July 26, 2016

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

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July 25, 2016

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

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1400 UTC Newscast in English

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. The Islamic State group said Tuesday that two assailants who stormed a church in France and killed an elderly priest were its "soldiers," according to an IS-linked news agency report. The claim just came hours after the attack in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. The two assailants stormed the church during morning mass, taking five people inside hostage and slitting the throat of its priest, who was in his 80s. The attackers were killed by police after they emerged from the church. This is a French Interior spokesman, who says an investigation is being conducted. He says: "The Paris prosecutor has given the investigation to an anti-terrorist unit of the judicial police, and the director-general of interior security." Meanwhile, President Francois Hollande vowed Tuesday to wage war against the Islamic State "by every means" within the law after two men were linked to the jihadist group. Japan is in a state of shock over Tuesday's knifing attack in which at least 19 disabled people were murdered and 25 others wounded. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. He described the attack as very tragic and shocking. He is praying for peace for the departed souls and extended condolences to the victims’ families. The suspect is identified as a 26-year old former employee of the facility for the disabled, who allegedly murdered the people as they slept.  He turned himself in at a police station, carrying bloodied knives and admitting to officers that he did it. He has a history of mental illness and had been hospitalized early this year after delivering a letter to parliament, in which he threatened to kill hundreds of the disabled. This is VOA News.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Clinton Struggles to Win Over Sanders Supporters

Efforts to unite the Democratic Party behind Hillary Clinton suffered a setback as the party began its four-day convention in Philadelphia. The release of emails, hacked from the Democratic National Committee, showed what supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders suspected: the party’s leadership favored Clinton over Sanders. The Vermont senator ran a stronger than expected challenge to Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. He received strong support from young voters. Clinton, who won strong support from African-Americans and older Democratic voters, is scheduled to accept the Democratic nomination on Thursday. Clinton supports Sanders’ calls to reduce income inequality and says she has the experience as a former secretary of state, a U.S. senator and a First Lady to be an effective president. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is head of the Democratic Party. Angry Sanders supporters booed Wasserman Schultz as she spoke to delegates from her home state of Florida at a Monday morning meeting. On Monday, Sanders spoke to his own delegates and urged them to support Clinton for president. That request was also met with boos from some of his supporters. He responded, “This is the real world.” Sanders said electing Clinton is the only way to stop Donald Trump, whom he called "a bully and a demagogue.” Some Sanders delegates were angry about the released emails. In one of the emails, a Democratic official hoped to use Sanders' religious beliefs against him. Kira Willig is a Florida attorney and a Sanders delegate at the Democratic National Convention. She held up a sign that said “emails” as Wasserman Schultz spoke at the Florida delegation breakfast Monday. Willig said it is wrong for the Clinton campaign to bring on Wasserman Schultz, a Democratic congresswoman from Florida, to an official leadership position on her campaign. “Hillary, her delegates, and the Democratic National Committee should apologize and admit what happened was wrong,” Willig told VOA. “Then we can all move on to keep Trump out of office.” After the breakfast, Wasserman Schultz told a Florida newspaper she will not open and close the Democratic convention, which is usually done by the party chairwoman. She is also giving up the chairwoman’s position after the convention ends Thursday night. Patrick Miller is a political scientist at the University of Kansas. He does not expect the “drama” at last week’s Republican convention and the start of this week’s Democratic convention to have a big effect. Donald Trump had his own problems with unity at last week’s Republican convention. His top challenger for the Republican nomination, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, spoke to the convention and refused to endorse him for president. Miller said, “It is understandable that the Sanders supporters are mad, but the Clinton campaign moved to minimize the damage by getting President Obama to ask Wasserman Schultz to step down.They are trying to make these emails into a one-day story.” Questions raised on Russian involvement CrowdStrike, a computer security firm that looked into the hacking of Democratic computers, blamed two Russian intelligence-affiliated organizations. The FBI said it is investigating how thousands of Democratic emails ended up in the hands of WikiLeaks, which released them last Friday. Clinton campaign manager John Podesta said the emails may have been released because Russian President Vladimir Putin favors Trump’s views on protecting Europe from Russia over Clinton’s. Trump called those claims a “joke.” “The new joke in town is that Russia leaked the disastrous emails, which never should have been written (stupid) Because Putin likes me.” Trump said in a Twitter message. Trump gained in opinion polls Opinion polls released after the Republican National Convention showed an increase in support for Trump. Fivethirtyeight.com founder Nate Silver said the latest polls show “Trump turned a deficit of about 3 points into a one-point lead.” Arthur Lupia is a political scientist at the University of Michigan. The next few days, Lupia said, give Clinton a chance to tell voters watching the Democratic convention “how her presidency can improve their quality of life.” Lupia adds that Clinton is likely to appeal to “moderate Republicans who find themselves uncomfortable with some of Donald Trump's positions on trade, international alliances, and immigration.”   Ken Bredemeier reported this story for VOA News. Bruce Alpert adapted this story with additional reporting for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hack -- v. to take information from a computer without permission boo -- v. a sound that people make to show they do not like or approve of someone or something respond -- v. to do something as a reaction to something that has happened or been done bully -- n. someone who frightens, hurts, or threatens smaller or weaker people demagogue -- n. a political leader who tries to get support by making false claims and promises and using arguments based on emotion rather than reason belief -- n. a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true drama -- n. a situation or series of events that is exciting and that affects people's emotions poll -- n. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something  

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Verizon Buys Yahoo for $5 Billion

This is What’s Trending Today. Many Americans are reacting to news that Verizon Communications will buy Yahoo, one of the first big internet companies. The deal is worth $4.8 billion. Verizon is a telecommunications company in the United States. It provides wireless service for cell phones and other mobile devices. Yahoo opened in 1994. Back then, it offered a guide to websites on the internet. The company later graduated to email, web searches and news. Yahoo made money by selling advertising on its pages. In the late 1990s, the company may have been worth as much as $125 billion. But its business has been struggling for a number of years. Some observers say Yahoo had trouble staying relevant as the internet developed. Google is now the most popular search engine in the U.S. Also, social networks like Facebook have changed the way people use the internet. In 2008, Microsoft tried to buy Yahoo for $44 billion, but its offer was rejected. Many people were surprised how far the one-time internet giant fell. The business magazine Forbes called the agreement with Verizon “the saddest $5 billion deal in tech history.” Critics noted how much money Yahoo’s chief Marissa Mayer made in her time with the company. She left her job with Google in hopes of reviving Yahoo in 2012. Mayer earned over $200 million in her four years. She is expected to stay with the company until Verizon takes over early next year. One person compared her earnings to the total amount of a recent U.S. lottery jackpot. Yahoo officials say they have no plans to sell the company’s shares in the Chinese online shopping company Alibaba. They are said to be worth about $40 billion. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dorothy Gundy.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you remember using Yahoo to access the internet in the 1990s? Tell us about it in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   graduate – v. to move from one level to another usually higher level relevant – adj. relating to a subject in an appropriate way revive – v. to make (someone or something) strong, healthy, or active again jackpot – n. a usually large amount of money won in a game of chance giant – n. someone or something that is very large or powerful

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Study Finds Americans Want Stronger Gun Laws

  A shooting in the American state of Florida has left two young men dead. The shooting took place early Monday outside a nightclub in the city of Fort Myers. The club was holding a party for teenagers.  Police did not give a reason for the attack. But they said it was not an act of terrorism. Club Blu released a statement on Facebook after the shooting. It said, “We are deeply sorry for all involved. We tried to give the teens WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A SAFE PLACE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.” The statement said the shooting began when parents were returning to the club to take their children home. And, it added, the young people at the party were not responsible for the attack. Even before the attack, Americans increasingly support stronger gun laws Florida is also the state where, last month, 49 people were shot and killed at a gay nightclub. That shooting — along with many others in recent years — is once again pushing gun control to the front of public debate in the U.S.  A survey released this weekend by the Associated Press/GfK found that an increasing number of Americans support stronger gun laws. Nearly two-thirds of respondents say they want stricter laws. Even more support nationwide bans on sales of semi-automatic assault weapons – guns that can kill many people quickly. Most people who took the survey say they would like a national policy on gun restrictions, instead of having different rules in every state. However, they say they do not believe lawmakers will do anything soon to bring about changes.  Up to this point, the U.S. Congress has failed to act on many of the proposals that surveys show most Americans support. Americans are not feeling safe The latest study also found that Americans are not feeling safe. Many are concerned they or a relative will be a victim of gun violence. And, people who are not white are more likely to be very or extremely concerned about being victims of gun violence. Alonzo Lassiter, who is African American, said he is worried about his 17-year-old son. His child is autistic. The young man has difficulty communicating and connecting with other people. Lassiter says that if someone told his son to get on the ground and put his hands up, the young man might not understand or follow the directions. "He may be an easy target," Lassiter said. Another person, Milonne Ambroise, told the AP, “If you live in the United States in these days right now, you have to be concerned. Ambroise is from Haiti, but now lives in Decatur, Georgia. She said, “You could be on the street somewhere. You could be at a shopping mall thinking there will be a mass shooting and you will be in the middle of it. You can’t not think about it.” For the first time in her 50 years in the U.S., Ambroise said, she finds the exit in every room in case she has to flee. I’m Mehrnoush Karimian-Ainsworth.   VOANews.com reported on the Fort Myers shooting and the Associated Press-GfK poll. The AP provided additional material about the survey. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   nightclub – n. a place that is open at night, has music, dancing, or a show, and usually serves alcoholic drinks and food gay – adj. of, relating to, or used by homosexuals survey – n. n activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something: poll autistic – adj. related to a condition or disorder that begins in childhood and that causes problems in forming relationships and in communicating with other people shopping mall – n. a large building or group of buildings containing many different stores: mall exit – n. something (such as a door) that is used as a way to go out of a place

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Is Pasta Good for You?

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. The Italian actress Sophia Loren reportedly once said, “Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.” What we see is her great figure – a figure she credits to eating pasta. But many people consider pasta bad for maintaining a healthy weight. Modern food experts often suggest avoiding pasta and other carbohydrates, such as white rice and potatoes. That suggestion is bad news to many people. After all, rice is a staple of many Asian countries; potatoes are a staple of some Eastern European diets; and pasta is a staple of the Italian diet and a favorite of people everywhere. These foods are also called comfort foods. A comfort food reminds you of home and, well, comforts you. But now, a new study brings great news to pasta lovers around the world. The study suggests that pasta doesn't make you fat. In fact, the study says pasta may even reduce the chances of obesity. In other words, pasta may make it less likely you will become very overweight. We should note that this research was done in Italy, where eating pasta is very common. Mediterranean diet and moderation The pasta researchers analyzed the diets of more than 23,000 people. They published their findings in the journal Nutrition and Diabetes. The researchers note that pasta is part of a traditional Mediterranean diet. Many studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. However, this study specifically looked at the role that pasta plays. Pasta, the researchers found, "contributes to a healthy body mass index (BMI), lower waist circumference and better waist-hip ratio." (Again, think of Sophia Loren.) Licia Iacoviello is the head of the Laboratory of Molecular and Nutritional Epidemiology at the Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care in Pozzilli, Italy. Researchers at this institute conducted the study. Iacoviello says that the popular view these days is that pasta is not a good choice when you want to lose weight. She adds that “some people completely ban it from their meals." But, she says, "In light of this research, we can say that this is not a correct attitude." However, before you help yourself to a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs, you should know this: eating too much pasta will not provide the benefits researchers describe.   Iacoviello warns that pasta should be eaten in moderation. And, she says, it should be part of a diet that includes a variety of common Mediterranean foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits, grains, nuts, olive oil and legumes. In fact, a different study shows that even the fatty foods in the Mediterranean diet are healthy. These fats include olive oil, nuts, avocados, eggs or fatty fish. The Mediterranean diet is light on meat and dairy. The lead researcher of the study on fats in the Mediterranean diet is Dr. Hanna Bloomfield. She says that people who eat “a Mediterranean diet with no restriction on the fat they eat “have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes.” For this study reviewed results of more than 300 previous studies on the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet. The combination of these two studies seem to suggest that eating a Mediterranean diet is not only good tasting but good for you. I’m Anna Matteo. Do you enjoy eating pasta? What is your favorite comfort food? Let us know in the Comments Section! Reporters at VOA News researched this report. Anna Matteo wrote it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   figure – n. bodily shape or form especially of a person and usually a female carbohydrate – n. any one of various substances found in certain foods (such as bread, rice, and potatoes) that provide your body with heat and energy and are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen staple – n. a commodity for which the demand is constant : something having widespread and constant use or appeal : the sustaining or principal element comfort food – n. food that is satisfying because it is prepared in a simple or traditional way and reminds you of home, family, or friends moderation – n. an amount that is neither too much nor too little body mass index – n. a measurement that shows the amount of fat in your body and that is based on your weight and height circumference – n. the external boundary or surface of a figure or object ratio – n. the relationship that exists between the size, number, or amount of two things and that is often represented by two numbers  

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Russian Team Escapes Olympic Ban

The International Olympic Committee, known as the IOC, will not ban all Russian athletes from the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in August. The World Anti-Doping Agency, also known as WADA, had called for banning Russian athletes from the Rio Games. WADA called for the ban after confirming that the Russian government worked to cover up doping among its athletes. It said Russian athletes in more than 30 sports gained competitive advantages from doping. And the Russian government switched urine samples allowing athletes to pass doping tests. IOC president Thomas Bach announced Sunday that he would not issue a collective ban of Russian athletes. He was concerned that innocent athletes would not be allowed to compete in Brazil. Bach said: “you have to be able to look into the eyes of the individual athletes concerned by your decision.” The IOC said it will pay extra attention to the test results of all of the Russian athletes in Rio. Also, individual sport federations around the world will have the right to ban an athlete from competition if that athlete has failed a drug test. For example, the IAAF, the organization that manages international track and field events, has already banned many Russian track and field athletes. The Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said he was “grateful” that the IOC did not ban the entire Russian team. He said the organization made its decision with “unity of world sport and the unity of the Olympic family” in mind. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said officials named in the WADA report would be suspended. Sports minister Mutko and his deputy are both named in the WADA report. Around the world, sports organizations criticized the decision by the IOC. The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said the IOC “refused to take decisive leadership.” A British IOC member said the “IOC has passed the buck.” Other Olympic experts are concerned about the future of a Russian athlete, Yuliya Stepanova. She provided evidence that helped break WADA’s case against Russia. Stepanova will now have to compete as a member of the Russian team if she wants to participate in the Olympics. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on information from VOANews.com and Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor. Do you think the IOC made the right decision? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ban – v. to forbid (someone) from doing or being part of something doping – n. the illegal use of a drug (such as a steroid) to improve an athlete's performance grateful – adj. feeling or showing thanks switch – v. to change or replace (something) with another thing pass the buck – v. to avoid a responsibility by giving it to someone else  

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Security, South China Sea Are Major Issues at ASEAN

Security was a main subject for the latest talks of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Vientiane, Laos. China’s behavior in the South China Sea and the recent activities of North Korea are among the issues being discussed. The meeting of foreign ministers follows a recent ruling by the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands. That ruling denied China’s historical claims in the South China Sea. The court’s ruling was based on the United Nations Law of the Sea. There are concerns the decision could increase tensions and lead to more Chinese military exercises in the waterway. China has said it does not recognize the ruling. The island of Taiwan has also said it does not recognize the court’s findings. Monday, foreign ministers tried to come to a consensus on China’s behavior and expansion in the South China Sea. The 10-member group released an official statement about the South China Sea. The statement noted serious concerns over land reclamation and the increase of activities in the South China Sea. The statement said actions in the region had “eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region.” The recent tribunal ruling by the court in The Hague or any single nation, including China, were not mentioned in the statement. Rules-based international system to be discussed  The United States is an ASEAN partner as is China. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also is attending the meetings. Kerry said he is proud the U.S. is a partner with ASEAN. He said ASEAN “speaks up for a rules-based international system that protects the rights of all nations, big or small.” The U.S. signed the ASEAN-U.S. Strategic Partnership last November. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama hosted a meeting with leaders from the ASEAN countries.   Another ASEAN milestone involves China. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the relationship between China and ASEAN. Earlier this month, leaders from both sides exchanged messages of congratulations.    China is ASEAN's biggest trading partner. It became ASEAN's dialogue partner in 1991. Both sides established a strategic partnership in 2003. In 2010, they started the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area. I’m Mario Ritter.   Nike Ching wrote this story for VOA News. The Associated Press contributed to the story. Jim Dresbach adapted the story for Learning English. Mario Ritter 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   consensus – n. an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group erode –v. to slowly destroy or take away undermine – v. to make something weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way tribunal – n. a kind of court that has authority in a specific area milestone – n. a very important event

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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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