Police: New York Attacker 'Did This in the Name of ISIS'

  Police have confirmed that the Uzbek immigrant accused of killing eight and injuring 12 in New York City carried out the attack in the name of the Islamic State terror group. “He did this in the name of ISIS,” New York deputy police commissioner John Miller said Wednesday. Miller added that the suspect “had been planning this for a number of weeks.” The attacker is identified as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, an immigrant from Uzbekistan. He came to the United States in 2010 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, also known as the lottery diversity immigration program. Officials say Saipov drove a pickup truck down a bicycle path in New York City on Tuesday. Eight people died and 12 others were injured. He then ran down a highway, holding fake guns and shouting “God is great” in Arabic. Police then shot the man. He remains hospitalized in critical condition. Miller said that police found notes written in Arabic in Saipov’s truck that said the Islamic State “would endure forever.” Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump called the attacker an “animal.” He asked Congress to end the lottery program immediately and replace it with a merit-based immigration program. The diversity visa program provides up to 50,000 visas each year by lottery. Applicants must have completed high school or meet work experience requirements. The program was created as part of a bipartisan immigration bill introduced by the late Senator Ted Kennedy, a Democrat. It was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, in 1990. Trump blames lottery program and Democrats Earlier on Wednesday, the president called the diversity lottery program “a Chuck Schumer beauty.” Schumer is a New York senator and the Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate. Trump also noted what an expert said on Fox News Wednesday, tweeting, “Senator Chuck Schumer helping to import Europe’s problems.” Shortly after Trump published his tweets, Sen. Schumer replied with his own: “I guess it’s not too soon to politicize a tragedy.” Schumer said in a statement that he has “always believed and continue to believe that immigration is good for America.” He added, “I’m calling on the president to immediately rescind his proposed cuts to this vital anti-terrorism funding.” Trump said on Tuesday that he ordered the Department of Homeland Security “to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program.” Trump’s extreme-vetting policy on immigrants aims to identify those who may sympathize with extremists or pose a security risk to the United States.   Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English with additional reporting from the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fake - adj. not real endure - v. to continue to exist in the same state or condition merit - n. value and worth lottery - n. a system to decide who will get something by chance bipartisan - n. involving members of two political parties politicize - v. to relate (an idea, issue...) to politics in a way that makes people less likely to agree rescind - v. to end a law, contract, agreement... vet - v. to investigate someone thoroughly sympathize (+ with)- v. to feel or show support for or approval of something

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Rescued Sailors' Report of Their Experience Questioned

There appears to be something fishy about the story of two sailors who say they were lost at sea for five months. A U.S. Navy ship rescued Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava Friday in the Pacific Ocean and they landed in Japan Monday. They and their two dogs had left Hawaii May 1 on their sailboat, the Sea Nymph. They said their boat was severely damaged in storms and they were floating aimlessly for months. However, a U.S. Coast Guard examination has found that the women never used their emergency beacon. Weather experts also say there were no storms as described by the women.   The women earlier told The Associated Press that they had radios, satellite phones, GPS and other emergency gear. However, they did not say they had an emergency position indicating radio beacon. The device communicates with satellites. It sends position information to officials in minutes. Appel said Tuesday that they had the device on their sailboat but never turned it on. She added that in her experience, the beacon should be used only when facing physical danger and death in the next 24 hours. “Our hull was solid, we were floating, we had food, we had water, and we had limited maneuverable capacity,” Appel said in Japan. “All those things did not say we are going to die. All that said it’s going to take us a whole lot longer to get where we’re going.” Experts are questioning the truth of other main elements of the women’s story. It is not consistent with weather reports or basic geography of the Pacific Ocean. The pair said they faced a fierce storm on May 3 off the Hawaiian island of Oahu with 97 kilometer an hour winds and 9-meter high waves. But the National Weather Service in Honolulu said no organized storm systems were in or near Hawaii that day or near that day. NASA satellite images confirm that finding. Appel said they received a Coast Guard storm warning May 3. And she expressed surprise Tuesday that there was no record of the storm. The women said they thought about turning back, but the islands of Maui and Lanai did not have harbors deep enough for their sailboat. The Sea Nymph is 15 meters long. Both islands have harbors that can accept boats of that size. But Appel said she had made changes that increased the size of her sailboat. Several days later, Appel said, parts of their mast and rigging failed but their motor still worked. The two decided against trying to land on another small island. They believed it was mostly unpeopled with no protected waters. But Christmas Island, part of the island nation of Kiribati, is home to more than 2,000 people. It also has a port that welcomes huge ships. The pair then set sail for the Cook Islands, about 1,600 kilometers away and a few hundred kilometers beyond their original target destination of Tahiti. Then, they said another storm killed their engine at the end of May. At one point in June, the Coast Guard said it made radio contact with a vessel identifying itself as the Sea Nymph near Tahiti. The Coast Guard reported the captain said they were not in distress and expected to make land the next morning. It is not clear if that communication was from Appel and Fuiava, who told the Coast Guard they were  more than 2,000 kilometers away, near Christmas Island. I’m Caty Weaver. The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Words in This Story maneuverable – adj. able to be moved quickly, easily, or in small spaces​ consistent – adj.  in agreement with something​ harbor – n. a part of the ocean, a lake, etc., that is next to land and that is protected and deep enough to provide safety for ships​ original – adj. happening or existing first or at the beginning​ destination – n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent​ vessel – n. a ship or boat​ We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Program Offers Job Experience, Pay for High Schoolers

  At the start of the school year, Aelina Pogosian could not wait to tell her friends about the most interesting thing she had done over the summer. The 16-year-old did not want to talk about a trip she took somewhere. She wanted to talk about a paid internship that she had at a biology laboratory at Montgomery College in Maryland. The internship was made possible by the RISE program, which gives real job experience to high school students in Montgomery County. “A lot of the materials and machinery we used is not given at most high schools,” Pogosian said. She added, “I got to learn a lot at the same time I was able to have a lot of fun. And I met some new people.” Jennifer Sengbusch is the Instructional Lab Coordinator who worked with Pogosian. She said her first task is to teach the high schoolers about safety rules to avoid injury. She said, “We also went through working with chemicals, making solutions, doing calculations. Then we progressed into doing more complicated things (such) as measuring protein concentrations and doing DNA tests.” The internship was not just about tests in the laboratory. There also was training in how to take care of animals, such as snakes and tortoises, kept in the lab. RISE program gives real job experience More than 400 students from Montgomery County’s 25 high schools took part in the RISE program. RISE stands for Real Interesting Summer Experience. The “experiences” may be at construction companies, police stations, marketing companies, fire stations and other places. More than 140 businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations hosted students for paid internships. Will Jawando, a local activist, is the program's director. He says RISE has two main goals: “The first goal is to expose our students to career opportunities early on so they can inform their education or training after high school.” The second goal is improving the local economy. “We said there's 30,000 middle-skill level jobs here in Montgomery County that are not filled. So how do we also expose them to that there's jobs here in the county that they could be doing in a year or two that pay well and are on career track.” He said the program does not only benefits the students. It can also help the county and the region. If students involved in the program stay in the area after graduating from high school, they can become productive citizens. Local government supports the program The program received some support from the Montgomery County Council. Councilman Craig Rice helped provide some of the money. Rice said that, while government often pays attention to immediate needs like roads and building, the RISE program provides for future generations. He said spending money on young people is a way to show that government is serious about being competitive in the world. Sengbusch said RISE gave her the chance to work with high school student who might apply to Montgomery College. She described the students as curious and eager to learn. She said high schoolers might be more “inquisitive” than college students. She said, “The high school students really ask a lot of great questions." Pogosian, she said, was engaged and always on time. She noted that she was surprised to learn that the 16-year-old arrived an hour early just to make sure she would be on time, saying ‘I just didn’t want to be late.’ Organizers say the RISE program had a successful summer in 2017. They want to expand the program next year. They also hope that other counties in the area will offer similar Real Interesting Summer Experiences for their students. I’m Anna Mateo. And I'm Ashley Thompson.   Faisa Elmasry reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   calculations –n. the process of using math to find an answer internships –n. a position meant to give a young person experience in doing a job career –n. a job or profession that someone does over a long time benefit –v. to cause a good result curious –adj. having an interest in find out new things eager –adj. being excited and interested to do something inquisitive –adj. having many questions, interested in finding out more engaged –adj. involved in something deeply We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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500 Years Since Martin Luther Launched Christian Reformation

Here's What's Trending Today... Martin Luther and his 95 Theses were trending on Google Tuesday. It is a strange place to find Luther, who lived 500 years ago in what is now Germany. He was a Roman Catholic religious worker, who became a professor of theology. Luther disagreed with some of the Catholic Church’s teachings. He especially disliked the custom of selling indulgences. It enabled wealthy people to pay the church to free themselves of their sins. In other words, clergy could clear them of any wrongdoing or violation of Catholic teachings. On October 31 in the year 1517, Luther reportedly left his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in the town of Wittenberg. His writings disputed the Catholic Church’s power over believers. He said that one’s trust in God, not actions, would lead to salvation. Luther wrote “Why does not the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of Saint Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?” Some historians question whether Luther actually did nail his theses to the door of the church. But all agree that his writings spread with the help of the printing press. His Theses became a kind of 16th century trending topic across central Europe. The Pope condemned them as conflicting with the Church’s teachings. The incident launched what became known as Reformation and led to the Protestant movement to break away from the Catholic Church. On the 500th anniversary of Luther’s act of resistance, members of German youth organizations nailed their own theses to the doors of 300 churches around Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others attended a religious service at Castle Church in Wittenberg. And October 31, Reformation Day, was a public holiday in all of Germany. And that is What’s Trending. I’m Jill Robbins.   Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   thesis - n, plural theses a long pice of writing on a particular subject trending - n. something that is popular indulgence - n. in the Catholic Church, putting aside part or all punishment that is due for committing sins salvation - n. the act of saving someone from sin Crassus - n. Marcus Licinius Crassus was the richest man in Roman history nail - v. to attach with a nail

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Saudi Arabia to Sell Shares of New Mega-City

  Saudi Arabia has announced it will sell shares of its planned $500-billion mega-city on financial markets. The city, called NEOM, is a 26,500-square-kilometer zone that will stretch into Jordan and Egypt. Saudi Arabia is also selling shares of its national oil company, Saudi Aramco. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made the announcement during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. The prince told the Reuters news agency that the move is part of the country’s push to invest its economy in industries other than oil.  Prince Mohammed explained that the name “NEOM” comes from combining “neo” --meaning new -- with M, the first letter of the Arabic word for future. The 32-year-old prince is next in line to be king of Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and an absolute monarchy. Bringing growth with NEOM The NEOM zone will be located next to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, near trade routes that use the Suez Canal. The zone will serve as a gateway to the future King Salman Bridge, which will link Egypt and Saudi Arabia. NEOM will be owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, or PIF until the selling of shares begins. The PIF has said it hopes that NEOM will bring investments from companies in renewable energy, biotechnology, manufacturing and entertainment. Prince Mohammed said NEOM would not be listed in the markets until “the idea is mature enough.”  “It might be after 2030, it might be before, but the idea and the strategy is to float it eventually,” he said. Prince Mohammed said the city could select a board of directors and government. NEOM’s leaders’ only responsibility would be to increase economic activity. “In New York, the governor is appointed to meet certain needs, including growth, but in NEOM the governor doesn’t have to deal with any of those problems,” he said. NEOM is part of the crown prince’s plan called “Vision 2030.” Its aim is to reform the economy of Saudi Arabia and provide more jobs for the country’s large population of young people. “The idea is not to restructure the economy as much as to seize the opportunities available that we didn’t address before,” Prince Mohammed said. The kingdom’s growth has slowed since the price of oil fell in 2014. Some fear the Saudi economy may shrink again this year. A changing Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia follows Sharia law, which based on a strict interpretation of Islam. However, NEOM will not follow those rules. Instead, it will offer residents a more liberal lifestyle, permitting such things as musical performances and entertainment.  Saudi Arabia has started relaxing some of its long-standing rules.  It recently permitted women to drive cars. Prince Mohammed calls these reforms important for economic survival.  Prince Mohammed became next in line for the throne in June after the king, his father, removed a more senior prince from the line of succession. The prince has promised to transform Saudi Arabia economically and socially. I’m Phil Dierking.   This story was originally written by Samuel Petrequin, Brian Rohan and David Rising for the Associated Press. 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   gateway - n. a means of access or entry to a place.​ invest - v. to use money to earn more money​ liberal - adj. believing that government should be active in supporting social and political change​ mature - adj. based on careful thought monarchy - n. a country that is ruled by a monarch (such as a king or queen)​ relaxing - adj. helping you to rest and to feel less tense, worried, nervous, etc.​ sharia law - n. is a set of religious principles which form part of the Islamic tradition. ​ seize - n.  to use legal or official power to take something) succession - n. the act of getting a title or right after the person who had that title or right before you has died or is no longer able or allowed to have it​ throne - n. the position of king or queen​  

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Southeast Asian Leaders Go Soft on China Over Disputed Sea

  China and a group of countries in Southeast Asia are likely to talk briefly about a territorial dispute when their leaders meet next month. But some observers say the discussions will be without language that would anger the Chinese government. Chinese officials will meet with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from November 10 through 14 in Manila. The Philippines, an ally of China for the past year, will be chairing the meetings. ASEAN gatherings usually aim to strengthen general agreement, not publicize differences. Observers expect statements from the meetings to note this dispute, over sovereignty in the South China Sea, without blaming any country. Oh Ei Sun teaches international studies at Singapore Nanyang University. He expects the dispute to be noted at the ASEAN talks, but with very general language urging all sides to act responsibly. China claims more than 90 percent of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea. Since 2010, China has expanded its coast guard and military presence in the waterway, which is valued for its oil and fisheries. This expansion has angered four ASEAN members. Parts of the sea also are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The talks in Manila may be peaceful because China and ASEAN may be close to an agreement. Foreign ministers from the two sides agreed in August to language that would avoid sovereignty issues and work to avoid accidents at sea. The agreement, called a code of conduct, had been stopped for five years largely because China didn’t like it. Then China’s occupation of a shoal in 2012 caused the Philippines to bring the territorial dispute to a world arbitration court. In July 2016, the court agreed with the Philippines. Since then, China has sought stronger relationships with ASEAN countries by making economic agreements. ASEAN and China are expected to begin expanding the language of the code of conduct next year. Usually, China avoids negotiating with groups of countries because such discussions lessen China’s power. ASEAN countries are home to 630 million people. Many of these nations receive support from the United States military. China wishes to call the code of conduct talks “discussions” to avoid the more formal word “negotiations,” said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at The University of New South Wales. The Chinese government also put a condition that gives it a right to leave the talks, he noted. China may be urging ASEAN not to let the United States or any powerful country get involved in the dispute while the talks continue, Thayer said. But observers say ASEAN and China must recognize the deep sea dispute during the meetings in Manila. ASEAN always discusses the South China Sea, Thayer noted. “They want progress,” he said. Vietnam and the Philippines had already softened their positions toward China since the world court ruling, said Nathan Liu, international affairs professor at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan. Last year, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a friendly visit to Beijing. He received Chinese promises of $24 billion in development-related aid. Vietnam promised in May to increase maritime cooperation with China, noted China’s official Xinhua News Agency. The pledge followed Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang’s meeting in Chinese Premier Le Keqiang. Brunei and Malaysia, which had strong economic ties with China even before the court ruling, rarely speak about China’s maritime activities. “The South China Sea issue is already gone,” Liu said. He believes that with the Philippines and Vietnam seeking agreement, no other country will raise the issue. China has worried other countries since 2010 when it began developing man-made islands, some apparently for military use. Other worries for ASEAN include passage of Chinese coast guard ships and deployment of oil pumping stations in the sea. I'm Susan Shand.   Ralph Jennings reported on this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted his 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   maritime – adj. relating to sailing on the sea or doing business (such as trading) by sea sovereignty - n. an area’s right to govern itself shoal - n. an area where the water in a sea, lake, or river is not deep arbitration - n. a process of settling an argument or disagreement in which the people or groups on both sides present their opinions and ideas to a third person or group emeritus – adj. retired with an honorary name from an office or position, especially in a university pledge - v. to make a serious promise formal – adj. involving or related to som

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Kenya’s President Named Winner of Disputed Election

  Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission says President Uhuru Kenyatta has been re-elected. The commission says 98 percent of Kenyans who marked ballots in the presidential election last week voted for Kenyatta. He received 7.4 million votes. Six weeks ago, Kenya’s Supreme Court cancelled Kenyatta’s victory in elections held in August. The court ruled that the commission did not follow the constitution and law. It ordered a new vote. About 80 percent of registered voters marked ballots in the August elections. But only 38 percent voted last Thursday. Opposition leader Raila Odinga withdrew as a presidential candidate about a month ago. He said the commission was not ready for a repeat vote. And he urged his supporters not to vote in the election. Odinga comes from Kisumu in western Kenya. Many people there support him. Eric Otieno says he cannot accept the result of the repeat election. “I have just seen disaster in this country because you cannot tell anyone that the way forward, we have had elections, and so we have a president. To me, we don’t have a validly elected president. Recognizing Uhuru as president, my president, no way…” Many people in the area where Kenyatta was born and in the Rift Valley area voted for the governing Jubilee party. The Rift Valley is home to deputy president William Ruto. The electoral commission canceled the vote in four counties for security reasons. The four are Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori. Opposition supporters have been protesting in some parts of the country. They are calling for electoral reforms. Some political observers question the legitimacy of the latest election because 12 million registered voters did not mark ballots. Kamissa Camara is one such expert. She works for PartnersGlobal, an organization that works for peaceful and democratic change. “Odinga did boycott the election as well as most of his supporters. So only one third of registered voters actually went to vote in this rerun. So that will cause a great question and a great challenge for the legitimacy of President Uhuru Kenyatta.” On Tuesday, Odinga made his first public comments since Kenyatta was declared the winner. He described the vote last week as “a sham election that must not be allowed to stand.” Odinga announced the creation of what he called a “People’s Assembly,” through which the opposition would “exercise the solemn duty of restoring democracy, constitutionalism, and the rule of law.” Chris Hennemeyer follows politics in Africa. He says Kenyatta will have to change the way he talks about his victory if he is to be able to govern his divided country. “Now it’s up to him to decide whether he wants to sound like a conciliatory leader who’s attempting to bring Kenyans together or whether that’s not the route he chooses to go on and from his initial remarks today, it does not sound like he’s willing to speak to Raila to try and find some common ground and move the country forward.” Chris Hennemeyer says he does not believe the election will stop Kenya from playing an important role in East Africa. “He understands that business must go on so I don’t see Kenya turning into a failed state or dysfunctional country." John Tomaszewski is with the International Republican Institute, an organization that works to spread democracy. He was in Kenya during the elections. He says this has been a difficult time for the country. “We’ve seen a very tough election cycle and I think what’s happened today is one more step in a process that won’t end today. I think, while the Jubilee government would like to move on, you know, the NASA coalition has dug in and I think we’ll continue to see more and more of this discussion in the weeks ahead...” Kenyan business and religious leaders have called for calm. At least nine people have died from election-related violence since Thursday.  I’m Anne Ball.   Correspondent Mohammed Yusuf reported this story from Kisumu, Kenya. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for VOA Learning English. His story contains information from a report by VOA’s Mariama Diallo. 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   valid – adj. acceptable according to the law legitimate – adj. real, accepted or official rerun – n. an occurrence in which something happens or is done again sham - adj. not true or real conciliatory – adj. intended to make someone less angry dysfunctional – adj. the condition of having poor and unhealthy behaviors and attitudes within a group of people cycle – n. a set of events or actions that happen again and again in the same order; a repeating series of events or actions NASA – n. acronym for National Super Alliance – the name of the political opposition in Kenya dug in – phrasal verb to dig a trench and take position inside it (used figuratively)  

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India Sending Wheat through Iran to Afghanistan

India has begun using a new trade route to Afghanistan. India sent its first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan by way of the Iranian port of Chabahar. The shipment will not pass through Pakistan, which lies directly between the two countries. The Pakistani government refuses to let India transport goods to Afghanistan through Pakistani territory. The new sea route is an important step in expanding trade between India and Afghanistan. Indian officials described the first shipment as a "landmark moment." India plans to send six more shipments, representing 1.1 million tons of wheat, in the coming months. They will be sent from the port of Kandla, in western India, to Chabahar. From there, they will be taken by road to the Afghan capital, Kabul.  The shipment comes days after a top United States official, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, visited New Delhi. He spoke about President Donald Trump’s decision to decertify the international nuclear agreement with Iran. Tillerson attempted to ease concerns that U.S. officials could stop India’s plans to develop the Iranian port. Easier connectivity to Afghanistan is necessary for India to increase its economic links with Afghanistan and countries in Central Asia. The port of Chabahar is the centerpiece of an effort to improve trade in the area. India is investing $500 million to develop ports and new transport centers, as well as connecting road and railroad lines. Indian leaders expressed hope about the project. Sushma Swaraj is India’s foreign minister. She called the new trade link the starting point of an effort that would lead to the unrestricted flow of trade throughout South Asia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter that the launch of the trade route "marks a new chapter in regional cooperation and connectivity." The sea route through the Iranian port is the second step taken by India to increase connectivity with Afghanistan. In June, India opened an air freight route to provide more Afghan goods for the Indian market. The Chabahar project was proposed almost 15 years ago. But plans were delayed for years because of U.S.-led actions to punish Iran for its nuclear activities. The easing of those sanctions led India to sign an agreement with Iran and Afghanistan last year to develop the port. The shortest and most cost-effective land routes between India and Afghanistan lie through Pakistan. But a long rivalry between the two countries has prevented India from sending exports through Pakistani territory. Afghanistan is only permitted to send a limited amount of goods to India through Pakistan.  I’m Jonathan Evans.   Anjana Pasricha reported this story for VOANews.com from New Delhi. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   rivalry – n. a state or situation in which people or groups are competing with each other freight – adj. of or related to goods to be shipped chapter – n. a part or division of a book decertify – v. to state officially that something fails to meet requirements landmark – adj. related to a development that marks a turning point route – n. a line of travel

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October 30, 2017

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

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Former Trump Campaign Aides Charged

  United States officials have announced the first charges resulting from an investigation of Russian efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election last year. A federal grand jury indicted Paul Manafort and Rick Gates on Monday. Manafort served briefly as chairman of Donald Trump’s election campaign. Gates is his business partner, who also worked for the Trump campaign. The two men were charged with 12 criminal counts. These include conspiring against the United States, acting as unregistered foreign agents, and other charges related to hiding tens of millions of dollars overseas. Both Manafort and Gates pled not guilty in federal court. These are the first charges Special Counsel Robert Mueller has made public in his five-month investigation, but the indictments did not relate directly to the U.S. election. Officials say Manafort and Gates worked for years as political advisers and lobbyists. They were charged in connection with their work for the government of Ukraine, two Ukrainian political parties, and former president Viktor Yanukovych. The indictments came on same day that Mueller announced that a former Trump campaign aide pled guilty earlier this month to lying to federal agents. In court papers, George Papadopoulos admitted lying about his contacts with “foreign nationals” who he thought had close ties to Russian officials. Papadopoulos once served as a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. He is said to be cooperating with investigators. Court papers show that Papadopoulos was told about the Russians possessing “dirt” on Hillary Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails” on April 26, 2016. This was before it became public that the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta’s emails had been hacked. Podesta served as chairman of Clinton’s presidential election campaign. At the White House, presidential spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mueller’s announcement had nothing to do with the Trump campaign. Papadopoulos, she noted, was a volunteer. “It has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign. It has to do with his failure to tell the truth. That doesn’t have anything to do with the campaign or the campaign’s activities.” She added that the investigation should look into Clinton’s election campaign. Earlier on Monday, President Trump also said investigators should be looking at his former opponent. And he tweeted that the Manafort indictment was related to events that took place before the 2016 campaign. “Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????," he tweeted. The president added, “Also, there is NO COLLUSION!” Collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia is what Mueller has been investigating since he was named Special Counsel last May. Manafort joined Trump’s election campaign in March 2016. Trump pushed him out in August because of reports about Manafort’s foreign consulting work. The indictment accuses Manafort and Gates of nearly 10 years of secretly plotting to work for Ukrainian interests. It says more than $75 million passed through financial accounts outside the United States, and that Manafort hid more than $18 million. Manafort and Gates worked for pro-Russian groups in Ukraine between 2006 and 2015. That investigation is now also part of Mueller’s larger investigation. I’m Anne Ball. Anne Ball wrote this story for VOA Learning English. The editor was George Grow. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   grand jury - n. ​a group of people who look at the evidence against someone who has been accused of a crime in order to decide if there should be a trial​ indict - v. to formally decide that someone should be put on trial for a crime conspire - v. to secretly plan with someone to do something that is harmful or illegal plead - v. to say in court that you are either guilty or not guilty of a crime : to make a plea investigator - n.  someone who works as a detective and who is not a member of a police force lobbyist  - n.​ a person who works together to influence government decisions that relate to a particular industry, issue, etc.​ hack  - v. to secretly get access to the files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage, etc. focus - n. ​a subject that is being discussed or studied : the subject on which people's attention is focused​ collusion - n. secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose

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One Method for Controlling Emotions, Stress

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Fear, anger, hate and sadness: These are four emotions that can affect how we think and how we act. When we are under pressure -- mental or physical -- our emotions are even more difficult to control. But what if there was a quick and easy plan for dealing with your emotions every time you faced a stressful situation? Well, there may be such a plan. And it involves a grammatical term: third person singular. Teachers use this term when talking about verbs and the form they take with the third person pronouns “he,” “she” or “it.” Now, an American researcher thinks he may have found a way to help control stress: talk to yourself in the third-person. Jason Moser is a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist. He serves as an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University. Moser says that talking to yourself in the third-person seems to put a kind of psychological distance between you and your emotions. He thinks this distance is all some people need to control how they react to stress.   “’Jason’ doesn’t just refer to myself. ‘Jason’ is the name of lots of other Jasons I’ve met before, and it has many other references. Whereas, ‘I’ and ‘me’ can only refer to the self, Jason can refer to others. And I think that distance from the self towards others gives people different perspectives. It allows them to manage stress better.” Talking to yourself in the third-person is like giving yourself advice. Moser uses himself in an example. He does not like flying, but he must fly often for his work. So, when he is feeling nervous or afraid during a flight, he talks to himself -- only silently. “And what I find myself doing, if I use third-person self-talk, is that I then start kind of giving myself advice. I start saying, ‘Well, you know, Jason knows air travel is very safe. And Jason’s been on thousands of flights before with no issue.’ And so this little bit of psychological distance you gain by using your own name – it’s almost as if you’re giving advice to somebody else even though it really does end up being you you're giving advice to.” Moser admits that talking out loud to yourself could look and sound strange to other people. So, he suggests using your brain and having that discussion inside your head. Thinking through that dialogue enables you to use this strategy anytime, anywhere. This strategy is easy and quick Moser’s research came from his desire as a mental health expert to help patients. Moser felt helpless when his patients were unable to use strategies he would suggest to them. He wanted to find a method that people could easily use to control their emotions. “I’m looking for easy and quick strategies people can use to manage negative emotions. In doing therapy with my clients one of the things that’s really frustrating is that many times it’s hard to get clients to adopt strategies you want them to adopt. And in large part because  they’re difficult. And they’re not exactly easy or intuitive in the moment.” Moser says that simply telling people suffering from depression to think differently is not enough. Brain imaging tests show that it takes great effort for these people to change their way of thinking. “And when you ask people who are anxious or depressed, for instance, to do that -- you see that it’s really difficult for them to do that. Their brain activity show you that it’s effortful for them. And so, I’m always looking for something that’s easier and quicker for people to do in the moment.” The two studies Moser performed two experiments with other researchers at Michigan State University and psychologists at the University of Michigan. He says they used two kinds of stimuli and looked at brain activity in the participants using two different imaging techniques. “Yeah, so, our main goal with these two studies was to show that third-person self-talk can be an effortless form of emotion regulation.” In the first study, Moser and his team showed the test subjects troubling pictures. They asked them to think about the pictures, using either first-person pronouns or third-person self-talk. Then the researchers examined the brain activity of both groups using an electroencephalogram or EEG. This is a test that recognizes electrical activity in a person’s brain. In the second study, researchers asked the subjects to think of difficult memories, again using both first-person pronouns or third-person self-talk. But this time, they looked at the brain activity with a different kind of technology, fMRI. Moser says that in both studies, the subjects who used third-person self-talk had a big reduction of emotional response in brain wave activity. The two tests also showed that these participants did not experience higher activity in other parts of the brain. Moser says this shows that the strategy needs no additional effort and happens without any thought or effort. “They had reduced emotional experiences but no extra effort or extra processing somewhere else in the brain. It seemed to be automatic and effortless.” Moser says he and his team used both imaging tests to give a more complete picture of how the brain reacts to third-person self-talk. EEG measures electrical activity during a short period of time. And fMRI measures blood flow over a longer period. The researchers decided to use two different stimuli in the separate studies for the same reason. One study looked at the strategy used on immediate reactions to a troubling picture. The other study explored the effect of third-person self-talk on bad memories. “In the EEG, we showed them pictures and wanted to see, 'Can they use third-person self-talk in the moment?' Whereas in the fMRI scanner we wanted to see, "Can we get the same sort of effect using memories about the past?' ” Moser says this provides a strong case that third-person self-talk is an effective way to control emotions in any situation. He says the most exciting thing he learned from this research is that third-person self-talk is effortless. The brain imaging shows it does not require any added effort, planning or thinking. And people can use it when dealing with immediate stress or when dealing with painful memories that have long since passed.  “This is not hard to do. People can do this and they can do it quickly within the first second of seeing an emotional picture. And they can do it reflecting back on painful experiences. And that it’s really easy and quick to do. And that was really, I think, the kinda main point that we wanted to make with these studies.” Who shouldn’t use this technique? Moser warns that this strategy may not be good for everyone. People with a severe mental disorder and who already have too much distance from their feelings should probably not use third-person self-talk. But he believes most other people can use the technique when dealing with stress, depression, anxiety or anger. Critics Moser admits that the strategy does have its share of critics in the world of psychology. He notes that some may call third-person self-talk silly. However, he adds that this strategy for controlling stress and emotion is not new, but the research is. With the information he and his colleagues have collected, third-person self-talk may be used by more people and in more situations. And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz. ​______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   grammatical – adj. of or relating to grammar : grammar – n. the set of rules that explain how words are used in a language clinical psychologist – n. a psychologist who works with patients neuroscientist – n. one who studies the nerves and especially of how nerves affect learning and behavior refer – v. refer to (something) : to have a direct connection or relationship to (something) : reference – n. negative – adj. harmful or bad : not wanted strategy – n. a plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time adopt – v. to begin to use or have (a different manner, method, etc.) intuitive – adj. readily learned or understood anxious – adj. afraid or nervous especially about what may happen : feeling anxiety stimuli – n. something that causes a change or a reaction : an  influence that acts usually from outside the body to partly change bodily activity (as by exciting a receptor or sense organ) regulation – n. the act of regulating something : regulate – v. to set or adjust the amount, degree, or rate of (something) electroencephalogram – n. medical the tracing of brain waves made by an electroencephalograph : electroencephalograph – n. medical : an apparatus for detecting and recording brain waves silly – adj. having or showing a lack of thought, understanding, or good judgment : foolish or stupid : not serious, meaningful, or important 

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