Young Boy Rescues Brother Trapped Under Furniture

  This is What’s Trending Today: On one recent morning in the American state of Utah, 2-year-old twin boys Bowdy and Brock were playing in their bedroom. The boys were climbing on a piece of furniture called a dresser. They were trying to get into some empty drawers and climb to the top of the dresser. But as they both tried to climb up, the large dresser fell down on top of them. The accident was recorded on a camera the boys’ parents put in the bedroom. Some parents use these kinds of cameras to watch their children playing in another room.  One of the young boys, Bowdy, managed to escape from under the dresser. But his brother, Brock, remained stuck under it. The video shows Bowdy walking around the dresser trying to find a way to free his brother. Almost two minutes pass. But Bowdy cannot move the dresser. Eventually, though, Bowdy found a way to push the dresser toward the wall. His brother was then able to roll out from underneath the big piece of furniture. Both boys are okay. They were not hurt. Their parents decided to put a video of the incident on YouTube. They hoped it would be a warning to other parents around the world. In just three days, the video has been viewed over 7 million times. It is the top trending video on YouTube. Ricky Shoff is the father of the boys. He posted the video to his Facebook page on January 1. He wrote: “I've been a little hesitant to post this. But I feel it's not only to bring awareness, but it is also incredible.” Shoff also told his friends to share the video and to make sure their furniture was secure. For example, big pieces of furniture should be safely attached to a wall or to the floor. Kayli Shoff, the boys’ mother, said when she first saw the video, she “felt like the worst mom.” But the parents said they made the video public even though they knew they would be criticized for not paying enough attention to their children. This is not the first time falling furniture has made the news in recent months. In December, furniture-maker Ikea agreed to pay $50 million to the families of three American boys, in three different states, killed by falling dressers. The company is recalling its furniture. It is also offering customers a refund or free tools to attach the furniture to a wall. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Jill Robbins.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What do you think of the video from Utah? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   furniture – n. chairs, tables, beds, etc., that are used to make a room ready for use drawer – n. a box that slides into and out of a piece of furniture (such as a desk) and that is used to store things stuck – adj. difficult or impossible to move from a position hesitant – adj. slow to act or speak especially because you are nervous or unsure about what to do  secure – adj. firmly attached

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Naftalie Williams: “Skateboarding: A Tool for Cultural Diplomacy”

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Melody Bales, the Lady from Haiti

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January 4, 2107

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

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US to Continue Investigating Civil Rights Murders

  The United States will continue to investigate unsolved murders of black people during the civil rights period. President Barack Obama recently signed into law a bill that continues a 2008 law requiring the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the crimes. The bill’s sponsor is Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. Lewis, a civil rights leader during the 1960s, suffered a skull fracture when he was beaten by police in 1965 during a civil rights march in Alabama. When the bill was first approved in 2008, Lewis hoped it would provide a “full accounting” of murders and other violence during America’s civil rights era.  Most victims were African-Americans, but non-black supporters of civil rights also were targeted. Progress Has Been Slow In a 2015 report, the Justice Department said little progress had been made. The department said it investigated 113 unsolved cases dating from 1934 to 1967. The department said it completed 105 of the investigations. The department reported that bringing criminal charges in any of the cases is “unlikely.” The Justice Department report said federal power is limited. It said federal hate crime laws took effect too late to apply to murders during the civil rights period. It also said investigating old cases is difficult because “witnesses die or can no longer be located,” people forget what they saw, and “evidence is destroyed or lost." One Successful Prosecution The Justice Department pointed to its successful criminal case against James Ford Seale. He was found guilty of federal kidnapping charges 42 years after prosecutors said he tortured and killed two black teenagers near the Mississippi-Louisiana border in 1964. Seale died in 2011. But that case was filed before the 2008 law took effect. The department points to a successful state prosecution of a civil rights murder case after the law’s passage. Lewis said the new law passed by Congress and approved by President Obama improves the 2008 law. It requires the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, to work with civil rights groups and universities to find evidence. The new law directs federal officials to work together with state and local law enforcement offices. As supporters of the law point out, many crimes targeting blacks and other civil rights workers in the 1950s and 1960s were not investigated by local police agencies. “Investigators can now work to discover the truth and to seek justice under our legal system for the families of these victims,” said Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina. “Every American is worthy of the protection of our laws.” The bill is named for Emmett Till. Till was a 14-year-old African-American from Chicago. He was brutally murdered in 1955 while visiting family in Mississippi. Reports at the time said some whites were angry over reports he had flirted with a white woman. An all-white jury in Mississippi found the two white men charged with Till’s murder not guilty. Dark Period in Modern American History Congressman John Conyers of Michigan said the Emmett Till Act is an effort to bring to justice people responsible for crimes from one of the darkest periods in modern American history. Law students at Syracuse University in New York have joined the investigations. Led by two professors, Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald, Syracuse law students found 196 possible cases for criminal charges. McDonald is disappointed that the Justice Department has not moved on any of the 196 cases. She said the new law extends the time in which crimes can be investigated past the original deadline of 1969 by 10 years. Her hope is that the new Trump administration will want to show the public its willingness to fight racial injustice by bringing charges against people who escaped charges in the past. Johnson said that, when she and McDonald travel, they often hear from “relatives who believed they lost loved ones due to racial violence.” “We take their claims seriously and conduct our own investigations and we’ll continue to do so,” Johnson said. I'm Alice Bryant. And I'm Bruce Alpert. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter 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 skull fracture - n. a blow to the head strong enough to break a bone in the cranial portion of the skull accounting - n. a report of what happened locate - v. to find file –v. to give a document to an official for consideration brutally - adv. done in an extremely cruel or harsh way flirt - v. to behave in a way that shows an attraction for someone but is not meant to be taken seriously due - v. required or expected to happen conduct - v. to do something    

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Slovenia Remembers Melania Trump

Melania Trump will become the first foreign-born wife of an American president in almost 200 years. On January 20, her husband, Donald Trump, will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States.  Most Americans do not know much about 46-year-old Melania Trump. She was born in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia. It is a small country surrounded by Austria, Hungary, Italy and Croatia. It has a small coastline on the Adriatic Sea. Slovenia also has castles that are hundreds of years old, large forests and clear rivers. VOA recently traveled to the country to learn about Melania Trump’s life before she came to the United States. Jakob Susteric operates a medical company in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. He knows his country is not well-known. But he believes Melania Trump will change that. “Slovenia. What is Slovenia? Is that a food? Is that a car? Nobody knows it’s a country. Nobody knows it’s a nation, and nobody knows that Melania is from Slovenia. So this is a big opportunity that our two million-nation basically gets its place in Europe, in the world.” Susteric says having a Slovenian in the White House says good things about the United States. “It expresses the message that America is sending from past years which is that America is a land of opportunities, so anybody that lives (in) and comes to America can achieve great things.” Stane Jerko is a photographer. He says he was one of the first people to see Melania Trump’s talent at a fashion show in Melania Trump’s hometown of Sevnica in 1987. Jerko says she was a quiet 17-year-old. He said she was notable for her beauty and her energy. Melania Trump was born April 26, 1970. She has said that when she is first lady she will work to fight cyber bullying. Petra Sedej, a friend and high school classmate, says Trump dealt with the difficult behavior that can be common with girls in high school. “Because she was beautiful, she was a model, a lot of girls talked about this and they were also jealous. But she didn’t react to this and I think this is something strong inside of her, because she knew that she was good. And if you know that you are good, you don’t need to prove this with words.” Sedej says Communism and Yugoslavia were collapsing in Slovenia when she and Trump were in school together. She says they wondered how that would affect their future. “We talked about studying, about how to see the world, and she, like a model, she knew that Slovenia was too small for her.” Melania Trump left Sevnica when she was still a teenager and went to live with her sister in the city of Ljubljana. She began working as a model there. Later, she traveled to Milan, Italy and Paris, France. Then she went to New York where she met Donald Trump at a fashion event in 1999. They dated for about a year. They restarted their relationship a few years later. In April, 2004, Donald Trump asked Melania to marry him. Melania was first named Melanija Knavs. She then changed her name to Melania Knauss. She became Melania Trump when she married Donald Trump in Florida on January 22, 2005. He was 58 years old. She was 30. It was her first marriage and his third. There were 500 guests at the wedding, including Oprah Winfrey, Prince Charles of Britain, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Muhammad Ali. Donald and Melania Trump have one child: a son named Barron William Trump. He was born in 2006. In Sevnica, friends of Melania Trump’s family say her father Viktor Knavs was a lot like Donald Trump. Zdravko Mastnak says Knavs was ambitious and a good businessman. He says he always looked for a way to improve his life beyond the money he could earn selling cars at a state-owned company. Only about 5,000 people live in Sevnica, which was affected by World War II. After the war, many mass graves were found there. When communists took control of Sevnica after the war, it became a center of furniture manufacturing. In the town, graffiti-covered trains speed past large apartment buildings built when the Communist Party ruled Yugoslavia. Some large buildings, like Communism, have collapsed. It is easy to understand why someone would want to leave the town although some parts of it are beautiful. Nusa Vidmar owns a cake shop in Sevnica near the apartment building where Melania Trump grew up. “We were very proud of Melania’s success. She used to be one of us and we are really happy for her, so everything what we do is making cakes, so we create simple but luxury cake that was, we wanted to have a beautiful cake like she is.” Zdravko Mastnak is a family friend who makes wine. He says he hopes Melania Trump and her husband will visit Sevnica. I’m Lucija Millonig.   VOA Europe Correspondent Luis Ramirez reported this story from Sevnica and Ljubljana, Slovenia. Phil Dierking and Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   inaugurate – v. to introduce (someone, such as a newly elected official) into a job or position with a formal ceremony express – v. to talk or write about (something that you are thinking or feeling) achieve – v. to get or reach (something) by working hard talent – n. a special ability that allows someone to do something well fashion show – n. an event at which new clothing designs are displayed model – n. someone who is paid to wear clothing, jewelry, etc., in photographs, fashion shows, etc., so that people will see and want to buy what is being worn first lady – n. the wife of the American president cyber bullying – v. to frighten, hurt, or threaten (a smaller or weaker person) on the internet or through social media jealous – adj. feeling or showing an unhappy or angry desire to have what someone else has graffiti – n. pictures or words painted or drawn on a wall, building, etc. luxury – adj. of high quality or high cost or both

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French “Right to Disconnect” Law Goes Into Effect

  This is What’s Trending Today. The start of a new year brings many new laws into effect in the U.S and around the world. For example, a new law in California makes it illegal for drivers to hold their mobile phones while in the car. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, people who buy drinks with added sugar, like Coca-Cola, will be taxed about 50 cents per liter. In Colorado, residents must not pretend their untrained pets are special service animals. And in France, a new law requires employers to ensure that their employees have time to disconnect. The “right to disconnect” law went into effect on January 1. The French Ministry of Labor says the rules make sure workers have time away from work and with their families without feeling as if they always need to read their work emails. Companies with at least 50 employees will have to set up quiet periods at night and on the weekends when their staff does not have to respond to work messages. One French member of parliament told a news service that email and other electronic messages can be like a leash.  Constantly feeling connected to work can cause a lot of stress. There is also some concern that workers are not properly being paid overtime if they check their emails. Two universities in North America reported studies showing that work-related communication on nights and weekends can be a problem. Many people reacted to the news on Twitter and Facebook. One person wrote: “Shoutout to the French. Coming through with the work-life balance protections.”  Another wondered why Americans do not have the same right. (embed: ) A third writer wanted to know when this idea will spread around the world.  ​ And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Is there a law about work email where you live? Let us know in the comments section. ________________________________________________________________   Words in This Story pretend –v. to act as if something were true leash – n. a long, thin piece of rope, chain, etc., that is used for holding a dog or other animal overtime – n. time spent working at your job that is in addition to your normal working hours shout-out – exp. an expression of praise

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From Nairobi to North Carolina: A Kenyan Teacher's Journey

One day in May 2015, James Gitau Mwangi was reading in the library at the American Reference Center in Nairobi. He did not know that a conversation he overheard there would change his life. The American Reference Center's Assistant Director, Nashon Akello, was calling English teachers to come to a webinar. Mwangi offered to attend the webinar.  He told Akello, "I’m an English teacher!" Soon he was sitting with a group of Kenyan English teachers. They were watching two American teachers give an online teleconference. The webinar was organized by the U.S. Embassy in cooperation with VOA Learning English. Called "Writing for the Internet," the course explained how to write factual stories in a simple style of journalism, like the stories here on Learning English. The teachers at the webinar were invited to write a story for a contest. The winning stories would be published on VOA's website and on the U.S. Embassy's site.   While at the U.S. Embassy, the teachers heard about other programs of the U.S. Department of State. One was the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program. Open to young teachers of English with a college degree, the program sends teachers to teach their home language and culture to American students in universities.  At the same time, they learn language teaching methods that will improve their English teaching skills when they return home. Mwangi says the program was interesting to his fellow teachers. "But you need to be under 30 years. So, most of my friends were like, 'you go -- go and do it! Because - it's a great thing but we can't do it.' So, I applied, I followed through the process - it was very hard - but I was so happy when they called me back in August, the same year. They told me, 'you have to do a TOEFL' (Test of English as a Foreign Language) … We had to wait almost a year again for them to get back to us." Mwangi went back to teaching and directing the Mavens Education & Chess Centre. He started the school with fellow teacher Tom Amwai. At first, they did not have space to have all of the students at the same time. "We started with an adult education center, and a reading area, and a library. During the holidays, we invite other students from other schools for holiday tuition." Mwangi wrote a story about how students must deal with the terrible traffic in Nairobi. Then, he entered it in the writing contest. He was surprised to hear that his story was chosen as the first-place winner. You can read it in Learning English's Dispatch from Kenya section. When Mwangi saw the article online, he noticed that there were comments from people all over the world. "That's when it hit me - like, this is big, because when someone from Vietnam, someone from places like Madagascar talk to you, that was really refreshing." He came back to the embassy to get the award and started connecting with the other teachers who attended the webinar. "We had a very fantastic ceremony. I was given my certificate. We talked about having an association for English teachers." Mwangi was inspired by the course to keep writing in English, although he had started with little confidence in his writing. "I continued writing after that - I never believed in myself in terms of writing - it's ironical because you're an English teacher; you're teaching students to write. But you, when you're asked to write, it's not easy, but you keep on telling your students, 'You're supposed to write like that.' So, I decided to learn through the process the way I did it before." In September 2015, Mwangi wrote his second story for VOA, on the teachers' strike in Kenya. "I remember it was during September we had a teachers' strike. It was taking a toll on the student who were really suffering. And then again, we talked with Ms. Jill and I worked with her on an article that later on was published. It was talking about the strike."  When Mwangi found out he had received a Fulbright grant, he had to make a hard choice: leave the school for a year, or stay in Kenya. His business partner, Amwai, encouraged him to go to teach in the U.S. While Mwangi is away, Amwai is using his experience as a chess champion to teach students how to play the game and enter chess competitions. "Now we've introduced something that is helping us in terms of the revenue, which is a chess center. We have so many students who are playing chess - they come after classes. We have a lot of champions ... chess has been proven to be one of the best mind games that students can use." During his winter vacation from Bennett College, Mwangi is touring universities like Harvard University in Massachusetts. He will return to Kenya at the end of the school year in May. He plans to use his experience to improve his school. "I want to go back with all of these things that I have and experience and just build that…I want to go back and build the school now. I hope when I go back that dream will come to life." VOA Learning English gave another webinar in May of 2016, on the topic of "Writing Science in Plain English." The wining essays from that contest are also in the Dispatch from Kenya section. Teachers who want to learn more about the Fulbright programs can visit their website, Exchanges.state.gov. I'm Jill Robbins. Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.   Would you like to go and live in another country for a year? Where would you like to go?  What would you like to do there? Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   teleconference – n. the use of telephones and video equipment to have a meeting with people who are in different places cooperation - n. a situation in which people work together to do something journalism - n.  the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio style - n.  a particular way in which something is done, created, or performed inspire - v. to make (someone) want to do something or to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create competition - n. the act or process of trying to get or win something (such as a prize or a higher level of success) that someone else is also trying to get or win

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Lesson 40: The Woods Are Alive

Summary Anna's New Year’s Resolution is to try something new. She auditions for a play. Will she get the part? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn about asking for and giving feedback. Pronunciation Use this video to learn about projecting when public speaking. Learn one way to make your voice sound more confident when you speak to a group. Conversation Anna: Happy New Year! Some people, at the start of a new year, make a resolution -- a promise to yourself to be better. I thought about my resolution carefully. I want to be an actor on the stage! Today I will audition for a show called "The Woods Are Alive!" Wish me luck! Director: Next! What is your name? Anna: My name is Anna Matteo. Director: Are you ready to audition? Anna: (warms up voice) Yes. Director: Great. Let's begin on page 1. Here is the story. You are lost in the woods. You are searching desperately for a way out. Suddenly, you hear something. Director: Now, say your line. Anna: 'What was that? Hello. Is someone there?' Director: Anna, you are speaking too softly. Can you speak more loudly and a little more, um, seriously? Anna: Yes, of course I can. 'What was that? Hello. Is someone there?' Is that loud enough? Director: Yes, that is loud enough. Let's turn to page 25. In this scene, you are moving slowly and quietly through the woods. Director: Anna. Anna! You are walking quickly and loudly. Walk slowly and quietly. Anna: I'm walking slowly and quietly. I am walking… Director: Anna. Anna. You don't need to say "slowly" and "quietly." Alright, let's try the last scene. Turn to page 48. I say my line first, then you say your line. Director: 'You will never get out of these woods alive! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!' Anna: 'Yes, I will.' Director: Okay, Anna, you said that line -- you said that line really late. You need to say it earlier. Anna: Sorry. Sorry. Let me try again. Director: 'You will never …' Anna: 'Yes, I will.' Director: '… get out of the woods alive.' Anna: I was too early, wasn't I? Director: Yes. Yes, you were. Anna: Director, how am I doing? Director: You know, Anna. I think that I have the perfect part for you. Director: The costume is in the back. Please go try it on. Anna: Awesome! (Anna returns as a tree.) Director: Oh, Anna, that fits you perfectly! Anna: I'm a tree. I'm a tree in … "The Woods Are Alive!" Yes! Anna: My new year is starting awesomely! Excuse me, Director! I have a great idea for my tree. Oh, wait! Until next time!   Writing In this lesson, Anna tries something new. What new activity do you want to try in 2017? Why do you want to do it? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using adverbs as well as acting out and guessing everyday activities. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is self-evaluate. When we speak English or try to do something new, it helps to self-evaluate, or check how well we are doing it. In this lesson, when Anna asks the director of the play, "How am I doing?" she wants to learn how well she is acting. The director tells her that she said her line too late. Later, Anna notices a problem: "I was too early, wasn’t I?' She is self-evaluating. This strategy can help to make her a better actor. Do you ever self-evaluate when you speak English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words actor - n. a person who acts in a play or a movie audition - n. a short performance to show the talents of someone (such as an actor or a musician) who is being considered for a role in a play or a position in an orchestra desperately - adv. in a way that is very sad and or upset manner because of having little or no hope director - n. a person who directs a play or a movie enough - adj. equal to what is needed line - n. a row of words, letters, numbers, or symbols written across a page loudly - adv. in a manner that makes or causes a lot of noise page - n. one side of a sheet of paper quickly - adv. at a fast speed; rapidly quietly - adv. in a manner that makes little noise resolution - n. a promise to yourself that you will make a serious effort to do something that you should do scene - n. a division of an act in a play during which the action takes place in a single place without a break in time script - n. the written form of a play, movie, or television show softly - adv. in a quiet voice or manner stage - n. a raised platform in a theater or auditorium where the performers stand suddenly - adv. very quickly in usually an unexpected way ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice acting out and guessing everyday activities. For Teachers​ See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Adverbs (loudly, quietly, slowly); Comparatives of adverbs (more seriously); Review agent nouns (actor, director) Topics: New Year resolutions; Describing people’s actions Learning Strategy: Self-Evaluate Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Asking for & giving feedback​; Projecting when public speaking​   ____________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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New UN Leadership for the New Year

  Antonio Guterres became the ninth United Nations Secretary-General on Sunday.  The term of former U.N. leader Ban Ki-Moon ended at midnight, December 31. Guterres is a former prime minister of Portugal. At the U.N., he served as the High Commissioner for Refugees.  He told the U.N. in his speech that the question of how to help millions of people caught in conflict and war weighs heavily on his heart. Guterres said that civilians are faced with deadly force, killed and injured, forced from their homes, and put into poverty. He also said that unfortunately, even hospitals and aid groups are not safe from violence. Putting peace first Guterres called on the U.N. to “make one shared New Year’s resolution: Let us resolve to put peace first.” In support of the goal of peace, Guterres called for measures from solidarity and kindness in people’s daily lives, to dialogue and respect for political differences. He said peace should be a guide when seeking cease-fires or compromise while negotiating solutions to problems. Guterres has promised to bring people together at a time when the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has voiced concerns about the effectiveness of the U.N. The new secretary-general promised to work with the Trump administration to seek cooperation on the challenges facing the U.S. and U.N. in the coming years. Never give up Outgoing secretary-general Ban told the U.N. in his final speech Friday that he is “so very proud” to have worked with them for the past 10 years. He asked U.N. members to set goals and pay attention to important issues facing the world. These issues, he said, include sustainable development, climate change, women’s empowerment, youth empowerment and others. Ban urged members “to never give up. To keep dreaming.  To keep believing, and to keep working hard until we achieve progress.” He asked the U.N. to place importance on rights, and to stand up for “those who are left behind”, including those who do not get attention from the world community but still need help. He said he felt “a bit like Cinderella” because of the quick change at midnight. But he promised always to be a “global citizen” and said his heart will always be with the people he worked with at the United Nations. I’m Phil Dierking This story was originally written for VOAnews.com.  Phil Dierking adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What goals do you think the U.N. should have this year?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story challenge – n. a difficult task or problem Cinderella – n. the name of a girl in a fairy tale who is treated badly by her stepmother and stepsisters but who marries a prince in the end. dialogue - n. a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement empowerment – n. power that has been given to someone or something resolve – v. to find an answer or solution to solidarity – n. a feeling of unity between people who have the same interests, goals, etc. sustainable development – n. economic development that is done without depletion of natural resources

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Europe Worries About Russian Cyber Attacks During 2017 Elections

  Some European leaders are worried that Russia will try to influence their elections this year. The concerns come as possible Russian interference in the United States presidential election last year continues to be debated. There will be national elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands in 2017. Experts say Russia is already trying to help some candidates win. Russia denies that it is doing so. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will seek a fourth term in office this year. She has led efforts in Europe to punish Russia for taking actions that democratic nations oppose. Experts say she is the European leader that Russia would most like to see voted out of office. In December, Merkel said Germany must be ready to stop attempts by other countries to interfere with its elections. “We have to inform people and express our political convictions clearly. We also should not allow ourselves to be irritated. We just have to know that there’s such a thing and learn to live with it.” Almost one million migrants entered Germany in 2015. Some Germans do not support such a large number. Experts say Russia will try to use anti-immigrant activists to help oust Merkel. And they say Russia will likely increase what are being called disinformation activities in the months and weeks before the election. Ian Bond is an analyst at the Center for European Reform. “They (Russia) can target it both in France and in Germany. But because Angela Merkel herself has been so closely identified with the policy of admitting refugees and asylum-seekers to Germany, it is, I think, an area of vulnerability for her.” The Alternative for Germany political party opposes immigrants. It has been gaining support, as measured by public opinion studies. Thorsten Benner is an expert at the Global Public Policy Institute. He says pressure on the German government could increase if the migrant situation in Europe gets worse. Anti-immigrant political parties throughout Europe have sought close relationships with Russia. Marine Le Pen is the leader of one of those parties, the National Front in France. A Russian bank provided her with a $10 million loan to help her election campaign. Bond says the anti-immigrant parties share one goal: they want to cause division in the European Union. “And, from a Russian point of view, if you can divide Europe, if you can then pick off individual states and make them feel more vulnerable or make them feel that they have to accommodate themselves to Russia, then that’s a huge win.” Bond says when Donald Trump becomes president in January, European unity will be tested.  “Trump himself, like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, seems to share this preference for dealing with countries in Europe bilaterally rather than multi-laterally. And so I think he is not going to shed many tears if, in fact, the EU is weakened as a result of Russian activity in European elections in the coming months.” Trump has said NATO allies should pay more for their defense. But he has not said he wants the European Union weakened. European leaders hope that, by talking about their worries long before elections are held, they can stop any attempts by Russia to influence voters. But experts says Russia has already begun spreading propaganda to increase its influence. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. Correspondent Henry Ridgwell reported this story from London. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   irritate – v. to make (someone) impatient, angry or annoyed disinformation – n. information that is given to people to hide the truth or in order to make them believe something that is not true vulnerability --n. the ability to be hurt or the state of having a weakness analyst – n. a person who studies or analyzes something pick off – phrasal verb to separate something or someone from a group accommodate – v. to get used to or become comfortable with something; to adapt or adjust to something bilateral – adj. involving two groups or countries multi-lateral – adj. involving more than two groups or countries shed a tear – expression to be worried

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