National Voter Registration Day

  This is What’s Trending Today. Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day in the United States. And two related hashtags were popular on Twitter. The social networking service publicized #iRegistered. The service did something special for users who noted U.S. voter registration and used #iRegistered. Twitter included an Uncle Sam-like hat emoji with the user’s tweet. The hashtag #NationalVoterRegistrationDay was also trending. The U.S. elections are on November 8. The leading candidates for president are businessman Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. American voters will also elect a new U.S. Congress and local government representatives. In some areas, voters can express support or dislike for gun control, marijuana use, taxes or other issues. Voting is not a legal requirement for U.S. citizens. But those who want to vote must register before the elections. In many states, the last day to register is between October 10 and 20.  A website called NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org says six million Americans were unable to vote eight years ago because they missed the registration deadline. Some famous people have made videos urging Americans to register, regardless of which candidate they support. Singer Katy Perry made a funny video telling people they could vote while wearing any kind of clothing they wanted, as long as they register in time. The video showed people voting while wearing the same clothes they wore to bed the night before.  Former U.S. President Bill Clinton also appealed to Americans to register for the elections. He wrote: “Your vote counts, but only if you register!” Another Twitter user told people that their voter registration for this year’s elections will still be good in the future. He called it a “pro tip.”  One Facebook user’s video tied to the registration campaign was popular on social media. He said he mailed his registration form right after seeing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in their first debate Monday night. Even the crew of the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” made a video dealing with voter registration. Actor Harvey Fierstein and singer Cyndi Lauper said all Americans need to register. The video is called “Every Voter Say Yeah!”   And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you have to register for elections where you live? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   _______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story tip – n. a piece of advice or useful information hashtag – n. a word of term that starts with the sign # and that briefly states what the message is about emoji – n. an image thought to represent something trending – n. moving in an upward direction deadline - n. a time limit regardless – adv. without being stopped by difficulty or trouble tip – n. suggestion

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dq85hP
via IFTTT

First U.S. Presidential Debate 2016: Clinton vs. Trump

Americans will vote for a new president on November 8. Watch highlights of the first of three debates between Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2cTZM91
via IFTTT

September 27, 2016

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2d7GcsV
via IFTTT

Philippine President to Seek Closer Ties with China & Russia

  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he is at a “point of no return” in relations with the United States and will seek closer ties with Russia and China. Speaking to reporters Monday, Duterte said he is not ready to break ties completely with the US. But he said he will open up the other side of the ideological barrier. Duterte said he will soon travel to Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping on forming closer ties. The Philippines has recently been at odds with China over competing claims in the South China Sea. In July, an international court ruled in favor of Manila in a case challenging China's historical claims to large areas of the sea. China has rejected the ruling. Duterte said he has already spoken with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, whom he plans to meet in Moscow. “I would need your help in everything – trade, commerce – and I will open up,” he said he told Medvedev. He announced that both Chinese and Russian companies would be able to lease land in the Philippines for up to 120 years. U.S. - Philippines relations The comments come at a time of strained relations between the United States and the Philippines. The two countries have a long history of strong economic and defense ties. Recently, U.S. officials criticized the Philippine leader’s bloody crackdown on illegal drugs. Police and other groups in the Philippines have so far killed more than 3,000 people reportedly involved in the drug trade. The Americans’ criticism drew strong condemnation from Duterte. He repeatedly has said he is looking to distance the Philippines from the United States. Last month, U.S. officials canceled a meeting between Duterte and President Barack Obama, after Duterte called Obama a "son of a whore." Duterte later expressed regret for the comment. He said he was warning U.S. officials not to speak out about the drug crackdown. On  Monday, Duterte also expressed concerns about a defense treaty signed by the two countries in 1951. He said the agreement does not guarantee that the U.S. would come to Manila’s defense if the Philippines was attacked. He said this is because the U.S. president must first get the approval of Congress. E.U.-Philippines relations Other countries and the United Nations have also criticized the Philippine government’s drug war. The president has reportedly permitted death squads to kill accused drug offenders. The European parliament recently issued a statement calling on Duterte’s government to "put an end to the current wave of extrajudicial executions and killings.” It also expressed concern about the high number of people killed during police operations. Duterte singled out the European Union criticism during a speech last week in Manila. “Why would you insult me?” he asked. He also used a vulgar term to refer to the E.U. and displayed an obscene finger sign directed at the organization. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and AFP. Kelly Jean Kelly 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 ideological – adj. based on a particular set of ideas or beliefs whore – n. an offensive term for someone who engages in sex for money death squad – n. a group of people given the task of killing others, usually with the indirect approval of government extrajudicial – adj. justice delivered without legal authority vulgar – adj. offensive language obscene – adj. very offensive, insulting  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dpxh8d
via IFTTT

China to Trade its Currency in US

China has established a clearing center for its money in the United States. The Bank of China’s office in New York City is the first U.S. clearing center for the renminbi, or RMB. Chinese officials made the announcement last week. Premier Li Keqiang spoke at a dinner with the Economic Club of New York. He invited other banks to work with buyers and sellers of the RMB. “We also welcome banks in New York that meet the requirements to become a clearing bank for renminbi,” Li said. The South China Morning Post reported his comments. Some people see China’s move as an attempt to show that the RMB, also known as the yuan, is competitive with the U.S. dollar as a major currency. They say there is no reason for China to have U.S. banks serving as clearing centers for its money. Currently, there are clearing banks in a number of financial centers, including Hong Kong, London, Singapore and Toronto. On October 1, the RMB is to become the fifth currency in the International Monetary Fund’s group of Special Drawing Rights. The four others are the U.S. dollar, the British pound, the Japanese yen and the euro. Christopher Balding teaches at Peking University. He says China is buying up available RMB on international markets in an effort to increase its value. He told VOA that the value of Chinese money would drop sharply if it were freely traded. China’s recent policy has been to keep the money stable -- to avoid sharp increases or decreases in value against other currencies. The exchange rate is currently between six and seven RMB to the dollar. For many years, China has sought to make its money one of the important currencies of international trade. Cornell University professor Eswar Prasad says this presents Chinese officials with difficult choices. He said, “China’s government faces a conundrum that other reserve currency economies have faced in the past - how to promote the currency’s role in global finance without losing control over the currency’s value." Prasad said China’s actions suggest that a stable currency is more important than the RMB’s role in international finance. Some experts say Chinese efforts to control its currency are not meant to make the country’s exports less costly and, therefore, more competitive. Scot Kennedy is deputy director of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He says a stable exchange rate has been most important to China in recent months. “China is most interested in maintaining basic stability of its currency and limiting volatility,” he said. Kennedy added, “The recent modest depreciation is not geared to support exports.” I’m Mario Ritter. Saibal Dasgupta reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story clearing – n. the process of carrying out an exchange transaction for others stable – adj. not changing too much or too quickly conundrum – n. a puzzle, a confusing or difficult problem volatility – n. the quality of changing in a sudden or extreme way modest – adj. not by a large amount depreciation – n. a decrease in the value of something gear – v. to prepare for something currency – n. money

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2cJc328
via IFTTT

Rights Group: Pakistan’s Police Abusing, Killing Suspects

A New York-based human rights group has called on Pakistani officials to reform the country’s police force. Human Rights Watch said Pakistan’s police system dates back to British colonial rule. It said the system is filled with “disgruntled” and “corrupt” officers who abuse suspects without facing punishment for their actions. Human Rights Watch said it documented police abuses in three of Pakistan’s four provinces. The abuses include torture, arrest and detention of suspects without a court order, extrajudicial killings and other abuse of detainees. The arrests and detentions sometimes resulted in the deaths of suspects, the group reported on Monday. The report said that police forces in Punjab, Baluchistan and Sindh faced “improper pressure” from politicians and local community leaders. For years, governments failed to carry out reforms or hold police responsible for abuse, it noted. Retaliation fear Human Rights Watch said families of victims are failing to report police abuse because of fear of being threatened or falsely accused in other cases. “Those from … groups [like] refugees, the poor, religious minorities, and the landless — are at particular risk of violent police abuse,” said the 102-page report. The report is based on statements by police officers, victims of police abuses, their families, experts, activists and witnesses to police abuses. Call for reforms Human Rights Watch called on Pakistan to improve working conditions and job-related awards for police officers. It said the police force is “under-resourced and under-equipped,” noting officers are not trained in methods of professional investigation and forensic studies. It said this lack of training leads to officers unlawfully forcing suspects to provide information or admit guilt. Human rights activists and local media often comment on and criticize suspected police abuses. “Custodial torture remained one of the gravest and most pressing human rights issues in Pakistan," noted the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in a report. Critics say that Pakistani politicians use the police to suppress opponents in an effort to stay in power. They say this has effectively persuaded governments from enacting reforms and punishing abusive police officers. I’m Anne Ball. Ayaz Gul wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted his report 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 disgruntled – adj. unhappy and annoyed province – n. any one of the large parts that some countries are divided into gravest – adj. very serious extrajudicial – adj. done in violation of the law  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dALYEc
via IFTTT

Virginia Towns Deal with Loss of Coal Jobs

Tammy Mondrage lost her job because of cutbacks in America’s coal industry. Mondrage worked as a nurse at a high school in Southwestern Virginia. In June, school board officials cancelled more than 40 positions, including hers, for budgetary reasons. “The budget cuts came because of the loss of the coal industry,” she said. Tammy Mondrage lives in the community of Steinman, Virginia. Steinman was named for the Steinman Brothers, who operated a coal mine in the area about 100 years ago. Over the years, the coal industry has kept unemployment levels down and helped pay for schools and other government services. But that is changing. A year ago, Tammy Mondrage’s husband David lost his job with the Paramont Coal Company. Their son, Zachary, also lost his job at Paramont. Stronger environmental rules, lower oil prices and demand for cleaner energy led to reduced coal production. The production levels fell 10 percent just in the one year, 2014-2015. “When I was growing up, everybody was a coal miner’s kid,” said Tammy Mondrage. “That is what this community was. That is what everybody knew. It was big.” The question of what the future should be for the coal industry is an issue in the United States elections. The Republican Party has nominated businessman Donald Trump as its candidate for president. Trump has said he would cancel rules designed to reduce rising temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere. Many of those rules were created during the presidency of Barack Obama. Trump blames Obama administration policies for the coal industry’s problems. And he thinks things will worsen if Hillary Clinton becomes president. Trump said the coal mines “will be gone if she gets elected.” Clinton is the candidate of the Democratic Party. She has said environmental rules are needed to reduce pollution linked to climate change. But she also wants to help retrain coal workers and make sure they do not lose earnings during their retirement years. “I firmly believe that if you spent your life keeping the lights on for our country, we can’t leave you in the dark,” Clinton said. Some coal towns are trying to make changes to deal with lost coal industry jobs. Cleveland is a small town in Virginia’s coal country. The town had four food stores, banks, a hotel and a train station in the 1950s. None remain. And all of the town’s schools have closed, said Cleveland Mayor David Sutherland. But Cleveland did not lose its picturesque mountain trails. A river continues to run through the town. Recently, a rental store for rafting and boating opened up near the Town Hall. Sutherland said Cleveland sees a future with tourism. The nearby town of Haysi has been working to make its buildings nicer looking for tourists. It is replacing old windows and doors and painting the downtown buildings. Zachary Mondrage, who lost his coal industry job at Paramont Coal Company, is joining the move from coal to tourism. He is studying for a new job in outdoor tourism.  “The reason why I decided to get into this is because I have always been an outdoor enthusiast as far as hunting, fishing and just being outdoors and enjoying it,” he said. “And I thought that would be a great career opportunity to get into.” I’m Bruce Alpert.   Nadeem Yaqub reported this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Do you know people who lost a job in an industry that has cut back employment in recent years? ____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story nurse – n. a person who is trained to care for sick or injured people enthusiast – n. a person who enjoys something very much opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done picturesque – adj. very pretty or charming: like a painted picture​ rafting – n. the activity of traveling down a river on a raft tourism – n. the activity of traveling to a place for fun and enjoyment downtown – adj. of or related to the center of a city

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2d4tUnq
via IFTTT

Clinton and Trump Meet for First Presidential Debate

American presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton spent Monday night criticizing each other during their first debate. Trump and Clinton each spoke about their plans to strengthen economic growth and what role the United States should have in the world. The two disagreed with each other for almost all of the 90-minute long debate. They often spoke up while the other was speaking. Trump, a businessman, is the presidential candidate of the Republican Party. Clinton, the former Secretary of State, is the Democratic Party’s candidate. Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, were not invited to the debate in Hempstead, New York. The event began with Clinton and Trump shaking hands. But it did not take long for the two candidates to start attacking each other. Trump questioned many of Clinton’s answers. He repeated his belief that she is not healthy enough to serve as president. “I’ve been all over the place. You decided to stay home and that’s OK...” “I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate. And yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for -- I prepared to be president.” Trump also said Clinton’s policies have caused many problems, including the threat from ISIS.  “She’s telling us how to fight ISIS. Just go to her website. She tells you how to fight ISIS on her website." “Well, at least I have a plan to fight ISIS.” “No, no, you're telling the enemy everything you want to do.” “No, we’re not.” Clinton said Trump’s economic plans would help only wealthy people. She said Trump does not want to release his tax records because they could show the businessman is not as rich as he claims he is. That led Trump to raise a question about the private email server she used while serving as America’s top diplomat. “I will release my tax returns against my lawyer’s wishes when she releases her 33-thousand emails that have been deleted.” “And I have no reason to believe that he's ever going to release his tax returns because there's something he's hiding.” Clinton said she had gained experience during her time as secretary of state by traveling to 112 countries, and negotiating peace deals and ceasefires. Trump said she may have experience, but called it “bad experience.” He sharply criticized the nuclear deal the United States and other powers reached with Iran to limit that country’s nuclear program. Clinton said it was an example of effective diplomacy that stopped Iran from building nuclear weapons. Trump criticized the Obama administration’s decision to withdraw nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq. He said at least 10,000 should have stayed there. He said that would have prevented the creation of the Islamic State. Clinton noted that the Iraqi government failed to offer legal protection to the U.S. forces if they stayed. She said that was one of the reasons the troops did not remain in Iraq. Mark Cuban, a billionaire businessman who supports Clinton, said he was happy with her debate performance. “She gave depth to her answers. She didn’t hesitate. He was a counterpuncher, and like a lot of counterpunchers, when you throw your jab and it misses, you get frustrated and you press...” David Plouffe worked on President Barack Obama’s two successful presidential campaigns. “I think he (Trump), as the debate went on, had a hard time retaining focus. I mean, Trump had some moments where it’s hard to keep track of what he was really talking about...” Former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Trump showed he is better prepared than Clinton to help the American economy. “She’s a total phony. She was a failed secretary of state and what she demonstrated tonight is an incredible ignorance of the economy. How are you going to keep jobs in this country if you tax businesses more? Why would a business want to pay more taxes?” Hans Noel is an assistant professor of government at Georgetown University. He told VOA “I think that what we saw was very, very much the Trump that we’ve been seeing up until now, and the Clinton that we’ve been seeing up until now. And so probably most voters are going to have the same material that they had before.” Noel said he did not think the first debate would cause many Americans to change their opinion about which candidate to support. He noted that people who watched the debate are likely to believe the candidate they have already decided to support. “Most people have already made up their mind, so when Trump says something and someone challenges him on the facts and he says ‘No, no, I’m still right,’ the people who are inclined to like Trump are going to continue to think that way,” he said. “They’re going to believe that. And the same when Clinton says something and some people challenge her on that or push back and then they're going to say ‘I’m going to believe her’ because they already did.” Cary Covington teaches political science classes at the University of Iowa. He said that Trump was “very forceful, very assertive.” He said Clinton appeared “more calm, and in control.” He told VOA “Hillary Clinton demonstrated commands of policy questions. Donald Trump focused in on a small number of issues that he wanted to talk about, [but] wasn’t as adept at speaking broadly to the range of topics that were asked about.” Covington said presidents must be prepared for any issues that affect the country. He thought Clinton did a better job during the debate of dealing with many issues. “Trump’s goal has to be to overtake Clinton. That’s a much more difficult task. That means persuading people who are either on the sidelines or are leaning towards Clinton to come over to his side,” he said. ​“I don’t think he did much to help himself on that goal. But it’s a more demanding goal than the one that Hillary Clinton faced. Hillary Clinton needed to reassure voters who don’t want to vote for Trump that she’s acceptable. She’s already got the lead. She was able to give that impression.” The candidates will meet in two more debates, before the presidential election on November 8th. The next debate will be October 9th.  I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOANews.com reported this story from Washington and from Hofstra University in New York. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their reports into VOA Special 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 ISIS - n. short for the Islamic State militant group role – n. a part that someone or something has in a particular activity or situation (usually + in) return – n. a report that you send to the government about the money that you have earned and the taxes that you have paid in one year delete – v. to remove (something, such as words, pictures, or computer files) from a document, recording, computer, etc. hesitate – v. to be unwilling to do something because of doubt or uncertainty counterpunch – v. to hit someone quickly after they have hit you or criticized you frustrate – v. to cause (someone) to feel angry, discouraged or upset because of not being able to do something focus – n. a subject that is being discussed or studied; the subject on which people's attention is focused (usually singular) keep track of – expression to follow; to understand; to be aware of how something is changing, what someone is doing, etc. phony – n. a person who pretends to be someone else or to have feelings or abilities that he or she does not really have; a person who is not sincere inclined – v. to think or to cause (someone) to think that something is probably true or correct (followed by to + verb) assertive – adj. confident in behavior or style adept – adj. very good at doing something that is not easy topic – n. someone or something that people talk or write about sideline – n. the space outside the area where a game is played on a field or court (usually plural); often used figuratively

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2czkzxH
via IFTTT

Colombia, Rebels Sign Deal to End 50-year Conflict

Colombia and the country’s main rebel group have signed a peace deal aimed at ending more than 50 years of conflict in the South American nation. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the top rebel commander, known as Timochenko, met in the port city of Cartagena to sign the peace document. Leaders from Latin America gathered for the event. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also attended. Many rebel leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, were among more than 2,500 people witnessing the signing. A long time in the making The peace deal between FARC and the government took four years to negotiate. The sides agreed to the deal in June. The negotiations mainly took place in Havana, Cuba after starting in Oslo, Norway in 2012. The signing, however, is not the final step. The agreement must be approved in a referendum to be held on October 2. At least 13 percent of registered voters must take part in the referendum for it to be valid. Public opinion studies show support for approving the agreement. An end to the longest conflict in the Americas? The conflict between Colombia’s government and FARC rebels has been long, complex and deadly. It has been blamed for more than 220,000 deaths and has displaced millions of people over half a century. Ongoing fighting has hurt the country’s economy and limited foreign investment. FARC started as a revolutionary movement of poor farmers in the mid-1960s. It was supported by Cuba and the former Soviet Union. FARC funded its operations mainly through illegal trade in the drug cocaine. Much of those drugs went to the United States and Europe. Former president Alvaro Uribe has criticized this month’s peace deal as giving amnesty to drug traffickers. He said, “Colombians have learned over decades of attempted negotiations with other terrorist groups, it is that impunity always becomes the seed of new forms of violence.” But the current president, Juan Manuel Santos, has argued that compromise was needed to get rebels to turn over their weapons. Help for farmers, security in exchange for disarmament Supporters of the deal say it calls for the government to work with coca farmers to get land titles. That part of the agreement addresses anger by small farmers about unequal land ownership. The deal also provides help in the transportation of crops other than coca leaves, which are used to make cocaine. The peace agreement also requires the government to campaign against violent criminal groups known as BACRIM. Some of these groups were once paramilitary fighters. They also trafficked in cocaine, fought FARC and targeted rights activists. FARC members can avoid prison if they admit their crimes and make reparations in what is being called a truth-and-reconciliation process. FARC would become a legal political party and gain representation in congress. If the agreement is approved by the October referendum, FARC’s 7,000 fighters would begin moving to special areas. They would then hand over their weapons to United Nations-supported observers. FARC has also agreed to cooperate with efforts to remove mines from the country. Colombia is estimated to have the second largest number of mines in the world after Afghanistan. A U.S. official, who asked not to be named, said the peace deal is more than an agreement to put down weapons. “It really includes a major transformation of Colombia itself. It includes a far-reaching commitment to bring government services, security, police, education, health, roads, economic development to the vast stretches of the interior that have been left out of national life,” said the official. If FARC does disarm, Colombia still will have to deal with armed, violent groups. Under the deal, the government has promised to control the BACRIM. But, it still has no peace agreement with the smaller rebel group called the National Liberation Army. I’m Mario Ritter. Reports by VOA’s Steve Herman and Jeff Swicord were combined with AP materials to make this report for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story referendum – n. a public vote on a specific issue rather than a representative title – n. a legal right to land ownership impunity – n. freedom from punishment amnesty – n. a decision that a group of people will not be punished or that a group of prisoners will be allowed to go free​ valid – adj. approved, according to the law reconciliation – n. the act of causing people or groups to become friendly again after conflict transformation – n. a complete or major change in someone's or something's appearance, form, etc.​ commitment – n. a promise to do or give something​ interior – n. the part of a country that is far from the coast​

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2cGBdi5
via IFTTT

U.S. Political Party Animals

In U.S. politics, the elephant represents the Republican Party and the donkey represents the Democratic Party. Watch the history on how that came to be.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2cQNnT2
via IFTTT

September 26, 2106

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dxtnsM
via IFTTT