Pakistan Detains More than 200 Suspected Militants

  Police and security forces have arrested more than 200 suspected Islamist militants after a suicide bombing in Lahore on Sunday. The attack took place at a crowded public park in the capital of Punjab, the most populous province of the country. At least 72 people, many of them Christians celebrating Easter, were killed. Twenty-nine children were among the dead. More than 300 people were wounded. Tuesday, the provincial law minister told reporters that more than 5,000 people were detained. He said they later released all but 216 people. Police and special counter-terrorism units have taken part in many raids across Punjab. Pakistani officials said intelligence agencies and troops also carried out raids against suspected “sleeper cells” and “terrorist hideouts” in several cities of Punjab. Jammaatul Ahrar, a group that once was part of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the bombing. It said the suicide attacker targeted Christians. A spokesman promised that the group would carry out more attacks in Punjab. The threat caused officials to temporarily close all of the public parks in the province. The spokesman also threatened to attack local media. “Everyone will get their turn in this war, especially the slave Pakistani media. We are just waiting for the appropriate time,” the spokesman said on the social networking site Twitter. The Easter Sunday bombing was the deadliest attack in Pakistan since a raid by militants on a school in Peshawar in December 2014. Almost 150 people were killed, most of them children. The Pakistani Taliban and groups linked to it have attacked the government for more than 10 years. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the attacks. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   Reporter Ayaz Gul in Islamabad wrote this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it 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   park - n. a large area of public land Easter - n. religious holiday when Christians celebrate the return of Jesus after his execution unit - n. group appropriate - adj. right for some purpose or situation  

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News Words: Tears of Joy

This news word is not something you speak. It is an emoji.

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Terrorism Threat Is Focus of Nuclear Summit

Terrorists getting nuclear material to make bombs will be discussed among world leaders at this week’s Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C. It isn’t just the deadly March 22 terrorist attack in the Belgium capital. It is also reports from Belgium officials that two brothers who carried out suicide attacks at the Brussels airport tried to get nuclear materials. The two – Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui -- placed a camera near the home of a nuclear researcher in Belgium. Officials suspect they were monitoring the man to obtain material that makes a more powerful bomb. Jane Harman is director of the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. She said leaders from 53 nations who will attend the summit should focus on three major issues. “The threats aren’t one size fits all,” Harman said during a nuclear summit preview this week. “We have to keep our eyes on great powers like Russia. We have to watch regional pariahs like Iran and North Korea, and ensure that terror groups never get their hands on nuclear materials as (the Islamic State), so we read, hoped to in Belgium.” Harman said the concern is that Islamic State, or other terrorist groups, could set off a “dirty bomb.” A dirty bomb uses conventional explosives, such as dynamite, mixed with radioactive materials. The Washington nuclear summit runs Thursday and Friday, March 31 and April 1. The White House released a brief Tuesday, saying that a terrorist attack using nuclear material would “create political, economic social and psychological havoc.” Ben Rhoades is Obama’s deputy national security adviser. “We have seen ample proof that terrorist organizations like (Islamic State) have no regard for innocent human life or international norms, and that only redoubles the need for us to have effective international nuclear security approaches,” he said Wednesday. One nation that will not be represented at the summit is Iran. Kelsey Davenport of the Arms Control Association told VOA that Iran’s participation would have provided a chance to build on last year’s nuclear deal. The deal required Iran to remove enriched uranium and take down nuclear-making equipment. But Davenport said Iran “is not providing adequate assurances that its nuclear activities are protected against acts of nuclear terrorism.” Previous nuclear summits have worked to reduce the number of nations with nuclear arms. The White House says 14 countries and Taiwan have eliminated all nuclear materials from their countries since 2010. That includes Ukraine and Japan. More countries with nuclear weapons would create an “arms race,” said Daniel Pinkston, a lecturer in international relations with Troy University in Seoul. “It would be extremely damaging and plays right into the hands of the hardliners,” such as North Korea. I'm Bruce Alpert.   Brian Padden and Barbara Slavin reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted their reports for 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 regional – adj. an accent that occurs in a particular place pariah – adj. a nation that is hated and rejected by people dynamite – n. a powerful explosive that is often used in the form of a stick radioactive – adj. having or producing a powerful and dangerous form of energy, called radiation ample – adj. having or providing enough or more than enough of what is needed proof – n. something which shows that something is true or correct approach – n. a way of dealing with something participation – n. to take part in an activity or event with others hardliner – n. someone who takes a rigid, uncompromising position.

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March 30, 2016

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

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Yazidis Exchanged for IS Prisoners

  More than 50 Yazidi women and children were exchanged last week for Islamic State prisoners held by Kurdish forces in Syria. Two IS commanders were exchanged for the women and children. Kurds holding the two were part of the armed wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party, known as the YPG. The women and children were returned home to Sinjar in northern Iraq. Sinjar is the main city for Yazidis in Iraq. It was liberated from IS last year by Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Those fighters are supported by the U.S.-led coalition. The Yazidis were taken from the same town 19 months ago, according to a Kurdish news agency. “I have talked to some of them yesterday,” said Dawud Sheik Kalo, a Yazidi fighter. He said the women and children are safe. A former prisoner told the Kurdish news agency she spent nine months in Iraq and 11 months in Syria. A teenage Yazidi girl said her family was taken by IS. “After we got to Syria, they separated the men from us,” she said. Media reports made no mention of Yazidi men being a part of the exchange.  Thousands of Yazidis were abducted or killed by IS in northern Iraq beginning in 2014. Women and girls were forced into sexual slavery by IS members, human rights groups say. I’m Mario Ritter.   Sirwan Kajjo wrote this story for VOA News. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English and VOANews.com. 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   liberate – v. to free someone or something from being controlled by another person or group​ abduct – v. to take someone away from a place by force

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Fan Gets Close-Up of Ronaldo Penalty Kick

This is What’s Trending Today. Sarah Arcand is from the Canadian province of Ontario. She works as a teacher in York, a community near the city of Toronto. She and her family went to Madrid, Spain earlier this month for a spring vacation. While there, she attended a soccer match between Real Madrid and Sevilla. During the match, a famous Real Madrid player attempted a penalty kick. The ball went over the goal and hit the teacher in the face. She was recording the penalty kick with her phone. She posted the video to YouTube with the headline “Welcome to Bernabeu.” She chose those words because of the name of the sports center at which Real Madrid plays its games. The stadium is called Santiago Bernabeu. The 17-second video is taken from great seats behind the goal. It shows Sevilla’s goalie getting ready for Cristiano Ronaldo to kick the ball. He runs toward the ball and makes a strong kick, but it goes over the crossbar. And right into the face of Arcand. She says the ball left her with a black eye. She wrote on her YouTube posting: “Not sure Cristiano Rinaldo (sic) meant to welcome me with a black eye, but this Canadian football fan will take the penalty kick to the face as an excellent memory from one of the best.” Her video has over 500,000 views in the past week. A sports blog in Canada talked with Arcand. She told the writer it was a trip she and her family planned for three years. They also went to see Spain’s other famous team, Barcelona, play earlier on their visit. She said she got her telephone back after it was knocked two rows away. Her bruised face lasted for the rest of the vacation. “It’s almost better now, it’s getting there,” she said in the story published on March 28.  Here’s a look at Arcand’s video. And here is how the missed penalty kick looked on the television broadcast. You do not see Arcand getting hit by the ball. Arcand says she was not permitted to keep the ball as a souvenir. And That’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Have you ever caught a ball at a sporting event? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bruise – n. a dark and painful area on your skin that is caused by an injury souvenir – n. something that is kept as a reminder of a place you have visited, an event you have been to, etc. vacation – n. a period of time that a person spends away from home, school, or business usually in order to relax or travel stadium – n.  a very large usually roofless building that has a large open area surrounded by many rows of seats and that is used for sports events, concerts, etc. crossbar – n. a bar that joins the goalposts in soccer or hockey

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North Korea Fires Another Short-Range Missile

South Korea says North Korea fired a short-range missile off its east coast late Tuesday near the North Korean port city of Wonsan. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile flew about 200 kilometers before hitting a target on land. The missile launch is the latest reaction by North Korea to new international economic restrictions and to joint U.S.-South Korean military operations. On March 21, North Korea fired five short-range missiles into the East Sea from the eastern city of Hamhung. The week before, it fired medium-range missiles into the sea. Those launches came after the United Nations placed sanctions on North Korea after its fourth nuclear test, which took place in January. A month later, North Korea tested a long-range rocket. North Korea has been threatening for weeks to launch nuclear strikes against Washington and Seoul to protest the joint military operations. The country says it believes they are preparing a military invasion. I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOANews.com reported on this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise 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   short-range - adj. a missile with the ability to travel a distance of up to 500 kilometers in the air sanction – n. threatened action for disobeying a rule or law    

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Fidel Castro Rejects Obama’s Advice

Former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has rejected President Barack Obama’s efforts to improve relations between the two countries. Castro wrote a column in state-run media, saying, “We do not need the empire to give us any presents.” Castro is 89 years old. He turned over control of the communist island nation to his brother Raul in 2008. Raul is now 84. Fidel Castro was not seen during Obama’s recent three-day visit to Cuba. It was the first visit to that island nation by an American president still in office in almost 90 years. In Havana, Obama said more than 50 years of hostility between the countries had ended. He said “it is time now for us to leave the past behind.” But earlier this week, in a column called “Brother Obama,” Castro wrote: “I imagine that any one of us ran the risk of having a heart attack on hearing these words from the president of the United States.” Castro wrote about exiled Cubans, or those who fled the island when Castro took power in 1959. A group of those exiles were trained by the U.S., returned to Cuba in 1961, and attempted to overthrow Castro. But the overthrow attempt – called the Bay of Pigs operation -- failed, deeply embarrassing President John F. Kennedy. Cuba is 145 kilometers south of the United States. There is a U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Terrorists suspected of acting against the U.S. are held there. The two countries have reopened embassies in Washington and Havana, but a U.S. trade embargo remains in place. Obama has improved economic relations between the two countries. More than 50 years ago, Castro seized American businesses on the island. By the end of this year, U.S. airlines will begin up to 110 flights to Cuba every day. And some American businesses are beginning to operate in Cuba. Fidel Castro seemed angry about the renewed business relations. He wrote: “No one should pretend that the people of this noble and selfless country will renounce its glory and its rights. We are capable of producing the food and material wealth that we need with work and intelligence of our people.” Castro suggested that Obama not try "to develop theories about Cuban politics.” Presidential spokesman Josh Earnest said, “The fact that the former president felt compelled to respond so forcefully to the president's visit, I think, is an indication of the significant impact of President Obama's visit to Cuba.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOA's Ken Bredemeier wrote this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it 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   column - n. a commentary or opinion piece in a newspaper pretend - v. to act if something is true when it is untrue compelled - v. forced to do something respond - v. to say or write something in answer to something else indication - n. a sign or evidence of something  

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Asian Children Face Hunger and Obesity

Asian children are becoming increasingly under-nourished or obese, a new report says. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) joint report was released Monday. The two agencies call for better regulation of junk food and a limit on sugary drinks for children.  They also call for action against malnutrition. A lack of food has stunted children — or hurt their development – who live in poverty. The report says the costs of child malnutrition and obesity in Southeast Asia are great. These problems are seen in the middle-income countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. In Indonesia, the report says, child malnutrition hurts child development and leads to diseases that cost $248 billion a year. Dorothy Foote is a UNICEF regional nutritional specialist. She said the problems are a “burgeoning crisis”— or one that is growing. It covers both child nutrition and the general population, she said. “At UNICEF we are particularly concerned about children, but in general, we do have a crisis. That’s going to affect not only families and communities but also governments and societies, that the costs of the ‘double burden’ are tremendous,” Foote told VOA. The report found that in most countries, there are equal amounts of overweight and under-nourished children. For example, in Indonesia, 12 percent of children are overweight, the same number as those who are malnourished. In Thailand, it says numbers are increasing with 7 percent of children malnourished and 11 percent overweight. Foote said there is still a “tremendous burden,” with lack of nutrition, “both chronic and acute.” That means the problem is ongoing, and severe. The levels of stunting are very serious. Laos has the highest number of stunted children, with 44 percent. High rates are also reported in Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia. The report says most of them — 12 million of the 17 million stunted children in Southeast Asia -- live in Indonesia and the Philippines. Foote said the lack of food affects children’s height and development inside their bodies. But at the same time, the area is facing “skyrocketing” levels of overweight children. The main reason for the food problems, the report says, is there is more “junk” food available, food that does not provide nutrition. Another problem is drinks with high sugar or high trans-fat, but low nutritional value. Lack of physical activity is also part of the problem, the report says. The agencies say these problems exist despite years of economic development. Southeast Asia is seen as a key economic driver for the world economy. But the gap, or distance, between rich and poor has grown. Foote said this is seen in nutrition across the area. She said people lack knowledge about what is needed and normal for healthy child development. The economic growth in the area has brought “unhealthy products” to rural areas. Poor and middle-class families buy them and do not make “the right choices to use healthier foods instead.” Poor feeding practices, especially for children younger than two, mean ongoing high levels of malnutrition. The report says governments need to regulate the marketing of junk food and sugary drinks to children. It also calls for better feeding practices for infants and young children, and treatment for severely malnourished children. And it says countries should work to reduce poverty and make sure that girls stay in school. I’m Anne Ball.   Ron Corben reported on this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or find us on Facebook. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   malnutrition –n. unhealthy condition due to lack of proper food, nutrition, not eating enough of the right foods stunted –v. someone or something stopped from growing or developing burden –n. something or someone very difficult to accept, do or deal with skyrocketing –idiom. moving up quickly, like a rocket climbs into the sky

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Want to Choose Better Words?

Our words matter. Our words have always mattered, but they matter more now that the Internet gives us the power to make our words permanently public. Words might help or hurt someone. Our words may have more power than we believe them to have when we use them. Yet how many people truly think about every word they write? Two new extensions for the Chrome browser can help you choose your words. One extension, called reword, highlights words that have the power to hurt others. The other, called Just Not Sorry, will show you when your words take away your power. Both extensions are free and work only with the Chrome browser. reword Reword is an extension that helps show what words can be harmful. When users type a word, phrase or sentence that seems insulting, abusive, or hurtful, a red line will cross the word or words. The extension is similar to a spell checker. Reword does not block words. It simple alerts users to language that might offend. An Australian team developed reword to combat cyberbullying. The developers realized that people, especially children, may not understand which words might deeply affect others. The developers' testing showed that 79 percent of children changed their words when prompted to by reword. Chris Tanti is a developer of reword. He praised how it can, in his words, “change online behavior by stopping insults in the moment before they are posted.” A video on YouTube shows the thinking behind reword.   The reword website permits users to add words they think should be included in the extension. The reword extension is free. It can be found at the Google Chrome store. Just Not Sorry Just Not Sorry is a Chrome extension that is, in many ways, the opposite of reword. Reword is meant to soften language. Just Not Sorry is designed to empower language. Developers at the company Cyrus Innovation created Just Not Sorry. They said some people weaken their messages by using apologetic words. So they invented a tool that highlights such words in a writing. Just Not Sorry works only in Gmail, as a Chrome extension. It works like this: When a message is created in Gmail, Just Not Sorry will highlight the words that weaken the message. A dotted orange line will appear below the weak words. Examples of such words include "sorry," "just," "I think," and "I'm no expert." An explanation of why the words were highlighted will also appear. Users can then choose to change the words or not. The words will not be highlighted in the copy sent. Just Not Sorry is also available at no cost from the Google Chrome store. I'm Caty Weaver.   Carolyn Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Do you think these highlights would be helpful to change the language people use? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page! ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   extension - n. a small software program that can be added on to a browser browser -  n. a computer program that is used to find and look at information on the Internet spell checker -  n.  a computer program that finds and corrects misspelled words in documents, e-mail, etc. cyberbully - v. the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. prompt - v. to cause (someone) to do something  

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Justice Department Unlocks Shooter's iPhone

The United States Justice Department says it has found a way to get information from an iPhone used by a shooter in last year’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. The Justice Department also said it no longer needs help from the iPhone’s manufacturer, Apple. The company had refused earlier demands by federal investigators for help in recovering data from the device. The government sought to require Apple to write new software programs to help investigators get the data without knowing the iPhone’s password. The government believed the information would help it in its investigation of the San Bernardino shooting, in which 14 people were killed. Last month, a judge ordered Apple to help the government. But the Justice Department announced this week it has been able to collect data from the phone. It asked the judge to cancel her order. She did so on Monday. Last week, the government delayed another court hearing in the case. Officials said they needed time to test a method that could help them gain access to the iPhone without Apple’s assistance. That method was developed without the help of federal agents or Apple. Lawyers for Apple have said that the company wants to know how the device was unlocked. But the withdrawal of the court process could take away Apple’s ability to legally request details on the method the government used. It also is likely to raise questions among users of Apple products and the technology industry about the strength of Apple’s security on its devices. I’m Caty Weaver.   VOANews.com reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow 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   data – n. information such as texts, audio recordings, video recordings and pictures password – n. a secret series of numbers or letters that allows you to use a computer system or device gain access – expression to enter a place or the storage area of an electronic device unlock – v. to make (something) available for use

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