President Donald Trump said he wants to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan but is concerned that without an American military presence, the country could be used as a base for terrorist attacks on the United States. In an interview on Fox News broadcast on Monday, Trump said the problem with pulling the 9,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the site of America’s longest war, is that the country is a “lab for terrorists.” “I call it the Harvard of terrorists,” Trump said. He recounted conversations he had with U.S. military officials telling them of his desire to remove troops. He said they warned him it would be better to fight terrorists in Afghanistan than at home. “‘Sir, I’d rather attack them over there, then attack them in our land,’” Trump said a general had told him. “It’s something you always have to think about,” Trump said. Even if the United States did remove its troops, Trump said, it would leave a “very strong intelligence” presence in Afghanistan. The interview with Trump was taped over the weekend, prior to Monday’s truck bomb attack by Taliban Islamist fighters that killed six people and wounded 105 in Kabul. U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay …

A Colombian FARC rebel leader turned lawmaker who is accused by the United States of conspiring to traffic cocaine has vanished in an apparent attempt to evade justice, President Ivan Duque said on Monday. Seuxis Paucias Hernandez, better known by his nom de guerre, Jesus Santrich, took his congressional seat last month, days after being released from prison. His disappearance on Sunday is the latest development in a long legal and political saga stemming from an indictment by a U.S. grand jury that accused Hernandez of trying to export 10 tons of cocaine worth some $320 million. Hernandez was originally released from prison in May, before being immediately re-arrested on what the attorney general’s office said was fresh evidence. The Supreme Court later ordered his release, saying because he is a lawmaker it is the only court which can determine whether he should be extradited. Hernandez was one of 10 members of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group set to take up congressional seats guaranteed by a 2016 peace deal. “He has a hearing with the Supreme Court in these first days of July, and to see someone like that abandon his security detail… only shows …

President Donald Trump signed a $4.6 billion aid package on Monday to help the federal government cope with the surge of Central American immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.   Many Democratic lawmakers were hoping for more. They wanted to provide stronger protections for how migrants are treated at holding facilities and to make it easier for lawmakers to make snap visits.   Trump signed the bill in the Oval Office, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. The emergency legislation was needed to ease overcrowded, often harsh conditions at U.S. holding facilities for migrants seeking asylum, mostly from Central American nations like Honduras and El Salvador.   “This is a humane solution to a tremendous problem that starts because of our bad immigration laws,” Trump said.   The White House had threatened to veto a House bill on grounds that it would hamstring border security efforts. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to accept the Republican-controlled Senate’s version of the aid package, frustrating the more liberal members of her caucus.   The bill bolsters care for tens of thousands of arrivals taken into custody monthly and sets guidelines for how the Trump …

When Viola Davis started her production company nearly a decade ago, she was determined to bring about change in Hollywood with a strategic mandate: Normalize people of color on screen. “We’re not social statements. We’re not mythical creatures all the time … you can literally put pen to paper and write a great story that includes people of color, and it could actually sell,” the Oscar winner said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.   Now, in the era of Time’s Up and #MeToo, the call for diversity on all levels has been amplified. Some actors and directors have publicly called for 50-50 inclusion riders, contractual stipulations for the diversity of a film’s cast and crew. But Davis says she doesn’t need a piece of paper to do the right thing, and her projects don’t try to replicate diversity simply based on statistics. “Maybe that’s narcissistic of me, but I don’t want to tell my daughter that because she’s 12 percent of the population, she only deserves 12 percent of the pie,” Davis said. She calls her JuVee Productions a “walking metaphor” of inclusion, noting that she has people of color and members of the LGBTQ community on …

The solid economy is doing little to bolster support for President Donald Trump. Americans give Trump mixed reviews for his economic stewardship despite the growth achieved during this presidency, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Nearly two-thirds describe as “good” an economy that appears to have set a record for the longest expansion in U.S. history, with decade-long growth that began under Barack Obama. More people consider the economy to be good today than did at the start of the year. But significantly fewer approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, even as it remains a relative strength compared with other issues. The survey indicates that most Americans do not believe they’re personally benefiting from his trade policies. And only 17% said they received a tax cut, despite government and private sector figures showing that a clear majority of taxpayers owed less after the president’s tax overhaul passed in 2017. These doubts create a possible vulnerability as Trump highlights the economy’s solid performance in his campaign for re-election in 2020. During two nights of debates last week, almost every Democratic presidential candidate found ways to criticize the president by decrying the wealth …

Reports from Sudan say at least 11 people were killed in the latest mass protests demanding a transition to civilian rule in the country. Police fired tear gas as tens of thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday in the capital Khartoum and other areas in the first such demonstration since a June deadly crackdown on protesters.  More demonstrations were reported Monday. Protest organizers took to Facebook to decry the actions by the military on Sunday. “The military council is completely responsible for these lives lost,” Mohamed Naji al-Assam, a prominent protest leader, said in a video on his Facebook page. The generals also took to Facebook to lay blame on the protest movement, Alliance for Freedom and Change. “Freedom and Change bears the entire responsibility for these violations and the casualties among regular forces and citizens,” said General Jamal Omer in a video posted on the ruling military government’s Facebook page. Tensions between protesters demanding civilian rule and military leaders have been rising since the coup that forced out the long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir.   Talks between the two sides collapsed on June 3, when the military lethally dispersed a protest sit-in outside military headquarters in Khartoum.  Protest …

The German captain of a migrant rescue ship made her first court appearance in an Italian court on Monday, following an incident in which her vessel hit and damaged a police boat as she was docking without permission. No injuries were reported. Authorities have accused Carola Rackete of endangering the lives of the four police officers who were on board the smaller boat at the time of the incident. The captain maintains the docking process was carried out in a safe manner. If convicted, Rackete faces up to 10 years in prison. Last month, Rackete’s Sea-Watch picked up more than 40 Libyan migrants who had been stranded on an inflatable raft in the Mediterranean Sea. Rackete spent more than two weeks in international waters, waiting for a European port to accept her ship for docking. Thirteen migrants were accepted into Italy for health concerns, but the rest remained on the ship. She was not allowed into port in Italy, which bans non-government boats carrying migrants from docking.    Reports say the collision happened as the police boat sought to prevent her from pulling up to the pier. She docked at a port on the Italian island of Lampedusa in violation …

Mauritania’s constitutional council confirmed Mohamed Ould Ghazouani as president, amid concerns of election impropriety by opposition leaders. On Monday, the West African country’s constitutional council announced Ghazouani had won the June 22 presidential elections with 52% of the vote, rejecting a challenge by the opposition.   “The candidate Mohamed Ould Cheikh Lohaled Ahmed Ould Ghazwani is proclaimed president, having acquired an absolute majority in the first round,” said Haimond Ba, a council member. Ghazouani will take office on August 2, succeeding Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Aziz, an ally of Ghazouani, who had served two five-year terms, the maximum in Mauritania. Prior to being elected president, Ghazouani had served as the country’s defense minister. The confirmation by the Constitutional Court represents the first democratic transition of power since Mauritania’s independence from France in 1960. On Sunday, opposition parties alleged that election fraud took place, referencing crackdowns in the country surrounding the presidential vote, as well as what they saw as impossible poll percentages. The constitutional council asserted that there was insufficient evidence for the allegations.    …

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow says the condition of an American man held on spying charges in Russia has worsened. The Embassy said on Twitter Monday that Russian authorities had rejected a request to send a doctor to examine Paul Whelan. It said Whelan has received basic medical assistance, but that his condition has deteriorated. Whelan, who also holds British, Irish and Canadian citizenship, was arrested in a hotel room in Moscow in December and charged with espionage, which carries up to 20 years in prison. The former U.S. Marine, who denies the charges, has publicly complained of poor prison conditions and has said his life is in danger. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Monday denied plans to exchange Whelan for Russians in U.S. custody. …

Two more members of the Congressional Black Caucus are backing Kamala Harris’s bid for the presidency: Reps. Bobby Rush of Illinois and Frederica Wilson of Florida. Endorsements from the caucus, which counts more than 50 members, could be influential in the Democratic presidential primary. With these two new supporters, Harris now has six endorsements from the CBC. Rush has been sharply critical of former Vice President Joe Biden in the wake of comments in which he recalled working alongside two segregationist Southern senators. Rush told Politico that Biden, another Democratic presidential candidate, was “wholly out of touch and woefully ignorant of the nuances of the black American experience.” Rush will serve as Harris’ Illinois campaign chair. Rush said Harris was “the only candidate prepared to fight for all Americans against a Trump Administration that has left them behind” and that she is a “once-in-a-lifetime leader” who “exemplifies what global leadership is all about.” Harris and Biden clashed during the first Democratic primary debate after Harris, who is black, directly challenged Biden over his history of opposing school integration through federally ordered busing. Harris said Biden’s recollections of working with the two senators were hurtful. Harris’s campaign announced on Saturday that …

The latest meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has drawn criticism from a wide range of voices in Washington DC. Some say it amounted to little more than reality television. Others complained it conferred legitimacy on a brutal dictator. But many in South Korea, where the summit was held, view the meeting positively, as VOA’s Bill Gallo reports from Seoul. …

The U.S. military says it has struck an al-Qaida leadership and training facility in northern Syria where attacks threatening Americans and others were being planned. The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that the strike occurred on Sunday near the northern province of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor, said Monday that the strike killed eight members of the al-Qaida-linked Horas al-Din, which is Arabic for “Guardians of Religion.” The Observatory says the dead included six commanders: two Algerians, two Tunisians, an Egyptian and a Syrian. Al-Qaida-linked militants control wide parts of northern Syria, mostly in Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold in the war-torn country.       …

A powerful car bomb-and-gun attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul Monday morning is said to have killed and wounded dozens of people. The Taliban insurgency claimed responsibility for plotting the suicide raid against what it said was the logistics and engineering center of the Afghan Defense Ministry. Residents said Monday’s blast occurred in a central part of the city during morning rush hour, sending a plume of black smoke over Kabul. Witnesses heard gunfire and small explosions as the attack appeared to be continuing. Wounded people receive treatment in a hospital after a powerful bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 1, 2019. Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said in a statement that several gunmen later took positions in a nearby under-construction, multistory building after the blast and started firing at Afghan police forces. Rahimi added that Afghan special forces reached the site and an operation was underway to neutralize the assailants. Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah condemned the Taliban attack, saying it “showcases the group’s inherent criminal nature” and vowed the violence will not deter security forces from pursuing and punishing the “miscreants.” Ambulances rushed to the scene and ferried at least 65 injured people to hospitals, including at …

The women mountaineers of Africa are reaching for new heights, following in the footsteps of the first black African woman to scale Mount Everest. Now four other South Africans are training to become the first all-female African team to climb the world’s tallest peak. Deshun Deysel, Lisa Gering, Tumi Mphahlele and Alda Waddell are training on the sandstone cliffs of South Africa’s Drankensberg Mountains. They hope that next year, they can become the first team of African women to conquer Mount Everest. Their inspiration The women are inspired by South African business executive Saray Khumalo, who in May became the first black African woman to climb the world’s highest mountain, which stands at 8,848 meters tall. Africa has few mountains to practice on, but Khumalo says that is not a problem. “What excites me even more is that those coming behind us, behind me, effectively won’t have to struggle as much as I have had, you know,” she said. “Even though we’re not born in a place where there’re mountains, there’s ice and snow and more. So, when the ladies go next year, I think it’s going to open up even more doors.” Each team member does her own intensive …

Africa’s women mountaineers are reaching new heights.  In May, South African businesswoman Saray Khumalo became the first black African woman to summit Mount Everest. Now four other South Africans are preparing to become the first all-women African team to climb the world’s tallest peak. Marize de Klerk reports from Waterval Boven, South Africa. …

The third meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has drawn praise as well as criticism.  Critics say Trump is showering attention on a dictator without getting any concessions on the North Korean nuclear development, while others see it as a ray of hope for a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula.  VOA’s Zlatica Hoke reports. …

A victim of domestic abuse while pregnant and now a mother of two, Miriam Gutierrez is a champion Spanish boxer and an elected official whose goal is to knockout those who challenge women’s rights. Arash Arabasadi has more. …

Senior U.S. officials were on hand in Jerusalem Sunday for the opening of part of what is believed to be an ancient Roman-era road to the Jewish temple, angering Palestinians and some Israeli historians. Ambassador David Friedman, Mideast peace negotiator Jason Greenblatt, and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham attended the unveiling. The City of David Foundation, which organized Sunday’s ceremony, says visitors will now be able to “touch history” and walk the 300-meter-long portion of the road through a tunnel, uphill to where the Jewish temple stood more than 2,000 years ago in what is now east Jerusalem. “Were there ever any doubts about the accuracy, the wisdom, the propriety of President Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, I certainly think this lays all doubts to rest,” Friedman said. People walk inside an ancient tunnel during the opening of an ancient road at the City of David. The site is on what many believe to be the ruins of the biblical King David’s ancient capital and see as centerpieces of ancient Jewish civilization. Work on the project was carried out in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan. The Palestinian Authority condemned the project as another example of pushing the Palestinians …

Anti-government protesters in Hong Kong blocked main roads early Monday to limit access to a ceremony marking the anniversary of the city’s handover to China. Senior officials from Hong Kong and mainland China are to attend the annual flag-raising on the 22nd anniversary of the handover on July 1, 1997. Pro-democracy activists have called for a march as they have on every anniversary. This year the march is expected to be larger than usual because of widespread opposition to a government proposal that would allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China to face charges. It will be the third protest in three weeks against the extradition bill. The government has already postponed debate on the bill indefinitely, leaving it to die. But protest leaders want the legislation formally withdrawn. They are also calling for Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to resign. On Sunday, government supporters held a pro-police rally. Hong Kong police have come under criticism for using tear gas and rubber bullets during a crackdown on a protest that left dozens injured June 12.   …