China Not Ready to Ease Market Control

China will not relax government control over the stock market, said a new securities regulator. Those controls include how stocks are offered for public sale. Official control over first-time stock offerings, known as initial public offerings (or IPOs) will continue. Government-supported trading will also continue. Liu Shiyu is the new chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (or CSRC). The CSRC is the government agency in charge of overseeing the country’s stock markets. Liu said recently that reforms in the IPO system will not take place soon. “Supporting the reforms will require a process and a period of time, and the reform of (the) registration-based IPO system can’t move ahead on its own,” Liu said. The reform would force the CSRC to give up vetting the plans of companies seeking to raise funds through IPOs. The plan would give companies that offer stocks to the public greater independence to set the IPO stock price. The information would be registered with the stock exchange. Government control over IPO vetting had led to serious corruption. least three senior regulatory officials are being investigated. They include Yao Gang. He is a CSRC vice chairman at the regulator in charge of IPO issues, who was placed under investigation for serious disciplinary violations. Two other officials dealing with IPOs, Li Liang, and Li Zhiling, have been detained for the same reason. Some experts say delays slow market reforms The decision to delay action by the CSRC will slow market reform. That is what Oliver Rui, a professor of finance and accounting at the China Europe International Business School, says. “I wish the government could change its mindset on governance and let the stock market run by itself. Frequent intervention from the government does not help,” he said. The new CSRC chief also said government-run organizations, which support the market during price drops, will continue to operate. There were no plans to stop them from playing their roles, Liu said. China makes no secret that it directly intervenes in the market to support stock prices if they fall too far. The government-run China Securities Finance Corporation Limited has played a major part in supporting the market. This was especially true after stock prices on China’s major exchanges sharply dropped in June 2015. The fund has invested in almost 600 publicly traded companies, according to Bloomberg data. Last month, an attempt to control market behavior by halting trading when prices fall too far did not work. The CSRC was forced to withdraw its rules. The government responded by replacing the group’s chief, Xiao Gang, with Liu. At least 700 Chinese companies have planned IPOs, but some of them might be delayed, sources said. Johnny Fang is an stock expert with Shanghai-based Z-Ben Advisors. He says there has been improvement in the way IPOs have been approved since the beginning of 2016. But, “the regulator still regards market stability as a top priority,” he said. I'm Mario Ritter.   Saibal Dasgupta reported on this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted the report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   vet – v. to investigate to see if something or someone should be approved for a position or certification priority – n. something that is more important than other things

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Suspect in Paris Bombings Captured Alive

This is a breaking news story. Audio for this report will follow shortly. Thank you for your patience.   The top suspect in the terror attacks in France in November 2015 has been arrested in Belgium. Reports say Salah Abdeslam was arrested by Belgian police during a raid Friday in Brussels. Abdeslam and another person were injured in the operation, said Molenbeek Mayor Francois Schepmans. Reports say Abdeslam was wounded in the leg. Belgian authorities found the suspect's fingerprints in an apartment earlier this week in another area of Brussels. Abdeslem has been the top target in an intense hunt. Officials have searched for suspects and militants who carried out the attacks that killed 130 people in Paris four months ago. Police say the attacks were, in part, prepared and coordinated in Brussels. Since mid-November, 11 people have been arrested and charged in Belgium in connection with the killings. Eight are still in detention.

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Man Admits Stealing Nude Celebrity Photos

A Pennsylvania man has admitted to stealing online nude photos and videos from female celebrities. Those television and movie stars include Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Kirsten Dunst and Kim Kardashian. Also Vanessa Hudgens, Rihanna, Lea Michele and Hillary Duff. This information comes from Variety, which covers the entertainment industry. The FBI said Ryan Collins, 36, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, admitted guilt this week to two criminal charges. Both charges are for illegal use of computers, the FBI said. The FBI’s announcement did not name the victims. But it said Collins obtained email and other private information from 122 people. Most are “female celebrities,” the FBI said. The case has been called “Celebgate.” The FBI said it has no evidence that Collins posted the nude photos and videos of female stars. Those images began appearing on the Internet in 2014. But the assistant director at the FBI’s Los Angeles, California, office said Collins still did major harm. “By illegally accessing intimate details of his victims' personal lives, Mr. Collins violated their privacy and left many to contend with lasting emotional distress, embarrassment and feelings of insecurity,” said Assistant Director David Bowdich. Bowdich said the FBI investigation is continuing. The FBI said this is how Collins operated: He would send the celebrities emails that appeared to be from Apple and Google. The emails asked for sign in and password information. Collins used this information to download entire Apple iCloud accounts, including photos and videos, the FBI said. Bowdich said the case shows the importance of not sharing personal information, such as email passwords. That goes for both stars and regular people, he said. Apple and Google do not send emails asking for personal information, he said. Federal prosecutors will recommend that Collins receive an 18-month prison sentence, according to a government press release. Prosecutor Eileen Decker said Collin’s victims have a right to make statements and attend all hearings in his case. The charges were announced in Los Angeles, California, where many of the victims lived. But the FBI said the case will be heard by a court in Pennsylvania, near Collins’ home. Collins is married and the father of two children, according to website  Lancasteronline.com. It said Collins worked in a sales job and as an art director, but recently showed interest in working as a chef. I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported this story for VOA 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. Tell us what you do to keep your personal information and photos private. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   celebrity – n. a well-known or famous person nude - adj. having no clothes on entertainment – adj. the act of amusing or entertaining people accessing – v. to obtain something intimate – adj. very personal or private embarrassment – n. something or someone that causes a person or group to look or feel foolish password – n. a secret series of numbers or letters that allows you to use a computer system download – v. the act of copying a computer file into another file or device prosecutor – n. a lawyer who represents the side in a court case that accuses a person of a crime and who tries to prove that the person is guilty chef – n. someone who cooks at a restaurant  

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Boko Haram Bombs Mosque in Nigeria

The suicide bombing attack of a mosque near Maiduguri, Nigeria, killed at least 22 people and wounded 17 Wednesday. The two bombers were female, according to the Associated Press. One detonated a bomb inside, reports said. The second bomber waited outside and exploded her bomb while those at prayer tried to escape. Sources say the blast took place early in the morning. Boko Haram, an African Islamic militant group, is known to use girls and women as suicide bombers, sometimes detonating the bombs remotely. One man escaped the destruction because he was late for prayer. Umar Usman saw what happened outside of the mosque. “We were just a few meters away from the mosque when a loud bang erupted,” he said. “All we could see was dark smoke and bodies littered around.” No group or person claimed responsibility for the violence. Maiduguri is seen as the birthplace of Boko Haram and a frontline for fighting the terror group. Boko Haram often stages attacks and suicide bombings in the area of Maiduguri. I’m Jonathan Evans.   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   mosque – n. an Islamic center; a building that is used for Muslim religious services detonate – v. to explode or to cause something to explode blast – n.  a powerful explosion littered – v. to cover with wastes or a large number of objects  

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Bus Bombing Kills 15 in Pakistan

A bomb exploded on a crowded bus Wednesday in the northwestern Pakistan town of Peshawar, killing 15 and injuring 30. Most of the victims were government employees. Video of the attack showed the explosion destroyed the bus. One eyewitness said: "The roof of the bus was completely blown off by the bomb. I saw many dead bodies and severely injured people being rushed to the hospital." A police investigation concluded the bomb was hidden under a seat in the bus.  An organization close to the Pakistani Taliban said it carried out the attack. The organization said the bombing was revenge for death sentences given to 13 of its fighters on Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera. The town of Peshawar has witnessed violence in the past. Bombings and shootings by the Pakistani Taliban have taken place there in the past months. I’m Jim Dresbach.   Ayaz Gul reported on this story for VOANews. Jim Dresbach adapted his report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you have political violence where you live? Tell us about it in the Comments Section and on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   eyewitness – n. a person who sees something happen and is able to describe it revenge – n. the act of doing something to hurt someone because that person did something that hurt you

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English @ the Movies: 'Party Foul'

The movie "Angry Birds" is an animated--or drawn--movie. It is funny. Our English @ the Movies phrase we are talking about is "party foul." Do you think that you know what that means? Listen and find out.

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Kurd Militants Claim Ankara Attack

A Kurdish militant group claimed responsibility for the suicide car bombing Sunday in Ankara that killed 37 people. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, or TAK, warned that more attacks are possible. TAK is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. The PKK has warred with the Turkish government since 1978. TAK said the attack was in response to ongoing military operations in southeast Turkey. Sunday’s car bomb exploded in a busy city square near foreign embassies and government buildings. It was the third bombing in the capital during the past six months. TAK also said it was responsible for a bombing in February. That attack in Ankara killed 29 people.   The BBC reported Germany closed its embassy in Ankara due to possible terror attacks.  The Germans also closed its consulate and a school in Istanbul on Thursday. I’m Jim Dresbach.   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   offshoot – n. something (such as a business) that develops from something larger consulate – n. the diplomatic office where a consul lives and works

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France Bans Stores from Trashing Unsold Food

  France has become the first country to ban supermarkets from throwing away unsold food. Legislators passed the law in February. The law requires supermarkets to donate unsold food to charities and food banks. If supermarkets do not obey the law, they face a $4,000 fine. The new law is part of France’s efforts to rethink consumption practices. Each year, France throws away about 7 million tons of food. That is one-fifth of the amount of food bought each year. Along with individual consumers, restaurants and stores add to the food waste.    Other European countries are also making efforts to reduce food waste. In Denmark, a new “waste” supermarket has opened, where customers can buy surplus - or leftover - food for cheaper prices. Arash Derambarsh is a municipal councilor in a Paris suburb. He started a petition for parliament to adopt the supermarket food waste law. “The situation is very simple,” he said. “On the one hand, we have supermarkets that throw away kilos of unsold food every day. On the other, faced with this absurdity, we have millions of poor people in France. Derambarsh published a book called Manifesto Against Waste. In the book, he wrote about time as a poor student barely able to pay for rent. “I was hungry and ashamed of admitting it. I wanted to turn it into a positive experience so others would not end up in this situation.” Derambarsh is now campaigning for the European Union to adopt similar supermarket waste laws. He is also urging the United States and other countries to adopt such measures, too. Reactions of charities Yet the reaction among some charities and supermarkets in France shows how complex the issue of food waste really is. Some people welcomed the new law. Louise Saint-Germain is president of a small non-governmental organization called, in English, A Hand Stretched Out For Tomorrow. She said the increase in donation in will allow her group to “feed more people and provide a more diversified food basket.” But others are worried the law will lead to more donations than they can handle. Aline Chassagnot manages a Salvation Army store. “We simply don’t have the technical and logistical ability to distribute more food to more people. And we’re not the only ones,” she said. Chassagnot said France needs to consider larger issues related to consumption and sharing. “Yes, there’s waste and there are enough poor people around,” she said. “But really taking into account a person’s needs and dignity might mean another way of thinking that’s not so simple.” Supermarket practices Many large supermarkets in France argue that the law doesn’t really change much. The director of one Carrefour supermarket in western Paris says her store has been donating unsold food to charities for years.  Nothing is wasted, the director said. In the kitchen, chefs put day-old bread products into syrup, then pour almond paste on them, turning them into new desserts. Rotten raspberries are picked out of unsold tubs, and the good ones are reused in tarts. And, food that is damaged or past its shelf life is turned into biofuel, the director added. The biofuel helps power supermarket trucks. But other French stores reportedly put bleach onto unsold food. That chemical makes the food inedible.    I’m Ashley Thompson.   Lisa Bryant reported this story for VOANews.com. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. What do you think of the new law? Please leave us a Comment and post on our Facebook page! _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   consumption - n. the use of something absurdity - n. the state of being unreasonable or foolish ashamed - adj. feeling shame or guilt logistical - adj. relating to organization and planning desserts - n. sweet food eaten after the main part of a meal tub -n. a wide container used to hold something tart - n. an open pie that usually has a sweet filling shelf life - n. the length of time that food may be stored and still be good to eat bleach - n. a strong chemical that is used to make something clean or white

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One-Third of Innovators in US Are Immigrants

More than one-third of U.S. innovators are born outside the U.S. Only 13.5 percent of all U.S. residents are immigrants. But a new report says 35 percent of residents with a doctorate degree, or Ph.D, in science and mathematics are immigrants. This shows that highly-educated immigrants could be one of the country’s most valuable resources. The report came from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (or ITIF) in February. The ITIF is an organization that studies how technology affects the world. Adam Nager is an economic policy analyst at the ITIF. He said, "U.S. innovation really depends on individuals born outside of the U.S." "These are scientists, engineers, people with really, really high education, who’ve made the choice to immigrate to the United States," Nager added. "[They] often [seek] the kind of research opportunities, the kind of entrepreneurial opportunities that are offered in the United States that might not have been available in their home country…they bring new ideas and new ways of thinking about things that we… need." Immigration has been a major issue for the campaigns of the 2016 presidential candidates. But the candidates have rarely talked about how high-skilled and low-skilled or illegal immigrants are different. The ITIF report does not examine the effects of low-skilled or illegal immigrants on the U.S. But Nager said the report does show "the value of bringing in the best and brightest engineers from around the world and the benefits that they bring to the U.S. economy." "The more of them we can get, the better," he said. The other two-thirds of American innovators are mostly white men, the reports shows. But that does not mean they are highly intelligent, young men who never finished college, like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. The ITIF found the average age of these innovators is 47. Also, most of them have at least one advanced degree. To collect information for the report, the ITIF spoke with almost 1,000 people. All of those people have won national awards for inventions or are working towards international patents on their ideas. These inventions and ideas are all in the fields of information technology, life or material sciences and advanced technology. The results of the report are a topic of interest for the White House. The White House has honored 11 immigrant innovators so far. Additionally, President Barack Obama spoke about the importance of innovation in his final "State of the Union" speech in January. President Obama also spoke at a conference at SXSW, or South by Southwest, in Austin, Texas earlier in March. The conference was part of an event that mixes live music and displays by several technology companies. Researchers working on the report expected to find few female and U.S.-born minority innovators. But researchers were surprised at how low those numbers were. Only 12 percent of U.S. innovators are women. Just 8 percent of innovators are Asians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and other minorities born in the U.S. In the U.S., 32 percent of the whole population are minorities. "We have this [large] untapped labor pool in African-Americans, in Hispanics and in women… who really aren’t tapped at all for creating these types of innovative, marketable products," Nager said. "There's nothing about white males… that would make them [naturally] any better at innovating than any other group, so if we’re looking to grow the pool of innovators in the future, definitely, greater inclusion among women and minorities is the way to get there." I’m Pete Musto.   Dora Mekouar wrote this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise and Pete Musto adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   innovator(s) – n.  someone who does something in a new way resident(s) – n. someone who lives in a particular place doctorate degree – n. the highest degree that is given by a university analyst – n. a person who studies or analyzes something opportunities – n. amounts of time or a situation in which something can be done entrepreneurial – adj. part of starting a business and in a way that means you are willing to risk loss in order to make money benefit(s) – n. a good or helpful result or effect advanced degree – n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor's degree invention(s) – n. a useful new device or process patent(s) – n. an official document that gives a person or company the right to be the only one that makes or sells a product for a certain period of time untapped – adj. available but not used pool – n. a supply of things or people that are available for use

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The Story of the Double Negative

In this week’s episode of Everyday Grammar, we’re going to talk about two common types of double negatives. A double negative is when you use two negative words in the same clause of a sentence. Let’s take a real-world example. In 2012, President Obama spoke at United Nations about the Iran nuclear issue. “America wants to resolve this issue through diplomacy, and we believe that there is still time and space to do so. But that time is not unlimited.” What did the president mean when he said “not unlimited?” Mr. Obama’s double negative statement confused many people. English teachers do not like double negatives because they can be confusing and illogical. Starting in elementary school, teachers tell students to avoid them. But many native English speakers still use double negatives. There are two types of double negatives. The first kind of double negative is when two negative words form a positive statement. When President Obama said, “Time is not unlimited,” the negative “not” and the negative prefix “un” cancel each other out. What Mr. Obama meant is that time is limited for Iran. Politicians, lawyers and diplomats sometimes use this type of double negative in sensitive situations. The second type of double negative is when two negatives form a stronger negative. For example, “I don’t know nothing.” When you place a verb between two negative words, the result is usually a stronger negative. But, if you told an English teacher, “I don’t know nothing,” the teacher would probably correct you with, “I don’t know anything.” This kind of double negative is taboo in professional and academic situations. Some people see it as a sign of being poorly educated. But English speakers have been using double negatives for centuries. The first English translation of the Bible by King James used double negatives. William Shakespeare even used a triple negative in his play Richard III. Shakespeare wrote, “I never was nor never will be.” Was Shakespeare wrong? It was Robert Lowth who decided the double negative had no place in English grammar. Robert Lowth was a leader in the Church of England. In 1762, he wrote a book called A Short Introduction to English Grammar. Mr. Lowth proposed many restrictions on English grammar, many of them inspired by Latin. Over the years, his rules became the standard for teaching grammar all over the English-speaking world. But the double negative is alive and well, especially in informal speech. In fact, some of the richness of the English language comes from ignoring the rules. Listen for the double negative in the song “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. "I can’t get no satisfaction I can’t get no satisfaction ‘Cause I try and I try…" Would the song have the same effect if Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger had said, “I cannot get any satisfaction?” And surely Robert Lowth would not approve of pop star Rihanna’s use of the double negative in her song called “Numb.” “I don’t care, can’t tell me nothing ...” The double negative is just one example of the difference between how English is taught in school and how it is sometimes spoken. So next time you get frustrated with English grammar, don’t blame your teacher. Blame Robert Lowth. I’m Jonathan Evans. Adam Brock wrote and produced this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Reference Double Negative Type 1: Negative + negative = weak positive Examples: She is not incorrect. (She IS correct) The plan is not without risk. (The plan HAS risk) Time is not unlimited. (Time IS limited) TIP: This type of negative is grammatically acceptable, but should be avoided. It is used when the speakers want to be indirect and avoid offending someone. Double Negative Type 2: Negative + verb + negative = strong negative        Examples:        I haven’t seen nobody. (I haven’t seen anybody.)        I can’t get no satisfaction. (I can’t get any satisfaction.)        Don’t tell me nothing. (Don’t tell me anything.) TIP: This type of double negative is sometimes used in informal spoken English. One should avoid using it in academic and professional situations —especially in TOEFL, IELTS, college or job application letters. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   double negative – n. a grammatical construction in which two negative words are used in the same clause to express a single negation. clause – n.  a part of a sentence that has its own subject and verb illogical – adj. not showing good judgment : not thinking about things in a reasonable or sensible way : not logical taboo – n. not acceptable to do William Shakespeare – n. English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. propose – v. to suggest (something, such as a plan or theory) to a person or group of people to consider inspire – v. having a particular cause or influence informal – adj. relaxed in tone : not suited for serious or official speech and writing

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VOA English Newscast: 1400 UTC March 17, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News.      I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. The number of people killed in airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition on a market in northern Yemen’s Hajja province Tuesday has risen to 119, according to a U.N. agency. The strikes saw 119 killed, including up to 22 children, and 47 injured, according to the UNICEF children agency in a statement. Meanwhile, local health officials had previously reported 41 people killed. EU leaders are expected to seal a final deal with Turkey on migrants at a two-day summit in Brussels Thursday and Friday. On the agenda is a controversial plan to send tens of thousands of migrants back to Turkey to relieve the strain on resources of countries on the eastern edge of the European Union. For every undocumented migrant that Turkey accepts, the EU says it will accept one Syrian refugee from Turkey. The EU says it will take up to a total of about 70,000 refugees, who will be resettled in Europe in a process overseen by the United Nations refugee agency. Two Palestinians stabbed an Israeli soldier near a group of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank Thursday before being shot dead. That is according to the army. The incident occurred at the Ariel junction in the West Bank. The female soldier was being taken to hospital, while the two assailants were shot by forces at the scene. South Africa's sports minister has denied Thursday that bribes were paid to win the right to host the 2010 World Cup. It comes as FIFA seeks to claw back money from officials facing graft charges in the United States. Football's world governing body this week issued a wide-ranging acknowledgement of what it called "brazen corruption." VOA News. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast province – n. a large area that some countries are divided into according– adv. as stated by or in; in keeping with meanwhile – adv. at or during the same time previously – adv. something done at an earlier time migrants – n. people who go from one place to another, especially to find work summit – n. a conference or meeting of leaders agenda – n. a list of things to be done or considered controversial – adj. relating to or causing a lot of discussion or disagreement relieve – v. reduce strain – n. pressure resources – n. a supply of something; a thing or place that process useful resettled – v. setting or causing to settle in a different place overseen – v. watched and/or directed occurred – v. happened; took place junction – n. a place where two things join assailants – n. attackers scene – n. the place or an event or action bribes – n. something valuable that is given in order to get someone to do something host – v. hold claw back – v. to recover something graft – adj. of or relating to corruption wide-ranging – adj. an covering a wide area acknowledgement – n. something done or given in recognition of something received brazen – adj. done in an open and shocking way We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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