iOS 11 Offers New Features for iPhones, iPads

  Last week Apple released iOS 11, the update to its mobile operating system for iPhone and iPad. This update has features that may make your current device feel like a new one. iOS 11 is free to download now and is available for iPhone 5s and newer models, iPad Air and newer models, and the newest model of iPod Touch. Warning: You will lose your older apps in iOS 11 You may be excited to download iOS 11 right now, but be careful. As predicted, older apps will not work with iOS 11. If you try to open an older app, you will see a warning sign: So if you have any older apps you need, do not yet update to iOS 11. For more information, see Older iPhone Apps Soon May Not Work New features in iOS 11 iOS 11 has dozens of new helpful features. These are some of the ones you may find most useful. Control Center Control Center is a handy hub to help you control your iPhone or iPad with fewer swipes and taps. By swiping up from the bottom of your screen, you can open Control Center to quickly use controls such as volume and brightness without having to hunt through apps. Control Center is even handier in iOS 11. You have more control of what you want to include in Control Center. By going to Settings, then Control Center, then Customize Controls, you can add or delete controls from Control Center. There you will see all of the items you can put in, and take out, of Control Center. You can choose from the standard controls, such as camera and calculator, or add some new ones, such as Magnifier, Apple TV remote, and alarm. See  How to Use Your Phone as a Magnifying Glass You can also add some of the new features in iOS 11 to Control Center, such as Do Not Disturb While Driving and Screen Recording. Control Center is now all on one page. You can see what music is playing on Control Center without having to swipe to a new page. The volume and brightness controls also have wider slider buttons to make them easier to control. Do not disturb while driving Apple addresses the issue of distracted driving with one new feature. The Do Not Disturb While Driving control may save lives. This feature blocks notifications. Your screen stays dark with Do Not Disturb While Driving turned on. However, if you have Bluetooth in your car, your phone calls will still ring. You can opt to have an automatic reply message sent to someone who is trying to reach you. You can tell them that you are driving and will get back to them when you arrive; or any other message you want to send in an automatic reply. You can also choose a group of people who will get this message, such as Favorites. If people need to reach you in an emergency, they can mark their message as urgent. To turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving, go to Settings, then Do Not Disturb, then Activate. You can choose whether to turn this on manually, automatically, or when connected to your car's Bluetooth. Screen recording Screen Recording is a feature that lets you record the screen of your iPhone or iPad. When you add Screen Recording to Control Center, you can swipe up to open Control Center, then tap the button with a solid circle inside another circle. You will see a countdown of three seconds. That will give you time to get to the screen you want to record. A red bar will appear at the top of the screen while it is recording. Tap the red bar when you want to end the recording. ​The video will appear in your Photos app. Editing screenshots Now when you take a photo of your screen, known as a screenshot, you can edit it right away. After you take a screenshot by pressing the power button and home button at the same time, a thumbnail view of the screenshot will appear in the lower left corner of the screen. Tap on the screenshot thumbnail to edit the image. After you are finished editing, tap "Done." You can save and share the image. Files app iOS 11 gives people better control of their files. iPhones and iPads will seem more like computers with iOS 11. Users can view files, and drag and drop them in other places. iOS 11 adds a Files app. By using the Files app you can see your files in the Cloud without having to switch apps. The Files app lets you control files from iCloud and third-party services such as Google Drive and Dropbox. Emergency SOS Another important feature is Emergency SOS. With Emergency SOS, you can press the power button five times to call Emergency Services. You must turn on this feature in Settings if you want the call to be made automatically. With Emergency SOS, you can call emergency services even if you do not know the local emergency number. Trust that the feature works. Do not test it. Police have reported iPhone owners trying out the new feature and blocking emergency lines in the process. Sharing Wi-Fi passwords Have you ever been over to a friend's house and wanted to log onto their Wi-Fi network? iOS 11 can get you connected with ease. Just hold your iPhone or iPad close to a device or Mac computer that is signed into Wi-Fi. If that person has you in their Contacts list, they will be asked if they want to let you sign into the network. Once they agree, you are in. Siri translations Siri is smarter now, and can translate English phrases into French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish. Siri will say the translated phrase, so you can learn how it is pronounced. Siri will also show you the written translation. Apple maps Apple Maps has been improved too. Now, the app can show the insides of some malls and airports. Deleting apps iOS 11 helps guide you in deleting apps you rarely use to make more space on your phone. You can have your iPhone or iPad automatically delete apps you have not used in a while. Go to Settings,​ then iTunes & App Store, then Offload Unused Apps. If you change your mind, you can download the app again from iTunes, if it is still available. One-handed keyboard Apple is making it easier to type with one hand on a new keyboard layout. Go to Settings, then General, then Keyboard, then One Handed Keyboard. Choose either Off, Left or Right. You can use the keyboard by pressing the globe button. The keyboard will be smaller and moved to the left or right. Tap the arrow on the side to return to the full-sized keyboard. Scanning Documents You can now scan documents into the Notes app where you can sign them and send them back. To scan a document, open the Notes app and tap on the plus sign in a note. You will be given a choice of scanning a document. After you have scanned the document, you can sign it in the Notes app, then share it. I’m ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Caty Weaver. And I’m Dorothy Gundy.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Have you downloaded iOS 11 yet? What are your favorite features of iOS 11? Are you waiting to download iOS 11 because you will have some apps that will not work with it? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________  Words in This Story   download - v. to move or copy (a file, program, etc.) from a usually larger computer system to another computer or device hub - n.  the central and most active part or place automatic - adj. having controls that allow something to work or happen without being directly controlled by a person​ urgent - adj. very important and needing immediate attention​ manual - adj. operated or controlled with the hands or by a person​ screenshot - n. an image of the data displayed on the screen of a computer or mobile device thumbnail - n. a very small copy of a larger picture on a computer​ Cloud - n. the large computers (called servers) that you can connect to on the Internet and use for storing data​ phrase - n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea​ globe - n. an object that is shaped like a large ball with a map of the world on it​ scan - v. to copy ​

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World’s Longest-Living Trees Crowded Out by Climate Change

  The bristlecone pine is the longest-living thing on Earth. These trees, with their strangely shaped, wind-beaten limbs, can live up to 5,000 years. But experts worry that a warming climate in some areas may threaten its future. Researchers say warmer weather is permitting a similar kind of tree, the limber pine, to take over good growing places from the ancient bristlecone. They say the tree is being crowded out of mountainous areas where it grows. Scientists at the University of California, Davis, compared the competing species to two old men in a very slow race up a mountainside. This race between such slow-growing trees takes thousands of years. They say climate change is causing the competition. Brian Smithers led the research project. His team worked with the U.S. Forest Service to study the trees. “Limber pine is taking all the good spots,” he said. The world’s oldest trees look the part The bristlecone pine is the oldest individually growing organism, researchers say. They grow in high mountain forests in eastern California, Nevada and Utah. The bristlecones grow well in limestone soil. Most trees do not grow well in such soil. In the mountains, the bristlecones face high winds and extreme temperatures. These difficult conditions leave the trees with twisted limbs and shapes. To survive long periods without water, parts of the trees die, including much of their outer bark. This makes the trees appear dead, except for small green pine needles. They show that the bristlecone is indeed alive. Experts have named the oldest known bristlecone pine "Methuselah." It is somewhere in the White Mountains of California. But it is not marked in any special way, so that people do not try to damage it. The limber pine is the bristlecone’s distant relative and competitor. It also can live a long time – up to 2,000 years. Researchers say it is found at lower elevations, where temperatures are warmer. The scientists at the University of California, Davis, recently released results of a three-year study. Their research centered on trees that have started growing in the last 50 years in the Great Basin area of California’s White Mountains. The researchers found that most of the trees growing at higher elevations were limber pines. Smithers said, “It’s very odd to see it charging upslope and not see bristlecone charging upslope ahead of the limber pine.” Smithers said the bristlecones are not in danger of disappearing. But he thinks they could be crowded out of some places where they have grown for thousands of years. The researchers say the findings show how climate change can affect two kinds of trees. The information, they say, can help scientists understand more complex forests. The research appeared in the scientific journal, Global Change Biology. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mario Ritter adapted this story for VOA Learning English from an AP article with additional materials from the study. Ashley Thompson 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   organism –n. an individual living thing elevation –n. a place related to its distance above sea level, the height of an area charge –v. to move forward quickly and forcefully bark –n. the outer covering of a tree limb –n. the branch of a tree upslope –adv. to move up a hill or mountain  

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Switzerland Has World’s Most Competitive Economy

  Switzerland is the world’s most competitive economy, the World Economic Forum (WEF) reported on Wednesday. It said the Swiss economy has been more competitive than the economies of all other countries in each of the past nine years. In 2008, Switzerland finished in second place, after the United States. The WEF, which is based in Geneva, produces a yearly report on economic competitiveness. The ratings are based on over 10 measures of competiveness and opinions of business leaders. Economist Thierry Geiger works for the group. He says “Switzerland had a virtuous circle of infrastructure, institutions and education.” He adds that its success came from its ability to create and use talent. “That is really the secret of Switzerland, this ability to innovate,” he says, noting that there are many things fueling creativity. However, after almost 10 years at the top of the WEF ratings, Switzerland faces a new risk. Its population is aging. And Geiger fears that voters may decide to restrict the number of foreigners working in the country. Switzerland holds public referendums about four times a year. The votes are part of a tradition of direct democracy. But Geiger describes some of the planned referendums as dangerous. He fears they could threaten Switzerland’s economy. The World Economic Forum is perhaps best known for its meeting of powerful people every January in Davos, Switzerland. Klaus Schwab, the founder of the WEF and its chairman, wrote in a statement that he believes that competitiveness will depend on the ability of a country to innovate. The top 10 countries in the latest list are the same as last year, but the order has changed. The United States moved in front of Singapore, rising from third to second place. Hong Kong moved up three places to sixth place, passing both Britain and Japan. The WEF says that Britain has not yet felt the effect of its vote to leave the European Union, but will in the future. China was rated as the 27th most competitive economy in the world. Russia was in 38th place, while India was 40th. Yemen, a poor country now in a civil war, was 137th. Top Ten Countries 1) Switzerland 2) United States 3) Singapore 4) Netherlands 5) Germany 6) Hong Kong 7) Sweden 8) United Kingdom 9) Japan 10) Finland   The Reuters news agency reported on this story. Susan Shand adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   infrastructure – n. the system of public services in a country institution – n. an establish organization talent - n. a special ability that helps someone to do something well innovate - v. to do something in a new or different way survey – n. a questionnaire  

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US Technology Watched Closely in Russian Investigation

  The technology industry believes it is a force for good -- one that connects the world and helps information flow freely. But the industry is being watched following reports that people in Russia used technology services to target and influence American public opinion. A big tech conference took place last week in San Francisco. The city is just a short drive from California’s Silicon Valley, the home of several major high-tech companies. Many startup businesses sent one or more representatives to the conference, which was called TechCrunch Disrupt. The startups hoped to interest investors and consumers in their products. They did not seem worried about investigations into Silicon Valley companies like Facebook and the way Russia used social media to influence the U.S. elections last year. Still, many high-tech entrepreneurs wonder what they can control and what they cannot in the products they are creating. Lachlan Phillips set up a company called Adrobot. It helps businesses make video advertising and distribute those ads on social media. “What technology is allowing is that it’s allowing people to have more freedom to create and more freedom to communicate,” he noted. “A malevolent message might have been quiet in the past, and that can be quite loud now.” With so many people questioning the actions of high-tech companies, he says that integrity is important to him and to his business. He wants to avoid distributing information that isn’t truthful or agreeable. Amy Chen created 99voices.org, a website that lets people rate politicians and businesses. Chen told VOA she hopes to make her site foolproof so its ratings can’t be manipulated. “I don’t know if technology can solve this issue,” she said. “It would be nice if each person gets one person and one say and that’s the platform where you can judge what is public opinion.” Dylan Sidoo also attended TechCrunch Disrupt. He operates a company that makes and sells encrypted message space. He believes technology companies should be treated the same as manufacturing companies. “I think to a certain extent there should be some policing, but that could be said about any industry,” Sidoo said. He believes people can use encrypted message space for good or bad reasons just as they may use a car for good or bad reasons. It’s the aim of the company that is important, he noted. But Facebook has announced plans to bar malevolent advertising. The company is using real people to inspect its automated ads in order to prevent racist or anti-religious speech from reaching users. Last month, it added 3,000 workers to inspect content after violent acts appeared on Facebook Live. The company said it will remove information that violates its rules. I’m Susan Shand.   Michelle Quinn reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   entrepreneur – n. a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money malevolent – adj. having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person integrity – n. the quality of being honest and fair manipulate - v. to change (something) in an unfair or selfish way encrypt – v. to change information from one form to another especially to hide its meaning consumer – n. someone who purchases and uses goods distribute – v. to give to someone; to divide among members of a group extent – n. the distance that is covered by something; the limit to which something reaches

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Tibet Will Close to Travelers for 10 Days in October

The Chinese government has ordered a travel ban to Tibet from outside the region from October 18 to the 28, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports. During that time, government officials will be holding meetings in Beijing and Lhasa, Tibet. Officials announced the ban earlier this month. A Tibetan employee at a travel company in Xining, China, confirmed it to RFA’s Tibetan Service last week. The employee spoke on the condition of anonymity. The employee told RFA that the ban does not only concern foreign travelers. It also affects Tibetans living outside of Tibet. The employee said, “During this period, it is not just foreigners but also Tibetans living in the Amdo region of Qinghai who are not allowed to travel in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).” The employee also told RFA the travel ban will hurt Tibet’s economy, as October is a popular month for tourists to visit the region. RFA and VOA are each part of the U.S. government-supported Broadcasting Board of Governors. Agence France Press (AFP) reported that the ban will remain in effect throughout the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th National Congress next month in Beijing. The Tibet Tourism Bureau did not make the announcement itself. But the notice of the travel ban went to “several local travel agencies” earlier this month, AFP reported. A person who recently traveled to Tibet confirmed to RFA that the region will be closed to outside visitors for the 10-day period. The person, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, told RFA that high-level government meetings are to take place in Lhasa during the period of the ban. March travel ban The Chinese government already bans travel to Lhasa by foreign visitors and Tibetans living in western Chinese areas every March. This month is politically sensitive because it is the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan rebellion. On March 10, 1959, Tibetans in Lhasa protested Beijing’s political and military control of the formerly self-governing region. This started a rebellion in which thousands were killed. In March of 2008, Chinese police suppressed peaceful Tibetan protests in Lhasa.  This led to rioting, and the destruction of Han Chinese shops in the city and deadly attacks on Han Chinese residents.  The riot followed mostly peaceful protests against Chinese rule that spread across Tibet and into Tibetan-populated areas of western China. During the protests, hundreds of Tibetans were detained, shot, or beaten by Chinese security forces, sources said in earlier reports. I’m Phil Dierking.   Richard Finney wrote this story for RFA. Phil Dierking adapted the story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   autonomous - adj. existing or acting separately from other things or people​ anonymity - n. the quality or state of being unknown to most people​ region ​- n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way source - n. a person, book, etc., that gives information​

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Google Celebrates 19th Birthday With Special Doodle

  This is What’s Trending Today. If you have an account with Google and have added your birthday to your profile, you will get a greeting from the internet company on your special day. But on Wednesday, Google users around the world received a special gift on the company’s 19th birthday. Internet users who went to Google.com were greeted with a special Google “doodle.” Google offers “doodles” – fun drawings and games – to celebrate events and anniversaries all year long. One of the most popular doodles this year celebrated a world cricket tournament. Google users could play cricket – with crickets and snails as the teams – when they visited the search page. Lots of people wasted time at work that day playing cricket. In honor of the company’s 19th  birthday, the doodle featured a spinning wheel. When the wheel stopped spinning, users could play one of 19 games from past Google doodles. In one of the doodles, the user gets to hit a piñata with a stick. Each time the piñata gets hit, candy spills out. That game celebrated Google’s 15th birthday.  Another doodle is Google’s version of the classic video game, Pac-Man. All you have to do to play that game anytime is search for “Pac-Man.” There is also tic-tac-toe and a Valentine’s Day game featuring an endangered animal called a pangolin.  And just in time for the coming holiday of Halloween, one of the doodles brings back last year’s October celebration. Players control a small black cat who is trying to save his magic school from a lot of scary ghosts.  Google was one of the top trending searches of the day, along with “Pac-Man.” Nate Bargatze is a comedian. He used Twitter to wish Google a happy birthday, writing: “Happy Birthday, Google! I had to Google it to find out it was today.” ​ Google started 19 years ago when two Stanford University students decided to start a business that would search for information on the World Wide Web. Google is now part of Alphabet. The American company is one of the most valuable technology companies in the world. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What is your favorite Google doodle game? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   account – n. an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or e-mail services of a particular company tournament – n. a sports competition or series of contests that involves many players or teams and that usually continues for at least several days piñata – n. a decorated container filled with candies, fruits, and gifts that is hung up at parties or celebrations and hit with a stick by children until it is broken and the things inside it fall out profile – n. a brief written description that provides information about someone or something classic – adj. used to describe something that has been popular for a long time ghost– n. the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people endangered– adj. used to describe a type of animal or plant that has become very rare and that could die out completely

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September 27, 2017

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

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September 26, 2017

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

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Cooperative Learning May Change Your Mind About Group Work

  Two heads are better than one. Or so the expression goes. It means that two people working together have a better chance of solving a problem than one person alone. But not everyone likes working with others – especially when that means working in a group. There can be a number of reasons why people dislike group work. Some may feel nervous or uneasy in group situations. Others might have had a bad experience with individuals who did not work well as a team.    Another criticism is that teachers or supervisors fail to assign roles to group members. This may create a situation where everyone or no one wants to lead.  Whatever the issue, the result is the same: the group does not realize its goal. Cooperative learning is an educational method that can help to solve this problem. There are many methods of cooperative learning. Today we will talk about one: giving each person in a small group a specific duty to reach a shared goal. For example, if learners are divided into groups of four people each, their roles might be: leader, writer, checker and speaker.  This structure helps ensure that everyone takes part equally in group work. It also allows each member to play a meaningful part in completing the shared goal. Retired educator Michelle Manville has written several books about education and learning standards. Many of her books note that cooperative learning creates a supportive group structure and lessens the problem of competitiveness. Studies have also shown that cooperative learning improves learner achievement. This includes one study by American researcher Robert Slavin.*   Cooperative learning in non-class settings The method we are talking about today can be used in a number of educational settings, both structured and informal. Teachers may use it in a classroom. But the method is also useful in other situations. Companies, for instance, may use it as they train employees in team-building and other exercises. Organizations for English learners, such as English clubs, can also achieve a lot from this method. Such groups meet in any number of places – at restaurants, coffee houses, in classrooms and even at people's homes. Cooperative learning can be used in all of these situations. For example, imagine that the head of an English club divides club members into small groups. Each group is told to come up with directions for making a specialty food. Your group chooses pizza. Before you begin, the "leader" makes sure everyone understands the activity and their responsibilities. During the activity, that person also makes sure the group stays focused on the work to be done. The group identifies the materials needed for making the pizza and also talks about how to prepare it. As this happens, the "recorder" writes down the step-by-step directions. At the same time, the "checker" can look up words to make sure the group is choosing the right language. When the work is complete, the "speaker" shares your group's pizza recipe with the other people in the club.     ​Preparing for an activity Before dividing learners into groups, it is a good idea for the teacher or club’s supervisor to first have knowledge about the language skill levels of participants. The goal is to make each group a mixture of higher- and lower-level language learners. Putting too many people with similar skill levels together could make the work too difficult or easy. Role cards can be a helpful tool in this method of cooperative learning. The reusable paper cards have notes describing the role of each person. Their purpose is to remind learners of each person’s role. The cards can be placed on a table or on desks. You can download role cards from the VOA Learning English website and print them onto card stock or regular paper. (Click here to download the role cards.) Before, during and after the activity Before the cooperative activity, the role of the teacher or activity supervisor is make sure to explain two things to the group: the main task for the activity and how the cooperative roles work. The person in charge may appoint these roles or let the English learners choose them. Then, during the activity, the supervisor's job is to watch the groups and provide more guidance when needed. After the activity, the supervisor may wish to provide feedback to groups on their work and their use of cooperation. Hearing friends or classmates speak about their group's work gives everyone a chance to listen to other learners speaking English. Learners can also gain a lot from seeing how others in their club or class complete language tasks and from hearing different perspectives. With this cooperative learning method, you could say that four heads are better than just one. Visit learningenglish.voanews.com for examples of this method in Units 2 and 6 of the video-based training course Let's Teach English. I'm Bruce Alpert. And I'm Alice Bryant.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Have you used a cooperative learning method in an English club, classroom, company or somewhere else? Did you enjoy it? What did you learn from it? Write to us in the comments section. *Finding from Robert Slavin's paper "Cooperative learning and the cooperative school" _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   assign – v. to give someone a particular job or duty standard – n. a level of quality or achievement that is required or considered acceptable or desirable informal – adj. having a friendly and relaxed quality remind – v. to cause someone to remember something desk –​ n. a piece of furniture that is like a table for one person card stock – n. a paper stock that is thicker than normal writing/printing paper task – n. a piece of work that has been given to someone feedback – n. helpful information or criticism that is given to someone to say what can be done to improve something perspective – n. a way of thinking about and understanding something focus – v. to cause attention to be directed at something specific   Leader Makes sure everyone understands the activity before the group begins working. Makes sure the group stays focused and members actively take part. Useful phrases include, "Does everyone understand their role?" "Let's start by doing…." and "Let's stay on the task we have to complete." Writer / Recorder Writes down important information from the task. They also write down the ideas for the speaker to present. Useful phrases include, "Can you say that again, please?" "How shall I write this?" and "Have I written this clearly?" Checker Makes sure that information and language the group uses for the work is correct. Also stays aware of the time remaining for the activity. Useful phrases include, "Is this what the teacher/manager wants?" "Let me check the spelling/meaning of that word" and "We have five minutes left." Speaker Summarizes the group's work for the rest of the club or class. Useful phrases include, "Shall I start with….?" and "How does this sound?"  

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Iraqi Kurds Leader Claims Victory in Independence Vote

  Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani claimed victory in the referendum vote for independence and called for a "dialogue" with the Iraqi government. In a televised address, Barzani said "negotiations are the right path to solve the problems, not threats or the language of force.” He added, "we assure the international community of our willingness to engage in dialogue with Baghdad." On Monday, Iraqi Kurds voted on an independence referendum despite objections from the government in Baghdad, neighboring countries, and the United States. At the voting centers in the Kurdistan Regional capital, many voters wore traditional clothes and carried Kurdish flags. Some said they believed this vote could be the start of their dream for independence coming true. One man named Mohammad carried his young son and a flag at a voting center in the northern city of Irbil. He told VOA, “It is a true day for us … We have been waiting for 100 years for this. It is beautiful.” Several areas reported peaceful scenes of large numbers of people voting. But before the last voter entered their decision, Iraqi leaders had already sent troops to areas disputed by Iraq and the Kurds seeking independence. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi promised to take all “necessary measures” to keep all of Iraq united as one. Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani has continued to challenge the country’s leadership in Baghdad. On Sunday, he said the independence vote was the will of the Kurdish people and “out of his hands.” "Independence will allow us not to repeat past tragedies,” he added. “The partnership with Baghdad has failed and we will not return to it." A representative for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the decision to hold the vote in disputed areas especially destabilizing. "The Secretary-General regrets that the opportunity for serious negotiations … between the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, based on the constitution and in a spirit of partnership … were not fully seized prior to this move," the representative said in a statement. Heather Nauert is a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State. She said the United States is "deeply disappointed" with the decision to hold a vote for only one group of people. Nauert added that the U.S. relationship with the Iraqi Kurds would not change. But the vote will "greatly complicate" Kurdish relationships with the Iraqi government and neighboring countries, she noted. Masoud Barzani told VOA's Persian Service last week that after the vote, the Kurdish government would begin talks with Iraqi officials. The discussion would include issues like borders, division of natural resources and a timeline for independence. Barzani said the process of separating Kurdistan from Iraq would take about one to two years. Before the vote, Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi ordered the Kurdish region to give control of its border crossings and airports to his government. He also called on other countries not to import Kurdish oil. Neighboring Iran, Syria and Turkey all have large Kurdish populations. The Iranian and Turkish governments have expressed disapproval for the independence vote. They fear it could give support to similar separatist movements in their countries. Turkey has battled Kurdish rebels seeking independence in its southeast region for 30 years. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would close a border crossing with Iraq and could move to block oil exports. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem rejected the vote and said that Syria only accepts a unified Iraq. I’m Pete Musto.   Heather Murdock reported this for VOA News with help from the Persian Service. Pete Musto adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Do you think Iraq should let the Kurdish region become an independent nation? What affect do you think that will have on the rest of the Middle East? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   referendum - n. an event in which the people of a county, state or area vote for or against a law that deals with a specific issue​ dialogue - n. a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement​ negotiation(s) – n. a formal discussion between people who are trying to reach an agreement allow – v. to permit something tragedies – n. very bad events that cause great sadness and often involves someone's death destabilizing – adj. causing something, such as a government, to be unable to continue existing or working in the usual or desired way opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done prior – adj. before disappointed – adj. feeling sad, unhappy, or displeased because something was not as good as expected or because something you hoped for or expected did not happen complicate – v. to make something more difficult or less simple separatist – n. a member of a group of people who want to form a new country or religion  that is separate from the one they are in now

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Experts Doubt North Korea Would Target US Warplanes

  Military experts say North Korea does not have the ability or the desire to attack United States warplanes near the Korean Peninsula. However, North Korea’s foreign minister said the North had “every right” to shoot down American warplanes even outside of its airspace. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho spoke to reporters in New York on Monday after a meeting at the United Nations. Ri’s comment followed Saturday’s flight of American B-1B bombers and fighter jets in international airspace to the line separating North and South Korea. Hours after the flight, the North Korean government released a propaganda video. It showed U.S. warplanes and an aircraft carrier being attacked. The video also showed a missile being fired from a mobile launcher. But, the video was done using very simple computer animation. Hong Min is an analyst with the Korea Institute for National Reunification. He said the video was an effort to show that North Korea could strike back against U.S. forces. Can North Korea Match US Firepower? North Korea, however, has fired on American aircrafts before. In 1969, North Korea’s fighters shot down an American surveillance plane killing all 31 aboard. The last time North Korea fired on a U.S. aircraft was in 1994. That year, a U.S. Army helicopter was shot down near the heavily militarized border killing one of the pilots. On Tuesday, South Korean media reported that North Korea has moved warplanes and strengthened defenses on its eastern coast. But the Associated Press reports that it is unclear if North Korea was able to detect the bomber flight on Saturday with its radar. Moon Seong Mook, a former South Korean military official, is a senior analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. He said North Korea does not have the military capability to match Ri’s words. North Korea’s aging MiG fighters cannot match the much more powerful U.S. fighters. And its surface-to-air missiles are unproven against American aircraft operating from afar, Moon said. Du Hyeongn Cha is a visiting scholar at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. He told AP that, “The most obvious reason Ri made those comments was because North Korea simply can’t tolerate such high-profile insults to its supreme leadership.” He said the foreign minister’s comments also provide an opportunity for China and Russia to again call for limits on military exercises in the area. The two countries would like North Korea to freeze weapons tests in return for a suspension of U.S.-South Korean military exercises. North Korea has called the exercises preparation for an attack. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mario Ritter adapted this AP story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mobile –adj. able to be moved easily, tranporable computer animation –n. images made using computer programs rather than directly capturing an image distraction –n. something that takes attention away from something else surveillance –n. the act of gathering information by watching detect –v. to discover or notice something obvious –adj. clear to see, not hidden afar –adv. at a distance tolerate –v. to allow something, to not take action to oppose something We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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