VOA English Newscast: 1400 UTC March 30, 2016

  From Washington, this is VOA News.      I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. Htin Kyaw, a trusted friend of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, took over as Myanmar's president Wednesday after decades of military rule. In a day full of ceremony and symbolism, Htin Kyaw was sworn-in, along with his two vice presidents and an 18-member Cabinet.  The new president spoke after the ceremony.  He says "The new government will implement our democratic constitution, and our constitution will promote national reconciliation and internal peace, adding that it will support the creation of a democratic federal union, and bring better lives to the people." You could hear more details on that ceremony at voanews.com. UN chief Ban Ki-moon Wednesday called for greater global efforts to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis, as he opened a conference on securing resettlement places for nearly half a million of those displaced by the five-year conflict. “We are facing the biggest refugee displacement crisis of our time. The world must rise to the challenge. Providing hope means providing pathways for a better future.” Ban also told journalists after his speech that "attempts to demonize people fleeing conflict are not only demeaning, offensive and counter-productive, and are factually wrong," Meanwhile, Syrian security forces are clearing mines and disarming other explosives left scattered around by the Islamic State group in Palmyra. This Syrian soldier says the roads have been set to cause great damage. He says "The terrorist organization has booby-trapped the entire area with wires and a power circuit in order to blow those up and to destroy the town with its residents."   This is VOA News. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast   laureate – n. someone who has won a major prize or work in an art or science took over – v. take control decade – n. a period of 10 years symbolism – n. the use of images or signs to express or represent ideas or qualities implement – v. carry out promote – v. to begin to do or use something reconciliation – n. the act of making two people or groups become friendly again after a disagreement global – adj. involving the whole world tackle – v. deal with challenge – n. a difficult problem or issue journalist – n. a news media worker or reporter demonize – v. to describe someone as evil or threatening demeaning – adj. causing someone to lose their respect of others counter-productive – adj. having the opposite of the desired effect meanwhile – adv. at the same time scattered – v. moving in different directions booby-trapped – v. to set up like a bomb that explodes when the object connected to it is touched or moved circuit – n. the path on which an electric current travels resident – n. a person who lives in a set place   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Trending Today: #BirdieSanders

This is What’s Trending Today... Last Friday, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders held a rally in the state of Oregon. During the event, an unexpected guest joined the Vermont senator on stage: a bird.  The tiny bird flew around Sanders. Then, it landed on the podium where Sanders was speaking. Sanders and the bird, a house finch, stared at one another for several moments. Smiling, Sanders told the crowd he believed the bird’s presence was symbolic. "I know it doesn't look like it, but that bird is really a dove asking us for world peace."   The crowd went wild. And so did the Internet. The play-on-words hashtag #BirdieSanders soon trended. Five days later, the hashtag is still a trending topic on social media. People quickly called it, the most “heartwarming moment” of the 2016 presidential election. Indeed, in an election season dominated by insults and negative campaigning, the sweet moment between Sanders and the tiny bird was a welcome change. Social media users enjoyed artwork and graphics inspired by the event. Some graphics even showed Sanders as a bird himself. ​ Senator Sanders tweeted a drawing of him and the bird looking at one another, with the word “together.” The Late Show host Stephen Colbert joked about the viral event on his show Monday night. Colbert suggested the Birdie Sanders moment helped the senator win caucusus in three states over the weekend: Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska. Then he joked, “"What are the odds that a bird would be attracted to an old man who looks like he has bread in his pockets?" And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   podium - n.  a stand with a slanted surface that holds a book, notes, etc., for someone who is reading, speaking, or teaching heartwarming - adj. causing pleasant feelings of happiness odds - n. the possibility that something will happen attracted - v. to cause (someone) to like or be interested in something pocket - n.  a usually small cloth bag that is sewn into a piece of clothing, and that is open at the top or side so that you can put things into it ​

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Drug Traffickers Dig Tunnel Into US

The United States and Mexico announced they discovered a long tunnel used to smuggle drugs into the U.S. They said the tunnel began in a restaurant in Mexicali, Mexico and ended about 365 meters away in a new, three-bedroom home in Calexico, California. Calexico is a small city about 193 kilometers east of San Diego. About 40,000 people live there. American officials say drug traffickers bought land in Calexico for $240,000 in April 2015. They spent $86,000 to build the house, which was completed in December. The announcement about the tunnel was made after police arrested four people in the U.S. and two in Mexico. Two women were arrested in Arizona, including a person who reportedly bought the property in Calexico.  Police seized 1,350 pounds of marijuana in West Covina, near Los Angeles. Officials say the traffickers began smuggling illegal drugs through the tunnel February 28. Officials say they began watching the criminals when they started using the tunnel. Laura Duffy is the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California. She said “this house and this tunnel were constructed under the watchful eye of law enforcement. For the builders, the financiers and the operators of these passageways, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. We will seize your drugs and your tunnel before you even have a chance to use it.” Officials say this is the first time they have discovered a completed tunnel in Calexico in 10 years. They say drug gangs usually do not build tunnels into the city because the soil is hard.  Officials say the drug gangs prefer to dig tunnels near San Diego. The clay-like soil there is easier to dig. And the area is near the Mexico border and has many large storage buildings where drug gangs can store drugs. More than 75 tunnels have been found in the past five years, mostly in California and Arizona. Many of them were not complete. The tunnel between Mexicali and Calexico was the 12th completed tunnel that American anti-drug agents have found along California’s border with Mexico since 2006.  Officials say the Sinaloa drug group in Mexico has for many years controlled drug trafficking along the border of California’s Imperial Valley. Long, well-built roads, called interstate freeways, let the traffickers easily transport drugs from the Valley to Los Angeles, California and Phoenix, Arizona. The drug group has been led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. He escaped from a prison in Mexico through a tunnel in July. He was recaptured in January. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted this story in VOA Learning English from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters news agencies. 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   tunnel - n. an underground passageway smuggle - v. to illegally transport drugs or people drug traffickers - n. criminals who transport illegal drugs financier - n. a person or group that provides money for projects light at the end of the tunnel - expression ​hope of success, happiness or help after a long period of difficulty; sign of improvement in a situation that has been bad for a long time prefer - v. to like (someone or something) better than someone or something else clay - n. heavy, sticky dirt or earth   

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March 29, 2016

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

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Widow of Russian Spy Fights for Justice

  The widow of a murdered Russian spy continues to try to bring her husband’s killers to justice. Marina Litvinenko is the widow of Alexander Litvinenko. She spoke at the VOA offices this month. Ms. Litvinenko displayed a thick document showing that a British court said the death of her husband was murder. The court said the murder was probably ordered by Russia’s top leaders. Alexander Litvinenko was an intelligence agent of the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB. He was granted asylum in Britain in 2000. He became a well-known critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was said to have started working with British intelligence officials, providing details of Russia’s organized crime networks and of President Putin himself. On November 1, 2006, Litvinenko had tea at a London hotel with two men from the FSB, Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitri Kovtun. Litvinenko’s cup of tea contained Polonium 210, a radioactive element that can only be made in a nuclear reactor. Litvinenko died 23 days later. Shortly before he died, Litvinenko accused President Putin of killing him.   In the nearly 10 years since his death, his widow, Marina, has worked to prove that the Kremlin killed her husband. She said she considers the recent ruling by the British court a step in uncovering the mysterious deaths of other Russian dissidents. “But this one now is a proof. We have this in a verdict about Russian State involvement ...”   The British court’s verdict came in January. Investigator Robert Owen led the British Court of Inquiry. The court issued a report that connected Lugovoy, Kovtun and, by extension, Vladimir Putin with Litinenko's assassination. Robert Owen concluded that all the evidence suggests Livinenko’s murder was an FSB operation. The operation was approved at the highest level of the Kremlin. “I have further concluded that the FSB operation to kill Mr. Litvinenko was probably approved by Mr. Patrushev, then head of the FSB, and also by President Putin.” Marina Litvinenko said she is pleased with the verdict. But she is not giving up her effort to bring her husband’s killers to justice. She came to Washington this month to meet with government officials, foreign policy experts and journalists. During her visit to VOA, she said she was outraged that those who killed her husband for political reasons have escaped punishment. Instead, they have been protected and rewarded, she said.  “These people committed a very serious crime. And Lugovoy was not even punished for this crime. He was granted. He is a member of Russian parliament. He became a politician straight after.” Russian officials have strongly denied any state involvement in the assassination. Russia’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Alexander Yakovenko, read a statement to reporters, rejecting the charges. “We view it as an attempt to put additional pressure on Russia in connection with existing differences over a number of international issues. For us, it’s absolutely unacceptable that the report concludes that the Russian state was in any way involved in the death of Mr. Litvinenko on the British soil.”  Marina Litvinenko said she doubts that those named by the British Court of Inquiry will be prosecuted for her husband’s death anytime soon. But she promised to continue her protest. She said she hopes her efforts highlight what she says is the continuing operation of Kremlin-sponsored killing groups in foreign cities. She discussed at VOA the mysterious death of Litvinenko’s mentor, Boris Berezovsky, who was found hanged in his bathroom in 2014. He strongly opposed Putin. She also mentioned the death of financier Mikhail Lesin, who was beaten to death last November while in Washington. “Of course, when very high profile people as Lesin and Boris Berezovsky died, it is difficult to believe it was just natural causes...” Litvinenko also said she believes the work done by Owen and the British court on her husband’s death will help in the investigation of the deaths of Berezovsky, Lesin and other Russian dissidents abroad. I’m Ashley Thompson.    Pete Heinlein wrote this report for VOA News. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    widow - n. a woman whose husband has died display - v. to put (something) where people can see it Kremlin - n. the government of Russia and the former Soviet Union verdict - n. the decision made by a jury in a trial outraged - v. to be extremely angry highlight - v. to make or try to make people notice or be aware of (someone or something)​ sponsor - v. to provide money or support for a project or activity  

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Women More Religious Than Men

Women are more religious than men. That is the finding of a new report by the Pew Research Center. Worldwide, 83 percent of women say they identify with a religion, compared to 79 percent of men, according to Pew. Pew found the biggest gender gap in daily prayer. Pew found 61 percent of women say they pray daily, compared to 51 percent of men. David Voas is head of the Department of Social Science at University College London, United Kingdom. He said prayer is often done in private, making it a good measure of how important religion is to people. “The frequency of prayer may be the purest sign of religious commitment, which means that, arguably, it’s the best yardstick to use in comparing men and women,’’ he told Pew. Pew completed its study of religious differences between men and women by exploring research in 84 nations. The research was done between 2008 and 2015. Pew said the stronger religious beliefs by women stand out – given history’s most important religious leaders are mostly men. That includes Jesus, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses, Siddhartha and Gautama. And in some religions, such as for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Jews, only men are allowed to hold clergy positions. Among Christians, women attend services more often than men. But that is not the case with Muslims and Orthodox Jews, Pew said. Among those religions, men are more likely to attend services. Pew said this is because Muslims and Orthodox Jews give more weight to men’s participation in worship services. Some Muslim mosques and Orthodox synagogues separate men and women. In some cases, women are limited to the back or a balcony area. There is general acceptance by both women and men about some religious beliefs. For example, 91 percent of women and 89 percent of men said they believe in heaven. Seventy-eight percent of women and 76 percent of men said they believe in hell, Pew said. Pew found that women who work outside the home are less likely to be religious than women who work at home. Voas of University College in London said researchers disagree on whether women who work outside the home are less religious. If it is true, he offers two possible reasons. “Maybe paid employment crowds out time for religious involvement, or perhaps being exposed to different values and world views tends to undermine religious commitment,” he said. Not only do women tend to be more religious than men, but Pew found men are also more likely to be atheists. An atheist does not believe God exists. In Uruguay, the United States, Germany and Spain, more than 60 percent of people who describe themselves as atheists are men, Pew said. An exception is France. A slightly higher percentage of people who say they are atheists are women – 51 percent vs. 49 percent. I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. How do you feel about belief and religion? Men and women and religion? Write to us in the Comments section or share your views on our Facebook Page.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   gender gap – n. differences in views between men and women frequency – n. happening often yardstick – n. measurement of something prioritize – v. to organize things so that the most important thing is done or dealt with first heaven – n. the place where God lives and where good people go after they die according to some religions hell – n. the place where the devil lives and where evil people go after they die according to some religions involvement – n. having a connection to something or someone exposed – v. to be informed of something undermine – v. to make someone or something weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way  

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EgyptAir Plane Hijacked to Cyprus

[This is a breaking news story. Audio will follow later. Thank you for your patience.] An EgyptAir plane was hijacked, or held by terrorists, Tuesday morning and forced to land in Cyprus, said Egyptian officials. The plane was set for the short flight from Alexandria to Cairo, about 180 kilometers away. It landed instead at Larnaca airport in Cyprus, about 540 kilometers northeast.  The man or men who held the plane and crew, or hijackers, said they would blow the plane up, officials said. It was unclear how many passengers were aboard, or on EgyptAir flight 181. EgyptAir said that in Cyprus, the hijackers released all but four passengers and the crew. The four were described as not Egyptian. The New York Times said video showed passengers walking down the plane stairs to a bus on the tarmac at Larnaca International Airport. Cyprus public television reported that the hijacker was a 27-year-old Egyptian. He asked for political asylum, the newspaper said. EgyptAir, released information on its Twitter account. The pilot said a passenger wearing a belt of explosives forced him to land in Larnaca, Reuters reported. It was not known if other hijackers on board. In October 2015, a Russian airplane crashed after leaving Sharm el Sheikh, a beach resort on the Red Sea. All 224 onboard died. A terrorist bomb was suspected, officials said.    VOA News, the New York Times and the Associated Press reported this story. Kathleen Struck adapted it for VOA Learning English. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hijack -- n. to take, hold or seize something without permission explosives -- n. materials that create a release of energy with great force

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March 28, 2016

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

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VOA English Newscast: 2100 UTC March 28, 2016

  From Washington, this is VOA news… I’m Dave DeForest reporting Pakistan searches for bombers Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to intensify counter-terrorism operations in the wake of Sunday's suicide bombing in Lahore. At least 72 people were killed and 300 were wounded in the Easter Sunday blast, which targeted Christians at a crowded park. A military spokesman said Monday security agencies have conducted several operations based on initial leads and have arrested a number of suspects. A man widely reported to be a main suspect in last week's Brussels terrorist attacks has been released due to a lack of evidence. Belgium's federal prosecutor said Monday authorities had no justification to hold the man, identified only as Faycal C.  Syria's army says the recapture of Palmyra will be a launching point for expanded operations against the Islamic State group.  Backed by Russian airstrikes, pro-government forces reclaimed control of Palmyra after a 10-month Islamic State occupation.   The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the offensive left 400 militants dead along with more than 180 pro-government fighters.  President Bashar al-Assad hailed it as an "important achievement.” An Angolan court Monday sentenced 17 young activists to from two to eight years in jail for rebelling against the government of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. One of those sentenced is a well-known rap singer. The sentence followed a lengthy trial seen by Angola's political opposition as an example of government repression of dissent. The activists were arrested in June after a public reading of a book described as a "blueprint for non-violent resistance."  This is VOA News. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast Wake –n. the after effect, what remains after something has happened Prosecutor –n. a lawyer who represents the government’s case against a defendant Achievement –n. something that is done, or a goal that is reached through effort and work

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Are Teenagers Mature Enough to Vote?

In Ohio’s presidential primary recently, 17-year-olds were permitted to vote. That’s unusual because the voting age in the United States is 18. But during this election campaign, some people want to change the voting rules. In Ohio, a judge ruled that 17-year-olds who turn 18 before the November 8 general election can vote.    Several groups, including Generation Citizen, want local governments to permit all 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. Generation Citizen argues that lowering the voting age will increase interest in government and politics. “A lower voting age would involve parents, teachers, and community members in the process of learning to vote, and ultimately voting themselves, raising adult voter turnout,” said Oliver York, age 16. He is a junior at a San Francisco high school and working with Generation Citizen’s “Vote 16 USA Campaign.” Arguments against lowering the voting age include: 16- and 17-year-olds are not mature enough and would vote the way their parents do. Here is what one person wrote on the website debate.org: “It’s simply the fact that people at 16-17-years-old don't have the emotional or mental maturity of someone 20-years-old. Their minds are still crazed with the chemicals of being a teenager.” Professor Daniel Hart of Rutgers University has studied the arguments on both sides of the voting-age issue. He found knowledge of 16- or 17-year-olds about government is about the same as for 18- and 19-year olds. There is fall off for 15-year-olds, he said. A University of Edinburgh study found many 16- and 17-year-olds do not vote like their parents. The study reported that 40 percent of these younger voters did not vote the same way as mom and dad in Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum. One reason for a lower voting age is that 18 is the worst age for people to begin voting, according to Scott Warren. He is executive director of Generation Citizen. That is because at age 18 many teens leave home for the first time, either for college or a job, he said. They find themselves in a community they do not know very well. And that makes it harder for them to learn about their new community’s voting rules and issues, Warren said. Some countries already permit teens younger than 18 to vote. Some examples from a recent survey by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency: Austria lowered the voting age from 18 to 16 in 2008. Argentina has allowed 16-year-olds to vote since 2012. In Brazil, 16- and 17-year olds and those older than 70 have the option to vote. People aged 18-69 are required to vote. Hungary allows 16- and 17-year-olds to vote if they are married. Serbia allows 16-year-olds to vote if they are employed. Abigail Koerner, age 16, is a junior at a Washington, D.C., high school. She is disappointed she cannot vote for her Democratic presidential candidate -- Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Said Abigail: “I don't know enough about politics quite yet to make a distinction as to which party I affiliate with. But everything Bernie says about healthcare and education would benefit my life and the lives of people around me.” Warren said teens who start voting at 16 or 17 will continue to vote when they reach 18, 19 and 20 -- ages when turnout is now very low. “The United States now ranks 143rd in voter turnout, and we think we should be doing all we can to increase turnout,” Warren said. In 2012, 53.6 percent of the voting-age population voted in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. That compares to 87.2 percent in Belgium, 86.4 percent in Turkey and 82.6 percent in Sweden.  Belgium and Turkey require people to vote.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   primary – n. an election in which members of the same political party run against each other for the chance to be in a larger and more important election process – n. a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result ultimately – adv. at the end of a process, period of time disappoint – v. to make a person unhappy because they cannot do something that they want affiliate – v. to closely connect (something or yourself) with or to something benefit – v. to be useful or helpful

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China Critic Says His Family is Missing

An Internet activist living in New York says Chinese officials have detained three members of his family in southern China. Chinese officials are reportedly searching for the author of an open letter calling for the resignation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Activist Wen Yunchao said his parents and younger brother have been missing since Tuesday. He says the government harassed his family. Wen has been a vocal critic of China’s government. However, he denied involvement in the letter. He said he shared the letter on his Twitter account after it was published in China. Wujie news posted the letter March 4. That was the first day of annual meetings of top Chinese Communist Party officials, known as the National Party Congress. In the letter, Xi is blamed for "unprecedented problems" in China, and it calls for him to step down. A second Chinese reporter is said to have disappeared Tuesday from the Beijing airport as he tried to board a flight to Hong Kong. He has been identified as writer Jia Jia. His lawyer told Western news agencies that police "took away" the writer after he warned other reporters against re-publishing the letter.  Two top editors and two other technicians from that website are also reportedly being held.   Experts say the widening police probe suggests that investigators do not know who wrote the letter and are under pressure to find out. The letter was signed by "Loyal Communist Party Members" and has spread widely by email. Experts say Wujie was designed to report on Xi's economic plan to increase Chinese investment and trade in Asia and Europe. It began operations in September 2015.   President Xi has increased control of Internet coverage in China and removed opinions that differ from Communist Party leaders.  The crackdown has brought harsher punishment for writers and editors whom the government says have spread rumors. I'm Mario Ritter.  Lou Lorscheider reported this story for VOA. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think happened to the critic's family? Please leave us a comment below and post on our Facebook page.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   harass –v. to mistreat or bother in a constant, repeated way vocal –adj. loud or outspoken unprecedented –adj. not seen before probe –n. an investigation, an effort to find out something

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