Russia May Block Access to Facebook

  Russia will block access to Facebook next year unless the social network follows a law requiring the use of Russian servers to store personal data of Russians. The threat was made by Roskomnadzor, the agency overseeing communications, information and media in Russia. Alexander Zharov is head of the agency. He said companies that do not follow the law will no longer work in the Russian Federation, according to the Interfax news agency. “There will be no exceptions,” he said. The announcement came several days after Facebook said accounts with Russian ties bought advertisings related to the 2016 U.S. election. Facebook has agreed to share the ads with U.S. Congressional investigators. Several Russian opposition groups have also used Facebook to organize protests and share political messages. Zharov also said that Facebook has a large number of users in the Russian Federation. He added that Facebook is not unique, however, and there are other social media websites that Russians can use. When asked about Roskomnadzor’s demands for Facebook, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the American company had to follow the law like everyone else. Last November, the Russian agency blocked access to LinkedIn’s website. It said LinkedIn was guilty of violating the law. The law was approved by President Vladimir Putin and enacted in 2015. Twitter, another social network, had already told Roskomnadzor that it would use servers in Russia by June or July of 2018. I’m Susan Shand.   Susan Shand adapted this story for Learning English based on Reuters news reports. Hai Do was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   access - n. permission or the right to enter, get near, or make use of something or to have contact with someone exception – n. a case where a rule does not apply enact – v. to become part of the law

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Thai-Style 'Rolled Ice Cream' Getting Popular in U.S.

      This is What’s Trending Today. The weather in the Northern Hemisphere may be getting cooler, but there is still time left to enjoy frozen desserts typical of summer. One of the most traditional warm-weather treats is ice cream -- a frozen mixture of cream, sugar, milk and flavorings. Many people believe the dessert first became popular in the United States after the wives of early presidents served it in the White House. According to the White House Historical Association, Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison, served ice cream there for the first time. That was in the early 1800s. But ice cream has changed a lot in the last 200 years. And now, a new style of ice cream that started in Southeast Asia is spreading in the United States: rolled ice cream. This summer, rolled ice cream could be found at street festivals from New York City to Nashville, Tennessee. At Sweet Charlie’s, a store in Philadelphia, customers often wait in line for over two hours to order their rolled ice cream.   Some people call it “Thai stir-fried ice cream.” That is because it looks like it is made on a hot grill, in the same way people cook meat and vegetables. But the grill used for making the treat is actually extremely cold. The ice cream “chefs” add things like cookies, candy, and even pizza into the ice cream mixture. Then, the ice cream begins to freeze. Next, the chef spreads it in a thin layer over the cold surface. After a few seconds, the chef uses a tool to scrape the ice cream off the cold surface and turn it into a roll. The rolls are then put in a cup and covered with fruit or flavored syrup. One serving costs about six dollars in most places in the United States. Thailand most often gets credit for the creation; a popular YouTube channel called “Ice Cream Rolls” reports that the dessert started there. Millions of people watch the channel’s latest videos each week. Asia has been coming up with new frozen treats for a long time. A recent New York Times article reported that “elaborate” frozen desserts were written about in Japanese literature nearly 1,000 years ago. And, as one Asian food expert in Seoul, South Korea, told the Times: “You would never be served plain ice cream in a cup here. That would be too boring.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Have you tried an ice cream roll before? What did you think? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   treat – n. something that tastes good and that is not eaten often festival – n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something elaborate – adj. made or done with great care or with much detail layer– n. an amount of something spread over an area scrape– v. to remove (something) from a surface by rubbing an object or tool against it grill– n. an electric device with a hot surface upon which food is cooked flavoring– n. a substance that is added to a food or drink to give it a desired taste

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Image of Clowns Changing Over the Years

  Clowns are almost everywhere these days in popular culture. They can be seen in movies, on television shows, at musical performances, and sometimes just walking in the streets.  Clowns are perhaps best known for performing in traveling circuses. They have been making crowds laugh for generations. But what they represent in popular culture has changed a lot over the past 400 years.  A history of the clown Clowns have existed in different forms for a long time. Researchers have found evidence of clowns in ancient Rome, China, and Africa. Their job was to make the ancient rulers laugh. At least one Native American group, the Hopi Tribe, also has a tradition involving clown-like characters. Clowns began appearing in the form we recognize today in the 17th century, as a character known as a harlequin. They were common in European theater, and played a character who acted foolish or played tricks. A harlequin wore colorful clothing and covered his face with a mask to protect his identity. Bringing clowns to the U.S. Clowns from Europe arrived in North America after England began exporting circuses, with their clowns, other performers and trained animals. Starting in the early 1900s, circus shows were very successful in the United States. In the 1950s and 1960s, the popularity of clowns grew because of television. Bozo the Clown appeared in a number of TV programs for children. Also in the 1960s, McDonald’s, the fast-food business, chose a happy clown to appear in its advertisements. Today that company mascot, Ronald McDonald, is world famous. ​ A ‘trickster figure’ However, the image of a happy clown is largely an American creation. So says Benjamin Radford, who wrote a book called Bad Clowns. In other cultures, he says, the clown character is not necessarily good. “It’s a mistake to ask, ‘When did clowns go bad,’ … because clowns were never really good. Clowns have always been ambiguous. The clown character originally… is a trickster figure… you can’t easily categorize them. Is it somebody who is going to make me laugh, or attack me?” Radford said that at first, clown shows were meant for adults, not children. In fact, clown characters were meant to be a critique of society or projections of the fears and concerns of everyday people. One example is “Mr. Punch,” a clown puppet character. It was popular in British and French theaters during the 1700s and 1800s. While Mr. Punch was funny, he was also violent, often hitting his wife during the show. In the 18th century, English actor Joseph Grimaldi became famous for playing a clown in theaters. Grimaldi himself was reported to be an alcoholic and suffered from depression. Literature experts say Charles Dickens remembered those qualities when he created a clown character in his book The Pickwick Papers. The character made people laugh, but was sad and lonely when he left the theater. No laughing matter The idea of clowns frightening people started gaining strength in the United States during the 1970s, partly because of John Wayne Gacy.  Gacy was a registered clown in the Chicago, Illinois area. He performed for children as a clown character called “Pogo the Clown.” But between 1972 and 1978, Gacy killed more than 35 young men. He was eventually arrested for the killings. While in prison, he painted many pictures of clowns, including himself as Pogo. Some newspapers began calling Gacy the “Killer Clown.” In the 1980s, evil clowns began appearing in movies like Poltergeist and Killer Klowns from Outer Space. In addition, the Stephen King book It was made into a television miniseries. Probably the most famous evil clown character is “the Joker” character from recent Batman films. Then, in the autumn of 2016, many Americans began developing real concerns about clowns.  Starting in South Carolina, people reported seeing individuals wearing clown costumes, often hiding in the woods or in cities at night. Some people said the clowns were trying to lure children into empty homes or the woods. Soon, there were reports of threatening-looking clowns trying to frighten both children and adults. Although there were usually no reports of violence, and many of the reported sightings were later found to be false, this caused a nation-wide panic.  Even today, clowns have continued to play a strong presence as a dark or violent character. This year alone, a clown is the central villain in the movie version of It, which earned $123 million in its opening weekend. In addition, the current season of the TV series American Horror Story has a number of killer clowns.  The future of clowns While clowns may be popular in the media, the attention is not always wanted. For people who work as -- or are training to be -- clowns, the “bad clown” image does not make their job easier. In 2008, British researchers asked 250 children about clowns. The boys and girls were four to 16 years of age. The University of Sheffield survey found that most children did not like clowns, while many feared them. This does not surprise David Carlyon. A historian, he once worked as a clown for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. "My theory, based on the evidence, is that the image of the clown as the little kid's friend and as the ideal of sweetness and light became so overblown, so inflated, that it had to be popped." For most people who work as clowns, their job is to make people happy and laugh. Zach Steel trains future clowns at The Clown School in Los Angeles, California. Steel says he and his students choose to ignore the attention around bad clowns. "If I spent all my time trying to combat that and telling those people to be quiet, I would have no time to do anything else - to actually pursue what clown actually is, which is a positive, creative, imaginative presence in our lives, a manifestation of all of our desires to pursue pleasure and pursue fun and connect with each other on those levels." Lisa Long, known as C.C. the Clown, says she is sure that clowns still have a bright future. "How often do you get a chance to really laugh or be silly and have fun? I think people are attracted to that, to the laughter. And what I do as a professional children's entertainer is I bring that, sometimes to children who may not have had a chance to even laugh that day or that week. And the opportunity to bring laughter - I think that's what attracts people to clowns.” She adds that as long as there are still children in the world, there will still be a future for clowns. I'm Alice Bryant, and I’m Phil Dierking.   Phil Dierking wrote this report for VOA Learning English. His story includes information from The Smithsonian magazine, The Guardian newspaper and other sources. George Grow was was the editor. Are there clowns in your country? Do clowns frighten you? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   alcoholic - adj. a person who frequently drinks too much alcohol and is unable to live a normal and healthy life​ ambiguous - adj. able to be understood in more than one way​ categorize - v. to put (someone or something) into a group of similar people or things ​ harlequin - n.  a comic character in old stories and plays who wears a mask and colorful clothes with a diamond pattern​ inflate - v. to add air or gas to (something, such as a tire or a balloon) and make it larger​ lure - v. to cause or persuade a person or an animal to go somewhere or to do something by offering some pleasure or gain​ manifestation n.  one of the forms that something has when it appears or occurs​ puppet - n. a doll that is moved by putting your hand inside it or by pulling strings or wires that are attached to it​

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September 25, 2017

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

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WHO: Too Many People Dying from Non-Communicable Diseases

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. The World Health Organization (WHO) says progress is being made in reducing deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). But it says much more needs to be done to save the almost 40 million people who die every year from preventable causes.  In a new report, the WHO noted that cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, cancers and diabetes are the biggest killers of people. Every year, the report said, 15 million adults die before they reach old age. It noted they often die in the most productive period of their lives, between the ages of 30 and 70.  The agency says tobacco use, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity are some of the top reasons for premature death.  Douglas Bettcher is the WHO director for the prevention of non-communicable diseases. He says little progress is being made on cutting premature death from such diseases by one-third by the year 2030. That is a Sustainable Development Goal for United Nations member countries. “The window of opportunity to save lives is closing. This is playing out before our eyes in many ways, including increasing numbers of people -- particularly children and adolescents -- suffering from obesity, overweight and diabetes. If we don't take action now to protect people from NCDs, we will condemn today’s and tomorrow’s youth to lives of ill-health and reduced economic opportunities.”  Bettcher says premature deaths from non-communicable diseases are not just a problem for rich countries. “Eighty percent of the deaths are in countries that are already often stressed, their health systems are stressed with the usual -- the conventional burdens of disease, communicable diseases, maternal-child health problems. And, then this is an added, extremely large burden for the health system.”  The WHO report says Costa Rica and Iran are at the top of a list of 10 countries that have been most successful at reducing deaths from non-communicable diseases. It says six countries have failed to make any progress against such deaths. Five of the six are in Africa. They are Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome Principe and South Sudan. The sixth country is Micronesia in the western Pacific.   And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   Lisa Schlein reported this story from Geneva. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding with this short quiz. ​ _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   non-communicable – adj. not able to be passed to another person cardiovascular – adj. of or relating to the heart and blood vessels chronic – adj. continuing or occurring again and again for a long time respiratory – adj. of or relating to breathing or the organs of the body that are used in breathing diabetes – n. a serious disease in which the body cannot properly control the amount of sugar in your blood because it does not have enough insulin adolescent – n. a young person who is developing into an adult; a young person who is going through adolescence obese – adj. very fat; fat in a way that is unhealthy stressed – adj. having a lot of pressure conventional – adj. used and accepted by most people; usual or traditional

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Sports Officials, Players Stand Up to Trump's Criticism

This is What’s Trending Today. People in the United States have been talking about Colin Kaepernick for over a year. If you have not been following American football, here is his story. Last year, Kaepernick was a player for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Before a game last August, he did not stand for the national anthem, a song called the Star-Spangled Banner. It is usually played or sung before the start of a major sporting event. Most people stand up and look toward the U.S. flag when the national anthem is played. Before the next game, Kaepernick, did not stand again when the song was performed. Instead he put one knee on the ground and stood up when the music ended. After the game, he was asked about his decision. Kaepernick, who is African-American, said he was doing it to bring attention to the way minorities are treated in the United States. Especially, he said, police violence against African-Americans. U.S. police officers shot and killed a number of African-American men in 2016. Many of the shootings were caught on camera. The current NFL season started three weeks ago. While Kaepernick is not on any team this year, his name is still part of a national conversation. Many football fans spent July and August wanting to know why a player who was still young and physically able to play was not on a team. Most people decided it was because teams and their owners saw him as a distraction. The questions about kneeling for the national anthem would come as soon as he signed with a team. Yet other NFL players are now kneeling during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. On Friday, at an event in Alabama, President Donald Trump said he would fire any player who kneeled during the national anthem if he were the team’s owner. Trump went on to say “Some owner’s … going to say, ‘That guy who disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they’ll be the most popular person for a week in this country.” The president also suggested football fans boycott NFL games. Those comments concerned a number of players, owners and the head of the NFL. The players used Twitter to answer Trump’s comments.     Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks wrote: “The behavior of the President is unacceptable and needs to be addressed. If you do not condemn this divisive rhetoric, you are condoning it!” And on Sunday, many players knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner. Others linked their arms together and stood. Before one game, the teams left the field before the national anthem and returned later to start play. A few NFL team owners came on the field and joined their players.   Some fans cheered the players’ right to express themselves. Others were not happy. The Boston Herald published a report on events before the game between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans. The newspaper said that about 15 New England players knelt down while others linked their arms. Some fans booed the players. Robert Kraft is the Patriots’ owner. He supported Trump during the 2016 election campaign. Kraft said he was “disappointed by the tone” of Trump’s comments. Trump reacted Monday morning through Twitter.   He wrote: “The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!” Over the weekend, the president also exchanged words with members of the Golden State Warriors basketball team. The Warriors won the National Basketball Association championship over the summer. Traditionally, the champion team visits the White House during a trip to Washington, D.C. As the NBA preseason started last week, some Warriors players, including Steph Curry, said they were not sure whether they would visit with Trump. A short time later, Trump used Twitter to say “Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!”   That tweet led LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers to call the president “U bum,” and write “going to the White House was a great honor until you showed up.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of the protests by NFL players? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   conversation – n. the act of talking in an informal way fire – v. to dismiss (someone) from a job rhetoric – n. language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable condone – v. to forgive or approve (something that is considered wrong) : to allow (something that is considered wrong) to continue boo – n. a sound that people make to show they do not like or approve of someone or something bum – n. someone who avoids work fan – n. someone who actively followed a sport or performing art distraction – n. something that makes it hard to pat attention

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US Education Chief Cancels Rules on Sexual Assaults

  American colleges are deciding whether to change how they investigate sexual assaults after a directive from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Last Friday, DeVos withdrew official guidance on how college and university officials deal with sexual assault cases. Those rules were established during the presidency of Barack Obama. DeVos became education secretary after Republican Donald Trump replaced Obama as president. She said the Obama rules used the “lowest standard” of evidence and sometimes denied a fair hearing to students accused of sexual attacks, including rape. The Obama administration had called on colleges to use a standard that held a preponderance, or majority, of evidence was enough to decide guilt. Obama’s Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, had said the guidelines were needed because some colleges were not taking sexual assaults and dating violence seriously enough. DeVos will let colleges choose between the preponderance standard and another measure -- “clear and convincing evidence.” That second standard is harder to meet. Legal experts say a change in evidence requirements can be important because often no one saw the sexual assault other than the victim and person accused of the attack. Stephen Schulhofer is an expert on criminal justice issues and a professor at New York University's School of Law. Schulhofer said that if both the victim and accused make statements, “a preponderance standard requires only a determination which version is more likely to be true.” “In contrast,” he said, “a clear and convincing standard is much harder to meet, requires real confidence that one version is true, the other not true.” Stephanie Spangler directs the Office of Health Affairs and Academic Integrity at Yale University in Connecticut. She said, “We remain committed to policies that effectively address sexual misconduct and processes that are fair to all." Spangler said she believes that Yale’s current policies meet new requirements announced by DeVos and Connecticut state laws. Janet Napolitano is president of the University of California system. She formerly served as Homeland Security Secretary in the Obama administration. Napolitano said she is “deeply worried” the new rules “will in effect weaken sexual violence protections.” DeVos said that the Education Department is not backing away from strong actions to stop sexual assault. “Schools must continue to confront these horrific crimes and behaviors head-on,” DeVos said. In her announcement last week, she also removed an Obama administration rule that called on colleges to decide sexual assault cases within 60 days. Some critics had said that 60 days was not enough time for colleges to collect evidence. But others said a 60-day time period was needed so assault victims are not put under more pressure by the accused and their friends to drop charges. Elizabeth Boyle works with Know Your IX, a group that helps survivors of sexual assault. She fears the new guidelines will make even more victims of sexual assault unwilling to report the crimes. As it is, she said, many victims of sexual assault are afraid to report being attacked for fear that their charges will not be taken seriously. “These changes will only make things worse,” she added. Boyle is a student at Notre Dame University in Indiana. But the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education said that the Obama administration guidelines made it difficult for people falsely accused of sexual assault to get a fair hearing. “It made it impossible for campuses to serve the needs of victims while also respecting the rights of the accused,” said Robert Shibley, the group’s director. Now, he said, the U.S. finally has the chance “to get it right.” DeVos said the Education Department will spend the next few months developing new rules on sexual assault through a public process. She said the department will not allow sexual assault to be "swept under the rug." By swept under the rug, she meant hiding something to avoid looking bad. In a series of questions and answers sent to college officials, the Education Department said it is looking for fair treatment of both sexual assault victims and people accused of such attacks. "Any process made available to one party…should be made equally available to the other party,” the department said in one answer. It noted that both the victim of sexual assault and the person accused should be able to bring the advisor of their choice to hearings. I’m Bruce Alpert. ​ And I'm Alice Bryant.   Bruce Alpert 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 and share your views on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   assault - n. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically standard - n. a level of quality, achievement, etc., that is considered acceptable or desirable dating – adj. of or related to meeting someone for a social outing convincing - adj. causing someone to believe that something is true or certain confidence - n. a belief that a statement is true address - v. to deal with a problem confront - v. to deal with a problem in a direct and forceful way  

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Bank Case Reveals Vietnam’s Continued Corruption Problems

  The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security recently began investigating three companies under the state-owned gas and oil group PetroVietnam. The companies may have tried to divert more than $5 million from a Vietnamese financial institution called OceanBank. The case has brought attention to Vietnam’s continued problems with corruption, as the country experiences economic growth. Frederick Burke is a lawyer with the firm Baker McKenzie in Ho Chi Minh City. He said, “In terms of corruption in Vietnam, I do think it’s a serious problem here and I think the government recognizes that.” Experts say corruption could affect the country’s continued economic growth. Vietnam’s economy grew at least 5 percent each year between 2012 and 2016. Export manufacturing has been a main driver of the growth. The nonprofit group Transparency International placed Vietnam at 113th out of 176 countries and areas that it studied in 2016 for perceptions of corruption. Most countries in the Asia-Pacific area placed in the lower half of the index. The New York-based group Gan Integrity calls corruption “pervasive” -- or everywhere --  in Vietnam. It says companies are likely to face bribery, political interference and “facilitation payments” in many industries, especially in the fields of land development and construction. Reasons for the corruption Low salaries for government workers are one of the causes for corruption, said Trung Nguyen. He is the international relations dean at Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Complex rules have also led companies to seek permitting shortcuts, another source of corruption, Nguyen said. People with money or property sometimes hold back expansion to avoid getting involved in graft -- a dishonest activity in which people in power use their position to get money and advantages. Nguyen said that Vietnamese may face graft when they ask government offices for documents or when police stop them in traffic. Such actions reduce citizens’ trust in government services. “I think it’s very bad,” Nguyen said. “I have so many friends and they don’t want to open big businesses in Vietnam because they think that they will have to deal with the government, and they have to bribe them, and it violates their ethics and their principles.” PetroVietnam probe The PetroVietnam case is part of a bigger issue at OceanBank, according to VNExpress. The English-language news website says more than 50,000 people and 400 organizations benefited from what lawyers call illegal interest payments totaling more than $70 million. From 2010 to 2014, bank officials offered loans and set deposit rates above state-approved limits to some important customers, local media have reported. This included PetroVietnam. VnExpress calls the case one of the biggest bank fraud problems ever brought to court in Vietnam. Anti-corruption efforts The government has tried to reduce corruption. In October 2016, the government gave an unusually honest report to the legislature, saying several officials had been “neglecting their duties and failing to uphold moral standards and political virtues,” VnExpress reported. But Transparency International says it sees little public information about the results of anti-corruption efforts. Nguyen says he does not feel that Vietnam’s top leaders are, in his words, “united in stopping the problem. I don’t think they have political will to end corruption.” I’m Ashley Thompson.   Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.  _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    divert - v. to change the direction or use of (something) perception - n. the way you think about or understand someone or something index  - n. ​an ordered list pervasive  - adj. ​ existing in every part of something : spreading to all parts of something bribery  - n. ​the act or crime of giving or accepting a bribe. bribe - v. something valuable (such as money) that is given in order to get someone to do something dean   - n. ​a person who is in charge of one of the parts of a university (such as a college or school) shortcut  - n. ​a quicker or easier way to do something graft  - n. ​dishonest activity in which people with power (such as political leaders) use their position and influence to get money and advantages benefit - v. ​to be useful or helpful to (someone or something) fraud  - n. ​the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person  

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More than 100 'Chibok' Girls Restart Education in Nigeria

  More than 100 young women have returned to school for the first time in three years. The young women were schoolgirls in the Nigerian town of Chibok when they kidnapped in 2014. Their kidnappers were supporters of the militant group Boko Haram. Some, but not all of the “Chibok girls” were later released or escaped. Now, more than 100 of them are starting a new life after months of rest and recovery under the care of the Nigerian government. The girls had expect to start taking classes at the American University of Nigeria in the city of Yola early next month. But the head of the Chibok parents' association, Yakubu Nkeki, said the start date was moved up because the school year had already begun. "I went with them to the school until they were handed over to the school authority," Nkeki told VOA. "Since the school has already started, it was decided that it is best for them to go straight to school so they don't miss too many classes. They were already starting late." To celebrate, the government threw the young women a send-off party earlier this month in the capital, Abuja.  At the party, the minister for women's affairs and social development, Hajia Jummai Alhassan, said the girls will start remedial classes at the university. She said this would help prepare them for undergraduate classes in any subject of their choice. The federal government is paying for their schooling. The American University of Nigeria already has 24 young women who escaped from Boko Haram fighters. They fled shortly after the militants kidnapped more than 250 students from a secondary school in Chibok in April 2014. The kidnappings fueled a worldwide "Bring Back Our Girls" movement. The campaign had many supporters in the United States, including Michelle Obama, wife of former president Barack Obama. A long road to recovery The girls who entered the university this week spent 30 to 37 months in captivity before the militants released them in two groups after negotiations with the government. American politician was a supporter of the “Bring Back Our Girls” movement. Wilson is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She met the young women in Abuja before they left the city, and told VOA the former captives seemed to be in good shape.  Wilson added that according to their caretakers, the Chibok girls had a long period of medical and psychological treatment. "Can you imagine being held captive with terrorists, men who frighten you every single day for three years?” she asked. “When you are released, you are not normal, your psyche is not too good. They had to debrief them and help them.” Wilson said she was told that some girls are recovering from bullet wounds, machete wounds and snake bites. "Because these girls had been together so long, to separate them would have traumatized them in my estimation. I think the decision to keep them together was the best thing they could have done," she said. More than 100 girls from Chibok are still in Boko Haram captivity, three-and-a-half years after they were kidnapped. At the send-off party, Women's Affairs Minister Alhassan said she is hopeful the rest of the girls will be freed. “I assure you that by the grace of God, we will have our remaining girls released,” she said. I’m Phil Dierking.   Grace Alheri Abdur reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think is the best way for people to recover after captivity? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   according to - prep. as stated, reported, or recorded by ​ captive - n. captured and kept in a prison, cage, etc.​ machete - n. a large, heavy knife that is used for cutting plants and as a weapon​ psyche - n.  the soul, mind, or personality of a person or group​ remedial - adj.  involving students who need special help to improve in a particular subject​ traumatize - v. to cause (someone) to become very upset in a way that often leads to serious emotional problems​ undergraduate - n. a student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree​

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North Korea Claims US Has Declared War

  North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho says the United States has declared war on his country. Ri made the statement to reporters in New York City on Monday. He added that his country would take counter-actions, including shooting down American warplanes. Ri directly linked the threat to one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s late-night Twitter messages over the weekend. In a tweet late Saturday, Trump wrote, “Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!” Ri had made a speech to the U.N. General Assembly earlier on Saturday. In a show of force, the U.S. sent several B1 bombers and fighter planes on a mission Saturday along the North and South Korean borders. A Pentagon spokesman said, "This mission is a demonstration of U.S. resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat.” Ri said on Monday, “Given the fact that this comes from someone who is currently holding the seat of United States presidency, this is clearly a declaration of war." Ri told reporters that "we [North Korea] will have every right to make countermeasures, including the right to shoot down the United States strategic bombers, even when they are not yet inside the airspace border of our country.” U.S. responses White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Monday, “We’ve not declared war on North Korea. She added that the suggestion was “absurd.” At the Pentagon, spokesman Army Colonel Robert Manning told reporters, "If North Korea does not stop their provocative actions, we (the military) will make sure that we provide options to the president to deal with North Korea. We have the right to fly, sail and operate where legally permissible around the globe.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   Margaret Besheer reported this story for VOA. Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English.  Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mission - n. a flight by an aircraft to perform a specific task resolve - n. a strong determination to do something countermeasure - n. an action intended to stop something absurd - adj. silly, foolish or unreasonable provocative - adj. causing discussion, argument

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Let's Teach English Unit 4: Reading Skills

Welcome to Let's Teach English. This series offers free online training for English language educators worldwide. Voice of America and the University of Oregon are partners on this project. In this lesson, the teacher presents  Summary In this lesson, we see the class working on a reading task. The homework for this class was for students to bring in pictures with examples of technology. They talk about them to prepare for the reading. Next, the teacher shows students how to make a graphic organizer to help them check their understanding of the reading. The teacher uses one student's late arrival as an opportunity for other students to summarize the story using their graphic organizers. Graphic organizers are especially useful  when a story or article discusses complex ideas or processes. Teacher Preparation Video Transcript This episode shows a model of teaching reading skills. Click on the image below to download a pdf of the transcript. Women Teaching Women English Text Click on the image below to download a pdf of the student text and teacher manual. At the end of the ten-unit course, the whole book will be available for download. Women Teaching Women English Listening These audio files go with Unit 4 of Women Teaching Women English. Click on the "Direct Link" button to the right of the player to download them. Conversation:   Reading: ​ What Do You Think? Let us know what you think about this course. Email us or write your comment in the comments section below. Poll

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