Obama Asks Muslim-Americans to Condemn Extremism

  President Barack Obama has asked Muslim-American leaders to condemn extreme Islam. Spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday that the president “would like to see leaders in the Muslim community stand up and speak out more forcefully in terms of condemning these hateful, radicalizing messages that we see from extremist organizations.” Earnest said Muslims “will be more effective if they are working in close partnership with the federal government, and with law enforcement, and with our counterterrorism professional,s and with our neighbors to fight” extremists. In a speech at the White House on Sunday, Obama said the Islamic State terrorist group “does not speak for Islam.” He said there are “millions of patriotic Muslim-Americans who reject their hateful ideology.” The president said “if we’re to succeed in defeating terrorism, we must enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate.” He called on Muslims to confront “without excuse” what he called the “real problem” of extremist ideology spreading within some of their communities. Mustafa El-Amin, the leader of a Muslim religious center in Newark, New Jersey, said he agreed with the president. El-Amin said that the Islamic State and other terrorist groups “do not speak for or represent Islam in any way.” He noted that many of the victims of terrorism around the world are Muslim. The president spoke in answer to violence last week in Southern California. Husband and wife Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people in a shooting attack. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation called them “radicalized.” One of Tashfeen’s few friends told the Washington Post newspaper that “she became so religious, so serious and so focused on Islamic teachings, and she lost her interest in her studies.” Some of the president’s political opponents said that the speech was disappointing and offered no new plans to fight the Islamic State group. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” He said “until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.” A similar response is seen in France, where a French political party critical of Muslims won local elections. Candidates of the National Front party got the majority of votes in six of the country’s 13 regions. The final result will be decided in a second vote on Sunday. After the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last month, party leader Marine Le Pen said France should stop accepting Muslim immigrants.  Conservative political parties have gotten support from voters throughout Europe in recent months. These parties often criticize immigrants and call for their countries to stop accepting refugees. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. This story was reported by VOA White House Correspondent Aru Pande; Correspondents Pir Wilayat Shah and Arshad Hussain in Karor Lal Esan, Pakistan; Correspondent Henry Ridgwell in London and VOA Correspondent Ramon Taylor in New York. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their reporting into VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   radicalize – v. to cause (someone or something) to become more radical (defined as “having extreme political or social views that are not shared by most people”) -- especially in politics ideology – n. the set of ideas and beliefs of a group or political party enlist – v. to get the support and help of (someone or something) confront – v. to oppose or challenge (someone) especially in a direct and forceful way horrendous – adj. very bad or unpleasant jihad – n. a war fought by Muslims to defend or spread their beliefs response – n. something that is done as a reaction to something else region – n. a part of a country or the world that is different or separate from other parts in some way  

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China Expands Reach with Military Base in East Africa

China plans to build its first overseas military base in the east African nation of Djibouti. Experts say the move is part of a global economic strategy and reflects growing ties with Africa.  China says the naval base in Djibouti will be a logistics and supply center. It is China’s first overseas military installation. The United States, France and Japan also have bases in Djibouti. The small East African country is close to areas of conflict in Africa like Somalia and the Sahel, the southern border area of the Sahara Desert. It is on the Gulf of Aden, which is an important global trade route linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Peking University professor of international relations Wang Dong says the installation will be needed to protect China’s shipping routes. He says it will be used for resupply. China has increased its military activity in Africa over several years. The nation deployed U.N. peacekeeping troops to South Sudan this year. China has provided ships to anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since 2008. But, the country’s foreign policy has been based on non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. Alex Vines is head of the Africa program at London-based Chatham House. He says the Chinese are experimenting with this new base. “They still want to emphasize that China is different from other powers in Africa, so it’s not like France, that has military bases in various places, or the U.S. that has a military base at Camp Lemonnier. So they’re framing this as just a naval facility. In effect, though, this is about Chinese experimentation, longer term, how will African governments react?” Alexander Neil is a senior fellow at the Institute for Strategic Studies Asia office in Singapore. He says the Chinese are enlarging their footprint in Africa in other ways. China has been developing a foreign trade and investment strategy known as “one belt, one road." It refers to setting land and maritime trade routes. It is like a modern-day version of the historical Silk Road between China and the West that existed more than 500 years ago. Neil says in the past, China only sought to extract raw materials from Africa. In a shift, he says, China has been building infrastructure, providing interest-free loans and building business ties and partnerships. Every three years, China has doubled its financial support for Africa: from $5 billion in 2006 to $10 billion in 2009 and then to $20 billion in 2012. When Chinese President Xi Jinping was in South Africa last week, he promised $60 billion in loans and aid to Africa. That followed announcements of $156 million in emergency food aid for drought-stricken nations. And a further $60 million for an African Union military rapid-response force was also promised. I’m Mario Ritter.   Jill Craig wrote this report for VOANews.com, with reporting from Shannon van Sant. Mario Ritter adapted their stories for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think of China building a military base in East Africa? Let us know in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   strategy –n. a plan or method aimed at reaching a goal usually over a long period of time logistics –n. things that must be done to plan, organize and supply a complicated activity that involves many people installation –n. a place used for training soldiers or keeping military supplies and machinery emphasize –v. to give special attention to footprint –n. an area where a group or country has materials and influence

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Colombia, U.S. Company Spar Over Sunken Treasure

Ownership of undersea gold treasure discovered near a Spanish ship that sank more than 300 years ago is making waves. The ship, or galleon, named the San Jose could be worth billions of dollars in lost treasure. The Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History says it discovered the sunken wreck. But an American company says it discovered the ship 30 years ago and owns much of the loot.  Colombian President Juan Manual Santos said Saturday that the ship was found by an international team of experts. He would not reveal the ship’s location. But the ship is not located where the U.S. company said it was in the early 1980s, he said. The sunken treasure includes jewelry and gold coins and could be the largest ever found. Experts believe the cargo could be worth billions of dollars if recovered. An American company called Sea Search Armada says it found the wreck in 1982. Courts in the United States, Colombia and Spain have looked at the dispute. Maritime law usually gives the discoverer of a shipwreck half of the value of the cargo. But in 1984, Colombia passed a law that gave the company only 5 percent of the value. Colombia’s Supreme Court says the cargo must be recovered before it can decide who owns the ship. Santos said Colombia’s claim would be protected. He said a new museum will be built in Cartagena to show the items recovered from the ship. The navy is closely guarding the shipwreck. The government says the video and pictures prove the sunken ship is the San Jose. The San Jose was attacked by British warships and sunk June 8, 1708. Almost all of the 600 people on the ship died. Experts say they believe it was carrying jewels and millions of gold coins. Those jewels and coins were taken from Spanish colonies.   Spain used the money to wage war against Britain. No humans have reached the site. Special undersea vehicles took pictures of the San Jose that show its cannons and other cargo. Santos said it would take many years to recover the ship’s contents. “This is not only about raising a bunch of shiny gold coins,” said Justin Leidwanger, a maritime history expert, to the Wall Street Journal. “It’s a discovery of extraordinary cultural and historical importance.” I’m Mario Ritter.    This story was based on reports from Associated Press, Christian Science Monitor, Wall Street Journal and CNN. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   make waves – expression to cause a disturbance or controversy      loot – n. informal money location – n. a place or position maritime – adj. of or relating to sailing on the sea or doing business (such as trading) by sea site – n. a place where something important has happened cannon – n. a large gun that shoots heavy metal or stone balls and that was once a common military weapon cargo – n. something that is carried from one place to another by boat, airplane, etc. bunch – n. informal a large amount; a lot (mostly US)

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Deaths, Damage As Storm Hits Great Britain

Two people died. Roads and highways are closed. Homes are without power. And travelers are stranded in Great Britain because of record rainfall. The rain set records and affected the northern part of England and Scotland. The national weather service issued a “red” alert for rain in the area. Red is the highest alert. In some areas, water reached above the doors of parked cars. The Reuters news agency says two people died because of the flooding. The head of Britain’s Environment Agency called the weather “unprecedented.”  Most of the region received between 200 to 300 millimeters of rain over the weekend, according to the U.K.’s National Weather Service. Honister Pass, an area north of Manchester in the Lake District, received 341 millimeters of rain on December 5. That set a record for 24 hours. The weather office says severe weather may continue into the week. The head of the Environment Agency told BBC Radio "from time to time nature will throw things at us which will overwhelm the system, and I think that is what happened here." Extreme rainy weather is not only affecting the northern hemisphere. The city of Chennai in southern India also received over 300 millimeters of rain in 24 hours last week. The rain emergencies came at the same time world leaders are meeting in France to discuss climate change at the COP21 convention. One climate change expert from the United Kingdom’s office of the World Wildlife Fund told the BBC “storm Desmond is the sort of storm that we will see more of over the coming decades if we fail to tackle climate change.” In Malham, water flowed over the cliffs for the first time in memory for many residents. It is the country’s tallest active waterfall – at just over 70 meters. I’m ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting from the Associated Press, BBC, Reuters and The Telegraph. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What’s the most rain you’ve seen in a 24-hour period? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   alert – n. the state of being ready for something you have been warned about (such as an attack) overwhelm – v. to affect (someone) very strongly strand – v. to leave (a person or animal) in a place without a way of leaving it — usually used as (be) stranded ​tackle – v. to deal with something difficult unprecedented – adj. not done or experienced before

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Yemen Official Killed in Islamic State Car Bombing

A governor in Yemen was killed by a car bomb Sunday claimed by Islamic State.  The governor, General Jaafar Mohammed Saad, and six of his aides were killed in the violence. Saad was governor of Aden. The governor was killed on his way to his office Sunday. Reuters reported that a suicide bomber crashed a car bomb into his vehicle.  Islamic State militants wrote on the Internet that a parked, bomb-filled vehicle exploded while Saad's van rode past.  Several other residents were injured in the attack.  Saad was named Aden governor in October. Islamic State has increased its attacks in Yemen since the outbreak of civil war there this year. Aden was recaptured by government troops, but Islamic State promised more attacks against "the heads of apostasy in Yemen." As defined by radical Islamists, apostasy is when a Muslim turns his or her back on Islam. The terrorist group Islamic State considers it a crime as well as a sin. To counter the terrorism in the region, the United States has operated 15 drone airstrikes in Yemen in 2015 and killed 76 Islamic State militants on the Arabian peninsula this year. Aden is a southern seaport at the eastern entrance to the Red Sea. Close to 800,000 people live in the city.    Jim Dresbach wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think of this latest example of terrorism? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   apostasy – n. someone whose beliefs have changed and who no longer belongs to a religious or political group drone – n. an unmanned aircraft or ship that can navigate without human control or beyond line of sight

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Beijing Smog, Bernie Sanders, and Vincent the Cat

This is What’s Trending Today… Beijing Pollution Beijing officials declared the first-ever “red alert” for smog. The officials warned China’s capital would be covered in heavy smog from Tuesday to Thursday. In an online statement, the Beijing government ordered all outdoor construction work to stop on those days. The government is also urging schools to close. The notice also limits traffic on some types of cars. Beijing residents took to the Internet to criticize the government. Many said the government should have ordered a red alert earlier. Beijing had been under an orange alert last week. On Chinese social media, one user asked, “If today is a red alert, then what was it I was seeing last week?” China has a four-color warning system for air pollution: Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Red - the highest alert. Phrases like “Beijing Pollution” and “China Pollution” trended on Facebook and Twitter. Twitter user Sean Broderick wrote, “I guess they were shamed into doing a Red Alert.” And Leslie Montgomery tweeted: “They are poisoning their world...as well as mine.” Beijing’s first-ever red alert for pollution comes during the 21st Conference of the Parties climate change meeting in Paris. Many tweets using the hashtag #cop21paris mentioned the Beijing smog crisis as a major reason for the need to fight climate change worldwide. ​ Bernie Sanders wins online poll for TIME's Person of the Year TIME Magazine said Monday that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders won its online readers’ poll for the 2015 Person of the Year. The magazine selects a notable person or group each year for its Person of the Year issue. Sanders, however, is not included in the magazine’s list of finalists for the title. Another presidential candidate, however, did make the list: Donald Trump. People on social media said the omission of Sanders seemed like a “snub.” “Bernie Sanders” trended Monday on Facebook. ​Others on the list include activists in the Black Lives Matter movement, Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Vincent the cat goes viral Vincent is a 3-year-old cat who had no back legs. A video of the cat walking on his new metal legs has gone viral. Dr. Mary Sarah Bergh is a veterinarian at Iowa State University. She performed the surgery to attach the metal legs. She posted a YouTube video of Vincent walking last week. Over the weekend, the video and Vincent’s story took off on social media. By Monday, the video had received nearly 500,000 views on YouTube. Vincent is now one of an estimated 25 animals in the world that have had this kind of surgery. Dr. Bergh says Vincent is able to walk around very well now, but he can’t yet jump or walk down stairs. And that’s What’s Trending Today.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    smog - n. fog mixed with smoke trend - v. to be the subject of many social media posts poll - n. the record of votes made by people in an election (or competition) omission - n. something that has not been included or done snub - n. ignored in an insulting way

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VOA English Newscast: 1700 UTC: December 7, 2015

  From Washington, this is VOA News.      I’m Joe Palka reporting. President (Barack) Obama reaffirms his intention to defeat Islamic State. “So far we have no evidence that the killers were directed by a terrorist organization overseas or that they were part of a broader conspiracy here at home.” In a late Sunday address to the American people, President Obama sought to reassure Americans in the wake of last week's mass shooting in California that the U.S. will prevail in the struggle against Islamic State: "Many Americans are asking whether we are confronted by a cancer that has no immediate cure. The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us." Mr. Obama said the U.S. military will continue to hunt down terrorist leaders, provide training and equipment to those fighting the Islamic group in Iraq and Syria. The president said the two killers, U.S.-born Syed Rizwan Farook and his Pakistani wife, Tashfeen Malik, had gone down the "dark path of radicalization." He called on Muslims in the U.S. and around the world to take up the cause of fighting extremism.  Rival factions in Libya's ongoing civil war say they have reached an agreement to end a political deadlock that has crippled the country for years. If approved by the parliaments of the internationally-recognized government based in Tobruk and its opposition in Tripoli, the deal announced in Tunisia on Sunday will resolve a crisis that has divided the country since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi. Following a defeat at the polls last year, militia linked to several Islamist parties commandeered the capital and its political institutions, pushing the Libyan House of Representatives and senior officials east to the city of Tobruk.  In addition to political upheaval, Libya faces threats from Islamic State militants in several areas. This is VOA News. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast reaffirm – v. to re-state something; to show a strong belief in something intention – n. an aim or purpose overseas – adj. in or to a foreign country broader – adj. larger conspiracy – n. a plot or secret plan address – n. a speech or presentation reassure – v. to say something to remove fears of someone in the wake of – expression as a result of mass – adj. relating to a large number or amount prevail – v. to prove more powerful; to persuade someone to do something confront(ed) – v. to meet face-to-face with someone or something considered hostile overcome – v. to defeat or overpower ISIL – n. short for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria radicalization – n. a process in which an individual or group accepts increasingly extreme ideas or goals rival – adj. competing faction(s) – n. a small, opposing group within a larger organization ongoing – adj. still in progress; continuing crippled – adj. disabled; damaged poll(s) – n. elections; a public opinion study commandeer(ed) – v. to take possession or control of something institution(s) – n. an organization; an established law or custom upheaval – adj. a violent or sudden change   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the comments section. 

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Gunshot Baby in Burkina Faso Born Healthy

Fourteen people were killed and hundreds were wounded during an attempt to overthrow the government of Burkina Faso in September. One of those wounded was Safiatou Ouedraogo. She was days away from giving birth, and she was shot in the abdomen. Ouedraogo was washing her clothes when she was shot. “I heard some loud noises, and I thought it was just kids playing. Next thing I know something hit my stomach. I stood up, but nothing fell off my lap. I looked to the ground to check, but I saw nothing there either, so I looked at my stomach and realized that whatever hit me had gone deep into my stomach.” She was immediately brought to a Catholic Church hospital in the capital, Ouagadougou. The bullet hit the baby. She was cared for by Dr. Aicha Sana and her colleagues. “When she arrived here, she was not in labor and she was also conscious. When we did some exams we saw that the bullet had crossed through the uterus. Since she was not in labor we decided to do a C-section to deliver the baby.” The baby was not seriously hurt. Once she was out of the womb, she started crying. The baby girl has been named Boinzimwende. It means “God is above all” in the Mossi language.    I’m Mario Ritter.   Bagassi Koura reported on this story from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stomach – n. the organ in the body where food goes and begins to be digested after it is swallowed lap – n. the area between the knees and the hips of a person who is sitting down labor – n. the process by which a woman gives birth to a baby conscious – adj. awake and able to understand what is happening around you uterus – n. the organ in women and some female animals in which babies develop before birth C-section – n. a surgical operation that delivers a baby through an incision, or cut, in the abdomen; short for “Caesarean section,” as in "Caesar" deliver – v. to give birth to (a baby) womb – n. the organ in women and some female animals in which babies develop before birth

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Can You Catch a Liar?

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. What is the best way to catch someone who is telling a lie? For a long time, the traditional method of identifying liars was to watch their body language, including facial expressions. What if the person appears to be nervous? Is the person unable to look me in the eye? Is he or she looking around the room? What about other nervous movements, such as fidgeting or shifting from side to side? Many people – from parents to police officers and airport security personnel – depend on this method. But does a person’s body and face reveal the truth? Not according to a new study. Talking, it seems, is the best way to smoke out a liar. That is what researchers in the United Kingdom found out recently. Their investigation took place at one place where lying can get you into big trouble – an airport. The researchers asked volunteers to pretend they were real passengers and then lie to airport security agents. Some of the agents used spoken conversation-based methods to question these make-believe passengers. Others depended instead on the person’s body language, like lack of eye contact and showing signs of nervousness. The agents talking with the passengers were 20 times more likely to catch the liars. The study found that these conversation-based techniques can help you recognize when a person is lying to you. Like many methods, this conversation method has a name. It is called Controlled Cognitive Engagement or CCE, for short. The British government partly financed this study. The American Psychological Association published the findings. Body language cannot be trusted Using body language and facial expressions to catch someone in a lie is really hard. And it only works, seemingly, by chance. Thomas Ormerod is the head of the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex in England. On the APA website, he reported that the “suspicious-signs method” -- or using body language – “almost completely fails” in finding lies. In the conversational CCE method, security agents just talk with passengers. They ask about informal things as you would in a normal conversation. While talking, the agents might ask questions about topics that are seemingly unrelated. Then the agent observes if the person becomes more evasive or erratic. They also observe is their way of speaking changes. In an article on the APA website, Ormerod says that for actual passengers, they are “just chatting about themselves. It shouldn’t feel like an interrogation.” Here are four ways of catching a liar. 1. Use open-ended questions These are the opposite of “Yes" and "No” questions. Open-ended questions force the person to stretch the story of their lies until they caught in their own web of lies. 2. Use the element of surprise Ask questions they may not think you are going to ask. Ask questions that are surprising or off-topic. This will make it harder for them to keep lying. Or better still ask them to re-tell an event backwards in time, going from the most recent event to the earliest. This is hard enough to do with the truth, let alone a story of lies. 3. Look for small details that do not add up or, in other words, make sense. Ask them details about their story and look for facts that seem in disagreement with each other. But do not let them know you know. Just let them dig themselves deeper into a hole.  4. Watch for changes in confidence and speaking styles Liars will often change their speaking style when they are questioned. For example, when they feel in control they may be very talkative. But if they feel they are losing control, they may not talk much at all. And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo. You can trust me.   Have you recently caught someone in a lie? And did you use conversation or body language to catch them? Let us know in the Comments section or post on our Facebook page. Anna Matteo wrote this story for Learning English based on several web articles. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fidget – v. to make a lot of small movements because you are nervous, bored, etc. : to move or act in a nervous or restless way shift – v. to move or to cause (something or someone) to move to a different place, position, etc. shifty - adj. having an appearance or way of behaving that seems dishonest smoke out – v. to drive out by or as if by smoke :  to cause to be made public pretend – v. to act as if something is true when it is not true : to imagine and act out make-believe – n. things that are imagined or pretended to be true or real evasive – adj. not honest or direct erratic – adj. acting, moving, or changing in ways that are not expected or usual : not consistent or regular interrogate – v. to ask (someone) questions in a thorough and often forceful way web – n. a net made from silk threads woven together by a spider — often used figuratively — often + of He was caught in a web of lies. a tangled web of deceit/deception contradiction – n. the act of saying something that is opposite or very different in meaning to something else do not add up – informal expression If a situation does not add up, there is no reasonable or ​likely explanation for it dig a hole for yourself – informal expression to get yourself into a ​difficult situation

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Politics Suspected in Halt to Cambodian Water Festival

For the fourth time in five years, officials of Cambodia’s annual water festival canceled the event. Officials say low water levels and a lack of rain are the reasons for the cancellation. But others in the Southeast Asian country think politics are at work. Bon Om Touk, also known as the Cambodian Water Festival, is a three-day festival held on the full moon in October or November. It celebrates the reversal of direction of the Tonle Sap river system. But the festival has a deadly history. In 2010, more than 350 people were killed in a stampede. Besides the weather-related cancellations, officials say the festival was halted for safety reasons. Cambodia’s political climate has changed in the past months. Two opposition politicians were beaten outside of parliament earlier this year. An arrest warrant was issued for the country’s opposition leader, Sam Rainsy. Sam Rainsy is the president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party. In October, he was charged with racial incitement and destruction of property. He left Cambodia to live in self-imposed exile in France. If he returns to Cambodia, he risks being arrested. Political analyst Sebastian Strangio noted that the large crowds mixed with tense politics led to government concerns. He thinks the concerns can be connected to the festival cancellation. The festival was last held in 2014. The 2016 festival is scheduled for late November. I'm Jonathan Evans. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   festival – n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something stampede – n. an occurrence in which a large group of frightened or excited people run together in a wild and uncontrolled way to escape from something warrant – n. a document issued by a court that gives the police the power to do something

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Socialists in Venezuelan Elections Voted Out

The socialist government in Venezuela has lost control of the legislature after national elections, say officials. Officials say the opposition won 99 of the 167 seats in the National Assembly. By comparison, the Socialist party that led the country for 16 years won 46 seats. Not all votes have been counted. The votes reject the socialist economic policy of former president Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013, experts say. Chavez’ successor, President Nicolas Maduro, continued those policies. In a televised speech after the election, Maduro admitted to “adverse results.” Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves. But the price of oil has dropped sharply. Now, the country has very high inflation. Many products are no longer sold. And people must wait in long lines to buy food. Opposition leaders had for many years accused Chavez and Maduro of suppressing political debate and jailing competing politicians and activists. Last week, police arrested three people accused of killing opposition candidate Luis Diaz in the central state of Guarico. Diaz was shot in late November at a political gathering he was attending with Lilian Tintori, the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. Government officials deny responsibility for the killing. I’m Mario Ritter.      VOANews.com reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   socialist – adj. describing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government rather than by individual people and companies successor – n. a person who has a job, position or title after someone else; someone who succeeds another person adverse – adj. bad or unfavorable; not good reserves – n. a supply of something that is stored so that it can be used at a later time    

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