South Korean Parties Argue Over North Korea’s Influence

The ruling and main opposition parties in South Korea are in a dispute over claims made by a former South Korea foreign minister. They are arguing about a vote on North Korea’s human rights record at the United Nations 10 years ago. The dispute involves a possible presidential candidate and might help shape the country’s 2017 election. Voters may base their choice on one major issue: how to deal with North Korea. The ruling party proposes tough measures against that government. The opposition favors new efforts to negotiate with the country. A new book is at the heart of the dispute. Former Foreign Minister Song Min-soon is the author.   Song’s book suggests that South Korea sought North Korea’s opinion before a 2007 vote at the United Nations. The measure called for condemning North Korea’s human rights record. In the end, South Korea abstained from the vote. The book says South Korean politician Moon Jae-in was involved in the decision to avoid the vote. A former leader of the opposition Minjoo Party, Moon is a possible 2017 presidential candidate. Dispute could influence next year’s presidential election The dispute has gone to the National Assembly in Seoul. The opposition denies it had any communication with North Korea before the 2007 U.N. vote. A Minjoo Party spokesman accused the ruling party of trying to smear Moon Jae-in. “They are using all intimidating words such as ‘collusion,’ ‘approval’ and ‘pro-North,’” the spokesman said. Moon has said former President Roh Moo-hyun’s administration made the decision to abstain. He said the South Korean government was increasing economic aid and exchanges to develop inter-Korean cooperation at the top. The ruling Saenuri Party is calling for a task force to investigate if there was a plot to consult with North Korea before the 2007 vote. April vote showed concern about North-South tensions This is not the first time the Saenuri party has accused the opposition of working too closely with North Korea. Saenuri officials accused the opposition of surrendering control of a sea border in 2007 negotiations with North Korea. The ruling party made the accusation before the elections in 2012. Later, official documents were released that showed the sides agreed on a jointly-enforced fishing area and a peace zone. But, the accusation against the Minjoo Party helped the Saenuri Party look strong on North Korea. The Saenuri Party won the presidential election. In legislative elections this year, however, voters showed concern over hardline policies on North Korea. Opposition parties became the majority in the National Assembly in mid-April. Critics of South Korean President Park Geun-hye say sanctions and U.N. resolutions have not made the country safer. They say the measures also have not stopped North Korean nuclear and missile tests. However, more than 20 missile launches and nuclear tests in January and September make it unlikely that measures against North Korean will ease too much. Top South Korean and American diplomats and defense officials met Wednesday in Washington. They discussed the security commitment that the two countries share. They also talked about the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Afterwards, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se spoke to reporters. Kerry said any use of nuclear weapons would be met “with an overwhelming and effective response.” He added that, “North Korea will never attain its goals through threats and intimidation.” Hours later, North Korea carried out ballistic missile test from the northwestern city of Kusong. South Korean and U.S. officials said this test failed, as did an earlier launch Saturday. Moon Chung-in is a North Korea expert and was an advisor to the late President Roh. He says whoever becomes the opposition party presidential candidate will likely offer something different from current tensions. But he says that would combine some tough policies with engagement efforts. I’m Mario Ritter.   Brian Padden reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tough – adj. strong, hard, difficult abstain – v. to not take part, to withhold author – n. the person who writes a book, story, or article smear – v. to try to make others think badly of a person, to unfairly try to harm someone’s reputation intimidate – v. to make someone afraid collusion – n. secret cooperation for dishonest purposes consult – v. to discuss something to make a decision hardline – adj. severe, tough zone – n. an area that is different from others for certain reasons sanctions – n. measures taken to punish a country to force it to obey international laws, usually by limiting trade engagement – n. being involved with

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Are You a Nasty Woman or a Bad Hombre?

This is What’s Trending Today. People around the United States are reacting to two expressions used by Donald Trump during the final presidential debate on Wednesday night. He called Hillary Clinton “such a nasty woman” and referred to Mexican drug dealers living in the U.S. as “bad hombres.” Toward the end of the debate, Clinton said if she were elected president, she would make sure rich Americans pay their fair share of tax. “My social security payroll contribution will go up, as will Donald’s, assuming he can’t figure out how to get out of it,” Clinton said. Trump reacted to the comment, shaking his head, raising his index finger and saying “such a nasty woman” into his microphone. Earlier in the debate, Trump was speaking about increasing security along the border between the United States and Mexico. “One of my first acts will be to get all of the drug lords, we have some bad, bad people in this country that have to go out,” Trump said. “We'll get them out, secure the border, and once the border is secured, at a later date we'll make a determination as to the rest. But we have some bad hombres here and we're going to get them out.” Hombre is the Spanish word for man. People following the debate had fun with the unusual phrases. Chelsea Handler is a comedian and host of a late-night television show. She posted a poll on Twitter, asking “are you a bad hombre or a nasty woman?” Over 45,000 people voted. So far, 61 percent of voters considered themselves a “nasty woman.” The Reuters news agency reported that the term was used over 300,000 times overnight. Many Clinton supporters asserted that they were happy to support a “nasty woman.”   One Twitter user wrote: “Proud to be a nasty woman.” Other people reacted to “bad hombres.” Reuters reported that phrase was used over 100,000 times shortly after the debate. One Twitter user, Jose Miranda of Florida, wrote: “This #badhombres is the first of his family to graduate from college, did Americorps and taught in public schools.”  Of all the comments related to the phrases, perhaps the one that summed up the night the best came on Twitter. One user posted a photo of bathroom doors. On the women’s door it said “nasty women” and on the men’s door it said “bad hombres.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Are you a “bad hombre” or a “nasty woman”? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story sum up – v. to tell (information) again using fewer words : to give a summary of (statements, facts, etc. nasty – adj. unpleasant and unkindomeone or something that causes a lot of excitement and interest hombre – n. the word for man in Spanish drug lord – n. a very powerful criminal in the illegal drug business social security – n. a program in the U.S. that requires workers to make regular payments to a government fund which is used to make payments to people who are unable to work because they are old, disabled, or retired contribution – n. a regular payment that is made to an employer or government for something (such as health insurance or a pension) payroll tax – n. a tax that is paid by a company and that is based on the amount of money that the company spends paying all of its employees assume – v. to think that something is true or probably true without knowing that it is true figure out – v. to understand or find (something, such as a reason or a solution) by thinking determine – v. to officially decide (something) especially because of evidence or facts : to establish (something) exactly or with authority microphone – n. a device into which people speak or sing in order to record their voices or to make them sound louder      

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Syrian Man Brings Supplies to Children in Aleppo

Rami Adham was deeply troubled by television reports he saw about children in his former home of Aleppo, Syria. The reports said Syrian government attacks were terrorizing the children. He wanted to help them. Adham now lives in Finland with his six children. He told VOA that he used money he had saved to buy toys to bring to Syria. He also gathered some of his own children’s toys. He began smuggling toys into the city in 2012. The trips were very dangerous. The 43-year-old has traveled more than 28 times to the city he left 27 years ago. He estimates he has brought about 20,000 toys to the city. He spent about two weeks in Aleppo in September. He brought toys donated by people throughout the world. He also brought some food and medicine. He and other volunteers carry the goods in cloth bags on their backs. On most trips, he can bring about 80 kilograms of goods into Aleppo. The trips to Aleppo begin with a flight from Helsinki to Turkey. Adham then walks across the border into Syria. These crossings are illegal. Only aid workers are permitted to cross from Turkey into Syria. He says he has faced serious threats to his life. But, people in Syria help him. He says early this year he was trapped in a place during a bombing raid. Adham was badly wounded. Health care workers treated him at a small hospital in Aleppo. He had a broken arm and had shrapnel in his back and neck. He was later sent to Turkey for treatment. Adham leads a non-profit group that receives toys from throughout Europe. The group also helps 400 children in Syria whose parents have died. And it operates three schools in refugee camps near Aleppo that are controlled by rebels. He says the group helps educate more than 2,000 Syrian children. He says his group began with his friends and neighbors in Finland. It has now expanded to other cities in Finland and to other countries. He says the Syrian civil war has killed, wounded or displaced hundreds of thousands of children. Justin Forsyth is an official of UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. He recently described the children of Aleppo as “trapped in a living nightmare. There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing,” he said. Recently, the top UN official trying to end the civil war warned that rebel-held eastern Aleppo could be destroyed by the end of the year.  Staffan de Mistura said if Syrian and Russian airstrikes on the city continue, “thousands of Syrian civilians, not terrorists, will be killed and many of them wounded.” Experts estimate there are as many as 100,000 children among the 250,000 people trapped in rebel-held areas of Aleppo.  I’m John Russell.   Hasib Danish Alikozai reported this story from New York. Sirwan Kajjo contributed to the report. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their stories 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 shrapnel – n. small metal pieces that scatter outwards from an exploding bomb, shell or mine nightmare – n. a very bad or frightening experience or situation toy - n. a plaything for children bag - n. something used to carrying objects such as personal belongings      

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News Words: Obliterated

This news word is used in when talking about a sports record. Learn what obliterated means with Anne Ball and Jonathan Evans.

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1200 UTC Newscast for October 20, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. Republican (Party) presidential candidate Donald Trump further extended his campaign narrative that the (U.S.) election process is rigged against him by refusing at Wednesday's final debate to say that he will accept the results of the November 8 vote. Debate moderator Chris Wallace, the anchor of Fox News Sunday, put the question to Donald Trump on the acception of the results.   (Wallace) “Will you make the same commitment that you will absolutely…” (Trump) “Sir?” (Wallace) “That you will absolutely accept the results of this election?” (Trump) “I will look at it at the time. I’m not looking at anything now. I’ll look at it at the time.” (Clinton) “Let me respond to that because that is horrifying...” Current lawmakers, including some Republicans, strongly criticized Trump's comments. Meanwhile, one of the most contentious sections of the debate featured Trump and Clinton sparring over Russia's espionage activities, and accusations that they are working to help Trump's campaign. You can see all of the debate coverage on our website at VOANews.com South Korea's foreign ministry said Thursday that the government strongly condemned North Korea's latest missile launch, (as) a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. The foreign ministry spokesman says "As (North Korea) fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which is a clear violation of the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) resolution, regardless of its success or failure, the government strongly condemns it.” It’s a great threat to peace and security. The North test-fired a missile that failed immediately after launch on Thursday. At least eight workers were killed Thursday in a huge explosion set off by a blaze at a fireworks factory in southern India, according to police. Another 15 people (were) wounded in the blast in Tamil Nadu state. This is VOA News.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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October 19, 2016

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

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UN Blames Afghan War for Almost 2,600 Deaths This Year

The United Nations says the war in Afghanistan killed more than 2,500 Afghan civilians in the first nine months of 2016. More than 5,800 others were wounded. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released the findings on Wednesday. The Mission repeated its call for all sides in the Afghan war to prevent harm to civilians. The number of civilian casualties represents a one percent decrease from the same period in 2015. However, deaths and injuries among Afghan children increased. ​Child casualties in Afghanistan A mission statement said U.N. officials have been deeply concerned about the rising number of child casualties since 2013. It said that the mission documented 639 deaths of Afghan children in the first nine months of 2016. More than 1,800 others were injured. U.N. officials blamed Taliban-led anti-government forces for causing 61 percent of all civilian deaths. The Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until late 2001, when it was ousted from power. The United States and its allies raided the country after the September 11, 2001 al-Qaida terror attacks. They accused the Taliban of providing shelter to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Fighting against rebel forces causing most of the civilian casualties The U.N. report noted that fighting between Afghan forces and rebels was the leading cause of civilian casualties this year. Other major causes include suicide and complex rebel attacks, as well as improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The report noted a 72 percent increase in civilian casualties from air raids by pro-government forces this year. It said that international military forces were responsible for one third of those raids. There were more than 11,000 conflict-related civilian casualties in 2015. The Afghan war has since intensified, with Taliban forces expanding their activities to many more provinces this year. In all, U.N. officials estimate that the Afghan war has caused 70,000 civilian casualties. That is said to include over 25,000 deaths since the counting began seven years ago. Displacement of civilians and returning civilians UN officials are also worried about the rising number of Afghan civilians displaced by the conflict. They have warned that more than one million Afghans will be on the move by the end of this year. They say that number includes tens of thousands of Afghan refugees returning mostly from nearby Pakistan. The U.N. estimates that 400,000 Afghans have returned to the country since the start of the year.  I’m Alice Bryant.   Reporter Ayaz Gul in Islamabad wrote this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _________________________________________________________ Words in This Story casualty – n. someone who is injured or killed in a war or an accident improvised – adj. of or related to doing something without preparation or by using whatever is available    

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Political Worries Can Affect Economic Decisions

Researchers say concern about the elections in the United States is increasingly affecting the American economy. Election campaigns can often affect financial markets. Studies show stock prices are more likely to jump or drop sharply during a campaign than at other times. Also, research shows that both business leaders and the general public delay decisions to buy or invest when the future is unclear. A research group called Macroeconomic Advisers says campaign promises about trade, taxes and other issues have a real effect on financial markets. The company is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Joel Prakken works for Macroeconomic Advisers. Speaking to VOA on Skype, he said investors seem to like Hillary Clinton, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. He said stock prices were often higher on days when public opinion studies showed her defeating the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. Art Durnev teaches finance at the University of Iowa. He told VOA on Skype that the influence of politics on major parts of the U.S. economy has increased. “Politics affects financial markets much, much more now than, let’s say 10, 20, or 30 years ago.” If this is true, some of the reasons could be tied to questions about taxes and rules affecting industry and employment. Research shows that companies often delay important business decisions when they do not see a clear path forward. For example, a company may be unwilling to sell stock to the public if its leaders are concerned about economic conditions. Durnev says companies can avoid spending money in other ways. “They start hoarding cash, they don’t want to spend. Major corporations delay their hiring, their firing decisions. Everything is on hold for them.” Political uncertainty also affects consumer buying, experts say. Economists note consumer spending is responsible for more than two thirds of economic activity nationwide. Joel Prakken said not being sure of the future slows down decision-making. “Buying a car, buying a house, starting a business, managing a business, making investment decisions, when they are uncertain about the environment in which they will be making those decisions, there is a natural tendency to take a pause, take a break, sit on your hands, and wait until the uncertainty clears.” However, experts disagree on whether uncertainty plays a larger or smaller role in an individual’s economic decisions. Other issues, such as actual energy costs and interest rates, can also have a strong effect. Bill Galston is with the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. “There is a lot of professional disagreement among economists as to how weighty uncertainty is in relationship to more fundamental market evaluations.” Political uncertainty, however, rarely ends with an election. The winner of the presidential election will have to work with a U.S. Congress that has shown little support for the proposals of either Clinton or Trump.   I’m Mario Ritter. Jim Randle reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   consumers –n. people who buy good for their households hoard –v. to gather and keep a lot of something tendency –n. to behave in a way that becomes more likely over time role –n. the part or purpose that someone or something plays fundamental –adj. very basic, very necessary evaluation –n. to judge the value or condition of something or someone in a thoughtful way uncertainty – n. the state of being unsure; something that is unsure consumer – n. someone who buys goods and services

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Aid Group Says 5,000 Have Fled Mosul Fighting

An aid group says 5,000 people have fled fighting near Iraq’s northern city of Mosul and arrived at a refugee camp in Syria. Save the Children said Wednesday the refugees have fled to the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria during the past 10 days. The group said about 1,000 more were waiting to cross the border. Earlier this week, Iraqi and Kurdish forces launched an offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants. Tarik Kadir is head of Save the Children’s Mosul response team. He said families are arriving at the Syrian camp with nothing but the clothes on their backs. He added that the al-Hol camp is not well-equipped to receive new refugees. Save the Children aid workers report conditions are getting worse around Mosul and thousands more people are expected to flee the area soon. About 18,000 Iraqi troops and 10,000 Kurdish forces are battling IS fighters around Mosul. More than 100 U.S. forces are taking part in the offensive. U.S. military officials say the U.S. forces are involved in planning and decision-making, instead of direct combat. The Islamic State group captured Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, in 2014. There are an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 IS fighters around the city. A U.S.-led coalition is supporting the offensive. A coalition spokesman said Tuesday the operation is so far “on or ahead of schedule.” In Turkey, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent organization said up to 400,000 people may flee the fighting in Mosul. Kerem Kinik told the Associated Press that coalition forces had not planned well for the humanitarian part of the Mosul offensive. He warned that officials will not be ready for the large flow of new refugees. He pointed out that Iraq already shelters more than three million displaced people. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said the organization has five camps open in the region to provide shelter to refugees. Currently, these camps can only take in about 45,000 people. But Grandi said a total of 11 camps will be ready in the coming weeks that could shelter 120,000 people. In Washington Tuesday, President Barack Obama told reporters that recapturing Mosul would be “a difficult fight.” But he expressed hope that IS will be driven from the city in time. “Perhaps a million civilians are still living there, so in addition to rooting out ISIL, our focus jointly is on the safety and humanitarian aid for civilians who are escaping the fight. That’s going to be a top priority.” I’m Dorothy Gundy.   VOA correspondents Jamie Dettmer, Carla Babb and Zlatica Hoke reported this story VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English, with additional material coming from the Associated Press and Reuters.  was the editor. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story response – n. something that is said or written as an answer or reaction to something combat – n. active fight, especially in war schedule – n. a plan of things that will be done and the times when they will be done humanitarian – adj. concerned with seeking to improve people’s lives and reduce suffering region – n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way priority – n. something important placed ahead of other things   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.  

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Journalists in Texas Connect US and Vietnam

The city of Houston, Texas, has the largest community of Vietnamese in the United States outside of California. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States. Between 150,000 and 300,000 Vietnamese live in Houston. It is difficult to know an exact number because many Vietnamese do not complete census forms in the United States. They do not trust government officials in the U.S. because they learned not to trust government officials in Vietnam. The Vietnamese population in Houston and other Texas cities is growing. That is because many Vietnamese who have family members in the United States are able to get visas designed to reunify families. These newly-arrived Vietnamese bring strong connections to the language and culture of their country to the Houston Vietnamese community. Many of them listen to Radio Saigon-Houston. Vu Thanh Thuy talks with listeners who call to discuss their families, politics and events in Vietnam. She owns the station with her husband. They were both journalists in Vietnam. She then became a reporter for a newspaper in San Diego, California. Many Vietnamese in the United States listen to her. Some Vietnamese stations in other parts of the United States broadcast her program. And some people in Vietnam listen to it on the internet. “This morning our station did an interview with a priest in Vietnam who was leading a group of 18,000 protester(s) in the Central Vietnam against the pollution.” Vu Thanh Thuy says people who listen to the station are very interested in what is happening in Vietnam. She says they are worried about Chinese claims to Vietnamese territory. She says the station broadcasts programs on many issues. “There's a show to answer any kind of question. You come up with a question and ask me I will tell you when to listen and, you know, at what time, what day to listen.” The radio station is in a part of Houston where many Vietnamese live and work. Even the street signs are in Vietnamese. Near the station are a large Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda and a Vietnamese Catholic church. The shopping center where the station has its studios has many Vietnamese restaurants, tea shops, bakeries and health food stores. Many people who work and shop in the area speak only Vietnamese. For some who have recently arrived from Vietnam, as well as for some who have been here many years, the area is a place where they can be comfortable. Vu Thanh Thuy says the station helps people who grew up in Vietnam adjust to their new life in the United States. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA Correspondent Greg Flakus reported this story from Houston. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report 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   outside – adj. an area around or near something (such as a building) census – n. the official process of counting the number of people in a country, city or town and collecting information about them form – n. a document with blank spaces for filling in information visa – n. an official mark or stamp on a passport that allows someone to enter or leave a country usually for a particular reason reunify – v. to make (something, such as a divided country or family) whole again; to unify (something) again interview – n. a meeting between a reporter and another person in order to get information for a news story priest – n. a person who has the authority to lead or perform ceremonies in some religions and especially in some Christian religions come up with – expression create; design; manufacture comfortable – adj. feeling relaxed and happy; not worried or troubled adjust – v. to change in order to work or do better in a new situation  

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Handsome Pakistani Tea Seller Catches Eyes

  This is What’s Trending Today. People on social media are reacting to photographs of a blue-eyed tea seller from Pakistan. Photographer Jiah Ali was carrying her camera when she discovered the man working at a market in Islamabad. Ali had no idea he would become an internet sensation when she placed the photo on Instagram earlier this week. The young man has light blue eyes, dark hair and even a little facial hair. He captivated social media users, first in Pakistan and then around the world. People wanted to know who he was and where they could find him. They called him “chaiwalla.” The name means someone who makes tea in Pakistan. In the past 24 hours, the hashtag #chaiwalla with two different spellings trended in Pakistan. Ali’s photo of the good-looking man has thousands of likes and views. Once the photo went viral, she went back to the market in search of the young man. It turns out his name is Arshad Khan. He is 18 years old and reportedly has 17 brothers and sisters. Television cameras followed, and many women went to the market just to get a look at him. People asked if he wanted to model clothing or get an acting job in movies or television. As it so happens, he already said yes to one offer. A clothing company in Islamabad has offered to pay him to wear some of its clothes. The story recalls another photograph that also went viral. Jeremy Meeks caused a sensation in 2014 when a California police department posted a photo of him on the Internet after he was arrested. Many people said Meeks was handsome, too. He signed a contract with a modeling agency while he was in jail. Some of his first photos came out in June. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of the good-looking man in Pakistan? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sensation – n. someone or something that causes a lot of excitement and interest captivate – v. someone or something that causes a lot of excitement and interest model – n. a person who wears clothing or jewelry that are for sale viral – adj. spreading very quickly to many people especially through the Internet handsome – adj. pleasing to look at contract – n. a business agreement

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