LOPEZ OBRADOR WINS ELECTION IN MEXICO

   MEXICO CITY — Leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador claimed a landslide victory in Mexico's presidential election on Sunday, upending politics with promises to fight violence and corruption.
   López Obrador has pledged to combat inequality, improve pay and welfare spending, and run a tight budget but has been vague on policy details. Around half of the Mexico's population of 124 million live in poverty.
   Addressing accusations of authoritarianism, López Obrador told tens of thousands of supporters last week that there would be no dictatorship. He promised to respect the separation of powers, freedom of the press and the independence of the central bank

   

PM DOESN'T RECALL GROPING ALLEGATIONS

   OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he does not remember any "negative interactions" during an event he attended 18 years ago in British Columbia — acknowledging for the first time allegations of sexual misconduct that recently resurfaced about him at the event.
   Trudeau told reporters in Regina on Sunday that he remembers attending the music festival in Creston, B.C., in the summer of 2000, but said he doesn't recall anything going amiss.
   "I remember that day in Creston well, it was an Avalanche Foundation event to support avalanche safety. I had a good day that day. I don't remember any negative interactions that day at all," Trudeau said.

Nothing to see here folks. Move along.

EU DEAL TO LIMIT IMMIGRATION COLLAPSES

  An EU deal to limit migration from North Africa to Europe collapsed before the ink was dry, as pressure by populist governments and political parties made implementing the deal impossible.
   In truth, the agreement papered over the monumental differences between Europe's two largest powers, France and Germany, and the rest of the EU. The Germans especially are anxious to get some kind of continent-wide agreement that would save the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose coalition is fracturing over the migrant issue. But after the marathon meeting in Brussels, the emptiness of the agreement's major elements became clear.

BC GOV'T AGENCIES IN TURF WAR AS MONEY IS LAUNDERED

 G&M:   Mr. German, who was given the task of investigating money laundering in casinos by B.C. Attorney-General David Eby, found criminal organizations linked to China, Colombia, Mexico and elsewhere have been using Vancouver-area casinos as “laundromats” for illicit money, exploiting gaps left wide open as different agencies responsible for gambling and regulation waged “internecine” turf wars.
  “I can say now with absolute certainty that criminal money laundering is taking place in B.C. casinos and it has to stop,” Mr. Eby told reporters on Wednesday as he released the report.
  “Thanks to Dr. Peter German’s work, I can tell you it is tied to the opioid crisis that has taken thousands of people from their families. It’s linked to the real estate market and housing prices that have made life unaffordable for British Columbians.”

PORTLAND,OREGON POLICE DECLARE RIOT

  Portland Police declared a riot Saturday after tensions between the right-wing Patriot Prayer group and local anti-fascist activists came to a head and broke out in violence.
   The afternoon began with a permitted rally at Terry Schrunk Federal Plaza organized by Joey Gibson, U.S. Senate candidate for Washington and leader of the right-wing, Vancouver-based group.

   A counter-demonstration by masked local anti-fascist groups gathered nearby among a heavy police presence. Officers seized weapons such as utility knives, clubs and chemical sprays, detaining several protesters early on.

PAY FREEZE OF PUBLIC SERVICE MANAGERS

   G & M: Ontario’s new premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservatives have put the brakes on government spending only hours after taking office, freezing the pay of managers in the Ontario public service and putting new restrictions on the use of a pharmacare program known as OHIP-plus.
   Facing the daunting challenge of slashing a number of taxes while also balancing the province’s books over the next four years, the Tory premier has promised to find $6-billion of efficiencies in government spending without cutting any jobs. One of his first moves after being sworn in was to stop pay hikes planned for Canada Day.

WARDING OFF SUPER BUGS

   Ottawa Citizen:  He stumbled upon stories of others in similar circumstances who turned to a long-retired cure for their illnesses: phage therapy.
  Western doctors mostly shelved phage therapy as a treatment after the advent of antibiotics.
  But the drugs, once considered a medical marvel, no longer work against a growing number of bacterial infections. Rampant misuse and overuse helped spur the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resulting in superbugs that now kill an estimated 1.5 million people each year.
  While superbugs proliferate, antibiotic discovery has stalled. For pharmaceutical companies, there is little profit incentive to invest in drugs that quickly cure patients; medicine for chronic conditions presents a more tempting return on investment.