Northern California Wildfires Become Larger

Wildfires continue to spread in northern California. American weather experts were predicting high winds and low humidity levels in the area on Thursday. Such conditions are making it difficult to stop the 22 major wildfires north of San Francisco. The fires are blamed for at least 23 deaths. About 300 other people are listed as missing. California officials say at least 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump declared part of northern California a disaster area. His declaration makes the area eligible for assistance from the federal government. The fires The state's forestry department fire chief, Ken Pimlott, is helping to direct the 8,000 firefighters struggling to contain the wildfires. He called the fires "a serious, critical, catastrophic event." This week, police blocked many roads and prevented residents from going to neighborhoods destroyed by the fires. Dave Larson lives in the Sonoma County community of Glen Ellen. He returned to his neighborhood to look for his cats. As he looked at the damage, he noted that some of his neighbors' homes had survived. Larson said he regretted he had not stayed, like his neighbors, standing on the housetop and fighting the fire with his water hose. Larson told VOA that he lost many objects that were valuable to him, including his grandfather's gun. "One thing I really kick myself for not grabbing before the fire came was my grandfather's 100 year old Lebel rifle that he was shot with in World War II. And it was in perfect condition. And as you can see, this is what's left. The bayonet is still attached. It's amazing. It was still sitting right next to my flat screen TV, which is also completely melted." Gordon O'Brien is a fire captain from Alameda, California. He said when a fire is coming fast, there is little people can do except save themselves. On Wednesday, O'Brien and his crew were working on protecting buildings instead of fighting the fire. "We're not focusing a whole lot right now on the actual containment – at least my aspect of it… We're focusing on structure protection and dealing within the fire lines to stop anything else from burning down." History of fires in the region Northern California has experienced many large fires in the past - although the current wildfires are the deadliest in recent memory. In 2012, a wildfire known as "Rush" burned over 110,000 hectares. In 2013, the "Rim" fire burned over 100,000 hectares and destroyed more than 100 structures. Strong, dry winds blow across the countryside from the mountains. These winds put northern California at a high risk for wildfires in the late summer and early autumn. State officials said they do not know the exact cause of the current fires. They say anything from a backfiring car to a burning cigarette can start a fire. In the past, people, lightning, and even powerlines have caused wildfires in northern California. It will be weeks before the exact amount of the damage is known. But for now, residents are just trying to make it through this fire safely. I'm John Russell.   Michelle Quinn and Deana Mitchell reported on this story for VOANews.com. John Russell adapted their report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   humidity – n. the amount of moisture in the air eligible – adj. able to be chosen for something; able to do or receive something hose – n. a long, usually rubber tube that liquids or gases can flow through backfire – n. a loud sound a car makes when fuel is not burned properly resident – n. someone who has lived in a place for some length of time

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North Korea Steals Military Documents from South

  A South Korean lawmaker says North Korea computer hackers stole hundreds of secret military documents from South Korea. The documents are said to include plans for destroying the North Korean leadership if a war takes place. The South Korean official, Lee Cheol-Hee, is a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the National Defense Committee. He said on Tuesday that defense officials talked about the stolen documents. Officials believe North Korean hackers were able to see classified military documents stored at a South Korean defense data center. The attackers reportedly gained control of the documents in September 2016. Lee told the Yonhap news agency, “Also among them were contingency plans for the South’s special forces, reports to allies’ top commanders, and information on key military facilities and power plants.” He added that 80 percent of the documents taken have yet to be identified. In the United States, a Department of Defense spokesman said he could not confirm or deny that any documents were taken. Spokesman Rob Manning spoke to reporters in Washington. Colonel Manning said that the US-South Korean alliance “is there to deal with those types of situations and safeguard against them.” He said the Defense Department is confident in the security of its operations in Korea, including its ability to deal with threats from the North. Cedric Leighton operates his own crisis management advisory service. He once served in the U.S. Air Force. He said the amount of computer data taken was not as large as the leak of secret materials by Edward Snowden, a worker for the National Security Agency. Yet Leighton said he is surprised that the information was not kept on a more secure system if reports are correct. “What is interesting to me about this is that this kind of data was not kept on a more secure network.” Leighton noted that South Korean and American soldiers work closely together to gather intelligence. He added that he did not think the computer attack showed any special ability by the North Korean hackers. North Korean ships banned for ports The news of the secret military documents came a day after the United Nations announced that it had banned four ships from entering any port in the world. The ships are suspected of carrying banned goods to and from North Korea. The U.N. Security Council has barred North Korea from exporting coal, iron, lead and seafood. Council members approved the measures because of the North’s nuclear activities and missile tests. I’m Mario Ritter.   Joshua Fatzick reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. His story includes information provided by VOA’s Victor Beattie. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hackers – n. a person who secretly gets access to a computer system to cause damage or steal information data center – n. a place were computers used to store large amounts of information are kept, maintained and secured contingency – n. something that might happen including an emergency or unusual event facilities – n. buildings or equipment used for a certain purpose confident – adv. to be sure about something We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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October 12, 2017

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

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Explainer: Off the Record

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Google’s New ‘Pixel Buds’ Offer Real-Time Translation

  American company Google recently announced the release of its Google Pixel 2 phone and other products that work together with the phone. One of the new products is a pair of wireless earphones Google calls Pixel Buds. The earphones are seen as the company’s answer to competitor Apple’s popular AirPod headphones. At a launch event on October 4, Google said its Pixel Buds were built to provide high-quality sound and hands-free use. All of their operations can be controlled by simply touching the right earphone. Once the headphones are paired with a Pixel phone, its many features can be used through the Pixel Buds. One example is Google Assistant, the company’s artificial intelligence, or AI, service. Users can now talk directly to Pixel Buds to ask Google Assistant questions, get information or other help. This can all be done without touching the telephone. The Pixel Buds also can work with Google Translate, the service that provides words and expressions in over 100 languages. Google product manager Juston Payne demonstrated this feature during the launch event. He was able to talk with someone whose native language is Swedish. When the person spoke Swedish into the Pixel Buds, the phone’s speakers provided the translation in English. The English speaker’s response was then translated in real time into Swedish and heard through the Pixel Buds. “Hey Isabelle, how’s it going? (Swedish translation) Absolutely!  Ok, thank you. What do you think of these cool headphones? (Swedish translation) My team designed them, so I think they’re pretty cool…”   Juston Payne said the feature was created to provide a more natural language experience for users of Google Translate. He added that it was “like having a personal translator by your side.” Pixel Buds are made in three colors: Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue. They come with a charging case that Google says provides up to 24 hours of listening time. Pixel Buds are selling for $159 and can be ordered now. They will be available, beginning in November, in six countries: Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, Singapore and the United States.  I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story based on information from Google. 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   task – n. piece of work given to someone to complete artificial intelligence – n. the development of computers to perform intelligence-related tasks without human involvement feature – n. an interesting or important part of something pair – n. two things designed to be used together response – n. a reaction or answer

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October 11 Marks International Day of the Girl

  This is What’s Trending Today… For the past five years, October 11 has marked the International Day of the Girl. The United Nations established the day to bring attention to the needs and difficulties that girls face around the world. It also calls for empowerment and improved rights of the world’s 1.1 billion girls. The UN and other organizations say one in four girls gets married as a child. Every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, a girl is violently killed. The groups also note that more than 130 million girls are not able to attend school. And, in many conflict areas, girls are two times more likely to not get an education. This week, the advocacy organization ONE published a list of the 10 hardest countries for girls to get an education. Nine of the countries were in Africa, south of the Saharan desert. Number one was South Sudan, where 73 percent of girls do not go to school. In Niger, number three on the list, only 17 percent of girls between the ages of 15 to 24 can read. Afghanistan is next. It has the greatest gender difference in education. Just 71 girls go to primary school for every 100 boys. Gayle Smith is president of the ONE campaign. She described the more than 130 million girls out of school as “potential engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers and politicians whose leadership the world is missing out on.” The ONE Campaign also reported this week that the number of girls not getting an education rose from 130.3 million to 130.9 million in the past year. People marked the Day of the Girl on social media. It was a trending topic worldwide on Twitter and Facebook. And on YouTube, a special Day of the Girl music video set to a Beyonce song trended, too. The song is “Freedom,” from Beyonce’s album, “Lemonade.” The UN’s Global Goals project made the video. It shows girls from all over the world dancing and singing the words to “Freedom:”   “Freedom! Freedom! I can't move. Freedom, cut me loose! Freedom! Freedom! Where are you? Cause I need freedom too!"   In just one day, it has more than 1.5 million views. And that’s What’s Trending Today.  I'm Ashley Thompson. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   empowerment - n. power given to someone to do something; the process of becoming stronger and more confident advocacy - n. the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal potential - adj. capable of becoming real

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Spain Rejects Mediation to Resolve Catalonia Crisis

  Spain has rejected calls for talks or mediation to resolve a dispute over independence with the northeastern region of Catalonia. In a speech to parliament Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said there can be no mediation “between democratic law and disobedience and unlawfulness.” Rajoy spoke one day after Catalonia’s leader, Carles Puigdemont, announced plans to move forward with a declaration of independence from Spain. In a speech Tuesday, Puigdemont said the declaration would be carried out following results of a referendum held in Catalonia October 1. However, he said he wanted to delay the action for several weeks to allow for possible discussions with the government.   Spain’s government and Constitutional Court declared the referendum illegal. Independence movement leaders said more than 90 percent of those who voted supported independence. About 43 percent of voters took part in the referendum. Opponents said they would boycott the vote. Nearly 900 people were injured in clashes with Spanish police who entered voting stations to stop people from voting. Independence or not? On Wednesday, Rajoy demanded that Puigdemont clarify whether or not Catalonia’s independence had been declared. The prime minister said the Catalan leader’s response would be important in deciding “events over the coming days.”   Rajoy’s comments were seen as an indirect threat to Catalonia that Spain could move to limit or suspend the region’s political autonomy if independence is in fact declared.   Spain’s constitution permits the central government to take some or total control of any of its 17 regions if they don't fulfill their legal obligations. The process would begin with a cabinet meeting and warning to the regional government. The Senate could then be called upon to approve the measure. The EU and most of its 28 nations have not backed Catalonia's independence movement. EU leaders have expressed support for Rajoy and called on the independence movement to “fully respect Spanish constitutional order.” Experts say EU officials are fearful that supporting Catalonia could open the door for many other independence campaigns across Europe.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story based on reports from VOA News, the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. 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   mediation – n. process to find a solution between two or more people who disagree about something disobedience – n. refusal or failure to obey rules or laws clarify – v. make something clearer or easier to understand autonomy – n. existing or acting separately from others  

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New WHO Study Finds Sharp Increase in Child Obesity

  A new study provides evidence of a sharp increase in the number of obese and overweight children and young adults worldwide in just 40 years.  The study was a project of researchers at Imperial College London and the World Health Organization (WHO). The findings were released this week at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Obesity is a condition in which the body stores large, unhealthy amounts of fat. Obese individuals are considered overweight. The researchers studied obesity rates among children and young people, between five and 19 years of age. They found that rates in this group increased from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016. This was one of the biggest epidemiological studies ever done. The researchers examined height and weight data for about 130 million people. They used this information to get the Body Mass Index measurements of the subjects.   The most striking changes have taken place in Middle Income Countries in areas such as East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America. The WHO defines Middle Income Countries as places where a person normally earns between $1,045 and $12,736 every year. Majid Ezzati, a professor at Imperial College London, was the chief writer of a report on the study. He was surprised by the speed of change.  “So places that a few decades ago, there may have been very little obesity and a fair amount of underweight [children], suddenly are having bordering  epidemics.”  In countries where wages are higher, the growth of childhood obesity has slowed, but remains high. The United States had the highest obesity rates for this income group.  Researchers say the world’s obesity problem is a result of food marketing and poor policymaking in many areas.  Ezzati notes that, in general, young people are not to blame. “Rather than sort of  being an individual’s choice, it’s hard environments that people choose their foods in – healthy foods being priced out of reach, and especially out of reach of poor, and unhealthy foods being marketed aggressively, together with perhaps not having a safe playing area for children, that are leading to weight gain.” Being overweight can cause many diseases later in life, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. Ezzati says obesity also has a big effect on children, with some evidence suggesting it can affect their educational performance. ​Underweight also a problem   The study also looked at underweight children, which continues to be a major health problem in the world’s poorest areas. Ezzati says the researchers found that India had the highest rates of moderately and severely underweight young people.  “We really need to deal with the two issues at the same time. So we can’t wait to deal with underweight, and then worry about overweight and obesity. They are all different forms of malnutrition." The report warned that if current trends continue, levels of child and adolescent obesity could pass those of moderately and severely underweight children by 2022. It said these problems are especially serious in some parts of Asia and African countries south of the Sahara Desert. Global solutions  The report is calling for policymakers to find ways to make healthy food more available at home and school, especially in poorer families and communities. It also calls for higher taxes on unhealthy foods.  The WHO’s Fiona Bull says effective, low-cost measures to lower childhood obesity are available.    She said solutions include restricting marketing, taxing some food products, and creating better food labeling policies. She said that better labels will give people, “clear information about the contents of food … like the salt, fat, and sugar content.”  Bull added that children should be spend less time playing games on the Internet or watching television, and instead turn to more physical activities and sports. She said obese children are likely to become obese adults. This means they risk early death from obesity-related diseases.  I’m Anna Matteo.    Henry Ridgwell and Lisa Schlein reported on this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted their reports for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.  Do people eat healthy in your country? What do you think the best way for a country to change its eating habits? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    Body Mass Index – n. a weight-to-height ratio, calculated by dividing one's weight in kilograms by the square of one's height in meters and used as an indicator of obesity and underweight.  decade – n. a period of 10 years  epidemic – n. a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.  epidemiology – n. the branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health.  income – n. money received, especially on a regular basis, for work or through investments.  trend – n. a general movement label – n. written or printed information on a product

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Lack of Women in China’s Politics Unlikely to Change

China’s Communist Party holds its party congress and makes leadership changes once every five years. The next congress takes place later this month. Many people will be watching those meetings to see who President Xi Jinping appoints to top political positions. The party congress is a major event for the group that single-handedly rules the country. But China watchers say anyone following the meetings should not expect women to be given any major positions. A number of other Asian nations have elected women as heads of state. But many observers say it remains almost impossible for Chinese women to make important decisions in their country’s political system. They say women remain underrepresented in China’s major policy-making agencies. Women unfit to rule The lack of trust in women in power may have its roots in Chinese history, says Chenni Xu, a member of the Beijing Women’s Network. She says the general public often notes the examples set by the three most powerful women in Chinese history. They are Empress Wu Zetian and Dowager Cixi and Jian Qing, wife of former Communist leader Mao Zedong. “They’ll just point to those three and be like ‘well, see what happens when a woman gets in power? They drag the country down with them,’ Xu said. Half of the sky? When Mao Zedong led China, he famously declared that ‘Women hold up half the sky.’ Many Chinese remember the saying. But Xu noted Mao’s call was more about doubling the country’s workforce than gender equality. Years later, however, as women fill many top positions in private businesses, China’s Communist Party is still largely a group made up of men. Vice Premier Liu Yandong is one of a few women at the top. Yet she is not a member of the decision-making Politburo’s Standing Committee. She is unlikely to move up in the leadership changes, observers say. Women are responsible for less than 30 percent of the Communist Party’s membership, according to local media reports. There will be about 540 female delegates among the 2,300 delegates who attend the 19th National People’s Congress. Observers say correcting the imbalance is important if the party wants to remain relevant, but the attention seems to be on other programs. “The only achievement in the past couple of years is China’s (first) national law against domestic violence,” said Vaya Chen of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. “That shows a lot about the government’s emphasis on women’s family role and a harmonious society. But it shows how little the government has done to address women’s issues” at home, she added. Women not in Xi’s program President Xi Jinping had promised $10 million to UN Women, the United Nations’ Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The U.N. project hopes to build 100 health projects for women and children in developing countries. “The (Chinese) government talks about increasing women’s political participation, but there haven’t been any concrete measures to support the initiatives,” Chen said. She urged the government to guarantee 30 percent of political leadership roles go to women. Chenni Xu of the Women’s Network agrees with the 30 percent target. She said Chinese women should be empowered and the barriers that deny equal treatment must be removed. But she does not think that change will come easily. She believes Chinese society puts pressure on women to stay with traditional paths. No easy way to change On the streets of Beijing, people say social and cultural barriers are to blame for the lack of balance. And they note many women have a lot of responsibility at home. “There are a lot of women in civil services positions at the local level, but it is difficult for them,” a man named Liu told VOA. He added that women don’t have as much time as men to work their way up in the government. In China, the retirement age for women is 55 years. That is five years younger than the retirement age for men because many women care for older adults or their grandchildren. Some women VOA spoke with say they do not pay attention to politics. Others say politics is just too dirty and tricky – clear signs that women are losing interest in politics. “Women seem to be less interested in politics,” said a woman who identified herself as Ms. Su. “These days, she said, women are much more apolitical then they were before the 1980s…” I’m Susan Shand.   William Ide and Joyce Huan reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted the 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   gender – adj. the behavioral or cultural qualities normally linked with one sex relevant - adj. more important, skillful, or successful than others domestic - adj. relating to or involving someone's home or family emphasis - n. a forceful quality in the way something is said or written concrete – adj. of or related to a real thing, people or actions initiative – n. a proposal or plan  

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ILO: More than 200 Million People are Unemployed

  The International Labor Organization (ILO) is urging private businesses to invest more in workers and support efforts to reduce unemployment around the world. The ILO released a report on Monday. It is called World Employment and Social Outlook 2017: Sustainable Enterprises and Jobs. The report states that more than 201 million people worldwide are jobless. It said that number represents an increase of 3.4 million people compared to 2016. The ILO says private companies, especially small- and medium-sized ones, can help to create good jobs around the world. The ILO study found that such companies employ almost 3 billion workers, or 87 percent of total employment worldwide. And it says a strong public sector can serve as the base for economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction.  Deborah Greenfield is the ILO’s deputy director-general for policy. She says investing in workers is important for continued growth. Greenfield notes that providing training for permanent workers results in higher wages, higher productivity and lower unit labor costs. But she said many part-time and temporary workers are losing out. “But intensified use of temporary employment is associated with lower wages and lower productivity without achieving any gains in unit labor costs. The report also finds that on-the-job training is an important driver of innovation. Since temporary workers are rarely offered training, this might also affect innovation in firms in a negative way.”  The ILO report said in some cases, innovative thinking has led to the addition of more temporary workers, most of them women. That might be helpful in the short-term, the report said. But it keeps wages low and reduces productivity because of the unpredictability of temporary work and the lack of retirement and other benefits. The ILO said innovation increases competitiveness and job creation for private businesses. It added that innovative companies are usually more productive, employ more educated workers, offer more training and add more women to the workforce. I’m John Russell.   Lisa Schlein reported this story from Geneva for VOANews.com. 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. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sustainable – adj. able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed enterprise – n. a business organization public sector – n. the part of an economy which is controlled or owned by the government unit – n. a particular amount of length, time, money, etc., that is used as a standard for counting or measuring; a single thing, person or group that is a part of something larger innovate – v. to do something in a new way; to have new ideas about how something can be done firm – n. a business organization negative – adj. harmful or bad; not wanted benefit – n. something extra (such as vacation time or health insurance) that is given by an employer to workers in addition to their regular pay  

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October 11, 2017

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

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