A strong earthquake hit off the coast of central Chile on Thursday, though there were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.8 quake struck at 2:28 p.m. local time (19:28 GMT) and was centered 59 miles (95 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio in the region of Valparaiso. It was felt throughout the central part of the South American nation, but the national emergency office said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury and the navy discounted any threat of a tsunami. …

A U.S. citizen who joined the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria in 2014 and was captured by pro-American Kurdish forces earlier this year has been returned to his home state of Texas, where he faces charges of supporting a terrorist organization, the Justice Department announced Thursday. According to prosecutors, Omer Kuzu, who was born in Dallas, allegedly received weapons training in Iraq and later moved to Syria, where he was paid $125 a month to repair communications equipment for front-line IS fighters.  Kuzu, 23, is the sixth U.S. citizen or permanent resident to be indicted in the United States on charges of supporting IS overseas.  A federal grand jury in northern Texas recently indicted Kuzu on one count of traveling to Syria and conspiring to provide material support to IS. He made an initial court appearance before a magistrate judge Tuesday in northern Texas. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.   “The United States continues to demonstrate its commitment to holding accountable those who have left this country in order to join and support ISIS,” John C. Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement.  According to a criminal complaint, in October …

Poland on Thursday scrapped its personal income tax for young employees earning less than $22,000 a year, as part of a drive to reverse a brain drain and demographic decline that’s dimming the prospects of a country that is otherwise experiencing strong economic growth. A new law by the right-wing government took effect Thursday, slashing the personal income tax from 18 percent to zero for workers under the age of 26 below the income threshold. It is expected to boost the earnings of nearly 2 million Poles at home, and the government hopes it will also persuade young Poles working abroad to return home.   Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki recently said he hoped it would “prevent a further loss, a bleeding of the population that is especially painful for a nation, a society, when it concerns the young generation.”   But there were strong doubts if the tax relief would stop the drain of talented and educated young Poles to London, Berlin and other cities that offer higher wages and other opportunities. ”I do not think it would stop me and my peers from leaving,” said Paulina Rokicka, a 19-year-old in Warsaw who works part-time at a TV station. “It …

The heat wave that smashed high temperature records in five European countries a week ago is now over Greenland, accelerating the melting of the island’s ice sheet and causing massive ice loss in the Arctic. Greenland, the world’s largest island, is a semi-autonomous Danish territory between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans that has 82% of its surface covered in ice. The area of the Greenland ice sheet that is showing indications of melt has been growing daily, and hit a record 56.5% for this year on Wednesday, said Ruth Mottram, a climate scientist with the Danish Meteorological Institute. She says that’s expected to expand and peak on Thursday before cooler temperatures slow the pace of the melt. More than 10 billion tons (11 billion U.S. tons) of ice was lost to the oceans by surface melt on Wednesday alone, creating a net mass ice loss of some 197 billion tons (217 billion U.S. tons) from Greenland in July, she said. ”It looks like the peak will be today. But the long-term forecast is for continuing warm and sunny weather in Greenland, so that means the amount of the ice loss will continue,” she said Thursday in a telephone interview from …

Plugged In with Greta Van Susteren examines the global cancer crisis and the search for a cure. Insights from Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for the American Cancer Society; Cary Adams, CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control; and Dr. Otis Brawley, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Oncology & Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University. VOA’s Mil Arcega anchors the show for Greta. …

A hard-won budget and debt deal easily cleared the Senate on Thursday, powered by President Donald Trump’s endorsement and a bipartisan drive to cement recent spending increases for the Pentagon and domestic agencies. The legislation passed by a 67-28 vote as Trump and his GOP allies relied on lots of Democratic votes to propel it over the finish line.   Passage marked a drama-free solution to a worrisome set of looming Washington deadlines as both allies and adversaries of the president set aside ideology in exchange for relative fiscal peace and stability. The measure, which Trump has promised to sign, would permit the government to resume borrowing to pay all its bills and would set an overall $1.37 trillion limit on agency budgets approved by Congress annually.  It also would remove the prospect of a government shutdown in October or the threat of deep automatic spending cuts. The administration and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., played strong hands in the talks that sealed the agreement last week, producing a pragmatic measure that had much for lawmakers to dislike.   Trump did step back from a possible fight over spending increases sought by liberals, and achieved his priorities on Pentagon budgets …

Human Rights Watch has accused Kenya’s police force of carrying out the extrajudicial killings of around two dozen young men and boys in the low-income areas of Nairobi over the past year. In a When she went to the police station, she was told her son was killed for snatching a mobile phone. But she denies he was a criminal and sees no justification for the way he died. Wamburu said when she later went to the morgue, she found her son had been killed in a beastly manner. She said he had seven bullet wounds. She said her efforts to seek justice for her son’s killing have so far been fruitless. At the Mathare Social Justice Center, coordinator Kennedy Kyungu has for the last seven years documented killings at the informal settlements. “The age is between 13 to 27,” he said. “That is the age of young guys who are being executed in the informal settlements. Their reason is they are fighting crime.” In its latest report, Human Rights Watch said Kenyan police have killed at least 21 men and boys in Nairobi’s low-income areas since August of last year. “The specific cases that we documented were 21, but …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday confirmed private sales to China of 68,000 tonnes of soybeans for the 2019/20 marketing year, the first such purchase by a private buyer since the trade war between the world’s two largest economies broke out more than a year ago. It was the first new soybean purchase by China since a 544,000-tonne sale was announced in late June, and the first since Beijing offered to exempt five private crushers in the country from 25-percent import tariffs on U.S. beans arriving by the end of the year. In its weekly export sales report, the USDA also said China bought 66,800 tonnes of soybeans for 2018/19 delivery, including 62,000 tonnes that had previously been listed as headed for unknown destinations. But China also canceled previous purchases totaling 72,900 tonnes for the current marketing year, USDA said. Widespread market rumors last week suggested that a large Chinese crusher purchased a small number of soybean cargoes for shipment in October from terminals in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, traders said. Prices for soybeans shipped to Asia from the PNW this autumn are lower than prices for beans shipped from rival exporter Brazil if China’s import tariffs are removed, …

If U.S. President Donald Trump is unlike anyone who’s occupied the Oval Office, the same could be said of new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson when it comes to 10 Downing Street. Both are unpredictable and unconventional. Their readiness to break with custom and their checkered personal lives — let alone their distinctive hairstyles — have attracted comparisons. Both have surfed populist political waves to power. The U.S. president sees an affinity, lauding Johnson as “Britain Trump.” And there are high expectations among Trump supporters and British Brexiters that the Anglo-American relationship is about to be spruced up in new ways. Their aides talk enthusiastically of a revived relationship that has been buffeted in the past two years. As Brexit Storm Gathers, Britain Looks to Trump for Hope video player. FILE – Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt appear on BBC TV’s debate with candidates vying to replace British PM Theresa May, in London, Britain, June 18, 2019. Campaigning to replace May, Johnson offered the highest form of flattery by imitating Trump, echoing some of the U.S. leader’s slogans, promising among other things to “make Britain great again.” Both men share a disdain for the European Union — although Johnson is …

When Lee Kyung Eon and her friend recently scrapped their plans to go to Japan for their summer vacation and paid $135 penalty for canceling plane tickets, they joined a growing public campaign in South Korea to boycott Japanese goods and services. ”We intended to do something that is unhelpful to Japan even a little bit,” said Lee, a 26-year-old office worker in Bundang city, just south of Seoul. “Many people told us we did something really good … but some with strong patriotic spirits said we shouldn’t boast of things that we have to do.” A widespread anti-Japan boycott has gained ground in South Korea since Tokyo on July 1 tightened its control of exports of three chemicals used to manufacture semiconductors and display screens — key export items for South Korea. The boycott could worsen as Japan is expected to expand its export curbs to other materials as early as Friday by removing South Korea from a list of countries granted preferential trade status. South Korea accuses Japan of retaliating over local court rulings last year that ordered two Japanese companies to pay compensation to former Korean employees for forced labor during Tokyo’s 1910-45 colonization of the Korean …

In India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh, a burgeoning monkey population poses a huge threat to agriculture, prompting many to abandon farming. Displaced by shrinking forests and rapid growth of urban centers, the animals raid farms in search of food, destroying crops worth millions of dollars. Agriculture experts are teaching farmers how to overcome the problem. Anjana Pasricha reports how Magroo village in the Himalayan state has benefitted. …

The office of Somalia’s president says he is giving up his United States citizenship but it is not immediately clear why. A statement posted on Twitter on Thursday says President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed made the decision voluntarily, with lawyers involved. It says Somalia’s constitution allows for dual citizenship. Many in Somalia’s diaspora have it after fleeing the country long gripped by conflict. Mohamed lived for many years in the United States, working as a New York state transportation department official in Buffalo before being elected Somalia’s president in February 2017.   During his time in office the U.S. has dramatically increased airstrikes against the Somali-based al-Shabab extremist group, re-established its diplomatic presence in Somalia and even presented Mohamed with a trucker cap that said “Make Somalia Great Again.” …

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday called the move by the United States to sanctions Iran’s foreign minister “childish.” In a televised speech, Rouhani said the United States claims to want to negotiate with Iran without any preconditions, “and then they sanction the foreign minister.” “This is obviously a highly unusual action,” a senior Trump administration official acknowledged when discussing the U.S. action against Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The executive order accuses Zarif of acting or purporting to act on behalf of his country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was recently added to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. “And today, President (Donald) Trump decided enough is enough,” a senior U.S. official told reporters on a background briefing conference call. “We will continue to build on our maximum pressure campaign until Iran abandons its reckless foreign policy that threatens the United States and our allies.” The United States “is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime that its recent behavior is completely unacceptable,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “At the same time, the Iranian regime denies Iranian citizens’ access to social media, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif spreads the regime’s …

Seeking diplomatic solutions to foreign conflicts. Immigration reform with aid for Central America. Trade deals that help U.S. workers, but do not involve trade wars. Democratic candidates used their time on the debate stage in Detroit to spell out policy initiatives that would represent a departure from Trump administration approaches, all while making the case they can beat the incumbent president in the 2020 election. As might be expected among candidates from the same political party, there was a lot of general agreement about how to deal with big issues. But with 20 candidates split into two 10-person debates, nationally known names sought to maintain their leads in polls while others voters might not be as familiar with worked to generate the interest their campaigns badly need. That led to a lot of sparring among the candidates and even direct questioning of each other’s records and proposals, particularly focused on the current favorites in the race — former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Senator from California Kamala Harris delivers her closing statement flanked by former Vice President Joe Biden during the Democratic primary debate hosted by CNN at the Fox …

At least 32 people were killed in an attack on a military parade in the Yemeni port city of Aden Thursday, security and medical sources said. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it launched missile and drone attacks Thursday on a military parade in Aden, the seat of the Saudi-backed government, killing several people including a commander. A Reuters witness saw nine bodies on the ground after an explosion hit a military camp belonging to Yemeni forces backed by the United Arab Emirates, which is a member of the Saudi-led military coalition battling the Houthis. A pro-government military source said a commander was among those killed. “The blast occurred behind the stand where the ceremony was taking place at Al Jalaa military camp in Buraiqa district in Aden,” the witness said. “A group of soldiers were crying over a body believed to be of the commander.” The Houthi’s official channel Al Masirah TV said the group had launched a medium-range ballistic missile and an armed drone at the parade, which it described as being staged in preparation for a military move against provinces held by the movement. The parade “was being used to prepare for an advance on Taiz and Dalea,” …

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was center-stage for Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate, and Biden often found himself under attack by several of his nine rivals on stage.  But Biden was quick to counter-attack in what was a free-wheeling debate and also made an impassioned case that he is the Democrat best positioned to defeat President Donald Trump next year. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has more on the second night of the second round of Democratic debates.   …

A war of words continues between U.S. President Donald Trump and a powerful Democratic lawmaker investigating the Trump White House, Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland. The president has criticized the legislator’s Baltimore district in comments that many have denounced as racist. Today, like many urban centers, Baltimore struggles to deal with racial unrest, crime, economic inequality and high unemployment.  VOA’s Carolyn Presutti visited Baltimore and has this report.   …

Divers and environmentalists found an unpleasant surprise in Aegean waters near Greece and are working to fix it.  What looked like colorful coral turned out to be a plastic wasteland, just one of many challenges delicate marine ecosystems face. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi dives in for a look. …

The prospect of Britain crashing out of the European Union with no deal at the end of October is creating a tumultuous first few weeks in office for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The British pound sterling is plunging, and there are warnings of widespread disruption. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, Johnson is looking for help across the Atlantic to a like-minded ally in the White House.   …

The son and heir of al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden is presumed dead, apparently killed in a U.S.-supported operation, according to reports. Officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the suspected death of Hamza bin Laden, believed to be in his 30s, Wednesday as first reported by NBC News. The New York Times subsequently reported the younger bin Laden had been killed within the past two years in an operation that involved the U.S. in some capacity. But officials told the Times the government had yet to confirm his death and refused to share additional details. The U.S. had been offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the capture or death of Hamza bin Laden, who was by his father’s side when al-Qaida launched the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks against New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Groomed from an early age According to letters found at Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Hamza bin Laden had been groomed from an early age to one day take command of his father’s terror group. The correspondences, recovered by U.S. forces following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011, also …

The number of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain rose in the first half of the year, according to a charity Thursday that cited alleged anti-Semitism in the opposition Labour party as a contributing factor. The Community Security Trust (CST) said in a report it had recorded 892 incidents, an increase of 10% from the year-ago period and a record for the January to June period. A 46% rise in the number of online incidents was the most obvious single factor explaining the overall increase, it added. The CST, which has been logging anti-Semitic incidents in Britain since 1984 and provides security for the Jewish community in Britain, said the highest monthly totals of such incidents came in February and March. “They occurred when issues relating to Jews and anti-Semitism were prominent in news and politics due to the continuing controversy over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party,” it added in a statement. Lawmakers leave Labour February saw nine lawmakers leave the Labour Party, some of whom cited anti-Semitism as a prominent reason for their decision, it noted. The CST said it had recorded 25 incidents in February and 30 in March that were examples of, or related to, arguments over alleged anti-Semitism …

U.S. immigration officials have added a senior Venezuelan government official to their list of the 10 most wanted fugitives. Tareck El Aissami is Venezuela’s former vice president and is currently its industry minister. Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted a picture of El Aissami on its Twitter account Wednesday, captioned, “Have you seen this most wanted fugitive? He’s wanted for international narcotics trafficking.” The photo comes with a warning to civilians against trying to arrest him or anyone else on the most wanted list. The U.S. accuses El Aissami of overseeing or partially owning “narcotics shipments of more than 1,000 kilograms from Venezuela on multiple occasions, including those with the final destinations of Mexico and the United States.” He is also accused of avoiding various U.S. sanctions imposed on Venezuela because of the country’s dire political situation. The United States and about 50 other countries back opposition leader Juan Guaido’s efforts to drive President Nicolas Maduro from power. Guaido accuses Maduro of stealing last year’s election for another term and helping drive Venezuela to economic ruin through corruption and failed socialist policies. …

A U.S. delegation led by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner held talks Wednesday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II about ways to revive the Mideast peace process.  The Americans are seeking to finalize details of a proposed $50 billion economic development plan for the Palestinians, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt and Brian Hook, the U.S. special representative for Iran and senior adviser to the U.S. secretary of state, are part of the delegation, which will also visit Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In Amman, Abdullah reaffirmed his position that the establishment of a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside Israel is the only way to resolve the long-simmering crisis, a statement from Jordan’s royal court said. The king also said that any peace plan needed to be implemented in accordance with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which called on Israel to pull back from all land it occupied in 1967 in exchange for normalized Israeli-Arab relations.  Presidential advisers Jared Kushner, center left, and Jason Greenblatt, third left, meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, center right, and his advisers, in Amman, Jordan, May 29, 2019.  Jordanian political analyst Osama al-Sharif said that while Jordan’s …

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson could see his working majority in parliament reduced to one when voters in a rural Welsh parliamentary seat go to the polls Thursday in his first electoral test as leader. The pro-European Union Liberal Democrats are the bookmakers’ favorites to win the vote in Brecon and Radnorshire, triggered when Conservative lawmaker Chris Davies was ousted by a petition of constituents after being convicted of falsifying expenses. Brecon is a region where sheep outnumber people many times over and where the prospect of steep EU tariffs being slapped on its Welsh lamb exports in a no-deal Brexit have prompted widespread concern among farmers. Wafer-thin majority Johnson’s government already relies on the support of a small Northern Irish party for its wafer-thin majority, with just a handful of rebels in his own Conservatives needed to lose key votes, as his predecessor Theresa May repeatedly found. May stepped down after her Brexit deal with the EU was rejected three times by parliament. Johnson has said he plans to renegotiate that deal but that Britain will leave the bloc Oct. 31 with or without an agreement, potentially setting himself up for a fight with parliament, which has pledged to …