VOA English Newscast 1500 UTC July 25, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. In U.S. politics, the head of the Democratic Party has resigned as the party's national convention opens today (Monday) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The resignation comes amid a fervor over leaked emails that show party leaders mocking and criticizing Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, while he was waging a challenge to Hillary Clinton for the nomination. VOA's Jim Malone reports the convention might not come off as smooth as had been expected. “Now we have bad blood between the Democratic National Committee and the Sanders campaign, which also goes back several months, and we have Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the controversial chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee stepping down now over this furor. “It’s interesting: The Democrats were anticipating (a) much more unified meeting than the Republicans had, but their issues are coming up, could be a problem and it looks like they are going to have to spend the next few days taking care of business at home before they can move on to putting Hillary Clinton out as the nominee and focusing more on Donald Trump.” Jim Malone and the rest of the VOA political team will be covering events from Philadelphia this week. You can check voanews.com for the latest. German officials say a 27-year-old Syrian migrant who set off an explosion, killing himself and wounding 12 others near Nuremberg, had received psychiatric treatment and might have intended to set off the bomb at a music festival. More than 2,000 people were evacuated from that festival after the explosion. It was the fourth violent act in the country in the past week, and so far investigators have not found any motive for any of those attacks. This is VOA News.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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July 24, 2016

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

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New Trend in Women World Leaders?

Britain’s Theresa May recently took office as the first woman prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. This week, Hillary Clinton will become the first American woman to receive the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. These examples, along with others around the world, seem to indicate that women are making solid progress in global politics. But the most recent United Nations report on global women leaders concluded that much can be improved. There are currently 16 women who head governments around the world, according to the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). While a few have stayed in office for a long time, many others only served a short time. Julie Ballington is a policy adviser on political participation for UN Women. She says although the number of women in elected positions has doubled over the past 20 years, much more can be done to keep the trend moving. “Overall the message is that progress is being made, but it’s very slow.” She says cultural and social norms, including gender discrimination, are holding women back from top leadership positions. “Another major one is the candidate selection process of political parties and the political machinery itself,” Ballington said. “Women typically have less access to resources than men, and they are less connected in the circles where the fundraising takes place, and that certainly has an impact.” According to the UN Women report, the percentage of women appointed to government cabinets is lower than women elected. The report also noted that more women rise to power in parliamentary systems than in direct presidential elections. Women as leaders of major world powers One of the longest serving is German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was elected in a parliamentary process as the country’s first woman leader in 2005. Merkel grew up in communist East Germany and her political career was launched shortly after the 1989 fall of the Berlin wall. Merkel has been one of the most influential leaders in Europe over the past decade and was named Time magazine’s 2015 Person of the Year. The magazine praised her leadership on the Greek debt crisis and for her policy to accept tens of thousands of Syrian refugees despite much public opposition. The world now has two women leading major powers, Merkel and newly elected British Prime Minister Theresa May. It would be three if Hillary Clinton won in November. In addition, six out of the 12 of candidates vying to be the next UN secretary general are women.   “Personally I see this as a turning tide," Ballington said. "If you had the UN, US, UK, and Germany headed by women, it definitely sets a new era we would be heading into in terms of high-level decision making. It’s symbolic. It shows that now women can be considered for the highest leadership position in three of the top five economies in the world.” Rachel Vogelstein is the Director of the Women and Foreign Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. She said the world will be closely watching the moves of May and Merkel, as both their nations and Europe as a whole, enter crucial times. “They are both considered to be pragmatic problem solvers and women who kind of put their heads down and get to work. They will have an interesting relationship, particularly given that May will be presiding over Brexit negotiations at the same time that Germany will head into its 2017 election for a new government.” Merkel called May to congratulate her on becoming prime minister and to wish her success in the new job. A spokesman for Merkel said the two leaders “agreed that cooperation in the spirit of proven friendly relations between both countries should be continued, including in the forthcoming negotiations on Britain's exit from the EU.” Vogelstein, who also advises the Hillary Clinton campaign, said recent progress in electing women leaders globally is encouraging and does indicate an upward trend. “But we really do need to see more women at the top to accelerate the pace of change in this area. And I think having a woman at the head of the UN could really send an important signal to that effect.” One of the candidates for UN secretary general is Helen Clark, who served as prime minster of New Zealand for nine years. She is also the first woman to head the UN Development Program Vogelstein said no matter which candidate is elected the next UN secretary general, he or she will face major world conflicts, including the global refugee crisis and terrorism. “There is a growing body of evidence that women’s leadership is critical to sustainable conflict resolution. I hope we’ll get a chance to see what a woman at the helm of the UN can do.” France could also be led by a women if Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front party, mounts a successful challenge to Francois Hollande in next year’s presidential election. Of course the rise of women leaders is not new in world history, with many examples to demonstrate this. Other woman leaders in history Margaret Thatcher was one of the most influential women leaders in modern times. She was Britain’s first female prime minister, serving from 1979 to 1990. She was also the first woman to lead a major Western democracy. She was known as the “Iron Lady” for her direct language and tough negotiating skills. She ran for office during political and economic turmoil in Britain. She was elected on a platform of fighting the recession and dealing strictly with labor organizations seen as causing unrest. Other major political figures were Golda Meir of Israel and India’s Indira Gandhi. Meir was Israel’s fourth prime minister and the first woman to hold the post. After Israel gained independence in 1948, she was appointed ambassador to Russia and was later elected to parliament. A major challenge during Meir’s five-year tenure was handling the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, also known as the Yom Kippur War. Syrian and Egyptian forces attacked Israel. Even though Israel quickly won the conflict, Meir’s government was criticized for underestimating the threat and she resigned in 1974. Indira Gandhi came from a family of politics and became the first prime minister of an independent India. She served three terms from 1966 to 1977 and was elected to a fourth, but was assassinated in 1984. In the beginning she was popular for policies that helped the poor and transformed the country’s agriculture system. But later she became known for her authoritarian leadership. Going back to ancient times, Joan of Arc was a French peasant girl who rose to become a martyr, military leader and saint. She believed she was acting under divine authority when at age 17 she led the French army to victory in the Battle of Orléans. In Vietnam, the Trung Sisters – Trung Trac and Trung Nhi – were major figures in the Vietnamese independence movement. The two women led the first national uprising against forces of China’s Han dynasty. The courage and strong leadership of the sisters have been cited by scholars as evidence of the respect and freedom given women in Vietnam, compared to China and India. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Additional information came from the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Who are your favorite women world leaders? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   era – n. a period of time associated with a person or event crucial – adj. extremely important accelerate – v. to move fast, pick up speed turmoil – n. a state of confusion or disorder authoritarian – adj. enforcing strict policies by an authority, especially a government or leader martyr – n. a person killed because of their religious or other beliefs oust – v. to remove or cause someone to leave a position of power autocratic – adj. relating to a ruler who has absolute power  

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IS Mostly Ineffective, But Threat Is Rising in SE Asia

The Islamic State terrorist group is not very effective in Southeast Asia right now. But, terrorism experts warn, the group could become stronger with more training and better leaders. IS followers are spread throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and the southern Philippines. Experts say they have been influenced by IS leader Abu Bakar al Baghdadi’s calls to carry out attacks. IS followers are also reportedly motivated by the group’s desire to control areas of Southeast Asia as part of its caliphate, even as the group loses territory in Syria and Iraq. IS attacks in Southeast Asia Police said the first IS attack in Malaysia took place in June this year. A grenade exploded outside a bar near Kuala Lumpur, injuring eight people. And, in Indonesia this month, a suicide bombing was directed against police in the city of Solo. Only the bomber was killed. Both attacks took place during the holy month of Ramadan. But little was reported about them because 350 people were killed at the same time in a series of attacks in several other countries, including the United States and Turkey. The attacks in Malaysia and Indonesia were also not very effective. Experts point to the inexperience of the attackers, and to the strength of the security forces. Badrul Hisham Ismail is an analyst with Iman Research, a Malaysian group that studies religion and society. He says the grenade attack in Malaysia was an example of the low level of ability of IS in the country. But he said it was also a sign of how the group is training to have a larger effect in the future. “The threat level has risen because IS has shifted focus to build an Islamic state in this region,” Ismail said. Sidney Jones is the director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict. She also noted that the IS threat, while low, has increased across Southeast Asia. One reason is that IS supporters throughout the region are starting to connect with each other. “We need to be open to the possibility that both the method and the professionalism of attacks could increase,” Jones said. Aggressive recruitment IS recruitment in Southeast Asia has also become more aggressive. For example, in May IS launched a website in the Malay language, which is understood throughout Malaysia and Indonesia. Brigadier General Hamidin, who uses just one name, is the director of prevention at Indonesia’s counter-terrorism agency. Hamidin said that in the past, officials could monitor traditional recruitment methods, such as indoctrination at Islamic study groups. But now, Hamidin says, those methods have been replaced by instant messaging and social media, which are not easy to monitor. IS has also attracted the support of existing networks of fighters in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, militants who follow Santoso -- Indonesia’s most-wanted militant -- have said they will follow IS. And in the southern Philippines, a group best known for theft and kidnappings has also declared its allegiance to the Islamic State. The group, called Abu Sayyaf, now includes some Malaysian and Indonesian militants. In fact, IS released a video in June showing an Indonesian, a Malaysian and a Filipino in Syria acknowledging an Abu Sayyaf leader as the head of IS in Southeast Asia. Sidney Jones says it is possible that some Abu Sayyaf members could train terrorists in Indonesia how to make bombs. Jones said, “One would think there would be some [thinking] among Indonesian leaders in Syria about how to be more effective. The only answers are training and leadership, and the question is where they will come from.” I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   The Associated Press reported this story from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Jakarta, Indonesia. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly 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   motivated – v. to give (someone) a reason for doing something caliphate – n. a government under an Islamic ruler who is a successor a successor of Muhammad allegiance – n. loyalty to a person, country, group, etc.

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Kids Learn With 'Man's Best Friend'

In American English we have an expression: “A dog is a man's best friend.” A dog can also be a child’s best friend, especially if that child is having difficulty reading. An organization called Reading Education Assistance Dogs, or R.E.A.D, has been using dogs to help children learn to read since 1999. The idea is that sharing a book with a kind listener increases the confidence of the students. It can also increase their love of reading. In the library at Public School 57 Listeners include Izzy. Izzy is a cute, scruffy therapy dog and a regular visitor to Public School 57 (P.S. 57) in East Harlem, New York. Students meet him in the library, pick out a book and sit down on the carpet. Izzy snuggles up to them and gets ready to hear a story. "I love reading to Izzy because he listens to me, and he doesn't make fun of me when I make a mistake." Nine-year-old Aelane Vasquez is in the third grade. Her parents are from Mexico. She is among the 15 students of Latin American descent at the school who were selected for the program. Bridget McElroy teaches English as a Second Language at P.S. 57. "All the students that we worked   with in the R.E.A.D. program were behind reading levels at the beginning of the year. Most of them have caught up to where they should have entered, if not surpassed that." That achievement is important. Reading at grade level when kids are young is linked to how well they will do in school later. Studies show that kids who can’t read as well as they should when they are nine years old are less likely to graduate high school by the time they are nineteen. McElroy says she sees a great difference in Aelane and her classmates. The difference is not just in their reading levels. She also sees their increased love and excitement of reading. The teacher calls this phenomenal. "Not only do the kids have time to practice reading, what we are really seeing is that they are excited to read, and they are motivated to practice even when Izzy is not here. And as a classroom teacher that's phenomenal because, you know,  there is very little that I can do to convince a kid to go home and practice reading, where 20 minutes a week with Izzy is all that they need." The R.E.A.D. teams from New York Therapy Animals work with 175 kids at P.S. 57 t and nine other schools. The popular program plans to expand to even more schools in New York City next year. I’m Anna Matteo.   Faiza Elmasry wrote this story for VOA News. Anna Matteo adapted the story and Kelly Jean Kelly edited it for Learning English. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   confidence – n. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something cute – adj. having a pleasing and usually youthful appearance scruffy – adj. not neat, clean, or orderly therapy – n. treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder carpet – n. a heavy fabric cover for a floor snuggle – v. to lie or sit close together in a comfortable position excited – v. to cause feelings of enthusiasm in (someone) : to make (someone) feel energetic and eager to do something : excitement – n. phenomenal – adj. very good or great : unusual in a way that is very impressive convince – v. to cause (someone) to believe that something is true

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Everyday Grammar: Causatives (Get & Have)

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Two Events Blamed for Dinosaur Deaths

Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for about 160 million years. Then they disappeared. Scientists have argued for years about what killed off the dinosaurs. Was it the huge volcanic eruption 66 million years ago in what is now India? That explosion changed the Earth’s climate in a major way. Then, just 150,000 years later, a meteorite from space struck the coast of Mexico. This also caused changes to the climate. Both catastrophic events happened during what is called the Cretaceous Period in Earth’s history. Scientists have long debated which event caused the dinosaurs to disappear? One reason the debate continued was the failure of the scientists to find a perfect window from which to look into the past. Seymour Island—key to the past? But now, researchers say they have found a clear record of what happened. The new evidence comes from Seymour Island -- an Antarctic island near the southern most part of South America. The researchers reported their findings in Nature Communications. Sierra Peterson is a paleoclimatologist with the University of Michigan. She studies the climate from ancient times. To do that, she uses evidence from rocks and the fossilized remains of ancient creatures. “The timing of the volcano and the meteorite are quite close together.” Peterson says that with only 150,000 years separating them, physical evidence of the two events is so close together in the rock record that it is hard to tell them apart. But it is easier at the Antarctic island. “At Seymour Island there’s 40 meters separating those two events. So we can really separate the influences of each one, and that’s why we can see the climatic impacts of both as two separate events.” “It makes sense why people thought it was one or the other. And really they were both right.” That is Andrea Dutton, a geochemist with the University of Florida. When Dutton was a student, she studied fossilized shells from Seymour Island. She examined them in an effort to understand ancient climate changes. But the results were unclear and difficult to understand. New way to read the fossil record The fossils were put in storage until Peterson showed up with a new technique. It identifies the kinds of carbon molecules in a shell. These molecules depend strongly on the temperature of the water when that layer of shell was formed. What this meant is that, for the first time, scientists were able to find out the temperature record during the dinosaurs’ last days. What they discovered was that things got hot -- not once, but twice. “At the time when the volcanism began, we found a rapid warming spike that had not been seen before. And we also found at the boundary itself, when the meteorite hit, we also saw another warming spike.” It is what the researchers are calling a “one-two punch.” First, the dinosaurs were hit by acid rain and volcanic dust after the huge volcanic eruption. Dutton says things got a lot worse with the sudden temperature increase that followed. “Certainly these clams that we were studying and the other fauna in this system, they had experienced temperatures this warm earlier in the Cretaceous. But what happened here is the temperature increase was so fast that it was a large stress that they weren’t able to adapt that quickly to the large temperature change.” Dutton says she and Peterson are not necessarily saying that the warming is what killed everything at the time. But it could have made things worse. It could have been responsible for part of the dinosaurs disappearing. After that, the creatures that survived the first warming spike suffered another blow — a huge rock from space hitting Earth. That impact also caused a jump in temperatures. What does this mean for us today? So why is it important to know about how and why the dinosaurs died off so long ago? Peterson and Dutton suggest people should pay close attention to their work. They say the effects of fast climate change in the Cretaceous period are similar to what scientists are seeing now from climate change. Peterson says the volcano eruption before the meteorite increased pressure on Earth’s environment. In that same way, the carbon dioxide gas emissions from human activities are affecting the environment today. “We are already seeing extinctions and certain organisms being under a lot of environmental stress, reduced habitat, things like that.  All of the same things we are observing today would have been in play in the Cretaceous as well. And so, you know, I guess fingers crossed for no meteorite impact.” And so it seems we might have a lot of learn from the dinosaurs’ disappearance. I’m Anne Ball.   JoEllen McBride reported on this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section below, and find us on our facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   catastrophic – adj. of the nature of a catastrophe, a disaster molecule – n. the smallest possible amount of a particular substance that has all the characteristics of the substance layer – n. one thickness of something laid over another rapid – adj. very fast spike – n. a sudden, very fast increase in something boundary – n. something that shows where an area ends and another begins “one-two punch” – idiom phrase. getting hit, or punched, but one thing, and then another clam - n. a type of shellfish that lives in sand or mud that has a shell in two parts (called bi-valves) and can be eaten cooked or raw fauna - n. all the animals that live in a particular area, time  or environment impact – n. place where something hits another extinction – n. when something has died out completely

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Lesson 22: Next Summer...

Summary Anna and her producer, Amelia, are planning the new children's show. Anna has lots of ideas for the show. Will Amelia like them and work well with Anna?   Speaking Learn to pronounce the new words for this lesson and how to talk about your favorite season and vacation activities.  Pronunciation Use this video to learn how to do shadowing, or repeating soon after you hear a native speaker. Conversation Anna: Washington, D.C. has four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn or fall. My favorite season is summer because of summer vacation!Hey, that will be a great subject for my new work assignment -- the children’s show. I can teach what families in the U.S. do during summer vacation.Today, I’m planning the show with Amelia. This is the first time we are working together. I hope we can work well together. Hi, Amelia! Amelia: Hi, Anna! So, what are we going to talk about on the first show? Anna: I want to talk about summer vacation. Amelia: That will be fun! Are you going on vacation this summer? Anna: No. This summer I am too busy. Amelia: That’s too bad.  Anna: It’s okay. I can go on vacation next summer. This show will be a lot of fun too! Amelia: So, Anna, what’s the plan for the show? Anna: First, we’re going to introduce the subject. Then we can show pictures and video. Amelia: We can show tons of video! Anna: Right! We can interview children and have guests, too. Amelia: Kids can ask us questions. Anna: Great idea! Finally, we can read the questions and tell them where to learn more. Amelia: Okay, let’s try it! Anna: Let’s do it! Anna: Hi there! And welcome to … Amelia, we don’t have a name for the show. Amelia: We’ll think of a name later. For now, we'll call it “The Show.” Anna: Great. Hi there! And welcome to “The Show.” Anna: Today we are going to take you on a summer vacation! You will see popular things to do on vacation! Anna: One is camping. When you go camping, you cook, sleep and play outdoors! Amelia: When I go camping, Anna, I like to go hiking and fishing. Anna: Me, too. Those are fun things to do when you go camping! Anna: These people are hiking. Amelia: Okay, let’s talk about the next vacation. Anna: Another popular summer vacation is going to an amusement park. At an amusement park, you go on rides and eat lots of fun food! Amelia: I love cotton candy … ! Anna & Amelia: and rollercoasters! Amelia: This show is going to be a lot of fun. Anna: I know! Anna: This is riding a rollercoaster! Amelia: Whoooo! What is the last vacation? Anna: One of the most popular vacations is … going to the beach! Anna & Amelia: I love the beach! Anna: When I see that blue ocean, I want to leave Washington, D.C. immediately and go to the beach! Anna: Maybe next summer. Amelia: But right now, it’s time to work! Anna: Right. Until next time ...   Writing What is your favorite season? What do you like to do when you go on a vacation? Tell us about the next vacation you plan to go on. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Plan. When we learn a new language, planning helps us to continue to learn well. In the video, you can see Amelia and Anna planning for the new children's show. Notice how they talk about a list of the things they will do. "First, we’re going to introduce the subject. Then we can show pictures and video. ... We can interview children and have guests too. Great idea! Finally, we can read the questions and tell them where to learn more." How do you plan when using or learning English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   Quiz ​Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words amusement park - n. a place that has many games and rides (such as roller coasters and merry-go-rounds) for entertainment beach - n. an area covered with sand or small rocks that is next to an ocean or lake camping - n. the activity of sleeping outdoors in a tent usually for enjoyment cotton candy - n. candy made from sugar that is boiled, spun into a soft material using a special machine, and then wound around a stick fishing - n. the sport or business of catching fish guest - n. a usually well-known person who is invited to appear or perform on a program hike - n. to walk a long distance especially for pleasure or exercise immediately - adv. without any delay introduce - v. to speak briefly to an audience about something that is about to begin kid - n. a young person outdoors - adv. outside a building or not inside a building plan n. - a set of actions that have been thought of as a way to do or achieve something plan - v. to think about and arrange the parts or details of (something) before it happens or is made right - adv. in a direct course or manner right now = immediately rollercoaster - n. a ride at an  amusement park which is like a small, open train with tracks that are high off    the ground and that have sharp curves and steep hills season - n. one of the four periods into which the year is commonly divided subject - n. the person or thing that is being discussed or described swimming - n. the sport or activity of moving through water by moving your arms and legs vacation - n. a period of time that a person spends away from home, school, or business usually in order to relax or travel The Four Seasons: spring - n. the season when plants and trees begin to grow summer - n. the warmest season of the year autumn - n. the third season of the year, when crops and fruits are gathered and leaves fall winter - n. the coldest season of the year ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice describing people. For Teachers   ​See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Talking about a sequence of events using going to to talk about future events Topics: Vacations; Seasons Learning Strategy: Planning Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Talking about plans; vacation activities; shadowing and summarizing ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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China Likely Hacked US Banking Agency Computers

  A congressional report says the Chinese government likely illegally entered computers of an American federal agency. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, supervises banks. The report says employees of the agency hid news about the computer attacks -- which took place in 2010, 2011 and 2013 -- to protect the head of the agency. The report noted that an FDIC investigation said the Chinese government was probably responsible for the attacks. Congressional investigators said the attacks were hidden to protect Martin Gruenberg, who was named to lead the agency in 2011. Lamar Smith is a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Texas. He is the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. He said the committee’s report shows weaknesses in the FDIC’s computer security efforts. He also called the FDIC’s reported attempt to escape congressional supervision “a serious offense.” He said “there is a culture of concealment at the FDIC.” There is growing concern about the openness of the international banking system to computer criminals. The attack of the FDIC computers could be an indication of how deeply China has illegally entered U.S. government computer networks. However, the congressional report did not give evidence that China was responsible. Shane Shook is a computer security expert. He has investigated some of the attacks on U.S. government computers. He said the congressional report did not persuade him that the Chinese government hacked the FDIC. “As with all government agencies, there are management issues stemming from leadership ignorance of technology oversight,” Shook said. In Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said China opposes hacking and has taken actions against computer criminals. “People should provide evidence for their accusations,” he said. He told reporters the U.S. government’s accusations against China were “extremely irresponsible.” The FDIC holds secret information about the country’s largest banks and its customers. The FDIC did not answer press questions about the report. But on Thursday, Gruenberg admitted to members of the committee that the agency had failed to protect important banking information. He said the agency’s computer security plans did not work. In Gruenberg’s words, “this is a serious matter that must be addressed so that it does not happen again.” The U.S. has accused China of hacking several federal agencies. In one incident, American officials say, China stole more than 21 million computer records about former and current federal employees. In May, the news media began reporting that a foreign government may have illegally entered the FDIC’s computer systems. Some lawmakers said at the time that China was a suspect. In 2013 the FDIC’s top independent investigator identified China as the likely suspect. The new congressional report is the first public release of information about that finding. The congressional report says “even the former Chairwoman’s computer had been hacked by a foreign government” -- likely the Chinese. Sheila Bair led the agency from 2006 until 2011, when Gruenberg was named temporary chairman. The report says criminals illegally entered 12 FDIC computers. They include those of the former top assistant to the agency’s chairman and the agency’s former top lawyer. The congressional report also said 10 servers were hacked. Other reports say many more computers were illegally entered and the information of individual bank customers was stolen. A witness told congressional investigators that a top FDIC official told workers not to report the hack to protect Gruenberg’s chances of being confirmed as chairman of the agency. On Thursday, Gruenberg told members of Congress that he did not know about any possible efforts to cover up reports about the hacks. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.  Reuters reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver 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   indication – n. something (such as a sign or signal) that points out or shows something conceal – v. to keep (something) secret hack – v. to secretly get access to the files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage, etc. stem from – phrasal verb to be caused by (something or someone); to come from (something or someone)      

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US Investigates Missing Money in Malaysia

U.S. attorney general Loretta Lynch says billions of dollars were stolen from an investment fund run by the government of Malaysia. The thieves may be high-ranking officials in the Malaysian government and their family members. The money generated by the fund was supposed to be used for economic development projects and to help raise the quality of life in Malaysia. But instead, it was used to buy artwork by famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. More money was used to purchase expensive homes and a jet, and to finance Hollywood movies. The fund is called 1MDB. It opened in 2009. Early on, billions of dollars moved out of the fund and into the account of a co-founder of oil company PetroSaudi International. The money was supposed to fund a project between Malaysia and the oil company. But the money went back into the account of a Malaysian government official known as “Malaysian Official One.” Lynch would not identify the person known as “Malaysian Official One.” But observers believe it may be Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Over the next five years, more than $3.5 billion were transferred from the fund into private bank accounts in Switzerland. The U.S. Department of Justice is working to recover at least $1 billion in assets that were purchased with money stolen from the fund. Those assets include the artwork and some of the profits from the 2013 movie “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The case, filed in California, is in fact called “U.S. v. Wolf of Wall Street.” Najib’s stepson and another Malaysian investor started the production company that financed the film. The money likely came from the 1MDB fund. Lynch said, “Corrupt officials treated this public trust as a personal bank account.” The Department of Justice is involved through its Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. Lynch says the U.S. is involved because money passed through American banks. U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs also raised money for the fund. The complaint says banks in Singapore, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the U.S. were used in the fraud. Other governments are investigating the 1MDB fund, including Switzerland and Singapore. Members of the Malaysian government’s opposition will probably ask for Najib to resign. But some of those same party members say Najib’s position as prime minister is probably safe. Charles Santiago is a member of the opposition Democratic Action Party. He says some organizations in Malaysia will ask for an investigation based on the U.S. allegations. But, he said, “This will not go far.” I’m Dan Friedell.   Steve Herman wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. Do you think the U.S. will be successful in its case? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   trust – n. an arrangement in which someone's property or money is legally held or managed by someone else or by an organization (such as a bank) for usually a set period of time kleptocracy – n. a corrupt government that steals from the people it is supposed to represent asset – n. something that is owned by a person, company, etc. — usually plural initiative – n. a plan or program that is intended to solve a problem complaint – n. a formal charge saying that someone has done something wrong fraud – n. the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person allegation – n. a statement saying that someone has done something wrong or illegal

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Philippines Leader Duterte: Just Call Me President

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an order directing the Philippine people to address him simply as “president.” Duterte’s executive order banned the use of honorifics for himself or his cabinet. Honorifics are titles or terms of respect. Duterte approved the executive order on July 15. The order was issued to stop the use of terms such as “honorable” or “his excellency.” While Duterte will be called “president,” the order suggests the term “secretary" be used for the country’s ministers. Duterte’s officials say the order is a step aimed to reinforce the president’s “simple” style. Though he will formally be addressed as president, Duterte still prefers to be called "mayor," according to a statement from the president’s staff. For more than two decades, Duterte was the mayor of southern Davao City. There, he became an admired public servant and crime-fighter. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the executive order was intended to preserve Duterte’s “populist” style. “He encourages less ceremonial communications,” Abella added. The order will not surprise the millions of Filipinos who voted for Duterte. He became popular due to his down-to-earth style and clothing. The new president took office three weeks ago. He will give his first State of the Nation address on Monday. The State of the Nation is an extraordinary affair more like a fashion show than a political speech. However, the Duterte administration did make a change to the event. The budget has been reduced for this year’s State of the Nation address. This year’s event will have fewer guests and a business dress code. I’m John Russell.   Reuters contributed to this VOA News story. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly 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   honorifics – n. titles used in speaking to or about a superior or elder executive order – n. an order that comes from a president or a government agency and must be obeyed like a law excellency – n. used as a title for some high government officials populist – adj.  relating to a political party that claims to represent ordinary people fashion show – n.  an event at which newly designed clothing are modeled for an audience

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