Quiz - Mars on Earth: Tests in Desert of Oman

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2Ew56ND
via IFTTT

Gunman Kills At Least 17 at Florida High School

A police official in the American state of Florida says 17 people have died in a shooting attack Wednesday at a high school. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel says police have arrested the suspect shooter, a 19-year-old. He says the suspect is a former student of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The attack began there minutes before the end of the school day. The shooting is the latest in a series of attacks at churches, offices, movie theaters and public places. It is also the deadliest school shooting since 2012 - twenty students were killed in the attack at Newtown in the state of Connecticut. Israel said the suspect had been expelled from the school for disciplinary reasons. The official says the man had at least one automatic rifle and several magazines. He says most of the deaths happened inside the building. One man says he watched as officers arrested the suspect. Michael Nembhard told The Associated Press he was watching television news reports of the shooting when he heard yelling. He said it was a police officer repeatedly ordering the suspect to “get on the ground!” Nembhard says he saw a teenage boy on the ground about 137 meters away. An officer was pointing a gun at him. The officer stood over the boy until other officers arrived, handcuffed him and led him away. A federal official who spoke on condition that he would not be identified said the suspect’s name is Nicolas Cruz. The White House canceled its daily press briefing after news of the attack. President Donald Trump spoke with Florida Governor Rick Scott about the shooting. Trump tweeted that the White House is “working closely with law enforcement on the terrible Florida school shooting.” Earlier, Trump tweeted his condolences to the families of the victims. His spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump has offered Florida federal assistance, if needed. The homeland security secretary has also been in touch with state and local officials. Sanders says, “We continue to keep the victims, and their friends and family, in our thoughts and prayers.”    

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2HgZBUO
via IFTTT

February 14, 2018

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2EqQvDc
via IFTTT

South African President Jacob Zuma Resigns

  South African President Jacob Zuma has resigned, in his words, “with immediate effect.” He made the announcement in a 30-minute speech on national television late Wednesday. The 75-year-old Zuma had been under strong pressure from his ruling African National Congress, or ANC, to leave office before the end of his term. Zuma said he would resign although he disagreed with the instructions of the ANC to leave office immediately. In his speech, he said the party should observe the constitution in its efforts to remove him. The party was set to hold a “no confidence” vote on Thursday to remove him from office. Zuma has faced eight no confidence votes and survived each one. However, years of corruption accusations had left the South African leader with fewer and fewer allies. The ANC also has seen its support drop as the accusations of corruption continued. Earlier Wednesday, Zuma gave an interview on South Africa’s state broadcaster SABC. In it, he said party leaders had not given him a clear reason for why he should resign. Zuma’s earlier position had been that he wanted to remain in office for several additional months. After the announcement, the ANC expressed gratitude for Zuma’s “loyal service.” The party is calling on its members to support Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. Reports say Ramaphosa is expected to be elected in a parliamentary vote and sworn in soon. Ramaphosa replaced Zuma as president of the ANC in December. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English from AP Reuters and VOA sources. 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 confidence - n. the feeling of being certain that something will happen or that something is true gratitude - n. a feeling of appreciation or thanks  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2o53wLy
via IFTTT

Olympic Ready? Robot Skiers Compete in South Korea

  As the world’s top athletes competed at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, some robots also showed off their winter sports skills. A ski race involving robots was held recently at the Welli Hilli Park ski area near Pyeongchang. Eight teams built and programmed the robots to compete in the Ski Robot Challenge for a chance to win a $10,000 prize. The robots came in different shapes and sizes. The rules, however, required them to have the basic form of a human. They needed to be able to stand on two “legs,” with joints similar to elbows and knees. They also had to be at least 50 centimeters tall. In addition, each robot had to have an independent power system and use the same skis and poles that people do. A Facebook page for the competition listed the robot names and described details of how they were built. Some of the racers looked very human-like, complete with winter clothes covering their mechanical bodies. Others rode down the hill with nothing covering their shiny, high-tech parts. Some racers were tall, others short. Some did not have heads. The robots - equipped with cameras and sensors - used artificial intelligence, or AI,  to move through the Olympic-style race course. The winner was the robot that made it down the hill fastest, with the lowest number crashes or collisions with course obstacles. Winning that top honor was the TaekwonV robot, built by South Korean robotics company Minirobot. TaekwonV – named after a South Korean film character – skied around five obstacles before finishing the course in 18 seconds. On the day of the competition, high winds forced some of the Olympic skiing events to be delayed. One member of the winning team, Lee Sok-min, said he was sorry to hear about the Olympic weather problems. But he added, “The robots are doing fine here.” Videos of the robotic race clearly showed some of the robots having trouble staying up on the skis and navigating the course. But several watchers of the event said they found the race an interesting way to show off some of the latest human-like robots. “I’m amazed that the robots recognize the flags as they can ski down while avoiding them,” 12-year-old Son Ki-ryong told Reuters. The organizer of the race, Kim Dong-Uk, said he hopes the event will be the start of something much bigger. “I think in the future, robots will have their own Winter Games on the sidelines of the Olympics held by humans,” he said. He added that until then, he will keep holding international events to show off South Korea’s robotic technology to the world. South Korea is one of several Asian nations heavily investing in robotics, AI and machine learning technology. Major developers include electronics giants Samsung and LG. Japan and Singapore also have growing robotics industries.   But Asia’s largest robotics developer by far is China, which set a goal to become the world leader over the next decade. The goal is part of the government’s “Made in China 2025” plan, which seeks to change many industries with the use of technology. One of the country’s most active AI developers is Chinese online seller Alibaba. The company recently announced an AI-powered learning tool it developed performed better than human beings in a high-level test of reading comprehension. I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters, Facebook and other sources. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   athlete – n. person who is trained or good at sports artificial intelligence – n. the ability of a machine to reproduce human behavior course – n. a path followed by people in a race obstacle – n. an object standing in the way of something navigate – v. to find the way to get to a certain place amaze – v. to surprise and sometimes confuse (someone) very much comprehension – n. the ability to understand something  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2EK73cN
via IFTTT

China Bans Many Imported Recyclable Materials

  Last month, China banned imports of some waste materials that can be reused in manufacturing. The move is forcing other countries to rethink their policies on recycled waste. Before the ban, China was the first resting place for about half of the world’s metal, plastic and paper recyclables. Now, the government has decided to ban the import of 24 categories of solid waste. The decision is causing problems for the international waste processing industry. Developed countries including the United States are trying to deal with ever increasing amounts of unprocessed waste. Now they have to find new places to send it. Eric Liu is with Greenpeace East Asia. He says that sending the waste to another country is not a good idea. “This isn’t really a feasible solution,” Liu said. “Very few places are equipped to handle the sheer volume of waste that was being processed in China. Ultimately, the foreign trash ban should act as a ‘wake up’ call to the world. We seriously need to cut down on our production and consumption of plastic,” he added. Environmentalists like Liu hope that the Chinese move will cause countries to reduce unnecessary waste, like single-use plastic products. The issue was important enough that British Prime Minister Theresa May discussed it with Chinese President Xi Jinping during her visit to Beijing last week. May has said that Britain would end all avoidable plastic waste by the year 2042. The goal is part of a 25-year strategy for the environment. How well is China recycling materials at home? Experts say the ban on waste is a good step for China, although it may result in a shortage of some raw materials for manufacturing. Chinese environmentalists hope the ban will bring change to the country’s waste processing industry. They want it to become more modern and effective. Mao Da is a researcher at Beijing Normal University. He said importing recyclable waste caused the industry to ignore similar materials at home. “The potential of locally-disposed recyclables has long been overlooked,” he noted. Making China more environmentally friendly Mao has urged Chinese environmental officials to enforce policies that require people to recycle and sort solid waste. But some in the waste processing industry say China already recycles all it can and the ban will have no effect. Jason Wang is general secretary of the China Scrap Plastics Association. He said, “With or without the ban and before 2017, any waste in China that was recyclable and of economic value had been fully recycled.” Feng Juan disagrees. She is the research director of Incom Recycle Co., a recycler of plastic bottles in Beijing. Feng said that, if her company had not found ways to get recyclables, it would not have enough waste plastic to meet its processing capacity. Her company has set up 5,000 vending machines in Beijing. Incom collected 55 million used bottles from consumers last year. “Through our platform, we can trace every single bottle we have collected and guarantee its safe [processing] flow,” Feng said. Possible Restrictions on Use of Pastics Eric Liu of Greenpeace estimates that plastic waste from China’s cities has added from 1.3 to 3.35 tons of plastic waste to the world’s oceans. China’s National Development and Reform commission is reportedly considering a new policy targeting waste. If enacted, the policy would seek to control waste created by e-commerce, delivery services and the food industry. For years, China has enacted restrictions on the use of plastics, but the rules are not strongly enforced. I’m Mario Ritter.   Joyce Huang reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   recycle – adj. involving something that can be reformed and reused categories – n. different kinds of similarly grouped things consumption – n. the process of using something up strategy – n. a long-term plan aimed at reaching a goal raw – adj. undeveloped or unprocessed; not cooked potential – n. the unrealized possibility of doing something or reaching some goal capacity – n. the ability to do work vending – adj. of or related to sales of products or goods consumer – n. someone who buys and uses up goods e-commerce – n. online sales and the activities linked to it We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2HcfRpX
via IFTTT

Eve Ensler Continues Fight for Women's Issues

  Writer, actor and activist Eve Ensler has spent her adult life working to support women and women’s causes around the world. For years, Ensler has visited war zones -- areas of extreme violence. In 2007, she was invited to the Democratic Republic of Congo. She developed an especially close connection with victims of rape and torture there. “I think what really struck me about the Congo was the kind of synergistic cauldron of colonialism, capitalism, racism, insane misogyny. You know all of those violences kind of being enacted on the bodies of women.” She worked with Congolese activists to create a women’s leadership community for survivors of gender violence. The shelter, called City of Joy, opened in Bukavu in 2011. “And it's almost impossible building something in the middle of a war zone. You don't have roads, you don’t have electricity, you don't have...It was madness." Then, her own life was upset with frightening news. Doctors discovered she had uterine cancer. “The alchemy of it all was just: you know, change or die.”  Medicine to memoir Ensler turned months of difficult treatment -- and years of painful memories -- into a book called In the Body of the World: A Memoir of Cancer and Connection. Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus read the book and wanted to make it a one-woman show. “I thought it was some of her best writing because it was signature Eve. Philosophy, politics, feminism, all told through humor and her point of view, which she does not shy away from. But it was so deeply personal.” So,the director met with Ensler and they soon began an intense process to make a play from the book. In the Body of the World moves between Ensler’s fight with cancer, her painful family history, and her connection to women and nature in the outside world. Ensler says her own experiences with rape and abuse caused her to mentally disconnect from her body. “I think my whole life, not only have I been trying to get back into my body, but I've been really working to find ways to support women coming back into their bodies. And cancer did the trick, as well as building City of Joy because those two things together … you know, we were building a place where women could come back into their bodies.” The show, which recently opened in New York City, has received critical praise. But it is a difficult performance series. Ensler says the play will not travel, unlike her most famous work, The Vagina Monologues. A play that launched a movement Ensler wrote The Vagina Monologues in 1994 as a celebration of women. But she says the purpose changed over time, becoming a movement to stop violence against women. Twenty years ago, on February 14, or Valentine’s Day, the first “V-Day” was held. That day, productions of the play in theaters, colleges, and even living rooms, raised millions of dollars toward women’s causes. I’m Caty Weaver.   Jeff Lunden reported this story for VOANews.com. Caty Weaver adapted his story for Learning English. Her report also has information from the Associated Press. ­George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   capitalism – n. an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market misogyny – n. a hatred of women gender – n. the state of being male or female​ madness – n. behavior or thinking that is wild, foolish or dangerous​ alchemy – n. a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way​ signature – adj. closely associated with someone or something: making a person or thing easy to recognize​  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2Gg3ckO
via IFTTT

‘Smart’ Thermometers Record Spread, Intensity of Influenza

  When a child feels sick, one of the first things a parent does is reach for a thermometer. That common reaction got one man thinking. Inder Singh is a health policy expert. He wondered what if the thermometer, in addition to measuring body temperature, could serve as a communications device? Could it then connect people with information about infections and gather real-time data on diseases as they spread? That is the idea behind Singh’s health data business. The San Francisco-based company, called Kinsa, sells “smart” thermometers. Worst flu season in years Many people in the United States are sick with influenza this winter. In fact, this is reported to be the country’s worst flu season in 15 years. Over the past several weeks, Kinsa has been following the spread and severity of flu-like symptoms across the country. The company says its findings are similar to those reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Singh told VOA that the CDC collects information about the spread of the flu from state and regional reports. But he adds Kinsa is able to identify high rates of infection in even smaller areas or by cities. Fast and detailed information about how disease is spreading can make a difference during a health crisis. Singh said, “If you knew when and where a disease was starting, you could target the people who needed the treatment and potentially prevent pandemics and epidemics from occurring.”  How the smart thermometer works A Kinsa thermometer sells for anywhere between $14.99 and $49.99 in the U.S. Users connect the device through Bluetooth wireless technology to a smartphone app. The software program asks questions about a person’s condition. The user’s personal information is kept private, the company said. With its thermometers in 500,000 homes nationwide, Kinsa says it receives 25,000 temperature readings every day. The company cannot identify diseases or recognize differences between different kinds of diseases. But from gathering data about individuals’ body temperatures and other information, Kinsa can report where flu-like symptoms are rising. In recent weeks, it found the flu has infected many people in two states: Missouri and Kansas.  Selling aggregated data In addition to selling thermometers and advertising on its app, Kinsa makes money by selling data to businesses. Singh says that his company removes any personally identifiable information. The buyers, such as drug companies, want to know where and how sickness is spreading. They fill stores with products and change marketing plans if they know how a sickness is progressing. Kinsa has launched a program in schools, where it gives away thermometers, so parents can learn about the general health of the community. The company is also starting an effort with some U.S. businesses, which buy the smart thermometers for their employees. When an employee has a high temperature, Kinsa can inform the person about available health care assistance. Currently, Kinsa thermometers are sold just in the United States. But the company plans to sell them overseas. “Imagine a living breathing map where you can see where and when disease is spreading,” Singh said. “That’s what we want.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   Michelle Quinn and Deana Mitchell reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted their report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   thermometer – n. an instrument used for measuring temperature data – n. facts or information that is produced or stored on a computer smart – adj. controlled by computers symptom – n. a change in a person’s health which is a sign of a disease regional – adj. related to or involving a part of a country or state pandemic – n. an event in which a disease spreads quickly and affects many people over a wide area epidemic – n. an event in which a disease spreads quickly and affects many people  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2HcfGeh
via IFTTT

Bichon Frise Becomes America’s Top Dog

  This is What’s Trending today … America’s top dog is a bichon frise. Flynn the bichon frise was named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Tuesday night. The choice surprised just about everyone watching. The Associated Press reported that people who had been loudly shouting for their favorite dogs became silent when a judge announced the winner. Flynn beat out several other dogs to capture the prize. They included Ty the giant schnauzer, Biggie the pug, Bean the Sussex spaniel, Lucy the borzoi, Slick the border collie and Winston the Norfolk terrier. The kennel club says the bichon frise is known as good animal for companionship. This breed of dog came from the Mediterranean area. During Europe’s Renaissance, painters often included them in their works. The breed was brought to the United States in the 1950s. Bill McFadden is Flynn’s handler. He said, “It (the prize) feels a little unreal. I came in expecting nothing, except hoping for a good performance, and I think I got it.” Flynn has been unable to rest after his victory in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. On Wednesday, the dog appeared on a few television programs and stopped by a famous restaurant. He also has been invited for a walk-on part in the Broadway show “Kinky Boots.” Flynn and his Westminster-winning team receive no prize money. Instead, he gets a shiny bowl and the team can earn money from breeding fees. The Westminster Kennel Club started in 1877. The organization gets its name from an old hotel where men gathered “to drink and lie about their shooting accomplishment.” From one of the gatherings, they had an idea to set up a dog show to compare their dogs. The 142nd Westminster event attracted 2,882 entries in 202 breeds of dogs. And that’s What’s Trending today. I’m Ashley Thompson.   Ben Walker reported this story for the Associated Press (AP). Hai Do adapted the report for VOA Learning English. His story includes information from the Westminster Kennel Club. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   companionship - n. the good feeling that comes from being with someone else breed - n. a particular kind of dog, cat, horse ... handler - n. a person who trains or controls an animal bowl - n. a round container that is used to serve foods or liquids breeding fee - n. money gain from a process to produce young animals from their parents

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2EHtCic
via IFTTT

Valentine's Day Is for Love

February 14 has a history for being about love.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2GaTekC
via IFTTT

Valentine's Day Traditions Around the World

  Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day each year on February 14. Images of hearts are everywhere, as are red roses and boxes of chocolates to give to that special person. You could say that “love is in the air.”                            Many other countries celebrate Valentine’s Day, too, each in their own way. Here is a look at four countries’ Valentine’s Day traditions. Japan For Japanese people, Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate! On February 14, women in Japan give out two kinds of chocolate. One is called Giri-choco. The other is Honmei-choco. Giri-choco is not very costly. Women give these chocolates to friends and male coworkers. And in schools, female students prepare bags of Giri-choco on February 14 to pass out to friends.   Women make homemade Honmei-choco to give to someone special. They may offer Honmei as a way to express their love to that person. One month after Valentine’s Day, Japan celebrates White Day on March 14. Men who received chocolates on February 14 return the favor with white-colored treats for women. Japan celebrated the first White Day in 1978. Candy manufacturers pushed the creation of the holiday as a way to sell more of their sweets. Several other Asian countries also celebrate White Day, including Vietnam and South Korea. Denmark Valentine’s Day is a new holiday in Denmark. Young people in the country began celebrating it in the early 1990s. While Americans give red roses, young Danes celebrate Valentine’s Day with white flowers called “snowdrops.” They give the flowers to both friends and lovers. One of the biggest Danish Valentine’s Day traditions is the exchange of a lover’s card. In the past, these cards showed a photograph of the card-giver offering a gift to their lover. Today, though, any kind of card exchanged on Valentine’s Day is called a lover’s card. Also on February 14, Danish men often give women something called a “gaekkebrev.” In English, this translates to a “joke letter.” They are often written as a poem on specially created cut paper. But the writer does not sign the letter using his name. Instead, he uses dots – one for each letter in his name. According to tradition, if the woman correctly guesses who sent her the joke letter, she gets an Easter egg that same year. Brazil In Brazil, the country’s huge Carnival celebration overshadows Valentine’s Day. So Brazilians mark a similar day later in the year, on June 12. The holiday is called Dia dos Namorados, or Lovers’ Day. Brazilians celebrate with gifts of cards, flowers and chocolates, in the same way as Americans. But instead of celebrating Saint Valentine, they celebrate Saint Anthony. The following day, June 13, is Saint Anthony’s Day. The Portuguese Catholic priest was known for helping couples in their relationships. For that reason, Saint Anthony is considered the marriage and matchmaking saint. Philippines The Philippines celebrates Valentine’s Day in a big way – with large group weddings. In fact, in recent years, February 14 has become one of the most common wedding anniversaries in the country. Hundreds, or even thousands, of Filipino couples gather in one place to say “I do” during a public ceremony. Local government officials may lead the mass weddings. The ceremonies are often free, and include flowers, a wedding cake and sometimes even wedding rings. Does your country celebrate Valentine's Day or a day like it? Let us know in the comments section.  I'm Caty Weaver.  And I'm Ashley Thompson   Rei Goto wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   romantic – adj. of, relating to, or involving love between two people dot - n. a small round mark overshadow - v.  to cause (something or someone) to seem less important or impressive when compared to something or someone else saint – n. one of God’s chosen and usually Christian people mass – adj. involving, affecting, or designed for many people

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2EGCrZm
via IFTTT