Groups of women had traveled for days to find care for their starving children in Chad, blankly staring in exhaustion and with little hope. But other women smiled, relieved to see their children “fattened” by a new and simplified initiative for hunger. In an interview with The Associated Press, actress Mia Farrow recounted the scene during her visit to the Central African nation’s Mangalme area as an envoy for the International Rescue Committee. “Once you see a child dying of hunger in a world where it isn’t necessary, in a world of abundance … you have frustration,” she said. “When I saw this simple solution … I said yes, there is an answer.” FILE – Human rights activist Mia Farrow talks with staff from the International Rescue Committee while visiting an internally displaced persons camp in Juba, South Sudan, April 2, 2019. She is promoting the IRC’s approach to treating severe and moderate acute malnutrition, one that contrasts with the widespread method using two different products administered by two different agencies. UNICEF provides a fortified peanut butter treatment to children with severe acute malnutrition, while the World Food Program, another United Nations agency, provides a blended flours treatment to children …

A Las Vegas Law Firm says there is an agreement on a settlement between MGM Resorts International and victims of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. The legal firm said MGM has agreed to pay between $735 million and $800 million to victims of the 2017 shooting that killed 58 people and injured hundreds. The law firm, Eglet Adams, which represented 2,500 victim claims, said the final amount of the settlement with MGM depends on the number of claimants. The shooting two years ago this month took place at a Las Vegas country music festival at MGM’s Mandalay Bay Resort. Approximately 22,000 people attended the outdoor concert. The gunman, Stephen Paddock, shot into the concert crowd with a modified assault rifle from the 32nd floor room he had booked at the Mandalay Bay resort hotel adjacent to the concert venue. After the shooting the gunman shot and killed himself. Police found 23 firearms in his hotel room. MGM sued claimants in 2018, saying that liability claims against the company violated the 2002 Safety Act which limits a business’ liability following a terrorist attack if the company uses a Department of Homeland Security certified security service. MGM contracted with Homeland …

At dusk in this small indigenous village, Antelmo Pereira calls Catholics to prayer, changes into a white robe and leads a religious service that is the closest thing the faithful in this remote part of the Amazon can get to a proper Mass. Speaking in the indigenous Ticuna language, he leads a recital of the Lord’s Prayer, reads a passage from the Gospel of Matthew and delivers a sermon on accepting Jesus into one’s heart, as cicadas chirp loudly in the jungle that lies just beyond the recently built Catholic church. Pereira, 61, has been a part-time missionary for the past 15 years, volunteering his time on weekends to visit indigenous communities that rarely see a priest. He leads prayer services called Celebrations of the Word but cannot celebrate Mass or hear confessions from Catholics in the isolated places that he visits because he’s married, has nine children and cannot become a priest. But that could change if a proposal to ordain married men in remote parts of the Amazon gains traction at a gathering of bishops that opens at the Vatican Sunday. More than 100 bishops from South America will convene at the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon …

Donald Trump is openly urging foreign governments to investigate his political foes — doubling down on an action that is already the subject of an impeachment inquiry. Answering questions Thursday morning from reporters on the White House South Lawn, Trump was asked what favor exactly he desired from Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskiy during a July 25 telephone call that sparked a whistleblower complaint. “I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens,” said the president. Trump, in recent days, has repeatedly attacked former Vice President Joe Biden, now a leading Democratic Party presidential candidate, saying Biden abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to back away from a criminal investigation that could have implicated the then-vice president’s son, Hunter, who worked for the Burisma energy company, based in Kyiv. Trump, prior to boarding the Marine One helicopter for a day trip to Florida, alleged Biden had “scammed” Ukraine and also China. “China should start an investigation into the Bidens,” he said. FILE – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden walks with his sons Beau (L) and Hunter (2nd R) and his wife Jill down Pennsylvania Avenue during the inaugural parade in Washington, Jan. 20, 2009. Trump has accused Hunter Biden …

Twitter has removed a tweet from President Donald Trump that featured an edited Nickelback music video clip that took aim at former Vice President Joe Biden. The post was removed because of a copyright complaint. It featured a doctored version of the band’s 2015 music video “Photograph,” showing singer Chad Kroeger holding a photo of Biden, his son, a Ukrainian gas executive and another man. Trump’s tweet came as the president has repeatedly criticized Democrats for launching an impeachment inquiry into his telephone call with Ukraine’s president in which Trump pressed for an investigation of his Democratic rival Biden and his son. A Twitter spokeswoman said Thursday it responded “to valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorized representatives.” Nickelback representatives have not returned messages seeking comment.   …

Arab citizens of Israel observed a general strike and held protests on Thursday over a wave of deadly violence within the minority community. Schools and businesses in Arab towns and villages were closed following a call by local and national Arab leaders, and newly elected Arab members of parliament skipped the official swearing-in out of solidarity. Police say there have been more than 70 killings in Arab communities this year, nearly as many as in each of the past two years, when Arabs made up more than half of all murder victims nationwide. Earlier this week, two brothers and a third individual were killed in a brawl involving guns and knives in the northern town of Majd al-Krum. Arab leaders say Israeli police largely ignore the violence in their communities, everything from family feuds and mafia turf wars to domestic violence and so-called honor killings. Israel’s Arab citizens make up 20% of the population and are descended from Palestinians who remained in the state after its creation in 1948. They have the right to vote but suffer discrimination and say authorities treat them like second-class citizens. An Arab coalition made major gains in last month’s parliamentary elections, and has made …

Turkey’s data protection authority says it has imposed a 1.6 million Turkish lira ($280,000) fine on Facebook for contravening the country’s data laws. The Turkish Personal Data Protection Council said Thursday that personal data belonging to 280,959 Turkish users, including their names, gender, birth dates, relationship status, religion and search history, were compromised in the data breach. It said Facebook failed to take “the necessary administrative and technical measures” and did not fulfill its “data protection responsibilities.” Earlier this year, the Turkish authority had fined Facebook $289,000 over a separate data law breach relating to a software bug.   …

Pakistan says that visiting U.S. and Taliban delegates will hold a direct bilateral meeting to discuss resumption of peace talks aimed at ending the nearly two decades of conflict in neighboring Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while making the announcement, told reporters Islamabad is optimistic the stalled U.S.-Taliban dialogue will resume soon. Qureshi expressed optimism after holding official talks in Islamabad with a high-level delegation of the Taliban insurgency, which arrived in the Pakistani capital the previous day. Qureshi noted that the U.S.-Taliban dialogue had almost finalized a peace deal in nine long rounds of meetings before the process broke down nearly a month ago. “Pakistan is trying to help restart the dialogue process to bring it to its logical conclusion,” the foreign minister said. “I am happy to share with you that I have returned satisfied from my meeting with them (Taliban),” Qureshi asserted. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar (3rd-L), who is leading a Taliban delegation, attends a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, Pakistan, Oct. 3, 2019. A Pakistani foreign ministry statement issued after Qureshi’s meeting with the Taliban noted that “both sides agreed on the need for the earliest resumption of the peace process.” …

The leaders of Nigeria and South Africa have pledged to take “concrete measures” to stem future outbreaks of xenophobic violence, during a state visit to South Africa by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigeria’s president described his Thursday meeting with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, as a tête-à-tête, a polite contrast to the anti-immigrant violence that swept South Africa last month, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 people, most of them South African nationals. ‘Concrete measures’ The violence prompted Nigeria to repatriate hundreds of citizens, and for Buhari to declare, after a private meeting with Ramaphosa, that the two countries would do more to stop future outbreaks. FILA bonfire is set outside Shoprite during a protest in Abuja, Nigeria, Sept. 4, 2019. S. African-owned businesses operating in Nigeria are being targeted in retaliation for xenophobic attacks carried out against Africans working in South Africa. “We have decided to work and take concrete measures together to prevent every occurrence of such unacceptable incidents in the future,” he said. Ramaphosa elaborated: “We’ve agreed that we are going to set up mechanisms between our two countries, early warning mechanisms will be set up so that once we see that there is …

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed on the importance of protecting the rights of Christian minorities in the Middle East during a meeting at the Vatican on Thursday, the U.S. State Department said. Pompeo, whose trip to Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Greece has been overshadowed by an impeachment inquiry at home targeting President Donald Trump, met the pope for about a half an hour. “They reaffirmed the United States and Holy See commitment to advancing religious freedom around the world, and in particular, protecting Christian communities in the Middle East,” State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said. Ancient Christian communities face persecution or harassment in some Middle Eastern countries, and many Christians have left to build new lives in the West. The Vatican did not issue a statement on the contents of the meeting. It usually does so only when the pope meets heads of state. On Wednesday Pompeo attended a Vatican conference on religious freedom where he blasted China over its treatment of Uighur Muslims. Pompeo has already met Italian leaders and is due to visit his ancestral home in the rugged Abruzzo region northeast of Rome before leaving Italy.   …

The European Union’s highest court says that Facebook can be ordered by an individual member state to remove or block access to material that was previously declared unlawful and says that it can have a worldwide impact. The European Court of Justice ruling Thursday is seen as a defeat for Facebook as it could increase their responsibility for what is appearing on the internet. The court ruled after an Austrian Greens politician sued the internet company in her home nation to remove comments that she considered bad for her reputation and insulting in a post that could be seen by any Facebook user.   …

Iraqi security forces used tear gas and fired live bullets to disperse protesters on the third day of anti-government demonstrations in Baghdad. Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi announced a curfew Thursday seeking to control the protests in the capital city and elsewhere in the country. Since the protests began on Tuesday, clashes with security forces have left at least 18 people dead, including a police officer, and hundreds more injured.  In addition to live rounds and tear gas, authorities have deployed water cannons and rubber bullets to try to break up the crowds. Demonstrators are unhappy about poor government services and corruption. There were widespread reports of internet outages Thursday. Demonstrators set ablaze the Hikma movement building during a protest over unemployment, corruption and poor public services, in Najaf, Iraq, Oct. 2, 2019. The protests are the first major challenge to Abdul-Mahdi, who formed his government a year ago. The government blamed the violence on “groups of riot inciters” and said security forces worked to protect the safety of peaceful protesters. Iraq’s parliament has ordered a probe into the violence. Many Iraqi citizens blame politicians and government officials for the corruption that has prevented the country from rebounding from years of …

Former U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker is set to testify before House committees Thursday about his involvement in U.S. President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. He is expected to speak behind closed doors to the Intelligence, Oversight and Reform, and Foreign Affairs committees. Volker has served as a special envoy to Ukraine since he was appointed to the job by then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Volker was in public service for more than 20 years, starting as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency in 1986. After that followed time in the foreign service, serving overseas in London, Brussels and Budapest. He eventually ended up as special assistant to the U.S. special envoy for Bosnia negotiations, Richard Holbrooke. Volker also served as a legislative fellow for Sen. John McCain for two years. He became the first secretary of the U.S. mission to NATO in 1998. He worked in different capacities in NATO until 2005. His work there included being in charge of U.S. preparations for the summit in Prague in 2002 and the summit of NATO members in Istanbul in 2004. Volker later became deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. He served in that …

Staff from three U.S. House of Representatives committees at the center of an impeachment inquiry involving President Donald Trump and Ukraine are scheduled to hold a closed-door deposition Thursday with Kurt Volker, the recently resigned U.S. envoy to Ukraine. Questions are likely to focus on a July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Volker’s actions following the call, and the activities of Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani in connection with allegations Trump pressured Zelenskiy to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Those allegations came in a whistleblower complaint made public last week, which said that according to multiple White House officials, Trump also pressured Zelenskiy to “meet or speak with two people the President named explicitly as his personal envoys on these matters,” naming Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr. Volker resigned the day after the complaint was released. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks to media during his press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Oct. 1, 2019. He helped in trying to arrange meetings between Giuliani and Zelenskiy. The State Department said that in response to a request from a Zelenskiy adviser, Volker had put the aide in contact with Giuliani. The whistleblower complaint pushed Democrats in …

The sloth – a super slow tree dweller that spends most of its life hanging upside down – isn’t on an endangered species list.  But human activity hasn’t  been kind to the popular creature who lives in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi tell us about a rehabilitation program that aims to get sloths back on their feet … and into treetops. …

Hawaii’s vibrant reefs are home to amazing populations of corals and fish, which are under growing stress and danger from a spike in  ocean temperatures.  A similar underwater heatwave damaged the reef four years ago. Now, researchers are using divers and satellites to study these corals and find ways to protect them. VOA’s Jim Randle has our story.  …

Ebola is again spreading quickly in several African countries, with the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular peril. VOA’s Plugged In traveled with U.S. health officials in mid-September to the epicenter of the outbreak, along the country’s remote northeast border. The U.S.-led delegation brought hope and medicine to the region, but serious challenges remain. Mil Arcega was on the trip and reports from the DRC. …

Hundreds of spectators gathered recently at Washington, DC’s Wharf’s District Pier to watch an unusual competition in speed and agility. Maxim Moskalkov watched the four-legged race. …

More than 100 people have died in just the past week as floods caused by heavy monsoon rains inundated parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states in northern India. Hundreds have died since the monsoon season started in June. Power outages, disrupted transportation and shortages of clean water added to the misery of the affected population. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke has more. …

A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant accused of stockpiling weapons and planning mass killings that prosecutors said was “on a scale rarely seen in this country” will likely plead guilty in federal court Thursday. Officials say Christopher Paul Hasson had amassed 15 guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, silencers and hand grenades and had drawn up a hit list of 15 prominent Democrats and journalists, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. He was arrested at his Maryland home in February. Police also found 100 pills of the opioid Tramadol and 30 bottles of human growth hormone. Prosecutors have not charged Hasson of terrorism, instead they have filed charges on unlawful possession of silencers and two counts of possession of a controlled substance as well as possession of a firearm by an unlawful user or addict. Officials say they began investigating Hasson after being alerted to searches on his work computer at the Coast Guard headquarters in Washington. He remains on active duty until the case is resolved. …

Opera star Placido Domingo resigned Wednesday as general director of the Los Angeles Opera and withdrew from all future performances, following multiple allegations from women who say the legendary tenor sexually harassed them there and at opera companies around the country over a period of decades. Domingo’s departure from LA Opera raises questions about his future career in the United States, where he has been removed or has stepped down from all scheduled appearances since the allegations were first reported by The Associated Press. In two reports published Aug. 13 and Sept. 5, the AP spoke to more than 20 women who accused Domingo of sexual harassment or other inappropriate, sexually charged conduct. Many said Domingo tried to pressure them into sexual relationships and sometimes punished them professionally if they rejected him. All said they feared reporting him because of his power to make or break their careers, and that his behavior was an open secret in the opera world. Accusers tell similar stories The accusers’ stories laid out strikingly similar patterns of behavior that included Domingo persistently contacting them — often calling them repeatedly at home, late at night — expressing interest in their careers and urging them to …

This story originated in FILE – German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier gives a statement at Luebeck City Hall before a meeting of G-7 foreign ministers, Luebeck, Germany, April 14, 2015. The plan, first proposed by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, aims to get both sides to agree to a set of key articles outlined in the Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015 as way to jump-start settlement negotiations. Critics of the deal say it makes too many concessions to Russia’s interest in seeing pro-Russian regions of the Donbas assume more self-governance — something Russian has long advocated — while supporters say it may be a crucial step toward stopping the violence and reaching toward a broader resolution of the 5-year-old war. FILE – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, left, and Ukrainian presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend debates at the Olympic stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, April 19, 2019. ‘Putin’s formula’ Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who was defeated by Zelenskiy in a landslide election earlier this year, was quick to slam the deal. “The Steinmeier formula means Putin’s formula, which radically changes the sequence of actions within Minsk agreements and throws away the roadmap of Minsk agreements,” Poroshenko said in an interview with …

Majorities of Americans across racial lines say white people are treated more fairly than black people by the police, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. But the poll finds a disconnect between white Americans who identify disparate treatment of people of color by the police, but who don’t see police violence as a serious problem — a contrast on display this week as many black Americans welcomed the guilty verdict against former Dallas officer Amber Guyger as a singular victory, rather than proof of changing attitudes. About 7 in 10 black Americans, and about half of Hispanics, call police violence against the public very serious, compared with about a quarter of white Americans. Roughly another third of white Americans call it a moderately serious problem. The dynamic has played out in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, which began in 2014 with the fatal shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown by white, former Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson. Raising awareness The work of activists around the issue of policing in communities of color has helped to raise awareness, said poll respondent Warren Miller, a 62-year-old Realtor living in Fairview, …

Melinda Gates has pledged $1 billion to promote gender equality in the United States. In an article published in Time Wednesday, Gates wrote, “It’s frustrating — even heartbreaking — to confront evidence of the many ways our country continues to hold women back.” Gender equality has long been an issue of interest for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Pivotal Ventures, the investment and incubation company she founded in 2015. “For most of our history, women’s absence from positions of power and influence wasn’t newsworthy; it was normal,” she wrote. “The fact we’re now talking about these inequities is itself a sign of progress.” She said Pivotal Ventures will use the money to work with organizations and policymakers to achieve three targets: breaking down barriers women face on the job, helping women move up faster in leadership positions and holding companies accountable for fostering gender equality. The goal is to make a significant impact within 10 years. Gates wrote that in 2018, “there were more men named James running Fortune 500 companies than there were women. This year, only one CEO on that list of 500 is a woman of color.” She said her reaction to facts like that …