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VOA English Newscast: 1500 UTC April 11, 2016


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center left, puts his arm around Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, center right, after they and fellow G7 foreign ministers laid wreaths at the cenotaph at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center left, puts his arm around Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, center right, after they and fellow G7 foreign ministers laid wreaths at the cenotaph at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan
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From Washington, this is VOA News.

I’m Joe Palka reporting.

Mr. Kerry visits Hiroshima…

“This was a display that I will personally never forget. I don’t see how anyone could forget…”

John Kerry says he is "deeply moved" and "honored" to be the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Hiroshima, Japan, a city devastated after the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb near the end of World War II. Mr. Kerry spoke after visiting a World War Two peace memorial.

"It is a stunning display. It is a gut-wrenching display. It tugs at all of your sensibilities as a human being. It reminds everybody of the extraordinary complexity of choices in war, and of what war does to people - to communities, to countries, to the world."

Secretary Kerry was speaking toward the end of the annual two-day G-7 ministers meeting. Group of Seven heads of state will meet in Hiroshima next month. President Obama will become the first American leader to visit the city.

The UN's envoy for Yemen welcomed today the cessation of hostilities, which just went into effect. The truce is between the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition backing the Houthi rebels, who seized control of Yemen's capital in 2014.

All are pledging to support the ceasefire. It comes ahead of peace talks scheduled for April 18 in Kuwait.

Russian news reports say the Syrian military is preparing a major operation with the Russian air force to regain control of the northern city of Aleppo.

Aleppo -- Syria's one-time economic capital, parts of which now lie in ruins -- has been divided into occupation zones since 2012, with rebel groups in some areas, while other locales are still under government control.

Meantime, London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 35 people were killed yesterday in fighting on several fronts south of Aleppo.

From Washington, this is VOA News.

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Words in This New

display – n. an action or performance at which shows clearly that you have some ability, feeling or quality; an event at which something is done to inform people

devastated – v. destroying much or most of something; causing great damage or harm

stunning – adj. very surprising or shocking

gut-wrenching – adj. causing great emotional or mental pain

tugs – v. pulls

extraordinary – adj. very unusual or different from what is considered normal; extremely good

UN – abbreviation. short for United Nations

envoy – n. a government representative who deals with another government

cessation – n. stoppage; suspension

pledging – v. promising

ahead – adv. or adj. in the front; to or toward the place where one is going

scheduled – v. planned; appointed for a fixed time

zones – n. areas

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