Russia Says It Will Withdraw From Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to withdraw from Syria, Russian state media report. The move comes on the same day that United Nations peace talks begin in Geneva, Switzerland. Putin told his defense and foreign ministers that the task of Russian forces in Syria had been fulfilled, according to Russian state-media. Putin said the withdrawal would begin March 15, but no time limit was given. A Russian government website said Putin spoke to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by telephone. It said they had agreed to withdraw the "main part" of the Russian air force group operating in Syria. The website said Russia would maintain a "post" for supporting aircraft that observe the ceasefire in Syria. However, a U.S. official told VOA that, so far, there is “no indication” Russian forces are getting ready to pull out of Syria. Peace talks begin Earlier, the U.N. diplomat for Syria warned that failed peace talks will result in an "even worse war than we had so far." U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura began a new round of peace talks Monday in Geneva. De Mistura said it is up to the people of Syria to decide their future, and the U.N. must help them. He said the U.N. plans to hold talks with each side for about 10 days. The next round of negotiations would start again in early April. The envoy said he believes this will map the peace process. De Mistura said, "By then, we believe that we should have at least a clear roadmap – I'm not saying an agreement, but a clear roadmap – because that is what Syria is expecting from all of us." He also stressed the need to maintain what is called a “cessation of hostilities,” or ceasefire. That ceasefire, now over two weeks long, has permitted humanitarian aid into areas of conflict. But serious questions remain about what each side will accept to stop the fighting. More than 270,000 people have been killed since the conflict began. Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes. Many have risked their lives to reach Europe, which now faces a crisis of handling the refugees. Syria firm on support for Assad Syria’s Foreign Minister has warned that the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not negotiable. However, the opposition and other critics, including the United States, say Assad must step down. De Mistura said Monday there is "much distance" between the opponents. World powers, including the U.S. and Russia, and Syrian neighbors, reached an agreement last year in Vienna. That has been the basis for these peace negotiations. That includes a call for a ceasefire and Syrians creating a roadmap for a new constitution, and elections overseen by the U.N. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry noted Sunday violence has been "hugely reduced" by 80 to 90 percent since the ceasefire started. But he accused the Syrian government of "clearly trying to disrupt” the peace talks. Kerry added that Assad's forces are the "single biggest violator" of the ceasefire. Rebel groups also have been accused of violating the agreement. Kerry spoke after talking with top British, French, German and Italian diplomats in Paris about the Syrian crisis. U.N. officials say the ceasefire has allowed U.N. and other agencies to deliver food, medicine and aid to 115,000 Syrian civilians. Those civilians have lived in areas under siege. They say last year, aid agencies were unable to reach any of these areas. But Kerry said he continues to be “deeply concerned” about the Syrian government stopping delivery of medical and surgical supplies. I'm Mario Ritter.   Chris Hannas reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted the report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think Russia will withdraw from Syria? What impact will that have on the region? Please leave a Comment and write to us on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   according - adv. as stated by or in envoy - n. diplomat; representative cessation –n. the stopping of some action disrupt –v. to interrupt or interfere with a process or activity siege –v. to surround a city or area and prevent supplies or other aid from entering

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Palestinian Wins Teaching Prize and $1 Million

A Palestinian teacher has won an international teaching prize, earning her $1 million dollars. Hanan Al-Hroub, a teacher from the West Bank, won the Global Teacher Prize on Sunday. Pope Francis announced the award in a video. He talked about the importance of education and teachers, especially for children who have seen violence. Pope Francis said teachers were "the builders of peace and unity." Al-Hroub told the Associated Press: “I feel amazing and I still can’t believe that the Pope said my name … For an Arab-Palestinian teacher to talk to the world today and to reach the highest peak in teaching could be an example for teachers around the world.” At the award ceremony in Dubai, Al-Hroub told the audience that "teachers could change the world." Al-Hroub, who grew up in a refugee camp, is a specialist in helping children who have witnessed violence. She teaches at an elementary school in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah in the West Bank. Al-Hroub says she became interested in teaching when her children saw a shooting on their way home from school. Helping her children recover from that experience made her think about how classrooms can help other children. Al-Hroub was among 10 finalists. The nine other finalists came from the United States, Pakistan, Kenya, Japan, India, Finland, Australia and Britain. Al-Hroub had the other finalists stand on stage with her after her speech. Given to one teacher every year, the Global Teacher Prize is an award that recognizes a teacher who has made a contribution to the teaching profession. The teacher must use new classroom practices and encourage others to become teachers. The Varkey Foundation gives the award. Its founder, Sunny Varkey, established the GEMS Education company, which has more than 80 schools around the world. Sunny Varkey said he hoped that Hanan Al-Hroub's story would "inspire those looking to enter the teaching profession." I'm Kathleen Struck. This story uses information from the BBC, Washington Post and Associated Press. John Russell adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think makes a great teacher? Write to us in the Comments section below and on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   finalist – n. a person who competes in the last part of a competition contribution – n. something that is done to cause something to happen founder – n. a person who creates or establishes something that is meant to last for a long time (such as a business or school)  

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March 14, 2016

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

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Blast Rocks Ankara

Dozens were killed and wounded in an explosion near the main square of Ankara on Sunday. At least 37 people were killed and 125 people were wounded and treated at hospitals around the Turkish capital. “Thirty people were killed on the spot and four others died in hospital,” said a member of Turkey’s health ministry. During the late night, three more people died at medical centers. The explosion took place near Kizilay square near foreign embassies and government buildings. It was the third bombing in the capital during the past six months. An Interior Ministry official said the blast was caused by a car bomb. The bomb was set off between buses to cause greater injuries and deaths, he said. Another government official in Turkey told the Associated Press that police said the attack was carried out by two bombers. Police think one of the bombers was a woman. Police suspect Kurdish militants. There has been no claim of responsibility for the violence. The attacks targeted the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. That news came from the state-run Turkish news agency. Nine F-16 and two F-4 jets raided 18 positions against PKK. Police also carried out raids in southern Turkey and detained suspected rebels. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the fight against terrorism will continue, and his country will defend itself from attacks. PKK has fought a 30-year guerrilla war against Turkey. PKK wants more autonomy for the Kurds in southeastern Turkey. The Islamic State group has been blamed for bombings in Turkey. IS was blamed for a suicide bombing at a peace rally in October. I’m Pete Musto. VOANews.com reported on this story. Jim Dresbach adapted the 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   dozen - n. a group of 12 people or things; large numbers of people or things square - n. an open place or area formed at the meeting of two or more streets on the spot - expression  at exactly the right time or place state-run - adj. operated by the government jet - n. a jet airplane rally – n. a protest ; a public meeting to support or oppose someone or something autonomy – n. the power or right of a country or group; to govern itself

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Al-Qaida Group Says It Attacked Ivory Coast Resort

  A militant group linked to al-Qaida terrorists said it attacked a vacation area in Ivory Coast on Sunday. Six attackers with weapons killed 14 civilians and two soldiers. Twenty-two people were wounded. SITE Intelligence is an organization that examines terrorist websites. It reported that an anti-government group in Algeria -- called al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM -- said its members carried out the attack. SITE said AQIM called three of the attackers “heroes.” Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara called the attackers cowards. He visited where the attacks took place, and said all the attackers were killed. Jean-Baptiste Beugré works at a hotel next to the attack area. He says he saw a gunman arrive. The attacker wore military clothing and carried a military weapon. He says the attacker shot people, including children and women. Witnesses said the gunmen looked young and carried many weapons. Marcel Gueï survived the attack. He said an attacker asked a man if he was going to a mosque, or Muslim religious center. The man said he was, and the gunman did not shoot him. When the gunman asked another man if he attended a mosque, the man said he did not. The gunman shot and killed him. Witnesses said militants walked to the beach of one of the three hotels that was attacked, called the Southern Star. The hotel was reportedly filled with people from other countries. The attack is the third deadly shooting in the past few months in West Africa. In November, gunmen attacked a hotel in Mali. In January, armed men attacked a hotel and a restaurant in Burkina Faso. Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has also claimed responsibility for those attacks. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Emilie Iob in Ivory Coast reported on this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise 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   vacation - n. a period of time that a person spends away from home, usually to rest or for travel coward - n. someone who is too frightened to do what is right mosque – n. a building that is used for Muslim religious services beach - n. a sand- or rock-covered area that is next to an ocean or lake  

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Happy National Napping Day!

  This is What’s Trending Today… In much of the United States, Sunday, March 13 marked the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. This meant many people lost one hour of sleep Saturday night.   To help them ease into the time change, some Americans celebrated National Napping Day on Monday. The hashtag #nationalnappingday trended worldwide on Twitter and Facebook. Social media users urged people to take a nap during the day. They said the rest will help you deal with the loss of one hour’s worth of sleep. Midday naps are common in some countries. There, long lunch breaks enable workers and students to rest after eating. The United States is not one of those countries. Many American workers take just a 30-minute lunch break. On National Napping Day, people on social media celebrated the health benefits of napping. Research shows the extra rest can help reduce day-to-day stress. Studies also show naps are also good for your heart, and can help you think clearly at work or school. Some people tweeted about taking naps when they probably shouldn’t have been, such as during a class or at work. And not surprisingly, some of the most popular National Napping Day posts were of animals sleeping. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. Are midday naps common in your country? Let us know in the Comments section and on our Facebook page! ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   nap - v. to sleep for a short period of time, especially during the day benefit - n. a good or helpful result or effect stress - n. a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life or work

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VOA English Newscast: 1400 UTC March 14, 2016

    From Washington, this is VOA News.... I’m Joe Palka reporting Bombing attack in Turkey kills 37… Turkey's military said its warplanes carried out 18 strikes Monday, targeting Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. The strikes, against the Kurdistan Workers Party, otherwise known as the PKK, came a day after a car bombing killed at least 37 people in Ankara.   There has been no claim of responsibility, and Turkish officials said they expected to announce the results of the investigation on Monday. Turkish forces have been carrying out an offensive against the PKK since July when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the fight would continue until every militant is defeated. In Ivory Coast, Sunday's deadly attack on beachgoers outside the commercial capital of Abidjan was the country's first real brush with terrorism. The attack killed 14 civilians and left 22 wounded. The government says two soldiers were also killed, as well as six attackers. Emilie Iob reports from the streets of Abidjan. “There is the usual hustle and bustle on the streets of Abidjan Monday, but the day is far from normal. Abidjan resident Yoan Gueï says “psychosis has set in, and is big.” He says “we are scared that maybe they could come to Abidjan.” One local headline calls it a “bloodbath.” Another simply reads “We are all Grand-Bassam.” The seaside town is just 50 kilometers outside Abidjan. Militant sect AQIM claimed the attack in a short message sent to a local Sahelian news site. For over a decade, AQIM has primarily operated farther north in the Sahara desert. But West Africa has been on alert following recent attacks on upscale hotels in Bamako and Ouagadougou. Emilie IOB for VOA News, Abidjan.” Of the 14 civilians killed, so far only two are confirmed to be from Ivory Coast.   This is VOA News. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast   warplanes – n. military airplanes otherwise – adv. in a different way; adj. not the same beachgoer – n. someone who often spends time at the beach or along the seaside commercial – adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services brush – n. a brief experience or event hustle and bustle – expression a large amount of activity, usually in a noisy environment psychosis – n. a very serious mental condition or disorder scared – adj. frightened headline – n. the subject written over a story in a newspaper or magazine bloodbath – n. a violent killing of many people sect – n. a religious group that is part of a larger organization decade – n. a period of 10 years alert – n. something that tells people about some danger or problem; a warning upscale – adj. a relating to people who have a lot of money We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. 

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South Sudan Soldiers Accused of Rape, Killing

The United Nations accuses South Sudanese soldiers and militias of using rape as a weapon against women. And Amnesty International says government forces suffocated men and boys in a shipping container to kill them. In its report, the U.N. Human Rights Office says the soldiers used a “scorched earth policy” against the civilian population. It calls the scale, or level, and type of sexual violence one of the most horrendous human rights situations in the world. Between April to September 2015, the U.N. recorded 1,300 reported rapes, just in the oil rich Unity State alone. The report says sexual assaults are carried out with extreme brutality. Girls and women of all ages are the victims of multiple, or more than one, gang rapes. Some women are then killed, while others are taken and held in sexual slavery as "wives” for soldiers in barracks, or military housing. Rupert Colville is a U.N. human rights spokesman. He tells VOA that youth militia with ties to the government are being allowed to rape women, instead of being paid wages. “It seems they are not being paid, that they are being given carte blanche to rape and to steal cattle. Basically those are the two, sort of, bits of war bounty they get — the women and the cattle. It is really an unbelievable picture and nothing   being done apparently by the government to stop it.” Colville warns that the rape, killing and pillage, will continue until people are punished for the crimes they commit. Colville says more than 2 million people have been forced from their homes since South Sudan’s civil war began in December 2013. In a separate report last Thursday, the human rights group Amnesty International accuses South Sudanese government forces of suffocating at least 60 men and boys in a shipping container last October. Amnesty International says government forces loaded them in a shipping container on the grounds of a former Catholic church in Leer town. Michelle Kagari is Amnesty’s deputy regional director for eastern Africa. “We have multiple witness accounts who could hear these people banging on the walls, shouting, screaming.” Witnesses told Amnesty that the containers did not have any air holes. Amnesty says evidence shows that government forces outside the container kept the detainees locked inside, even after some had died. Again, Michelle Kagari: “The act of leaving men in a container clearly in distress, having knowledge of their distress, having the ability to do something about that distress, and allowing the men to eventually die of suffocation, that act is a war crime, irrespective of the status of the people.” Amnesty International researchers went to the location where witnesses said the bodies were dumped. They were able to identify human remains. In an interview with VOA, South Sudan’s presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny denied government involvement in these crimes. “Our forces did not commit or did not kill any civilians in October,” he said. "However, we do condemn anyone who kills civilians in the strongest terms possible. But in this case, our forces did not commit any atrocities in Unity state.” The warring parties in South Sudan agreed to a peace agreement in August 2015. But fighting, killing, abductions, sexual violence and attacks on civilian property have continued to happen in parts of the country. I’m Anne Ball.   VOA’s Lisa Schlein wrote this story with help from Jill Craig.  Anne Ball adapted it for Learning English.  Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section and join us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   suffocate –v. to die because you cannot breathe “scorched earth policy” –n. the policy in warfare of removing or destroying everything that might be useful to the other side horrendous –adj. very bad or unpleasant, horrible brutality –n. cruel, harsh unusually violent treatment of another person prevalence –n. common or widespread carte blanche – phrase. permission to do something any way you want pillage –n. to take things from one place by force during war distress –n. unhappiness or pain  

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Growing Violence at Donald Trump Campaign Events

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he is a “uniter,” but the growing violence at his campaign events has led many to question whether Trump can unite his own party. His supporters and opponents have fought in the last few days. Some people have been arrested. At a Trump rally in North Carolina, one of his supporters punched a protestor who was being removed from the event. Another event planned for last Friday in Chicago was cancelled after a large group of protestors entered the building. On Saturday, a protestor was stopped before he could reach Trump on the stage in Ohio. At rallies in Missouri, protestors repeatedly interrupted Trump’s speech and were removed by security. Republican and Democratic opponents said Trump is responsible for the clashes at these events. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is Trump's leading Republican opponent. Cruz said that Trump’s campaign “encourages violence." And Ohio Governor John Kasich, another Republican candidate, added, “Donald Trump has created a toxic environment.” Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is another Republican candidate. He criticized Trump for calling on his supporters to attack anti-Trump demonstrators. Speaking with CNN, Rubio compared Trump to a third-world dictator and said Trump’s campaign “is really going to do damage to America.” Both Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders also criticized Trump for his words and actions. But Trump told CNN that people linked to the Sanders campaign caused the violence in Chicago Friday. Trump said he should be praised for cancelling the event. Sanders said some of his supporters had protested at the event. But he said his campaign did not organize the protests. All of the Republican candidates have promised to support the person who wins the party’s nomination at its convention in July. But in recent days both Rubio and Kasich have said they may not be able to do so if Trump is the nominee. Although Trump has won many party caucuses and primaries, he does not have enough delegates to win the nomination yet. Some experts say party officials may act during the convention to try to stop Trump from gaining the nomination.   VOANews.com reported this story from Washington. 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 visit our Facebook page. ​

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Everyday Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

Getting to Know Gerunds and Infinitives in Everyday Grammar.

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China Cut Pollution By Using Less Coal

Air pollution decreased in China in 2015 after it used less coal. Coal use fell almost 4 percent last year. By burning less coal, the Chinese cut carbon dioxide in the air by 2.5 percent. Carbon dioxide is a major part of air pollution, also called greenhouse gases. It is released into the air when coal is burned. “China is very serious about tackling air pollution,” said Lauri Myllyvirta of Greenpeace, an environment advocacy group. Twenty years of economic growth made China the world’s top producer of air pollution and greenhouse gases. The country has moved to hydro, nuclear and solar power and that has cut coal use. I’m Jim Dresbach.   Shannon Van Sant reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted the 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   carbon dioxide – n. a gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out or when certain fuels are burned and that is used by plants for energy tackling – v. to deal with something difficult greenhouse gas – n. a gas, like carbon dioxide, that absorbs infrared radiation and trap heat in the air

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