Hundreds of US Military Children Sexually Abused

Hundreds of children in American military families are sexually abused each year, reports the Associated Press. The Defense Department confirmed at least 1,584 cases of sexual abuse against military dependents over four years ending in 2014. Children in 840 cases were sexually assaulted by enlisted service members. Most of the abusive enlisted members were male, and who rank in the higher levels of enlisted service. The second-largest group of abused children were family members of the victims. There were 332 cases. The victims were overwhelmingly female. As many as 160 more cases of sexual abuse could have happened during the 2010 to 2014 period. But the data were not completely clear. These cases could involve a child who was victimized multiple times or by a repeat abuser. The numbers only include cases involving military dependents, which are the only child victims the department tracks. A lack of transparency in military courts blocks a clear picture of child sex abuse, says the AP. More than 1 million children are offspring of service members. The known number of cases appears statistically small, the report says. The Defense Department did not release the complete report. It did not include the age of offenders or victims, or where the assaults happened. Officials also omitted the branch of service where the sexual abuse occurred. The Defense Department said it avoided identifying and “re-victimizing” the abused. It is unclear how many of the assaults resulted in legal action. The cases were based on reports to the Defense Department's Family Advocacy Program. It does not track legal action, the department said. An AP investigation published in November found that more people are jailed for child sex crime than any other offense in the military. But the military justice system keeps much of its work secret. Three Democratic Party senators have reacted publicly to the AP report. They urged Defense Secretary Ash Carter to end secrecy in the military justice system. They demanded that documents from sex crimes trials be more open and available. The senators also raised concern in a letter they wrote to Carter last month. They said they were worried that the Defense Department's yearly report to Congress does not accurately count military sex crimes because it does not include those against children. I’m Caty Weaver. Caty Weaver adapted this story for VOA Learning English from an Associated Press report. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about the abuse of U.S. military children? Let us know in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ____________________________________________________________  Words in This Story assault – v. to violently attack (someone or something) data – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something enlisted – adj.  serving in the armed forces in a rank below the rank of officers transparency – n.  openness; the quality that makes something obvious or easy to understand statistic – n. a number that represents a piece of information (such as information about how often something is done, how common something is, etc.) omit – v. to leave out (someone or something): to not include (someone or something) duplication – n. the state of containing copies of something or being a copy of something

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Project to Bring Clean Water to Remote Part of Kenya

Each day in the United States, one person uses about 575 liters of water. In Japan, one person uses about 374 liters of water. And in Kenya, one person uses about 20. Tomoyuki Tsutsui and Keitaro Kakoi are Japanese university students working as interns at Grassroots Water Limited. Grassroots, a Nairobi company, and the interns are bringing clean and convenient water to people in Kenya. Grassroots Water Limited provides clean water in Kenya's capital, Nairobi. Grassroots is run by Kenyan Edwards Bob Hawi. Tsutsui lives in Kisumu, in west Kenya. Kisumu is home to the Luo, a large tribal group. Kisumu is the third-largest city in Kenya. Tsutsui lives in a house without running water, also called tap water. He knows how difficult it is to live with limited water. “Most people in the project site cannot access clean water easily because their house is without tap water. So, they have difficulty in getting water. Actually, my house is also without tap water. ... This is my motivation.” There is a system to bring tap water to the northern part of Kisumu. But there are no water pipes in the southern part. Almost all people in the southern part do not have access to tap water. “I am feeling the importance of water through Kenyan life without tap water. I carry the tank of 20 liters three times in a week. It is very, very heavy. The water was too important for us to waste.” Some residents cannot go to northern Kisumu for water because it is too far away. In that area, people have to carry heavy water tanks on foot. It takes several hours to bring water from the nearest source each day. People who cannot carry water must use rainwater or buy it from merchants, who charge up to 20 Kenyan shillings for 20 liters of water. The city's tap water cost is 1 Kenyan shilling per 20 liters. Tsutsui says it must be very tough for women and children to carry a heavy tank. He says it is hard even for adult men. Tsutsui and Kakoi crowdfunded, or raised money online, to address this problem. On November 28, the crowdfunding raised nearly $8,000 or 900,000 (Japanese) yen. That is nearly 800,000 Kenyan Shillings.  The company is working on laying a water pipe from northern Kisumu. It would build the first water kiosk in southern Kisumu. A water kiosk is a booth that sells clean water. Tsutsui says it has taken a long time to get government approval to build the water pipe and the water kiosk. But now, Grassroots and the government are cooperating. When the water kiosk is complete, the price of water from the kiosks could decrease by half. And the residents of southern Kisumu will no longer have to travel a long way to get their water. The construction of the water kiosk will start in January 2016. It should be completed by February. I’m Haruka Takeuchi. And I'm Jill Robbins.   Learning English intern Haruka Takeuchi wrote this story. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Now it’s your turn. Can you get clean water easily? Do you ever worry about wasting water? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page.  _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   convenient - adj. allowing you to do something easily or without trouble motivation - n. a force or influence that causes someone to do something crowdfund - v. to provide money for a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. kiosk - n. a small store in a building or on the street where things are sold

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Apps for Healthy Food Choices

Most people agree that eating healthy food is important. But sometimes making good food choices can be tough. Now, there are apps that can help people learn about the food they eat to improve their diets and their dining out experience. OpenTable OpenTable helps people choose restaurants when they want to go out to eat. OpenTable is a free service that shows users restaurant availability based on where and when they want to dine. OpenTable users can also make restaurant reservations directly through the app or website. OpenTable gives users points when they make reservations. The points can add up to discounts on restaurant visits. When users make reservations through OpenTable they get an email confirmation. They can also add the reservation directly to their electronic calendar. OpenTable website   Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing App Wine and cheese can be a great combination. But which wines go best with which cheeses? Max McCalman’s cheese and wine app can help. It provides information about hundreds of different cheeses and suggests wines to pair with each. More than 3000 possible combinations can be found based on 600 different cheeses. The app includes a “Cheese 101” section that teaches the basics about choosing a cheese. Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing App is free for iPhone and iPad. Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing App Epicurious Epicurious is a free app and website to help users find recipes and become better cooks. The app has more than 30,000 recipes and can create a shopping list based on the ingredients in a recipe. Users can search by ingredients or by vegetables that are in season where they live. The app also rates recipes for popularity and other qualities. Users also provide advice about making the recipes. Each recipe has a list of ingredients, preparation time, instructions as well as a photo of the finished meal. Epicurious website Calorific What does 200 hundred calories look like?  It can be hard to picture. For example, 200 calories of broccoli and 200 calories of cake look very different! The app Calorific shows just that. Calorific provides images of 200 calories worth of food. The pictures can help people on diets and those who just want to eat healthier. The app also provides the weights of each food pictured. The app is free for iPad and iPhone. There is also a version that provides more information for a price. Calorific app  Harvest An app called Harvest informs users about seasonal fruits and vegetables in different areas. This can be helpful in planning meals. Harvest also tells about pesticide use and organic food. Users can learn the best ways to safely store food and keep it fresh longer. Harvest app website   Fooducate Fooducate is another healthy eating app. It lets users scan food product barcodes with their phones. The app then gives that product a rating for nutritional value. It also provides healthy food suggestions. The app can also record a user's calorie and exercise levels, if wanted. And, Fooducate community members discuss food choices online. You can find healthy recipes and get the tip of the day at fooducate.com. Fooducate website HappyCow Vegetarians do not eat animal meat. Vegans do not eat any animal products. The HappyCow app is made for both groups. Users can search for vegetarian-vegan restaurants and stores around the world. The HappyCow app is based on the HappyCow website, where users can discover places nearby or search using keywords.  They can also set the search radius for the distance they are willing to travel for food. HappyCow for iPhone HappyCow Ad-free for Android A free version of HappyCow is available for Android that has ads and requires an Internet connection. LocalEats Restaurant chains, like McDonalds, can be found almost anywhere a person might travel. But sometimes travelers want to eat like locals. The website and app LocalEats is designed for that. It lists locally owned restaurants so users can try foods from that area. LocalEats.com can help you find local restaurants in major cities in the U.S. and in other countries. The app costs about a dollar. LocalEats website LocalEats for iPhone and iPad LocalEats for Android Where Chefs Eat “Where Chefs Eat” is a 975-page book. Most people would not want to carry that around. But there is a much lighter app version of the same name for just under $15. Six hundred chefs provide information on 3,000 restaurants around the world on the Where Chefs Eat app. Users can search restaurants on a map with the “Near Me” feature. They can also search by region, chef, or restaurant name. General pricing information for each restaurant is also on the app. Where Chefs Eat I’m Caty Weaver.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Do you use apps to make better food choices? Have you tried any of these apps? Which food apps do you like? Let us know in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page! ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   discount - n. an amount taken off a regular price : a price reduction confirmation - n. a response which shows that information is received and understood​ basics - n. the simplest and most important parts of something (such as a subject of study) recipe - n. a set of instructions for making food ingredient - n. one of the things that are used to make a food, product, etc. calorie - n. a unit of heat used to indicate the amount of energy that foods will produce in the human body broccoli - n. a common vegetable that has green branches and many small green or purple flowers infographic - n. a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information or data​ scan - v .to use a special machine to read or copy (something, such as a photograph or a page of text) into a computer​ radius - n. an area that goes outward in all directions from a particular place​ chef - n. a professional cook who usually is in charge of a kitchen in a restaurant * The Ultimate Food App Guide infographic is used with permission from Evoke.ie

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$450 Million Powerball Prize Causes Frenzy

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$450 Million Powerball Prize Causes Frenzy

Are you feeling lucky? “The hope keeps you going. And someone’s gotta win.” News spread early in the week that the Powerball lottery – a game of chance played in all but six U.S. states – would top $450 million before the drawing late Wednesday night. If there is a last-minute surge in buying the $2 tickets, the final jackpot could become one of Powerball’s largest of all time. Last year, the pot of money, or jackpot, reached $564 million. Winners bought tickets in Puerto Rico, North Carolina and Texas. The last Powerball winner was selected in November. The jackpot has increased since there was a winner. The largest Powerball prize happened in 2013 when a woman from Florida won $590 million. The Associated Press news agency reports the largest U.S. lottery jackpot was won in a Mega Millions game in 2012. It was $656 million. Before you get too excited, think of this. The odds of winning are one-in-292 million. Those odds are calculated from all possible combinations using the numbers one through 69. An additional bonus number is called the “powerball” which can be one through 26.  A mathematician runs the website durangobill.com. He provides a breakdown of how to calculate the odds. If more tickets are sold, the only thing that changes is that the odds of multiple jackpot winners increases slightly. And what if you win? The winner can choose to receive her or his winnings in one payment, called a lump-sum. After paying federal tax on those winnings, which the government considers income, the winner would receive over $200 million. The state where the winner lives may also take 4 percent to 8 percent more in state taxes. That would leave the winner with around $190 million. Enough to live a nice life, right? VOA Learning English asked people buying tickets in Washington, D.C., what they would do with the money if they won. “What’s the first thing? ... First thing I’m going to do is retire. Then I’m going to move to Georgia. Buy me a beautiful home, and just fish.” “I would be shocked. But I would probably give back to my community. And look out for my family, and the people that looked out for me.” In the U.S., the store that sells the winning ticket gets a bonus, too. It varies from state to state, but it could be as much as 1 percent of the total prize. One man named Reza, who runs a store in Washington, told us what he would do with the bonus. “Actually, I’ve not confirmed. But I hear they’ll give me $1 million. [What would that mean to you?] It’s very good for me. [What can do you do with $1 million?] I’ll expand my business, yeah.” But the Powerball lottery is nothing compared to the big Christmas lottery each year in Spain. There, “El Gordo,” which means “the fat one,” has thousands of winners and a prize pool of close to $3 billion. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting from the Associated Press and USA TODAY. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What would you do with a big lottery jackpot? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   breakdown – n. the process or result of showing the different parts of something in order to understand it more clearly jackpot – n. a usually large amount of money won in a game of chance lottery – n. a way of raising money for a government, charity, etc., in which many tickets are sold and a few of the tickets are chosen by chance to win prizes surge – n. a sudden, large increase    

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North Korea Says It Tested Hydrogen Bomb

North Korea says it tested a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 5.1 magnitude earthquake early Wednesday (UTC) near the site of previous North Korean nuclear tests. The test site is in the mountainous northeastern part of the country, near the border with China. North Korea announced the test on its state-run broadcast. The announcer said the test was “a self-defensive measure to thoroughly protect our nation’s autonomy.” A spokesman from the National Security Council in the United States says it is too soon to confirm North Korea’s claim. But if the claim is true, he says the U.S. “will respond appropriately to any and all North Korean provocations.” The last confirmed nuclear test by North Korea came in 2013. If it was a nuclear test, an analyst from Korea Defense Network says, it was more powerful than previous tests based on the seismic activity it produced. “North Korea’s nuclear test could have been 2.5 times more powerful than Hiroshima,” he said. But intelligence officials from South Korea say they think the blast was not that powerful. They think the test produced an explosion less than half as strong as the one in Hiroshima during World War II. Both South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the test. Abe says, “North Korea's nuclear test is a serious threat to our nation's security and absolutely cannot be tolerated.” The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss North Korea’s claim of a test. Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country had developed a hydrogen bomb. If North Korea’s claim turns out to be true, it will have been the second nuclear test under Kim’s leadership. I'm Mario Ritter.  Brian Padden wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about North Korea testing a bomb? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   collision – n. a crash in which two or more things or people hit each other condemn – v. to say in a strong and definite way that someone or something is bad or wrong fission – n. a process in which the nucleus of a heavy atom is split apart fusion – n. a process in which the nuclei of atoms are joined nucleus – n. the central part of an atom that is made up of protons and neutrons provoke – v. to cause (a person or animal) to become angry, violent, etc. tolerate – v. to allow (something that is bad, unpleasant, etc.) to exist, happen, or be done  

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Barbados Ponders Queen Elizabeth as Head of State

The prime minister of Barbados wants Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II to be removed as the nation’s head of state. Freundel Stuart says he wants his country to become a parliamentary republic. A parliamentary republic is a system in which the people choose a legislature, which then chooses the leaders of the government -- the executive branch. In other words, the legislative and executive branches of government are not separate -- as they are in the United States. About 50 countries use this system of governance.  Stuart wants the change to take effect on November 30, 2016 -- the 50th anniversary of his country’s independence from Britain. He told a recent meeting of the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) that “it’s a little awkward in the year 2015 to still have to stand up and instead of pledging allegiance to Barbados to be pledging allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen.” He says it does not make sense for the British monarch to be head of state of an independent country. The DLP holds a majority of the seats in the House of Assembly, the lower house of the Barbadian parliament. But two-thirds of the House and Senate must agree if a change is to be made to the constitution, which now names the British monarch as head of state. So the prime minister will need to gain the support of the opposition if his plan is to gain approval. Is there support for the measure? Barbados historian Trevor Marshall welcomed the prime minister’s announcement. He says there is “nothing to be gained” by having a monarch as head of state. But not all Bajans -- as residents of Barbados are called -- support the change. One person wrote in the comments section of a newspaper that “the people of Barbados don’t consider this an important issue now,” and don’t want the constitution to be changed.  Another commenter said the decision should be made in a referendum -- a direct vote of the people -- not by Parliament. The writer said “it is clear that the prime minister is using his majority in parliament to push through this (change to the) constitution against the wishes of the people by refusing to consult (with) them on the matter.” The Associated Press reports the debate has split older and younger Bajans for many years. The news agency reports “older islanders … see the queen as a symbol of stability” while many young Bajans see the queen as an anachronism -- a person or thing that seems to belong to the past and does not fit in the present. British monarch’s role in Barbados Even though the British monarch is the head of state of Barbados, citizens and their representatives have at least partly decided their own laws for hundreds of years. And they have fully decided their laws since all adults were given the right to vote in the early 1950s. Barbados was officially under British rule until 1961 and gained full independence in 1966. A governor-general named by the queen represents the monarch in Barbados. His or her role is mostly ceremonial. The governor-general is named with the approval of the country’s prime minister. Queen Elizabeth has not been to Barbados for 26 years. When she visits the country, she does so as the Queen of Barbados -- her official title there. A spokesman for the queen said the decision about becoming a republic “is a matter for the government and people of Barbados.” Barbados’ relationship with Britain British explorers discovered Barbados in the early 1600s. Many Caribbean islands have been under the control of the Spanish, British, Dutch and French at different times beginning in the 1600s. But Barbados has remained under British control almost continuously from the time it was discovered by British explorers until gaining independence, so it has closer ties to England than do many of Britain’s former colonies. Barbados is often called “The Jewel of the Caribbean” and “Little England.” As in Britain, people drive their cars on the left side of the road. Also like in Britain, the sports of polo and cricket are very popular in Barbados. Many Britons visit Barbados regularly, and many of them own homes there. Large passenger planes full of travelers arrive in Barbados daily from Britain, the United States and many other countries. The debate about whether the country should become a parliamentary republic is similar to those that have taken place in other countries that were once part of the British empire and retained the queen as their head of state after they gained independence. Barbados has considered becoming a parliamentary republic since at least the late 1970s. In recent years it has taken steps to create an identity separate from Britain. In 2005, it decided that the Caribbean Court of Justice would be its final court of appeal. Before then, it had used the Privy Council in London as its supreme court. The Council has long served as the high court for many former British colonies. What’s next for Barbados? Even if Queen Elizabeth is removed as the head of state of Barbados, the country would continue to be a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth is a group of more than 50 countries, most of which were once British colonies. More than 30 of them are republics. The National Post newspaper says if Barbados removes Elizabeth as head of state, it will become the 16th member of the British Commonwealth to do so since she became queen in 1953. The British monarch is no longer head of state of Pakistan, South Africa and Kenya. The Caribbean nations of Dominica and Trininad became republics in the late 1970s. Fiji did so in 1987. The last country to remove the queen as head of state was Mauritius, in 1992. For now, the queen remains head of state of 16 countries, including the Caribbean countries of Bahamas, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Australia, New Zealand, Belize and Canada. Canada has sometimes considered removing the queen as its head of state. In May, a public opinion study found 39 percent of Canadians asked want the country to become a republic when the queen dies. Fifty-four percent said they did not want Prince Charles to become King of Canada. Prince Charles is the son of Queen Elizabeth. The National Post newspaper reports that in 1999, 55 percent of voters in Australia rejected a plan for the country to become a republic. And 65 percent of those who voted in a referendum in Tuvalu in 2008 said they wanted the queen to remain their head of state. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.      Christopher Jones-Cruise reported this story and wrote it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   parliamentary republic – n. a system in which the people choose a legislature, which then chooses the leaders of the government, or executive branch. In this system, the legislative and executive branches of government are not separate, as they are in the United States. awkward – adj. not easy to deal with; uncomfortable pledge allegiance to – expression to promise loyalty to a person, country, group, etc. monarch – n. a person (such as a king or queen) who rules a kingdom or empire consult – v. to talk about something with (someone) in order to make a decision symbol – n. an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality (often + of) anachronism – n. a person or a thing that seems to belong to the past and not to fit in the present ceremonial – adj. without real power or influence polo – n. a game played by two teams of four players who ride horses while using long mallets to hit a wooden ball into a goal cricket – n. a game played on a large field by two teams of 11 players who try to score runs by hitting a small ball with a bat and then running between two sets of wooden sticks empire – n. a group of countries or regions that are controlled by one ruler or one government retain – v. to keep (someone) in a position or job

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An Emotional Obama Sets New Gun Rules

President Barack Obama says there should be a midpoint where gun-control and gun-rights supporters can meet to stop gun violence in the U.S. Nearly 500 people were killed in mass shootings in the United States during 2015, according to gunviolencearchieve.org. More than 30,000 Americans die each year from gun deaths, two-thirds of them younger than 18, the Department of Justice reports. Obama wiped away tears as he listed the places where mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. since 2012. “Too many,” he said, shaking his head. Family members of victims of gun violence stood around him in the formal East Room of the White House. Some echoed his words. Some cried.  One parent who lost a child at the mass shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut in 2012, thanked Obama for his acts against gun violence. Twenty children died that day, most of them 6-year-olds. “First graders,” Obama said. “First-graders...” “Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad,” he said. “By the way, it happens on the streets of Chicago every day.” Obama said he wants to make guns safer. If you have a cell phone, you cannot unlock it without a code or fingerprint: Why can’t the same technology be used for guns? he asked. Obama said he wants to require more background checks for buying and selling guns and weapons. For example, many gun sales on the Internet and at gun shows do not require background checks. He said he wants more sellers to be licensed and more buyers to have background checks.  A background check looks into a buyer’s past for arrests or mental health issues. He said he wants agents to conduct background checks 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He will have to get funding from Congress. Obama said he acted because Congress has refused to reduce gun violence. He is not trying to take away the right of most Americans to have guns, the president said.   “No matter how many times people try to twist my words around, I taught Constitutional law. I know a little about this. I get it,” Obama said. Republican critics said Obama’s new order oversteps his authority. “From Day One, the president has never respected the right to safe and legal gun ownership that our nation has valued since its founding,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin. “Pretty soon you won’t be able to get guns,” said Donald Trump during an interview on CNN Monday. Trump, a billionaire businessman, is the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump told CNN he would reverse any presidential order on guns if he is elected president. Leading Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton praised the president’s new gun control effort. She said more action is needed to reduce gun violence. If elected, Clinton promised to “take on the gun lobby and to work with responsible gun owners” to reform gun laws. The worst mass shootings last year occurred at an African-American church in South Carolina, a family planning clinic in Colorado, a holiday party in California, and a college in Oregon. Obama admitted his new orders on gun violence will not stop all violent crimes. But he said they are within his authority as president. Obama said Monday: “It will potentially save lives and spare families the pain and the extraordinary loss that they’ve suffered as a consequence of a firearm getting in the hands of the wrong people.” I'm Mario Ritter.  Mary Alice Salinas reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   midpoint – n. middle ground, a compromise wipe – v. to clean or dry with your hand or a towel echo – v. repeat the same words fingerprint – n. the mark that is made by pressing the tip of a finger on a surface background – adj. information about someone’s life, such as criminal activity ownership – n. the state or fact of owning something reverse – v. to change something to an opposite state or condition We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page.

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Young, Male Migrants Suspected in New Year's Assaults

German authorities said Tuesday that young women were sexually harassed and robbed by hundreds of young men on New Year’s Eve. Attacks took place in the western city of Cologne, in Hamburg in the north, and Stuttgart in the south, reported the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Most of the attacks took place in the main square in Cologne during celebrations. Victims and witnesses described the attackers as young men “who appeared to have a North African or Arabic” background, the newspapers reported. More than 90 people in Cologne have filed legal complaints, according to police. In Hamburg, police said that 10 women had reported being sexually assaulted and robbed. The Wall Street Journal said there were incidents in Stuttgart, but no arrests have been made in any of the cities. Germany took in more than 1 million migrants and refugees last year. Most of them come from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa. Tensions have risen in Germany as it tries to deal with the social and political changes there. The New York Times said the assault went largely unreported for days. That delay “has led to concerns that the authorities were playing down the seriousness of the assault to prevent it from becoming a point of contention” in the larger debate about migrants. People were gathered to see the city’s fireworks over the Rhine River. Some were going to bars and nightclubs. The Wall Street Journal said Heiko Maas, Germany’s justice minister, warned that the ethnicity, or background, of the criminals does not matter.  He said “the rule of law does not look at where someone comes from but what they did.” In Cologne, police said that they believe that several hundred men, ages 15 to 35, were involved in the violence. It began in the early hours on New Year’s Day. The square was closed after men were throwing fireworks, reported the Wall Street Journal. Police say the men broke into smaller groups.  Each group circled a woman, the police said, and some would grope the victim. Other men stole the women’s cellphones or wallets. One woman told police she had been raped. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the attacks “disgusting.” Cologne is a city of about 1 million residents. It is one of Germany’s most diverse cities, and it took in more than 10,000 refugees last year. Many of them were young men from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, said the Wall Street Journal. The paper said the city will increase security after the crimes, as they search for suspects. The newspaper said anti-immigrant and far-right groups have said these crimes show the dangers of accepting such large numbers of migrants. Frauke Petry, the head of the extreme right party, Alternative for Germany, told a Cologne newspaper that the violence is “the consequence of an uncontrolled migration,” according to the New York Times. Chancellor Merkel has defended her migration policy, even as the issue has caused political problems in her conservative bloc. On Tuesday, the Chancellor called for mutual respect. I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   harass - v. bother someone in a repeated way sexual assault -v. illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person grope -v.  to touch someone sexually in an unwanted and unexpected way diverse -adj.  people, or things,  that are different from each other bloc -- n. a group of people or countries that are connected by a treaty or agreement or by common goals

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Trending Today: #StopGunViolence

  This is What's Trending Today... U.S. President Barack Obama became tearful Tuesday as he remembered the children who died in a mass shooting three years ago in Newtown, Connecticut. The president was announcing new steps he plans to take to prevent gun violence in America. Family members of shooting victims surrounded the president during his announcement at the White House. Obama’s executive order will require more gun sellers to get licenses and more gun buyers to undergo background checks. The measures will also increase the enforcement of existing gun laws, increase mental health treatment and expand research into gun safety technology. After Obama’s announcement, the hashtag #StopGunViolence trended worldwide on Twitter. Many supported Obama’s efforts, but some criticized the president’s actions. Twitter user @justafarmer4 wrote: “I have been a gun owner for decades and fully support @POTUS in his thoughtful, reasonable and responsible efforts to #StopGunViolence.” ​The National Rifle Association responded to Obama’s announcement. The NRA is the biggest gun-rights activist group in the U.S. It tweeted: President Obama’s executive orders will do nothing to improve public safety. Twitter user @WickedWitch89 said, “My right to not have my siblings murdered in a school shooting outweighs your right to own an assault rifle #StopGunViolence" Among those in the audience at the White House Tuesday was American comedian Amy Schumer. The entertainer started advocating for stricter gun controls in America after three people were shot and killed at a movie theater in Louisiana during a screening of her film Trainwreck. On Tuesday, Schumer tweeted, “Let’s Go. We can #StopGunViolence.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I'm Ashley Thompson _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   victim - n. a person who has been attacked, injured, robbed, or killed by someone else background check - n. the process of looking up information about a person's past outweigh - v. to be greater than (someone or something) in importance, value, or weight. advocate - v. to support or argue for a cause or policy

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January 5, 2016

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

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