News Words: Holy Grail

An old photograph was bought for $2. What makes it a holy grail? Find out in this week's News Words.

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Pop Musician Prince Dead at 57

American pop music superstar Prince has died. His representative, Yvette Noel-Schure, told the Associated Press that the performer was found dead at his home near Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was 57 years old. The singer and songwriter was widely praised as one of the most inventive musicians of his time. James Brown, the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix were among the artists that influenced him. Prince was treated at a hospital last week. He was reportedly suffering from the flu. Prince’s hits included "Little Red Corvette," ''Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry." The Minneapolis native broke through in the late 1970s with the hits "Wanna Be Your Lover" and soared over the following years with such albums as "1999" and "Purple Rain." I’m Caty Weaver. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on Facebook.

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US Recognizes 10 Global Youth Leaders

The United States government honored ten young people from around the world on Wednesday. The State Department praised the winners of the first-ever Global Emerging Young Leaders Award for making positive social change. Next month, the winners will visit the U.S. to attend a leadership program and meet with people who can support their work. Here are the winners: Basel Almadhoun, from the Palestinian territories, launched a debate club for young people in Gaza. He says the group gives teenagers a way to express their opinions and change their way of thinking. Hillary Briffa, from Malta, helped lead a campaign against violent extremism. She has also led after-school programs on conflict resolution. Jessel Recinos Fernandez of Honduras was raised in a city that has been called “the murder capital of the world.” Soon after becoming a gang member, he was shot. He later founded Skate Brothers, an organization that helps young people avoid gangs. Samuel Grzybowski, from France, founded Coexister, a group that invites young people with different religious beliefs to come together. The hashtag of the group’s members, #NousSommesUnis (We are united), was the most re-tweeted French hashtag after the terror attacks on Paris last November. Asha Hassan, from Kenya, is an ethnic Somali. She uses youth-led groups to improve contacts among ethnic clans in her home community. She teaches children the value of life and warns them of the dangers of joining extremist groups. Ahmad Shakib Mohsanyar, from Afghanistan, founded a social media campaign called "Afghanistan Needs You." The campaign is aimed at disputing the idea that young people need to leave Afghanistan for a better life. Ahlem Nasraoui of Tunisia started a Peace Mediators program to oppose terrorism and extremism. The program teaches young people leadership, arts and mediation skills. She also helps women and girls set up their own businesses. Nino Nanitashvili, from Georgia, uses new technology to help support peace building and development. She leads a group for women in technology. She has spoken in parliament and at Google’s headquarters in California about how technology can improve civic life. Thinzar Shunlei Yi, from Myanmar, works for Burma’s National Youth Congress and the National Youth Network. She also helped organize the ASEAN Youth Forum. She also held a United Nations International Youth Day event that raised awareness about mental health issues. Zulfirman Rahyantel, from Indonesia, organized discussions about hatred, loss and other feelings among people in Ambon. The city experienced 10 years of violence between opposing religious groups. I’m Mario Ritter. Nike Ching reported this story for VOANews.com. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   positive - adj. useful or good club - n. a group of people who meet to take part in an activity teenager - n. someone between 13 and 19 years old gang - n. a group of criminals; a group of young people who often do illegal things together mediation - n. intervention between conflicting sides in support of a settlement or compromise

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Report: Media Freedom Shrank Worldwide

A media rights group says leaders have developed "paranoia" about reporters as the world is entering a "climate of fear.” Christophe Deloire is secretary-general of the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders. On Wednesday, he said "Numerous authorities are trying to regain control of their countries, fearing overly open public debate." He added new technologies permit leaders to appeal directly to the public. As a result, he said “there is a greater degree of violence against those who represent independent information.” The report says the problems are especially serious in Latin America. It notes structural violence in Venezuela and Ecuador, organized crime in Honduras and a lack of punishment in Colombia. Reporters Without Borders also says corruption in Brazil damages media freedom as does too few separate independent media in Argentina. Best and Worst The report rates 180 countries. Eritrea is rated the worst country for media freedom worldwide. Just above it on the list are North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria and China.  Finland is the top of the list for the sixth year straight. The Netherlands and Norway come in second and third. Reporters Without Borders places the United States at number 41 on the list. The report says computer spying is a major problem in the country. Individual countries that improved the most in the 2016 report include Tunisia. Last year it was number 96. The new report says a decrease in violence and legal action in Tunisia brought it to number 30. Ukraine also rose to number 22 from 107 because conflict has eased in the eastern part of the country. Countries that fell the most include Tajikistan and Brunei. Both rated more than thirty positions lower than last year. Poland also fell from  29 to 47 on the list. The report blames the drops to a rise in the repressive nature of some governments, such as those in Tajikistan, Egypt and Turkey. It also says more dangerous security situations in Libya, Yemen and Burundi have affected media freedoms in those countries. The report also blamed increasingly strong religious laws about speech, such as in Brunei, and tighter government control of state-owned media, such as in Poland. Self-censorship Reporters Without Borders says the obstacles to press freedom lead to self-censorship. The report also criticizes governments that are quick to suspend Internet availability to their citizens. It says the act damages media freedom. The report says every continent has seen a decrease in media freedom over the past three years. Europe still has the freest media. Africa comes next, followed by the Americas, Asia and Eastern Europe-Central Asia. The report says North Africa and the Middle East remain the areas where reporters are most restricted in all ways. The index measures signs of media independence, self-censorship, the rule of law, transparency and the safety of reporters. Reporters Without Borders sends questionnaires in 20 languages to experts around the world as part of the study data. It also examines reports of abuses and acts of violence against reporters. I’m ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Dorothy Gundy.   The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. ­­­­Hai Do was the editor. Let us know what you think. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   paranoia – n. an unreasonable feeling that people are trying to harm you, do not like you, etc.​ authorities – n. people who have power to make decisions and enforce rules and laws​ degree –​ n. an amount or level that can be measured or compared to another amount or level​ censorship – n. the system or practice of censoring, or restricting, information in books, movies, letters, etc.​ questionnaire – n. a written set of questions that are given to people in order to collect facts or opinions about something​

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Obama Meets with Saudi King Amid Disputes

President Barack Obama sat down Wednesday with King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. The meeting comes at a time of difficult relations between the two countries. The Saudi government has concerns about the U.S. nuclear deal with Iran and the Obama administration policy toward the Syrian civil war. Obama has said Saudi Arabia has not done enough to fight terrorism in the Middle East. He called the Saudis “free riders,” suggesting they gain from United States security efforts without sharing the responsibility. Another issue is the possible release of U.S. documents that might point some blame at Saudi officials for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Saudi officials strongly deny this. The president and King Salman shared friendly comments at the start of their meeting Wednesday at the Erga Palace. The president thanked the king for his “hospitality,” and for organizing a six-nation Gulf summit meeting on Thursday. “I and the Saudi people are very pleased that you, Mr. President, are visiting us in the kingdom,” King Salman said. Still, King Salman did not meet President Obama at the airport, as he has done for other leaders. U.S. Defense Secretary meets with Gulf leaders Also in Saudi Arabia is U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. At a press conference, Carter called on Gulf nations to do more in the fight against the Islamic State. He also asked the nations to work with the U.S. to stop what he called Iran’s “destabilizing” behavior. However, it will be hard to settle basic disagreements between the United States and Gulf leaders. They disagree on what the major concerns should be. The United States and much of Europe see Islamic State and al-Qaida as major dangers. But Gulf leaders worry more about Iran and the people and groups it supports. That includes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Shi’ite Houthi rebels in Yemen. Meeting in Saudi Arabia are leaders from the United States and the six Gulf States. They include Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and also the Saudi Kingdom. Obama administration spokesman Josh Earnest was asked about a secret 28-page document that may point to Saudi involvement in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Earnest said no matter what the documents show it is clear that “since 9/11 we have seen the Saudi government” work to combat terrorism. Rob Malley is the U.S. top adviser for the Middle East and North Africa. He offered his views on what will come of the meeting between Obama and King Salman. “The differences are not going to disappear, but our work together is not going to disappear either,” Malley said. “In fact, I think this summit will show how much has been accomplished over the last year and how much more can be done in the coming months.” But Michael Rubin, a Middle East expert with the American Enterprise Institute, said he does not expect much more than “polite” comments. He said that the Obama presidency is nearing its end and that Saudi and other Gulf leaders “are more likely” looking ahead to what policies to expect from the next U.S. president.   Mary Alice Salinas and Carla Babb reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter 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   hospitality – n. generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests destabilizing – adj. to cause a government to be unable to continue existing or working in the usual or desired way summit – n. a meeting or series of meetings between the leaders of two or more governments accomplish – v. to get something done

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Belgium Believes More IS Recruits to Return to Europe

Officials in Belgium say they have evidence that members of the Islamic State group are looking to return to Europe. The Associated Press reports that names are added almost daily to the list of the Islamic State attackers that killed 130 people in Paris and 32 in Brussels. The list of their supporters is also growing. Paul Van Tigchelt is the head of the Belgian government’s crisis center. He said intelligence shows foreign terrorist fighters in Syria want to return “not just to Belgium, but to Europe to carry out an attack.” Patrick Skinner, a former case officer for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, told the AP that the Brussels-Paris IS network is a “supercell.” “This is a highly functioning cell,” he said. “You’re looking at 50 people (in this group).” He added that an extremist cell usually has six to 10 members. Skinner is now with the Soufan Group, a security advisory business. Two terror attacks have taken place in Europe during the past six months. Ten men were known to be involved in the Paris attacks on November 13, 2015. On March 22, three attackers carried out suicide bombings in Belgium. Two of the bombs exploded at a Brussels airport. The third bombing was at a train station. A fourth bomber, Mohamed Abrini, could not explode his bomb and was arrested in Brussels on April 8. I’m Jim Dresbach.   VOA’s Esha Sarai reported this story. Jim Dresbach adapted the report for Learning English. Additional information came from the Associated Press. 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   network – n. a group of people or organizations that are closely connected and that work with each other supercell – n. a large group of people who work together secretly as part of a larger organization or group

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New Technology Aims to Put Audiences Inside the Movie

A new technology might change the way people watch movies in the theater. Instead of watching a film on the screen, you would enter the scene and watch the action take place all around you. This is what Virtual Reality, or VR, and 360-degree video promise to give audiences. The idea is to make you feel like you are in the movie. Online websites like YouTube and Vimeo already offer some VR films.  Both professionals and amateurs have made these kinds of films. To watch, people wear expensive headsets that cover their eyes and ears.  There are less costly ways to see VR films. Many people use their smart phones, placed in a special cardboard box. Then, they hold it up to their eyes to watch.  The boxes can be bought from Google for $15. People are experiencing the technology in many places. South by Southwest (SXSW) is a media and technology conference held every year in Austin, Texas. This March, people put on headsets there to watch part of a funny crime film shot in VR in Baltimore, Maryland. The people who produced “Career Opportunities in Organized Crime,” say it is the first full-length film made in 360-degree Virtual Reality. But with 360-degree filming, there is a problem. If viewers looked away from the main action on their headset and “turned around,” they could see the crew shooting the film. To solve this problem, they made the film a “mockumentary,” in other words, a fake documentary. In this way, making the film became part of the story. VR headsets are also being used to view films that allow people to travel around the world without leaving home. A company called YouVisit has films that can be used to advertise trips. It can also help people who cannot physically travel, but want to feel the experience of going places. VR headsets have been used in some computer games. But many people experience sea sickness, or nausea, when using them. Also at South by Southwest recently, companies showed off other movie technologies. Some used special screens. One company, Japanese NHK Media Technology Company, showed their 8K resolution 3-D, or three dimensional, film. The sound system for the film used 24 speakers. As music played around the people watching, images appeared to jump out of the screen in sharp detail. But this high technology comes at a high cost. A company spokesman said the video and sound system costs $500,000 to set up. That is more than average movie theaters would pay. Another system shown at South by Southwest was more accessible. A Utah company, Fulldome.pro, uses a dome—a structure that is shaped like half a ball. The company set up a dome at an angle to the floor with a film playing inside. Viewers sit back in comfortable seats inside the dome to watch the images in front of them with a 180-degree view.  It is too early to know how these technologies will change the movie business. Theater owners are not quick to invest a lot of money in devices that might be popular for only a short time. However, the movie theater business faces tough competition from home theater systems, online streaming and piracy. Changing the way people see movies in a theater might give the business new life. Theaters may have a brighter future if they can provide a movie experience that people cannot get at home. I’m Anne Ball.   Greg Flakus reported this story for VOA News. Anne Ball adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on Facebook. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   amateur – n. not professional nausea – n. the feeling in your stomach when you might vomit accessible – adj. able to reach or be approached angle – n. used to describe a something that leans or goes to the side instead of straight up and down streaming – v. watching or sending out audio or video on the internet piracy – n. the act of illegally making television or radio broadcasts  

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UN Seeks New Secretary-General

The Secretary-General of the U.N. has always been chosen in private meetings. But for the first time in its 70-year history, part of the selection process is taking place in public. At least eight countries have nominated candidates for the position. Several candidates are women, including Irina Bukova of Bulgaria, Susana Malcorra of Argentina and Helen Clark from New Zealand. All member states were permitted to ask the candidates questions during two hour-long meetings last week in the U.N. General Assembly. The candidates were also asked some of the 1,000 questions written by people on social media. They were asked questions about development, how they would improve efforts to create peace and how they would protect human rights. The U.N. Security Council will examine the candidates’ backgrounds. Then the 15 members will mark ballots secretly until one person is chosen. The General Assembly will then vote on whether to accept the choice. Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are the five permanent members of the Security Council. Experts say they are likely to have more influence on who will be the new secretary-general than the 10 non-permanent nations on the council. The Security Council will begin to discuss who will be named the next secretary-general in July. A new secretary-general may not be confirmed until as late as November. The U.N. has a tradition of choosing its new leader from a part of the world different from its current leader. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is from Asia. The previous U.N. chief was Kofi Annan, who was from Africa. Dan Thomas is a spokesman for the president of the General Assembly. He says there is no rule that says where a new secretary-general must come from. But most observers say the new U.N. chief will not be from Asia or Africa. Ban took office in January, 2007. His first term ended in December, 2011. He was elected to a second, five-year term, which ends at the end of this year. U.N. chiefs can be reelected for an unlimited number of terms. But no one has ever served more than two terms. Annan served for two terms. Before him, Boutros-Boutros Ghali served for just one term because the United States vetoed a second term. Eastern European countries want the new U.N. chief to be from their part of the world. Six countries from the region have nominated candidates: Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Slovenia, and seven of the nine candidates are from Eastern Europe. None of the U.N.’s eight leaders has been from Russia or Eastern Europe. A group of 56 countries says the next U.N. chief should be a woman. There have been eight U.N. chiefs. None of them was a woman. The U.N. says the secretary-general is “equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO.” Some experts say it is not clear if the organization needs a good manager or a strong leader. Some diplomats say a strong leader is needed because of the unrest in many parts of the world. This includes the largest displacement of civilians since World War II, the growing threat of global terrorism and the effects of climate change. I’m Mario Ritter.   VOA United Nations Correspondent Margaret Besheer reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for Learning English. The story also includes information from the Associated Press. Hai Do 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   background – n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person’s past region – n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way advocate – n. a person who argues for or supports a cause or policy

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Bulldozer Fight in Streets of China

  This is What’s Trending Today. Some children like to play with toy trucks and bulldozers. Usually they will crash these trucks into each other and make matching sound effects. For kids, it is just a game. But last Saturday in China a construction equipment fight happened in real life. A bulldozer battle broke out in Hebei, a province in northern China. The Associated Press reported that an argument between two companies competing for business started the crashing of heavy equipment. A video of the fight is just over one minute long. Six bulldozers and other construction machines crashed into each other over and over again. The video appeared on YouTube on Sunday. Since then, it has received more than 1.6 million views. One person compared the fight to a popular toy and movie series. That person wrote: “Transformers gone rogue!” Another person said: “Should’ve got[ten] out and fought like a man.” The fight happened amid problems with China's economy. A recent article said China's economy in 2016 is only growing at a rate of 6.7 percent . That is the lowest growth figure in seven years. One of the reasons for the slower growth is a slump in the construction business. The bulldozers use their shovels as weapons in front of stores and regular cars on the street. You can see some cars driving out of the way of the heavy equipment. One bulldozer knocks over another with a loud crash. Then, a cloud of dust appears. The person filming the video clearly cannot believe what he is seeing. And most of the reaction on Twitter was the same. One person described it as, “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about … a bulldozer fight!” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Have you ever seen anything like this construction equipment fight? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   slump – n. a sudden decrease in prices, value, amount, etc. rogue – adj. used to describe something or someone that is different from others in usually a dangerous or harmful way sound effects – n. sounds created in television, radio, or movies to represent something real bulldozer – n. a powerful and heavy vehicle that has a large curved piece of metal at its front and that is used for moving dirt and rocks and pushing over trees and other structures

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Where to Find Your Hidden Messages on Facebook

Many people do not know that Facebook has a spam section for messages. When someone tries to contact you on Facebook, the service does not know whether the message is spam or from someone important to you. Facebook identifies messages it thinks are unwanted and redirects them away from your inbox. If someone reaches out to you on Facebook, but he or she is not friends with you on Facebook, or friends with any of your friends, the service has to decide whether that message is spam. If the spam filter catches a message from an unfamiliar user, Facebook will hide that message from you. The social media network has done this for a while. Facebook users were once able to find the filtered messages in the Other Messages section of Facebook. Now, the social media service has changed where you can find these messages. You have to know where to look to find them. Many messages may be spam.They contain advertising or other unwanted information. But you may be lucky and find a hidden treasure. In many cases, Facebook users are finding messages they wish they had seen earlier. These messages can include people reaching out after they have lost touch with you, business information or other important contacts. Inspecting your filtered messages is helpful to find out what you have been missing. Chances are, you have not seen all the messages in this secret section of Facebook. Some people on Twitter were angry about not looking at their filtered messages earlier. How to Check Your Filtered Messages You can check your filtered messages using both the Facebook website and the service's Messenger app. --Facebook Website To see your filtered messages, go to your Facebook Home page. Click Messages in the left column under Favorites. At the top of the Messages page, on the left side, click Message Requests. You will see some of your hidden Facebook Messages. Next, go to the word More. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Filtered Messages to see your secret messages. You may see a lot of spam messages you want to remove. To delete a spam message, click the X in the upper right corner of the message.   -- Facebook Messenger App Open the Facebook Messenger app. Tap Settings in the bottom menu bar.   When the Settings page opens, tap People.                       Tap Message Requests. Tap See filtered requests. You will then see which messages Facebook kept hidden from you. Want to remove spam messages? Tap Edit, then tap any messages you want deleted. Tap Delete to trash those spam messages.       I’m Pete Musto.   Carolyn Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Have you checked your hidden messages on Facebook? Did you find any messages you wish you had seen earlier? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   spam -n. e-mail that is not wanted : e-mail that is sent to large numbers of people and that consists mostly of advertising filter - n. computers : software that prevents someone from looking at or receiving particular kinds of material through the Internet

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April 20 2016

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

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