February 3, 2016

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1nO1gXr
via IFTTT

Story of 1831 Slave Rebellion Holds Message for Today

The new movie, “The Birth of a Nation,” was a long time in creation. Nate Parker stars in and directed the movie. But he also wrote the screenplay and it took him seven years. The film created a buzz at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. It tells the story of Nat Turner, a slave who grew up to lead a rebellion in the state of Virginia in 1831. As a child, Nat Turner learns to read and becomes a religious leader in Virginia. His owners think his preaching will lead other slaves to become more obedient. So they send Turner to nearby farms to preach to the slaves. But instead Turner urges them to rebel against their owners. The rebellion left 60 slave owners and hundreds of slaves dead. Nate Parker said the film looks at the roots of issues that African-Americans still have to deal with. “My job as a filmmaker is to create content, to seek out material, to develop material that I think will help be progressive and deal with some of the systemic issues that we are dealing with," he said. Armie Hammer plays Nat Turner’s owner, Samuel Turner. He said that Nate Parker ran the movie set like a long-time director. Yet it was his first film as director. “He (Parker) walked on the set with the confidence and skill and ability of someone who has directed 50 movies before,” Hammer said. The Sundance Film Festival honored The Birth of a Nation with the grand jury prize and the audience award for American dramatic productions. The film has the same name as a famously racist 1915 movie by D.W. Griffith. That movie showed the white extremist Ku Klux Klan in a good light, while African Americans were shown as immoral and dangerous. Nate Parker told vulture.com that it was “critical” he use the same title. He said the earlier “Birth of a Nation” persuaded millions of Americans that for their survival “they needed to oppress an entire people.” Parker said, now “Birth of a Nation” honors Nat Turner. He describes the rebel leader as one of the bravest revolutionaries in U.S. history. Oscars and diversity Hollywood has been criticized for the lack of black actors among Academy Award nominees for the second year. Parker said the Oscars issue is just a sign of a much wider problem. "I think the sickness is the fact that there is a level of racism that exists not only in society, obviously, but in Hollywood. The legacy of slavery and the legacy of the injury that we've endured.  We want to be a change factor with this film.” Birth of a Nation co-star Armie Hammer said Parker’s interest in the movie carried the cast and crew members through some difficult filming. “You could feel this passion bleeding out of him while we were doing this. Everybody else would be getting tired, everybody else would be uncomfortable with the subject matter. But he would be there unwavering, the perfect leader for the project, really.” “The Birth of a Nation” was shot in 27 days for about $10 million. Fox Searchlight Pictures has paid $17.5 million for the rights to the film. That is a near record for film festival deals. I’m Jill Robbins.   We want to hear from you. Post your message in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. In this video, Nate Parker talks about "The Birth of a Nation." __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   buzz – n. informal. a feeling of excitement preach – v. to make a speech about religion in a church or other public place: to deliver a sermon confidence – n. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something title – n.  the name given to something (such as a book, song, or movie) legacy – n.  something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past passion – n.  a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something unwavering – adj. continuing in a strong and steady way

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

Hockey Fans Tweet Player To All-Star Game

Halfway through the season of the National Hockey League, the players take a short break. They celebrate the best players in a match they call an All-Star Game. It was January 31 in Nashville, Tennessee. Fans vote for who should play in the All-Star Game. When the results came out, one name was quite a surprise. Hockey fans in Arizona used social media to vote John Scott into the game. They used the Twitter hashtag #VoteJohnScott to gather support for Scott. After a couple of days, Scott was leading in fan votes. A writer for the Canadian Press news service called the voting “bizarre.” Scott, a Canadian, started his career in 2008 with the Minnesota Wild team. He was traded many times to other teams. He often practices with the team, but does not usually play in the games. He was good, but not good enough. Definitely not a “star.” But when voting closed, Scott was still one of the top four. Scott thought he would play in the All-Star Game and represent Arizona. But on January 15, Arizona traded him to the Montreal Canadiens. Then, the Canadiens did something that prevented Scott from playing in the All-Star Game: They demoted him to a minor-league team in Newfoundland. Some sports experts said Scott was traded because the league did not want Scott to be in the All-Star Game because he is not a hockey “star.” Scott was in limbo. Fans were unhappy. But two weeks before the game, Scott received a gift. The NHL said it would allow Scott to play, even though he was not in the league. In a statement, the league called Scott’s circumstances “unique.” Fans like Jake Donnelly tweeted how happy they were that the league allowed Scott to play. “The NHL actually did something right,” he wrote. Scott released a statement saying, "While being voted to the All-Star Game by the fans was not something I expected to happen, I am excited to participate in the All-Star events with my fellow players." But in an article he wrote days before the game, Scott revealed that the teams and the league tried to persuade him to drop out of the game. Then they traded him so he would not be able to play. “While I don’t deserve to be an All-Star, I also don’t think I deserve to be treated like I’ve been by the league throughout this saga,” he wrote. When the puck dropped on Sunday night, no one was sure how Scott would do. So Scott showed them. He scored two goals and helped his team win the championship game. And, fans voted him the game’s Most Valuable Player; meaning, without him, the game would not have been as good. Oh, and he won a new car, and his team split a $1 million prize. Not bad for a minor-league player taking a weekend off from his job in Newfoundland.   After the game, Scott talked with the Boston Herald. “This is crazy. You can’t write this stuff. I can’t put this into words. It just gives me goose bumps thinking about all the fans have done for me. I didn’t know how the players were going to react, but everybody has been overwhelmingly supportive. I think they’re happy I won.” I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you know any other stories of unlikely All-Stars? Let us know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   unique – adj. very special or unusual circumstance – n. a condition or fact that affects a situation bizarre – adj. very unusual or strange showcase – n. an event, occasion, etc., that shows the abilities or good qualities of someone or something in an attractive or favorable way participate – n. to be involved with others in doing something : to take part in an activity or event with others limbo – n. in an uncertain or undecided state or condition grind – adj. long and difficult work elite – adj. the most successful or powerful group of people  tweet– v. to use Twitter to write something on the Internet  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1P7wxNJ
via IFTTT

Obama Makes First Visit to US Mosque

President Barack Obama visited a Muslim religious center in the United States for the first time as president on Wednesday. “We’re one American family,” Obama said during his meeting with Muslim-Americans at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, in the eastern state of Maryland. He said too often Americans link the Muslim religion Islam with terrorism and blame the entire Muslim community for the “violent acts of a few.” Obama spoke about the contributions Muslims have made to American society. He said “Muslim-Americans keep us safe. They are our police. They are our firefighters. They’re in (the Department of) Homeland Security.” And he said “inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslims has no place” in this country. Obama has visited mosques in other countries, but never in the United States. His visit took place during an election campaign in which Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a temporary ban on new Muslim immigrants. Many Republicans -- including U.S. Sen. John McCain and presidential candidate Jeb Bush -- condemned Trump’s plan. But Ben Carson, another Republican presidential candidate, said a Muslim should not be permitted to serve as president. Obama has not directly answered the comments about Muslims from the Republican candidates. But he has criticized anti-Muslim statements. In his final State of the Union address last month, Obama asked Americans to reject any politics that target people because of race or religion. “When politicians insult Muslims, whether abroad or our fellow citizens, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid is called names, that doesn’t make us safer.” Muslim-American groups have been asking Obama to visit a mosque in the United States for some time. They asked again after threats and attacks on Muslims last December. The Islamic Society of Baltimore has received such threats. Police have increased security at the building, which includes a place for religious study, a health clinic and a school. It was started 47 years ago and has thousands of members. President Obama has said it is important for the federal government to work with Muslim-American leaders to help fight attempts by extremists like the Islamic State terrorist group to radicalize Muslims in the U.S. I’m Dorothy Gundy.     Aru Pande and Mary Alice Salinas reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   rhetoric - n. language that is intended to influence people vandalize - v. destroy or damage radical - adj. having extreme political or social views

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

Japan, South Korea Warn Against North Korea Missile Launch

Japan and South Korea joined the United States Wednesday in urging North Korea to cancel plans to send a long-range rocket into space. Japan and South Korea say the launch would violate United Nations resolutions. Those measures bar North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Such a missile can travel over a great distance, fall to the ground and then explode. North Korea told UN agencies on Tuesday that it planned to launch what it called an “Earth observation satellite” between February 8th and the 25th. The Japan Times newspaper reported that the launch may take place around February 16th. That is the birth anniversary of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. He was the father of current leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea says it has a right to launch rockets as part of its space program. But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other American allies have criticized the program. They say it is a way for North Korea to avoid UN restrictions on weapons development. Abe called the North’s missile tests “an obvious violation of Security Council decisions.” He told Japanese lawmakers that the launch would be “a grave, provocative act against the security of our country.” On Wednesday, Japan’s Defense Ministry ordered its ballistic-missile defense units to be ready to shoot down any North Korean rocket that threatened the country. The Japan Times reported that observers expect the missile to fly over two small Japanese islands. Experts say it is not likely that American or South Korean forces would attack the missile before it is launched. Daniel Pinkston teaches international relations at Troy University in Seoul. He says no country is considering using “force to destroy the missile on the ground before the launch, or something like that, because the cascading effects and the consequences of that would be costly for everyone.” South Korea warned the North not to launch another missile. Cho Tae-yong is a security official in the office of the South Korean president. He said, “We strongly warn that the North will pay a severe price if it goes ahead with the long-range missile launch plan, which is a grave threat to peace not only in the Korean peninsula but also this region and around the world.” On Wednesday, China said it was concerned about reports that North Korea was planning a missile launch this month. A Chinese foreign ministry official said China has called on the North to exercise restraint. The United States and its allies have been pressuring China to support strong U.N. sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear test last month. Experts say China must pressure the North to stop its nuclear tests. They say the North does not change its behavior because of criticism or pressure from other countries. North Korea last launched a long-range rocket in December 2012. It then soon tested its nuclear weapons for a third time. It tested its nuclear weapons for a fourth time early last month. The United States and China agree that the UN should approve a strong resolution against North Korea. But they do not agree on how the North should be punished. They also remain divided over the level of severity the punitive measures should take. The U.S. is considering sanctions against the North. These measures would target companies and banks that operate in North Korea. Many of them are based in China. If these sanctions are put in place, they would likely increase tensions between the United States and China. China protects North Korea and is the North’s top trading partner. It agrees that the North Korean leadership should be punished. But it also wants any sanctions to lead to a restarting of international negotiations. In early 2009, North Korea left negotiations with the U.S., South Korea, Japan, China and Russia. Those talks were aimed at ending the North’s nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees. China’s top nuclear diplomat arrived in the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Tuesday to talk about restarting the talks. Ahn Chan-il lived in North Korea until he defected. He is now an expert on the North at the World Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. He said there is little the U.S., Japan and South Korea can do “other than releasing statements” criticizing the North for its plan to launch a missile this month. Experts believe the planned rocket launch is part of North Korea’s program to develop nuclear missiles. They believe the North has more than 1,000 missiles that can reach targets in South Korea and Japan, and enough plutonium to make eight to 12 nuclear bombs. Last year, American military officials said they believe North Korea can make a nuclear weapon small enough to be placed on a long-range missile. North Korea has not yet shown that it can do so, however. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. VOA’s Brian Padden reported this story from Seoul, with help from Youmi Kim. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. He also used information from VOA’s Victor Beattie in Washington. George Grow 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   grave – adj. very serious; requiring or causing serious thought or concern provocative – adj. causing discussion, thought, argument, etc unit – n. a single thing, person or group that is a part of something larger cascade – n. a large number of things that happen quickly in a series effect – n. a change that results when something is done or happens; an event, condition or state of affairs that is produced by a cause consequences – n. something that happens as a result of a particular action or set of conditions defect – v. to leave a country, political party, organization, etc., and go to a different one that is a competitor or an enemy  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1NQE2Vf
via IFTTT

Trending Today: Puppy Bowl

This is What's Trending Today: This weekend is Super Bowl Sunday. Two teams will play for the championship of American football. The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos are busy preparing for Super Bowl 50. The game will be played at Levi’s Stadium, a newly built sports center in Santa Clara, California. But on social media today, tweets and posts were directed at another bowl game -- the Puppy Bowl! The Animal Planet television channel created the Puppy Bowl in 2005. The TV program shows puppies on a small field similar to a football field. The young animals play with a football, and announcers describe their actions, just like in a real American football game. The Puppy Bowl is set to be broadcast on Animal Planet this Sunday. The Puppy Bowl is an alternative to the real Super Bowl. It is for people who do not like watching American football.   On Wednesday, Animal Planet announced the starting lineup for the 2016 Puppy Bowl. Fifty puppies will “play” in the game. They are from animal shelters, and are available for adoption. Each one is in need of a good home. On Twitter and Facebook Wednesday, people commented about their favorite puppies and made predictions for this year’s Puppy Bowl. “Puppy Bowl” was even a trending sports topic on Facebook. The only concern?  Puppy football lasts only one game, and not a full season like American football. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Ashley Thompson wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.   Would you rather watch the Puppy Bowl or the Super Bowl? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    alternative - n. something that can be chosen instead of something else​ lineup - n. a list of the players who are playing in a game  ​

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1NQE0Nc
via IFTTT

On to New Hampshire for US Presidential Candidates

Iowa voters surprised political experts Monday. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas finished first in the state’s Republican caucuses. This surprised many observers who expected businessman Donald Trump to win the most support. But Trump finished second. Trump finished in front of Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Cruz and Rubio are first-term senators. After his second place finish in Iowa, Trump congratulated Cruz and Rubio. “On to New Hampshire,” he said. The presidential candidates are in the New England state this week. New Hampshire will hold its presidential primary election on Tuesday. More candidates leave the race Because of what happened in Iowa, there are now two less candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky suspended his campaign Wednesday after finishing with less than 5 percent of the vote in Iowa. On Monday night, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race after winning only 2 percent of the Iowa vote. Many others are seeking the Republican presidential nomination. They include Dr. Ben Carson, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, Ohio Governor John Kasich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. On the Democratic field In Iowa’s Democratic caucuses, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defeated Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont by less than 1 percent. A third candidate, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, dropped out of the race Monday night after a poor showing in Iowa. In the New Hampshire primary, Clinton will be the underdog to Sanders. He represents the state of Vermont, New Hampshire’s western neighbor. Two other Democratic presidential votes take place later this month in Nevada and South Carolina. RealClearPolitics.com says studies of likely voters show Clinton far ahead in both states. Grant Reeher teaches political science at Syracuse University in New York. He said this about the Democratic race: “Iowa showed the social movement that is behind Sanders’ campaign is real, and it is going to be a force in the campaign in the long term.”  However, Sanders remains “a long shot to actually win the nomination,” he added. Here is what other political observers are saying: "The loss (in Iowa) raises the possibility that Mr. Trump’s strength is at least partly an illusion,” wrote Nate Cohn in the New York Times. “He may not be quite as strong as he looks,” “Meet Ted Cruz, your new front-runner,” added Glenn Thrush in Politico. Rubio’s strong third-place finish puts him in the position to claim the Republican establishment vote, some experts wrote. “He over-performed expectations,” wrote Amber Phillips in the Washington Post. “And for that, Rubio, perhaps almost as much as Cruz, can call Monday a win.” I’m Anne Ball.   Jim Malone reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   caucus – n. a meeting of members of a political party for the purpose of choosing candidates for an election underdog – n. a person that is likely to lose a contest illusion – n. something that looks or seems different from what it is agenda – n. a list of things to be considered or done tuition – n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there  

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

Saudi Media: 9 Americans Among Terror Suspects

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested nine American citizens among a sweep of 33 terror suspects, the Saudi Gazette reported. They were arrested in a sweep, or roundup, of suspects in response to recent terrorism in the kingdom. The U.S. State Department says it is seeking details from the government of Saudi Arabia about reports that nine Americans have been detained in the kingdom as terror suspects. The Saudi Gazette did not say if any of those arrested were linked to the Islamic State terror group. U.S. authorities were checking names to confirm if Americans were arrested, reports said. Also arrested were 14 Saudis, three Yemenis and two Syrians, an Indonesian, a Philippine national and three others. The arrests took place while Saudi Arabia witnessed several deadly attacks over the past months. Friday, a suicide bomber attacked a Shi’ite mosque in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, killing four. Spokesman John Kirby, speaking Monday, said U.S. officials have seen Saudi media reports of the detentions, and that diplomats are in contact with authorities in Riyadh. He told reporters he could not verify "the actual truth of these reports." A Saudi website run by the kingdom's foreign ministry showed a list of 5,158 suspects in detention, including eight Americans. It does not identify the Americans by name or gender. It says four of them were detained January 25.  It says four other Americans were arrested in November and December, and that all eight are "under investigation."  A ninth American is shown convicted of an unidentified crime in 2007, and the website says the conviction is "subject to appeal." Sunday's Saudi news report did not say whether any of the Americans is suspected of links to Islamic State extremists, who have claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks against Saudi security forces and minority Shi'ites in recent months. I’m Jim Dresbach.   This story was based on reports from VOANews.com. Additional information came from the Reuters news service and the Saudi Gazette. 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   sweep – n. the act of picking up someone or something in one quick, continuous motion roundup – n. the act or process of finding and gathering together people or things of the same kind province – n. any one of the large parts that some countries are divided into

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

Tools to Use with Gmail

If you use Gmail, Google's email program, you should know about the many tools to help you make the most of your email. Sure, you could use the Google-based email service and do just fine without any of the special functions. But with Gmail, users can get useful tools that can help in different ways. Undo Send The Undo Send function is a very useful setting if you are human. People make mistakes and Undo Send can help save you from your mistakes. This function lets you change your mind about an email you just sent. It gives you the power to cancel an email up to 30 seconds after you send it. This can help if you forgot to include an attachment, catch a mistake, or change your mind about sending the message. You just click Undo Send to prevent the message from being sent. To set up Undo Send, you first hit the gear icon on your Gmail page, and then go to Settings. Click on the box next to Undo Send to enable the feature. You can set the time period for using Undo Send from anywhere between 5 and 30 seconds. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page to save your settings. Sidekick Have you ever wondered if an email you sent has been opened by the person you sent it to? A service called Sidekick will tell you where, when and how your email has been opened. You can use Sidekick to learn when a message was opened, how many times it has been opened, where it was opened and whether it was opened on a computer or mobile device. When you use Sidekick, a checkbox at the bottom of your message allow you to track the message. When the message is opened, you will get a notice telling you information about how and when it was opened. You can receive this information on your computer with a Chrome extension and on your phone through the Sidekick app.   Sidekick for Chrome, Sidekick app for Android, Sidekick iPhone app Boomerang A service called Boomerang helps you schedule your emails. Let's say it is late Sunday and you want to send an email. But you do not want it to get lost first thing Monday morning in someone's inbox. You think it would be better to wait until Tuesday morning to send the email. But you are afraid you will forget to send it by then. Or perhaps someone sends you an important email on a Friday and would like you to answer it on Monday. You worry that if you wait that email will be lost and forgotten by the time Monday arrives. Boomerang lets you control when you send emails and when they appear in your inbox. When you use Boomerang, you will see a Send Later button in Gmail. Click on the button to set when you want your email to arrive. You can schedule emails for birthdays, important meetings or any other event. ​Boomerang website   Unroll.me Inboxes can get filled quickly with subscription emails. Every store, service and website wants you to sign up so they can send you emails about special deals, updates and more. Important emails may be buried among all of your subscriptions. Unroll.me helps you control your inbox by providing a daily list of your subscription emails called the Rollup. You can also use Unroll.me to stop any emails you no longer want to receive. WiseStamp Create your email signature with WiseStamp, a service that lets you add a personal touch to your messages. You can add photographs, contact information and links to your social media accounts to get more followers. Ugly Mail While Sidekick lets you follow the emails you send, Ugly Mail shows you which emails in your inbox are being tracked by the sender. When you open those emails, the sender will know that they have been opened and perhaps get other information about you. You will see an evil eye next to emails that are being tracked by the sender. Ugly Mail currently works to show emails being tracked by the following services: Streak, Yesware, Mandrill, MailChimp, Postmark, TinyLetter, Sidekick, MixMax and Bananatag. More tracking services will be covered in the future. Note that Ugly Mail does not block the tracking; it only shows you that an email is being tracked by the sender. I'm Kathleen Struck.   Do you use any of these Gmail tools? Do you have any other Gmail tools you recommend? Which of these tools do you think are the most useful?     Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this story for VOANews.com. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   function - n. the special purpose or activity for which a thing exists or is used undo - v. to change or stop the effect of (something) : reverse attachment - n. a document or file that is sent with e-mail click - v. to press a button on a mouse or some other device in order to make something happen on a computer gear - n. a toothed wheel in a machine icon - n.a small picture on a computer screen that represents a program or function setting - n.  a particular way of positioning the controls of a machine, system, etc., in order to produce a desired result schedule - v. to plan (something) at a certain time response - n. omething that is said or written as a reply to something text - n. the words that make up the main part of a book, magazine, newspaper, Web site, etc.​ automatic  - adj. having controls that allow something to work or happen without being directly controlled by a person   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. 

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1R2VnRs
via IFTTT

Person Infected With Zika Virus Through Sexual Relations

Officials in the southwestern state of Texas have reported what may be the first case of the Zika virus being transmitted in the United States by sexual contact. On Tuesday, health officials in Dallas County said the person became infected after having sexual contact with a person who had returned from Venezuela. Venezuela is a country where the virus is present. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal U.S. health agency, confirmed the infection in an email to VOA. The CDC wrote that it “confirmed through laboratory testing the first U.S. case of Zika virus infection in a non-traveler in the continental United States.” On its website, the CDC notes “Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes-species mosquito.” But it says “the spread of the virus through blood transfusion and sexual contact have been reported.” Last year, French scientists reported the virus was found in the semen of a patient during the 2013 Zika virus outbreak in French Polynesia. This supports the possibility that the virus can be transmitted sexually. Dr. Tom Frieden is the head of the CDC. He also sent out Tweets to confirm the infection. Brazil reported the first case of Zika virus in this latest outbreak in May 2015. Since then, the virus has spread by mosquitoes and has caused infections in Brazil, many Latin America countries, and the United States. With the Summer Olympics taking place later this year, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said her government would spend whatever is necessary to kill the kind of mosquitos that carry the virus. In a speech, she said, “my entire government is working on fighting this emergency. There will be no lack of funding, and I’m certain that I will be able to count on the Congress’ support.” She said she has spoken with President Barack Obama about the virus. She said Brazil will work with the U.S. government “to establish our capacity and improve it in order to develop as quickly as possible a vaccine for the Zika virus.” On Monday, the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency. It says four million more people could be infected by the end of the year. The health agency called for more international resources to fight the spread of Zika but ruled out a ban on traveling or trade. And the International Red Cross is calling for $2.3 million in emergency money to fight Zika in Latin America. I’m Anna Matteo.     VOANews.com reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   transmit – v. to cause (a virus, disease, etc.) to be given to others continental – adj. the part of the U.S. that is on the North American continent; the states of the U.S. except for Hawaii transfusion – n. a medical treatment in which someone's blood is put into the body of another person​ semen –  n. the sticky, whitish liquid containing sperm that is produced by a male's sex organs​ entire – adj. complete or full; not lacking or leaving out any part funding – n.  money used for a special purpose​ capacity – n. the ability to do something; a mental, emotional or physical ability

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1S0ShhT
via IFTTT

Deadly Suicide Blast Rocks Kabul

A suicide bomber killed at least 20 police officers and wounded close to 30 other people at a police facility in Kabul on Monday. Multiple media sources reported the blast took place outside the Afghan National Civil Order Police building. A statement from the NATO mission said seven Afghan civilians were among the dead. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing. A spokesman for the Taliban said its suicide bomber attacked a group of officers gathered at the gate of the police center. People at the scene of the bombing witnessed the moments before the attack. An investigator said security guards identified the suspected bomber. When attempts were made to stop the assailant, he exploded the bomb. The bombing is the latest in a series of Taliban attacks in Kabul the past few days. Clashes between Afghan security forces and the Taliban have left parts of the Afghan capital without electricity. The fighting and bad weather stopped workers from repairing the damage, according to Afghanistan’s national power company.  Meanwhile, talks are due to start again in Islamabad, Pakistan to work out the details for direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. The opening talks include officials from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States.   Ayaz Gul reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted his report 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   mission – n. a group of people sent to a foreign country for a specific reason  gate - n. entrance assailant – n. a person who attacks someone violently due - adj. expected or planned for a given time ​

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/209FyZS
via IFTTT