Only Half of Syrian Refugee Children Attend School

There are about 650,000 school-aged Syrian refugee children in Turkey. Government officials estimate only about one-third of them are going to school. Educating the refugee children is an enormous task. One U.S. official says that a huge school system like the one in New York City would be overwhelmed. Human Rights Watch says that if the students do not receive a quality education, they would be in danger of being exploited in dangerous and low-paying jobs in the future. The United States says it is working with the United Nations to help bridge the education gap for refugee children. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the children in Turkey need to start school soon. Without school, the effects will be negative and long-lasting. It would be the same as if the three largest public school systems in the U.S. – New York, Chicago and Los Angeles – closed. The United States provided Turkey with aid for education earlier. In December, it offered an additional $24 million. Human Rights Watch says a quality education will ensure a more stable future for these children. The organization says about 90 percent of children in refugee camps run by the Turkish government attend school. But most of the children living outside of those camps are not receiving education. UNICEF says the goal is to get twice as many Syrian children into school in Turkey by June 2016. The Syrian American Council says it is important to focus on school-aged children today. They will be the future leaders of Syria if they return home after the war. I’m Dan Friedell.   Nike Ching wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted her report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. How can the United Nations help educate the children in refugee camps? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   exploit – v. to use (someone or something) in a way that helps you unfairly gap – n. a missing part overwhelm – v. to cause (someone) to have too many things to deal with

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North Korea Sentences Canadian Pastor to Prison

North Korea’s highest court has sentenced a Canadian clergyman to life in prison with hard labor. The court said the Reverend Hyeon Soo Lim was guilty of crimes against the North Korean state. The Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that he was found guilty of anti-government activities and spreading false propaganda. Lim is the head pastor at the 3,000-member Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto. He was detained earlier this year. Church officials say the clergyman went to North Korea on January 30 for a humanitarian trip. They said he planned to visit an orphanage, a nursery and a center for older adults. In July, Lim appeared at a press conference, where he read a statement. He admitted to crimes against the state. A video made in August showed him admitting guilt at a church in Pyongyang. Some foreigners who have been detained in North Korea and later released say they were forced to make similar statements. Lim was born in South Korea, but immigrated to Canada in 1986. Before his arrest, he had made 100 visits to North Korea. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   This story was based on a report appearing on VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Additional information came from the Associated Press and CNN.com. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of Hyeon Soo Lim’s sentence? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pastor – n. a clergyman responsible for a church or parish orphanage – n. a place where children whose parents have died can live and be cared for nursery – n. a place where children are cared for during the day while their parents are working

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Obama Says He Is Eager to See Cuba

Before U.S. President Barack Obama leaves office, he wants to visit Cuba. But only if he can meet with pro-democracy dissidents.  Obama told Yahoo News on Monday that part of a deal to visit Cuba must include the chance “to talk to everybody.” “I’ve made very clear in my conversations directly with President [Raul] Castro that we would continue to reach out to those who want…free expression inside of Cuba,” the president said. The United States and Cuba ended diplomatic relations on January 3, 1961, but reopened relations July 15. Obama said he hopes “sometime next year” he will see progress in Cuba’s human rights record. Then a visit can be made to the Caribbean island nation. A visit to Cuba will show Obama a different side of the island. When he took office, he vowed to close the U.S. military’s prison at Guantanamo Bay. It holds 107 suspected terrorists. Not all were charged or convicted. Obama says he still intends to close the prison. Congress is opposed to moving any of the Guantanamo inmates. The last and only American president to visit Cuba while in office was Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge traveled there in January 1928. I'm Jim Tedder.   VOA's News Division reported on this story. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about President Obama visiting Cuba? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   conversations - n. discussions; talks vowed - v. promised convicted - adj. being found guilty of a crime inmate – n.  a person who is kept in a prison

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US Central Bank Raises Its Interest Rates

The United States central bank has raised an important interest rate by one-fourth of 1 percent. The move may have been small, but it marks the first time since late 2008 that the Federal Reserve has raised important interest rates that it controls. The federal funds rate, a rate paid by banks for short-term loans, is now one-half of 1 percent. The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee decides monetary policy for the U.S. The committee announced the change Wednesday in a statement on economic policy.  It had met for two days in Washington. Janet Yellen, the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve System, spoke after the announcement. The committee’s decision was based on a few factors, Yellen said. Economic growth is expected to continue in the U.S. Another reason to increase interest rates, Yellen noted, was the low official rate of inflation. The central bank has said its target inflation rate is 2 percent. It says that rate would help support employment and keep prices stable. However, inflation currently is not at the target rate, but below 1 percent. The high exchange value of the dollar has also kept inflation low, Yellen said. The strong dollar means the prices of imported products remain low. The federal reserve chief also said the strong labor market provided another reason to raise rates. The U.S. economy is adding about 200,000 jobs each month. Yellen described the path to higher interest rates as normalization. The central bank’s interest rates are well below historical averages. The Federal Reserve, or Fed, also released its expectation for some important economic numbers. The fed expects its federal funds rate to reach between 2 percent and 4 percent by 2018. Yellen was asked if the Fed may have moved too soon in increasing interest rates. She answered that the central bank had weighed many risks and had made a small move. She said, “The Fed’s decision today reflects our confidence in the U.S. economy.” The central bank has kept the interest rates it controls at nearly zero to support lending and economic activity. Financial policymakers considered this necessary as the country recovered from the “Great Recession” from 2007 to 2009. During that period, home prices dropped sharply and unemployment jumped in the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mario Ritter wrote this report with additional material provided by VOA's Ken Bredemeier. Kathleen Struck was the editor.   ________________________________________________________________ Words in the Story   factors – n. something that helps to produce or influence a result monetary – adj. relating to money policy in a country’s economy normalization – n. the process of bringing something back to historical norms

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South Sudan to Shoot Down Unknown Planes

South Sudan’s military has given orders to shoot down any aircraft that is not known to the government. South Sudan voted for independence in 2011, but has been in civil war since 2013. Rebels opposing the government in the capital of Juba called for the end to the order. The chief of staff of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army announced the order Sunday. The information minister said the Republic of South Sudan had evidence that some planes and helicopters brought weapons into the country illegally.  The army confirmed those claims Sunday. “Some unidentified aircraft have been hovering in and out of South Sudan,” said army spokesperson Colonel Philip Aguer. “They used some secret and illegal airstrips to drop some weapons and carry people illegally.” The no-fly area was established as the rebels and the government-led military disagree over the size of a rebel advance team. The rebels want to send a team of 650 members to Juba. The government intends to limit the team to 30 members. Another media report claims the South Sudan government is not happy with a United Nations mission offering relief and food. In response, the order will ground all UN aircraft delivering food and supplies. During the ongoing civil war, more than 2 million people have left South Sudan. Famine and drought have also left thousands in danger. I’m Mario Ritter.   James Butty wrote this story for VOAnews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it 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   hover – v. to float in the air without moving in any direction airstrip – n. an area of land that is used as a runway for airplanes to take off and land famine – n. a situation in which many people do not have enough food to eat drought – n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain

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‘Force Awakens’ at Star Wars Premiere in Hollywood

The new force gathered with the old Monday when “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” made its world premiere in Hollywood. “The Force Awakens” is the seventh film in the “Star Wars” series. The original premiered in 1977 and made movies stars of three actors. Carrie Fisher played Princess Leia, Mark Hamill was Luke Skywalker and Harrison Ford played Han Solo. The trio returned to reprise their roles in one of the most secretive movie openings of all time. It was long-awaited. “There’s a lot of admirable characteristics to the opportunity [of being in this picture],” Ford said. “People have been anticipating this film for a long time.” John Boyega plays Finn, a new character. He expressed respect for the work of his older co-stars at the premiere. “I am a Star Wars fan, so I feel like we’re paying homage to a film that I really respect,” Boyega said. The red carpet event included the stars, but the movie’s Stormtroopers and droids also made appearances. Celebrities attending the opening included Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg and Sofia Vergara. Monday’s preview is a sneak peak of the excitement which will take place at theaters in North America next week. “The Force Awakens” officially opens December 18. I’m Caty Weaver. Chris Hannas wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Which holiday film are you most looking forward to see? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ____________________________________________________ Words in This Story premiere – n. the first time a film, play, television show, etc., is shown or performed reprise – v. something that is repeated red carpet – n. to formally greet or welcome an important guest who has just arrived droid – n. a robot characteristic(s) - n. a quality belonging to a person, place or thing opportunity - n. a series of events that make it possible to do something  

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Burundi Violence Claims More Than 80 Lives

The U.S. has ordered Americans to leave violent Burundi as soon as possible. More than 80 people were killed there Friday in the capital city of Bujumbura. Horrified residents in the capital told reporters of finding dozens of corpses scattered in the streets on Saturday. Three army facilities were raided, according to news sources. Eight security officers and the majority of the raiders were reportedly among the dead. Kenya Airways cancelled all flights to Burundi from Friday through Sunday. The United States condemned Friday’s violence. The U.S. Department of State warned American citizen against travel to Burundi. The State Department also requested all Americans in Burundi to leave as soon as possible.   “We condemn this violence in the strongest possible terms,” State Department spokesperson John Kirby said in a written statement. “We call on all sides to refrain immediately from violence.” Violence surged this spring in the African country when president Pierre Nkurunziza said he would seek a third term of office. Those opposed to the president say he violated the country’s two-term limit law. Critics also say the president is breaking an agreement that ended Burundi’s 12-year civil war. In mid-May, separate parts of the military battled during a coup attempt. Then over the summer, Nkurunziza won the election and was sworn in for a third term. Since the civil war ended in 2005, more than 240 people have been killed during civil unrest. More than 200,000 Burundians have become refugees and fled to Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Congo. In September, a U.N. special investigator warned Burundi could slip back into open warfare without action from the international community. About 10 million people live in Burundi. I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOA's News Division reported on this story. Jim Dresbach adapted the story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think of the violence in Burundi? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story horrified - adj. frightened; shocked resident(s) - n. people who living in a given community, city or town dozens - adj. a large number of something; many scattered - adj. thrown or placed in different directions facilities - n. space or equipment necessary for doing something surge – v. to suddenly increase to an unusually high level coup – n. a sudden attempt by a small group of people to take over the government usually through violence  

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One Direction, Cast of Star Wars Sing on Late Night TV

This is What’s Trending Today. Cast of Star Wars in “a capella” video Everyone is excited for the new Star Wars movie coming out on Thursday night. Cast members like Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are making appearances on all the TV shows. The group teamed up with comedian Jimmy Fallon, the host of “The Tonight Show,” to record an “a capella” using the music from Star Wars. An “a capella” performance means the singers are performing without being accompanied by instruments or recorded music. Fallon’s show is known for producing these amusing concerts with singers like Adele and Mariah Carey. The Star Wars actors, storm troopers and famous robots like R2-D2 joined Fallon and his band, the Roots, to sing “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” The Star Wars “a capella” received over 500,000 views during its first day on YouTube.   One Direction, too! Not to be outdone, British comedian James Corden made his own video with the boy band One Direction. Corden hosts “The Late Late Show,” and is known for a routine called “Carpool Karaoke.” In the routine, Corden and a celebrity drive around Los Angeles singing along to songs on the car’s radio. In the past, Corden invited Justin Bieber, Stevie Wonder, Iggy Azalea and others to ride along. On Tuesday’s show, he asked the four members of One Direction to join him. The hashtag #1DCarpoolKaraoke was the top trending item on Twitter during most of the day Wednesday. Check out band members Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Harry Styles singing along with Corden.   Panda Bei Bei Makes His Debut There are only about 2,000 giant pandas in the world. The black-and-white creatures from China are one of the world’s most famous endangered species. Four giant pandas live at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The panda cub Bei Bei was born in August. His parents are Tian Tian and Mei Xiang. After four months, he was introduced to the media on Wednesday. Bei Bei weighs about 8 kilograms. The zoo showed Bei Bei to get people ready for the giant panda exhibit’s re-opening next month. If you can’t wait until then to see the baby panda, check out this video. Spiders in a hole Halloween was back in October. But everyone has time for a scary video, right? That’s what one blogger for the TV channel “Animal Planet” must have thought when she posted a video Tuesday. A video titled “Crazy Scary Spider Hole” has almost three million views on YouTube, and most of them came in the last couple days. The video shows children investigating a hole in a rock wall. They’re saying “it’s not poisonous. They’re not poisonous.” And then one of the kids’ fathers says “stand back, I’m going to pull them out” and reaches into a hole and pulls out a handful of insects that people call daddy longlegs. People think they are like spiders and poisonous. But they are not. The mass of insects drops to the ground and scatters. And the kids shriek with delight. If you look at the video, we think you will, too.     And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. What do you think of the video of One Direction singing along in the car? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   ________________________________________________________________   Words in This Story galaxy – n. any one of the very large groups of stars that make up the universe karaoke – n. a form of entertainment in which a device plays the music of popular songs and people sing the words to the songs they choose shriek – v. to make a loud, high-pitched cry outdone– v. to do better than (someone or something) : to be more successful than (someone or something) routine – n. a series of things (such as movements or jokes) that are repeated as part of a performance celebrity – n. the state of being famous or celebrated

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VOA English Newscast: 2000 UTC December 16, 2015

  From Washington, this is VOA News.       I’m Dave DeForest reporting. The U.S.-led coalition has a request for Iraq: U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has told Iraqi leaders they should accelerate their efforts to defeat the Islamic State group. Carter met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi after making an unannounced visit Wednesday to Baghdad. Turkish officials say four of their soldiers were wounded in a mortar attack on a base in northern Iraq. That is where Turkish troops are training Iraqi soldiers. Western media are reporting that Islamic State militants fired rockets on the Iraqi camp, near the city of Mosul.  Rebels and pro-government forces are accusing each other of violating a ceasefire in Yemen. However, the truce appears to be holding together for the most part.  The accusations included continued ground fighting, shelling by Houthi rebels and airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition. Opposition leaders in central Ethiopia say security forces have killed more than 40 people in recent weeks, amid protests against a government development plan. Demonstrators began holding rallies late last month over a plan to expand the city limits of Addis Ababa, the capital. Critics in Ethiopia's Oromia region say the plan would displace farmers and rob the area of its autonomy. The United States has called on Nigerian officials to investigate violence between army troops and a Shi'ite sect. The fighting has reportedly left hundreds of people dead. The U.S. embassy in Abuja said Wednesday that the Nigerian government should "quickly, and credibly and transparently" investigate the events... and hold to account any individuals found to have committed crimes." This is VOA News. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast   accelerate – v. to cause to move faster; to speed up mortar – n. a weapon that fires small bombs amid – prep. in the middle of; surrounded by rallies – n. demonstrations; protests autonomy – n. independence or freedom; self-rule sect – n. a group of individuals with different beliefs from those of a larger group, usually a religious group credibly – adj. believable transparently – adj. able to be seen through; easy to understand to hold to account – expression. to hold responsible committed – v. to carry out or enact   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the comments section. ​

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New US Education Law Gives States More Control

States and local communities in the United States gained more control over education standards and testing last week. U.S. President Barack Obama signed the education reforms into law last week. "After more than 10 years, members of Congress from both parties have come together to revise our national education law," Obama said. "This law focuses on a national goal of ensuring that all of our students graduate prepared for college and future careers." The new education reform law urges the 50 state governments to limit how many and how often students take tests. The law limits the high-stakes nature of the testing for underperforming schools. And the national government will not be able to tell states and communities how to evaluate schools and teacher performance. But states and schools must still give reading and math exams in grades three through eight, and in high school. The states will have more authority in setting standards for the tests. Congress passed the measure easily. Republicans and Democrats supported it.  No Child Left Behind The new law replaces the No Child Left Behind measure approved in 2002. It called for extensive testing and standards set by the national government. Parents, teachers and lawmakers found that policy unworkable. They said it gave Washington bureaucrats too much control over the country's 100,000 public schools. "This bill makes long overdue fixes to the last education law. It replaces a one-size-fits-all approach to reform," Obama said. Republican Senator Lamar Alexander is one of the measure's chief authors. He said, "This new law will result in fewer and better tests because states and classroom teachers will be deciding what to do about the results of the tests.” The law's other key sponsor is Democratic Senator Patty Murray. She said the new focus will be on early childhood education. She added that minority and poor children will benefit, and get a better start in their earliest years of school. I’m Jonathan Evans. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   bureaucrat – n. a person who is one of the people who run a government or big company and who does everything according to the rules of that government or company; a person who is part of a bureaucracy high-stakes adj. - used to describe a ​situation that has a lot of ​risk and in which someone is likely to either get or ​lose an ​advantage, a lot of ​money, etc.: one-size-fits-all – adj. suitable for everyone or every purpose

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Japan's Abe Leaves India with Key Agreements

  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narandra Modi met and signed important agreements in New Delhi. The leaders strengthened Japanese-Indian bonds by signing transportation, defense and energy agreements. Abe’s three-day Indian trip ended Sunday. The transportation deal permits Japan to create India’s first high-speed train network. The defense agreement lets Japan sell weapons to India. The two countries also signed a civil nuclear agreement. The transportation deal calls for Japan to provide $12 billion to build and equip a bullet train route to run in the western part of India. Two military defense pacts were signed. One agreement makes it possible for Japan to sell aircraft to India. The pacts also state the two countries will share military technology, equipment and information. During the meeting, India invited Japan to participate along with the United States in naval exercises in the Indian Ocean. The memo of understanding on civil nuclear energy is not completely finalized. But that agreement deals with Japan exporting nuclear technology to India. Modi described India’s relationship with Japan by saying, “I cannot think of a strategic partnership that can exercise a more profound influence on shaping the course of Asia and our interlinked ocean regions more than ours.” Asian analysts see the Japanese-Indian friendship as an attempt to contain China. Both India and Japan have territory disputes with China. Abe wrote in a Times of India editorial “it becomes important more and more for there to be collaboration between Japan and India…” I’m Mario Ritter. Anjana Pasricha and Fern Robinson wrote this story for VOAnews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think of the relationship between Japan and India? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   defense – n. the act of defending someone or something from attack pact – n. a formal agreement between two countries

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