WHO Told to Quicken Its Response to Health Crises

  The World Health Assembly has directed its health agency to react faster and more effectively to health emergencies. The UN has been reforming parts of the emergency health system for years, including its health agency -- the World Health Organization (WHO). The Ebola epidemic in West Africa showed that WHO’s response to emergencies needed to be improved quickly. Ebola was discovered in Guinea in March 2014. But it was not until five months -- and many deaths -- later that WHO said Ebola was an international public-health emergency. The aid group Doctors Without Borders has been sharply critical of WHO’s response to Ebola. More than 11,000 people were killed by the disease before December 2015. Joanne Liu is the president of Doctors Without Borders. She said she is pleased that a new plan has been announced. But, she says, it must be followed by action. “The creation of the new WHO Health Emergencies Program is a positive step forward, but we know there is no quick fix,” she said. “There is no cheap fix. So, without the ‘buy-in’ of member states and strong leadership, it will die on paper.”   WHO reports that 130 million people globally need humanitarian aid and all need health care. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said outbreaks of Ebola and other diseases must be dealt with soon after they begin or they will become a humanitarian crisis. She said WHO and its partners are working hard to deal with the Zika outbreak. “The Zika outbreak is now [affecting] so many countries -- and not just in the Americas region, but Zika is at the doorstep of Africa now,” she says. “With movement of people around the world, this is the kind of thing we should expect. We need to be prepared so that every country has the capability and capacity to prevent, to detect and to respond to any emergencies.”   Brazil has been most affected by the Zika outbreak. Thousands of cases of the Zika virus have occurred. Doctors say hundreds of pregnant women are carrying fetuses with microcephaly, which is linked to brain disorders from birth. Brazilian Health Minister Fonseca Santos said his country has increased its monitoring program and is spending $250 million on research. “The most important lesson,” he says, “was that we should be prepared all the time, even for a disease that we are used to, and we believe sometimes that we know everything about it and it can still surprise us anytime and become an emergency.”   Yellow Fever has spread from Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has confirmed 41 cases of people infected in other countries. Bokenge Bosua works at the DRC Ministry of Health. He said his government has created a plan to prevent and prepare for the disease. He said a five-day-long vaccination campaign began last week in the capital Kinshasa. “Also, we are focusing on mandatory vaccinations for travelers to Angola,” he says. “Anyone who goes to Angola needs to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever.”   I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   Lisa Schlein in Geneva reported this story foe 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, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   quick fix – expression easy solution to a problem capacity – n. ability; resources vaccinate – v. to give (a person or an animal) a vaccine to prevent infection by a disease  

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June 8, 2016

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

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VOA Learning English on Telegram

VOA Learning English is now on Telegram. Join us!

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Athena Zhe: Painting A Canvas That Lives and Breathes

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Trump: Comments About Judge Were 'Misconstrued'

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said his comment about a federal judge was “misconstrued” as an attack against people of Mexican heritage. The presumptive Republican nominee issued a statement after criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. He added that, “while this lawsuit should have been dismissed, it is now scheduled for trial in November. I do not intend to comment on this matter any further.” Trump has repeatedly said U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel cannot rule fairly in the case because of his “Mexican heritage.” People who paid money to take real estate courses at Trump University are suing Trump for fraud. They claim they did not receive the education they paid for and have demanded their money back. The billionaire real estate developer denies the fraud allegations. He says many Trump University customers were happy with the classes they paid for and gave the program positive reviews. Trump says Curiel has a “conflict of interest” in the case because the judge’s parents were born in Mexico. The candidate has called Curiel “a Mexican,” even though he was born and raised in the Midwestern U.S. state of Indiana. Trump has explained that Curiel is biased against him because of his proposal to build a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border to stop illegal immigration. He has also said that if elected, he would begin to deport millions of illegal immigrants. Trump has called on Curiel to withdraw from the case so that another judge can take over. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday he “absolutely disavows” Trump’s “unacceptable” remarks about the judge. He asked Trump to reject the comments.  “I regret those comments he made. Claiming a person can’t do the job because of their race is sort of like a textbook definition of a racist comment. Republican Senator Ben Sasse, from Nebraska, tweeted his opposition to Trump’s views. “Saying someone can't do a specific job because of his or her race is the literal definition of 'racism,’” Sasse said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press he “could not disagree more” with what Trump said. “This is a man who was born in Indiana. All of us came here from somewhere else. Almost all Americans are either near-term immigrants like my wife - who came here at age 8 not speaking a word of English - or the rest of us, whose ancestors were risk-takers, who got up from wherever they were and came here and made this country great.” Two of Trump’s former rivals in the presidential race – Ohio Governor John Kasich and Florida Senator Marco Rubio – were also critical. Kasich tweeted that Trump was “flat out wrong” and urged him to “apologize to Judge Curiel & try to unite this country.” Rubio agreed. “There shouldn’t be any sort of ethnicity, religious or racial tests for what kind of judges should hear what kinds of cases,” he said. “It’s wrong and I hope he (Trump) stops.” Other Republican leaders also publicly criticized Trump’s comments. They include Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. On the Democratic side, Congressman Filemon Vela wrote an open letter criticizing Trump’s "ignorant anti-immigrant opinions." He said the candidate’s statements on a border wall and his attacks on Curiel "are just plain despicable.” Vela added: “Mr. Trump you are a racist and you can take your border wall and shove it….” Trump stepped up his verbal attacks on Curiel after the judge ordered the release of sealed documents relating to the Trump University case. Trump was asked if he would also reject a Muslim judge because of his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States. “Yeah. That would be possible, absolutely,” he said. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Smita Nordwall reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. What do you think about Donald Trump's comments about Judge Curiel​? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   misconstrued – v. to interpret someone’s words or actions wrongly sue – v. take someone to court to resolve a legal dispute fraud – n. a crime using dishonest methods to take money or valuables from others real estate – n. property involving buildings and land review – n. an expression of someone’s opinions conflict of interest – n. when a person is in a position to gain personal benefit from an official job or position biased – adj. having or showing bias or prejudice literal – adj. representing exact words in writing or speech ancestors – n. members of a person’s family from past times ignorant – adj. lacking knowledge or information despicable – adj. very bad or unpleasant

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Improve Your Writing by Studying Critical Thinking

In the Education Tips series, education experts offer suggestions about how you can improve your English skills. This week, Babi Kruchin, a lecturer at the American Language Program at Columbia University in New York City, talks about writing and critical thinking.   For VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report. Developing ideas in writing is the greatest problem that students face, says Babi Kruchin. She serves as a lecturer in the American Language Program at Columbia University in New York City. Students, she says, can learn language rules, vocabulary words, and even how to structure essays. Learning how to develop ideas in writing is what proves most difficult for them. Why is critical thinking important? When Kruchin talks about the development of ideas in writing, she is referring to critical thinking – the ability to think clearly and form a judgment. Writing, she says, shows how a person thinks. Students who have not learned to think critically often have a hard time developing ideas in writing. Schools and employers put a high value on critical thinking skills. The importance of critical thinking shows up on standardized tests, such as the SAT with its "Critical Reading" and "Writing and Language" sections. Such tests measure how well students understand arguments, judge information, and make inferences. These skills are very important for success not only in school, but also in the workplace. Diane F. Halpern is a professor of psychology emerita at Claremont McKenna College in California. She writes that critical thinking is an important skill to develop in life. "Critical thinking is using the skills or strategies that are most likely to lead to a desired outcome. It is the sort of thinking we should be engaging in when deciding what and whom to believe, which of two job offers to accept, or whether vaccinations really do cause autism." Halpern adds that critical thinking is a skill that is important in the modern job market. "Those who care about the future for today’s children understand that the jobs of the future will require the ability to think critically. So let’s be sure that our students are ready for college, careers and citizenship by including deliberate instruction in critical thinking. It is probably the most difficult topic to teach and learn, but it is also the most important." Critical thinking is hard to teach and hard to learn Babi Kruchin of Columbia agrees that critical thinking is hard to teach and difficult to learn. She says that students can overcome grammar and vocabulary problems. Developing an original idea, then supporting it, is what students find difficult. "Sometimes the writer might think 'Oh! I have the topic sentence, I have the supporting details.' But there is no depth of thought … How do you really analyze and interpret and explain all these ideas? "You can take care of the grammar, you can take care of the vocabulary, you can take care of the format, but the depth of development – the critical thinking part of writing – is, I think, the greatest issue that any domestic or international student faces ... "It's not articles, it's not conjunctions – because these are all teachable things, and these are all learnable things. And critical thinking is also teachable, and students are able to learn, but it's harder to teach and to learn." Practical tips: So, if learning critical thinking is difficult, what can you do? Kruchin suggests that students can start improving their writing and critical thinking skills by reading. Students, however, should not read without a goal in mind. Students should be active readers by studying how other writers build their arguments. In other words, they should consider the critical thinking of each author they have read. Kruchin says that students should consider the writing of an author by asking a few simple questions while reading: "How is the content organized here? How is the writer connecting these ideas? Look at the quote that the writer used. What comes after this quote? Does the writer just leave it as is, or analyze it and adds his or her own idea?" The goal of this exercise, Kruchin says, is for students to develop the ability to understand how others think. In addition, it helps students to discover the critical thinking resources that they have inside themselves. "Because writing is thinking, it is a reflection of how somebody thinks. So it is the constant exercise of seeing how other authors think and then training the students to … "I don't think we teach critical thinking. It is almost a way to get the students to see inside and see that yes, they do think critically – we all have opinions, we all have judgments. But how do we voice them in an academic form? "It is an exercise in using the resources that are already exist within the students. I don't believe they are less intelligent; some may not be as well trained in this discourse." What can you do? The next time you are reading a book or an opinion piece in a newspaper, try to ask yourself some of the following questions: What is the argument that the writer is making? What evidence does the writer use? How does the writer present their ideas? How is the writer connecting their ideas? How does the writer evaluate information? Asking these questions will give you a point to start understanding how other people think. It will also help you to think about how you can write better – and practice your critical thinking skills, too. I’m John Russell.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and post on our Facebook page, thanks. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   refer – v. to have a direct connection or relationship to (something) critical thinking – n. actively turning a thought or information over in one's head and following its path to the end and decision; the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment. objective – adj. based on facts rather than feelings or opinions analysis – n. a careful study of something to learn about its parts, what they do, and how they are related to each other evaluation – n. a judgment about the value or condition of (someone or something) in a careful and thoughtful way inference – n.  the act or process of reaching a conclusion about something from known facts or evidence analyze – v. to learn the nature and relationship of the parts of (something) by a close and careful examination resource – n. an ability to deal with and find solutions for problems

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South Africans Remember US Senator Robert Kennedy

  In June 1966, U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy visited South Africa and made what some historians believe was his best speech ever. “Each time a man stands up for an ideal‚ or acts to improve the lot of others‚ or strikes out against injustice‚ he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope‚ and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Fifty years later, his words are still remembered. Recently, members of the Kennedy family traveled to South Africa to mark the anniversary of the speech. In 1966, the country was living under apartheid, a social system in which whites had more political and economic rights than other races. At the time, it seemed as if South Africa’s racial separation policies would never end. Robert Kennedy’s four-day visit raised hopes that apartheid might end someday. Kennedy went to South Africa less than three years after the murder of his brother John F. Kennedy, the 35th president. In 1968, the senator hoped to become president. But he was shot and killed by a gunman after winning the Democratic Party’s presidential primary in California. Kerry Kennedy is a human rights activist and Robert Kennedy’s daughter. She says that while race relations have improved in both the U.S. and in South Africa, changes took place because the two countries were forced to make them. “All those changes took place not because governments wanted them to -- governments tried to stop them. And not because militaries wanted them to -- militaries tried to stop them. And not because huge multinational corporations wanted them to -- multinational corporations tried to stop them -- including South Africa. "All those changes took place because small groups of determined people harnessed the dream of freedom and made it come true. That’s what creates change.” Kennedy spoke to a gathering at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Many in the crowd were young South Africans who have expressed anger about corruption and their political leaders. Millions of South Africans say they have yet to experience the economic equality they were promised when apartheid ended 20 years ago. Kerry Kennedy said that, when times are dark, one thing always shines through: hope. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA Correspondent Anita Powell reported this story from Johannesburg. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Visit our Facebook page and post your thoughts about Robert Kennedy. Or write to us in the Comments section, thanks! ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ripple – n. something that passes or spreads through or over someone or something -- usually singular (often + of) sweep down – v. to destroy or remove (something) completely multinational corporations -- n. a company or business with offices around the world harness – v. to use (something) for a particular purpose

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Last Search Dog From Twin Towers Attack Dies

  This is What’s Trending Today: Bretagne worked in rescue efforts in New York City after the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Bretagne died on Monday. She was 16 years old.   ​Bretagne was a golden retriever. She helped to search for survivors and recover human remains from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. Over 2,500 people were killed when terrorists flew airplanes into the twin towers. The World Trade Center was Bretagne’s first deployment. She was only two years old at the time. Denise Corliss was the dog’s handler. She cared for Bretagne. They worked together in the area known as Ground Zero for 10 days.   ​The dog also worked at other disasters, including three major hurricanes. Bretagne retired from active duty at age nine. According to Texas A&M University, the dog continued working in Texas as an ambassador with the local fire department. She also visited people who were sick, and children in learn-to-read programs. The university oversees a search-and-rescue program. A member of the team that worked with Bretagne says she took her job seriously, but was always ready to help others, get a belly rub, or have a treat. On Monday, on her way to see a doctor, Bretagne walked past a group of firefighters and rescue workers who gave her one final salute. One news report called her “a four-legged hero.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. How do you feel about Bretagne, the last rescue dog to work on September 11, 2001? We want to know why. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   salute – v. to give a sign of respect by moving one’s right hand to the front of your head : to give a salute to (someone or something) twin towers – n. the tall, side-by-side buildings in downtown New York City that collapsed during a terrorist attack in 2001 belly – n. a person's stomach or the part of the body that contains the stomach hurricane – n. an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm with very strong winds that occurs especially in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean

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At Least 11 Killed by Istanbul Bomb Blast

A car bomb in Istanbul killed 11 people and wounded 36 others during morning rush hour Tuesday. A police bus was the target. Seven police officers were killed. The blast happened on the second day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It is the latest of several attacks in Istanbul and Ankara this year. Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin spoke at the scene of the blast, or explosion. He said a bomb inside a car blew up as a police vehicle passed by, according to the Associated Press. Many ambulances were sent to the scene. The bomb went off in a central historic district, near Istanbul University and Bayezit Square -- a popular tourist destination. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing. Turkey has been struggling against Kurdish groups. The state-run Anadolu Agency reported that police held four suspects. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's fight against terrorists will continue to the end. He made the comments after visiting the wounded being treated in a hospital. The Associated Press reported that authorities have a “news blackout” — meaning the media cannot report details of the investigation. There are concerns about security and police efforts to investigate the attack. The police bus was turned over by the force of the blast. It also damaged nearby buildings, including a closed hotel. Its entrance appeared ruined, and windows were blown out. The blast also broke the stained glass windows of a 16th-century Ottoman mosque. U.S. Ambassador to Ankara John Bass said in a Twitter message that "such senseless violence could never be rationalized by any cause."  The United States will "continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Turkey in the fight against terrorism," Bass said. Many world leaders expressed their alliance with Turkey and their rejection of terrorism. Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy — or independence -- have attacked police and military targets in the past. Last month, at least eight people, including soldiers, were wounded by a car bomb. The target was a military vehicle in Istanbul. The Kurdish worker's party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for that bombing. Two blasts in Ankara took dozens of lives earlier this year. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, or TAK, a radical group that broke off from PKK, claimed responsibility. I’m Kathleen Struck.   Isabela Cocoli reported on this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted her report for Learning English with additional information from the Associated Press. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and find our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   rush hour - n. a time during the day when many people are traveling on roads to get to work or to get home from work blast - n. explosion; a loud sound scene - n. an area where the action takes place district - n. an area established by a government for official government business

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Poland Leads NATO Military Exercises

  More than 20 North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO member states, began a large military training exercise Tuesday. The exercise is part of efforts by the alliance to show interest in central and eastern European countries. Many of those countries are concerned about Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The Russian government condemned the NATO operation early Tuesday. Russian officials said the exercises do not help to build a feeling of trust and security in Europe. Tensions between Russia and the West are higher than they have been since the end of the Soviet Union. Though Russia opposes NATO expansion into the former soviet states, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that “the Cold War is history, and we want it to stay that way.” Testing on the eastern side of NATO Poland is leading the 10-day long exercises, which NATO officials are calling Anakonda-16. They will involve 31,000 troops, 3,000 vehicles, 105 aircraft and 12 Navy ships. A total of 24 nations are taking part, according to the U.S. Army. “The Anakonda military exercise is an exercise which aims to test the capabilities of the alliance member states to defend the territory of the eastern flank of the alliance,” said Poland’s defense minister, Antoni Macierewicz. The NATO forces will practice a night-time attack by helicopters, bridge-building operations and air defense. Other training includes a chemical decontamination exercise and safely removing a large number of injured individuals. U.S. Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mark Milley says the U.S. has a “single purpose” in the operation. That goal is to “demonstrate that we are shoulder-to-shoulder with the Polish people,” he said. “We are shoulder-to-shoulder with the Polish army and we are shoulder-to-shoulder with NATO, to ensure that all of the countries of NATO remain free and independent.” I’m Ashley Thompson.   This story was published on VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   flank – n. the side of something capabilities - n. abilities practice – v. doing something again and again so that you become better at it decontamination – adj. of or related to removal of dirty or dangerous substances shoulder-to-shoulder -- n. standing next to or beside in support 

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AP: Clinton Wins Delegates to Become Party Nominee

  Hillary Clinton is making history as the first woman to become the presumptive nominee for president of one of the two major political parties in the United States. The Associated Press reported that Clinton has the 2,383 delegates needed for the Democratic presidential nomination. The former secretary of state reached the total with support from super delegates in addition to pledged delegates won from the primary elections. Clinton expressed caution Monday night. She said that while media delegate counts show her close to an "unprecedented moment," she continues to campaign for every vote. Democratic primaries are taking place in six states on Tuesday, including California and New Jersey. New Mexico, South Dakota and Montana are other states with primaries. A spokesman for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders released a statement saying the media was rushing to declare Clinton the winner too soon. But Sanders said he planned to "assess where we are" following the California results. The senator's comments came after a phone call with President Barack Obama. The president has stayed out of the Democratic primary but he plans to endorse Clinton this week. "The president intends certainly through the fall, if not earlier, to engage in this campaign," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "That's an opportunity the president relishes." In 2008, Clinton battled Obama for the Democratic nomination. In an emotional speech to concede the race, she said that she was unable to "shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling." John Hudak is with the Brookings Institute research organization. He told VOA the importance of the moment might be lost since Clinton has been expected to win the Democratic race. "It’s ironic that the moment in history where a woman becomes the nominee is almost seen as what was supposed to happen," he said. Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump had an increase in support in opinion polls after his final rival dropped out. Hudak said he expects Clinton to see the same lift. Since February 1, the process of choosing the next U.S. president has mainly involved voters who are registered members of the Democratic or Republican parties. However, the candidates will need to appeal to all voters in the November 8 presidential election. Hudak said both Clinton and Trump have made a mistake in not listening to certain groups. He said they must now find out what moderates want in their next president. "I think with Trump, he’s effectively communicated with many groups, but we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks he needs to transition toward working with moderate Republicans, working with establishment Republicans, and he’s not doing that,” Hudak said. About Clinton, Hudak said, “She really failed to listen to anger and discontent within the Democratic Party at the outset, and so when this uprising of support for Sanders happened, it sort of caught the Clinton campaign off guard.”   Trump and Clinton have already aimed criticism at each other. Hudak said that is not expected to change before Election Day. "Between the fiery attitudes from both candidates so far, the increased use in social media in this campaign, and frankly, media’s addiction to the fighting between the candidates,” Hudak said, “You’re not going to see the lull that we’ve seen in previous years.” I’m Mario Ritter.   Chris Hannas reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English with additional reporting from the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor. Write your thoughts in the comment section below, and post on our Facebook page, thank you. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   presumptive – adj. based on a reasonable opinion or belief, considered to be the case without further information Ppledged – adj. promised primary elections – n. elections held by parties to decide who will be the party’s nominee in the presidential election shatter – v. to break into many pieces glass ceiling – idiom, an invisible barrier to a high office ironic – adj. strange or funny because it is different from what would be expected appeal – v. to ask for support, to be acceptable discontent – n. dissatisfaction, unhappiness

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