News America

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Cameroon Medical Group Urges Government to Close Illegal Hospitals

The National Medical Council in Cameroon is calling on government officials to close 1,000 hospitals it says are operating illegally. The council says the hospitals do not have enough trained medical workers and equipment. It says the medical centers are endangering the lives of millions of people. But some of the centers have trained, part-time medical workers. These doctors and nurses work in more than one clinic as a way to increase their earnings. And some doctors have left their jobs at government-operated hospitals and opened clinics so they can earn more money. This is not a new problem for Cameroon. And it seems to be growing. Early last year, VOA reported that the Ministry of Health had identified 600 illegal hospitals and clinics. Then, like today, it said they were responsible for causing deaths. More than a year and a half ago, the health minister said the government would target illegal clinics and close them if they did not have permission to operate. Cameroon’s medical council now says 200 medical centers are operating illegally in the capital, Yaounde. Reporter Moki Edwin Kindzeka visited one such clinic recently. He spoke with Yannick Ahanda, one of 20 people waiting for medical care. He says he likes to go to private clinics because patients do not need to wait a long time to see a doctor or nurse. He adds that at government hospitals, patients are sometimes told after a long wait to return later because the doctor is not there or at a conference. He also says health care is better at private hospitals and clinics. An ambulance has brought a 66-year-old woman to the Yaounde central hospital. Sylvie Manga is her daughter. She says her family turned to the hospital for specialized care after several failed attempts to treat her mother at a private clinic. “You will not imagine that they operate and they forget pieces of cloth, they forget it in the stomach. We carried the patient back home. After some time, we discover that the wound is not getting healed. When we take her back to the hospital, she is operated (on) again and the pieces is removed.” Tetanye Ekoe is vice president of the medical council. He says the group cannot stay silent while people suffer because of poor care from untrained workers. Professor Ekoe says there are more than 1,000 illegal and secret hospitals and medical schools throughout the country. He says many use unqualified doctors, laboratory technicians and others to treat patients. More than 500 medical doctors and 5,000 nurses are trained in Cameroon every year. But in 1996, when the economy worsened, the pay of doctors was reduced by 60 percent -- to about $300 per month. Dr. Viban Eugene owns a private medical facility. He says some doctors open clinics so they can earn more money. He says patients get better care at clinics than at government hospitals. “There he’s gonna take more care, there he’s gonna take more time to give adequate care. But in the hospital there are so many people, so many patients, he is not going to get more time.” The medical council says all doctors working in such hospitals and clinics who are not council members are practicing illegally. The World Health Organization says Cameroon has only about 25 percent of the doctors it needs. It estimates that Cameroon has one doctor for every 40,000 citizens. The country is home to 22-million people. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. Moki Edwin Kindzeka reported this story from Yaounde. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in The News clinic – n. a place where people get medical help facility – n. something (such as a building or large piece of equipment) that is built for a specific purpose; a center prefer – v. to like (someone or something) better than someone or something else stomach – n. the organ in your body where food goes and begins to be break up after you swallow it unqualified – adj. not having the skills, knowledge or experience needed to do a job or activity adequate – adj. good enough; satisfactory We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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November 4, 2015

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Wednesday, November 4, 2015

VOA English Newscast: 2100 UTC November 4, 2015

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Dave DeForest reporting. Questions remain about the cause of last weekend’s plane crash in Egypt. Britain said Wednesday it is increasingly concerned that a bomb brought down the Russian jetliner that crashed last Saturday over the Sinai Peninsula. British authorities dispatched a team of aviation experts to assess security before British flights are allowed to leave the region. Meanwhile, the Islamic State renewed its claims to have brought down the plane, challenging skeptics to prove otherwise. Authorities say they have not found any evidence of a missile attack Assistant Secretaries of State Anne Patterson and Victoria Nuland have told a Congressional panel that 85 to 90 percent of Russian airstrikes in Syria have hit moderate Syrian rebels, not Islamic State targets. The two testified Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou will hold talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Singapore this Saturday. Bill Ide reports. China says the talks will be a major, historic milestone in the development of cross-Strait ties. According to an official statement read on state media, China says that during the talks, the two cross-Strait leaders will exchange views on promoting the peaceful development of cross Taiwan Strait relations and deepening ties. Taiwan opposition politicians are already voicing concern about the closed door talks. And protesters have begun to rally in the capital of Taipei. Bill Ide, Beijing. A U.S. defense official says Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his Malaysian counterpart, Hisham-muddin Hussein, will board a U.S. warship sailing in the South China Sea Thursday. The two will board the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt as it sails in the South China Sea off the coast of Malaysia. This is VOA News. Words in This News jetliner – n. a large jet airplane authorities – n. officials dispatch(ed) – v. to send aviation – adj. related to or involving the business of flying airplanes or helicopters assess – v. to make a judgment about something allow(ed) – v. to let or permit region – n. an area renew(ed) – v. to make new or begin again challenging – v. to question or dispute something skeptic(s) – n. an individual who questions claims or statements otherwise – adv. in a different way panel – n. a committee or group testify – v. to give evidence in court or to government representatives milestone – n. an important point in the development of something view(s) – n. ideas or opinions promoting – v. in support of; to help or assist rally – v. to gather or come together for a purpose counterpart – n. someone with the same or similar job or position board – v. to get on or enter We want to hear from you. Write to us in the comments section.

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Apple TV Review

Apple TV Review Last week Apple started selling the newest model of its set-top box, the Apple TV. This Apple TV has more power and gives you more features. The new Apple TV lets you watch shows, view photos, and listen to music. You can also play games, use apps and speak to the Apple TV. What's in the Box The Apple TV comes complete with: Apple TV Power Cable Lightning Cable Remote Control Getting Started Guide What's Not in the Box HDMI Cable You'll need one of these cables (sold separately) to connect the Apple TV to your TV. Apps The Apple TV has apps. Some apps are like TV channels you watch. Other apps are like the apps you use on your iPhone or iPad. Some apps are free, some apps you can buy. Some apps are free but you have to pay to watch the shows. You can get apps for watching TV shows and movies, such as Netflix, HBOGo, Showtime Anytime, Hulu, YouTube, History, PBS and more. You can also get apps for games, cooking, fitness, shopping, travel and more. Apple TV Apps The Apple TV App Store has apps such as Zillow to shop for homes, and Airbnb to find places to stay when you travel. Check out Zova for exercise and Kitchen Stories for cooking. The App Store doesn't have many apps yet. But more apps will come to the App Store in the future. Siri The best part of Apple TV may be Siri, the voice assistant first introduced on the iPhone. The Apple TV gives Siri new powers. According to Apple Insider, Siri will only work on the Apple TV in eight of the 80 countries where Apple TV is sold: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. What Did They Say? Siri can help you understand what has been said with the What Did They Say feature. Ask Siri, "What did they say?" and the show will rewind 15 seconds. Words will appear on the screen so you can read what is being said. Finding Shows Siri can also help you search for shows. You can ask for shows that have a certain actor, are from a year, or are "good". You can ask Siri to go to different parts of the show. For example, you can ask Siri to: show you James Bond movies starring Daniel Craig fast-forward 15 minutes find kids' shows Ask Siri to find a movie or TV show and you'll see a list of apps that have the show. Unfortunately, Siri doesn't work with all apps yet. You can search through iTunes,Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Showtime, but not others yet. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has said that Siri will be able to search more apps in the future. Siri can open apps but can't answer questions such as "What is 1 + 1?" She can't yet search the App Store. But she can help you search for shows, tell you what the weather is, and help you navigate your shows. Remote Control The Apple TV remote control has few buttons. Instead, you use the touch panel part of the remote to navigate. Swipe left to right to fast-forward. Swipe right to left to rewind. Swipe down to get more information about what you're watching, and adjust the settings. Press to choose an option on screen. The remote also acts as a game controller. It can sense your motion so you can use it to control play in game apps. You can also use Apple or third-party game controllers with the Apple TV. Ideas for the Future Where Is 4K? One omission from Apple TV is 4K resolution. The picture of the Apple TV is extremely sharp and detailed. The picture quality is excellent so you may not miss 4K at all. The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus record video in 4K. Seeing these videos on your Apple TV would seem like a natural fit. You may not have a 4K TV so you may not care that Apple TV doesn't have 4K. But someday 4K may become the standard, much as HD is now. Apple TV is not yet ready for the future of 4K. But having 4K on your Apple TV would add to the cost. If you don't care about 4K then you're probably glad that Apple TV doesn't charge extra for 4K. Remote App The Remote app for the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch doesn't control this model Apple TV. I hope the Remote app will control the Apple TV in the future. Availability The Apple TV is available in 80 countries around the world. You can get the Apple TV in two sizes, 32 GB for $149 and 64 GB for $199. If you think you'll be using a lot of apps and playing a lot of games, then you may want to choose the larger size. If you don't think you'll be using a lot of space then the 32 GB might be a fine choice for you. Your Thoughts Which features of the Apple TV do you like the most? What features would you like to see added? Which apps would you use on the Apple TV? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page! . Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story feature - n. an interesting or important part, quality, ability, etc. app - n. a computer program that performs a particular task (such as word processing) cable - n. a group of wires, glass fibers, etc., covered in plastic or rubber and used to carry electricity or electrical signals remote control - n. a small device that is used to operate electronic equipment (such as a television) from a distance by using electronic signals HDMI cable – n. digital video cable channel - n. a television or radio station assistant - n. a person who helps someone navigate – v. to control the direction of something swipe - v. to move a finger or fingers, or a stylus, across an area on (a touchscreen) in order to execute a command 4K resolution - n. a minimum resolution of 3,840 pixels wide and 2,160 pixels high pixel - n. any one of the very small dots that together form the picture on a television screen, computer monitor, etc. available - adj. possible to get or use

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China, Taiwan to Hold Historic Talks

Leaders from Taiwan and China will meet face-to-face for the first time since 1949 this Saturday. The two governments do not recognize each other. China claims that Taiwan is part of its territory. It views Taiwan as a breakaway state. The Chinese government wishes to reunify Taiwan with China. Most living in the Taiwanese democracy wish to remain separated from the Chinese. Reactions in China and Taiwan differ. The Chinese view the meeting as a historic milestone. Some Taiwanese worry the meeting could damage its democracy. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou will meet in Singapore. Taiwan officials told VOA that no agreements will be signed. The two leaders plan to speak about a stronger peace between Taiwan and China. They will conduct separate press conferences. Then, the two leaders will dine together in the evening. The meeting comes weeks before Taiwan holds general and presidential elections. Taiwanese politicians were concerned about the talks. They worry about unification discussions. Some formed a rally in the capital, Taipei. Protesters urged President Ma to call off the meeting. Others demanded President Ma to leave office. The history between communist China and democratic Taiwan is a tense history. The nationalist Chinese – assisted by the Americans - lost the three-year civil war in 1949. By the end of 1949, the nationalists fled to Taiwan. The communist Chinese have controlled mainland China since 1949. Relations between Taiwan and China have improved during Ma’s time in office. He became president of Taiwan in 2008. He has signed 23 trade agreements with the Chinese. The United States had diplomatic relations with Taiwan for 30 years until 1979. Then, the U.S. recognized China as the “sole legal government,” including Taiwan, says the U.S. Department of State. However, the United States continues “a robust unofficial relationship” with Taiwan. I’m Jim Tedder. William Ide reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story milestone – n. a very important event rally – n. a public meeting to support or oppose someone or something breakaway – adj. having become separate from a larger group or country reunify – v. to make something, such as a divided country, whole again nationalist – adj. relating to nationalism What do you think of this meeting? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or go to our Facebook page.

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Iraqi Politician Ahmad Chalabi Dies

Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi, 71, has died in Baghdad. Chalabi influenced American lawmakers and presidential advisers to invade Iraq and overthrow the Saddam Hussein government in 1998. Chalabi lived in exile until the end of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship. Officials said he died of heart failure. Chalabi influenced the U.S. Congress to pass the Iraq Liberation Act in 1998. That law stated military action in Iraq that former President George W. Bush said would bring democracy to Iraq and the region. He was friends with former Vice President Dick Cheney and many top Pentagon officials, according to the New York Times. Chalabi said he believed Saddam Hussein held weapons of mass destruction, the Times reported in his obituary. He survived an assassination attempt in 2008. In that attack, he was targeted by a suicide bomber. After that, Chalabi allied himself with Moktada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite leader and Iran ally. In 2014, he was named as a possible prime minister candidate. He was born in Baghdad in 1944. His family went into exile in 1958 – the year Iraqi army officers overthrew the monarchy. Chalabi studied in America and taught at American University in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1992, Chalabi co-formed the Iraqi National Congress to oust Hussein. For the next 12 years, Ahmad had an on-again, off-again relationship with American presidential administrators and intelligence agencies. By 2004, he had been cut off from all aid by the U.S. I’m Jonathan Evans. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story lawmakers – n. people who make the laws assassination – n. the killing of a famous person usually for political reasons obituary – n. an article in a newspaper about the life of someone who has died recently We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section and on our Facebook page.

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Islamic State Called More Brutal Than Taliban

Some Afghans say militants claiming to represent the Islamic State group are to blame for the worst incidents of brutality they have ever seen. The militants recently took control of parts of eastern Afghanistan from Taliban forces. The Taliban governed Afghanistan until the United States and its allies invaded the country 14 years ago. Now, Afghans say the militants are more violent than Taliban fighters. A VOA reporter traveled to Nangarhar Province to talk to some of the victims. Abdul Malik carries a small picture of his son. He says Islamic State militants killed the boy. “My son went to get wood from the mountain on his donkey to sell. He was very young -- only 15. They fired three bullets in his chest. His name was Khalid.” Hundreds of other people in eastern Afghanistan have been killed. The militants cut off the head of some victims. Others died in explosions. The victims include tribal leaders and members of security forces. They also include anyone who opposes the Islamic State. Others are targeted for no apparent reason. A VOA reporter spoke to a young man who witnessed some of the violence. He says he was almost beheaded by members of the group. He still fears the militants and does not want to be identified. He says the Islamic State accused him of being a border guard, seized him and prepared to behead him. But individuals living in the area, including older adults, stopped the group from killing him. “Locals, old people, old women intervened. They said to IS fighters: ‘He is a kid. Why are you beheading him?’ They let me go. They killed the others who were there. Some they blew up. Others they beheaded. And some they shot with guns. Allah saved me.” A video put on the Internet by IS shows the group using a bomb to kill 10 men. Some of those killed were old. They were all members of the Shinwari tribe. Such violence has forced many to flee their homes -- including one family that is now living in a tent. A member of their family was beheaded. A woman from the Shinwari tribe says after the execution, IS refused to return the body unless the family paid for it. “They were trying to sell even the dead body. They never gave his body back.” But IS fighters found another way to take the family’s money -- they seized the dead man’s father and threatened to behead him. The family paid the militants and fled. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reported this story from Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story apparent – adj. easy to see or understand behead – v. to execute someone by cutting off their head brutal – adj. extremely cruel or harsh cruel – adj. used to describe people who hurt others and do not feel sorry about it intervene – v. to become involved in something (such as a conflict) in order to attempt to have an influence on what happens tent – n. a temporary shelter

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Support Grows for US Patrols in South China Sea

The defense minister of Malaysia says he supports America navigating the South China Sea. Last week, the United States Navy sent the USS Lassen within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese man-made island in the South China Sea. The government of China said the American mission violated its territorial claims and laws of the sea. The South China Sea is home to more than $5 trillion of shipping each year. It also claims 10 percent of the world’s fresh fish market. Portions of the sea are claimed by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan. “I hope this will not create a situation that will increase tensions, that will make the waters even more murky,” said Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. Hussein said he welcomes American vessels. He also said he has no problem with the U.S. patrolling the South China Sea. But the Philippine defense secretary said in October that “Maritime disputes are complex issues that require rules-based solutions. “As responsible members of the international community, parties must refrain from unilateral actions that change the status quo and increase tensions.” The Malaysian defense meetings come during a visit to China by U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Harry Harris. The U.S. commander defended the patrols. “We’ve been conducting freedom of navigation operations all over the world for decades,” Harris said. “No one should be surprised by them. The South China Sea is not, and will not, be an exception.” I’m Jill Robbins. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Should the U.S. patrol the South China Sea? Why or why not? Please leave your opinion in our Comments section and on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story defense – n. the act of defending someone or something from attack navigation – n. the act of moving in a boat or ship over an area of water nautical – adj. relating to ships and sailing trillion – n. one thousand billion murky – adj. very dark or foggy maritime – adj. relating to sailing on the sea or doing business by sea patrols – n. the act of walking or going around or through an area, building, etc., in order to make sure that it is safe

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