Celebrity Pulls Driver from Burning Car

This is What’s Trending Today. Actor Jamie Foxx won an Academy Award for playing singer Ray Charles in the film “Ray.” Foxx is famous for his work in movies, his jokes in stand-up comedy routines and even for recording songs. And on Monday, Foxx added another honor to the list. He saved a man from a burning car. Thirty-two-year-old Brett Kyle drove a truck off the road in front of Foxx’s home in California. The truck hit a ditch and reportedly turned over several times. The truck caught fire and Foxx ran out of his home to help. He pulled the driver out of the truck and to safety. Kyle was taken to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries. He also was arrested for drunken driving. Foxx met with the man’s father on Tuesday. The story was one of the top trending items on Twitter Wednesday morning. People had only good things to say about Foxx for doing a good deed. And Foxx added a photo to Instagram. It shows him hugging Kyle’s father. Foxx wrote: “This is all that matters. That a man, a son, a brother's life was spared last night.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Have you ever done a good deed? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   spare – v. to not destroy or harm (something) ditch – n. a long narrow hole that is dug along a road, field, etc., and used to hold or move water deed– n. something that is done : an act or action comedy routines – n. presenting a series of jokes as part of a performance hugging – v. to put your arms around someone as a way of showing love or friendship drunken driving - expression. to be arrested for driving after drinking alcohol

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1PFQzwf
via IFTTT

Students, Teachers Dead in Attack in Pakistan

Four attackers used guns and bombs to kill at least 21 students and teachers Wednesday morning at Bacha Khan University in northwest Pakistan. Officials say many more were wounded. Police say the four attackers entered the university in Charsadda at around nine in the morning and began shooting students and teachers. Students and university workers told a VOA correspondent at the university that some of those killed or wounded were both shot and stabbed. Police official Saeed Wazir Khan said at least two of the attackers were suicide bombers. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban denied responsibility for the attack. Mohammad Khorasani said the group does not target non-military organizations. But earlier, a Taliban commander in the area said he sent the four attackers to the university. A Pakistani military spokesman said troops killed the four attackers and took control of the university. About 3,000 students attend the university. Charsadda is about 50 kilometers from the provincial capital, Peshawar. In December 2014, militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban attacked a school in Peshawar and killed 150 people, most of them children. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. Reporters Ayesha Tanzeem and Ayaz Gul prepared stories on the attack for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their stories 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   spokesman - n. a person who speaks for someone else or for a group provincial - adj. of or concerning a province (an area outside the capital or a city)

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/23fw6Iy
via IFTTT

Cameron Calls for Female Immigrants to Learn English

British Prime Minister David Cameron has called for women immigrants to Britain to learn English within 30 months or be deported. The plan targets Muslim women joining their husbands already in Britain. Cameron said his plan would help Muslim women immigrants who spend most of their time at home. Cameron wrote Monday that 190,000 Muslim women speak poor English and 38,000 Muslim women speak no English, although they have lived in Britain for years. Their lack of English socially isolates them, he said. Cameron said his plan will help all migrants. Critics said he was “singling out” Muslims. Cameron said people who do not speak English often live apart from British society. He said they are more likely to be radicalized. He said he believes his plan will help keep the country safe. He says there is no connection between a lack of English and being radicalized. But, he said, “if you are not able to speak English, not able to integrate, you may find, therefore, you have challenges understanding what your identity is and therefore you could be more susceptible to the extremist message.” He said the government will spend more than $28 million for English classes for migrants. The classes would focus on immigrant woman living in isolated communities. The government said classes would take place in homes, schools and community centers. Travel and childcare costs would be paid. The government says the plan would take effect in October. Female immigrants must pass an English test within two-and-a-half years of their arrival, or face removal from the country. That threat would remain even if they have children in Britain. No plans are in place to remove migrants who fail the test. But officials said the government may refuse to extend visas or could deny the immigrants permission to stay in the country permanently. Andy Burnham is a senior member of the opposition Labor Party. He called the plan a “simplistic, headline-driven approach to extremism (that) risks unfairly stigmatizing a whole community, thereby making the problem worse.” He said all women -- religious or secular -- should be helped to learn English, not just Muslim women. Burnham noted that the government had cut spending on English-language classes in 2011. The Ramadhan Foundation, a Muslim group, also criticized Cameron. It said very few of the 3 million Muslims in Britain are extremists. It said the best way to fight terrorism “is to build support (with) Muslims and support the work done across the country,” not denigrating Muslims. But Naz Shah, a Muslim and a Labor member of parliament, supports the plan. Shah noted that “too many children…are starting school with no English because it is not spoken at home." He says that has an effect on their learning ability because “education starts in the home.” I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. This story was curated from WashingtonPost.com, HeraldScotland.com, newsweek.com, theguardian.com, inquisitr.com and thetimes.co.uk. 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   deported - v. expelled from a country radicalized - v. causing someone to become more extreme therefore - adv. for that reason thereby - adv. because of those words or that action isolated – adj. separate from others single out – v. to treat or to speak about (someone or something in a group) in a way that is different from the way you treat or speak about others integrated – adj. allowing all types of people to participate or be included; not segregated susceptible – adj. easily affected, influenced, or harmed by something (often + to) approach – n. a way of dealing with something; a way of doing or thinking about something; the act of speaking to someone for some purpose (such as to ask a question or make a request) stigmatize – v. to describe or regard (something, such as a characteristic or group of people) in a way that shows strong disapproval denigrate – v. to say very critical and often unfair things about (someone)

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1SxFhjV
via IFTTT

VOA Talks With Astronauts in Space

VOA's Anne Ball interviews U.S. astronaut, Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut, Flight Engineer Mikhail Kornienko on the International Space Station on Wednesday

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1RTmoYR
via IFTTT

January 20, 2016

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1Sxvvy8
via IFTTT

Best Tool to Teach Babies Speech? Their Parents' Voice

  A new study says electronic toys are not helping babies learn. “Even if companies are marketing them as educational, they’re not teaching the babies anything at this time,” said the study’s author, Anna Sosa. She is a Northern Arizona University professor who heads the school’s Child Speech and Language Lab. Sosa and her fellow researchers listened to audio recordings of parents playing with their babies -- aged 10 months to 16 months. The researchers compared the experiences when the children played with electronic toys, traditional toys such as blocks, or when the children looked at books. What they found is that parents talked less with their babies when the babies played with electronic toys. “The parents talked less, responded less and used fewer content specific words,” Sosa said. Why is this important? Sosa said research shows that how quickly children develop language is often based on what they hear from parents. When the infants played with electronic toys, parents said little to their children, Sosa said. But with traditional toys, such as blocks, parents shared the names and descriptions of the animals, colors and shapes as their children played, Sosa said. There was even more information given by parents as their babies looked at the pictures in books, Sosa said. Sosa is not telling parents to throw out electronic toys. But she said parents should look at their infants’ play with such toys as entertainment, not a learning experience. Toy Industry Association spokeswoman Adrienne Appell responded to the study. She said it is important that parents make time to play with their children. “Playing is a way that kids can learn so much, not only cognitive skills, but social and developmental skills,” she said. She added that play should be balanced, including time for just “make believe” activities, as well as traditional and electronic toys. I'm Jonathan Evans.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Now what do you think about educational toys for children? Let us know in the Comments and on our Facebook page, thanks! _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   respond – v. to say or write something as an answer to a question or request content – n. the things that are in something specific – n. the facts or details that relate to something description – n. a statement that tells you how something or someone looks, sounds entertainment – n. amusement or pleasure that comes from watching a performer, playing a game, etc.  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1PFBevP
via IFTTT

VOA Talks With Astronauts in Space

VOA's Anne Ball interviews U.S. astronaut, Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut, Flight Engineer Mikhail Kornienko on the International Space Station on Wednesday.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1PFw82y
via IFTTT

VOA Talks With Astronauts in Space!

VOA's Anne Ball interviews U.S. astronaut, Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut, Flight Engineer Mikhail Kornienko on the International Space Station on Wednesday.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1S4DilJ
via IFTTT

Eagles Founder Glenn Frey Dies

American rock and roll star Glenn Frey has died. He was 67 years old. The guitarist was a founding member of the Eagles. The popular Los Angeles-based band formed in 1971. Many years later it still performs sold-out shows in large centers. Frey died Monday in New York City. A band statement said the musician died from a combination of several diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. Bandmate Don Henley says Frey was like a brother to him. Frey “started it all,'' Henley said. He called him “the spark plug, the man with the plan.'' Henley said Frey had “an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn't quit.'' An Eagles greatest hits collection from the mid-1970s and “Hotel California'' are among the best-selling albums in history. Glenn Frey also had some success as a solo artist in the 1980s after the Eagles broke up. But when they reunited at their first live performance in April 1994, Frey stated, "For the record, we never broke up. We just took a 14-year vacation." Frey was born in Detroit, Michigan and was raised in the suburbs. His solo hits include “The Heat Is On'' and “Smuggler's Blues.'' The Eagles were entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Frey is survived by his wife Cindy and their three children. Musicians have been posting messages of love and thanks for Frey. Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac wrote that she could hardly see through her tears. She said, “Take it easy, Mr. Frey, as you fly.” I’m Jonathan Evans. Caty Weaver wrote this story from a VOA news report. Are you an Eagles fan? What is your favorite Eagles song? Post your answer in the Comment Section or on our Facebook page. ​ _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story founding member – n. an original member of a group  sold-out – adj. of or relating to an event where all the tickets have been sold​ encyclopedic – adj. dealing with or knowing a subject thoroughly or completely​ ethic – n. a belief that something is very important — usually singular​ solo – adj. done without another person​

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1ZzP1cC
via IFTTT

Media Reports: Corruption in Tennis

Two news organizations say corruption in professional tennis continues because tennis authorities do not stop it. The reports were released as the Australian Open tennis tournament began this week. The reports say corruption reaches high levels, and includes Wimbledon -- the top tournament in the sport. The British Broadcasting Corporation and Buzzfeed.com said they had received documents “from inside the sport.” The news reports said that in 2007 the Association of Tennis Professionals, or ATP, found that criminal groups in Russia, northern Italy and Sicily placed bets on matches. Investigators said the matches were fixed so that the criminals won hundreds of thousands of dollars. Three of the matches reportedly took place at Wimbledon. The BBC said that a secret report was given to tennis officials. It reportedly said 28 players were involved in match-fixing. But, the news reports said, “the findings were never followed up.” It said, for years, “there were repeated alerts sent to the [Tennis Integrity Unit] about a third of these players. None of them was disciplined by the TIU.” The TIU is an organization that investigates corruption in tennis. It has received many accusations against players in the past 10 years, the BBC and Buzzfeed reported. The tennis association began investigating possible corruption in the sport after a match in Poland in 2007. A British betting company received a large number of bets on the match. Most of the bets were for one player. His opponent voluntarily left the match even though he was winning. The betting company cancelled all the bets. Neither of the players was charged. But the news reports said the investigation was expanded. The reports said investigators found that other players were involved in match-fixing. But officials did not investigate further. Since then, the reports said, the ATP has “repeatedly been warned by betting companies, police and other investigators about many of the same players, but has not taken any action against them,” according to the Associated Press. On Monday, Novak Djokovic -- the world’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, spoke about an experience he said he had in 2007. Djokovic said people who worked with him were asked if he would accept tens of thousands of dollars to fix a match. He says he did not accept the proposal. He said fixing a match would be a crime. “I don’t support it,” he said. “I think there is no room for it in any sport, especially in tennis.” “It made me feel terrible because I don’t want to be…linked to this kind of -- you know, somebody may call it an opportunity,” he said. Djokovic said he thinks the recent media reports are about matches that took place almost 10 years ago. He said active players are not involved. And he said he does not believe there is corruption among the sport’s top players. Roger Federer is one of those top players. He said he wants players suspected of corruption to be named. He said, “then at least it’s concrete stuff and you can actually debate about it. Was it the player? Was it the support team? Who was it?” He asked, “how high up does it go? The higher it goes, the more surprised I would be.” The BBC reported that Serena Williams -- the top-ranked women’s player – said she did not know of any match-fixing. She said, “When I’m playing, I can only answer for me. I play very hard, and every player I play seems to play hard.” Chris Kermode is the president of the Association of Tennis Professionals. He said investigators have not found corruption in tennis. He said “the Tennis Integrity Unit and the tennis authorities absolutely reject any suggestion that evidence of match-fixing has been suppressed for any reason or isn’t being thoroughly investigated.” Kermode told reporters that investigators were “vigilant” in the fight against corruption. He said the sport investigates every corruption report it receives. He said it acts only when there is enough evidence. Kermode also said TIU investigations have led to punishment against 18 people. They include five players and one official who have been banned from the sport. Many of those who have been punished were lower-ranked players. Two former Top-50 players who had been banned from the sport were permitted to return by the Italian Tennis Federation last year. I’m _______________________.   ___________________________________________________ Words in This Story tournament – n. a sports competition or series of contests that involves many players or teams and that usually continues for at least several days bet – n. an agreement in which people try to guess what will happen and the person who guesses wrong has to give something (such as money) to the person who guesses right fix – v. to control or affect (something, such as a game or election) in a dishonest way alert – n. something (such as a message or loud sound) that tells people there is a problem discipline – n. punishment for bad behavior rank – n. a position in a society, organization, group, etc. concrete – adj. relating to or involving specific people, things or actions rather than general ideas or qualities stuff – n. informal used to speak in a general way about something that is talked about, written about, etc. vigilant – adj. carefully noticing problems or signs of danger

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1ZLjsSk
via IFTTT

Russian Parliament Rejects Anti-Gay Law

Russia’s Parliament rejected a bill Monday that would have permitted fines or jail time for homosexual acts. Rights groups have welcomed the move. But, they are also calling for a repeal of a 2013 law that they say has encouraged discrimination against non-heterosexuals. It is called the “gay propaganda” law. Communist Party lawmakers had proposed the law that was rejected. Had it passed, gay people could have been fined between $50 and $65 for public demonstrations of affection. The proposed measure described such acts as "expression of non-traditional sexual relations." It could also have led to jail time depending on where the act took place. Human Rights Watch denounced the bill. The group said the measure would have punished people for expressing their identity. It was a rare win in Russia for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexual people, also known as LGBT. Human Rights Watch's Russia Program Director in Moscow, Tanya Lokshina, praised the defeat of the measure in an email. "However,” she wrote, “the parliament has yet to repeal the 'gay propaganda' bill, which has done tremendous damage to Russia's LGBT people." The 2013 measure outlaws the "promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors." The law has received international criticism. Lokshina says it also has led to increased numbers of attacks on the LGBT community in Russia. Sandra is a transgender women living in Moscow. She told VOA that she was beaten in broad daylight after the law was passed. Her girlfriend called the police. Officers arrived quickly, she said, but were not willing to arrest her attackers. She said the attackers were not charged with any crime. She said the police insulted her instead. President Vladimir Putin has defended the "gay propaganda law," saying it does not ban homosexuality. The chief of Russian state media once said the hearts of dead homosexuals should be burned instead of donated. He called them “unfit to live.” LGBT activists continue their efforts for equal rights, however. Vladimir Komov, a Teachers' Union official, and engineer Dmitry Svetly are a gay couple living in Moscow. "We're openly gay," says Komov. "We're not hiding in fear," says Svetly, "For us, being open is a weapon." I’m Caty Weaver.   VOA's Moscow reporter, Daniel Schearf, wrote this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. Are there laws against homosexuality in your country? Leave a comment or post on our Facebook page.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   homosexual – n. a person who is attracted to others of the same gender heterosexual – n. a person who is attracted to others of the opposite gender repeal – v. to take back gay – n. homosexual affection – n. warm feelings or fondess for something or someone LGBT – adj. an acronym for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender minor – adj. slight, or younger

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/20d7pKA
via IFTTT