US Gives Less Foreign Aid than Americans Think

The United States will spend $37.9 billion on foreign aid in 2016. That is about $2 billion more than 2014. But it still amounts to less than 1 percent of the U.S. government’s $4 trillion budget.  Most Americans believe the percentage is far greater. The Kaiser Family Foundation last year asked 1,500 Americans what portion of the federal budget goes to foreign aid. The average answer was 25 percent, Kaiser said. That is 25 times the correct percentage. Which nation gets the most aid? A new breakdown from the State Department shows the top 15: Israel, $3.1 billion Afghanistan, $1.51 billion Egypt, $1.45 billion Jordan, $1 billion Pakistan, $803 million Nigeria, $607 million Also on the top 15 list are Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda and the West Bank and Gaza. Others include Ethiopia, South Africa, Iraq, South Sudan and Somalia. You can see how much the United States provides in foreign aid to countries and territories at this U.S. State Department website. Foreign aid is not a big issue in the 2016 presidential race. The top issues are terrorism, immigration and how to improve the U.S. economy. But members of Congress often debate whether foreign aid is effective. They also debate whether the foreign aid budget is divided up in a smart and fair way. The Congressional Research Service says it is hard to tell. “In most cases, the success or failure of U.S. foreign aid programs is not entirely clear, in part, because historically most aid programs have not been evaluated,” the research service says. The United States first offered foreign aid after World War II, helping to rebuild Europe. The programs have continued ever since. Still, the Kaiser Family Foundation said Americans remain doubtful about foreign aid. Kaiser said nearly half believe the United States spends more than its fair share on international health problems. As an example, Kaiser cites the Ebola crisis in Western Africa during 2014 and 2015. Hillary Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate, strongly supported foreign aid as U.S. Secretary of State and continues to do so. “The 1 percent of our budget we spend on all diplomacy and development is not what is driving our deficit,” Clinton said. Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders has not made campaign statements on foreign aid. But as a senator, he tried – unsuccessfully – to cut funding for the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He said he wanted the money for the IMF to go to foreign aid for poor nations. On the Republican side, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said a lot of foreign aid has been wasted. But if spent effectively, he said, foreign aid can advance U.S. foreign policy goals. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has not spoken in detail about foreign aid. But Trump said he would send U.S. funding to create a safe area for Syrians displaced by the civil war. He sees that as an alternative to accepting more Syrian refugees in the United States. “I would help them economically, even though we owe $19 trillion,” Trump said, referring to the current U.S. deficit. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, another Republican presidential candidate, said the United States must “stop sending foreign aid to nations that hate us.” I'm Mario Ritter.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Share your views in the comments section, or by reaching on our Facebook Page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   billion – n. the number 1,000,000,000 : one thousand million trillion – n. the number 1,000,000,000,000 : one thousand billion effective – adj. producing a result that is wanted : having an intended effect afford – v. to be able to pay for something advance – v. to move forward displace – v. to take the job or position of (someone or something alternative – n. something that can be chosen instead of something else  

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UN Condemns N. Korea Missile Launch

The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket at an emergency meeting on Sunday. All 15 council members, including China, approved the statement. The members pledged to quickly adopt a new resolution with “significant” new sanctions against North Korea. After the meeting, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said the resolution must include “unprecedented measures.” China’s Ambassador Liu Jieyi, however, said the new resolution should reduce tension, work towards denuclearization, maintain peace, and encourage a “negotiated solution.” China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It can stop council resolutions from being approved. China must support any sanctions if they are to be effective, because China gives large amounts of economic aid to North Korea. Since 2006, the council has approved increasingly stronger economic restrictions on North Korea for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles tests. North Korea said the rocket was carrying a satellite. It was launched early Sunday morning near the northwestern border with China. The North said the launch is part of its peaceful space program to send satellites into orbit. But many experts said the space program is being used to hide its tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles systems. The U.S. Congress is also considering measures to target companies and banks that trade with North Korea. Many of them are in China. South Korea and U.S. will discuss missile defense Meanwhile, South Korea and the U.S. announced a plan to begin talks on deploying a missile-defense system. A joint statement by the militaries of the two countries said they will meet to talk about the possibility of sending the system to South Korea and begin operating it “at the earliest possible date." Yoo Jeh-Seung is South Korea’s deputy defense minister. He said the system would strengthen “the missile defense of the Korea-U.S. alliance.” Yoo said the alliance is considering deploying the system because of the North Korean rocket launch. He said the North has refused to talk about removing nuclear weapons from the peninsula. He spoke during a meeting with Lieutenant General Thomas Vandal, the commander of the U.S. Eighth Army in South Korea. The missile defense is known as THAAD. The system is carried on trucks and can fire rockets than can destroy ballistic missiles “inside or outside the atmosphere.” Three years ago, when South Korea talked about deploying it, China said it threatened its security. On Sunday, China again criticized the plan to discuss a possible deployment of the THAAD missile defense system. A foreign ministry spokeswoman said China is, in her words, “deeply concerned” that the system may soon operate in South Korea. She said the system would increase tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the area. I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOA’s Margaret Besheer at the U.N. and Brian Padden and Youmi Kim in Seoul reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the reports into 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   atmosphere – n. the whole mass of air that surrounds the Earth

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Temporary Workers Taking Bigger Role in US Workforce

Employers are more and more hiring temporary workers, or workers who do not have the same status as permanent, full-time workers. This practice has been called “freelance nation,” “outsourcing,” or the rise of “solopreneurs.” Solopreneur combines the words “solo” and “entrepreneur” to mean individual entrepreneurs. These workers are usually paid by the hour. Some are paid one fee for the project, or contract. For some workers, freelance or contract work offers them more flexibility. They can hold more than one freelance or contract position. They are not bound to the same rules or expectations as a full-time staff position. For other workers, freelance or contract work may be all that is available. In some areas and sectors, the market of freelance positions has grown, while the market of full-time staff positions has shrunk. But freelance work may not include benefits such as health insurance, paid vacations, or retirement plans. These are benefits that were typically offered to full-time, permanent employees before the Great Recession of 2007-2009 led to fewer jobs. The Great Recession resulted in “massive job loss” of 8.4 million U.S. jobs, or 6.1 percent of all payroll employment, said the Economic Policy Institute. It was the most severe job loss since the Great Depression of the 1930s. After World War II, many employers hired women as temporary workers in clerical jobs. Women filled in for permanent employees who were ill or away on vacation. But since the Great Recession, use of temporary employees has increased. More employers are hiring temporary workers on a permanent basis and calling them independent contractors. And they are using them for a variety of professional positions. These positions include information technology, marketing, advertising, payroll and human resources, noted Rick Dacri, a human resource consultant. During the recession, companies fired or laid off employees to offset losses they experienced. As profits declined, they sought to cut expenses. Employees and benefits are the largest portion of a company’s expenses. Paying employees benefits like health insurance and pensions create additional costs. Employers also use independent contractors because they often have the latest skills in technology and other fields. With temporary workers, they can easily increase or decrease the size of their workforce in response to changing market conditions. Size of gig economy is in dispute There is disagreement about the size of the gig economy. It depends on how it is measured. The Economic Policy Institute is a think-tank in Washington, D.C. In 2015, the institute said that about 27 million workers – about 1-in-6 U.S. workers — are unemployed or underemployed. “Once workers get laid off from a job in this labor market, the odds are stacked strongly against them finding another one anytime soon,” reported the study. Some sectors are hiring more contract positions and hiring fewer full-time staff. At American universities, more adjunct professors are hired by contract and fewer full-time professors are offered tenure, or job security agreements. These positions often last one to three years and do not become permanent, said the American Association of University Professors.  The U.S. Department of Labor said benefits for permanent employees are worth 30 percent above an employee’s salary. For example, if an employee receives $50,000 a year in salary, it can cost the employer $15,000 in benefits. So that means the total value of the compensation package for the employee is $65,000. The Great Recession’s impact on the labor market Since the recession ended in 2009, the U.S. economy has not created jobs needed to match population growth and to return workers to the labor force, said the Economic Policy Institute.  More low-wage jobs than high-wage jobs have been created during the past four years. High-wage industries lost 1 million positions, while low-wage jobs increased by 1.8 million in that time period, reported the National Employment Law Project (NELP). Charlie Jeszeck is director of Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues at the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO). He and his colleagues wrote studies on the contingent workforce. “We don’t know the size of the gig economy,” he said. “There aren’t good data on this issue. Also, analysts disagree about who should be included in the concept of the contingent workforce.”   I’m Mary Gotschall.    Mary Gotschall wrote this story for VOANews.com. Hai Do and Kathleen Struck were the editors. Do you have an opinion about this topic? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below, or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   expectation – n. a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen insurance – n. an agreement in which a person makes regular payments to a company and the company promises to pay money if the person is injured or dies, or to pay money equal to the value of something (such as a house or car) if it is damaged, lost, or stolen retirement – n. the period after you have permanently stopped your job or profession recession – n. a period of time in which there is a decrease in economic activity and many people do not have jobs massive – adj.  very severe consultant – n.  a person who gives professional advice or services to companies for a fee lay off – verb phrase the act of ending the employment of a worker or group of workers adjunct – adj. added to a teaching staff for only a short time or in a lower position than other staff tenure - n. the right to keep a job (especially the job of being a professor at a college or university) for as long as you want to have it contingent – adj. depending on something else that might or might not happen   

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Lesson 1: Welcome!

Let's Learn English is a new course for English learners. Certified American English teachers designed the course for beginners. The course continues for 52 weeks. Each week, there will be a new lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. The lesson includes instruction in speaking, vocabulary and writing. There are also printable worksheets, assessments and lesson plans for individual learners and English teachers. We encourage you to follow the weekly lessons and share your progress with us through comments and email.   Summary Anna moves to Washington, DC. She meets Pete at her new apartment.    Conversation      PETE: Hi! Are you Anna? ANNA: Yes! Hi there! Are you Pete? PETE: I am Pete. ANNA: Nice to meet you. ANNA Let’s try that again. I’m Anna. PETE: I’m Pete. “Anna” Is that A-N-A? ANNA: No. A-N-N-A. PETE: Well, Anna with two “n’s” … Welcome to … 1400 Irving Street! ANNA: My new apartment! Yes!   Learning Strategy Each week we teach a new learning strategy. The first one is Set a Goal. ​ When we set a goal, we decide what we want to do or learn. You are studying English with VOA Learning English. What do you want to learn? Here is an example: Pat works at a coffee shop. She wants to greet her customers in English. She sets a goal: "In three months, I will feel confident in greeting customers in English." Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. Setting a goal is an important learning strategy because it give you a strong reason to keep studying.  What is your goal? Write to us in the Comments section.    Listening Click on the video below to learn about the listening quiz. Each question has a video. Play the video and choose the correct answer.   Speaking Practice Watch the video and record yourself. Listen to yourself. Then listen to the video again. Pronunciation Practice In careful speech, we say words with a small break. In everyday speech, the sounds come together with little or no break. Watch the video to learn about how the sounds change. Practice the example. Writing Introduce yourself in the Comments section. For a fun way to learn the alphabet, watch the alphabet video below.  New Words apartment - n. a usually rented room or set of rooms that is part of a building and is used as a place to live. She lives in an apartment. meet - v.  to see and speak to someone for the first time. Pete meets Anna on the street. new - adj. not known before; recently bought or rented. Anna has a new friend. nice - adj. good and enjoyable​. It is nice to see you. street  - n. a road in a city, town, or village. Anna lives on Irving Street. try - v. to make an effort to do something. Please try to say it again. welcome - interjection. used as a friendly greeting to someone who has arrived at a place. Welcome to America! _______________________________________________________________ Download the activity sheet. Learn to say the letters and numbers. Grammar focus to be + name in introductions to be + location Topics Meeting people Personal information Alphabet (Activity sheet) Numbers 1-20 (video) For teachers: download a lesson plan for this lesson here. Let us know your thoughts about this lesson in our Comments section or send us an email.

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Ancient Shipwrecks Found, But No Missing MH370

During the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, experts have found lost shipwrecks and undiscovered volcanoes. But they have not found any wreckage from the missing jetliner. The passenger plane was traveling from Malaysia to Beijing, China, in March 2014. The flight disappeared over the Indian Ocean. On board were 239 people, and all are presumed dead.   An American company specializing in underwater searches will examine the waters off the west coast of Australia. The company will scan large areas of the ocean floor. A Chinese rescue ship will assist looking for MH370. The Malaysian aircraft is thought to have crashed in very deep water. Parts of the Indian Ocean in the area are up to 6,000 meters deep. Searches have failed to find any debris. The ocean floor in the search area is treacherous. An Australian search report mentioned “underwater mountains, crevasses, ridges and 2,000-meter sheer cliffs,” are making missions difficult. An underwater sonic device collided with a tall mud volcano in January. The cable snapped, and the device sunk to the ocean floor. But two shipwrecks have been found. Sonar photos found a ship made of steel or iron from the 19th century. Wreckage from another ship was located in May. The only wreckage of Flight 370 found so far was a piece of the plane washed up on Reunion Island in 2015. Reunion Island is in the western Indian Ocean near Madagascar. The search area is now limited to 60,000 square kilometers off of Australia. Investigators say they will end all search efforts in June. I’m Jim Dresbach.   Carolyn Presutti reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted her 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 jetliner – n. a large jet airplane used for carrying passengers treacherous – adj. very dangerous and difficult to deal with debris – n. the pieces that are left after something has been destroyed crevasses – n. deep, narrow openings or cracks in an area of thick ice or rock cable – n. a thick, strong rope made of wires that are twisted together sonar – n. a device used for finding things that are underwater by using sound waves

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Classified Data Found on Republican's Personal Email

Top diplomats under former President George W. Bush received “classified” information on personal email accounts, says a State Department report. The report said former Secretary of State Colin Powell and aides to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice received the emails. The two served the Republican Bush administration. Classified information is considered too sensitive to be shared outside of top government officials. It is supposed to be kept under tight security.   Critics of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton point to her use of her personal email account. The new State Department report could help show that she was not alone in this use. Clinton has been forced to defend reports she received classified information via emails as secretary of state in the Obama administration. The State Department official, Steve Linick, who questioned the Clinton emails, also looked into Bush administration officials sharing classified emails. In his report, Linick said his office reviewed 19 emails sent to Powell and aides to Rice. He said State Department officials decided 12 of the 19 contain classified information. Powell said this in a statement: “I have received the messages and I do not see what makes them classified.” An aide to Rice told the Associated Press that Rice did not use emails as secretary of state. The aide said 10 emails now questioned by the State Department “contained no intelligence information.” John Podesta, chair of the Clinton campaign, said “Hillary Clinton agrees with her predecessors” that emails are being wrongly labeled as classified. I'm Bruce Alpert.   VOA News reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Share your views on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   classified – adj. kept secret from all but a few people in the government sensitive – adj. likely to cause people to become upset tight -- adj. strict, very close controls review – v. an act of carefully looking at or examining the quality or condition of something or someone predecessor – n. a person who had the same job before you

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Record Number of Jailed Americans Cleared of Crimes

Floyd Bledsoe walked out of prison last December after 16 years in jail. Bledsoe was freed after government lawyers in Kansas decided that a court’s 2000 ruling against him was a mistake. The court found him guilty of killing his sister-in-law. The U.S. National Registry of Exonerations says Bledsoe was one of 149 prisoners cleared of criminal charges last year. That is the largest number of exonerations ever, it reported this week. The registry is part of the University of Michigan Law School. “There is a growing awareness that false convictions are a substantial, widespread and tragic problem,” the report said.   More than two-thirds of those cleared last year had been jailed for killings or drug cases, the registry said. Five people were sentenced to death. Floyd Bledsoe was 23 years old when he was sentenced to life in prison in 2000. The court’s decision was based largely on statements made by his brother, according to the Midwest Innocence Project. The group worked for years to free Bledsoe. His brother, Tom Bledsoe, took his own life in November 2015. He left a note admitting he did the killing. Floyd Bledsoe’s lawyers said the note and genetic evidence helped win his release from prison. After he left jail, Bledsoe, now 39, asked the Kansas Legislature to abolish death sentences.  “We must stop the death penalty today,” he told legislators. “Tomorrow, it might be too late for one person.” I’m Bruce Alpert.   Chris Hannas reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this story 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   registry – n. a place that keeps records exoneration – n. to prove that someone is not guilty of a crime abolish – v. to end or cancel something

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Sierra Leone Releases 70 from Ebola Quarantine

Sierra Leone is releasing more than 70 people from quarantine after declaring them Ebola-free. World Health Organization (WHO) official Anders Nordstrom reported on Wednesday that they were kept under observation in the country’s north. The Associated Press news service reported his comments. All of the individuals were thought to be at risk of becoming infected with the disease. They were kept away from the rest of the population last month after two new cases of the Ebola virus were confirmed. They came in contact with a woman who died of Ebola. Doctors feared they might spread the disease to others. Ebola virus was formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It can affect many organs, damage blood vessels and affect the body’s ability to fight infection. The quarantine period for Ebola is 21 days. Doctor Nordstrom said the WHO is still looking for almost 50 other people who might have been exposed to the virus. He said 18 of those people are at high risk of infection. The WHO says it will continue to investigate all deaths in Sierra Leone until June to watch for new cases of Ebola. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed over 11,000 people since 2013. Sierra Leone lost 4,000 people to the virus before the country was declared Ebola-free last November. A public health spokesperson in Sierra Leone says his country will be able to control any new cases of the virus and prevent its spread. I’m Dan Friedell.   James Butty wrote this story for VOANews.com Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you think Sierra Leone will be able to find the remaining people who may have been exposed to Ebola? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hemorrhage – n. condition in which a person bleeds heavily and cannot stop the flow of blood quarantine – n. the period of time during which an infected person or animal is kept away from others to prevent a disease from spreading expose – v. to leave something unprotected or uncovered

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Islamic State Widow Shames IS Leaders

The wife of a dead Islamic State fighter has voiced rare criticism of the terror group’s leaders. The woman, who calls herself al-Muhajirah, posted a letter online. In the letter, she complained about the treatment of widows and families of dead fighters. The letter has been shared widely on pro-Islamic State social media sites. Public criticism of Islamic State leaders is rare. Critics face severe punishment, including beatings, torture and execution. The letter is titled, "A Reminder to the Leaders of the Islamic State." It was first posted on January 27 on JustPaste.it, says the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI. The Washington-based group monitors jihadist online activity. Anat Agron is a researcher at MEMRI. She says that such criticism is “almost never found in such a widely circulated document. In the past, IS members have publicly criticized aspects of life in the Islamic State, however, normally such posts were swiftly deleted.” Some men who have left the terror group also have recently criticized the poor treatment of widows of IS fighters. The men talked with researchers from the U.S.-based International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism. They discussed how widows were forced to marry other fighters soon after their husbands had been killed in battle. The men’s statements were published in the journal Perspectives on Terrorism in December. The article said the Islamic State leaders were not following the normal Sharia practice of having a woman wait before remarrying. The four-month, 10-day waiting period ensures that the woman is not pregnant by her former husband. The Sharia practice, called Iddah, is considered a woman’s right, and allows her time to grieve. In her online letter, widow al-Muhajirah tells IS leaders:  “Every wife of a martyr ... is under your care. ... Fear Allah in the way you cater for her needs. She is your responsibility and all her needs now rest on your shoulder. … This is your trust, she is under your care, so do not abandon her.” Observers say women are used as a form of currency by the Islamic State. Foreign and Syrian male recruits are told they will be given wives as well as homes and money. Observers say those promises can be a major reason for joining the Islamic State, especially for young men from poor communities in North Africa. I'm Ashley Thompson.   VOA correspondent Jamie Dettmer reported this story from Rome. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    widow - n. a woman whose husband has died torture - n. the act of causing severe physical pain as a form of punishment or as a way to force someone to do or say something​ abandon - v. to leave and never return to (someone who needs protection or help)​ currency - n. a specific kind of money​

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Why Does Saudi Arabia Consider Iran a Threat?

Tensions continue to grow between Saudi Arabia and Iran. As Iran rejoins the world community after reaching an agreement to limit its nuclear activities, some Saudis say Iran will threaten their country as it grows stronger. Tensions increased between the countries last month when Saudi Arabia executed a well-known Shi’ite Muslim religious leader. After the execution, protesters attacked Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran, the Iranian capital. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates either cancelled or limited diplomatic relations with Iran. The Iranian government condemned the attack. It said more than 100 people had been arrested. But some Saudis still place responsibility for the attack on Iranian leaders. Saudi Arabia and Iran have opposed each other for many years. Some experts say the tensions began more than 1,000 years ago, when the Muslim religion Islam split into Shi’ite and Sunni sects. Iran is the world’s most powerful Shi’ite-led nation. Saudi Arabia is the strongest Sunni-led country. There are also ethnic differences between the two countries: Saudis are Arab, and Iranians are Persian. The countries support opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Many Saudis say if the group supported by Iran wins in either country, it would threaten the kingdom militarily and psychologically. Iran supports the Syrian government in its war against rebels and Islamic State militants. Many experts say Iran supports Houthi rebels fighting Yemen’s government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia. Saudi experts say Iran’s actions in Syria and Yemen are an effort to create allies in the Middle East. Jamal Khashoggi is a well-known Saudi journalist. He notes that there are Shi’ite militias in Iraq. And Egypt is growing closer to Russia -- which also supports Syria. He says Iran is trying to control the Middle East in the same way that Germany tried to control Europe in World War II. Hamad al-Shehri is an adviser to the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs. He says Saudi Arabia believes its influence has declined over the past year as Iran has become more important. As Iran negotiated an agreement to limit its nuclear program in exchange for an end to economic sanctions, it promised to be less militant. Al-Sheri said Saudis were unhappy that during the negotiations, Western nations did not demand that Iran end its actions in Syria, Yemen and other conflicts in the area. “The United States are our allies,” he said. “We wanted them to send a clear message to the Iranians to stop their interfering and to stop supporting (the) smuggling (of) weapons to those militias.” He says Saudis are less worried about Iran building a nuclear weapon than about the threat of a war in the Middle East. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on Saudi Arabia to end what he called its “hostile policies” toward Iran. Saudis say Iran must change its policies before relations can improve. One Saudi expert says “good relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran…is good for the Muslim world. It is good for the Arab world.” I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.     VOA's Heather Murdock reported on this story from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted 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   psychological – adj. of or relating to the mind sect – n. a religious group that is a smaller part of a larger group and whose members all share similar beliefs; a religious or political group that is connected to a larger group but that has beliefs that differ greatly from those of the main group smuggle – v. to move (someone or something) from one country into another illegally and secretly  

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US Promises Billion in Aid for Syrian Refugees

Hours after talks to bring peace to Syria were stopped, the United States has promised almost $1 billion in aid for Syrian refugees. International donors met in London to talk about Syria’s political and humanitarian crisis. Fighting between the Syrian government, its opponents and Islamic militants continues. Refugees are fleeing the country by the thousands, most recently escaping fighting in the city of Aleppo. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the meeting was critical to helping solve the human crisis. He called on the Syrian government and its ally, Russia, to halt attacks so that aid could reach those who need it. The donors’ conference opened Thursday in London. The goal was $9 billion, but more than $10 billion was raised, said British Prime Minister David Cameron. Last year, donor nations agreed to raise $4.5 billion. The new amount is for support of people in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The neighbor countries are strained by a huge flow of people escaping the fighting. Cameron said life-saving aid is needed to support international efforts to help people. “If ever there was a moment to take a new approach to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, surely it is now,” he said. Migrant crisis Last year, 1 million people, largely from Syria, moved into Western Europe. Estimates say that will grow to 4 million this year. Some European countries have said they will take fewer asylum seekers than before. Geneva peace talks suspended The peace talks in Geneva were suspended Wednesday after opposition members said the Syrian government continued to battle Syrian rebels around Aleppo. A rights group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said 40,000 people fled the area this week alone. U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura said Wednesday that indirect talks could be suspended until as late as February 25. “It is not the end, and it is not the failure of the talks,” de Mistura told reporters. He said the Syrian government and the opposition remain “interested in having the political process started.” The opposition has demanded that Syrian and Russian governments end the airstrikes on civilians. It also wants barriers lifted on aid to areas held by rebels. And the group has demanded that Syria release thousands of detainees. The head of the opposition delegation said the group would not return to the talks “until we see positive steps” on these issues. I’m Dorothy Gundy.   Caty Weaver adapted this story from VOA news reports. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Post your message in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   host – v. to hold an event strain ­– v. to cause problems or trouble for (something) approach – n. a way of dealing with something : a way of doing or thinking about something envoy – n. a person who is sent by one government to represent it in dealing with another government positive – adj. good or useful

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