Boeing Reaches Sales Agreement with Another Iranian Airline

American airplane maker Boeing says it has reached a deal to sell 30 aircraft to an Iranian airline. The $3 billion sale of passenger aircraft is the second deal the American aerospace company has reached with an Iranian airline. Boeing announced the latest deal with Aseman Airlines on Tuesday. Last December, Iran Air agreed to buy 80 Boeing passenger planes in a deal worth $16.6 billion. The deals were made possible by an agreement signed by Iran and six world powers including the U.S. The deal limited Iran’s uranium enrichment activities in an effort to keep the country from developing nuclear weapons. In exchange, many trade and financial sanctions on Iran were lifted. In a statement, Boeing says the deal is expected to create or sustain 18,000 jobs. Boeing would look to the Office of Foreign Assets Control for approval of the sale. The office is part of the United States Treasury Department. During the campaign for president, United States President Donald Trump was strongly critical of the Iran deal. But Trump has also said creating jobs is a main concern for his administration. If the deal is approved, Aseman Airlines is expected to start receiving the airplanes in 2022 according to Boeing. I’m Mario Ritter.   Joshua Fatzick reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story airline –n. a company that owns or leases airplanes to transport people or cargo aerospace –adj. related to the industry of traveling in and above Earth’s atmosphere sanction –n. an action that is meant to force a country to obey international law usually by limiting or stopping trade and economic activity with that country

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Follow Yosemite National Park's Bears Online

This is What’s Trending Today. You can now follow the bears in California’s Yosemite National Park online. No, that does not mean the bears now all have Twitter profiles. But they are connected to the internet via satellite. They have their own website. It is keepbearswild.org. The park has about 500 bears within its borders, and last year, had over 5 million visitors. Now, about 20 bears are wearing collars with GPS trackers. You can follow their movements on a map of the park. But if you go looking for them, you probably will not find the bears. For both the safety of the bears, and people, there is a delay. The website also shows where 28 bears were hit by cars in 2016. Some of them were killed. With the collars, park rangers and wildlife scientists can keep track of the bears within the park. They can also learn some new things. For example, bear experts were surprised to learn that the bears begin mating in May. That is over one month sooner than they thought. They also found that the bears can travel up to 48 kilometers per day, and that includes climbing up steep mountains. The collars will allow park rangers to know if bears are getting too close to campgrounds. The rangers want to keep both the bears and the humans safe. The Yosemite Conservancy spent almost $300,000 on the mapping project. Frank Dean is the president of the conservancy. He says the new information about the bears should keep them safer. “People love to see the bears,” he said. “Protecting them is something we can all do.” Jesse Garcia studies black bears for the state of California. He says visitors to the park need to understand that they are in the bears’ home. “You’ve got to give them their distance and always be aware, knowing that they’re there,” he said. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on an Associated Press report. Hai Do was the editor. Are you worried about running into a bear someday? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   collar – n. a band of leather, plastic, etc., worn around an animal's neck GPS – n. a radio system that uses signals from satellites to tell you where you are and to give you directions to other places track – v. to follow or watch the path of (something) mate – v. of animals : to have sexual activity in order to produce young conserve – v. to keep (something) safe or from being damaged or destroyed

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Trump Donates First Paycheck to National Park Service

During his campaign for the presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not collect the yearly $400,000 presidential salary. On Monday, the president followed through with his promise. Trump gave the money he has earned so far as president to the U.S. National Park Service. The donation totaled $78,333.32. Trump is the third U.S. president to have rejected a salary. John F. Kennedy and Herbert Hoover were the others. Both were extremely wealthy men like Trump. Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, announced the first of Trump’s donations during a daily press meeting Monday. Spicer presented the donation, in the form of a large check, to Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke. The National Park Service is part of the Department of the Interior.   Standing next to Zinke was Tyrone Brandyburg. He is superintendent at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia. Zinke said in a statement that Trump’s gift will be used to help repair national battlefields and military parks within the National Park Service. “These historic places tell the story of conflicts that helped shape our country’s history,” Zinke said. “I’m honored to help the president carry out his love and appreciation for our warriors and land.” However, critics say that Trump’s donation to the National Park Service is small compared to the amount of money that it -- and the Interior Department as a whole -- may lose under Trump’s proposed budget. His plan would cut $1.5 billion dollars from the department, or 12 percent of its total budget.   The National Park Service says it needs almost $12 billion to pay for long-needed repairs to many of its more than 400 sites. Zinke said Monday that “we’re about $229 million behind in deferred maintenance on our battlefields alone.” The National Park Service operates 25 sites that are considered battlefield parks or sites and military parks. Among the most popular is Pennsylvania’s Gettysburg National Military Park -- the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. More than 1 million people visit that park each year. I’m Ashley Thompson. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   salary  - n. an amount of money that an employee is paid each year​ charity​ - n.​ an organization that helps people who are poor, sick, etc.​ appreciation​ - n.​ a feeling of being grateful for something​ warrior​ - n.​ a person who fights in battles and is known for having courage and skill​ defer - v. to choose to do (something) at a later time maintenance - n. the act of keeping property or equipment in good condition by making repairs, correcting problems, etc.  

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April 4, 2017

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

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Explainer: Climate Change and Carbon Dioxide

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What If Clinton Were a Man, Trump Were a Woman?

After Hillary Clinton lost the presidency to Donald Trump, some wondered how many voters were unwilling to elect a woman for president. Now, a New York show is helping to provide some answers. It is recreating important moments from the three Trump-Clinton presidential debates, but with a big difference. A female actor plays Trump and a male actor plays Clinton. The show is called: “Her Opponent.” Do the gender changes make a difference? People who have seen the show say yes. But surprisingly, many who speak out in the discussion that follows each show say Trump comes across in the show more sympathetic as a woman and Clinton less so as a man. Christine Ostrosky, 22, is a senior at Miami University in Ohio. She watched a performance of “Her Opponent” online. When she watched the “real” debates, she said, “It was obvious to me” that Clinton had more charisma, and was clearly the more qualified debater.” But after watching the Trump and Clinton actors perform the debate lines, Ostrosky said she could understand better the appeal Trump had with some women voters. Among the debate moments acted out in “Her Opponent,” is this one over Clinton's experience.  Let’s listen to the real Trump and Clinton in the presidential debate: Clinton: So I know how to really work to get new jobs and to get exports that help to create more new jobs. Trump: But you haven't done it in 30 years or 26 years or any number you want to... Clinton: Well, I've been a senator, Donald... Trump: You haven't done it. You haven't done it. Clinton: And I have been a secretary of state. Now, let’s listen to the rehearsal of the actors playing Trump and Clinton in “Her Opponent:” Clinton: So I know how to really work to get new jobs and to get exports that help to create more new jobs. Trump: But you haven't done it in 30 years or 26 years or any number you want to... Clinton: Well, I've been a senator, Donald... Trump: You haven't done it. You haven't done it. Clinton: And I have been a secretary of state. The show’s creators are Joe Salvatore, a playwright and New York University theater professor and Maria Guadalupe, who teaches political science and economics at Insead, a graduate business school in France. Guadalupe said: “One sees that, when performed by a man, Clinton was behaving within a very female script (smiling, nodding while she was being attacked) and that was not appealing and looked weak.” But Trump, performed by a woman, “looked less aggressive and more truthful, passionate,” Guadalupe said. Salvatore said it was not so much that Clinton supporters became Trump supporters after watching “Her Opponent.” But audience members say they now know “why Trump won,” he said. Salvatore said the experience of putting together “Her Opponent” has left him ready to offer advice to candidates. A candidate might learn a lot by watching how an actor would act out their words, complete with facial expressions and hand motions, Salvatore said. “I think that we spend a lot of time in analysis talking about what people said and I don’t think that we spend enough time in analysis talking about how people said it.” It is not only word choice, but how a person delivers his or her message, Salvatore said. “I think this difference between Clinton offering so many facts and figures, almost to the point of it being dizzying in some moments in the debates, vs. Trump saying kind of short, quick, repeatable things over and over again, even if they are not necessarily accurate. The message lands more strongly and clearly.” This kind of show is called ‘documentary theater’ A show in which the actors repeat the same words said earlier by other people is not new. Some call it “documentary theater.” According to Drama Online, this type of show dates back to the 1920s. The aims of documentary theater are to reassess history and to investigate major events. I'm Dorothy Gundy. And I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story. Dorothy Gundy produced the video. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Are your views of a person affected by their gender? Explain. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   gender - n. the state of being male or female obvious - adj. easy to see or notice charisma - n. a special charm or appeal that causes people to feel attracted and excited by someone qualified - adj. having the necessary skill, experience, or knowledge to do a particular job or activity script - n. the written form of a play, movie, television show nod - v. to move your head up and down as a way of answering “yes” or of showing agreement passionate - adj. having, showing, or expressing strong emotions or beliefs analyze - v. to study something closely and carefully dizzying - adj. causing or likely to cause dizziness accurate - adj. free from mistakes or errors reassess - v. to reconsider a judgement about someone or something  

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Potatoes Could Be Grown on Mars

In the 2015 film “The Martian,” Matt Damon’s character is a scientist left behind on Mars. He has limited food supplies and not much water. He tries to figure out how to survive so he can be rescued. Luckily, he knows how to grow things. And one of the things he grows is a potato plant. A year later, scientists in Peru and NASA scientists in California started working together on growing potatoes in a harsh location similar to Mars. They built a container where they could simulate the conditions on Mars. The salty soil came from the southern coast of Peru, where there is very little rain. Inside the “Mars-in-a-box,” the scientists made the air pressure similar to what it is like at 6,000-meters, decreased the temperature below zero, and added carbon monoxide to the air. They made a lighting system that followed Mars’ daytime and nighttime. They planted 65 types of potato plants, and waited. After a while, four of them grew. Later, the scientists took the strongest of the four plants and tried again. This time, they used crushed rocks instead of soil. The plant still grew. Why is the research being done in Peru? You may not know that Peru is known as the birthplace of potato farming. People grew potatoes there about 7,000 years ago. Even in cold, barren parts of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, potatoes still grow. There is also a potato research center, called the International Potato Center, in the capital city, Lima. The surviving potato in the Mars-in-a box is known as Unique. It can still grow in freezing climates with high amounts of carbon dioxide. The research is not only for a trip to Mars one day. It is going to help feed people in parts of the world that are already having trouble planting traditional crops due to climate change. The work is not yet done. The scientists in Peru and California will try to grow more plants in even more difficult conditions. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on an Associated Press report. Hai Do was the editor. Will we one day grow potatoes on Mars? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   character - n. a person who appears in a story, plkay or movie simulate - v. look feel or behave like (something) carbon monoxide - n. a poisonous gas that is formed when carbon is not completely burned barren - adj. not suitable for plants  

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Flooding, Landslides Kill More Than 260 in Colombia

Families and rescuers searched Sunday for victims of flooding and landslides in southern Colombia. The destruction has killed more than 260 people, Reuters reported. More than 40 children are among the dead, President Juan Manuel Santos has confirmed. Many of the bodies are now breaking down, Reuters reported Monday. Bodies wrapped in white cloth lay on the floor of the morgue. Officials are attempting to bury them as soon as possible to avoid the spread of disease. The government will begin vaccination against infectious disease Monday. In addition, hundreds have been injured, and entire neighborhoods have been devastated. Water from a number of rivers flowed over land near Mocoa in the early hours Saturday. The flooding sent water, wet soil and debris crashing down streets and into houses as people slept. Volunteers and emergency fire workers attended to 82 bodies in Villagarzon, the town where the river had carried the bodies. The workers said many dead bodies were still trapped in the debris.   Jhon Ever Calderon is the mayor of Villagarzon. He told Reuters that people have had to go find the bodies. What was worse, he explained, is that the town had no coffins or a clean place to put them.  Many families in Mocoa stayed awake through the night to search the debris, despite the lack of electricity, Reuters noted. “I need to know where they are, if they are injured or where to find them,” Maria Lilla Tisoy cried. She was searching the debris for a 4-year-old granddaughter and two of her daughters, one who is pregnant. “If they are dead, please God deliver them to me,” she said. President Santos traveled to the town of Mocoa again Sunday to supervise operations. “We will continue to search for survivors. And, the first thing I want to say is that my heart, our hearts and the hearts of all Colombians are with the victims of the tragedy,” he said. Santos blamed climate change for the disaster, saying Mocoa had received one-third of its usual monthly rain in just one night. Others said the cutting of forests in surrounding mountains mean few trees can prevent water from washing over the land. Disaster officials said more than 500 people were staying in emergency housing. And, social services had helped 10 lost children find their parents. The destruction came after days of extremely heavy rains. Large parts of the area are now without electrical power or running water. Pope Francis spoke of the disaster Sunday at the Vatican, saying he was deeply saddened. In Colombia, heavy rains, mountains, and informal construction make landslides common events. However, the intensity of the Mocoa disaster was alarming compared to incidents in recent years. In 2015, for example, a landslide killed nearly 100 people. President Santos urged Colombians to take protective measures against the flooding and continuing rains. He thanked China for donating $1 million in aid. He also thanked the Inter-American Development Bank for its $200,000 donation toward aid efforts. Santos also expressed appreciation to Germany and Belgium, which are also donating aid. In recent months, heavy rains and flooding have hit the Pacific coast of South America hard. The floods have killed many people in Peru and Ecuador. I’m Alice Bryant.   Reuters News Service and VOA News reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   landslide - n. a large mass of rocks and earth that suddenly and quickly moves down the side of a mountain or hill morgue - n. a place where the bodies of dead people are kept until they are buried or cremated debris - n. the pieces that are left after something has been destroyed coffin - n. a box in which a dead person is buried climate change - n. a change in global climate patterns caused by an increase in carbon dioxide resulting from the use of fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas

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Deadly Bombing on St. Petersburg Subway

An explosion Monday on a subway train in St. Petersburg, Russia, killed at least 10 and injured dozens more. The attack happened as Russian President Vladimir Putin was in the city to meet with President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus. The explosion hit the subway train as it traveled between stations. The train’s driver chose to continue on to the next station, Technology Institute. That might have saved lives. By moving the train to the next station the driver made it easier to remove injured passengers, said an official with Russia’s Investigative Committee. It also took away the possibility of injury, or even death, if passengers were to have walked along the subway system’s electrified tracks, the official said. Russian officials later found and disabled another bomb at the city’s Vosstaniya station. Searching for suspects Russian news media reported that police are searching for two men recorded on subway cameras. Russian state television showed a photo of one possible suspect wearing what appeared to be the kind of hat common in mostly Muslim areas of the former Soviet Union. ​President Vladimir Putin said investigators are looking at all possibilities for the attack, including terrorism. "The reasons are yet unclear so it’s early to talk about them. The investigation will tell,” he said. Appearing on Russian television, Putin offered his condolences to the relatives of those killed and injured in the blast. In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump called the St. Petersburg bombing “a terrible thing.” Scene in St. Petersburg All subway stations in St. Petersburg were shut down after the attack. It left many people looking for a way to get home after finishing their jobs Monday afternoon. More than two million riders use the subway system each workday in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city. Video and photos showed injured people on the ground, bleeding on the platform at the Technology Institute station. A big hole could be seen in the side of what appeared to be the train’s third car. Some people ran past clouds of smoke, some shouted and others held their hands to their faces, Reuters reported. St Petersburg resident Leonid Chaika told Reuters, “I saw a lot of smoke, a crowd making its way to the escalators, people with blood and other people's insides on their clothes, bloody faces. Many were crying." Previous attacks In past years, Islamic militants, connected to Chechnya and other Caucasus republics, have targeted trains and planes in Russia. In October 2015, Islamic State militants downed a Russian airliner leaving from an Egyptian resort city, killing all 224 people on board. Chechen terrorists were blamed for previous subway attacks in Moscow, killing 40 people in 2010 and nearly 50 in 2004. The same terrorist group also claimed responsibility for suicide bombings at the Moscow airport, killing 37 people in 2011 and 90 people in 2004. I'm Ashley Thompson.   Bruce Alpert adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reports by Daniel Schearf of VOA News, the Associated Press, Reuters and other sources. Hai Do 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   subway - n. a train that operates mostly underground tracks - n. a pair of metal bars that a train, trolley, or subway car rides along suspect - n. a person believed by police to be involved with a crime condolence - n. expressions of sympathy for the death of a relative or loved one escalator - n. a moving set of stairs that carries people up or down from one level of a building or station to another resort - n. a place where people go for vacations

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A Little Exercise Is Better Than None

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Exercise is good for us. It reduces the risks of dying from all causes, including cancer and heart disease. This is according to the World Health Organization. But many people who work all week have little time for exercise. So, they might try to do something to increase their heart rates over the weekend – go for a long run, take a bike ride, hike in the mountains or do a strenuous chore around the house, such as raking leaves, shoveling snow or digging a garden. We sometimes call people who exercise only on Saturdays and Sundays “weekend warriors.” But is it healthy to avoid exercise during the work-week and then try to fit it all in during the weekend? A new study suggests that, yes, it is healthy: Even weekend warriors may reduce their risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.  Benefits of being a weekend warrior Australian researchers at the University of Sydney conducted the study. It took place over a nine-year period. During that time, the researchers looked at the self-reported exercise habits and health examinations of more than 63,000 adults in England and Scotland. Then they connected that information to mortality – or, death – records. The researchers found that people who exercised only one or two days a week improved their chances of living longer than people who did not exercise at all. Even those who are very overweight – or, obese – could extend their lives by exercising a couple of days per week. Exercises included playing sports and taking a brisk walk. First, let’s look at cancer. When compared to those who did not exercise at all, weekend warriors had an 18 percent lower risk of dying from cancer. As for cardiovascular disease, weekend warriors had a 40 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease than inactive people, or so-called "couch potatoes." Couch potatoes are people who don’t exercise. They simply sit all day like, well, like potatoes. Emmanuel Stamatakis is the senior author of the study. He says that he found it "very encouraging" that even people who exercised as little as one or two times a week appear to lower their risk of early death. In other words, their health improves even if they don't meet the suggested weekly amount of physical activity. However, to be in the best health, Stamatakis says, more exercise is better. The WHO suggests that the average adult get at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense activity per week. For the best results, the organization suggests 75 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity. However, if you are busy with work and family duties, exercise as much as you can. Research seems to show that even a little is definitely better than none at all. The researchers published their findings in the journal JAMA (JAM-ah) Internal Medicine. And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   Jessica Berman reported this story for VOA News. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   strenuous ­– adj. requiring or showing great energy and effort mortality ­– n. the quality or state of being a person or thing that is alive and therefore certain to die : the quality or state of being mortal obese ­– adj. very fat : fat in a way that is unhealthy brisk ­– adj. done with quickness and energy specifically – adv. in a definite and exact way moderate­ – adj. average in size or amount : neither too much nor too little intense ­– adj. done with or showing great energy, enthusiasm, or effort vigorous ­– adj. done with great force and energy ____________________________________________________________ Now, test your understanding of this story with this short quiz!  

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April 3, 2017

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

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