Trump Presses Putin on Russia's Election Interference

  President Donald Trump raised concerns about possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election during his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday’s meeting began with Trump pressing Putin on the issue. Tillerson spoke to reporters after the meeting in Hamburg, Germany, where Trump and Putin are attending the G-20 summit. He said Putin denied any involvement in efforts to influence the presidential election. The Russian side also asked the U.S. to provide evidence of any alleged interference, according to Tillerson. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave his own description of the talks on election interference. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said Trump had accepted Putin's denial that Moscow was not involved. Putin has repeatedly denied the Russian government took steps to interfere in the election. During an interview last month, he did say it was possible that Russian "patriots" with no ties to the government might have been involved. A U.S. intelligence community report concluded in January that Putin had ordered an influence campaign to target the U.S. election. The report said Russia - through hacks and other measures - sought to harm candidate Hillary Clinton's chances of winning against Trump. The FBI and several congressional committees are currently investigating the issue. The investigations are exploring whether Trump, or any of his team, may have worked with Russian intelligence officials during the presidential campaign. Trump has denied any contacts between his campaign and Russian officials and dismissed the claims as "fake news." Tillerson said Trump was now “rightly focused on how do we move forward from what may be simply an intractable disagreement at this point.” The United States and Russia also announced Friday a cease-fire agreement to take effect July 9 in southwest Syria. Lavrov said the two leaders held “very constructive” talks on other issues, including cybersecurity, Ukraine and North Korea. The talks were expected to go 30 minutes, but ended up lasting more than two hours. Tillerson also described the meeting as “very constructive” and said the two leaders “connected very quickly.” In the past, the United States and Russia have held conflicting views on Syria. But Tillerson said Russia now has an interest in seeing a stable peace in the war-torn nation. The Jordanian government was also involved in the cease-fire agreement.  Trump also met with Mexican president Trump also met face-to-face for the first time in Hamburg with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. “It's great to be with my friend the president of Mexico,” he told reporters before the meeting.   A planned meeting between the two presidents was canceled in January after a Twitter dispute over Trump’s proposal to build a wall on the southern U.S. border to keep out illegal immigrants. Trump repeated Friday a demand made many times before that Mexico should pay for the wall. When asked to comment on the issue, Trump said he “absolutely” still wants Mexico to pay for the wall. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press and Reuters. 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 alleged – adj. said to have happened, but not yet proven patriot – n. person who loves and strongly supports his or her country intractable – adj. not easily managed or solved absolutely – adj. completely, totally  

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English @ the Movies: 'It's Shady'

Our saying at English @ the Movies today is "it's shady." It is from the film "Imperfections." An unemployed actress is working in a jewelry store and someone offers her a deal to make some serious money. Watch the video, take the quiz and see if you know what "it's shady" means!

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America's Presidents - Rutherford B. Hayes

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Turkish Opposition Marches to Istanbul

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey, has often been criticized for being an ineffective leader. Now, others are gathering around him in the 450-kilometer walk from the capital, Ankara, to Istanbul. The 68-year-old is leading a march against the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The so-called "Justice March" is a response to a crackdown that began after last July's failed coup attempt. The marchers say they are trying to reach across political divisions to bring attention to the thousands of people who have been jailed and lost jobs in the crackdown. The marchers wear shirts and carry signs with the word "Adalet.” It is the Turkish word for justice. Zeynep Altiok is a CHP deputy leader. She claimed that many people have been arrested, including journalists and academics. "The judiciary system is also very much under pressure. So all this together, from different levels of society, everybody feels it for them right now. Everybody feels for justice, everybody seeks for justice," she said. Erdogan's response President Erdogan says the marchers are not loyal to Turkey. He suggested that they may work with terror groups. "You are launching a march for terrorists and for their supporters," Erdogan said. "You have never thought about marching against terrorist groups, you can convince no one that your aim is justice." Erdogan also suggested that the march could be a second coup attempt against him. Political divisions along the march Political divisions will likely grow deeper as more people join the march. Erdogan supporters played his campaign song and displayed support with a four-finger sign along the march. Others lined up to applaud the opposition marchers as passing cars and trucks sounded their horns in support. “They wave at us, they kiss us and wish us the best, they hug us with love, they get tears in their eyes. They say 'May God help you,” a marcher said. Kilicdaroglu worries about such divisions, but insists that the marchers are committed to peaceful resistance. "We have never been and we will never be in favor of violence," he said. The march is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul on Sunday. I'm John Russell.     Dorian Jones wrote this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted his report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ineffective – adj.  not effective response – n. something that is done as a reaction to something else coup - n. the violent overthrow of an existing government crackdown - n. campaign academic - n. an employee or member of a school, university or college convince - v. to persuade commit - v. to carry out; to put in place

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Volvo to Go All Electric by 2019

Volvo says all its new vehicles starting in 2019 will have electric motors. The Chinese-owned company is the first major car manufacturer to set a date for producing only electric powered vehicles. Volvo’s president, Hakan Samuelsson, said the decision was made because of the desires of today’s car buyers. "People increasingly demand electrified cars, and we want to respond to our customers' current and future needs,” he said. The company said it will offer five fully electric vehicles between 2019 and 2021. Three models will carry the Volvo name. The others will be sold by Polestar, the company’s business for high-end products. Details on the future models were not immediately released. Two other models with a 2019 launch date will have some form of hybrid system. A hybrid vehicle is one that is powered by both electricity and a traditional fuel, gasoline. One of the new models will be a hybrid that can be connected into an outside power source to recharge the battery. A plug-in hybrid can use either gasoline or electric power. The other model, said to be a mild hybrid, creates electricity from braking power. The company will keep selling non-electric vehicles launched before 2019. Volvo aims to sell 1 million electrified cars by 2025. Hakan Samuelsson says the main goal is to make the company more environmentally friendly. “This is a clear commitment towards reducing our carbon footprint, as well as contributing to a better air quality in our cities. We are convinced that the future of Volvo is electric...” The electric models are to be produced at Volvo factories worldwide. The company has factories in Europe and China. Volvo plans to open another plant in the American state of South Carolina. Volvo’s announcement comes as most major automakers keep investing heavily in fully electric and hybrid vehicles. The company’s new Polestar brand is seen as a main competitor to American manufacturer Tesla. Tesla just announced the sales launch of the company’s much-awaited Model 3, which costs about $35,000. Tesla’s chief executive officer, Elon Musk, says the company plans to be producing at least 20,000 Model 3 cars a month by December to keep up with high demand. The German car manufacturer BMW is reportedly planning to launch an electric version of its popular 3 Series later this year. American General Motors will soon begin selling its popular Chevrolet Bolt in all U.S. states. Audi plans to introduce a fully electric sports utility vehicle in 2018, while Ford has said it plans to launch one by 2020. ​On Thursday, France announced plans to ban the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered cars across the country by 2040. Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot said the goal is part of a long-term plan to satisfy France’s commitments under the Paris climate deal. Hulot told reporters the goal is hard to achieve. But he added that French car manufacturers already have solutions to reach the target. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and other sources.  George Grow 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   customer – n. person who buys goods or services from a business source – n. someone or something that provides what is needed braking – n. system used for slowing or stopping carbon footprint – n. amount of carbon dioxide produced by people, companies or organizations contribute – v. help cause something to happen ambitious – adj. desire to be successful or powerful commitment – n. promise to do something high-end - adj. of high quality and usually high in price  

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Common Sentence Patterns: Part Three

  From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. English has many patterns. Basic grammatical patterns can explain the structure of around 95% of sentences in English, says Martha Kolln, a grammar expert. Learning and mastering these patterns can help you improve your writing and speaking skills.   We have discussed three common patterns in previous Everyday Grammar stories. Today we will explore another common pattern: the intransitive verb pattern. To start you thinking about intransitive verbs consider this passage. It is from the poem "The human family" by famous writer and poet Maya Angelou. We love and lose in China, we weep on England's moors, and laugh and moan in Guinea, and thrive on Spanish shores. By the end of this story, you will be able to recognize and understand the intransitive verb pattern that Angelou uses many times in the stanza. The intransitive verb pattern: The intransitive verb pattern is unusual. It is unusual because, unlike other verb patterns, the predicate requires only the verb: Subject + Intransitive Verb (Predicate) Common intransitive verbs include action verbs – go, come, walk, cry, or laugh, for example. In these verbs, the subject's action is not applied to an object. In other words, most intransitive verbs can end sentences; they do not need nouns or adjectives to their right.* The lines from the classic American song "Just Friends" give an example of the intransitive verb pattern in its most basic form: We loved, we laughed, we cried However, sentences with just the subject and intransitive verb are not very common in writing or speaking. Usually, the sentence has more information: an adverbial structure. Adverbials: Adverbials are words or phrases that give information about time, place, manner, or reason. Adverbials answer questions like How often? Where? Why? When? The two most common adverbial structures you will find are adverbs and prepositional phrases. Adverbs, such as suddenly, quickly, here, soon, or sometimes, modify a verb. Prepositional phrases are groups of words that begin with a preposition and are followed by an object, usually a noun phrase. Common prepositions include in, on, at, between, above, and below. Adverbs and prepositional phrases often follow intransitive verbs. Think back to the basic intransitive verb pattern. Subject + Intransitive verb It is grammatically correct to say a simple sentence like this: We laughed. Subject + Intransitive Verb You can put more information into the sentence by adding an adverb: We laughed loudly. Subject + Intransitive Verb + Adverb Or you could give even more information by adding a prepositional phrase: We laughed at the man's silly jokes. Subject + Intransitive Verb + Prepositional Phrase In intransitive verb patterns, adverbs or prepositional phrases are often referred to as "optional." In other words, a sentence is still grammatical without them. You, as the speaker or writer, choose how much information you want to include in the sentence. What does this have to do with the poem? Now, think back to the part of Maya Angelou's poem: We love and lose in China, we weep on England's moors, and laugh and moan in Guinea, and thrive on Spanish shores. You can see that every single line uses an intransitive verb paired with a prepositional phrase. Consider the first line: We love and lose in China. The subject is 'we' and two intransitive verbs 'love' and 'lose'** are paired with the prepositional phrase, in China. The two verbs are joined by a conjunction, and. The second line follows the basic intransitive verb pattern, but it has an optional prepositional phrase: The second two lines follow the same patterns as the first two lines. This series of patterns is an example of parallelism, which you can read about in an earlier Everyday Grammar story. What can you do? To practice using the intransitive verb pattern, try writing four lines of poetry in the style of Angelou's poem. Post your writing in the comments section of this story, or on our Facebook page. We/I ______ in _______ We/I ______ on _______ And ____ and ____ in/on _____ And _____ on/in ________ Remember, you should not use Angelou's exact words; rather, you should choose your own noun phrases, intransitive verbs, and prepositional phrases. Just put your own words into the pattern we discussed today. Learning this pattern, and other patterns discussed in previous grammar stories, will not only help you study the writing of great authors. These patterns will help you write and speak in your own clear, concise sentences, too. I'm Jill Robbins. I'm Jonathan Evans. And I'm John Russell.  John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. *There are hundreds, if not thousands, of intransitive verbs. As with many grammar rules, there is a small number of exceptions to the intransitive verb pattern. A few intransitive verbs require adverbial information. ** In many contexts, love and lose operate as transitive verbs. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stanza – n. a group of lines in a poem pattern – n. something that happens in a regular and repeated way intransitive – adj. not taking or having a direct object weep – v. to cry because you are very sad or are feeling some other strong emotion moor – n. a broad area of open land that is not good for farming — used especially to refer to land in Great Britain — usually plural moan – v.  to make a long, low sound because of pain, unhappiness, or physical pleasure thrive – v. to grow or develop successfully

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Qatar Disagrees with Arab States Demands

Four Arab nations led by Egypt and Saudi Arabia say Qatar is “not serious” in its response to their demands. The Arab countries also include the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The gulf countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 and banned goods and travel to the country. They said Qatar supports terrorism and maintains close tie with Iran. Qatar says the terrorism claims are baseless. The four nations issued a list of 13 demands on June 22.  The demands include closing a Turkish military base being constructed in Qatar, shutting down Al Jazeera news network and distancing itself from Iran among other things. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani is Qatar’s Foreign Minister. He said the list is mainly about shutting down free speech. He said it violates the country’s self-rule and interferes with its affairs. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said Qatar's response to the 13-point list of demands was "negative on the whole." He added that Qatar “does not realize the gravity of the situation." The announcement followed a Wednesday meeting of foreign ministers from the four Arab nations in Cairo. The ministers did not say what their next steps would be but plan to meet again in Bahrain. U.S. President Donald Trump called Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Wednesday. In a statement, the White House said Trump called on all parties in the dispute to "negotiate constructively" and to "stop terrorist financing and discredit extremist ideology." Amin Saikal is the Director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. He said Saudi Arabia and its allies do not like Qatar’s support of and ties to the Al Jazeera television network. He said the network “has broken a number of taboos by criticizing some of the monarchies and corrupt systems in the Arab countries.” He said “Qataris cannot really respond positively to these sorts of demands.” Saikal said the conflict with its neighbors might push Qatar closer to both Turkey and Iran. If that were to happen, the demands would be counterproductive. Both Turkey and Iran compete with Saudi Arabia for influence in the area. I'm Olivia Liu And I'm Mario Ritter.   Olivia Liu adapted this story for Learning English with material from Victor Beattie, the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   affairs – n. things related to the business of state taboos – n. things that are forbidden We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. 

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US Company Agrees to Surrender Ancient Middle Eastern Artifacts

This is What’s Trending Today… United States officials say an American company has agreed to surrender thousands of ancient artifacts from the Middle East. The company also agreed to pay a $3 million fine to the government. Federal prosecutors accused Hobby Lobby, a business specializing in arts and crafts, of illegally importing the artifacts into the country. The government lawyers said in a court statement that Hobby Lobby paid $1.6 million in 2010 for over 5,000 earthen tablets and other objects. Many of the artifacts have examples of cuneiform, one of the earliest known systems of writing. The artifacts and other objects purchased were sent to several Hobby Lobby stores. The shipments were falsely identified as coming from Turkey and Israel. The shipments were also said to contain samples of “ceramic tiles” or “clay tiles.” Federal prosecutors said an expert warned the company that the artifacts were likely stolen from archaeological areas in Iraq. Importing Iraqi cultural property into the United States has been banned since 2004, the statement said. Under Iraqi law, all antiquities found in the country are considered property of the state. Private individuals cannot own them without permission from the Iraqi government. The president of Hobby Lobby, Steve Green, said the company has cooperated with the U.S. government. He also said that the company should have “more carefully questioned” how the objects got into the country. Green said Hobby Lobby did not purchase any items directly from dealers in Iraq. He said the company had worked with dealers in the United Arab Emirates. He also said that Hobby Lobby “condemns” such acts and has always acted with the aim of protecting “ancient items of cultural and historical importance.” On Thursday, “Hobby Lobby” trended worldwide on Twitter and Facebook. One writer said: “Hobby Lobby looting Iraq was not a story I was expecting but then again this is 2017.” The company has agreed to develop a new policy for buying cultural property. It has also agreed to provide reports to the government about such purchases for 18 months. Hobby Lobby began starting a collection of historical Bibles and other artifacts in 2009. Its owners are known for having strong Christian beliefs. Green himself owns one of the world’s largest collections of religious artifacts. He is building a Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The building is set to open later this year. I'm Dan Friedell.    VOA News and the Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.  ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   artifact - n. a simple object (such as a tool or weapon) that was made by people in the past sample - n. a small amount of something that is given to people to try archaeological - adj. related to archaeology, a science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people loot - v.  to steal things from (a place, such as a store or house) during a war or after destruction has been caused by fire, rioting, etc.  

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Thailand's Government Delays Migrant Labor Law After Protests

Thailand’s military government has delayed a new labor law by six months. The government was forced to delay the start of the law after protests and panic from workers and employers. Also, many migrant workers have left the country. There are about 2.7 million workers in Thailand from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. They work in industries such as fisheries, building, agriculture, and processing. However, on June 23, the government announced a decree that threatened foreign workers who lacked legal documents with large fines and prison terms.  The new law said that undocumented workers can be fined up to $2,700.  Employers can be fined $23,000 for each illegal worker found at their workplace. New law causes panic The new policy is part of the Thai government’s effort to control illegal labor in the country. However the law came with very little public discussion from workers, trade unions, or employers.  This caused foreign workers to panic. Many rushed to return home, creating crowds at bus stations and border checkpoints. Sinapan Samydorai is with the Migrant Workers Task Force of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. He said thousands of migrant workers had fled to their home countries. Thai labor rights groups estimate that more than 100,000 migrant workers have left Thailand since June 23. Samydorai told VOA that the law punishes foreign workers who lack the correct cards and documents. He said this caused many workers to panic and return to their homes in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos in large numbers. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced on Tuesday that there would be a period of 180 days before the law goes into effect. The Prime Minister used a special executive decree to delay the law. Panitan Wattanayagorn is an advisor to Deputy Prime Minister. He said parts of the new law protected migrant and employer rights. However, it also established “very strict punishment for violations.” He also urged related government agencies to work together to help the law take effect. "The implementation of it [the decree] has to be coordinated between different ministries, between the Labor Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior,” he told VOA. Effects on Thai business The decree has hurt Thai businesses as employees have either fled or lost their jobs because employers fear high fines. In Cambodia, officials shut down more than 40 border crossings into Thailand. They said it was to prevent Cambodians from entering Thailand and being punished. On the border with Myanmar, two police checkpoints were closed after Thai police were accused of taking bribes from migrant workers. Boonthai Chailert is president of the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association. He said the laws created problems for small businesses and tourism in the Northern provinces. His fear is that workers will not return. “They go out; they go back to Myanmar, or to Cambodia or to Laos. They don’t come back again because in Myanmar and Cambodia or Laos their country is developing,” said Boonthai. A business leader said he thought the new government policy was a mistake. The importance of consultation and coordination Thailand has been working with the U.N. International Labor Organization, or ILO, to create a registration process for migrant workers. The process will include labor agreements with Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. Nilim Baruah, an ILO research specialist, said that parts of the law were welcomed, but the lack of consultation was a problem. “It would have been much better to have a consultation, a public hearing that they are planning to do now,” he said. Thailand put the new labor law in place shortly after the U.S. Department of State kept the nation in the tier 2 group of countries on its Trafficking in Persons watch list. Tier 2 countries are judged to have governments that do not fully meet requirements of a U.S. law on human trafficking. Thailand’s Labor Minister said the new law’s punishments still follow the laws linked to human trafficking and child labor. I’m Phil Dierking.   Ron Corben reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What do you think is a good labor policy for migrant workers? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   decree - n. an official order given by a person with power or by a government​ panic - n. a state or feeling of extreme fear that makes someone unable to act or think normally​ scramble - n. to move or act quickly to do, find, or get something often before someone else does​ union - n. an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of its members​  

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July 6, 2017

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

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News Words: Unfamiliar

Baseball is a sport unfamiliar to many South Africans. Learn what unfamiliar means in this week's News Words.

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