Opponents of Iran Nuclear Deal Urge Trump to Keep It

President-elect Donald Trump is being urged not to withdraw the United States from the international nuclear agreement with Iran. Members of Trump’s Republican Party and other opponents are saying it is better to keep the existing agreement and try to improve it. Trump strongly criticized the nuclear agreement during his presidential campaign. He called it a “disaster” and the “worst deal ever negotiated.” During a speech to a pro-Israel group in March, Trump said as president, he would seek to end “the disastrous deal with Iran.” However, Iran and U.S. allies in Europe have urged the new administration to honor the agreement. The deal was signed by Iran and six world powers in July 2015. It eased economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran has rejected calls to renegotiate the agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged Trump last week to honor the deal, saying it was not an agreement "for one side to be able to scrap.” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry took a lead role in negotiating the agreement and called it “the good deal we had sought.” But many Republicans in the U.S. Congress have been highly critical of it. The deal was created as a political commitment rather than a treaty. The United Nations Security Council resolution that approved it does not require its members to accept it. Legal experts say this means the new administration could simply take no action if it chooses to do so. Edward Swaine is a law professor at George Washington University and a former legal adviser to the U.S. State Department. He said the U.S. would not face any direct international legal consequences if it decided to pull out of the agreement. However, some opponents in Congress have changed earlier opinions that the agreement should be canceled. They are now calling for tighter sanctions on Iran and for the agreement to be strictly enforced. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said this week he does not think “tearing up the agreement” is the right thing to do. He told reporters Monday he thinks Washington should work with its allies to enforce the existing agreement without negotiating a new deal. “To me the best route for the new president to handle this is to push back on the violations that are taking place today,” Corker was quoted by the Times Free Press newspaper as saying. Corker said the nuclear deal made it possible for Iran to get back “billions of dollars” of money seized by the U.S. He added that over time, the agreement means Iran could “end up in a much stronger position than they were in the beginning.” The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a conservative research organization in Washington D.C., agrees. The group was an early supporter of a "stop the Iran nuclear deal" campaign and urged members of Congress to block the deal. However, the group now opposes canceling it. Orde Kittrie is a senior fellow at the foundation. He says if the U.S. withdrew from the deal, Iran would feel free to ignore the restrictions on its nuclear program. He said it would also be very hard to bring back sanctions if the agreement is renegotiated. I’m Bryan Lynn. Masood Farivar reported this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English, with additional material from Reuters. 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   worst – adj. the least useful, helpful or appropriate way sanctions – n. restrictions imposed on a country as a way to try to get it to obey international laws scrap – v. get rid of something consequences - n. actions that happen as a result of a set of conditions route - n. way of doing or achieving something foundation – n. ​organization created and supported with money to help various causes

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What Happens When a Dictator Dies?

A new study finds that the natural death of a dictator does not usually lead to a change in a county’s governmental system. In other words, remaining leaders are unlikely to put a democratic system into place. Researchers at Michigan State University and the National Intelligence Council carried out the study, titled “When Dictators Die.” The magazine Journal of Democracy published it. The study found that in most cases, system changes are more probable if a dictator is ousted. The researchers examined almost 80 cases of dictators who died in office between 1946 and 2012. They note that 11 of the 55 dictators now in office are at least 70 years old. Some are not in good health. Erica Frantz is an associate professor at Michigan State. She was one of the researchers. “It started about the time of Kim Jong-il’s death in North Korea a few years ago. And there was a lot of buzz in the moments afterwards that we might see big change in North Korea. So we decided to dig around and look at the data and see what the empirical record showed because that’s not an atypical situation. The same type of thing happened also after Hugo Chávez’s death in Venezuela.” Frantz says researchers wanted to know how and when media reports of possible governmental change came true. She said they found that natural death in office was usually, in her words, “a non-event.” She said leadership changes in dictatorial systems usually come during “momentous” happenings, such as overthrows, elections or rebellions. She says an examination of the leadership deaths between 1946 and 2012 shows there are several conditions that might make change more likely. The more centralized the power, she says, the more likely change will happen. In other words, if there are few or no governmental structures to manage the continuation of the system, change is more probable. Frantz says pressure, such as protests, on the ruling power in the months before a dictator’s death can also increase the likelihood.  The study also examined whether overthrows are more likely to take place when a ruler is old. Frantz says researchers did not find that to be the case. She says there are lessons to be learned from the study. She says an old dictatorial leader is a sign of a skilled politician, who is able to stay in power for a long time. “The other takeaway point, I think, is that leadership transitions more generally are moments that increase a country’s baseline risk of regime collapse. But death in office is really not the major moment that we can leverage those types of occurrences.” Researchers say another reason there is little change after a dictatorial ruler dies in office is that top officials see no reason to change policies. Some countries have changed the constitution to permit them to extend their terms, sometimes by many years. Frantz says they use that method to give the appearance of democracy rather than using force to remain in power. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly. VOA Correspondent Joe De Capua reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Special 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   buzz - n. excited talk about something​ atypical - adj. not typical : not usual or normal​ empirical - adj. based on testing or experience​ baseline - n. information that is used as a starting point by which to compare other information​ regime - n. a form of government​ leverage - v. to use (something valuable) to achieve a desired result  

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'Post-Truth' Named 2016 Word of the Year

“Post-Truth” is Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year. The Oxford Dictionaries website told readers post-truth could be “one of the defining words of our time.” The term comes from an idea that became popular during the 2016 election campaign in the United States.  Post-truth, as the website defines it, means to relate to situations where “objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Oxford Dictionaries officials say they chose post-truth as Word of the Year because of its rising popularity. They said the term’s usage appeared to increase 2,000% in 2016 alone. Casper Grathwohl is the president of Oxford Dictionaries. He said that the choice was no surprise after a year filled with difficult discussions about politics. Grathwohl said post-truth has become popular at a time when more people are using social media to get news. Some people trust social media more for news and information than establishment media or political leaders. Choosing the Word of the Year If you plan to use the word, Oxford Dictionaries defines it as an adjective. An example of it is the expression “post-truth politics.” The website said that post-truth has gone from being a new term to a word often used in political commentary. Major publications now use the term without feeling the need to define its meaning. A number of other terms were under consideration for Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year. They included “Brexiteer,” which means someone who supported Britain’s decision to exit, or leave, the European Union. Another choice was “alt-right,” which describes a group tied to extreme conservative ideas, and known to reject traditional politics. A third possibility was “adulting,” a noun meaning the action of someone behaving like a responsible adult. History of “Post Truth” It appears that post-truth, with its current meaning, has been in existence for more than 20 years.  Oxford Dictionaries found its first use in a 1992 commentary published in The Nation magazine. Steve Tesich, a Serbian-American playwright, used “post-truth” in writing about the Iran-Contra scandal and the Gulf War. "We, as a free people, have freely decided that we want to live in some post-truth world," he wrote. I’m Phil Dierking. This story first appeared on VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted the story for Learning English. ­­­­George Grow was the editor. Who do you think should control public lands? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________ Words in This Story   entertainer – n. a person (such as a singer, an actor, or a comedian) who entertains other people establishment – n. the people in business, government, etc., who have power over the other people in a society playwright – n. a person who writes plays refer – v. to have a direct connection or relationship to scandal – n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong

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Girls on Wheels: Bicycle Programs in India and Kenya

For VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report. In developing countries, attending school can be a daily struggle for some children. They may walk several kilometers to school because their families do not have money to send them on buses or other forms of transportation. With schools far away, and little money to pay for transport costs, parents worry about the safety of their children walking to school. So, a number of parents keep their children at home. Or the child drops out of school: they leave without completing their studies. These and other barriers to school attendance are the reality for many girls in poor countries. But now, programs in two developing countries are helping to change that. The programs are giving girls “pedal power” -- transportation in the form of bicycles. Power of the pedal Rural areas of poor countries often have few secondary schools. So, it is common for students there to travel great distances to attend classes. Bihar is the poorest state in India. Ninety percent of the state’s population lives in rural areas. Until 2007, too many teenage girls in Bihar were dropping out of school. For Nahid Farzana, her home was 6 kilometers from school. And, her father did not have money for bus fare, she told the Associated Press. But, that same year, the state government began offering bicycles to girls to help them get to school. The program has been so effective that three nearby states are now doing the same. And the results are measurable. A 2014 study found that giving bicycles to teenage girls in India increased their secondary school enrollment by 30 percent. It also helped many of them stay in school long enough to take their final exams. Western Kenya is experiencing success with a similar program. Until recently, there was a high risk of local girls dropping out of school and then becoming pregnant. Loise Luseno is a 16-year-old girl from Kakamega, Kenya. In the past, she had to walk about 10 kilometers to reach school. Last year, she dropped out temporarily because of the distance. Members of her family work as subsistence farmers. They earn just about $30 a month -- not nearly enough for food, school costs and transport.  But, a few months ago, Luseno went back to school – this time on a bicycle. Her new form of transportation was provided by World Bicycle Relief, an American-based group. Hurdles for girls Christina Kwauk is an expert on girls’ education at the Brookings Institution, a research organization in Washington, D.C. Kwauk recently told VOA that, in many countries, girls face a long list of barriers to school attendance. Sometimes, the issue is that a society has firm ideas about what girls “can and shouldn’t do as they become young women,” including whether they should receive an education. Luseno experienced this. When girls in her community walked to school, motorbike riders would stop them on the road. They would offer the girls rides to school. Then, they would try to persuade the girls to drop out. Kwuak says another reason girls may not attend school is their family. Parents might believe that losing children’s help at home can cause the family to lose money. For example, a poor farming family grows less food without the help of children. Girls are often expected to do this work. In many cases, those household duties include taking care of younger brothers and sisters. There are also direct financial barriers, says Kwauk, such as school fees, books, and meals. So, in places where families value boys more than girls, and parents have little money, the boys are sent to school.  The ups and downs Even with the success of the bicycles programs, there are still problems. Ainea Ambulwa teaches at the Bukhaywa secondary school in Kakamega, Kenya. He belongs to a bicycle supervisory committee at the school. He makes sure that the riders are keeping their vehicles in good condition. Ambulwa says defeating poverty remains a difficult issue. He says that some families will put heavy things on the bicycles and then they break down. Because the family lacks the money to have the bike repaired, the girl can no longer get to school. World Bicycle Relief is based in Chicago, Illinois. It provides bicycles through another group: World Vision. In 2015, the two groups launched a bicycle production factory in Kisumu, Kenya. The cost of the bicycle is around $180. That is too much money for most families in rural Kenya. But with the help of donors, the program has given away about 7,000 bicycles throughout the country. Most of the people receiving the bikes are girls. Bicycles decrease the safety risks for girls because the girls get to school quicker, Kwauk explains. It also helps parents not to lose work time taking their girls to school. Peter Wechuli, the head of the program in Kenya, says the bikes have improved children's lives. But, he says, the factory was built around 100 kilometers from Kakamega. So, getting the bicycles to needy families can be a problem. Yet Kwauk calls the bicycle programs “very promising” and a low-cost solution. She says many organizations in wealthier countries would be happy to provide this kind of resource. I’m Alice Bryant. And I’m Jill Robbins. Lenny Ruvaga reported this story from Kenya for VOANews.com. Alice Bryant adapted his report for Learning English. She also spoke with Christina Kwauk. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   drop out - v. to stop going to school before finishing pedal - n. a flat piece of metal or rubber that you push with your foot to make a machine (such as a bike) move, work, or stop fare - n. the money a person pays to travel on a bus, train, boat, or airplane or in a taxi enrollment - n. the act or process of entering something (such as a school) as a participant subsistence - adj. a word describing the amount of food, money, etc., that is needed to stay alive hurdle - n. something that makes an achievement difficult motorbike - n. a small, lightweight motorcycle fee - n. an amount of money that must be paid bump - n.  a small raised area on a surface

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Twitter Users Discuss 'Survival Guide to Thanksgiving'

  This is What’s Trending Today. The American Thanksgiving holiday is on Thursday. Many people will gather with family members for a big meal. It is a time to celebrate family, friends and everything there is to be thankful for. The traditional Thanksgiving meal often involves cooking a large bird called a turkey, and many other foods such as stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. But some people do not look forward to spending a lot of time with their family. It can be stressful. Family members can start arguments with each other. Some people at the meal may have conflicting political beliefs. Conflict can even find its way into the kitchen, where all the cooking takes place. There is a saying called “too many cooks in the kitchen,” or “too many cooks spoil the broth.” This means that, sometimes, if many people are involved in a project, it does not turn out as well as it could have if only one person were in charge. That is why people are proposing Thanksgiving survival strategies using the hashtag #SurvivalGuideToThanksgiving (on Twitter.) Rick Irwin had an idea. “Say that you're letting the dog out and use it as an excuse to disappear for several hours.”  Tracy Brooks had a suggestion for limiting Thanksgiving dinner responsibilities. She wrote: “Be the last to arrive and the first to leave.”  Since there is so much food at the Thanksgiving meal, Christine Turner suggested forgetting about your diet and wearing loose clothing.  But, one fitness enthusiast said people do not have to give up on their diets during the big meal. They can prepare foods that have fewer calories. For example, they could bake some foods instead of frying them in oil. They could also mash cauliflower instead of potatoes. But other people are looking forward to the holiday. Sara Marie Brenner wondered why people need to "survive" Thanksgiving, at all. She wrote: “I enjoy the holiday.”  And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Do you have any suggestions for how to survive large family gatherings? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stressful – adj. full of or causing stress : making you feel worried or anxious stuffing –n. a seasoned mixture often put inside a bird or other meat dish broth –n. liquid in which food (such as meat) has been cooked strategy – n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time enthusiast –n. a person who feels enthusiasm, excitement or great interest in a subject  

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Many Americans Like Obama, But Reject His Party

  President Barack Obama’s public approval rating is higher now than at any time in his second term in office. Many observers think Obama will have high popularity ratings when he leaves office in January 2017. Yet during his eight years as president, the Democratic Party has suffered a sharp reduction in power at the national and state level. Republicans now hold more power nationwide than at any time since the 1920s. The Washington Post newspaper recently noted that “the biggest stain on (Obama’s) political legacy may turn out to be the decimation of the Democratic Party on his watch.” Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential election this month. Barack Obama and his wife Michelle supported Clinton’s campaign for the presidency. They made campaign appearances for her in many states. But many Americans who had voted for Obama did not seem to support Clinton. The president told reporters “I think it’s fair to say that I was surprised by the election results.” Voters also kept Republican lawmakers in control of the United States Senate and House of Representatives. A continued Republican majority in the House was expected, but many political experts thought Democrats would retake control of the Senate. Republicans will have as many as 52 to 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate and at least a 41-seat majority in the 435-seat House. Now, for the first time since 1928, Republicans will control the presidency, the House, the Senate, and most state governorships. They also have the chance to name a new Supreme Court justice. Some observers have noted that soon after 1928, The Great Depression began, causing economic hardship across the country. And soon after 2007, The Great Recession began. In 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president, he received more votes than any candidate in U.S. history. Voters gave the Democratic Party a 257-178 majority in the House. The party also had its largest majority in the Senate since the 1970s, when Jimmy Carter was president. But two years later, in the 2010 congressional elections, Democrats suffered their largest losses since the 1920s. Republicans won 63 seats in the House -- enough to gain control of the chamber. Republicans won six seats in the Senate, but did not gain a majority. However, in 2014, Republicans won enough seats to gain control of the Senate. They also claimed their largest majority in the House since World War II. While voters made major changes on the national level, the National Conference of State Legislatures notes that “voters left the overall partisan landscape in state legislatures relatively unchanged.” Republicans gained power on the state level during the Obama presidency and expanded their control during the recent election. Nationwide, there are 7,383 legislative seats on the state government level. The country now has at least 816 fewer Democratic state legislators than there were in 2008, when Obama took office. In January, Republicans will hold 4,160 state legislative seats. That represents about 56 percent of the total. It also is the largest number of seats for Republicans since 1920. Republicans now control the house, senate and governorship in 24 states. That is a record for the party. Democrats control the state house, senate and governorship in just five states -- California, Delaware, Hawaii, Oregon and Rhode Island. That is the lowest number in the history of the Democratic Party. The United States now has the fewest number of divided-government states since the 1940s. Experts say fewer American voters are “splitting the ticket” -- voting for both Democrats and Republicans in the same election. Many voters now choose either all Republican or all Democratic candidates. In 2008, 29 states had Democratic governors. Now, just 15 do. There are now 33 Republican governors, the most since 1998. In 1922, there were 34 Republican governors. In 1992, the Democrats controlled every state government in the 15 states that make up the American South. Now, Republicans control all of them. Almost two-thirds of all state legislators in the South are Republicans. As a result of the 2016 elections, Democratic lawmakers now control the New Mexico House and the Washington State Senate. There was a tie in the Connecticut and Delaware Senates. Democrats retook control of both chambers in the Nevada Legislature. And Democrats now control every seat in the Hawaii Senate. This is the first time one party has controlled all the seats in a state chamber since 1980. The National Conference of State Legislatures said Republican candidates won more offices in the recent election than experts had predicted. It said this happened at a time when many experts thought that Democrats would increase the number of seats they controlled in state legislatures. Republican control of state legislatures is important for many reasons. Dan Diorio is a policy specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures. He told DailySignal.com that “despite total Republican control in Washington now, states are where the action is -- and will be -- for public policy that actually impacts people.” The speed of the Republican Party’s success began to increase in 2010, two years after Barack Obama was elected president. From 1952 to the early 2000s, Democrats controlled a majority of state legislatures. Many observers say it appears Democratic candidates cannot count on the support voters gave to Obama as recently as 2012. As the Washington Post noted, “the impressive political operation that Obama built does not appear transferable to other Democrats, and therefore may not live on past his presidency.”  I’m Jill Robbins. And I’m Alice Bryant.   Christopher Jones-Cruise 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, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stain – n. something that causes people to have less respect for someone; something that damages a person’s reputation (usually singular) legacy – n. something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past decimate – v. to severely damage or destroy a large part of (something) chamber – n. a group of people who form part of a government partisan – adj. strongly supporting one leader, group or cause over another landscape – n.  a particular area of activity  

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Homeless Population Down in America, But 'Spreading' Worldwide

    The number of people in the United States without a home is down from one year ago. The total is nearly 550,000, about 3 percent lower than in 2015. The number comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The information comes after the United Nations (UN) reported that homelessness is “spreading” worldwide. The report called on governments around the world to end homelessness by 2030. The UN last produced a study on the world’s homeless population 11 years ago. At that time, it estimated the total at 100 million. But the UN said the number is likely much higher today. It estimates 100 million children alone are now without a home. Worried about Mosul Recently, UNICEF, the UN’s children’s agency, warned about children living in and around the city of Mosul, Iraq. It said tens of thousands of them could become homeless as Iraqi forces continue work to take back Mosul from Islamic State militants. In its report, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development measured homelessness on a single night. In January, 2016, thousands of volunteers spread out across the country. They counted a total of 549,922 homeless individuals. That is down 14 percent from six years ago. Still, the government agency reported increased homelessness in the cities of Los Angeles, Dallas, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Officials blamed the increase on higher housing prices. Julian Castro is the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He said it is important that more be done to help people find a place to stay for themselves and their families. “Every person deserves a safe, stable place to call home,” Castro said. In recent years, a major effort has lowered the number of homeless military veterans, he said. UN: Problem Growing Across World While Castro points to some progress in the United States, UN officials say homelessness is now a problem in all countries, rich and poor. Leilani Farha, the top UN official on housing, said homelessness is an issue of life-and-death importance. “The death rate among homeless people ranges from two to 10 times higher than for those who are not homeless,” she said.  Homelessness Numbers in Different Countries The Homeless World Cup of Scotland holds football games to help support efforts to reduce homelessness. The organization puts out reports about homelessness around the world: In the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, 250,000 people do not have a place to stay. Many of them are children, and live on the streets. In India, the homeless population is estimated at 78 million. Eleven million of that number are street children. Indonesia’s homeless population is 3 million, including 28,000 in the capital, Jakarta. In Nigeria, the homeless population is estimated at 24 million. Homeless World Cup blames rapid urbanization and poverty for the high number. Also many people lost homes because of actions by Boko Haram militants, the group said. In England, 112,070 people declared themselves homeless in 2013. That is a 26 percent increase from 2009.   Bruce Alpert wrote 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. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   deserve - v. used to say that someone or something should or should not have or be given something stable - adj. in a good state or condition that is not easily changed or likely to change veteran - n. someone who fought in a war as a soldier range - v. a series of numbers that includes the highest and lowest possible amounts urbanization - n. the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more and more people begin living and working in central areas

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Opioid Epidemic Sickens Young Children in U.S.

Taiwan to Hold Rescue Exercises in South China Sea

  Taiwan says it will carry out exercises in the disputed South China Sea to practice search-and-rescue operations.  ​ Taiwan has described the exercises as “humanitarian.” Taiwan’s Coast Guard announced the activities Sunday. The move is seen as an effort by Taiwan to show its willingness to ease tensions in the South China Sea.​ The drills will be carried out in the near future depending on weather conditions, the Coast Guard said. They will take place near Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba.​ Taiwan’s Coast Guard directly administers Itu Aba, but it is also claimed by China, Vietnam and the Philippines.​ The agency said in a statement that Taiwan’s navy might take part in the exercises. The Coast Guard said, “Currently the navy regularly patrols near Taiping Island. We don't rule out the navy playing a supporting role in future humanitarian rescue drills being held near Taiping.”​ The Coast Guard also said the exercises will include drills on reacting to shipwrecks and rescuing and providing relief to sailors. It did not say how many forces would take part and what kinds of equipment would be used.    ​ Taiwan has stated it operates a small military airport on Itu Aba. There is also a 10-bed hospital, a lighthouse and solar panels valued at $129 million.​ The Coast Guard said Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen directed in July that Taiping Island be used as a “humanitarian search and rescue center.”​ Itu Aba is one of many islands, reefs, and other landforms in the disputed Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea.​ China claims much of the South China Sea. It is an important seaway through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves each year. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei also have completing claims in the sea.​ ​ China’s activities in the South China Sea have increased tensions with its neighbors, the United States and Japan. China has reclaimed land on several disputed reefs by dredging, and built airfields and ports.​ In July, an international court ruled against China in a case brought by the Philippines. The court rejected China’s historical claims to large areas of the South China Sea. Both China and Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province, rejected the ruling.​ Jonathan Spangler is director of the Taipei-based South China Sea Think Tank. He says Taiwan has been trying to position itself as a peacemaker in the South China Sea dispute for many years.​ “Humanitarian and search-and-rescue operations near Itu Aba would be a logical next step in backing up that political rhetoric with action,” he said.​ Taiwan launched efforts in 2015 to establish itself as a humanitarian player in the South China Sea. At that time, the government released a peace proposal intended to help resolve South China Sea disputes. It urged governments involved to put aside their “sovereignty disputes” and find ways to develop the sea’s resources together.​ I’m Mario Ritter.​ Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter 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   practice – v. do something over and over again as a way to get better at it drill – n. way of learning something by doing repeated exercises patrol – v. to continually search an area to make sure it is safe   dredging - v. – v. to dig out and clear material from a body of water logical - adj. seeming natural, reasonable or sensible rhetoric - n. language intended to influence people that might not be honest or reasonable sovereignty – n. a country's independent authority and the right to govern itself  

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Trump Wants Apology from Broadway's 'Hamilton' Cast

  This is What’s Trending… American Vice President-elect Mike Pence saw the Broadway show “Hamilton” in New York City over the weekend. The play tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s founding fathers. Hamilton was killed in 1804 in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. The real story is surprising and dramatic. Also surprising and dramatic is the fact that the show “Hamilton” is a hip-hop musical.  Many of the people who play the historically white founding fathers are African-American or Latino. Its lead performer is openly gay.    Just after the show ended Friday night, actor Brandon Victor Dixon gave a speech on stage. Dixon plays Aaron Burr, America’s third vice president. The actor spoke directly to Pence, who will soon be America’s 45th vice president. He told Pence that the show’s diverse performers are worried about the country’s future. He also said he hoped the show had inspired Pence. “We, sir, are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights,” Dixon said. “We truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of us.” The vice president-elect exited the theater before Dixon finished his speech. Some people in the audience called “boo” as he left. Dixon urged them not to. The Associated Press reported that a show official told them Pence stood in the hall outside the theater and listened to the rest of Dixon’s speech. The speech did not please President-elect Donald Trump. Trump wrote on his Twitter page that “our wonder future VP Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton.” In another tweet, he said that the cast of Hamilton should apologize to Pence. Dixon responded to the president-elect on Twitter. He wrote, “Conversation is not harassment sir. And I appreciate Mike Pence for stopping to listen.” Trump tweeted again on Sunday about the issue. He wrote, “The cast and producers of Hamilton, which I hear is highly overrated, should immediately apologize to Mike Pence for their terrible behavior.” Supporters of President-elect Trump also were not happy. They called for a boycott of “Hamilton.” The hashtag #BoycottHamilton became a trending topic on social media. Some people, however, believed that a boycott of one of Broadway’s most popular shows ever was not likely to happen. Mike Pence himself has said that he was not offended – or upset – by Dixon or the “Hamilton” cast. He told Fox News on Sunday that he attended the show with his daughter and some of her friends. He said he heard some of the booing in the crowd, as well as some cheers. Pence said he told his daughter, “That’s what freedom sounds like.” And that’s What’s Trending. I'm Ashley Thompson.   Ashley Thompson adapted this story from VOA News and the Associated Press materials. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.  ________________________________________________________________   Words in This Story   duel - n. a fight between two people that includes the use of weapons (such as guns or swords) and that usually happens while other people watch diverse - adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other inspire - v. to make (someone) want to do something : to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create alarmed - adj. ​feeling fearful or worried anxious - adj. ​afraid or nervous especially about what may happen : feeling anxiety harass - v. ​ afraid or nervous especially about what may happen : feeling anxiety offended - v. ​ to cause (a person or group) to feel hurt, angry, or upset by something said or done​ appreciate - v. ​to be grateful for (something)

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November 21, 2016

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

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