legislature .
One week later , Chan hid a pot of pungent liquid in a paper lantern and attempted to approach the front of the chamber , but dropped it after he was stopped by security guards .
On both occasions , emergency services were called to the venue , and several pro-Beijing lawmakers reported @ @ @

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong police arrested three former opposition lawmakers on Wednesday for disrupting legislative meetings several months ago, adding to concerns about a crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy camp.
Posts on the Facebook accounts of Ted Hui, Eddie Chu and Raymond Chan said they had been arrested over the incidents in the legislature’s main chamber. The three separately disrupted meetings by splashing pungent liquids and other items in May and June.
A Hong Kong police statement said they arrested three former lawmakers on suspicion of contempt in the legislature and intent to cause harm to others. The statement did not identify them by name.
Pro-democracy lawmakers and activists have accused the Hong Kong government and the central Chinese government in Beijing of tightening control over the semi-autonomous territory in response to demands for more democracy. They say authorities are destroying the autonomy promised to the city, a global financial center with greater freedoms than mainland China.
The three former lawmakers disrupted meetings debating a now-approved ordinance that criminalizes any insult to or abuse of the Chinese national anthem, the “March of the Volunteers.”
On May 28, Hui rushed to the front of the legislature, dropping a rotten plant and attempting to kick it at the body’s president. Chu splashed a bottle of liquid in the legislature.
One week later, Chan attempted to approach the front of the chamber with a pot of pungent liquid hidden in a paper lantern, but dropped it after he was stopped by security guards. On the same day, Hui splashed some liquid at the front of the legislature and was escorted out.
Emergency services were called to the venue, and several pro-Beijing lawmakers reported feeling unwell.
Hui, who was released on bail later Wednesday, said it was “ridiculous” that the police were using criminal procedures against lawmakers based on what they say or do in the legislature.
“This only shows to all Hong Kong people and to the world that this regime is a tyranny, that its persecution against dissidents, against opposition, against democratic legislators has never stopped. It’s been non-stop prosecution against us,” he told reporters.
Chu and Chan quit the legislature in protest after Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam postponed legislative elections by one year, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
The pro-democracy camp criticized the postponement as an attempt by the pro-Beijing government to thwart its efforts to win a majority in the elections, which had been slated for September.
The opposition lawmakers also said the postponement breached the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, which came into effect after the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.
The arrests of the ex-lawmakers is the latest in a string of arrests in recent months. Earlier this month, seven former and sitting members of the pro-democracy camp - including Chu and Chan - were arrested over an earlier chaotic legislative session on May 8.
During that meeting, scuffles broke out between the pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps as they debated who would preside over a committee that oversees bills. The pro-democracy lawmakers arrested were accused of rushing the chairperson’s desk, bumping into security guards and throwing sheets of paper from the public gallery.
Last week, 15 pro-democracy lawmakers resigned en masse after Beijing passed a resolution that led to the disqualification of four of their colleagues. Hui and another lawmaker, Claudia Mo, left their posts immediately, while the others are expected to stay on until Dec. 1. The resignations will leave the body with virtually no opposition voice.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--US paid for ambassador to New Zealand to fly on private jet

WELLINGTON , New Zealand ( AP ) - The United States government paid for ambassador Scott Brown and his wife to fly domestically in New Zealand on a private jet so they could avoid going into quarantine at the border , documents show .
Just about everybody who returns to New Zealand is required to spend 14 days in a hotel guarded by the military as part of the nation ’ s strict strategy to keep out the coronavirus .
But the Browns were able to use their special status as diplomats to avoid staying in a hotel , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wellington .
The Browns ’ special treatment has upset many New Zealanders .
Documents released to The Associated Press under official information laws show the case was discussed by top officials and lawmakers and was not resolved until days before they arrived back .
The Browns returned to New Zealand in late August after spending a month in the U.S. on what the ambassador described as a “ working vacation.
” After arriving at Auckland Airport , the Browns went to a private runway and left for Wellington on a chartered jet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic flights can ’ t be used by new arrivals who might be carrying the virus .
U.S. officials did not immediately provide the cost of the flight , although one charter operator said such a trip would typically cost between 10,000 and 20,000 New Zealand dollars ( $ 7,000- $ 14,000 ) .
The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand said Wednesday that the flight was paid for by the embassy and the U.S. State Department , freed up hotel space for returning New Zealanders and was cost-effective .
“ As the Browns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was saved the cost of per diem and other expenses which they would otherwise have been entitled to claim , ” the embassy wrote in an email .
The documents indicate the discussion about the couple ’ s return began back in June , when Brown wrote an email to New Zealand officials saying , “ I need to be assured that I will be able to get into my car and drive home and self-isolate.
” The ambassador added , “ It would be problematic for me to do my job in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and his wife , Gail , would make sure they tested negative for the virus in the U.S. before returning .
New Zealand officials responded that top lawmakers in the government ’ s Cabinet were discussing what to do about diplomats - who they can ’ t force into quarantine because of their special status under the Vienna Convention - and “ we are hopefully close to the decision-point on these issues.
” But the uncertainty would drag on for weeks .
An initial plan had the ambassador completing his two-week quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. consul-general .
A second plan had Brown driving the eight-hour trip back to Wellington .
“ We ’ ll have his vehicle pre-positioned at the airport with food , water , and extra fuel , and will arrange a ‘ contact-less ’ handover of the keys , ” U.S. officials wrote in an email .
In the end , U.S. officials told their counterparts it was their preference to book a charter flight .
Brown wrote that he ’ d gotten approval for the plan from Washington .
“ I am hopeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be approved so I can start the balls moving to make it happen , ” Brown wrote on Aug. 20 from the U.S. , just a week before he was due to arrive back .
The following day , New Zealand officials wrote to say the Ministry of Health had given the plan the thumbs-up .
Brown , a former Republican senator from Massachusetts , has close ties with President Donald Trump and was once considered a possible running mate .
Brown and his wife plan to return to the U.S. permanently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brown will take up a new role as president and dean of New England Law school in Boston .

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - The United States government paid for ambassador Scott Brown and his wife to fly domestically in New Zealand on a private jet so they could avoid going into quarantine at the border, documents show.
Just about everybody who returns to New Zealand is required to spend 14 days in a hotel guarded by the military as part of the nation’s strict strategy to keep out the coronavirus. But the Browns were able to use their special status as diplomats to avoid staying in a hotel, and instead isolated themselves at their home in Wellington.
The Browns’ special treatment has upset many New Zealanders. Documents released to The Associated Press under official information laws show the case was discussed by top officials and lawmakers and was not resolved until days before they arrived back.
The Browns returned to New Zealand in late August after spending a month in the U.S. on what the ambassador described as a “working vacation.”
After arriving at Auckland Airport, the Browns went to a private runway and left for Wellington on a chartered jet, documents show. That was because regular domestic flights can’t be used by new arrivals who might be carrying the virus.
U.S. officials did not immediately provide the cost of the flight, although one charter operator said such a trip would typically cost between 10,000 and 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($7,000- $14,000).
The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand said Wednesday that the flight was paid for by the embassy and the U.S. State Department, freed up hotel space for returning New Zealanders and was cost-effective.
“As the Browns were at home, the U.S. taxpayer was saved the cost of per diem and other expenses which they would otherwise have been entitled to claim,” the embassy wrote in an email.
The documents indicate the discussion about the couple’s return began back in June, when Brown wrote an email to New Zealand officials saying, “I need to be assured that I will be able to get into my car and drive home and self-isolate.” The ambassador added, “It would be problematic for me to do my job in a hotel.”
Brown told officials that he and his wife, Gail, would make sure they tested negative for the virus in the U.S. before returning.
New Zealand officials responded that top lawmakers in the government’s Cabinet were discussing what to do about diplomats - who they can’t force into quarantine because of their special status under the Vienna Convention - and “we are hopefully close to the decision-point on these issues.”
But the uncertainty would drag on for weeks.
An initial plan had the ambassador completing his two-week quarantine in Auckland at the home of the U.S. consul-general. A second plan had Brown driving the eight-hour trip back to Wellington.
“We’ll have his vehicle pre-positioned at the airport with food, water, and extra fuel, and will arrange a ‘contact-less’ handover of the keys,” U.S. officials wrote in an email.
In the end, U.S. officials told their counterparts it was their preference to book a charter flight. Brown wrote that he’d gotten approval for the plan from Washington.
“I am hopeful that this rock solid, logical plan can be approved so I can start the balls moving to make it happen,” Brown wrote on Aug. 20 from the U.S., just a week before he was due to arrive back.
The following day, New Zealand officials wrote to say the Ministry of Health had given the plan the thumbs-up.
“Outstanding!” a U.S. official responded.
Brown, a former Republican senator from Massachusetts, has close ties with President Donald Trump and was once considered a possible running mate. Brown and his wife plan to return to the U.S. permanently within the next few weeks, where Brown will take up a new role as president and dean of New England Law school in Boston.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Some resist California's new coronavirus restrictions

YUBA CITY , Calif. ( AP ) - Rick Patrick wears a mask and thinks those who don ’ t are “ asinine.
” He rarely leaves his home .
He disapproves of what he calls the “ stupidity ” of people gathering in crowds .
But Patrick , 64 , won ’ t stop eating breakfast at his favorite restaurant in Yuba City even though it ’ s supposed to be closed to inside dining following California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s latest health mandate aimed at curbing a frightening spike in coronavirus cases .
“ You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pop businesses , ” he said Tuesday morning while sitting inside Linda ’ s Soda Bar and Grill on Plumas Street , the city ’ s main street .
“ What are we going to do ?
We ’ re going to lose all of them.
” In the midst of a record rise in new cases , state officials on Monday pulled the “ emergency brake ” on 28 counties and moved them into the most restrictive of four tiers for reopening .
Those along with the 14 counties already at that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s nearly 40 million residents .
The move came after the state experienced the fastest weekly growth in new cases since the pandemic began .
California now has more than 1 million confirmed cases and nearly 18,300 deaths .
Hospitalizations are surging , growing by more than 1,000 patients in the last week to almost 4,200 .
Yuba City is in Sutter County , about 100 miles northeast of San Francisco and one of the places that saw new restrictions on businesses .
The county had a record 186 people tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu .
For every 100,000 people , California is averaging 16.5 new cases , while Sutter County is averaging 21.8 and the positivity rate among test-takers in the county is more than double the state ’ s 5.2 % .
“ What ’ s driving this ?
You are .
You ’ re being too lax , ” Luu said in a video messages to the community on Monday .
The new restrictions mean religious services may only be held outdoors and retailers must cap the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 % of capacity during what traditionally is the busiest shopping season .
Restaurants can only offer takeout and outdoor dining , a less-appealing option as temperatures fall .
But in Yuba City , there was little evidence things had changed , a sign of the challenge facing state officials as they try to bring back restrictions from the spring on a population less willing to accept them .
Nelda Key and her husband , Ronald , said they follow the rules and wear masks where they are required , which now is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are even willing to skip this year ’ s Thanksgiving dinner because it will bring together dozens of family members under one roof .
But they , like Patrick , weren ’ t willing to skip breakfast at Linda ’ s .
The restaurant was busy most of the morning , with employees all wearing masks and some booths and seats closed to keep customers away from each other .
Nelda Key said she would continue eating out , pointing out that Newsom recently attended a friend ’ s birthday party celebrated outdoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while coronavirus cases were surging .
Newsom apologized Monday .
“ His rules don ’ t apply to him , ” she said .
“ I think it ’ s a power grab.
” Yuba City , situated at the base of the Sutter Buttes mountain range , has about 67,000 residents and a conservative bent .
The local state assemblyman , Republican James Gallagher , on Monday urged businesses to stay open , saying : “ The government can only take what you let them.
” Yuba City Mayor Shon Harris reluctantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone who ignores the rules is at risk of penalties from state regulators .
“ I can ’ t officially say , ‘ Turn a blind eye , ’ ” Harris said .
“ We have the regulations in place , They are enforceable by the state .
The state has proven they will enforce them.
” A day earlier , the Newsom administration told lawmakers it had taken back more than a half-million dollars in coronavirus aid from two Central Valley cities - Atwater and Coalinga - for ignoring state public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a tough spot because they generally oppose the new orders due to the impact on businesses but don ’ t want to risk losing money from the state .
In Orange County , Dara Maleki , the founder of The Pizza Press , shut down indoor dining on Tuesday at the four locations he operates .
He ’ s worried people won ’ t keep turning out for patio dining as they did during a closure earlier in the year when their incomes were bolstered by stimulus funding and the weather was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to furlough employees with the holiday season approaching , knowing it can take months for unemployment benefits to kick in .
“ We just brought these people back , ” he said .
“ It ’ s really tragic.
” Outdoor dining , which accounts for about 30 % of his seating capacity , was popular during the warmer months .
But Maleki said he ’ s not sure how much of a chill Southern Californians are willing to withstand .
Plus , patio heat lamps are in short supply .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s just going to drop your sales for the week , ” he said .
“ We ’ re weather wimps .
It ’ s just the way it is.
” Tuesday ’ s cold , drizzly weather in Yuba City didn ’ t seem to bother Tony Baptiste , who stopped in to eat lunch outside on a restaurant on his way back to Chico .
He said he supports the new restrictions because “ the pandemic is so serious that we really all have to pull together.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infringed upon all you want , ” he said .
“ But the reality is until we all pull in the same direction we ’ re not going to get a handle on this virus.
” ___ Associated Press photographer Rich Pedroncelli and writer Amy Taxin contributed .
Taxin reported from Orange County , California .

YUBA CITY, Calif. (AP) - Rick Patrick wears a mask and thinks those who don’t are “asinine.” He rarely leaves his home. He disapproves of what he calls the “stupidity” of people gathering in crowds.
But Patrick, 64, won’t stop eating breakfast at his favorite restaurant in Yuba City even though it’s supposed to be closed to inside dining following California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest health mandate aimed at curbing a frightening spike in coronavirus cases.
“You’ve got to support these mom and pop businesses,” he said Tuesday morning while sitting inside Linda’s Soda Bar and Grill on Plumas Street, the city’s main street. “What are we going to do? We’re going to lose all of them.”
In the midst of a record rise in new cases, state officials on Monday pulled the “emergency brake” on 28 counties and moved them into the most restrictive of four tiers for reopening. Those along with the 14 counties already at that level account for 94% of the state’s nearly 40 million residents.
The move came after the state experienced the fastest weekly growth in new cases since the pandemic began. California now has more than 1 million confirmed cases and nearly 18,300 deaths. Hospitalizations are surging, growing by more than 1,000 patients in the last week to almost 4,200.
Yuba City is in Sutter County, about 100 miles northeast of San Francisco and one of the places that saw new restrictions on businesses. The county had a record 186 people tested positive for the virus over the weekend, according to Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu.
For every 100,000 people, California is averaging 16.5 new cases, while Sutter County is averaging 21.8 and the positivity rate among test-takers in the county is more than double the state’s 5.2%.
“What’s driving this? You are. You’re being too lax,” Luu said in a video messages to the community on Monday.
The new restrictions mean religious services may only be held outdoors and retailers must cap the number of people in their stores at 25% of capacity during what traditionally is the busiest shopping season. Restaurants can only offer takeout and outdoor dining, a less-appealing option as temperatures fall.
But in Yuba City, there was little evidence things had changed, a sign of the challenge facing state officials as they try to bring back restrictions from the spring on a population less willing to accept them.
Nelda Key and her husband, Ronald, said they follow the rules and wear masks where they are required, which now is virtually anywhere outside their homes. They are even willing to skip this year’s Thanksgiving dinner because it will bring together dozens of family members under one roof.
But they, like Patrick, weren’t willing to skip breakfast at Linda’s. The restaurant was busy most of the morning, with employees all wearing masks and some booths and seats closed to keep customers away from each other.
Nelda Key said she would continue eating out, pointing out that Newsom recently attended a friend’s birthday party celebrated outdoors at an expensive restaurant in Napa County while coronavirus cases were surging. Newsom apologized Monday.
“His rules don’t apply to him,” she said. “I think it’s a power grab.”
Yuba City, situated at the base of the Sutter Buttes mountain range, has about 67,000 residents and a conservative bent. The local state assemblyman, Republican James Gallagher, on Monday urged businesses to stay open, saying: “The government can only take what you let them.”
Yuba City Mayor Shon Harris reluctantly told business owners to comply, saying anyone who ignores the rules is at risk of penalties from state regulators.
“I can’t officially say, ‘Turn a blind eye,’ ” Harris said. “We have the regulations in place, They are enforceable by the state. The state has proven they will enforce them.”
A day earlier, the Newsom administration told lawmakers it had taken back more than a half-million dollars in coronavirus aid from two Central Valley cities - Atwater and Coalinga - for ignoring state public health orders. That puts leaders like Harris in a tough spot because they generally oppose the new orders due to the impact on businesses but don’t want to risk losing money from the state.
In Orange County, Dara Maleki, the founder of The Pizza Press, shut down indoor dining on Tuesday at the four locations he operates. He’s worried people won’t keep turning out for patio dining as they did during a closure earlier in the year when their incomes were bolstered by stimulus funding and the weather was warmer.
And he doesn’t want to furlough employees with the holiday season approaching, knowing it can take months for unemployment benefits to kick in.
“We just brought these people back,” he said. “It’s really tragic.”
Outdoor dining, which accounts for about 30% of his seating capacity, was popular during the warmer months. But Maleki said he’s not sure how much of a chill Southern Californians are willing to withstand. Plus, patio heat lamps are in short supply.
“If we get a cold front, that’s just going to drop your sales for the week,” he said. “We’re weather wimps. It’s just the way it is.”
Tuesday’s cold, drizzly weather in Yuba City didn’t seem to bother Tony Baptiste, who stopped in to eat lunch outside on a restaurant on his way back to Chico. He said he supports the new restrictions because “the pandemic is so serious that we really all have to pull together.”
“You can object to your freedoms being infringed upon all you want,” he said. “But the reality is until we all pull in the same direction we’re not going to get a handle on this virus.”
___ Associated Press photographer Rich Pedroncelli and writer Amy Taxin contributed. Taxin reported from Orange County, California.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Kate Brown executive order makes Oregon coronavirus 'freeze' enforceable by law

SALEM , Ore. — Gov .
Kate Brown made her statewide two-week “ freeze ” official Tuesday with an executive order that makes the measures enforceable by law .
The freeze will take effect starting Wednesday and aims to limit group activities and slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon where cases have reached a record high .
As part of the freeze , social gatherings can not exceed more than six people .
Restaurants are limited to take-out only , while gyms and fitness centers , museums , pools , sports courts , movie theaters , zoos , gardens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Grocery stores , pharmacies and retail stores are limited to a maximum capacity of 75 % .
All of the freeze measures are enforceable by law .
Workplace violations should be reported Oregon OSHA and restaurant violations to OSHA or OLCC .
In the past social gathering limits were “ self-enforced.
” Now , if caught violating this restriction , a person can be cited , fined or arrested .
“ The Oregon State Police will be working with local law enforcement to enforce the Governor ’ s orders , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to noise complaints for loud parties , for example , and issue citations , ” Charles Boyle , a spokesperson from the governor ’ s office said .
Oregon State Police released a statement shortly after the executive order was issued , saying “ with the issuance of the latest Executive Order , Oregon Law enforcement will continue to follow an education first approach .
Oregon Law Enforcement will only take enforcement action ( criminal citations ) as a last resort .
”

SALEM, Ore. — Gov. Kate Brown made her statewide two-week “freeze” official Tuesday with an executive order that makes the measures enforceable by law.
The freeze will take effect starting Wednesday and aims to limit group activities and slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon where cases have reached a record high.
As part of the freeze, social gatherings can not exceed more than six people.
Restaurants are limited to take-out only, while gyms and fitness centers, museums, pools, sports courts, movie theaters, zoos, gardens, aquariums and venues will be closed. Grocery stores, pharmacies and retail stores are limited to a maximum capacity of 75%.
All of the freeze measures are enforceable by law.
Workplace violations should be reported Oregon OSHA and restaurant violations to OSHA or OLCC.
In the past social gathering limits were “self-enforced.” Now, if caught violating this restriction, a person can be cited, fined or arrested.
“The Oregon State Police will be working with local law enforcement to enforce the Governor’s orders, in the same way local law enforcement officers respond to noise complaints for loud parties, for example, and issue citations,” Charles Boyle, a spokesperson from the governor’s office said.
Oregon State Police released a statement shortly after the executive order was issued, saying “with the issuance of the latest Executive Order, Oregon Law enforcement will continue to follow an education first approach. Oregon Law Enforcement will only take enforcement action (criminal citations) as a last resort.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Abu Muhammea al-Masri hit reveals Iran-al Qaeda links

The reported assassination of a top al Qaeda leader on the streets of Tehran has raised fresh questions about the murky relationship between Iran and the radical Sunni terror group , as well as about the depths of clandestine U.S. and Israeli operations aimed at destroying that relationship .
The gunning down in August by Israeli agents of Abu Muhammea al-Masri — al Qaeda ‘ s second-highest ranking figure and reportedly the planner behind deadly attack on two U.S. embassies in Africa — has been met by denials from Iran , which insists it does not harbor any al Qaeda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading lies to fuel anti-Iranian sentiment .
But Tehran ‘ s denials fit a false narrative long perpetuated by the Iranian regime about its role as a safe haven for a string of high-level al Qaeda operatives since American military forces invaded neighboring Afghanistan back in 2001 .
It ’ s a safe haven that has long been known of and talked quietly talked in American intelligence circles , despite the fact that Washington has relatively ignored it — particularly during the pursuit of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal .
Analysts also dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s leading Shiite Muslim nation , would ally with al Qaeda , a radical Sunni Muslim offshoot .
“ Future historians will be puzzled why , after the international community conducted such wide-ranging and costly actions against al Qaeda worldwide that it practically ignored Iran ‘ s protection of , and engagement with , the al Qaeda leadership in Tehran , ” Norman Roule , a retired CIA official who focused on the Middle East during his 34-year career with the spy agency , said in an interview this week .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thousands of victims of al Qaeda probably want an answer to this question today , ” said Mr. Roule , now a non-resident fellow with the Belfer Center at Harvard University .
Confirmation of the hit on the al Qaeda operative also known as Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah was first reported last week by The New York Times .
The paper cited anonymous intelligence officials as saying al-Masri , who has long been credited as a mastermind of the deadly 1998 attacks on American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania , was gunned down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assassins on a motorcycle on Aug. 7 , the anniversary of the attacks .
Officials said al-Masri was assassinated along with his daughter , Myriam , the widow of Osama bin Laden ’ s son Hamza bin Laden , who was killed last year in a U.S. counterterrorism operation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region .
The Associated Press subsequently reported that Myriam al-Masri was being groomed for a leadership role in al Qaeda and that she and al-Masri were killed by Kidon , an assassination unit within the Israeli spy organization Mossad .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ tip of the spear.
” While questions now swirl over the incident and why it was leaked , the issue of Iran ‘ s relationship with the remnants of Osama bin Laden ’ s original al Qaeda network has attracted growing interest in Washington .
With the once-prominent Islamic State having receded from the spotlight , The Washington Times reported last year that the Trump administration had begun paying increasing attention to the unlikely alliance between Iran and al Qaeda with what some sources said was an eye toward justifying military strikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their deep sectarian differences U.S. officials and analysts say a confluence of interests and a common enemy in the U.S. and its allies has long brought a level of covert cooperation and coordination between Tehran ‘ s Islamic Republic and fugitive al Qaeda leaders .
“ They have different world views [ and ] there are problems with the relationship , but at the end of the day , they both benefit from allying with each other , ” Bill Roggio , senior fellow and editor of the Long War Journal at Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an interview this week .
The State Department in its annual reports on global terrorism has gone further in recent years , laying out in 2017 the case for at least a working relationship between Iran and al Qaeda : “ Iran remained unwilling to bring to justice senior al Qaeda members residing in Iran and has refused to publicly identify the members in its custody .
Iran has allowed al Qaeda facilitators to operate a core facilitation pipeline through Iran since at least 2009 , enabling al Qaeda to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria.
” Washington has long listed Iran as the world ’ s top state sponsor of terrorism .
It cites the estimated $ 1 billion a year that Tehran sends to a host of recognized terrorist organizations , most notably the Lebanon-based Shiite group Hezbollah and the Palestinian Sunni group Hamas .
Some analysts warn the Trump administration ’ s wider Middle East policy moves — including the drive to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and Arab nations such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — could deepen cooperation between Tehran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply unpopular among Palestinian leaders who relied on solidarity in the Arab world against Israel .
Iranian officials also condemned the agreements out of the realization that a thawing of tensions with Israel — Iran ‘ s chief enemy in the region — could leave Tehran isolated .
Should Iran and more radical elements in the Palestinian community decide on a more violent tack toward Israel , al Qaeda could prove useful .
“ Iran has an additional card to play in leveraging Palestinian radicalization : al Qaeda , ” Douglas London , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute who spent 34 years in the CIA ’ s Clandestine Service , wrote in a recent blog post for the Atlantic Council .
“ While some observers still discount extremist Sunni-Shia collaboration , Iran has consistently supported Hamas and the [ Palestinian Islamic Jihad ] and , more discreetly , al Qaeda and the Taliban in certain situations , ” he wrote .
While the U.S. has pursued peace negotiations with the Taliban in recent years , the Trump administration has authorized continued military strikes against al Qaeda in various nations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a wave that have killed top leaders of the group that orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks over the past year from Afghanistan to Syria .
But al-Qaida ‘ s presence inside Iran has remained as much a subject of mystery as the whereabouts and status of the terrorist network ’ s leader , Ayman al-Zawahiri .
“ Killing al-Masri is a significant blow to al Qaeda ‘ s leadership , but keep in mind that multiple senior al Qaeda leaders have been sheltering in Iran for 19 years and so far the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mr. Roggio .
Iranian state media identified the victims of the reported al-Masri assassination as “ Habib Daoud , ” a Lebanese history professor , and his 27-year-old daughter Maryam , while the Lebanese news channel MTV and social media accounts affiliated with Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps reported that Mr. Daoud was a member of Hezbollah .
Iran ’ s Fars News Agency reported that Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Naab rejected The New York Times account , claiming al-Masri was actually killed in Afghanistan ‘ s Ghazni province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late October .
According to FDD ’ s Long War Journal , however , an al Qaeda-linked social media account reported last month that al-Masri had been killed under mysterious circumstances inside Iran .
Murkiness around the reporting , coupled with the gap in time before al-Masri ’ s death was finally revealed , have left many with questions over exactly what happened .
One high-level foreign intelligence official told The Washington Times that “ it just seems unbelievable that the Trump administration would have kept this assassination quiet for several months.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has functioned on Iran , this killing would have been projected to the media right after it happened back in August , ” the official said .
“ This was a very an embarrassing development for Iran and a major success for Washington and Israel .
The Trump administration would have wanted to capitalize on that ahead of the American election .
It doesn ’ t make sense that the story has only now suddenly come out.
” But others said the al-Masri operation was likely kept quiet for a range of reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desire to leave the Iranians guessing about who carried out the mission .
One former American intelligence official , meanwhile , said Washington may have sought to keep the al-Masri mission secret , but that Israeli officials may have leaked to send a message that Israel retains the capability “ do whatever it wants , whenever it wants.
” It ’ s a message Israeli intelligence may be particularly eager to emphasize amid concern that a Biden administration in Washington will embrace a considerably softer approach to Tehran .

The reported assassination of a top al Qaeda leader on the streets of Tehran has raised fresh questions about the murky relationship between Iran and the radical Sunni terror group, as well as about the depths of clandestine U.S. and Israeli operations aimed at destroying that relationship.
The gunning down in August by Israeli agents of Abu Muhammea al-Masri — al Qaeda’s second-highest ranking figure and reportedly the planner behind deadly attack on two U.S. embassies in Africa — has been met by denials from Iran, which insists it does not harbor any al Qaeda terrorists and accuses Washington and Jerusalem are spreading lies to fuel anti-Iranian sentiment.
But Tehran’s denials fit a false narrative long perpetuated by the Iranian regime about its role as a safe haven for a string of high-level al Qaeda operatives since American military forces invaded neighboring Afghanistan back in 2001.
It’s a safe haven that has long been known of and quietly talked about in American intelligence circles, despite the fact that Washington has relatively ignored it — particularly during the pursuit of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. Analysts also dismissed the idea that Iran, the world’s leading Shiite Muslim nation, would ally with al Qaeda, a radical Sunni Muslim offshoot.
“Future historians will be puzzled why, after the international community conducted such wide-ranging and costly actions against al Qaeda worldwide that it practically ignored Iran’s protection of, and engagement with, the al Qaeda leadership in Tehran,” Norman Roule, a retired CIA official who focused on the Middle East during his 34-year career with the spy agency, said in an interview this week.
“I think the families and friends of the thousands of victims of al Qaeda probably want an answer to this question today,” said Mr. Roule, now a non-resident fellow with the Belfer Center at Harvard University.
Confirmation of the hit on the al Qaeda operative also known as Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah was first reported last week by The New York Times. The paper cited anonymous intelligence officials as saying al-Masri, who has long been credited as a mastermind of the deadly 1998 attacks on American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, was gunned down in an upscale Tehran neighborhood by two assassins on a motorcycle on Aug. 7, the anniversary of the attacks.
Officials said al-Masri was assassinated along with his daughter, Myriam, the widow of Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza bin Laden, who was killed last year in a U.S. counterterrorism operation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.
The Associated Press subsequently reported that Myriam al-Masri was being groomed for a leadership role in al Qaeda and that she and al-Masri were killed by Kidon, an assassination unit within the Israeli spy organization Mossad. In Hebrew, Kidon means bayonet or “tip of the spear.”
Unlikely alliance
While questions now swirl over the incident and why it was leaked, the issue of Iran’s relationship with the remnants of Osama bin Laden’s original al Qaeda network has attracted growing interest in Washington.
With the once-prominent Islamic State having receded from the spotlight, The Washington Times reported last year that the Trump administration had begun paying increasing attention to the unlikely alliance between Iran and al Qaeda with what some sources said was an eye toward justifying military strikes against Iran or its allies.
Despite their deep sectarian differences U.S. officials and analysts say a confluence of interests and a common enemy in the U.S. and its allies has long brought a level of covert cooperation and coordination between Tehran’s Islamic Republic and fugitive al Qaeda leaders.
“They have different world views [and] there are problems with the relationship, but at the end of the day, they both benefit from allying with each other,” Bill Roggio, senior fellow and editor of the Long War Journal at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) said in an interview this week.
The State Department in its annual reports on global terrorism has gone further in recent years, laying out in 2017 the case for at least a working relationship between Iran and al Qaeda: “Iran remained unwilling to bring to justice senior al Qaeda members residing in Iran and has refused to publicly identify the members in its custody. Iran has allowed al Qaeda facilitators to operate a core facilitation pipeline through Iran since at least 2009, enabling al Qaeda to move funds and fighters to South Asia and Syria.”
Washington has long listed Iran as the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism. It cites the estimated $1 billion a year that Tehran sends to a host of recognized terrorist organizations, most notably the Lebanon-based Shiite group Hezbollah and the Palestinian Sunni group Hamas.
Some analysts warn the Trump administration’s wider Middle East policy moves — including the drive to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and Arab nations such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — could deepen cooperation between Tehran and al Qaeda.
The normalization deals were deeply unpopular among Palestinian leaders who relied on solidarity in the Arab world against Israel. Iranian officials also condemned the agreements out of the realization that a thawing of tensions with Israel — Iran’s chief enemy in the region — could leave Tehran isolated.
Should Iran and more radical elements in the Palestinian community decide on a more violent tack toward Israel, al Qaeda could prove useful.
“Iran has an additional card to play in leveraging Palestinian radicalization: al Qaeda,” Douglas London, a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute who spent 34 years in the CIA’s Clandestine Service, wrote in a recent blog post for the Atlantic Council.
“While some observers still discount extremist Sunni-Shia collaboration, Iran has consistently supported Hamas and the [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] and, more discreetly, al Qaeda and the Taliban in certain situations,” he wrote.
Going after al Qaeda
While the U.S. has pursued peace negotiations with the Taliban in recent years, the Trump administration has authorized continued military strikes against al Qaeda in various nations.
The alleged al-Masri strike was the latest in a wave that have killed top leaders of the group that orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks over the past year from Afghanistan to Syria.
But al-Qaida’s presence inside Iran has remained as much a subject of mystery as the whereabouts and status of the terrorist network’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
“Killing al-Masri is a significant blow to al Qaeda’s leadership, but keep in mind that multiple senior al Qaeda leaders have been sheltering in Iran for 19 years and so far the U.S. has killed exactly one,” said Mr. Roggio.
Iranian state media identified the victims of the reported al-Masri assassination as “Habib Daoud,” a Lebanese history professor, and his 27-year-old daughter Maryam, while the Lebanese news channel MTV and social media accounts affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps reported that Mr. Daoud was a member of Hezbollah.
Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Naab rejected The New York Times account, claiming al-Masri was actually killed in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province by an Afghan special forces raid in late October.
According to FDD’s Long War Journal, however, an al Qaeda-linked social media account reported last month that al-Masri had been killed under mysterious circumstances inside Iran.
Murkiness around the reporting, coupled with the gap in time before al-Masri’s death was finally revealed, have left many with questions over exactly what happened.
One high-level foreign intelligence official told The Washington Times that “it just seems unbelievable that the Trump administration would have kept this assassination quiet for several months.”
“Based on the way this administration has functioned on Iran, this killing would have been projected to the media right after it happened back in August,” the official said. “This was a very an embarrassing development for Iran and a major success for Washington and Israel. The Trump administration would have wanted to capitalize on that ahead of the American election. It doesn’t make sense that the story has only now suddenly come out.”
But others said the al-Masri operation was likely kept quiet for a range of reasons, not least of which being a desire to leave the Iranians guessing about who carried out the mission.
One former American intelligence official, meanwhile, said Washington may have sought to keep the al-Masri mission secret, but that Israeli officials may have leaked to send a message that Israel retains the capability “do whatever it wants, whenever it wants.”
It’s a message Israeli intelligence may be particularly eager to emphasize amid concern that a Biden administration in Washington will embrace a considerably softer approach to Tehran.
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com. • Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Feds accuse West Virginia man of anti-government conspiracy

CHARLESTON , W.Va. ( AP ) - Federal prosecutors accused a West Virginia man on Tuesday of conspiracy against the U.S. government and selling machine gun conversion devices online to followers of a far-right extremist movement .
Timothy John Watson , 30 , was charged after he was arrested in early September for allegedly running a website claiming to sell wall hangers that authorities said could be actually used to turn semi-automatic AR-15 rifles into fully automatic machine guns .
Authorities said the devices were sold to supporters of the anti-government “ boogaloo ” movement , the code word they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil war .
Their prominence has grown during the pandemic as many dressed in Hawaiian shirts and camouflage garb , sometimes toting guns , attended protests against government shutdowns .
Prosecutors said Watson ’ s customers include an Air Force sergeant in California accused of shooting and killing a federal security officer and of injuring several security personnel in May and June .
Authorities said Staff Sgt .
Steven Carrillo had used a homemade AR-15-style rifle in two shootings and wore gear with references to the boogaloo movement .
“ The suspect in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people with these conversion devices , some to people who want to do Americans harm , ” U.S. Attorney Bill Powell said in a statement .
Watson had pleaded not guilty .
A judge has not yet ruled on a request for Watson to be released under house arrest .
His attorney , Shawn McDermott denied in a court filing that Watson belonged to “ any so-called Boogaloo movement ” and said his client “ would reject any ideology that is based upon violence.
” He said Watson operated his wall hanger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not designed to create automatic machine guns any more than a clothes hanger made out of metal .
If convicted , Watson could face up to 35 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines .
Charges against him include conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S. government , being unlawfully involved in manufacturing machine guns , illegally possessing and transferring machine guns and having an unregistered firearm silencer .
Prosecutors also said Watson sold the devices to two men in Minnesota who allegedly attempted to aid a foreign terrorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed they sold to the Mideast militant group Hamas .
Investigators said they linked Watson and his online business to the movement through a cooperating defendant in Minnesota who told the FBI he learned about Watson ’ s website through Facebook boogaloo groups .
The social media giant has tried to crack down on the group by not recommending user groups associated with the term “ boogaloo ” to members of similar associations .
Prosecutors found cryptic comments on Watson ’ s social media accounts made by apparent sympathizers of the movement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hanger Instagram account and a user mentions dead “ redcoats , ” an anti-government reference , according to court documents .
Prosecutors also said Watson was raising money for a Maryland man who the boogaloo movement depicts as a martyr after he was killed by police in a pre-dawn raid .
He allegedly sold the machine gun conversion devices between January and October 2020 .
His attorney did not respond to an email seeking comment on Tuesday .
“ Timothy Watson is not the violent extremist that the Government is attempting to portray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a filing .

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Federal prosecutors accused a West Virginia man on Tuesday of conspiracy against the U.S. government and selling machine gun conversion devices online to followers of a far-right extremist movement.
Timothy John Watson, 30, was charged after he was arrested in early September for allegedly running a website claiming to sell wall hangers that authorities said could be actually used to turn semi-automatic AR-15 rifles into fully automatic machine guns.
Authorities said the devices were sold to supporters of the anti-government “boogaloo” movement, the code word they use for their talk of a second civil war. Their prominence has grown during the pandemic as many dressed in Hawaiian shirts and camouflage garb, sometimes toting guns, attended protests against government shutdowns.
Prosecutors said Watson’s customers include an Air Force sergeant in California accused of shooting and killing a federal security officer and of injuring several security personnel in May and June. Authorities said Staff Sgt. Steven Carrillo had used a homemade AR-15-style rifle in two shootings and wore gear with references to the boogaloo movement.
“The suspect in this case appears to have supplied hundreds of people with these conversion devices, some to people who want to do Americans harm,” U.S. Attorney Bill Powell said in a statement.
Watson had pleaded not guilty. A judge has not yet ruled on a request for Watson to be released under house arrest.
His attorney, Shawn McDermott denied in a court filing that Watson belonged to “any so-called Boogaloo movement” and said his client “would reject any ideology that is based upon violence.” He said Watson operated his wall hanger business legally and that his products are not designed to create automatic machine guns any more than a clothes hanger made out of metal.
If convicted, Watson could face up to 35 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Charges against him include conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S. government, being unlawfully involved in manufacturing machine guns, illegally possessing and transferring machine guns and having an unregistered firearm silencer.
Prosecutors also said Watson sold the devices to two men in Minnesota who allegedly attempted to aid a foreign terrorist organization and built firearm suppressors that they believed they sold to the Mideast militant group Hamas.
Investigators said they linked Watson and his online business to the movement through a cooperating defendant in Minnesota who told the FBI he learned about Watson’s website through Facebook boogaloo groups.
The social media giant has tried to crack down on the group by not recommending user groups associated with the term “boogaloo” to members of similar associations.
Prosecutors found cryptic comments on Watson’s social media accounts made by apparent sympathizers of the movement. One message between Watson’s wall hanger Instagram account and a user mentions dead “redcoats,” an anti-government reference, according to court documents.
Prosecutors also said Watson was raising money for a Maryland man who the boogaloo movement depicts as a martyr after he was killed by police in a pre-dawn raid.
He allegedly sold the machine gun conversion devices between January and October 2020.
His attorney did not respond to an email seeking comment on Tuesday.
“Timothy Watson is not the violent extremist that the Government is attempting to portray him as,” McDermott said in a filing.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Phoenix police: Woman's body found in bottom of Salt River

PHOENIX ( AP ) - A woman ’ s body has been found in the bottom of the Salt River @ @ @ @ @ to police .
They said officers responded to the scene after getting a call around @ @ @ @ @ dead body .
Officers noted obvious signs of foul play and are investigating the case @ @ @ @ @ said .
They said it ’ s not known how long the body was in @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t been identified yet .

PHOENIX (AP) - A woman’s body has been found in the bottom of the Salt River in south Phoenix, according to police.
They said officers responded to the scene after getting a call around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday about a dead body.
Officers noted obvious signs of foul play and are investigating the case as a homicide, police said.
They said it’s not known how long the body was in the river and the woman hasn’t been identified yet.


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Detroit-area county certifies vote after first blocking it

DETROIT ( AP ) - Michigan ’ s largest county reversed course and unanimously certified its presidential election results Tuesday night after Republicans first blocked the move in a party-line vote that threatened to temporarily stall official approval of Democrat Joe Biden ’ s win in the state .
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers acted after the 2-2 tie was condemned by Democrats , election experts and the meeting ’ s online spectators as a dangerous attempt to overthrow the will of voters .
The board met after days of unsuccessful litigation filed by Republican poll challengers and President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed fraud during absentee ballot counting at a Detroit convention center , but two judges found no evidence and refused to stop the canvassing process .
Biden crushed Trump in Wayne County , a Democratic stronghold , by more than a 2-1 margin and won the state by 146,000 votes , according to unofficial results .
The canvassers first rejected certification of the Detroit-area vote with the tie .
Monica Palmer , a Republican , said poll books in certain Detroit precincts were out of balance .
In response , Jonathan Kinloch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reckless and irresponsible ” to not certify the results .
“ It ’ s not based upon fraud .
It ’ s absolutely human error , ” Kinloch said of any discrepancies .
“ Votes that are cast are tabulated.
” The board then listened to a parade of spectators blasting Palmer and fellow Republican William Hartmann during the meeting ’ s public comment period over Zoom .
The Rev .
Wendell Anthony , a well-known pastor and head of the Detroit branch of the NAACP , called them a “ disgrace.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of a county and said the only ones that are at fault is the city of Detroit , where 80 % of the people who reside here are African Americans .
Shame on you !
” Anthony said , his voice rising .
Certification of the Nov. 3 election results in each of Michigan ’ s 83 counties is a step toward statewide certification by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers .
“ Glad to see common sense prevailed in the end , ” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said .
“ Thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up so passionately .
You made the difference !
” At least six lawsuits have been filed in Michigan , the latest one landing Sunday in federal court .
But there is no evidence of widespread fraud in the U.S. election .
The issues that Trump ’ s allies have raised are typical in every election : problems with signatures , secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots , as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost .
University of Kentucky law professor Joshua Douglas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results is usually a routine task .
“ We depend on democratic norms , including that the losers graciously accept defeat .
That seems to be breaking down , ” Douglas said before the Detroit-area board had second thoughts and blessed the results .

DETROIT (AP) - In an abrupt about-face, Michigan’s largest county on Tuesday night unanimously certified election results showing Democrat Joe Biden defeating President Donald Trump, hours after Republicans first blocked formal approval of voters’ intentions.
The initial move was quickly condemned by Democrats, election experts and spectators at the Wayne County Board of Canvassers online meeting as a dangerous attempt to block the results of a free and fair election.
“We depend on democratic norms, including that the losers graciously accept defeat. That seems to be breaking down,” said Joshua Douglas, a law professor at the University of Kentucky.
The state vote certification process is usually a routine task, and the ultimate resolution in Wayne County propels Biden toward formal victory in Michigan. Still, Tuesday’s chaotic developments are likely to sow more doubt among Trump’s supporters in the election results and could galvanize Republicans in other states to try to look for ways to slow down the final steps in making his loss official.
Republicans are also trying to stop formal certification of the election results in other swing states, including Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Biden crushed Trump in Wayne County, a Democratic stronghold, by more than a 2-1 margin and won Michigan by 146,000 votes, according to unofficial results. His victory reversed Trump’s surprise 2016 gains in the industrial Midwest and put Biden on the path to clearing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.
Still, Trump and his allies have launched an array of baseless attacks on the integrity of the election and numerous lawsuits aimed at slowing down the formal vote certification process. Each state certifies its election results and the Electoral College meets Dec. 14 to codify the results.
In Michigan, Trump allies and Republican poll challengers have spent days launching unsuccessful litigation. They claimed fraud during absentee ballot counting at a Detroit convention center, but two judges found no evidence and refused to stop the canvassing process.
It’s against that backdrop that the Wayne County Board of Canvassers met Tuesday. In a rare and extraordinary move, they did not bless the will of Detroit-area voters. Instead, the panel split in a 2-2 vote, with Republicans voting against certification of the results.
Monica Palmer, one of the two Republicans, said poll books in certain precincts in Detroit - a majority-Black city - were out of balance. Jonathan Kinloch, a Democrat on the panel, said the discrepancies were the result of “human error” and called it “reckless and irresponsible” to not certify the results.
There has been no evidence of widespread voting fraud in Michigan, or in any other state. Federal and state officials from both parties have declared the 2020 election safe and secure.
Still, Trump has spent the two weeks since Election Day raising false claims of voter fraud and refusing to concede to Biden. He relished the initial developments in Michigan, tweeting, “Having courage is a beautiful thing.”
But the broader condemnation was swift, including from the meeting’s online spectators, who blasted Palmer and fellow Republican William Hartmann during a public comment period over Zoom.
The Rev. Wendell Anthony, a well-known pastor and head of the Detroit branch of the NAACP, called their actions a “disgrace.”
“You have extracted a Black city out of a county and said the only ones that are at fault is the city of Detroit, where 80% of the people who reside here are African Americans. Shame on you!” Anthony said, his voice rising.
Ned Staebler, a vice president at Wayne State University in Detroit, said, “The stain of racism that you, William Hartmann and Monica Palmer, have just covered yourself in is going to follow you throughout history.”
Law student Joseph Zimmerman, a veteran, told the canvassers “it breaks my heart” to see them undermine the “sacred right” to vote.
After the meeting, Hartmann said the intense criticism didn’t cause him to change his vote. Rather, he said he acted because the board had agreed to ask the secretary of state to investigate Detroit’s election results.
Certification of the Nov. 3 election results in each of Michigan’s 83 counties is a step toward statewide certification by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers and the eventual awarding of 16 electoral votes.
“Glad to see common sense prevailed in the end,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said after the Wayne County reversal. “Thank you to all those citizens who spoke up so passionately. You made the difference!”
Michigan Democratic Party chair Lavora Barnes called the initial 2-2 vote “blatant racism.”
At least six election-related lawsuits have been filed in Michigan, the latest one landing Sunday in federal court. The issues that Trump’s allies have raised are typical in every election: problems with signatures, secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots, as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost.
On Tuesday, the Arizona Republican Party asked a judge to bar Maricopa County, the state’s most populous, from certifying until the court issues a decision about the party’s lawsuit seeking a new hand-count of a sampling of ballots. In a more rural county, Mohave, election certification was delayed until Nov. 23 in a sign of solidarity with the remaining election challenges in the state.
Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, stepped into a courtroom for the first time in decades Tuesday to argue in Pennsylvania that the certification there should be delayed over concerns of voter fraud, though there was no widespread fraud reported.
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Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez


washingtontimes--2020-11-17--Daily Florida coronavirus cases increase over past 45 days

MIAMI ( AP ) - Florida health officials have reported a steady increase in the number of new coronavirus cases each day over the past month and a half , though the numbers are no where near the peak in July .
A seven-day average of nearly 6,300 new COVID-19 cases was reported Tuesday , according to Florida Department of Health statistics .
That ’ s up from early October , when the seven-day average for new cases was about 2,200 .
In mid July , the state reported a seven-day average of nearly 11,700 new cases .
A total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Florida , according to state records .
The current seven-day average includes more than 10,000 new cases reported on Sunday , but officials have pointed to a large dump of test results that day - more than 146,000 - as an explanation for the dramatic rise in positive cases .
Nevertheless , Florida ’ s numbers had still be trending upward over the past 45 days .
The state also tallied another 86 deaths on Tuesday .
Since the start of the pandemic , 17,861 people in Florida have died from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treated for COVID-19 in Florida hospitals has also risen in recent weeks .
The state ’ s online census of hospitals showed numbers hovering between 2,000 and 2,200 for most of last month , but on Tuesday , there were 3,369 coronavirus patients in hospitals .

MIAMI (AP) - Florida health officials have reported a steady increase in the number of new coronavirus cases each day over the past month and a half, though the numbers are no where near the peak in July.
A seven-day average of nearly 6,300 new COVID-19 cases was reported Tuesday, according to Florida Department of Health statistics. That’s up from early October, when the seven-day average for new cases was about 2,200. In mid July, the state reported a seven-day average of nearly 11,700 new cases.
A total of 897,323 people have contracted the virus in Florida, according to state records.
The current seven-day average includes more than 10,000 new cases reported on Sunday, but officials have pointed to a large dump of test results that day - more than 146,000 - as an explanation for the dramatic rise in positive cases. Nevertheless, Florida’s numbers had still be trending upward over the past 45 days. The state also tallied another 86 deaths on Tuesday. Since the start of the pandemic, 17,861 people in Florida have died from the virus.
The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in Florida hospitals has also risen in recent weeks. The state’s online census of hospitals showed numbers hovering between 2,000 and 2,200 for most of last month, but on Tuesday, there were 3,369 coronavirus patients in hospitals.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Warning of famine, UN releases $100M to seven countries

NAIROBI , Kenya ( AP ) - The United Nations humanitarian office is releasing $ 100 million in emergency funding to seven countries at risk of famine in Africa and the Middle East amid conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic , while the humanitarian chief says returning to a world where famines are common would be “ obscene.
” A statement overnight said $ 80 million of the money will go to Afghanistan , Burkina Faso , Congo , Nigeria , South Sudan and Yemen .
Another $ 20 million has been set aside for “ anticipatory action to fight hunger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erupted this month in its rebellious northern Tigray region .
“ Without immediate action , famine could be a reality in the coming months in parts of Burkina Faso , northeast Nigeria , South Sudan and Yemen .
This would be the first time famine has been declared since 2017 in parts of South Sudan , ” the statement said .
A return to a world where famines are commonplace would be “ obscene in a world where there is more than enough food for everyone , ” U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will target the most vulnerable , especially women , girls and people with disabilities .
The money breaks down as follows : $ 15 million to Afghanistan , Burkina Faso $ 6 million , Congo $ 7 million , northeastern Nigeria $ 15 million , South Sudan $ 7 million and Yemen $ 30 million .
All have been destabilized by conflict or extremist attacks .

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - The United Nations humanitarian office is releasing $100 million in emergency funding to seven countries at risk of famine in Africa and the Middle East amid conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, while the humanitarian chief says returning to a world where famines are common would be “obscene.”
A statement overnight said $80 million of the money will go to Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. Another $20 million has been set aside for “anticipatory action to fight hunger in Ethiopia,” where deadly fighting erupted this month in its rebellious northern Tigray region.
“Without immediate action, famine could be a reality in the coming months in parts of Burkina Faso, northeast Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. This would be the first time famine has been declared since 2017 in parts of South Sudan,” the statement said.
A return to a world where famines are commonplace would be “obscene in a world where there is more than enough food for everyone,” U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said.
The U.N said the money will target the most vulnerable, especially women, girls and people with disabilities.
The money breaks down as follows: $15 million to Afghanistan, Burkina Faso $6 million, Congo $7 million, northeastern Nigeria $15 million, South Sudan $7 million and Yemen $30 million.
All have been destabilized by conflict or extremist attacks.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--German capital braces for protests of coronavirus measures

BERLIN ( AP ) - German police fired water cannons Wednesday at demonstrators protesting coronavirus restrictions in Berlin ’ s government district , after crowds ignored calls to wear masks and keep their distance from one another in line with pandemic regulations .
As the cannons soaked protesters outside the landmark Brandenburg Gate , police in riot gear moved through the crowd carrying away some participants .
Some demonstrators threw fireworks and flares in response as police helicopters hovered overhead .
The protests came as German lawmakers debated on a bill providing legal underpinning for the government to issue social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and close stores and other venues to slow the spread of the virus .
While such measures are supported by most people in Germany , a vocal minority has staged regular rallies around the country arguing that the restrictions are unconstitutional .
The measures are expected to pass both the lower and then upper house of parliament and be quickly signed by Germany ’ s president .
The health minister , Jens Spahn , defended the measures , telling lawmakers that authorities “ struggle every day in trying to strike the balance ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But he insisted that Germany had found the right path , noting that it has fared much better than many of its European neighbors .
“ Where would you rather be than in Germany , ” he told lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany party who criticized the lockdown measures .
Overall , the country has seen 833,000 coronavirus cases and more than 13,000 virus-confirmed deaths in the pandemic , a death toll one-fourth that of Britain ’ s .
Spahn also praised the efforts of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 , and denied that there would be compulsory inoculation .
German authorities said Tuesday that they had banned a series of protests directly outside the parliament building due to security concerns , and fencing was put up around a wide area , including the Bundestag and nearby parliamentary offices , the federal chancellery and the presidential residence and offices .
Outside the metal cordons , protesters gathered early Wednesday by the Brandenburg Gate , and on streets and bridges .
The demonstrators came from all walks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the far-right , while also including families , students and others .
“ We want our lives back , ” read one sign carried by protesters .
Another said “ Put banks under surveillance , not citizens.
” One demonstrator held a flag with a picture of outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump and an image invoking the right-wing conspiracy theory “ QAnon , ” while another had a placard showing top German virologist Christian Drosten in prison garb with the word “ guilty.
” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas reacted sharply to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were akin to the 1933 “ Enabling Act , ” which allowed the Nazis to enact laws without parliamentary approval .
“ Everyone , naturally , has the right to criticize the measures , our democracy thrives through the exchange of different opinions , ” he wrote on Twitter .
“ But whoever relativizes or trivializes the Holocaust has learned nothing from our history.
” A demonstration earlier this month in the eastern city of Leipzig ended in chaos when thousands of protesters defied police orders to wear masks and , later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers and journalists .
Local authorities were criticized for acting too slowly and not forcefully enough to break up the crowd in Leipzig , allowing the situation to get out of control .
Berlin police said they had given out multiple citations already Wednesday for violating mask-wearing regulations , but that their appeals for people to wear protective gear and to keep their distance from one another were largely being ignored .
Police said the order had now been given to detain people not following the regulations .
“ If that does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to disperse the gathering , ” police said on Twitter .

BERLIN (AP) - German police used water cannons and pepper spray Wednesday to disperse people protesting coronavirus restrictions in Berlin’s government district, after crowds ignored calls to wear masks and keep their distance from one another in line with pandemic regulations.
As water sprayed from the cannons rained down on protesters outside the landmark Brandenburg Gate, police in riot gear moved through the crowd carrying away some participants. Some demonstrators threw fireworks, flares and other objects in response as police helicopters hovered overhead.
Officers avoided shooting the cannons directly at protesters because there were children in the crowd, and they worked slowly and methodically to disperse the crowd, Berlin police spokesman Thilo Cabiltz said. Some protesters popped open umbrellas and held their ground until they were eventually forced back.
More than 100 people were arrested, Cabiltz said, and many more temporarily detained. Nine police officers were injured. The protest crowd thinned significantly by late afternoon as many demonstrators marched back to the city’s main train station, chanting and blowing whistles.
One protester held a sign saying “Infection Protection Law=Dictatorship.” Another waved one reading “Truth, Freedom, Don’t Touch Our Constitution.”
The protests came as German lawmakers debated a bill that would provide legal underpinning for the government to issue social distancing rules, require masks in public and to close stores and other venues to slow the spread of the virus.
The bill easily passed both the lower and upper houses of Germany’s parliament and was fast-tracked to the country’s president, who signed it later Wednesday.
While the virus-prevention measures are supported by most people in Germany, a vocal minority has staged regular rallies around the country, arguing that the restrictions are unconstitutional.
Health Minister Jens Spahn, defended the measures in parliament ahead of the vote, telling lawmakers that authorities “struggle every day in trying to strike the balance” between restrictions and safeguarding democratic freedoms.
But he insisted that Germany had found the right path, noting that it has fared much better during the pandemic than many of its European neighbors.
“Where would you rather be than in Germany?” he asked lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany party who criticized the lockdown measures.
Overall, the country has reported about 833,000 coronavirus cases and more than 13,000 virus-related deaths in the pandemic, a death toll one-fourth the size of Britain’s.
Spahn also praised the efforts of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech, which together with Pfizer is leading the race to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. The health minister denied that vaccinations would be compulsory, a claim repeatedly made by those protesting against government measures.
German authorities took the rare step Tuesday of banning a series of protests directly outside the parliament building due to security concerns. Fencing was put up around a wide area that included the Bundestag, nearby parliamentary offices, the federal chancellery and the presidential residence and offices.
Outside the metal cordons, protesters gathered early Wednesday by the Brandenburg Gate, and on streets and bridges. The demonstrators came from all walks of life, ranging from the far-left to the far-right, and included families and students.
“We want our lives back,” read one sign carried by protesters. Another said “Put banks under surveillance, not citizens.” One demonstrator held a flag with a picture of outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump and an image invoking the right-wing conspiracy theory “QAnon.” Another had a placard showing top German virologist Christian Drosten in prison garb with the word “guilty.”
Berlin police said they gave out multiple citations at Wednesday’s demonstration for violating mask-wearing regulations, but that their appeals for people to wear protective gear and to keep their distance from one another were largely ignored. The police department warned that officers had received an order to detain people not following the regulations.
“If that does not help, the only course that remains is to disperse the gathering,” the department said on Twitter.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas reacted sharply to the accusation from some protesters that the measures were akin to the 1933 “Enabling Act,” which allowed the Nazis to enact laws without parliamentary approval.
“Everyone, naturally, has the right to criticize the measures, our democracy thrives through the exchange of different opinions,” he wrote on Twitter. “But whoever relativizes or trivializes the Holocaust has learned nothing from our history.”
A demonstration earlier this month in the eastern city of Leipzig ended in chaos when thousands of protesters defied police orders to wear masks and, later, to disperse. Some participants attacked police officers and journalists.
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Frank Jordans contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak