UN: More Female Genital Mutilation Than Thought

Millions more girls and women are victims of female genital mutilation than previously thought, said the United Nations (UN). UNICEF is the UN children’s agency. They said in a report released Thursday that at least 200 million girls and women alive today have had ritual cutting. The practice of cutting and stitching a female’s genitals is a cultural practice focused on modesty and chastity. Half of the victims live in just three countries – Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia. This is nearly 70 million more girls and women than estimated in 2014. New data was collected in Indonesia. The practice has been banned there since 2006. Somalia has the highest rate of women and girls who have been cut. It affects 98 percent of the female population between the ages of 15 and 49. Guinea, Djibouti and Sierra Leone also have very high rates. About 44 million victims of female genital mutilation around the world are aged 14 or younger. The majority of girls who have their genitals mutilated were cut before they were 5 years old, reported UNICEF.          “In Yemen, 85 percent of girls experienced the practice before their first week of life,” said the report. Hard to track UNICEF said exact numbers are hard to find. Few of the 30 countries where it is practiced keep reliable data on the procedure. Most rely on household surveys. The practice also exists in countries not in the study. This includes India, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, the practice happens in parts of Australia, North America and Europe, where immigrants from countries with a large number of female circumcisions live. The report said that total rates of female genital mutilation have fallen in the last three decades. But progress has been uneven. Countries that have seen sharp declines include Liberia, Burkina Faso and Kenya. The UN General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution in December 2012 calling for a ban on female genital mutilation. It is a centuries-old practice stemming from the belief that circumcising girls controls women’s sexuality and increases fertility. Last September, the UN set a goal of eliminating the practice by 2030. I’m Mary Gotschall.    Smita Nordwall reported on this story for VOANews.com. Mary Gotschall adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. 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   female genital mutilation – n. all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitals, or other injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons ritual – adj.  done as part of a ceremony or ritual modesty – n. the quality of behaving and especially dressing in ways that do not attract sexual attention chastity – n. the state of not having sex with anyone genitals – b. sexual organs mutilate – v.  to cause severe damage to (the body of a person or animal) circumcision – n.  the act of cuting off the clitoris or outer sexual organs of (a woman or girl)  unanimously – adv. agreed to by everyone resolution – n.  the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, problem, etc. : the act of resolving something sexuality – n.  the sexual habits and desires of a person fertility – n.  the state or condition of being fertile: the ability to produce young  

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Career and Fans 'Rise Up' for Singer Andra Day

Andra Day's life changed when Stevie Wonder called her on the telephone. The music superstar asked Day if he could work with her. That was almost six years ago. Stevie Wonder had heard about the singer from his wife at the time, Kai Millard Morris. She had discovered Day in a short video. It showed Day singing in front of a small shopping center in Malibu, California. Andra Day said her talk with Stevie Wonder inspired her. "I was so nervous,'' she said. "I kept saying to myself that he's just a regular person. But in the same breath, I was saying, 'He's a legend.' I felt like a meteor hit my house. It inspired me to keep pushing.'' A year later Wonder introduced Day to longtime producer Adrian Gurvitz. He signed her to his company, Buskin Records. Now her career is taking off. The 31-year-old singer is nominated for two Grammy Awards - best R&B album for her debut, "Cheers to the Fall,'' and best R&B performance for the single "Rise Up.'' Day and Grammy nominee Ellie Goulding will sing together at the awards ceremony. The Grammy Awards are on February 15. Until then, Day is preparing for her upcoming 35-city show tour. Everything seems to be falling into place for Day. "My prayers are being answered for my career,'' she said. "There's a reason I have this platform. There's a reason I have this gift. It's a blessing.'' Filmmaker Spike Lee saw Day perform last year at the Sundance Film Festival. She sang there during a Nina Simone tribute. After seeing Day’s performance, Lee offered to direct the music video for her first single, “Forever Mine.” This month, Day will appear on a Black History Month program on ESPN television. ESPN is featuring Day and her song "Rise Up'' as part of the network's Black History Month hour-long program. It airs February 14th. “Rise Up” will play during the special program, which honors black athletes. Day has also performed in commercials with Stevie Wonder and Serena Williams. Over the holidays, the Obama family asked Day to perform in two White House events, including the 2015 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Day said her album, “Cheers to the Fall,” is about her life. She said that includes a past relationship in which she wronged a friend. "I want people to ... not be afraid of their truth,'' Day said. “No matter how dark or precarious it may seem, continue to pursue your truth.” I’m Caty Weaver.   The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Have you heard “Rise Up” or seen a video of Andra Day performing the song? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story inspire – v. to make (someone) want to do something : to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create meteor – n. a piece of rock or metal that burns and glows brightly in the sky as it falls from outer space into the Earth's atmosphere legend – n. a famous or important person who is known for doing something extremely well sign – v. to hire (someone) to do something especially by having that person sign a contract take off – phrasal verb. to suddenly become successful or popular fall into place – expression  to become organized; when a situation becomes as it should be tour – n. a series of related performances or appearances that occur at different places over a period of time platform – n. something that allows someone to tell a large number of people about an idea, product, etc.

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Carnival and Mardi Gras Around the World

People all over the world enjoy one big celebration leading up to Lent, the most solemn part of the Christian calendar. Lent leads into Good Friday and Easter.

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Hillary Clinton's Campaign Email Goes Viral

This is What's Trending Today... The hashtag #ImNotKiddingMaddi is everywhere on social media this week. The hashtag comes from an email sent by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She is one of two candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. This week, Clinton lost to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary election in New Hampshire. After the loss, the Clinton campaign team sent an email to her supporters. The subject of the email was “I’m not kidding,” followed by the supporter’s name. “I’m not kidding” is another way of saying “I am being serious.” The email was asking her supporters to give any small amount of money to Clinton’s political campaign. One of her supporters, named Maddi, found humor in the message.In the email, her campaign team wrote, “I’m not kidding, Maddi, I’m asking you to give $1 right now.” Maddi published images of the email on social media. From there, people began making jokes about it on the Internet. Some compared Clinton’s email to the one dollar menu at McDonald’s restaurants. Although most people just joked about the hashtag, some on social media wrote that the e-mail and hashtag could end up hurting Hillary Clinton.  A now-famous Internet meme that compares the two Democratic presidential candidates also joined the #ImNotKiddingMaddi conversation. The “Bernie versus Hillary” meme gives mostly humorous opinions from both candidates about campaign issues. This week’s issue? “Maddi’s Dollar.” Under Sanders’ photograph are the words, “Maddi works very hard for her money and she’s entitled to donate to a candidate who will work for her.” Under Clinton’s photo, it just said: “I’m not kidding, Maddi.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I'm Ashley Thompson.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   kidding - v. to speak to (someone) in a way that is not serious : to say things that are not true to (someone) in a joking way humor -  n. a funny or amusing quality​ meme - n. a humorous image, video, or  text that is copied (often with small changes) and spread rapidly by Internet users​

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North Korea Ordered Military Takeover of Kaesong

North Korea has declared a military takeover of the Kaesong industrial area and called South Korea’s decision to suspend operations a “declaration of war.” North Korea said it was responding to South Korea’s decision to suspend operations at the jointly-run Kaesong industrial area. The North also froze South Korean assets and expelled South Koreans from the factory. South Korea suspended operations in response to North Korea launching a long-range missile Sunday. The North said the missile test was to put an “earth observation” satellite in orbit. But the United States, South Korea and other nations said the launch tested a missile able to carry a nuclear weapon. North Korea also tested a nuclear weapon in January. U.S. Senate approves sanctions bill In addition to South Korea’s move to close Kaesong, the United States Senate approved sanctions against the North after the missile launch. The sanctions target the North’s nuclear program and its poor human rights record. The economic sanctions are meant to reduce revenue going the government of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Republican Senator Bob Corker is the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said the bill would require the president to look at a number of issues related to North Korea. “The president will be required to investigate a wide range of sanctionable conduct, including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, arms-related materials, luxury goods, which affect the elite in that country, human rights abuses, activities undermining cybersecurity...” Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland said the bill penalizes Chinese and other groups that work with North Korea. Over the weekend, China joined other members of the UN Security Council to approve a statement condemning North Korea’s missile launch. The council pledged to quickly adopt a resolution with “significant” new sanctions against North Korea. So far, that has not happened. Kaesong an important symbol of Korean cooperation The suspension of the Kaesong industrial area will be costly for North Korea. James Kim is with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, based in Seoul. He said the suspension would cost North Korea about $100 million a year in lost income. He said the amount is considerable “for an economy that’s not that big.” The special industrial area was opened in 2004 as an economic link between the two Koreas. It is also a symbol of reconciliation between the two sides. Trade in the special zone has grown regularly over the years. However, operations at Kaesong have been suspended before. In 2013, North Korea withdrew its workers and closed down the area for five months. David Straub of Stanford University said it is unclear what impact the sanctions would have if the U.S. legislation is signed into law. He said the recent developments were not a surprise. He added that the decision to suspend work at more than 120 factories was difficult for South Korean President Park Geun-hye. He said the cost to South Korean companies that have invested in the project will be high. Since 2013, North Korea has pursued what has been called a Byunjin policy of developing the “economy and nuclear weapons.” North Korea considers both important for its independence. I’m Mario Ritter. Michael Bowman, Victor Beattie, the Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Mario Ritter wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   revenue – n. money made or paid to a business or organization penalize – v. to punish a person, group or country for breaking a rule rein in – v. to limit or control something reconciliation – n. the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after a disagreement responding - v. making a statement to answer something else assets - n. valuables, such as property and investments sanctions - n. measures threatening punishment for disobeying rules or laws pledged - v. promised

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Russia Offers Ceasefire Proposal for Syria

Russia is proposing talks about a ceasefire in Syria, but European diplomats have expressed concerns about the offer. The Europeans see the proposal as a way to delay agreement on how to end the Syrian civil war. They say the plan would give Russia time to continue intense airstrikes on Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country had offered a “quite specific” proposal. He spoke in Germany Thursday as he sat down for talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Russia and the United States are a part of the 17-country International Syria Support Group (ISSG). “We wait for the American response before we take it (the proposal) to the ISSG,” Lavrov said. Western media reports say Russia wants the ceasefire to take effect on March 1. That would be too late to stop a humanitarian crisis in and around Aleppo. In Washington, a U.S. government spokesman said the Obama administration wants an immediate truce. The Russian proposal comes while a Russian-supported Syrian government offensive and siege near Aleppo continues. The fighting and airstrikes have forced thousands of Syrians to flee toward the Turkish border. Aid groups say nearly 100,000 Syrians have fled from their homes in the past week. Kerry is also meeting with Syrian opposition leader Riyadh Hijab. On Wednesday, Hijab and other opposition representatives met with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and other officials in London. Talks between the Syrian government and opposition were suspended in early February. They were halted partly because of opposition concerns about the bombing campaign in Aleppo. I’m Anne Ball.   VOA State Department correspondent Pamela Dockins reported on this story. Jim Dresbach adapted her report for Learning English. Additional information for this story came from VOANews.com. George Grow was the editor. Do you think peace will come soon to Syria? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   siege – n. a situation in which soldiers or police officers surround a city or building in order to try to take control of it specific – adj. detailed

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Did a Meteorite Kill a Man in India?

It sounds like the opening act of a science fiction film. Indian officials say they believe a meteorite killed a man on Sunday in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. A local television station, NDTV, reported an Indian government minister as saying that a meteorite fell on the grounds of a private engineering college. This official said the space rock created a two-meter wide hole, or crater, on the college campus. The American space agency, NASA, was quick to react. It said that photographs of the crater seem to show a “land-based explosion” may have caused the damage. While the cause is unknown, debris from the blast killed a man standing nearby. Witnesses say the blast also shook buildings and broke windows. The head of the college told the Associated Press police recovered an object that investigators plan to test. The object is described as dark blue with jagged edges. It is reportedly small enough to be held in a closed hand. However, it is unknown if it came from space or could have fallen off a passing airplane. Officials have tested the crater for metals. They also plan to examine soil from the crater. The cause of the explosion is not yet known. However, what is known is that even native English speakers have trouble with the words meteor, meteoroid and meteorite. Meteor, meteoroid or meteorite? If you have ever seen a shooting star, you have seen a meteor. The science website Hubbel.com says a meteor is the flash of light we see in the sky when a small piece of “interplanetary debris burns up as it passes through our atmosphere.” "Meteor” means the burst of light caused by the debris, not the debris itself,” says the website. The debris is called a meteoroid. A meteoroid is interplanetary matter. It is smaller than a kilometer wide and can often be only a few millimeters in size. Most meteoroids that enter Earth's atmosphere are so small that they vaporize completely and never reach the surface. But, if any part of a meteoroid lands on Earth, it is called a meteorite. Most meteorites are very small. However, they can vary in size. They can be as small as a pebble or as big as a huge, life-destroying boulder. This recent incident in India comes nearly three years after a large meteor was seen streaking across the sky in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. The shock from the blast injured more than 1,000 people and caused extensive property damage. Collage of video footage of Chelyabinsk meteor streaking across the sky and the meteorite hitting Russia.    I’m Anna Matteo.   Have you ever seen a shooting star, or meteor, in the sky? Let us know in the Comments section. Or simply share your thoughts on this story. This story first appeared on VOANews.com. Anna Matteo adapted the story for Learning English. She used additional information from Hubble.com and other sources. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   crater – n. a large round hole in the ground made by the explosion of a bomb or by something falling from the sky debris – n. the pieces that are left after something has been destroyed; wreckage impact – v. to strike forcefully jagged – adj. having a sharply uneven edge or surface chunk – n. a large amount or part of something interplanetary – adj. situated or traveling between planets vaporize – v. to destroy by or as if by making into vapor boulder – n. a very large stone or rounded piece of rock streaking – v. to move quickly  

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English @ the Movies: 'Felt Like I Belonged'

Our English @ the Movies phrase today is "felt like I belonged." It is from the movie "Burnt," which stars Bradley Cooper. He plays a man with a passion for cooking. What does he mean when he says the kitchen is the only place that he has ever "felt like I belonged?" Let us watch.

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Past Unreal Conditionals

This week, we are going to talk about the past unreal conditional. Past unreal conditionals are often used to express wishes about the past. They often show regret, or sad feelings about something that happened in the past. Here's an example: If I had studied, I would have passed the test. In this example, there is an implied wish that the speaker had studied. A conditional sentence has two parts. The first part is the if clause: "If I had studied." The second part is the result clause: "I would have passed the test." To form the past unreal conditional, use the past perfect in the if clause. Use had followed by a past participle verb to form the past perfect. In the result clause, use would have followed by the past participle. Use past unreal conditionals to talk about how you would have acted differently if you had had more information. Basically, if I had known A, I would have done B. Imagine you brought chocolate for a co-worker. You didn't know it at the time, but your co-worker was diabetic. In this situation, you could say, "If I had known you were diabetic, I would not have brought chocolate." Some Americans use the simple past in the if clause of a past unreal conditional. For example, there's an old song called, "If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cake." In formal speech or writing the correct form is, "If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake." There is often a difference between how grammar is taught and how ordinary people use it in conversation. A conditional sentence can start with the if clause, or the result clause. In the classic American film It's a Wonderful Life, the main character George Bailey is thinking about killing himself. In a moment of sadness, George says that life would have been better if he had never been born. Listen to this dialog between George and his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence: So you still think killing yourself would make everyone feel happier? George: Well I don't know. I guess you're right. I supposed it would've been better if I'd never been born at all. Clarence: What did you say? George: I said I wish I had never been born. Notice how George puts the result clause first when he says, "I suppose it would have been better if I had never been born." George also shortens "would have" to "would've" and "I had" to "I'd." Native speakers often use contractions with the words "had" and "have." That means a past unreal conditional will often have two contractions in it — an extra challenge for English learners. Sometimes speakers want to express how something that did not happen in the past has an effect in the present. For example, "If I had been born in China, I would speak Chinese." Or "If had quit university, I would not have this job." These are called mixed conditionals. In a mixed conditional, the if clause remains in the past perfect. But the result clause changes to the simple present to emphasis the effect in the present. To emphasize a feeling of regret, add "only" to the if clause. Listen to this sad song by country singer Reba McEntire. "If I had only known it was the last walk in the rain, I'd keep you out for hours in the storm." This song is an example of a mixed conditional. The if clause "If I had only known it was the last walk in the rain" is in the past perfect. But the result clause, "I'd keep you out for hours in the storm" is in the simple present. The singer is emphasizing her present feelings about something that did not happen in the past. Past unreal conditionals are complex grammar structures. Make sure you have mastered the past perfect, the present perfect, and irregular verbs before studying advanced conditionals. For a simpler lesson on conditionals, see our previous episode of Everyday Grammar called "Introducing Conditionals." When you are ready, a good way to practice past unreal conditionals is to ask your English-speaking friends if they have any regrets. You could ask "If you could change something about your past, what would you change?" We'll leave you now with another song of regret by Brook Benton: Darling if I had known I'd miss you like I know since you've gone, things would have been different if only I had known I'm Adam Brock. And I'm Jill Robbins. Adam Brock wrote this story. Hai Do edited it for Learning English. Now it's your turn. Here's a conditional sentence you can apply. If you send us your mailing address in the comments, we will send you a 2016 VOA Calendar. We will not publish your address in the comments, of course. Feel free to add a comment, and we will publish that without the address. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   regret - v. to feel sad or sorry about (something that you did or did not do) imply - v .to express (something) in an indirect way or to suggest (something) without saying or showing it plainly past perfect - gram. the form of the verb that is used in referring to an action that was completed by a particular time in the past participle - gram. a form of a verb that is used to indicate a past or present action and that can also be used like an adjective guardian angel - n. an angel believed to watch and protect someone or a helpful or protective person REFERENCE – Past Unreal and Mixed Conditionals   If clause Result clause Past Unreal If I had studied, Past perfect I would have passed the test        Perfect conditional Would have + past  participle Mixed Conditional If I had studied harder at school, Past perfect I would have a better job now.    Would + simple present   ​

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annual (adjective)

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ASEAN-US Summit May Not See Major Results

United States President Barack Obama will host the leaders of the 10 ASEAN members next week in California. ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Its 10 member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Last year, ASEAN leaders created the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The aim is to increase trade, investment and economic ties among the 10 nations. ASEAN leaders will meet with President Obama at the 80-hectare Sunnylands estate in California. The estate was once the home of a billionaire publisher. President Obama hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping there in 2013. President Obama personally invited all the ASEAN leaders to Sunnylands when he attended the ASEAN summit last November in Malaysia. The summit participants will address key regional security and trade issues. They are also expected to discuss climate change and human trafficking. U.S. role in ASEAN Obama administration officials see ASEAN as a key part of America’s foreign policy focus on Asia and the Pacific. The U.S. also wants to increase its economic ties with the region. But observers do not expect any major results or developments from the meeting. Simon Tay is chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. He said that because 2016 is President Obama’s last year in office, he does not believe “a great deal of substance” will come from next week’s meeting. Observers expect a key topic at the meeting to be China’s growing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.  The Philippines and Vietnam are among the countries involved in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. Leaders from both countries want the United States to give them guarantees about security. But other ASEAN member countries do not want to anger Chinese leaders. That divide among member nations could also make it difficult for major developments to result from the meeting in California. Chin Leng Lim is an international law professor at Hong Kong University. He said ASEAN member countries do not agree on several major issues. Because of this, he says, the United States is “firmly in the driving seat of this summit.” In other words, the United States could have control of the meeting. Trans-Pacific Partnership A major topic among ASEAN nations is trade. Last week in New Zealand, 12 countries signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP trade agreement includes four ASEAN members: Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Two other ASEAN members, Indonesia and Thailand, could also soon join the TPP. ASEAN members have been talking with six other countries about forming another free trade agreement called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Those six countries are Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. Deborah Elms is executive director of the Asian Trade Center in Singapore. She says the signing of the TPP and the RCEP negotiations mean ASEAN is facing more competition. She says ASEAN should “take regional integration seriously” to remain globally important. ASEAN launched its own economic community, the AEC, at the beginning of the year. It creates a single market for goods, services, capital and labor. So far, it has not shown strong results. But its supporters say that it will reach its goal of being a single market and production base by the year 2020. The Asian Development Bank says it has “the potential to become one of the largest economies and markets in the world.” ASEAN nations have a population of over 626 million people, and an economy valued at $2.4 trillion. ASEAN represents the third-largest economy in Asia, behind China and India, and the seventh-largest economy in the world. I’m Mary Gotschall.                    Steve Herman reported on this story for VOANews.com. Mary Gotschall did additional reporting and adapted this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 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   host – v.  to entertain guests socially or as a job trafficking – n.  the act or business of illegally buying something and selling it especially in another country substance – n. the quality of being meaningful, useful, or important assertiveness – n. aggressiveness territorial – adj.  of or relating to land or water that is owned or controlled by a government in the driving seat – idiom. to be in control of a situation launch –v. to begin (something that requires much effort) integration – n. the act of making (a person or group) part of a larger group or organization launch – v.  to begin (something that requires much effort)

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