Gulf Oil Spill Was Top Story in 2010
Posted by admin on January 14th, 2011 at 06:46am
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
At the end of each year, the Associated Press releases a list of the top ten news stories of the year. American editors and news directors are asked to vote for what they consider the top stories.
This year, the story with the most votes was the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. An oil rig operated by BP exploded in April. The explosion killed eleven workers. Close to five million barrels of oil were released into the Gulf until the leak was contained in the middle of July. BP agreed to set aside twenty billion dollars to pay claims and damages to people working in the area’s fishing and tourism industries.
The AP says the second most important story was health care reform in the United States. President Obama won a major political victory with congressional passage of his health care reform plan. Among other things, it will extend health care insurance to thirty-two million Americans now without it. But many Republicans in Congress oppose the law and want to cancel parts of it.
The congressional elections in November were another big story. The Republican Party gained a majority in the House of Representatives. But Democrats kept their majority in the Senate.
The American economy was another major story. Economists reported in twenty-ten that the worst recession since the nineteen-thirties had ended. Americans began to spend more as the year ended. But the unemployment rate stayed above nine percent.
AP
Cholera victims gathered in Cap Haitien, Haiti, in November. Poor conditions after the earthquake in January have helped disease spread
In January, a powerful earthquake struck Haiti. It killed at least two hundred thirty thousand people and left millions of others homeless. Disease and other problems have slowed efforts to rebuild the country.
Another important story was the Tea Party movement in the United States. The Tea Party supports limited government, less federal spending and lower taxes. The movement had a big influence on the Congressional elections.
Another major story was the rescue of thirty-three mine workers in Chile. A partial mine collapse on August fifth trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They remained trapped for sixty-nine days. Millions of people around the world watched on television as each miner was safely brought to the surface.
In twenty-ten, United States forces officially ended combat operations in Iraq. The Iraq war began more than seven years ago.
AP
Julian Assange, who started WikiLeaks, now faces sex charges in Sweden
Another major story was the activities of the WikiLeaks website. First the website released thousands of United States military documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then it published thousands of State Department diplomatic cables. They included comments by American diplomats about the lives of world leaders and criticisms of foreign governments.
The tenth story on the AP’s list was the war in Afghanistan. President Obama ordered an increase in troops fighting the nearly ten-year-old war. American troops are to begin leaving the country in July. Afghans are to control their own security by the end of twenty fourteen.
And that’s IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I’m Steve Ember.
Tags: gulf oil spill, News
Under News
- » Pope Benedict Says Goodbye as Leader of the Worldwide Roman Catholic Church
- » What Next in Military Campaign in Libya?
- » Quake, Tsunami May Only Add to Economic Struggles for Japan
- » Finding Capital in 'Dark Pools' and Angel Investors
- » Moammar Gadhafi: The Making of a Libyan Strongman
tin t_c (1)
10 Comments
1. candlelight | January 14th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Thank post us know about top ten major of world infomations, Lessons give us get from the successes and failures of pointlight events .the same a warn and remind words we wait and see substantial progress lead in the new year
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
2. nguynty | January 15th, 2011 at 6:57 am
Some outstanding events last year caused great damage to the mankind . My biggest worry is the oil spill in the Gulf of Mecxico.
Sea water environment was polluted seriously.Life in this area becomes worse however man has tried to overcome and improve it.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
3. huynam | January 15th, 2011 at 8:58 am
In my opinion, we should put “Wikileaks case” at second position in this review. Why? Everybody can be easy to recognise that at the end of 2010 Wikileaks created “a earthquake in diplomatic activities all over the world”. All countries can realise true face of USA by reading American diplomatic cables. I think leader of Wikileaks Julian Assange is the best man of year…. Maybe to creat the review AP depended on others criteria… The following idea is my own…Thanks
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
4. Phuong | January 15th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
When I listened several times, I knew the news talk about. this news have some strange word, they’re different from the form I had known in former days. For example: 2010 as I know it’s read two thousands and ten but in this news it was read twenty- ten. It’s so interesting.
The news is very helpful, my social knowledge was increased. I was impressed by the story about Obama. He is the first colored person becoming the President of the US. When he won in the election, people hoped he would bring a new world to colored person. The gap between colored person and white person would be reduced. But nothing has chanced since he won in the election. Especially, since I read the book talking about “currency war”, he hasn’t been my idol.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
5. tttt | January 15th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
These Significant events have been evaluated, voted. Especially being event of the Tea Party that their movement has affected to government’s policy on limited spending and lower taxes. Next story is the successful rescue of thirty three mine workers in Chile.
Although not join to vote, but two stories have meaningful to me. I think about freedom and human kindness could also occur elsewhere in the world, wich is also what need that our society striving.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
6. pigcanfly | January 19th, 2011 at 9:15 pm
u wrote “nothing has chanced since he won in the election” in the first i read, i thought that “nothing has changed since he won the election”.i like your comment. i see your writing skill is quite well. i thought as u did. thanks you!^^
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
7. pigcanfly | January 19th, 2011 at 9:56 pm
i didn’t know hot events but when i read comments of all, i want to find information. thanks all so much.
i think each people owns opinion. i found the top spot of ten celebrities. i think these are fit to be the hot news.
1, Tensions on the Korean Peninsula
2, Horror stampede in Cambodia
3, Wikileaks trended world
4, Crisis of debt in Europe
5, World fever rare metals
6, The largest oil spill in American history
7, Earthquakes in Haiti
8, Chile’s miners were rescued successfully
9, “Red” obsession in Thailand
10, World Cup in South Africa
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
8. Phuong | January 20th, 2011 at 10:24 am
thank you for your comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
9. candlelight | February 28th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
i have seen you a long time.how are you?contact me.i like to talk with you.bye bye
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
10. dang ngoc | March 4th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
most of stories were affect by America.Therefore all of us know that how American is importan to the world.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0