Justice for Vets Senior Director Melissa Fitzgerald

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Growing Philippine-Chinese Ties Raise Questions in ASEAN

  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he wants to reduce ties with the United States and strengthen relations with China. This has raised questions about what this will mean for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines is set to take over the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017. The 10-nation group marks its 50th anniversary next year. Both the United States and China are partners with ASEAN. The last ASEAN meeting in July centered on security issues including the dispute over the South China Sea. Some members are concerned about China’s rising influence. Some have also raised questions about what America’s future role in ASEAN should be. Duterte has said repeatedly that the Philippine-U.S. relationship is not as important now as in the past. He has also sharply criticized U.S. officials for speaking out against his bloody anti-drug campaign in the Philippines. In Japan, Wednesday, he also said he wanted all foreign troops out of the Philippines within “maybe two years.” The U.S and the Philippines agreed in 2014 to let the American military use five bases in the country. Duterte took office in June. During a recent visit to Beijing, Duterte announced a “separation” with the United States in favor of China. However, he then took back the strong language after returning home to the Philippines. He said what he really meant was “separation of a foreign policy.” Carl Thayer is a defense analyst with the University of New South Wales in Australia. He says Duterte should avoid making such statements without first discussing the policies with other ASEAN members. Thayer said one good thing to come out of Duterte’s visit to China was a possible easing of tensions over conflicts in the South China Sea. “The South China Sea is no longer the issue that it was. And the way Duterte is handling it, it has taken the sting out of that issue and provided China with incentives to pick up his diplomatic initiative.” The Philippines and China have competing claims over large areas of the South China Sea. In July, an international court ruled in favor of Manila in the dispute, but China rejected the decision. Taiwan and three ASEAN members - Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei – also have claims in the sea. Dennis Quilala is a professor at the University of the Philippines. He agrees that Duterte’s new China policy seems to have helped ease tensions in ASEAN. But he still has concerns about the possible effects in the future. “I hope that the policies really will be able to successfully work with both superpowers, and be able to think about our interests. I hope that this will end that way, because I really don’t think that our interests are really just going all the way to China.” Thitinan Pongsudhirak is director of the Bangkok-based Institute of Security and International Studies. He says if Duterte’s foreign policies keep changing, it could affect the balance of power in ASEAN. He noted the already strained relations between Washington and Manila, as well as the U.S. and Thailand. “So two allies of America in South East Asia are relatively estranged now. This is going to be a dramatic tipping point for China-U.S. relations in the region.” Thitinan added that recent events show China’s influence keeps growing in the ASEAN nations of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. He said this means the United States will have to rethink its own plan to react to this new balance of power. I’m Bryan Lynn. Ron Corben reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted it for VOA Learning English. was the editor. We want to hear from you. What do you think about a possible shift in the balance of power in ASEAN? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story role – n. ​part played by a person or thing in a particular situation sting – n. a hurtful effect of something incentive – n. something that encourages someone to act in a certain way initiative – n. a plan or activity done to solve a problem estranged – adj. separated from, not in contact dramatic – adj. something sudden, striking or exciting  

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Leaked Emails Show Inner Workings of Clinton Campaign

In early 2015, people working for Hillary Clinton offered opinions on whether she should attend a Clinton Foundation meeting in Morocco. The workers were assisting Clinton in her campaign to become the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. One aide, Huma Abeden, wrote an email saying that Morocco’s King promised $12 million to the foundation and to pay for the costs for the meeting. She wrote that “if HRC was not part of it, meeting was a non-starter.” HRC are the initials of Clinton’s full name, Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Abeden email is among more than 20,000 taken without permission from the Clinton presidential campaign. A group called WikiLeaks is releasing the emails on the Internet. It said the release would continue until November 8th, which is Election Day in the United States. Clinton is the Democrats’ candidate for president. Her campaign says the emails were stolen by groups linked to the Russian government. It claims some of the emails may have been doctored. To doctor, means to change the words in a message to create a different meaning. Donald Trump, Clinton’s main opponent, has been using the leaked emails to criticize her at recent campaign events. Last Friday in North Carolina, Trump said the Abeden email showed money given to the Clinton Foundation gave the donors a chance to meet with Clinton. “Now from WikiLeaks, we just learned she tried to get $12 million from the king of Morocco for an appearance," Trump said.  Clinton Campaign Denies Special Treatment for Donors Clinton campaign aides reject Trump’s criticism. They said she did not attend the Clinton Foundation meeting in Morocco. Instead, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and daughter Chelsea went there.    “This has come from the highest levels of the Russian government,” Hillary Clinton said, during her debate with Trump last week. “Clearly from (Vladimir) Putin himself in an effort, as 17 of our intelligence agencies have confirmed, to influence our election.” What the Emails Show But the emails raise possible ties between Hillary Clinton’s work as Secretary of State and the Clinton Foundation. The foundation was formed after Bill Clinton left the presidency in early 2001. The organization says it provides services and assistance to people in 185 countries. In 2012, an email posted by WikiLeaks says that a representative of the government of Qatar hoped to get 5 minutes with Bill Clinton. The representative wanted to give Bill Clinton a $1 million check for the Clinton Foundation. It was described as a birthday gift to Bill Clinton from the previous year. There is no information available as to whether he ever met with the Qatar official. People Considered for Vice President Other emails show some of the inside workings of the Clinton campaign. For example, one email in March from campaign chair John Podesta offers a long list of possible choices for consideration as her vice presidential candidate. Among them are business leaders Tim Cook and Howard Schultz, along with Bill and Melinda Gates. The Gates chair a charitable foundation and Bill Gates cofounded Microsoft, the technology company, in 1975. Also on the possible vice presidential list was Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. He lost out to Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. Clinton ended up choosing Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.    In another email, Clinton aides discuss how to make sure the campaign’s top leadership had representation from women, different races and ethnic groups. An email from Clinton lawyer Cheryl Mills breaks it down this way: "Four 'POC,'” or people of color, “four women assuming COO (chief operating officer) is a white woman and six white men.” What She Told Paying Audiences from Top Banks The emails include details on what Clinton told banks and other financial groups during a series of paid speeches after she left the government in 2013. She gave 100 speeches and was paid over $21 million, according to the Associated Press. During her race against Sanders, Clinton refused to release copies of her paid speeches. In one speech included in the leaked WikiLeaks emails, Clinton said the government had to crack down against financial industry abuses for political reasons. “If you were an elected member of Congress and people in your constituency were losing jobs and shutting businesses and everybody in the press is saying it’s all the fault of Wall Street, you can’t sit idly by and do nothing,” she said. In another speech, Clinton said she is “kind of far removed” from the middle class life she talks about while campaigning. She also said it is hard to use military action to settle world problems because the decision will be leaked to news organizations by people “who want credit for it.” Some Democrats have accused WikiLeaks and the Russian government of trying to help Trump win the election. Don Haider-Markel is chair of the political science department at the University of Kansas. He does not believe the release of the emails will have much effect on the election. “Most people have made up their minds,” he said. “Among those that have not, they would just as likely use this information to rationalize not voting on Election Day as they would to choose one candidate over another.” I’m Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported this story for VOA 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. Would you be worried if someone got to read your emails? ________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   foundation - n. an organization that is created and supported with money that people give in order to do something that helps society inside - adj. coming from people running an organization charitable - adj. done or designed to help people who are poor, sick or have other problems crack down - v. a serious attempt to punish people for doing something that is not allowed constituency - n a group of people who support or who are likely to support a politician or political party idly - adv. without much thought, effort, or concern

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South Korean President Calls for Change to Single Term Limit

  South Korean President Park Geun-hye has called for a constitutional amendment to permit two terms for the country’s president. Currently, the president can hold office for only a single five-year term. Park spoke at South Korea’s National Assembly on Monday about plans for the 2017 budget. She surprised many lawmakers by suggesting a change to the presidential term limit. Five-year term limits long-term policy goals Park said the current system makes it difficult for the government to have continuity in some policies. "The single five-year presidency makes it difficult for the government to pursue consistent and sustainable policy goals,” she said. One of the goals might include pressing North Korea on its nuclear weapons program. Park also said that changes in policy have made it difficult for South Korean economic leaders to carry out long-term plans. She said the current single term system has served its purpose. “The system that has been effective for the last three decades since the last amendment in 1987 might be suited to the past democratization period, but it has now become a piece of clothing that no longer fits," she said. Park noted the period when South Korea began moving from a military-led government to a democracy. The current system was put in place 29 years ago. Park’s proposal met with mixed responses. Her popularity has been hurt by accusations of corruption against two close aides. Opposition party lawmakers called the proposal an attempt to direct attention away from those aides. Park has denied any wrongdoing and called for investigations. National Assembly speaker Chung Sye-kyun offered his support for the proposal, calling it a “task that must be done.” Lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party also voiced support for the measure. A constitutional amendment must be proposed by the president or half of the National Assembly’s members. It must be approved by two-thirds of lawmakers and then pass in a referendum within 30 days of the assembly’s vote. The five-year, single term limit for South Korea’s president was enacted as the country moved to democratic from military rule. Among those rulers was Park Chung-hee, the president’s father. He ruled the country from 1961 to 1979. Park Guen-hye’s term ends in February of 2018. She is barred from seeking a second term under the current system. I’m Mario Ritter. Fern Robinson and Richard Green reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter combined and adapted their reports for Learning English. His story includes additional material from AFP, AP and other sources. George Grow was the editor. Do you think one term is enough for a country’s president? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   continuity – n. the condition of continuing an activity or policy consistent – adj. the quality of staying more or less the same over time sustainable – adj. methods that can be carried out into the future suit – v. to provide what is needed referendum – n. a vote on a single issue or policy that is taken by all voters

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President Obama Reads 'Mean Tweets'

  This is What’s Trending Today: President Barack Obama’s eight years in office will come to an end in January. He hosted his last state dinner in October. It honored Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. And, he will be celebrating his final Thanksgiving in office in November. There will be many more “last” things for the Obamas in the coming weeks. One last thing President Obama did this week was read “Mean Tweets” about himself on television. Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media have become extremely popular during Obama’s eight years in office. “Mean Tweets” is a regular –and popular -- part of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night television show. He invites celebrities to look at Twitter and read negative comments that people have written about them. President Obama appeared on Kimmel's "Mean Tweets" for the first time in 2015. That two-minute video has more than 46 million views on YouTube. One of the comments President Obama read said that he didn’t look stylish in a pair of jeans.  Criticism of his pants returned this week, as Obama read the latest tweets about himself on Jimmy Kimmel Live. More than 9 million people have already watched the video. One on of the tweets Obama read was: “Barack Obama dances like his jeans look.” Obama’s response? “This jeans thing, this is so … old. That was years ago, c’mon.” The President addressed many other critical tweets in the video. One person blamed him for a hair-care product not working. Obama also read a tweet from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump once tweeted: “President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!” Obama said of the tweet: “At least I will go down as a president.” The audience cheered and Obama dropped the phone from which he was reading. And that’s What’s Trending Today. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What do you think of Obama’s “Mean Tweets” appearance? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story host – v. to put on an event or welcome people to a social event celebrity – n. the state of being famous or celebrated stylish – adj. following the popular way something looks or is worn

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More Than 60 Killed in Attack on Pakistan Police Training Center

Pakistan is investigating a suicide attack on a police training center in the country’s southwest. The attackers killed over 60 new police recruits and wounded more than 120 others. The attack happened near the city of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. It began late Monday night. Three attackers entered the housing for recruits and began shooting at them. On Tuesday, the Islamic State group released photographs through its Amaq news agency. The pictures showed what it said were the three attackers. They were carrying machine guns and had explosives on their bodies. Witnesses said the attackers seized hostages before Pakistani troops and other forces entered the building to fight the gunmen. The fighting lasted several hours. Two of the attackers died when they set off their explosives. The third was shot in an exchange of gunfire with security forces. The attack ended just before sunrise on Tuesday. A provincial government spokesman told VOA the victims were all unarmed and were either sleeping or on their smartphones.  Some of the recruits and others inside the building escaped by jumping out windows. They told reporters the gunmen were wearing masks and began shooting as soon as they entered the building. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. But a Pakistani military commander said telephone calls suggest the gunmen belonged to the Sunni militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. General Sher Afgun said that Pakistani intelligence had listened to the calls. He said the attackers were getting orders from people in Afghanistan. Moeen Cheema is an expert on Pakistan. He teaches at the Australian National University. He told VOA that the militant group, which has ties to the Pakistani Taliban, has not carried out attacks in Baluchistan before. “Clearly there is motivation for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi -- if it is confirmed it is the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi that has carried out this attack -- there’s clearly motivation because they have been targeting public officials, and now the military as well, in retaliation for the intelligence-based operations against them.” There has been an increase in militant attacks in the province, especially in Quetta. A suicide attack in early August near a hospital there killed more than 70 people. And more than 70 people were killed in an attack that targeted Christians on Easter Sunday in Lahore. Cheema says the Pakistani military has been fighting militants with some success, but he believes the battles will continue. “Over the last couple of years the Pakistan military launched a, a massive operation in which it has claimed tremendous success in the federally administered tribal areas further north. The military is definitely claiming success in the continuing fight, but given the complexity and the nuances in the kind of militancy that Pakistan has experienced, the chances are that this is a tough fight to be fought over many, many more years to come.” A fight that will most likely mean more lives will be lost. I’m Anne Ball.      Ayaz Gul in Islamabad reported this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for Learning English. He also used reporting from VOA’s Victor Beattie in Washington. 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 recruit – n. a person who has recently joined a company, organization, etc. smartphone – n. a mobile telephone that can be used to send and receive e-mail, connect to the Internet, take photographs, etc. mask – n. a covering for your face or part of your face tremendous – adj. very large or great​ nuances – n. small differences

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'Trump Tower Live' Launches on Facebook

This is What’s Trending Today… American presidential candidate Donald Trump has launched a daily Facebook Live program. The new show is called Trump Tower Live. Members of his election campaign team produce the show at Trump Tower in New York City. The candidate lives within the 58-floor skyscraper. Facebook carried the first Trump Tower Live program Monday night. The program looked similar to a nightly news show on television. Its aim is, as one presenter explained on Monday, to “give you the message straight from the campaign.” Another host said that the new show is “bypassing the left-wing media, which skews everything.” The Republican Party nominated Trump as its presidential candidate three months ago. Since then, he and his campaign team have criticized the American media’s treatment of him during the election campaign. He has accused many news and media businesses of supporting the Democratic Party’s candidate, Hillary Clinton. The 90-minute-long Facebook Live program also carried video of Trump’s campaign event in Florida Monday night. The launch of the program made some people wonder whether Trump might create a television channel or network if he loses the election. But the hosts of the show quickly noted that this was not the beginning of “Trump TV,” and blamed the media for “spinning” that idea. More than 1.4 million people watched the first Trump Tower Live. It has been shared more than 40,000 times. Many people praised the new program and wrote that they had voted early for Trump. Most Americans plan to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. Trump Tower Live will air every night for the next two weeks at 2230 UTC. And that’s What’s Trending Today. _______________________________________________________________ skyscraper - n.  a very tall building in a city skew - v. to change (something) so that it is not true or accurate network - n. a group of radio or television stations that usually broadcast the same programs spin - v. to describe (something, such as an event) in a certain way in order to influence what people think about it

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Program Helps Former Somali Militants Reenter Society

  The United Nations is supporting a program aimed at giving former militants in Somalia a chance at a fresh start. Its goal is to help them return to Somali society. Hundreds of fighters have left the al-Shabab militant group since 2013. The group is allied with al-Qaida. About 160 former fighters are taking part in the U.N.-supported rehabilitation program in the Somali town of Baidoa. In a guarded area, they learn to read and write. And they learn life skills and take religion classes. The men cut ties with the militant group. They could have been sent to jail, but were instead chosen for the program. One of the young men spoke with VOA. He said he joined al-Shabab after Ethiopian troops fighting the group in Somalia killed his father. The young man left al-Shabab six years later. He did not like their attacks on civilians or the fighting among the group’s members. He asked VOA not to use his name. He said he continues to receive threatening telephone calls from al-Shabab members. “I have lost six years. The people who I was with in high school, they are in university, they are in the town, and if you see them, they are hopeful. Before I get to 30, I hope to catch up with them.” The program helps the former militants develop plans to operate a business so they can earn money. But as they plan for their future, they know their past is always present. “Absolutely, I cannot go to where al-Shabab are, and if I go into the town, the community might not feel safe, so the best thing is just to stay here at the center, and just to accept the situation until time goes by and the community becomes more enlightened about who we are.” The rehabilitation process takes time. Some of the former fighters continue to have extremist beliefs. VOA spoke to a man who serves as a teacher for the program. He also asked VOA not to use his name. He said some of his students have a hard time understanding other people’s ideas about Islam. “Some of them will argue with you. So we will say to them, ‘Okay, if you believe in this, and we believe in that, let’s sit down with the Holy Koran and the Hadith, and you do your research, and if your interpretation is correct we go with this, if mine is correct we go with that.’ Because we are Muslims, we have to debate in a constructive way.” The center says no one who completed the rehabilitation program has ever returned to al-Shabab. But not everyone supports the program. It is not clear why some people who left al-Shabab are able to take part in the program while others are sent to jail. And other Somalis question why the former fighters receive so much support while they receive so little. Patrick Loots works at the U.N.’s Assistance Mission to Somalia. He designed the program. “This has created some kind of reassurance to some groups in al-Shabab to start reaching out to the current government and say ‘Let’s talk a peace deal,’ and they have directly connected to this program, so this is much bigger than we think, and I believe that, even though it’s a drop in the ocean, it’s a drop in the ocean with the right people.” And for many former militants, the rehab center offers hope of a second chance. I’m Ashley Thompson. Jason Patinkin reported this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise 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   rehabilitation – n. the act of teaching someone to live a normal, productive life absolutely – adj. of or relating to something done in a complete and total way; not limited in any way enlightened – adj. having or showing a good understanding of how people should be treated Holy Koran – n. Islam’s holy book Haidth – n. a report describing the words or actions of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad constructive – adj. helping to improve or develop something reassurance – n. something that is said or done to make others feel less concerned a drop in the ocean – expression. an amount so small that it has little effect

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Maine Voters Concerned About Income Gap

    The election in the United States next month is not just about who will be the next president. There are many local issues on the ballots as well. For example, some states are considering making marijuana use legal. Other cities are thinking about raising taxes to help fund civic projects. In the northeast state of Maine, voters will decide whether or not to increase the minimum wage. The minimum wage is the lowest salary an employer is permitted to pay an employee. Today, the federal government requires employees to be paid at least $7.25 an hour. But voters in Maine are considering raising the minimum wage each year so that it reaches $12 an hour by 2020. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination brought attention to income inequality. Income inequality is the term used to describe the difference in wealth between the richest and poorest Americans. Hillary Clinton defeated Sanders and won the Democratic nomination. She said she supports an increase in the minimum wage. Her opponent, Donald Trump, said he believes individual states should decide for themselves. A group called Fight for $15 believes workers should be paid no less than $15 per hour. They have protested outside the presidential debates. In the city of Portland, Maine, Hillary Morrison is a bartender at Vena’s Fizz House. She has debts and expenses: food, rent, transportation and student loans. But unlike many people who work making drinks or serving coffee, she has only one job. That is because her boss, Steve Corman, pays his employees a good salary. Morrison earns about $30 per hour on a busy night. Corman pays the bartender about $9 per hour. She gets the rest from tips, extra money customers pay for good service. Under the current law in Maine, Corman could pay her less than $4 per hour since she is an employee who receives tips. Morrison said her salary is “incredible.” She said she would have to work two or three jobs in order to pay her bills without it. While some people may be surprised that a bartender or waiter can earn $30 per hour, Corman thinks the higher salary is a good investment. He said his employees work hard, are loyal to his business and develop strong relationships with customers who come back again and again. Chris Tyll owns a pizza restaurant in Portland called Pat’s Pizza. He sees the minimum wage issue differently. He said he is worried voters might not understand why increasing the minimum wage could hurt a business like his. After adding up the cost of ingredients and labor, he said selling one pizza does not make that much money for the restaurant. If restaurants had to pay their employees $12 per hour, a pizza might cost as much as $30. Tyll said people might not eat at such a costly pizza shop. “We’re asking people to make a decision, 10 seconds in a ballot box, as they look at this question,” Tyll said. He said he wants to see more of an effort to help workers learn new skills so they can get better jobs. Economists are not sure how a higher minimum wage would affect local economies. Some think workers would spend more if they made more, which would boost business. Others say businesses would be forced to raise prices without a guarantee that people would spend more for goods and services. The Economic Policy Institute said the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is not high enough to support the cost of living in the U.S. The institute also said the U.S. economy could still do well if minimum wage rose to $12 per hour by 2020. I’m Dan Friedell. Katherine Gypson wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Does your country have a minimum wage? Do you think it is a good idea? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bill – n. a document that said how much money you owe for something you have bought or used rent – n. money that you pay in return for being able to use property and especially to live in an apartment, house, etc., that belongs to someone else boss – n. the person whose job is to tell other workers what to do tip – n. an extra amount of money that you give to someone (such as a waitress or waiter) who performs a service for you boost - n. an increase in amount ingredient – n. one of the things that are used to make a food, product, etc. incredible – adj. difficult or impossible to believe bartender – n. a person who serves drinks at a bar or restaurant income – n. money that is earned from work, investments, business, etc. marijuana – n. the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant that are smoked as a drug    

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October 25, 2016

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

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