VOA News: Arts and Entertainment: Tim Burton Revives 60s Vampire Soap Opera 'Dark Shadows'

VOA News: Arts and Entertainment Arts and Entertainment Voice of America

Tim Burton Revives 60s Vampire Soap Opera 'Dark Shadows' May 12th 2012, 23:49 A Soap Opera from the 1960s gets a makeover in director Tim Burton's new horror-comedy Dark Shadows features his favorite lead actor, Johnny Depp. <!--AV--> In the 1770s, a curse turned Barnabas into a vampire. In 1972, a construction crew digs up his coffin and the denizen of the dark finds his way back to what remains of the Collins estate. His cousin Elizabeth, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, thinks he can restore the Collins line to its former greatness. But Barnabas soon discovers that Angelique, the witch who cursed him, is still around. Johnny Depp plays Barnabas, angst-ridden by his fate and confused by the world in which he awakes. "The idea of this very elegant gentleman who is brought back to probably the most surreal era of our times, the 1970s. How he would react to things like 'pet rocks' and troll dolls and lava lamps," explains Depp. "What was most interesting in terms of Barnabas was to make that guy, clearly a vampire, fit into this odd society and this dysfunctional family," the star adds. Dark Shadows is Depp's eighth film with Tim Burton - a creative partnership that began with the 1990 horror fable Edward Scissorhands. Burton is comfortable with the macabre, but admits it was a challenge to stay true to this film's soap opera origins. "The weirdest challenge was to get the kind of acting tone - the kind of soap opera nature - which is a weird thing to go for in a Hollywood movie," confides Burton. "That's why I was so grateful to all of the cast because even the ones that didn't know the TV show kind of got into the spirit of it." Dark Shadows also features rising star Chloe Grace Moretz as a moody and mysterious teenager in the Collins clan. Helena Bonham Carter plays a conniving doctor who plots to use the ageless Barnabas to help her find eternal youth. And Eva Greene is the spurned witch Angelique who is right at home in modern times. Dark Shadows features an array of 1970s music, including a cameo by rock star Alice Cooper. Media files: Dark Shadows Depp Pfeiffer 480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) Dark Shadows 230.jpg Silverman_DarkShadowsMay1100ea4c04-32b.mp3 (audio/mpeg)

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VOA News: Asia: Afghan Gunmen in Uniform Target NATO Troops

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Afghan Gunmen in Uniform Target NATO Troops May 12th 2012, 21:24 NATO says two men wearing Afghan police uniforms have turned their weapons on coalition troops in southern Helmand province Saturday, leaving two service members dead. A NATO statement said one of the shooters was killed when coalition forces returned fire, while the second managed to escape and was being pursued.  The nationalities of the victims were not released, but the French news agency cited Afghan sources as saying the service members were British soldiers based in Helmand. The incident is under investigation and comes a day after an attacker wearing an Afghan army uniform shot and killed a U.S. service member in eastern Kunar province.  Saturday's shooting brings the number of incidents - in which Afghan soldiers or insurgents disguised as soldiers fired on coalition forces - to 16 this year alone. Separately, four more coalition troops were killed Saturday in three separate incidents in southern Afghanistan.  NATO said two soldiers died in an insurgent attack, another was killed in a bomb blast and the last one died as a result of a non-battle injury.  The nationalities of the victims were not released.   In northwestern Badghis province, four Afghan policemen died when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb. U.S. officials say many of the so-called "insider attacks" are motivated by personal disputes. The incidents have raised concerns about security in Afghanistan at a time when international combat troops are preparing to withdraw from the country.   International forces are set to transfer full security responsibility to Afghan forces by a 2014 deadline. Friday, the United Nations' special representative to Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said that civilian casualties have gone down by 20 percent in the first four months of this year, compared to the same period in 2011.  Kubis would not give exact figures, but said the majority of civilian deaths are caused by insurgent attacks, including suicide bombings.   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. Media files: Kabul_Afghanistan Curious Map1.jpg

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VOA News: Americas: Chavez Back in Venezuela After Cancer Treatment in Cuba

VOA News: Americas Americas Voice of America

Chavez Back in Venezuela After Cancer Treatment in Cuba May 12th 2012, 18:50 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returned home from Cuba late Friday following 11 days of cancer treatment, calling his latest radiation therapy a success.   After arriving in Caracas, the socialist leader, 57, said he must rigorously follow medical advice in coming days in order to continue recuperating. Chavez began treatments in March following operations in February and last June to remove tumors from his pelvic area. President Chavez has yet to disclose details about his type of cancer. He has previously said his condition will not keep him from campaigning for re-election ahead of the October 7 presidential election. Chavez has been in power since 1999. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: reu_chavez_480_12may12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) reu_chavez_230_12may12.jpg

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VOA News: Economy: London Fears Losing Aviation Relevance

VOA News: Economy Economy Voice of America

London Fears Losing Aviation Relevance May 12th 2012, 17:52 With Europe still struggling to build sustained growth, many governments are looking to emerging economies in Asia, Africa and South America to boost trade.  A rivalry is emerging among the continent's main airports to provide the fastest links to these hubs. London's Heathrow airport, one of the world's busiest, fears it is being left behind. <!--AV--> Four years ago, environmental protestors from Greenpeace demonstrated atop a passenger jet at London's Heathrow airport.   The stunt gained widespread media attention, and the battle for the future of Britain's aviation industry is still being fought. Joss Garman is a senior campaigner with Greenpeace. "Britain is already very well served by airport capacity and the problem is that a huge amount of that capacity is being taken up by short-haul flights to destinations less than 500 kilometers away," said Garman.  "So places like Paris and Manchester [are] easily reachable by train, which is ten times less polluting." The British government has ruled out building a third runway at Heathrow and has no current plans to expand other airports.  But business groups say Britain is being held back. Nicola Walker is head of infrastructure at the employers' organization, Confederation of British Industry.  Its offices overlook the Crossrail construction project, one of the capital's biggest infrastructure investments.  Walker says Britain needs to be more ambitious. "Our current international hub Heathrow is running at 99.2 percent capacity, and we don't believe that there's the opportunity to put on new links to those high-growth emerging markets that businesses really want to attack," Walker noted. That means markets like Chongqing in China.  Chongqing has grown from a small regional city to a manufacturing hub, home to an estimated 7-million people. Additionally, Sao Paolo, Brazil is seeing a huge influx of European businesses keen on trying to exploit old colonial ties. Research by the British Chamber of Commerce claims two-thirds of business leaders in Brazil, China, India, South Korea and Mexico are more likely to trade with France, Germany or the Netherlands rather than Britain, because they offer more direct flights. Independent aviation consultant Peter Forbes says London's lack of direct flights means it is losing out to rivals. "Frankfurt for example has, I think, something like seven routes into China in comparison with Heathrow's four," said Forbes.  "But Germany has a lot more trade with China and from their point of view it's good to have those links." London Mayor Boris Johnson wants a new airport built in the Thames estuary. The architecture firm Foster and Partners, which designed Beijing's airport, has submitted plans.  But with Britain back in recession, analysts say it will be difficult to justify the estimated price tag of $80 billion. The government says it will make a decision later this year. Media files: Europe_Aviation_-_web_version_4x303Tease.jpg Europe_Aviation_-_web_version_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__999384.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: USA: Romney Draws Cheers in Support of Traditional Marriage

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Romney Draws Cheers in Support of Traditional Marriage May 12th 2012, 17:50 Mitt Romney, the presumptive U.S. Republican presidential nominee, drew rousing support Saturday at a conservative Christian university as he defended traditional marriage between a man and a woman. Romney, often viewed with skepticism by the most conservative ranks of the Republican party, stressed the importance of personal faith and commitment to families in a speech to the graduating class at Liberty University in the eastern U.S. state of Virginia. But days after U.S. President Barack Obama declared his support for legalizing same-sex marriages, Romney won his biggest cheers from the crowd of more than 30,000 with brief comments supporting heterosexual marriage. "Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman." Obama's new support for same-gender marriage is controversial in the U.S., where six states and the District of Columbia have laws permitting men to marry each other and women to wed other women. But 31 states have banned it, including North Carolina in a referendum earlier this month. Nonetheless, surveys show that nationwide the acceptance of gay marriages is growing and that a slight majority favors it. But the surveys also show there is a split politically, with Democrats, like Obama, lending widespread support for same-sex marriages, and Republicans mostly opposed. Younger voters also are more accepting, with older voters less so. Obama, who is likely to face Romney in the November election, sought this week to use his new stance on the issue to rally supporters and raise campaign funds. But he did not discuss the issue in his weekly radio address Saturday. Instead, the president again urged Congress to follow a "To-Do" list he says will boost job creation and the country's sluggish economic recovery from the 2008 and 2009 recession. Later, at a White House ceremony, he honored a group of police officers as the nation's "top cops" for their heroism in the line of duty. Media files: reu_romney_480_12may12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) reu_romney_230_12may12.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Burma's Exiled Activists Consider Going Back

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Burma's Exiled Activists Consider Going Back May 12th 2012, 17:47 During decades of political repression in Burma, many activists fled abroad, building lives in exile while working for democratic change. Despite Burma's political reforms over the past year, many remain reluctant to move back. <!--AV--> Political crackdowns were the once-defining images of Burma's notorious military regime.  Since 1988, thousands of civilians were killed or thrown in prison. Many more escaped abroad. Activist Khin Ohmar has been living in exile in Thailand for the past 23 years, but she says she is not ready to head back. "I really want to be a part of the process where driving the process to be a genuine democratic transition, but it is still really hard to know if this is really the right time to go back," she said. "If we say things that aren't pleasing them, we can still be in trouble... the government needs a clear policy that there is a general amnesty to all of us outside the country that our safety is guaranteed." In 1988, student activist Salai Ya Awng was a rebel commander fighting against Burmese troops.  In the years that followed, his father and brother were thrown in jail because of their political activities, leaving Salai with bitter memories. "My father was elected as an MP in 1990," recalled Salai.  "He was an NLD [National League for Democracy] member. He died in prison in 1998. He was arrested and sentenced to prison for 11 years. The prison authorities tortured him." Years in exile have meant profound changes. Many people have raised families and grown older without ever seeing their homeland. Salai says while his family has made him more careful, he is still committed to his cause. "Now my life has changed because we got a baby… Before that, I didn't care," he added.  "What I wanted I could do. Now I have to think about my son's future - what would they do without me if I die? So I have to think. But still I am working on the democratic movement." Salai says he is still waiting and watching before he decides whether to take his family back to the country of his youth. "We haven't got peace yet," said Salai.  "Some people say some things have changed already in Burma, but it is not real change. We have to wait and see." For Salai and many others, Burma has not yet changed enough to return home. Media files: Burma_Exile_WEB_16x907Tease.jpg Burma_Exile_WEB_16x9-FCPImportProResP1-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull__180484.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Europe: London Fears Losing Aviation Relevance

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

London Fears Losing Aviation Relevance May 12th 2012, 17:52 With Europe still struggling to build sustained growth, many governments are looking to emerging economies in Asia, Africa and South America to boost trade.  A rivalry is emerging among the continent's main airports to provide the fastest links to these hubs. London's Heathrow airport, one of the world's busiest, fears it is being left behind. <!--AV--> Four years ago, environmental protestors from Greenpeace demonstrated atop a passenger jet at London's Heathrow airport.   The stunt gained widespread media attention, and the battle for the future of Britain's aviation industry is still being fought. Joss Garman is a senior campaigner with Greenpeace. "Britain is already very well served by airport capacity and the problem is that a huge amount of that capacity is being taken up by short-haul flights to destinations less than 500 kilometers away," said Garman.  "So places like Paris and Manchester [are] easily reachable by train, which is ten times less polluting." The British government has ruled out building a third runway at Heathrow and has no current plans to expand other airports.  But business groups say Britain is being held back. Nicola Walker is head of infrastructure at the employers' organization, Confederation of British Industry.  Its offices overlook the Crossrail construction project, one of the capital's biggest infrastructure investments.  Walker says Britain needs to be more ambitious. "Our current international hub Heathrow is running at 99.2 percent capacity, and we don't believe that there's the opportunity to put on new links to those high-growth emerging markets that businesses really want to attack," Walker noted. That means markets like Chongqing in China.  Chongqing has grown from a small regional city to a manufacturing hub, home to an estimated 7-million people. Additionally, Sao Paolo, Brazil is seeing a huge influx of European businesses keen on trying to exploit old colonial ties. Research by the British Chamber of Commerce claims two-thirds of business leaders in Brazil, China, India, South Korea and Mexico are more likely to trade with France, Germany or the Netherlands rather than Britain, because they offer more direct flights. Independent aviation consultant Peter Forbes says London's lack of direct flights means it is losing out to rivals. "Frankfurt for example has, I think, something like seven routes into China in comparison with Heathrow's four," said Forbes.  "But Germany has a lot more trade with China and from their point of view it's good to have those links." London Mayor Boris Johnson wants a new airport built in the Thames estuary. The architecture firm Foster and Partners, which designed Beijing's airport, has submitted plans.  But with Britain back in recession, analysts say it will be difficult to justify the estimated price tag of $80 billion. The government says it will make a decision later this year. Media files: Europe_Aviation_-_web_version_4x303Tease.jpg Europe_Aviation_-_web_version_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__999384.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Africa: Nigerian 'Gold Rush' Poisoning Children

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Nigerian 'Gold Rush' Poisoning Children May 12th 2012, 16:50 The international aid group Doctors Without Borders says at least 4,000 children are suffering from lead poisoning as a result of artisanal gold mining in Zamfara State in Nigeria.  The group says emergency federal funds are needed to prevent many of these children from dying.  Activists say the funding has been approved, but none of it has been made available to help the people in Zamfara. Zamfara State is literally sitting on a gold mine.  Nigeria's Doctors Without Borders head, Ivan Gayton, says since gold prices surged in recent years, small time miners can sometimes sell their gold for as much 70 or 80 percent of its international market value. This means villagers who were living on a few dollars a day, are now living on $10 or $15 a day.  But unsafe mining practices are releasing so much lead into the community that it is killing local children.  Roughly 400 children have died in the past two years, thousands are awaiting emergency treatment, and nobody knows how many others are in need of urgent care. Untreated, lead poisoning can cause a wide array of physical and developmental disabilities, but for these children, with 20 to 70 times the amount of lead in their blood than is considered safe, it often leads to seizure, coma and death. Gayton says if safe mining practices are introduced, contaminated villages are cleaned up and the children are treated, the crisis could be contained. "Safer mining is possible," said Gayton.  "It's absolutely possible for these people to pursue this economic activity with the resources that they are living on top of without finding death and contamination." At a conference in Abuja, activists and scientists discussed strategies to help Zamfara.  Gayton says one of the purposes of the meeting was to convince federal officials to take action.  He says $5 million needed for cleanup operations and establishing safe mining practices has already been promised, but the money is nowhere in sight.   The conference, he added, did not appear to convince officials to release the funds. "Minister of Mines, Minister of Environment, Minster of Health were not able to attend," added Gayton.  "Neither were their permanent secretaries or their deputies so we really didn't have any decision making presence at the conference." Zamfara Commissioner for the Environment Mouktar Lugga says seven villages have already been cleaned up.  He says if the state can get help, in a few years, Zamfara could be known for its successful use of resources, not its suffering. "Children are falling sick and the government -- the state government -- is doing all we can espouse to see that this problem is brought to a good conclusion.  But honesty we have a lot in our hands," said Lugga. Doctors Without Borders says older children and adults may also be sick, but they have not tested them because lead has the most impact on small children.  Gayton says banning gold mining is not an option because as long as the price of gold remains high, the "gold rush" will continue. Media files: apNigeriaLeadPoisoningGoldRush12may2012-resizedpx480q100dpi96shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) apNigeriaLeadPoisoningGoldRush12may2012-resizedpx480q100dpi96shp8Tease.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: UN: Bed Nets Sharply Reduce Malaria Deaths Among Sudanese Refugees

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

UN: Bed Nets Sharply Reduce Malaria Deaths Among Sudanese Refugees May 12th 2012, 16:55 The United Nations is reporting that malaria has dropped from being the leading cause of death among refugees living along the Sudan border. Among the locations where the new malaria-reducing strategies are being employed is the Kakuma Camp for Sudanese refugees in northern Kenya. Not long ago, malaria killed more Sudanese refugees than any other disease. But now, while it is still deadly, the U.N. reports it is only the fifth leading cause of death among the estimated 50,000 Sudanese refugees living in the Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya.   The reason - a five-year campaign called Nothing-But-Nets run by The United Nations Foundation. Nothing-But-Nets is the largest grassroots campaign in the world and it hopes to end malaria deaths by 2015. Now, Nothing-But-Nets has launched an emergency appeal to send 100,000 life-saving bed nets to help thousands of South Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict and violence along the Sudan border. Thirty-seven-year-old Achol Deng is a mother of three from Jonglei state. She is among thousands of new arrivals in the Kakuma refugee camp. Deng received mosquito nets that she will need to save her young family during the rainy season.   Deng says the mosquito net she received will protect her children if she uses it the way she was instructed. She says she hopes because of the net, her family will be free from malaria. Refugees free from the disease are what malaria campaigners, partners, and supporters want to see as they make a two-day visit to the Kakuma refugee camp to distribute mosquito nets. Chris Helfrich is the Director of the U.N. Foundation's Nothing-But-Nets campaign. On a recent visit to the Kakuma camp he says life is tough enough for refugees, and they should not have to worry about dying from malaria. "It's a tough situation here in Kakuma, obviously, but we are happy to bring hope and do a little of something; these people, they have very tough lives but we are happy to bring nets because with everything else they have to deal with, malaria shouldn't be one of them." <!--IMAGE-LEFT--> The Nothing-But-Nets campaign was started after American sports journalist Rick Reilly challenged his readers to donate at least $10 to help purchase bed nets. Now, the group raises millions of dollars from hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Canadian actress Serinda Swan, who is best known for her role in the series "Breakout Kings," is just one of many celebrities who have joined the campaign.   "We've come here to help bring awareness and stop malaria. It's a killer of a child every 60 seconds in Africa and that's a statistic that needs to stop. We are here to distribute nets, we here to talk to people, we are here to figure out what is going on in the camp,  what can be improved just get their story out...." While the Nothing-But-Nets campaign is saving lives, U.N. officials are concerned about a possible wave of new refugees fleeing violence between Sudan and South Sudan.  Chris Helfrich of the U.N. Foundation says the Nothing-But-Nets campaign will continue as long as needed. "We will continue raising money from Americans working tirelessly to try to save nets. We are committed to making sure that every refugee in Kakuma and across the continent has a net over their heads to keep them safe from malaria. We are not going away; we are going to stay committed to this." The U.N. says the Nothing-But-Nets campaign has distributed bed nets in 20 Sub-Saharan countries, cutting malaria deaths by one-third within the last decade. Media files: reu_sudan_malaria_480_12may12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reu_sudan_malaria_230_12may12.jpg reu_rick_reilly_230_12may12.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Cambodian-American Photographer Chronicles Displaced

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Cambodian-American Photographer Chronicles Displaced May 12th 2012, 15:29 What's it like to be stuck between worlds - to feel like you're neither one thing nor another?  That's the situation Pete Pin finds himself in.  Pin is a Cambodian-American photographer based in New York. He is currently working on a long term project to chronicle the lives of Cambodians in America.  He calls the project Displaced, and says it is an exploration of psychological disconnection and the legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Brian Calvert has more from the Bronx, New York. <!--AV--> Pete Pin, 30, is on a quest. The photographer is searching for his heritage amid the Cambodian enclaves of America. Along the way, he is documenting dislocation. Today, he has come to a Cambodian temple, in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City. "This temple is the center of the Cambodian community, and it's very, very small as you can see," Pin notes.  "There's only one monk here.  And it's carved out of the space here in this neighborhood where it's this backyard here, and right outside is someone else's backyard.  There's a very amazing sense of community in the Bronx, but you see it in people's homes, and you see it isolated in certain areas." Isolation is a recurring theme in Pin's photographs - from California, where he grew up, to Philadelphia, New York and other corners of America.  Another theme is disconnection: "What's kind of beautiful about photography is that these things are just there, you know, they're always there… but the photos are a manifestation of my own generational, cultural and historical displacement," Pin explains. Only a few hundred Cambodian families live in the Bronx. This temple is a main center of worship for them.  It is the Cambodian New Year, and these boys are learning to write in Khmer, the language of their motherland. These are the moments Pin seeks to capture, as he puts together a growing exhibition for Cambodians in America, for those back home, and for non-Cambodians who may not understand the difficulties Cambodian refugees have had in the US. But Pin, whose parents survived the Khmer Rouge, also shoots to find a part of himself. "The name of the project is Displaced, and what that really means is that there's of course this physical displacement in terms of what it means to be a refugee," Pin adds.  "I can't say myself that I'm physically displaced, because I'm not. I'm American, this is my home. But I am culturally displaced. I exist in this vacuum of identity, where I don't know what it means to be either fully American or Cambodian. And in addition to that, there's this legacy that I have in my heart and on my shoulders that was given to me at birth as a result of what my parents lived through. And I am trying for most of my adult life to really understand what that means. Today what that means is a short language lesson of his own, once the camera is put away. Media files: Stuck_Between_Worlds_-_Cambodia-American_Photographer_FOR_WEB_16x9-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull_1280x720_2233972007Tease.jpg Stuck_Between_Worlds_-_Cambodia-American_Photographer_FOR_WEB_16x9-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull__216026.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Arts and Entertainment: Cambodian-American Photographer Chronicles Displaced

VOA News: Arts and Entertainment Arts and Entertainment Voice of America

Cambodian-American Photographer Chronicles Displaced May 12th 2012, 15:29 What's it like to be stuck between worlds - to feel like you're neither one thing nor another?  That's the situation Pete Pin finds himself in.  Pin is a Cambodian-American photographer based in New York. He is currently working on a long term project to chronicle the lives of Cambodians in America.  He calls the project Displaced, and says it is an exploration of psychological disconnection and the legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Brian Calvert has more from the Bronx, New York. <!--AV--> Pete Pin, 30, is on a quest. The photographer is searching for his heritage amid the Cambodian enclaves of America. Along the way, he is documenting dislocation. Today, he has come to a Cambodian temple, in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City. "This temple is the center of the Cambodian community, and it's very, very small as you can see," Pin notes.  "There's only one monk here.  And it's carved out of the space here in this neighborhood where it's this backyard here, and right outside is someone else's backyard.  There's a very amazing sense of community in the Bronx, but you see it in people's homes, and you see it isolated in certain areas." Isolation is a recurring theme in Pin's photographs - from California, where he grew up, to Philadelphia, New York and other corners of America.  Another theme is disconnection: "What's kind of beautiful about photography is that these things are just there, you know, they're always there… but the photos are a manifestation of my own generational, cultural and historical displacement," Pin explains. Only a few hundred Cambodian families live in the Bronx. This temple is a main center of worship for them.  It is the Cambodian New Year, and these boys are learning to write in Khmer, the language of their motherland. These are the moments Pin seeks to capture, as he puts together a growing exhibition for Cambodians in America, for those back home, and for non-Cambodians who may not understand the difficulties Cambodian refugees have had in the US. But Pin, whose parents survived the Khmer Rouge, also shoots to find a part of himself. "The name of the project is Displaced, and what that really means is that there's of course this physical displacement in terms of what it means to be a refugee," Pin adds.  "I can't say myself that I'm physically displaced, because I'm not. I'm American, this is my home. But I am culturally displaced. I exist in this vacuum of identity, where I don't know what it means to be either fully American or Cambodian. And in addition to that, there's this legacy that I have in my heart and on my shoulders that was given to me at birth as a result of what my parents lived through. And I am trying for most of my adult life to really understand what that means. Today what that means is a short language lesson of his own, once the camera is put away. Media files: Stuck_Between_Worlds_-_Cambodia-American_Photographer_FOR_WEB_16x9-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull_1280x720_2233972007Tease.jpg Stuck_Between_Worlds_-_Cambodia-American_Photographer_FOR_WEB_16x9-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull__216026.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: USA: US Surfer Rides Biggest Wave, Breaks Guinness Record

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

US Surfer Rides Biggest Wave, Breaks Guinness Record May 12th 2012, 14:42 International surfing officials and the Guinness Book of World records have officially confirmed a giant wave caught by a U.S. surfer off the coast of Portugal last November was the biggest wave ever ridden. The officials have awarded Hawaiian surfer Garret McNamara the Billabong Global Big Wave Awards prize after reviewing the feat - riding a wave that measured 23.7 meters high. The 44-year-old surfer was dragged out to the wave on a tow rope, a type of jet ski. <!--AV--> McNamara said he initially didn't want to attempt the waves that day after wiping out earlier on bigger swells in the same spot. The height of McNamara's wave was decided by a panel of big wave surfing and photography experts who analyzed and measured the photographs and video images of his ride. Media files: reu_surfer_mcnamara_480_12may12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reu_surfer_mcnamara_230_12may12.jpg BigWaveCNVOforWeb3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__879813.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: USA: US Fencers Prepare for Olympics

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

US Fencers Prepare for Olympics May 12th 2012, 14:56 The United States is the only country to have qualified the maximum of 16 fencers for the London Olympic Games that begin in late July.  U.S. fencers are preparing for the competition not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. <!--AV--> Nzingha Prescod trains at the Fencers Club in New York City.  The Columbia University student began fencing at the age of nine, and is trying to contain her excitement about going to the Olympics.   "I don't think I want to think of it as the Olympics, because I feel like the nerves would overwhelm me," said Prescod.  "But if I just think of it as another competition that I've done a million times, then I can just fence like normal." Prescod's teammate James Williams, seen here at a recent U.S. Olympic Committee promotional event in New York City, says the Olympics magnify the psychological aspects of sports, because the games are so infrequent. "Everybody is pretty much on the level of parity physically at this point," said Williams.  "So it's mostly mental tenacity and mental fortitude that you're hoping to improve." Buckie Leach, Nzingha Prescod's coach, says the mental factor in fencing is huge.  But he cautions about dwelling on performance to satisfy family members or a trainer. "When those things enter into it then everything gets messed up," said Leach.  "So you want to be smart and understand, but also you have to find that zone.  Thinking too much can be a problem." Leach says many countries have individual fencing styles - Germans tend to be methodical, the Russians tactical, the French intense.  He explains how the Italian sense of feeling and emotion translates to the tip of a sword. "The Italians have a more free form way of teaching, allowing the athlete to find their own way a little bit," Leach noted.  "They have structure of course, but it's more about how the athlete feels and what the relationship is with the coach." Prescod says the process of responding to an opponent's attack, while simultaneously looking for an opening comes from an innate feeling that occurs when fencing becomes second nature. "A lot of times, fencing is not only strategic; it's a lot of what you feel on the strip," said Prescod.  "So it's not always going to be planned out.  Sometimes, it's just a reaction that has developed from training over the past several years." If the Olympics were just another competition, athletes would not experience the anxieties that make the Games exciting.  The mental ability to deal with such tension is part of what has made them Olympians. Media files: US_Olympic_Fencing_WEB_4x307Tease.jpg US_Olympic_Fencing_WEB_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__226548.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Asia: Pakistan Blast Kills Police Officer

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Pakistan Blast Kills Police Officer May 12th 2012, 14:35 Security officials in Pakistan say a roadside bomb targeting a police vehicle killed one police officer and wounded at least 12 other people Saturday in the northwest city of Peshawar. A deputy police superintendent told reporters that the attack occurred as a police vehicle was escorting a van carrying prisoners from a local police station. The officer said the bomb was detonated as the two vehicles reached an overpass. He said the bomb disposal squad reported the device contained five kilograms of explosives. He said five of the wounded were policemen and at least two of them were seriously hurt. The police official says suspects have been taken into custody. The Reuters news service reports the Pakistani branch of the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.  The group often targets police, soldiers, and other security officials. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: apPakistanBlastPoliceVehiclePrisonersvan12May2012-resizedpx480q100shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.3 MB) apPakistanBlastPoliceVehiclePrisonersvan12May2012-resizedpx480q100shp8Tease.jpg

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VOA News: Middle East: Activists: 3 Killed in Syria

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

Activists: 3 Killed in Syria May 12th 2012, 13:39 Government shelling and security force gunfire have left at least three people dead across Syria as U.N. observers launch more tours to monitor a shaky cease-fire. The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says two people were killed during security force raids in Idlib province on Saturday and a third person died during pre-dawn shelling in the flashpoint Hama region. In another development, a video posted online says the al-Nusra Front militant group is responsible for massive twin bombings in Damascus, on Thursday, that killed at least 55 people. Middle East analyst M.J. Gohel says the group recently began gaining prominence. "This is a group that not a great deal is known about it," said Gohel.  "It emerged at the beginning of this year in January and it has a global Jihadist agenda and it calls its fighters Mujahadeen in the same as the Taliban fighters." Gohel, the head of the London-Based Asia-Pacific Foundation, says the group's strengths and capabilities are unclear. "This could be just a propaganda small group," Gohel added.  "It is not known what kind of ground capable operational capability it has. All we know is that it has made all kinds of claims." The Syrian government has urged the U.N. Security Council to take action to combat terrorism, in the wake of Thursday's blasts. The unrest took place as U.N. observers continued to fan out across Syria to monitor the government and the opposition's compliance to a cease-fire brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan. On Saturday, the monitors received 24 armored vehicles that were donated by the European Union. EU ambassador to Syria Vassilis Bontosoglou said the vehicles show the EU's support of Annan's mission. <!--AV--> "This is an expression of commitment of the European Union to the Kofi Annan plan," noted Bontosoglou. The U.N. says more than 9,000 people have been killed in violence related to the anti-government uprising which erupted in March 2011. Also Saturday, Turkish state-run media say two journalists who went missing in Syria in March have been freed as a result of Iranian mediation. The news reports say the two men have been flown to Tehran. Media files: ReutersSyriaThurdsaytwisuicidBombing12May2012-resizedpx480q100dpi96shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) ReutersSyriaThurdsaytwisuicidBombing12May2012-resizedpx480q100dpi96shp8Tease.jpg ReutersArmouredCarsSyriaUNObservers-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__100264.mp4 (video/mp4)

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