【183-186】Newspaper Suffers Deadly Attack, Publishes the Next Day

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*【183】AS IT IS

Newspaper Suffers Deadly Attack, Publishes the Next Day

June 29, 2018

Steve Schuh, county executive of Anne Arundel County, holds a copy of The Capital Gazette near the scene of a shooting at the newspaper's office in Annapolis, Maryland. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Employees at a small newspaper in Maryland published their paper on Friday, the day after a gunman killed five of their co-workers. At least two others were injured in the attack.

The front page of the Capital Gazette read “5 Shot Dead at The Capital” with photos of the five workers. The paper is based in Annapolis, the capital of the state of Maryland.

Reporters from the paper covered the story. Some told about their personal experiences during the shooting.

Phil Davis, the paper’s crime reporter, hid under his desk while the shootings took place. He tweeted, “there is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.”

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The opinion page of the paper, however, did not comment about the incident. It said “today we are speechless,” but promised to return the next day. The paper’s publisher said, “We will honor our colleagues’ memories by continuing our mission.”

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Officials called the violence a “targeted attack.”

Those killed included Rob Hiaasen, a writer and editor, Wendi Winters, a correspondent and Gerald Fischman, an editor. Others killed included John McNamara, a sports writer, and Rebecca Smith, a sales assistant.

Hiaasen was a reporter for the Baltimore Sun for more than 20 years. He was known as a thoughtful writer of unusual stories.

Winters was a reporter on community issues at the paper since 2002. A former editor for the Capital Gazette told AP, she was “the best part of the newspaper in that she cared so much about the city.”

McNamara had reported on Maryland sports for more than 20 years and wrote two books on sports.

Crime scene tape surrounds a building housing The Capital Gazette newspaper's offices, Friday, June 29, 2018, in Annapolis, Md.

The gunman was identified as 38-year-old Jarrod Ramos. He has been described as not cooperating with police after his capture.

Ramos had a dispute of many years with the paper over a story it had written about a criminal case against him. He brought a legal case against the paper for harming his reputation which was thrown out in 2012. Ramos is said to have sent threatening tweets to some of the staff members years earlier.

Witnesses said the gunman shot through a glass door and then began shooting at employees in the newsroom using a long shotgun.

Police in Annapolis say Ramos also carried smoke bombs. The shootings were one of the deadliest attacks on reporters in U.S. history.

The Capital Gazette is one of the oldest papers in America. In 1767, its publisher Anne Catherine Green led opposition to the stamp tax in the years leading up to the American Revolution.

On Thursday, as the newspaper’s office became a crime scene, employees gathered under a nearby parking garage to report and edit stories and photos for Friday’s papers.

Photographer Josh McKerrow told the Associated Press, “It’s what our colleagues would have done.”

I’m Mario Ritter.

Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English based on AP news reports. Hai Do was the editor.

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Words in This Story

colleague –n. a fellow worker

reputation –n. the common opinion that people have about someone

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

*【184】 AS IT IS

Myanmar Drops in US Human Trafficking Report

June 29, 2018

Rohingya refugees rebuild their makeshift houses, in preparation for the approaching monsoon season at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, April 28, 2018.

The American State Department says Myanmar’s human trafficking situation has worsened. It lowered the country’s position on the State Department’s yearly human trafficking report.

The report accuses Myanmar’s military of carrying out operations in Rakhine state that forced large numbers of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh.

The 2018 Trafficking in Persons report was released during a ceremony at the State Department. The yearly report rates governments based on their efforts to fight human trafficking.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the military and others in Rakhine state had forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya and people from other ethnic groups to leave Rakhine State.

He said traffickers throughout the area “exploited” many of those fleeing. And, he added, “Some in the Burmese military also recruited child soldiers and subjected adults and children from ethnic minority groups to forced labor.”

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More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine state since August 25. They began leaving after Rohingya militants launched attacks against state security forces. The attacks led to military action against suspected militants and their supporters.

The United Nations has described the operation as a clear example of ethnic cleansing. Myanmar officials have said the campaign is aimed at fighting terrorism.

The report urged Myanmar to stop all recruitment and unlawful use of children in the armed forces. It also called on the government to remove any officials involved in sex trafficking and forced labor and to hold them criminally responsible.

Other countries placed on the report’s worst offenders list were Gabon, Laos, Papua New Guinea and Bolivia. As a result, these nations could face sanctions or reductions in U.S. and international aid.

Among others rated lowest for their anti-trafficking efforts were China, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Venezuela.

Pompeo said the U.S. administration will remain firm in its efforts. “The world should know that we will not stop before we know human trafficking is a thing of the past,” he said.

Ivanka Trump, left, the daughter and assistant to President Donald Trump, applauds after listening to a speech made by Francisca Awah Mbuli, right, from Cameroon and survivor of human trafficking, during an event to announce the 2018 Trafficking in Person

The report moved several countries up from the bottom to the next highest list. These included Sudan, Thailand and Pakistan. Relations recently improved between Sudan and the U.S., which ended long-standing economic sanctions on the country last October. U.S. officials cited Sudan’s progress in human rights.

Also attending the ceremony was President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, who serves as a presidential adviser. She honored 10 individuals from around the world recognized for their personal efforts to fight human trafficking.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and VOA News. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

exploit – v. to use someone or something in a way that helps you unfairly

recruit – v. to try to get someone to join a group, organizations or business

sanctions – n. punishment imposed on a country with regards to trade or economy

*【185】AS IT IS

After Driving Ban Ends, Saudi Women See New Job as Drivers

June 29, 2018

In this Sunday, June 24, 2018 photo, Ammal Farahat, who has signed up to be a driver for Careem, a regional ride-hailing service that is a competitor to Uber, drives her car in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After lifting a longstanding ban on women driving, it's the latest job opening for Saudi women, that had been reserved for men only, and one that sharply challenges traditional norms. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Women drivers took to the streets of Saudi Arabia this week as a ban against them driving was lifted. Now a new job possibility has arisen for Saudi women: professional driver.

Traditionally, only men have filled such jobs in Saudi Arabia. And the majority of professional drivers are from poor countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Until recently, many Saudi men refused to do the job because they believed the work to be below their social station.

Saudi women who want to work as drivers for car services are testing traditional limits in the deeply conservative country.

Saudi Arabia was the last country in the world to bar women from driving. And, women still must get permission from a male relative before they can drive, get a job or passport, and travel outside the country.

Ammal Farahat has a master’s degree and runs her own business. The mother of two told the Associated Press, “It’s very natural for people to resist change.”

She added, “Once they start seeing more positive images and opportunities and what it means for women to drive, they’re going to change their minds.”

Farahat has driver’s licenses from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. She has signed up to be a driver for the car service Careem, a local competitor to Uber.

For many women who sign up to become drivers, the job provides another earnings source and greater financial independence.

Careem co-founder Abdullah Elyas said of women employees, “We are empowering them to be their own boss, to drive or work whenever they want, and to work how long they want, as well. Perfect for women who are in the workforce.”

The government provides jobs for about 70 percent of Saudis. However, with falling oil profits, the government cannot provide enough jobs for the growing number of Saudis entering the workforce.

Careem said 2,000 women have registered as drivers since September, when officials announced they would cancel the ban. The international car service company, Uber, said over 100 Saudi women have expressed interest in employment as drivers.

In this Sunday, June 24, 2018 photo, Ammal Farahat, who has signed up to be a driver for Careem, a regional ride-hailing service that is a competitor to Uber, poses for a photograph next to her car on a street in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In recent years, thousands of young Saudi men have signed up also. More than 150,000 registered with Uber. About 170,000 signed up with Careem.

But 80 percent of Uber’s customers are women; for Careem that percentage is 70.

While there has been a loosening of social restrictions in recent years, Saudi culture still rejects the mixing of unrelated men and women. A male driver talking with a female passenger can lead to a report of a problem.

To deal with this restriction, Uber added a new feature in Saudi Arabia that permits women drivers to choose women riders. And Careem said its drivers could accept or refuse a ride request based on sex.

Farahat spoke of her young daughter and niece as she drove around the streets of Riyadh, the Saudi capital. They would never know the trouble her generation went through to get from one place to another, she said.

“They’re not growing up in the same Saudi Arabia I grew up in at all,” Farahat said.

I'm Caty Weaver.

Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on AP news reports. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

positive - adj. good or useful

opportunity - n. a situation in which something can be done

license - n. an official document

*【186】 AS IT IS

China Militarizes Its Coast Guard

June 30, 2018

FILE - A China Coast Guard vessel patrols at the disputed Scarborough Shoal April 6, 2017. (REUTERS/Erik De Castro)

China is placing its coast guard under military command. Experts say the move is a warning to other countries -- including the United States -- against interfering with its control over the disputed South China Sea.

The order goes into effect July 1. The state-run news website Global Times said the move will enable the coast guard to take a bigger part in emergencies and crises including war.

Andrew Yang is secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in Taiwan. He said the government is acting to increase its presence in the sea. But he said officials are also sending a message that they are firm about protecting their territorial honor. And, he said, the U.S. will pay attention to that message.

Stronger coast guard under military control

The Global Times reported that China’s Central Military Commission will supervise the coast guard, to let it “be more involved in military drills and daily exercises” with the Chinese navy. The Times said the information came from a Chinese military expert.

China’s coast guard has 164 ships and 16,300 service members. Under the military, coast guard ships will be armed with more powerful cannons. And their crews will also carry firearms.

News media in Asia reported that the Chinese coast guard and navy began guarding the waters near the Paracel Islands last month.

FILE - A ship (top) of the Chinese Coast Guard is seen near a ship of the Vietnam Marine Guard in the South China Sea, about 210 km (130 miles) off shore of Vietnam May 14, 2014.

Warnings to Southeast Asia, United States

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all have claims in the South China Sea. The area is rich with fisheries, oil and natural gas.

China claims to own about 90 percent of the disputed area. It has built military structures on several small islands. Its coast guard has also sailed well into the water near Indonesia to protect its fishing boats.

The Global Times said China's coast guard will not be a threat to other countries if “they don't provoke China's sovereignty and maritime rights.”

Jonathan Spangler is director of the South China Sea Think Tank in Taiwan. He said, “Other countries will see this development as something they need to respond to in terms of restructuring their own coast guards.”

The Southeast Asian nations lack China’s firepower. But Vietnam and the Philippines have turned in the past to the U.S. for defense.

The U.S. has no claim in the area, but it considers the South China Sea an international waterway. The U.S. Navy has sailed ships through the area as part of its “freedom of navigation operations.” Earlier this month, the U.S. also flew bomber airplanes over the sea.

Yun Sun is an East Asia expert with the Stimson Center in Washington. She said the Chinese coast guard as a military group “strengthens the perception and reality of ‘militarization’” of the sea. She added that it would also strengthen the coast guard's ability against “U.S. freedom of navigation operations.”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Maps showing the claims of six Asian countries contesting all or parts of the Spratly and Paracel islands in the South China Sea.

Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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