Britain Marks First Coal-Free Day Since Industrial Revolution

Britain has recorded its first full day without electricity from coal-fired power stations since the Industrial Revolution. Britain’s National Grid says the milestone took place last Friday, April 21. The energy provider said it was the first time the country went without using coal as part of its energy mix for a full 24-hour period in 135 years. There have been other times when Britain did not use coal, but none as long as this. In May 2016, the country went for 19 hours without burning coal to produce electricity. Coal helped to power Britain’s Industrial Revolution, which changed the world’s economy. But the cost was extremely high levels of pollution. In the 1950s, clouds of smoke from coal burning combined with low-lying fog. The resulting smogs killed thousands of Londoners. Times have changed since then. Britain’s last deep coal mine closed in 2015. All coal-fired power stations are to be closed by 2025. Many people have welcomed the moves. Professor Paul Ekins of University College London is one of them. "To be honest, it's a time for the human race to celebrate, I mean certainly the humans who live in the UK. Coal has been a fantastic energy source, and no one would want to decry its historical role. But it is the dirtiest energy source. It is dirty both locally and it's dirty globally." Nuclear power and natural gas still form a big part of Britain's energy mix. The website Gridwatch.co.uk estimates that about half of British energy on Friday came from gas, with about one-fourth coming from nuclear power centers. Paul Ekins says the coal-free milestone was reached through a huge expansion of renewable energy. "So that's both solar and wind (power). And when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing together, the capacity of renewables now generates of lot of electricity. And it was that fortuitous circumstance that brought us to a day without coal." But Britain is still more dependent on coal than other countries in Europe. Renewable energy met all of Portugal’s energy needs over four straight days in 2016. Such progress offers developing countries a chance to avoid the kind of industrial pollution that affected Britain. "It's much cheaper to build decentralized solar than it is to put in a grid with a standard fossil fuel infrastructure. With the costs of solar of tomorrow, it is going to be an absolute no-brainer." In the United States, President Donald Trump has signed measures to ease federal rules on the environment. He has promised to put coal miners back to work and invest in what is being called carbon-capture technology. "My administration is putting an end to the war on coal. We are going to have clean coal. Really clean coal." But many critics say the falling cost of renewable energy compared to coal means it will likely make little economic sense to re-open the mines. I’m Marsha James.   Henry Ridgwell reported this story for VOA News. Marsha James adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   milestone – n. an important point in the progress or development of something smog – n. a cloud of dirty air from cars, factories, etc., decry – v. to say publicly and forcefully that you regard (something) as bad, wrong, etc. fantastic – adj. extremely good​ capacity – n. the amount of something that can be produced or managed by a factory, company, etc.​ generate – v. ​to produce (something) or cause (something) to be produced​ fortuitous – adj. happening by chance ​cheaper – adj. less costly infrastructure – n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly​ absolute – adj. complete and total​

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What Is So Special About Trump’s First 100 Days?

Donald Trump was sworn-in as president of the United States three months ago -- on January 20, 2017. On Saturday, April 29, reporters, the general public, and Trump himself will mark his first 100 days in office. But many Americans and people overseas may be wondering: what is so special about a president’s first 100 days? The short answer is that nothing is very special about it. A president’s term is four years, or 1,461 days. So 100 days is just a small percentage of that time. In fact, many observers point out that the major issues earlier U.S. presidents faced often came much later in their terms. For example, George W. Bush had been president for more than seven months when terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001.     But Americans still use a president’s 100-day mark as a time to consider how the new administration is doing, and whether things have changed. Over the next few days, you will hear many officials and reporters commenting on how well Trump has performed as president.  Yes, but why 100 days? Not surprisingly, the idea of 100 days has its roots in history. Professor David Greenberg notes that the term was used in relation to the French leader Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815. Les cent jours meant the short time in which Napoleon escaped from exile, raised an army, and briefly regained power in France.       The U.S. version of “the 100 days” can be traced to the 1930s. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected president in November 1932 during a major economic depression. By the time he took office the following January, banks were beginning to fail. The president quickly took action. In less than a week, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to pass a major reform bill that helped stop the banking failure. The president then went on to push 14 other bills through Congress. They created new public works and social welfare programs aimed at easing the effects of the depression. Roosevelt also signed laws establishing new federal agencies, including one to set rules for the stock market. And he showed Americans a new kind of leadership by speaking directly to the public over the radio. “My friends, I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking...” He called the broadcasts “fireside chats.” In one fireside chat, Roosevelt noted how busy and important his first 100 days had been. The term stuck.   A high bar Since then, U.S. presidents expect to be measured by how ambitious and successful their first 100 days in office are. The idea is that presidents are likely to be most effective right after they take office, when they are usually still popular with the public. In addition, lawmakers have a lot of reasons to cooperate with a new leader. If presidents have any major legislation they want to pass, they often try to do it at the very beginning of their first term. But historians have found that no modern president has done as much in the first 100 days as Franklin Roosevelt did. For one thing, as historian David Greenberg notes, Roosevelt took office at an unusual time. The economic depression made the first weeks of his presidency especially urgent.  As a result, many presidents try to lower expectations about what they can do in their first 100 days. President John F. Kennedy even said at his 1961 inauguration ceremony: “All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin...”   Campaign promises But the fact that presidents rarely accomplish as much as they would like does not stop them from making promises during their political campaigns. When he was a presidential candidate, Donald Trump spoke often about what he would do in his first 100 days in office. So far, he has taken steps to address four of his top five stated goals. He has successfully accomplished one: ending U.S. membership in the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement. This week, Trump has made an effort to call attention to his accomplishments during the first weeks of his administration. He noted his success at filling a position on the U.S. Supreme Court. At the same time, Trump has dismissed the importance of the 100-day anniversary. He tweeted, "No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days, & it has been a lot (including S.C.), media will kill!" I’m Kelly Jean Kelly. Kelly Jean Kelly reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   trace - v. to follow something back to its cause, beginning, or origin : to find out where something came from ambitious - adj. not easily done or achieved inauguration - n. to introduce a newly elected official into a job with a formal ceremony accomplish - v. to succeed in doing accomplishment - n. something done, achieved, or accomplished successfully  

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Huge Iceberg Bringing Visitors to Small Canadian Village

This is What’s Trending Today… The coast of Canada’s Newfoundland is commonly called “Iceberg Alley.” An iceberg is a large piece of ice floating in the ocean. Between May and July, hundreds of icebergs float through these waters. They break off from glaciers in the Arctic and float south.   But one iceberg arrived a bit earlier than usual this year. It floated extremely close to the coast. It ran into ground underwater very near the small town of Ferryland. It happened on April 16, which was the Christian holiday of Easter.   The iceberg is huge. Experts estimate it rises about 50 meters out of the water. They say it is close to the same size as the iceberg that the Titanic struck in 1912. Photographs and stories about the Ferryland iceberg quickly spread on the Internet and social media. The towering piece of ice made news around the world. Newspapers wrote stories about how to travel to Ferryland, a fishing village with a population of 500 people.   Visitors began arriving in Ferryland more than a month before the area’s tourist season begins. Roads filled with cars, as tourists tried to take the perfect picture of the iceberg. Maxine Dunne owns a small inn in Ferryland. She hosts tourists who come to the area to watch icebergs each summer. She told National Public Radio that she can see the huge iceberg clearly from her window. “...This is, I would say certainly, the highest iceberg that we’ve ever seen,” Dunne told NPR. Eddie Sheerr is a local weather reporter in Newfoundland. He spoke with The Washington Post this week about the now-famous iceberg. He said strong winds from a severe storm pushed the iceberg closer and closer to shore. “It is so big and so close to a community -- like you can reach out to touch it,” he told The Washington Post. The iceberg has sat near the coast of Ferryland for almost 10 days. But the Canadian Press reported Monday that ocean currents may finally be slowly pushing the world-famous piece of ice out to sea. And that’s What’s Trending Today.   Ashley Thompson adapted this story for Learning English based on reports from NPR, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press. Caty Weaver was the editor.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   towering - adj. very tall tourist - n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure inn - n. a house usually in the country where people can eat and rent a room to sleep in host - v. to welcome and entertain guests  stand out - phrasal verb. to be easily seen or noticed current - n. a continuous movement of water or air in the same direction

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Crossing Language Barriers with Jazz Education in Asia

April 30 is International Jazz Day. In countries around the world, musicians, educators, students, and music lovers will take part in celebrations. These activities tell about the history of jazz and show new, creative directions that the music is taking. In our Education Report today, we will explore the growth and development of jazz education in one part of the world: Asia. We will discover how educators and students in Thailand, Malaysia, and China are putting their own mark on jazz music and jazz education. What is Jazz? Jazz is a form of American music that combines African rhythmic ideas with European harmony. It has roots in the folk music of the African diaspora – Africans who left (or were forced to leave) the continent. Improvisation and personal expression are important parts of the music. In the 20th century, jazz changed from a folk music to a high art form. The number of jazz styles increased as many musicians brought their ideas to the music.   For much of the 20th century, American colleges and universities did not offer classes or training in jazz music. But ideas toward the music started to change in the 1960s and 1970s, according to the Thelonious Monk Institute, a non-profit group. Jazz education programs became more common in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s. Thailand as a regional education hub Now, jazz education is growing in some Asian countries. Thailand, for example, is becoming a regional jazz education center. "Thailand really is a mecca for jazz in Southeast Asia," said Jerome Quah, a Malaysian musician and educator.  Denny Euprasert is the Dean of Rangsit University (RSU) Conservatory of Music and director of the RSU Jazz Orchestra. Euprasert says that when he was a boy, one of his first influences was the former King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej. The king was a saxophone player and composer. He would often play jazz with American musicians. Euprasert heard the king's music and fell in love with it. "Many people decided to study music because of the King of Thailand... Maybe that is why jazz is popular in Thailand," Euprasert explains. "He [KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ] would have music day for a university and he would just go there and play. I think that really inspired a lot of people…In many of his speeches, he would say that music is very important, and we should teach music the right way, and music can do good to people. As a person, you should have art and music in yourself." Euprasert moved to the United States for many years. He received master and doctoral degrees at the University of North Texas and the University of Northern Colorado, respectively. He returned to Thailand and started a jazz education workshop. Gene Aitken, a jazz educator and adviser of Euprasert, helped develop the program. The workshop was launched about 10 years ago. The teachers were all Thai nationals; about 100 students attended a class that lasted two-to-three days. Currently, about 300 high school and college students take part in the Thailand jazz workshop each year. Students come from Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia, Euprasert says. Foreign teachers – mainly from the United States – join Thai teachers to instruct students. "It keeps growing each year," he notes. Currently, three universities in Thailand offer jazz degree programs. Euprasert adds that when he listens to musicians performing, he can tell which university they went to. Jerome Quah, in Malaysia, attended workshops and had private lessons in Thailand. He adds that many Malaysian students travel to Thailand for training and to study at the universities there. Quah says that Malaysia has seen growth in the popularity of jazz – although not the same level of growth as in Thailand. He notes that the state government provides support to two large jazz ensembles that he directs. In addition, Quah adds that a jazz appreciation society in Penang is undergoing government approval. "I don't have the statistics," he said, "but I think it is becoming more popular here. The numbers [of jazz groups] keep growing." China Jazz education is growing in other Asian countries – China, for one. Terence Hsieh is a Beijing-based trombone player and music educator. He says that the China's development and entry into the world economy have opened up many possibilities for students. Parents send their children to special music schools, or sometimes international schools, for training in jazz. For more serious studies, Chinese students often travel overseas; the United States and the Netherlands are two top stops, Hsieh says. Kevin Sun, a Brooklyn-based saxophonist, spent time in Beijing. He notes that not all Chinese musicians go overseas to study jazz. Some, he explains, are almost entirely self-taught and have developed very strong skills on their instruments. Because jazz is relatively new to many Chinese, Hsieh explains, people often go to performances without expectations about what they will hear. This lack of expectations on the part of the crowd gives musicians artistic and creative freedom. The creative energy in Beijing, he adds, compares well to other cities that have a much larger jazz scene, such as New York City. What do students find compelling about the music? Hsieh says that his students enjoy jazz improvisation because it allows them to express themselves in artistic ways by using a musical language. Traditional Chinese arts, except for perhaps calligraphy, do not often rely on improvisation, Hsieh explains.  Jerome Quah, in Malaysia, says the idea of improvisation was what first got him interested in jazz. He adds that Malaysian students like the freedom that jazz improvisation gives them. Students, he explains, like being able to play things that are not written down, as in classical music. Denny Euprasert, in Thailand, says that his students like jazz because it is democratic. It is democratic, he explains, in the sense that each player in a small group gets a chance to play a supporting part and a leading role. He adds that jazz education can create personal connections – even across language barriers. At a recent jazz camp, he said, students from across Southeast Asia met each other for the first time. Even though the students did not speak the same language, they were able to connect through their shared interest in the music. "They became friends...Now, they keep in touch," Euprasert said. "I felt really happy to see that happen." I'm John Russell.   John Russell 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. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   rhythmic – adj. having a regular repeated pattern of sounds harmony – n. the combination of different musical notes played or sung at the same time to produce a pleasing sound diaspora – n. a group of people who live outside the area in which they had lived for a long time or in which their ancestors lived — usually singular improvisation – n. to speak or perform without preparation; to make or create (something) by using whatever is available a mecca for -- idiomatic expression – a place that attracts many people appreciation – n. an understanding or recognition calligraphy – n. the art of making beautiful handwriting

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Young People Worry About Divided America, Fake News

Young Americans believe nearly half of the news shared on Facebook is false and President Donald Trump tweets too much. They also want to help unite America but find public service unappealing. Those are among the findings from recent interviews with 2,600 young Americans -- aged 18 - 29 -- by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. The poll, released Tuesday, found 81 percent of young people questioned by Harvard use Facebook. But most consider a lot of the news on Facebook to be “untrue.” Earlier this month, Facebook said it is removing accounts of people who send out “fake news” stories. The poll also found that 68 percent of young people believe President Trump tweets too much. Only 11 percent say his tweets are “appropriate.” Mixed messages on voting, public service work In the 2016 presidential election, only half of 18-to-29 year-olds voted, according to a report by the Brookings Institution. But 74 percent of young people polled by Harvard say voting is one of the best ways to produce change. Still, only one in four young Americans say that public service work is appealing. Public service work is often done by government workers. Rhea Malik is a Harvard University senior who worked on the poll. She said it might be that fewer students find public service appealing because they have less trust in America’s elected officials. Divisions in America are a problem Another finding by Harvard researchers is that nearly 60 percent of young Americans want to do what they can to help unite and not further divide America. On Monday, former President Barack Obama said changes in the way people use media allow them to read and listen to only those who agree with their own opinions. He said that adds to divisions in America and makes it more difficult to govern. Some of the poll results are surprising. Many young people have protested the use of deadly force by police against African-Americans and other minorities. But nearly half of young Americans polled by Harvard said that ending the “anti-police atmosphere” and “empowering” law enforcement will “make America better.” What do young people think of President Trump? Nearly half of young people told Harvard that temporarily banning visas from majority Muslim nations would make America worse. That compares to one in four young people who say that such a policy would make America better. President Trump has issued two orders temporarily banning travel from some Muslim majority nations. Both were blocked by federal judges. On trade, three out of five young Americans say they agree with Trump’s plan to end unfair trade practices with other nations. Who young people hang out with differs by party The poll found that young Democratic and Republican supporters have relationships with different groups of people. The poll found young voters who call themselves Republican have more close relationships with gun owners, police officers and military veterans than Democrats. Young people who call themselves Democrats have more close relationships with Muslims and people who are LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning of their sexuality) than Republicans. John Della Volpe is polling director at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. He is happy that nearly 60 percent of young people told Harvard researchers that they want to help unite the country. He said, “While we spend a lot of time talking about what divides us, younger millennials are seeking leaders who will unite us.” He said that is “both good government and good politics.”   Bruce Alpert reported this story VOA’s Learning English. 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   poll - n. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something post - v. to add a message or news story to social media fake - adj. not real, false appropriate - adj. right or suited for some purpose or situation millennials - n. generally, people between ages 18-29  

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Chinese Company Seeks to Buy MoneyGram

The Chinese company Ant Financial is intensifying efforts to buy the American company MoneyGram International. MoneyGram is the world’s second-largest money transfer company. Western Union is the largest. Ant Financial has been linked in media reports to the Chinese company Alibaba. Ant Financial has offered to pay $1.2 billion more for the company than Euronet Worldwide, a company making a competing offer. Euronet is based in the United States. MoneyGram has a network of 350,000 places where people can send and receive money. These include stores, post offices and banks in 200 countries. Ant Financial’s business is now mostly in the Chinese currency, the yuan. If it is able to buy MoneyGram, Ant Financial would be able to use American dollars and control accounts that are used to hold and manage the company’s money. After Euronet offered to buy MoneyGram in March, Ant Financial increased its offer by 36 percent. This decision confirmed that it was determined to buy MoneyGram and begin competing with Western Union. However, Euronet has not stopped efforts to buy MoneyGram. It is warning that if Ant Financial is able to buy the company it will have a huge amount of information about the company’s customers. Euronet says this is a security risk. If Ant Financial’s offer is accepted, the deal must still gain the approval of the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS. Some experts believe this would be the first test for a Chinese financial company seeking to do business in the U.S. Jeffrey Towson is a professor of investments at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management. He told VOA that “getting approval from CFIUS might be more difficult this year. Plus, Chinese acquisitions are more on the media radar than before. And finally, there is also a competing bidder, Euronet, and they will probably push for a regulatory denial based on security concerns.” Concerns raised on acquisition of MoneyGram Kevin Yoder of Kansas and Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas are members of the U.S. House of Representatives. They have written to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about the possible purchase of MoneyGram by Ant Financial. They wrote, “The proposal merits careful evaluation as it would provide Chinese access to the U.S. financial infrastructure, a move that would pose significant national security risks if completed.” Ant Financial has said that MoneyGram information will be stored in secure computer servers in the United States. And in a letter to people who own shares in the company, Douglas Feagin said MoneyGram will “continue to be headquartered in Dallas and run by its current U.S.-based management team after the deal closes.” He promised that Ant will “continue to invest in MoneyGram’s systems and compliance programs.” Recent development might help Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma was among the first to visit Donald Trump after he was elected president. Trump met recently with Chinese president Xi Jinping, and later said he no longer considers China to be a currency manipulator. Some experts believe these developments may help Ant Financial. Peter Fuhrman is the chairman of the company China First Capital. He says although CFIUS has denied “quite a few recent attempted Chinese takeovers, there isn’t an obvious national security case here as to why they should stop the transaction.” Jacob Kirkegaard is with the Peterson Institute of International Economics in Washington. He says Alibaba knows about internet financial transactions. He added, “I have no doubt that they can execute the deal and ensure integration.” Ant Financial was part of Alibaba, China’s biggest online seller, before Alibaba sold ownership shares to the public on the NYSE stock exchange in 2014. Ant Financial did not answer questions from VOA. Instead, it said VOA should read earlier statements the company has made. A public relations company working for Ant Financial said the company has no relationship with Alibaba. It refused to make additional comments. But several analysts, and most recent media reports, say Ant Financial is linked to Alibaba. I’m Mario Ritter.   Correspondent Saibal Dasgupta reported this story from Beijing. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report into VOA Special 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 currency –n. the money of a country acquisition –n. things that are bought merit –n. qualities, things with a value evaluation –n. a process of judging infrastructure –n. things needed to carry out business or commerce manipulator –n. someone who unfairly controls something transaction –n. a business deal integration –n. the process of bringing different things togeth

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April 25, 2017

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

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Dental Students Play Doctor in Virtual Reality

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Fiona the Hippo Turns 3 Months Old

  This is What’s Trending Today… It has been a much happier spring season at Ohio’s Cincinnati Zoo than last spring. Last May, zoo officials there shot and killed one of their gorillas, after a young child fell into its cage. Officials feared the animal would hurt the child. The killing of the gorilla, named Harambe, led to public outrage. People across the United States -- and world -- still remember Harambe’s story. This spring, however, zoo officials have been celebrating the birth and survival of a baby Nile hippopotamus. Her name is Fiona. She was born on January 24 – six weeks early. Her premature birth meant she had many health problems. At birth, she weighed just 13 kilograms. That is more than 10 kilograms smaller than the lowest-known birth weight for Nile hippos. Animal experts feared Fiona would not survive. But she did. And zoo officials have been sharing happy updates on Fiona with the public. “She has brought everyone together,” said Jenna Wingate who takes care of African animals at the zoo. “It brings us to tears sometimes.” Fiona turned three months old on April 24. She now weighs about 78 kilograms. Zoo visitors will not be able to see Fiona until at least June. But many have already gotten to know her through the zoo’s blog and video updates. The videos have shown Fiona playing in a pool, learning to run, and taking a baby bottle.   Tens of millions of people have watched Fiona’s videos. Thousands have bought shirts with a picture of Fiona on them. A bakery in Cincinnati even sells special Fiona treats. Fiona gets so many cards in the mail each day that the zoo made a special box for her letters. To celebrate her three-month birthday on Monday, zookeepers posted updates on Fiona all day through Instagram and Snapchat stories. The “day in the life” updates have included video of Fiona taking a shower, eating several breakfasts, and playing with a bucket of ice. Wingate, who helps take care of Fiona, thinks so many people like the young hippo because of her “underdog” story. “It makes us really happy to know that one animal can make so many people happy and so excited and interested,” Wingate told Cincinnati’s WCPO television station. After the death of Harambe, the Cincinnati Zoo shut down its Twitter account for two months. Angry and negative comments affected zoo workers. The strong positive response to Fiona has helped what zoo officials have called a “healing process” after Harambe.  “It’s been a very welcome thing,” Wingate said. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I'm Bruce Alpert ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hippopotamus –n. a very large African animal with a large head and short legs that spends most of its time in the water premature –adj. taking place before it is supposed to underdog –n. a person or team that is not expected to win or do well

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US Increases Pressure on North Korea Ahead of Military Anniversary

President Donald Trump spoke with the leaders of China and Japan about tensions related to the possibility of North Korea’s weapons tests. The phone calls took place as North Korea prepares to mark the 85th anniversary of the establishment of its Korean People’s Army on Tuesday. The Trump administration released a statement saying the president criticized North Korea’s “belligerence” saying the country’s actions were harming security on the Korean Peninsula. The statement also said the two leaders agreed on the urgency of the threat presented by North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs. It said the two leaders were committed to “strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” Chinese state media reported that Xi said he hopes “all parties will exercise restraint” over the issue of North Korea. He also restated the position that China opposes anything against United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Trump also spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for 30 minutes. Abe told reporters in Tokyo Monday, “We agreed to strongly demand (that) North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint.” He added that, “We will maintain close contact with the United States, maintain a high level of vigilance and firmly respond.” U.S. aircraft carrier nears the Korean Peninsula The discussions with the Japanese and Chinese leaders take place as the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson and a group of warships travel to waters near the Korean Peninsula. Officials in Seoul said Monday that the strike group is to carry out joint exercises with South Korean naval ships. A Ministry of National Defense spokesman did not provide further details. There are concerns that North Korea may carry out a long-range missile launch or another nuclear test on the military anniversary date. North Korea reacted angrily to news of U.S. warships nearing the area in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper. Officials said the country is “combat-ready” to oppose the nuclear powered aircraft carrier. China may increase pressure on North Korea over tests China may be showing a greater willingness to pressure North Korea over its nuclear tests. An editorial in the Chinese Communist Party newspaper, the Global Times, stated that another test would likely result in “decreasing the amount of petroleum exported to North Korea.” Reports over the weekend suggest that the price of gasoline in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, has more than doubled. It is unclear if the price increase and possible shortage are the result of decreased supplies or the threat of a cut in exports. China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and provides nearly 90 percent of its oil. U.S. President Trump has repeatedly called on China to do more to pressure its neighbor over activities not permitted by U.N. Security Council resolutions. The Global Times editorial also said "Beijing should oppose the move by diplomatic channels rather than get involved through military actions." However, the editorial said China would get involved militarily if South Korean and U.S. troops crossed the Korean border in an effort to oust the regime. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Monday that the editorial, although not official policy, shows China is taking a more active part in controlling North Korea. North Korea detains another American On Saturday, North Korea detained a Korean-American who was teaching in Pyongyang. The man identified as Tony Kim was teaching at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). Evangelical Christians established and partly fund the university, which teaches students who are children of the country’s leaders. Kim was arrested at Pyongyang International Airport as he was about to leave the country. The chancellor of the University, Chan-Mo Park, said the reason for the arrest is not known. However, he told Reuters that it may have been related to an outside activity such as helping an orphanage. Two other Americans are now held by North Korea. Kim Dong Chul, a missionary, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for subversion. Otto Warmbier, an American college student, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to steal a political poster. I’m Jonathan Evans.   This story is based on reports from Steve Herman, Brian Padden, Zladica Hoke and Fern Robinson. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   vigilance –n. watchfulness, carefully noting signs of danger provocation –n. an action that causes someone to become angry belligerence –n. an aggressive or angry action editorial –n. writing that gives the opinions of a publication’s editors regime –n. a form of government obligations –n. things that are required by law or because of a promise or requirement circumstances –n. a condition or fact that affects a situation

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April 24, 2017

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

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