Mentally Disabled Man Faces Expulsion from US

  Guillermo Peralta Martinez does not know how old he is or where he was born. He does not even know his mother’s name. He also does not know if he is a legal resident of the United States. Martinez appears to be in his 30s. He is mentally disabled and has difficulty speaking. Many people have trouble understanding the few words and sentences he speaks in Spanish. Yet he has made friends in York Springs, Pennsylvania. Some people there say he has lived in the town since at least the 1990s -- and maybe before then. Earlier this year, agents working for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency arrested Martinez. He now faces deportation. ICE officials told VOA that orders signed by President Donald Trump do not list groups of people who may not be deported. In other words, even if a person is mentally disabled, he or she may be expelled. ICE agents say they arrested Peralta in February as he was preparing to go to work. ICE says he and another individual were arrested as they were leaving a building where someone who had entered the U.S. illegally lived. It says that person had been found guilty of a crime. In a report written after Peralta was arrested, the agents said he and the other man admitted they were citizens of Mexico and in the United States illegally.  The men were taken to a detention center in the town of York, about 39 kilometers away. Neither man had a criminal record in the United States. Peralta remembers “they took my fingerprints. And they put handcuffs on.”   He said he was treated well in the detention center, but he felt mixed up. “I didn’t know what was going to happen to me,” he said. An arrest order written after Peralta was detained says he made statements “voluntarily to an immigration officer that he lacks immigration status and as such is removable under U.S. immigration law.” The document states that Peralta said his mother and father are Mexican citizens, that he has a child who lives in Florida and that he has no medical conditions. It says he was 45 years old at the time of his arrest. Lawyer Craig Shagin is representing Peralta. He disputes the information in the document. He says Peralta often does not know what he is saying. Shagin said, “When him I met in the York County prison I would ask him: ‘Where do you live?’ and he would say in Spanish ‘Out there.’  I would ask him his birth date and he would say: ‘One and Two.’” “If you would ask him ‘Were you born in Mexico?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Were you born in Argentina?’ ‘Yes.’  ‘Were you born in Florida?’ ‘Yes.’ Well, there’s a problem there.”  Shagin says someone who knew Peralta when he was a boy claims he is 10 years younger than U.S. officials say he is. He says Peralta was abandoned by his parents. Shagin says Peralta does not have a child. And he says Peralta was not arrested at the place ICE claims. Witnesses say he was arrested inside an apartment building while he was waiting for a ride to work.  In a court document, Shagin writes: “There is no evidence Peralta was doing anything suspicious. It is unlikely he would have been questioned regarding his citizenship, but for Guillermo’s Hispanic appearance.” Shagin also says there is no evidence that Peralta was born outside the United States. He says Peralta’s clear “cognitive impairment demonstrates that (his) own statements are potentially unreliable.” In April, Peralta was freed from jail after making a bail payment and promising to return for his next hearing. He had been in the jail for more than two months. Marlen Carbajal has known Peralta since 2011. She once lived in York Springs. She says the town’s Hispanic community collected $5,000 in bail money to free him. Since his release, Peralta has returned to doing whatever work he can find. “I want to stay here,” he says, but he is afraid of being arrested again. ICE would not talk about Peralta’s case except to say that he entered the United States illegally.  Peralta’s case is one of many at the U.S. Department of Justice Immigration Court in Philadelphia. As of the end of May, there were 2,536 cases waiting to be heard and decided at the court. When Peralta and his lawyer appeared in court in August, ICE asked for more time to develop its case. It was given until November 25 to do so.   I’m Phil Dierking. And I'm Lucija Millonig. VOA’s Bill Rodgers reported this story from York Springs, Pennsylvania. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his 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   resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place deport – v. to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country fingerprints – n. the mark that is made by pressing the tip of a finger on a surface; a mark of this kind made in ink for the purpose of identifying a person handcuffs – n. a set of two metal rings that are joined and locked around a person’s wrists status – n. the current state of someone or something -- usually singular abandon – v. to leave and never return to (someone who needs protection or help) cognitive – adj. of, relating to, or involving conscious mental activities (such as thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering) impairment – n. a condition in which a part of your body or mind is damaged and does not work well unreliable – adj. not able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed or promised; not believable or trustworthy bail – n. an amount of money given to a court to allow a prisoner to leave jail and return later for a trial

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Police, Protestors Clash in Kenya’s Election

  On Thursday, Kenyan police fired bullets and tear gas at stone-throwing protesters who were against a repeat of the country’s disputed presidential election. In Kenya’s third largest city, Kisumu, gunfire killed one person and wounded three others. Riot police also fired tear gas in two Nairobi slums. Protesters started fires early in the morning on Thursday and a church was firebombed. In August, President Uhuru Kenyatta won 54 percent of the vote in the country’s presidential election. Opposition leader Raila Odinga received nearly 45 percent of the vote. However, Kenya’s Supreme Court overturned the results because of what it described as “irregularities and illegalities” in the vote. Kenyatta called the justices “crooks” and ordered a new election. The night before the court was to consider a last-minute appeal to delay the vote, a driver for the deputy chief justice was shot and wounded. The shooting recalled the murder shortly before the August vote of a top election official responsible for electronic voting. Human rights groups say police killed at least 67 people during protests after the August vote. Meanwhile, Odinga has dropped out of the new vote. He said reforms have not been made to make the vote credible. He asked his supporters to boycott the voting. One school in Kisumu that saw huge lines of voters in the August election was closed Thursday. Its gates were locked. An opposition supporter said “We are not going to vote and we are not going to allow it.” An election official, John Ngutai Muyekho, sat with the uncollected boxes in another school guarded by security forces. He said no ballot boxes had been delivered to the 190 polling stations in Kisumu. Voting went on in areas where President Uhuru Kenyatta has support. However, the Associated Press reported that fewer voters were turning out in those areas than in the August election. At a polling station in Kenyatta’s hometown of Gatundu, a voter said, “Our hope for the country is that whoever emerges the winner will be able to unite the country, which is already torn apart by politicians and politics of the day.” In 2013, Odinga lost to Kenyatta in an election filled with accusations of vote rigging. Odinga also ran unsuccessfully in 2007. More than 1,000 people were killed in that election and another 600,000 were forced from their homes. Many observers say ethnic divisions hurt the promise of Kenya’s democracy. Kenyatta is from the Kikuyu tribe, while Odinga is a Luo. I'm Anna Matteo.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on AP and Reuters news reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   slum - n. crowded urban area where poor people live crook - n. a dishonest person    

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Taiwan Hoping to Reduce Dependence on China

  Taiwan is setting up overseas investment offices across a number of countries to its south. The island is also offering to suspend visa requirements for citizens of those nations. These are the latest actions by Taiwan to expand business with other areas so it can become less dependent on China. Officials in Taipei hope to improve trade, increase visitors and expand education links with 18 countries in South and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Stronger ties with those nations, in theory, could reduce the influence of China in Taiwan. China is now the island’s top trading partner. But the two sides have deep political differences. Taiwan’s effort to strengthen ties with the 18 nations is called the New Southbound Policy. Under the policy, citizens of the Philippines are permitted to visit Taiwan without a visa for 14 days between November and July. Taiwan offered a similar visa waiver to citizens of Brunei and Thailand in August of 2016. Shaky relations with China Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced the policy after taking office in May 2016. Its aim is to re-balance relations for the island’s $529 billion economy. Over the years, Taiwanese businesses chose China for investment because of its low costs, skilled workers and cultural ties. The Council on Foreign Relations, an American research group, estimates that more than 93,000 Taiwanese businesses invested in China between 1988 and 2016. China claims sovereignty over the island, which operates under a system of democratic self-rule. This political dispute has caused problems between the two sides during Tsai’s presidency. How the new southbound policy works Taiwan’s economic affairs ministry has opened investment offices in Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Those offices are supposed to help Taiwanese investors find projects in those countries. The Taiwan government is offering credit guarantees for small businesses interested in moving to Southeast Asia. Aid from Taiwan will help pay for infrastructure and other major projects in the area. The visa waivers make travel to Taiwan easier, helping to strengthen the economy. Tsai said trade with the 18 countries had already risen 20 percent this year compared to 2016 levels. Government records show the number of visitors from the countries is rising, while the number of Chinese visitors is decreasing. The number of post-secondary students in Taiwan from New Southbound Policy countries increased 10 percent over a six-month period from a year ago. But the number of non-degree university students from China has dropped since the middle of last year. Last year, Taiwan’s Investment Commission approved 252 requests for projects to be built in China. That is almost 22 percent below 2015 levels. But China is still Taiwan’s top trading partner. Imports and exports totaled $117.9 billion in 2016. Earlier this year an economics affairs official in Taipei identified Indonesia as a good place for investment projects, especially in agriculture. Thailand approved 274 Taiwanese requests for investment, worth $1.39 billion, between 2010 and 2015. Reaction from South and Southeast Asia About 3,500 Taiwanese invested in Vietnam as early as 2011 because costs were rising in China, while Vietnam was offering incentives to foreign investors. In the past, two other presidents of Taiwan, Lee Teng-hui and Cheng Shui-bian, tried similar go-south policies, but both failed. During their terms, it was less costly to trade with China, and there was less competition from local companies. Some observers believe the New Southbound Policy will struggle because Taiwan faces competition in the 18 target counties from overseas sources. Competitors include China, India, Japan and South Korea. I’m Kaveh Rezaei.   Ralph Jennings reported this story from Taipei for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his 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   waiver – n. a voluntary cancellation of rights or requirements sovereignty – n. the right of an area to govern itself infrastructure – n. the roads, equipment, bridges and other structures that a country or area needs to operate post-secondary – adj. of or related to education after secondary school incentive – n. something that incites action

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Sierra Leone to Sell Multi-million Dollar Diamond to Help Poor

Sierra Leone hopes to raise millions of dollars for development projects by selling a large uncut diamond. It is believed to be one of the largest diamonds in the world. The public sale will take place in New York in December. The 709-carat gemstone is known as the Peace Diamond. This will be the second time Sierra Leone tries to sell the diamond. The government rejected the highest bid of $7.8 million at its first public sale in New York in May. More than half of the earnings from the sale will be used for water, electricity, education and health projects in Sierra Leone, especially to aid Koryardu. That is the eastern village where the diamond was found. Martin Rapaport is chairman of Rapaport Group, an organization of diamond companies which will manage the sale. He told Reuters, “There’s a reason God gave these diamonds to the poorest people in the world and made the richest people want them…this is making the world a better place.” The Rapaport Group described the diamond as the 14th largest in the world. A Christian clergyman discovered it in March and gave it to the government. Diamonds were a conflict resource in Sierra Leone’s 10-year civil war, which ended in 2002.  Rebels would buy weapons with earnings from diamond sales. This led to the creation of the term ‘blood diamond.’ I’m Jonathan Evans.   Mark Hanrahan wrote this story for Reuters in London. Jonathan Evans adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   bid – n.  an offer to pay a particular amount of money for something carat – n. a unit for measuring the weight of jewels (such as diamonds) that is equal to 200 milligrams manage – v.  to take care of and make decisions about someone's time, money, etc.  

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Police, Protestors Clash in Kenya’s Election

Kenyan police on Thursday fired bullets and tear gas at stone-throwing protesters who were against a repeat of the country’s disputed presidential election. In Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city, gunfire killed one person and wounded three others. Riot police also fired tear gas in Kibera and Mathare, two Nairobi slums. Protesters started fires in Kibera early in the morning on Thursday. In Mathare, a church was firebombed. In August, President Uhuru Kenyatta won 54 percent of the vote in the country’s presidential election. Opposition leader Raila Odinga received nearly 45 percent of the vote. However, Kenya’s Supreme Court overturned the results because of what it described as “irregularities and illegalities” in the vote. Kenyatta called the justices “crooks” and ordered a new election. The night before the court was to consider a last-minute appeal to delay the vote, a driver for the deputy chief justice was shot and wounded. The shooting recalled the murder shortly before the August vote of a top election official responsible for electronic voting. Human rights groups say police killed at least 67 people during protests after the August vote. Meanwhile, Odinga has dropped out of the new vote. He said reforms have not been made to make the vote credible. He asked his supporters to boycott the voting. One school in Kisumu that saw huge lines of voters in the August election was closed Thursday. Its gates were locked. Olga Onyanga, an opposition supporter, said “We are not going to vote and we are not going to allow it.” John Ngutai Muyekho, an election official, sat with the uncollected boxes in another school guarded by security forces. He said no ballot boxes had been delivered to the 190 polling stations in Kisumu. Voting went on in areas where President Uhuru Kenyatta has support. However, the Associated Press reported that fewer voters were turning out in those areas than in the August election. At a polling station in Kenyatta’s hometown of Gatundu, Simon Wambirio said, “Our hope for the country is that whoever emerges the winner will be able to unite the country, which is already torn apart by politicians and politics of the day.” In 2013, Odinga lost to Kenyatta in an election filled with accusations of vote rigging. Odinga also ran unsuccessfully in 2007. More than 1,000 people were killed in that election and another 600,000 were forced from their homes. Many observers say ethnic divisions hurt the promise of Kenya’s democracy. Kenyatta is from the Kikuyu tribe, while Odinga is a Luo.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on AP and Reuters news reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________     Words in This Story    

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Explainer: Second Amendment

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Smart Cameras to Help You Capture Better Photos

One of the newest “smart” devices is an old favorite, a camera. And smart cameras are getting smarter all the time. Some are now built with machine learning tools to help them think for themselves. Machine learning involves putting large amounts of data into a computer for processing. The computer uses an algorithm to process the data and learn from it. The machine then trains itself over time to make predictions and decisions about future actions. This technology helps cameras operate on their own by reacting to people and objects in a particular environment. Google Clips One of the latest to launch is Google Clips. It is the first camera developed by the web search giant that is not built into a phone. Google Clips is very small, weighing just 60 grams. The device is designed to be put somewhere in a room to take pictures by itself. It can also be attached to an object or a person’s clothing. Google says machine learning helps the camera choose the best times and situations for taking pictures and video clips. It can also recognize the faces of people or pets chosen by the user and take pictures of them in a more natural way. “Google Clips is smart enough to recognize great expressions, lighting and framing,” the company says on its website. Google says privacy controls have been built into the camera to give users complete control over which images they send to other devices or share with others. The price for Google Clips is $249. The device is not yet being sold, but interested buyers can join a waiting list to be informed when it is available.   GoPro Hero GoPro is another company developing machine learning technology. The company’s Hero5 and Hero6 models are designed to be easily taken anywhere and can automatically capture photos and video. The Hero5 Session camera can be controlled by voice to allow for total hands-free usage. GoPro also uses machine learning to power its QuikStories feature. This tool takes existing photos and videos and automatically creates a finished video piece, complete with music and effects.  Snap Spectacles Messaging app Snapchat sells a pair of sunglasses with a built-in camera that can record short video clips with the push of a button. Snap Inc. says the product, called Spectacles, is designed to “capture the moment, without taking you out of it.” While GoPro’s cameras and Snapchat’s Spectacles are designed to be used mostly outdoors, Google says Clips “works best when used at home with family and close friends.” Both GoPro and Snap Inc. plan to keep developing machine learning technology. But so far, neither has released products with smart-capture capabilities comparable to Google Clips. Many smartphones already have facial recognition technology built into the devices. Apple iPhone X Apple’s new iPhone X is being launched with its new Face ID system that it says will unlock the phone just by having the user look at it. This replaces the Touch ID on previous devices that used a fingerprint to unlock the phone.   Apple says the system works by projecting more than 30,000 dots on the face to create a kind of map. An infrared camera then reads the dots to create an image that can be confirmed as a match. Apple claims its facial recognition is even secure enough to allow payments through its Apple Pay service.    Samsung S8 Samsung’s S8 smartphones also use eye and facial recognition technology to unlock devices.   Earlier this year, Samsung also launched its new voice assistant Bixby. The service uses machine learning to automatically search and bring up information on things that are photographed. The technology also allows voice to control many device actions. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   algorithm – n. set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process framing – n. basic structure holding other things inside automatically – adv. allowing something to work or happen without being directly controlled by a person app – n. a computer program that performs an activity project – v. to cause something to appear on a surface  

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Helping America's Homeless with Socks

Helping America's Homeless with Socks

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Einstein’s Note on Happiness Sells for $1.3 Million

This is What’s Trending Today… In 1922, German-born scientist Albert Einstein was traveling to Tokyo when he found out he had earned the Nobel Prize in Physics. While in Japan, Einstein stayed at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel. During his stay, a hotel worker came to Einstein’s room to make a delivery. Einstein found himself without any money to give the man as a tip for his services. So, instead of money, the famous scientist handed the hotel worker a signed note with a sentence he wrote in German. It read: “A calm and humble life will bring more happiness than the pursuit of success and the constant restlessness that comes with it.” He gave him another note that read: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Both notes were written on the Imperial Hotel’s notepaper. Einstein reportedly advised the man to keep the notes, saying they may one day be worth more than any tip he could give him. The hotel worker must have listened to Einstein’s advice. Ninety-five years later, the hotel worker’s nephew contacted Winner’s Auctions and Exhibitions, an auction company in Israel. On Tuesday, the notes were put on auction in Jerusalem. The price for the happiness note started at $2,000. About 25 minutes later, it sold to the highest bidder.            That person, who was not named, agreed to pay $1.3 million dollars. The second signed Einstein note sold for over $200,000. Einstein may be best known for his theory of relativity. In fact, the winners of this year’s Nobel Prize for Physics earned the award for measuring gravitational waves -- an important part of Einstein’s theory. But now, his one-sentence theory of happiness is famous, as well. And that's What's Trending Today... I'm Ashley Thompson.   Reuters reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it, with additional reporting from the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tip  - n. an extra amount of money given to someone who performs a service for you humble - adj. not special, fancy, or expensive advice  - n. an opinion or suggestion about what someone should do auction - n. a public sale at which things are sold to the people who offer to pay the most bid - v. to offer to pay (a particular amount of money) for something that is being sold : to make a bid at an auction

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October 25, 2017

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

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Kurds in Iraq Offer to Suspend Independence Effort

Iraqi Kurds offered on Wednesday to suspend the results of an independence vote and to start talks with the government in Baghdad. However, an Iraqi military spokesman suggested that, regardless of talks, an offensive would continue to capture territory under Kurdish control. The Iraqi central government declared the Kurdish referendum for independence illegal. It launched an offensive to seize the oil-producing area of Kirkuk. Kurdish forces had defeated Islamic State militants to take control of the area. In a statement, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said, “The fighting between the two sides will not produce a victory for any, it will take the country to total destruction.” The KRG proposed an immediate ceasefire and a suspension of the referendum result. In return, it called for “starting an open dialogue with the federal government based on the Iraqi Constitution”. In a social media comment, an Iraqi military spokesman answered, “Military operations are not connected to politics.” Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi did not react to the Kurdish proposal on Wednesday. He was on an official visit to neighboring Turkey and Iran, countries that are also against the Kurdish independence vote. Earlier, the prime minister had said the KRG should cancel the vote’s result as a condition for talks to take place. He also ordered the Iraqi army to capture all disputed territory and demanded control of Iraq’s border crossings with Turkey. All such crossings are inside the Kurdish autonomous area. Fighting in strategic region On Tuesday, Kurdish officials said their Peshmerga forces had stopped Iranian-supported militias near the border with Turkey and Syria. The border area of Fish-Khabur is part of the Kurdish autonomous region. It is home to a pipeline for oil exports from northern Iraq to Turkey. Control of the area is important to any move toward Kurdish independence. The fighting between the central Iraqi government and the Kurds presents a problem for the United States. The U.S. began providing military support and training to both sides after the war in Iraq and during the fight against Islamic State militants. I’m Caty Weaver.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Reuters news reports. Mario Ritter was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story regardless –adv. whether or not something else takes place, notwithstanding referendum –n. a popular vote on a single issue or question dialogue –n. talks, a series of discussions meant to end a disagreement autonomous –adj. having powers of self-rule  

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