US Government Approves Private Moon Shot

  The United States government has given a private American company permission to send a commercial flight to the moon. Moon Express, Inc. plans to send a robotic lander to the moon. The vehicle has been reported to be the size of the R2-D2 robot from the Star Wars movie series. “It’s a huge milestone for us,” said Bob Richards, who heads Moon Express. Until now, private space exploration companies have limited their activities to Earth’s orbit. Moon Express hopes to begin flights to the moon in 2017, the year in which Google, the technology company, presents its Lunar X Prize. The prize will go to the first privately-funded business to land a vehicle on the moon. Moon Express joined the race to the moon in 2012. There are now 16 other companies in the competition. Other private companies and individuals would like to explore space. SpaceX, an American aerospace company, has announced plans to launch its “Red Dragon” spacecraft to Mars as early as 2018. Another company, Planetary Resources, is making plans to mine asteroids for minerals. Moon Express has said it wants to mine for minerals on the moon. I’m Anne Ball.   The staff at VOA News wrote this story. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of the future of space exploration? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   milestone – n. a very important event asteroids – n. any one of thousands of small planets that circle around the sun commercial – adj. concerned with or involving trade, business funded – adj. financed; provided with money for a special purpose  

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August 9, 2016

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

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1300 UTC Newscast in English

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday hosted Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in their first encounter since Ankara downed one of Moscow's warplanes last November, sparking a deep diplomatic crisis. "Your visit today, despite a very difficult situation regarding domestic politics, indicates that we all want to restart dialogue and restore relations between Russia and Turkey." Those are comments from Mr. Putin as the two met in Saint Petersburg. The visit to Russia is the first foreign trip for Erdogan since the failed coup against him in July that sparked a purge of political opponents and cast a shadow over Turkey's relations with the West. The privately-run American University in Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul has formally announced that its campus operations will remain temporarily suspended after Sunday's kidnapping of two of its foreign teaching staff members. Afghan authorities say unknown gunmen Sunday evening abducted the lecturers, an American and an Australian, from Darulaman Road near the university. So far there have been no immediate claims of responsibility. Fifty senior Republican national security officials have issued a stinging rejection of their party's White House nominee Donald Trump, warning if elected he would be "the most reckless president in American history". The group included former homeland security chiefs and intelligence directors, senior presidential advisors and a former U.S. trade representative. They served under Republican presidents from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush. This is VOA News.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Trump Vows to Cut Taxes in Economic Policy Speech

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he would lower taxes and reduce business regulations to improve the U.S. economy. The businessman outlined his main economic policies Monday during a speech to the Detroit Economic Club. Trump began by talking about how in the past, the U.S. auto industry had made Detroit the “economic envy of the world.” He noted that today, the city is one of America’s poorest, with high unemployment, poverty and crime rates. He said Detroit is an example of how failed economic policies including high taxes and government regulations hurt the city. Trump said his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s economic plan supports these kinds of policies, which can lead to U.S. job losses. “The one common feature of every Hillary Clinton idea is that it punishes you for working and doing business in the United States. And that’s why she tries to distract us with tired political rhetoric that seeks to label us, divide us, and pull us apart.” He said his campaign is “about reaching out to everyone as Americans, and returning to a government that puts the American people first.” Trump read from prepared text during the speech, which was interrupted numerous times by protesters. The protesters stood on chairs and shouted at the candidate before they were removed by security. At one point, Trump said he thought the protests were “very well planned out.” Across the board tax cuts Trump proposed “across-the-board” tax cuts that he said would especially help middle-income Americans. “This will lead to millions of new good paying jobs. The rich will pay their fair share, but no one will pay so much that it destroys jobs, or undermines our ability to compete.” He said his plan would simplify U.S. tax regulations and that many American workers would pay no income tax. “These reforms will offer the biggest tax revolution since the Reagan Tax Reform, which unleashed years of continued economic growth and job creation.” Trump also pledged to lower the business tax rate. He said high taxes on companies punishes them for making products in America.   “Under my plan, no American company will pay more than 15 percent of their business income in taxes. Small businesses will benefit the most from this plan.” He said part of his plan would also allow parents to fully deduct the average cost of childcare spending from their taxes. Proposed ban on new regulations Trump said another cause of jobs leaving the U.S. is the high level of government regulation on businesses. He said if elected, he would issue a temporary ban on new agency regulations. “This will give our American companies the certainty they need to reinvest in our community, get cash off of the sidelines, start hiring new jobs, and expanding their businesses.” He repeated his criticism of international trade agreements approved by previous administrations. He said he would try to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994. He said his plan calls for “strong protections against currency manipulation and tariffs against any countries that cheat by unfairly subsidizing their goods.” He also vowed to reform U.S. energy policies and regulations that he said have destroyed millions of U.S. jobs. “We will put our coal miners and steel workers back to work, where they want to be.” Critics said Trump’s proposals reflected Republican economic positions but lacked detail. The speech comes after he announced Friday his 13-member economic advisory team. The team includes all male executives from the real estate, oil and banking industries. At a rally Monday in Florida, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton called the list of Trump’s economic advisers the "six guys named Steve." "Now, they tried to make his old, tired ideas sound new," Clinton said. "He wants to basically just repackage trickle-down economics." Clinton will also head to Detroit on Thursday to deliver her own economic speech to counter Trump’s proposals. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Additional material came from the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do 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   regulation – n. a rule made and enforced by an authority distract – v. prevent from giving full attention to rhetoric – n. language intended to influence people that may not be honest or reasonable across-the-board – adj. affecting everyone or everything in a group unleash – v. to allow or cause to happen suddenly manipulation – n. to use of change in a skillful way or for a specific purpose subsidize – v. support an organization or activity financially  

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Japanese Emperor: Too Old to Rule?

Japanese Emperor Akihito made a rare televised speech to his nation Monday. He told Japanese citizens that he is getting too old and weak to carry out his duties. The media has reported that the 82-year-old’s health is failing. In recent years, doctors have operated on his heart, and treated him for cancer and bronchitis. Emperor Akihito expressed concern that poor health will make it difficult for him to meet his responsibilities. “When I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the state with my whole being, as I have done until now," the emperor said. A 1947 law permits a new emperor to take power only when the one in power dies. Emperor Akihito did not ask Parliament to change the law, however. Hosaka Yuji is a Japan expert at Sejong University in Seoul, South Korea. He said the emperor's speech was an appeal for the understanding of the Japanese people. Yuji said, “His message did not have any political impact nor diplomatic impact." Public opinion studies in Japan show that 80 to 90 percent of people support changing the law so that the emperor can surrender his rule. But some more traditional members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition have shown resistance to a discussion of the issue. Some experts suggest the officials fear that considering such a change might lead to similar action on proposals they strongly oppose. These include a proposal that women be permitted to inherit the title of empress. Prime Minister Abe expressed sympathy for the emperor’s position. "Considering the emperor's age and burden on his duties, I think about his mental fatigue. I think we should carefully think what is possible according to his message," Abe said. Symbol of unity Born in 1933, Akihito became emperor in 1989 after the death of his father, Hirohito. Hirohito was considered a god by his people until Japan's defeat in World War II. The occupying American forces took away the emperor's powers. They defined his new role as “a symbol of the state and of the unity of the people.” Akihito is a popular ruler, seen as more approachable than his father was. He married a commoner, the Empress Michiko. The emperor does not take positions in Japanese politics. However, some recent statements by Emperor Akihito have seemed critical of Abe’s ruling coalition. For example, Abe and his supporters have tried to downplay the Japanese military’s reported war crimes. Yet, last year, during the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, Akihito questioned some Japanese actions during the war. The emperor also has strongly defended Japan’s pacifist constitution. Abe supports an expansion of military power. Crown Prince Naruhito Akihito’s son and heir, 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, has already taken control of some of his father’s official duties. The crown prince is expected to support his father’s positions in political policies. I'm Caty Weaver.   Brian Padden reported this story for VOANews.com. Mehrnoush Karimian-Ainsworth adapted the report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.   ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   declining– v. to become worse in condition or quality symbol – n. an action, object, event, person, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality impact – n. a powerful or major influence or effect  inherit – v. to receive (money, property, etc.) from someone when that person dies  role – n. the part that someone has in a family, society, or other group approachable – adj. easy to talk to or deal with   commoner – n. a person who is not a member of the nobility  downplay – v. to make (something) seem smaller or less important   pacifist – n. someone who believes that war and violence are wrong and who refuses to participate in or support a war    We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.     

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UN Wants Australia to Take Lead Against Asian Drug Traffic

Iran Executes a Nuclear Scientist for Spying for the US

Last week Iran executed a nuclear scientist on charges of spying for the United States, an official said Sunday. Officials admitted for the first time that Shahram Amiri had been secretly detained and tried. A judicial spokesman said a court sentenced Amiri to death. Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the sentence. The spokesman said, “Amiri gave vital information about the country to the enemy,” according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA. The spokesman did not say why officials had not announced the sentence earlier, according to AP news agency. Iran hanged Amiri during the same week it executed a number of militants. Shahram Amiri, 38, was a university researcher who worked for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization. He is said to have left Iran for Saudi Arabia in 2009 to visit Muslim holy places. However, he disappeared and went to the United States. While in the U.S., Amiri appeared in several videos. The AP news agency reported that the videos gave contradictory information about why he was in America. In one video, Amiri said that he had been kidnapped and that Saudi and U.S. intelligence agents held him against his will. In another, he said he wanted to study in America and return to Iran if the “opportunity of safe travel” became available. His wife and son remained in Iran. U.S. officials said they paid Amiri $5 million to leave Iran and provide information about its nuclear program. At the time, Western countries were increasing efforts to limit Iran’s nuclear program under then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In 2010, Amiri reportedly went to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington and asked to be returned to Iran. He returned later that year. At first, Iranian officials welcomed him. AP reports that he appeared on Iranian TV as a hero. But then he disappeared. The judiciary spokesman said Amiri’s family mistakenly believed that he was serving a 10-year prison sentence. Last week, news of his death reportedly appeared in a newspaper in his hometown. U.S.-Iran relations For years, Iran has stated that its nuclear activities were not aimed at developing nuclear weapons. However, the U.S. says uranium particles found during an investigation last year at an Iranian military base probably came from Iran’s secret nuclear weapons program. The execution of Amiri takes place one year after the United States and five world powers reached a nuclear agreement with Iran. The deal requires Iran to limit its nuclear development capabilities. In exchange, western countries lifted strong economic restrictions on Iran. I’m Mario Ritter.   This report is based on a report by Wayne Lee for VOA News and AP materials. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   vital – adj. very important, contradictory – adj. to present statements that do not agree with previously stated comments  

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In Syria's Civil War, Kurds Enjoy Language Freedoms

  Syria's civil war and the rise of militancy have left Syrian Kurds with a chance to control areas in the north and northeast part of the country. This has given the Kurds time to exercise and promote their culture. For years, the Kurdish language was banned in Syria under the rule of President Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad. Now, with almost no presence of Syrian government forces, Kurdish groups say they are free to learn and teach their language to a new generation. "It's a great thing that is happening now," said Ismael Omar, a Kurdish-language teacher in the town of Amude. "We just graduated 31 students. We've been doing this since the start of the Syrian Revolution." Before the fighting started in 2011, Arabic was the language of education throughout Kurdish areas in the country. Syrian Kurds were successful at preserving the use of their language at home. Yet they never had the chance to study it in schools. Samira Hajj Ali is the head of the education commission in the city of Qamishli. She said that under the new Kurdish administration, the official languages are Kurdish, Arabic and Syriac. "In the coming school year, we will have textbooks designed for elementary schools," said Abdulselam Mohamad, who teaches at a public school in Qamishli. "All math and science textbooks are in Kurdish,” he said. Disagreement Many people are critical of the new education system. They say that students are not yet ready to be taught entirely in Kurdish. Private schools, which teach in Arabic, are not a choice for all parents. "We're not against teaching our kids Kurdish," said Nesrin Malla, a mother of three. "Kurdish is our mother tongue and we love it, but thrusting all those Kurdish textbooks on children at once is counterproductive," she said. Language experts share these concerns. "There has to be a gradual process in which Kurdish is introduced to students slowly," said Omar, a teacher. "You can't just teach them in a language they have never been exposed to in their education, and then expect them to succeed academically." One problem is differences between the Kurdish and Arabic alphabets. Kurdish is an Indo-European language that uses a Latin script in some Kurdish dialects. Arabic is an Afro-Semitic language that uses the Arabic alphabet, and is written from right to left. "This might seem like a minor issue," Omar said. "But it is actually problematic, given that students have to switch everything to the Latin script." He added that it would take a long time for students to understand and accept the new lettering.  Local Kurdish groups say that they are prepared to continue pushing for their language to be recognized in all aspects of life. I’m John Russell.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Sirwan Kajjo reported on this story for VOANews.com. John Russell adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   promote – v. to make (something) more popular, well-known, etc. commission – n.  a group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something elementary school – n. a school for young children ( also called grade school, grammar school, primary school) textbook – n.  grade school, grammar school, primary school alphabet – n. the letters of a language arranged in their usual order script – n. the letters of a language arranged in their usual order aspect – n.  a part of something

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Olympic Firsts Highlight Opening Weekend

  This is What’s Trending Today: There have already been a lot of “firsts” to celebrate at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Team USA won the first gold medal of the Games on Saturday. Ginny Thrasher won the gold medal in the women’s 10-meter air rifle competition early in the day. She finished 1 point ahead of Du Li, the silver medalist from China. It is the 19-year-old’s first Olympic Games. She entered her first shooting competition just five years ago. Here is another first. Majilinda Kelmendi of Kosovo won the country’s first-ever Olympic medal, and it was gold. Kelmendi is one of the best judo athletes in the world. She competes in the 52 kilogram division. This is the first time that athletes from Kosovo are permitted to represent their home country in the Olympics. Kelmendi represented Albania in the 2012 London Games. She won the bronze medal. “This is the first time that Kosovo is part of the Olympics, and for the first time, I think gold is huge,” she said. There was another Olympic first in the 10-meter air pistol event on Saturday. Hoang Xuan Vinh  is from Vietnam. He defeated Brazilian Felipe Wu on the last shot of the competition to win the gold medal. It was Vietnam’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. One fan of the Vietnamese team was so excited, she wrote “I’m lit” in a post on Twitter. Lit is a slang term used to express excitement. And in the women’s sabre fencing competition on Monday morning, Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first-ever U.S. athlete to wear a hijab in the Olympics. Muhammad is 30 years old and from the state of New Jersey. She is Muslim. She beat a fencer from Ukraine on Monday. But, shortly after, she lost to a French athlete. But, Muhammad will see more Olympic action on Saturday when she competes in the team event. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What have you watched in the first three days of the Olympics? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   slang – n. words that are not considered part of the standard vocabulary of a language; used informally hijab – n. a head covering worn outside the home by Muslim women rifle – n. a gun that has a long barrel and that is held against your shoulder when you shoot it pistol – n. a small gun made to be aimed and fired with one hand medal – n. a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with designs and words in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement judo – n. a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with designs and words in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement huge – n. very large : very great in size, amount, or degree

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August 8, 2016

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

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US May Reach Goal of Accepting 10,000 Syrian Refugees

  The United States is working to reach its goal of bringing 10,000 Syrian refugees to the country by the end of September. There has been an increase in the number of Syrian refugees entering the U.S. in the past three months. More than 8,000 people who fled violence and persecution in Syria have been resettled in the United States between October 1, 2015 and this week. The State Department’s Refugee Processing Center -- www.wrapsnet.org -- says half are under the age of 14. A few hundred Syrian refugees have entered the U.S. every month since last September. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced a plan to welcome them. Experts had said it would be difficult to reach the goal of bringing 10,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S. by the end of September. The previous year, 1,682 Syrian refugees entered the country. But in February, the State Department created a center in Amman, Jordan to help refugees apply to enter the U.S. The application, interviews and medical and security investigations necessary before refugees can be accepted usually take 18 to 24 months. But American officials said having the new center would reduce that time to three months. In May, 1,069 Syrian refugees entered the United States. More than 2,000 entered in both June and July. The 8,000 Syrian refugees who have entered so far have been sent to 38 states. Michigan has the most -- 887. California received 783, Arizona 651, Texas 565 and Pennsylvania 481. More refugees have been resettled in the United States than any other country. Almost 61,000 refugees have entered the U.S. since last October. Last year, Kerry also announced that the government would increase the number of refugees permitted into the U.S. from 70,000 to 85,000. The number is set by the president after he or she receives advice from the State Department. It will increase to 100,000 in the coming year. But many more Syrians want to enter the United States. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates 4.8 million Syrians have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. The office says 6.6 million have been displaced within Syria. The Syrian civil war began in 2011. At that time, the U.S. was accepting only a few Syrian refugees every year. Millions of Syrians fleeing conflict and Islamic State violence across the country have been accepted by Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Many Republican governors have criticized the Obama administration’s decision to accept more Syrian refugees. Several state legislatures have considered bills to slow or stop the resettlement of some or all refugees in their states. Some opponents of the refugee resettlement plan say they do not believe the security investigations of the refugees have been complete enough. The administration has said they are. In early July, an Associated Press-GfK public opinion survey found that 69 percent of Republicans support a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. Fifty-two percent of Americans opposed such a ban; 45 percent supported it. In September, the U.N. General Assembly will meet to discuss refugee and migrant issues. Almost one million Syrians are seeking asylum in Europe. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.  VOA Correspondent Victoria Macchi reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA 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   asylum – n. political protection given by a government to a person from another country      

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