VOA常速英语2007-Australia Defends Controversial Citizenship Test

By Phil Mercer Sydney 02 October 2007 Australian refugee groups have criticized tests that require people to answer questions about the nation's history and culture to qualify to become a citizen. Critics believe the new measures will discriminate ag

VOA常速英语2007-Raid Highlights Concerns Over Steroid Use

By Tony Budny Washington 01 October 2007 U.S. law enforcement officials last week announced their largest crackdown ever on performance enhancing drugs. The nationwide raid calls attention to what officials say are the dangers of steroid use among pr

VOA常速英语2007-African Union Searches for Motive in Darfur Atta

By Alisha Ryu Nairobi 01 October 2007 The African Union says it is still trying to find out what prompted a large group of rebels to launch a deadly attack on its peacekeeping force in Sudan's western Darfur region on Saturday. At least 10 A.U. sold

VOA常速英语2007-Togo Security Forces Stand Guard During Legislat

By Phuong Tran Dakar 01 October 2007 In Togo,6,000 security troops are on guard for the official start of legislative campaigning for October 14 elections. Candidates are promoting reconciliation in the West African country where recent election viol

VOA常速英语2007-President Bush Welcomes New Military Advisor

By Michael Bowman White House 01 October 2007 President Bush has taken part in a military ceremony honoring the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and welcoming his replacement. From the White House, VOA's Michael Bowman reports. Preside

VOA常速英语2007-Bush Hosts Traditional Ramadan Dinner at White H

By Scott Stearns Washington 05 October 2007 President Bush welcomed Muslim leaders to the White House Thursday evening for an Iftaar dinner breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

VOA常速英语2007-Pakistan's Presidential Election, Power-Sharing

By Daniel Schearf Islamabad 05 October 2007 Pakistan's Supreme Court has rejected requests to postpone Saturday's presidential election, but says the results will be kept secret until the court decides whether President Pervez Musharraf can legally r

VOA常速英语2007-World Religious Leaders to Meet to Discuss Globa

By Sabina Castelfranco Rome 05 October 2007 Some 200 representatives of the world's religions will meet later this month in the southern Italian city of Naples to discuss a range of issues focusing on violence in the world. The meeting is being organ

VOA常速英语2007-Ivory Coast Opposition Rallying for Fair Electio

By Phillip Wellman Dakar 05 October 2007 Opposition leaders in divided Ivory Coast have recently been holding public rallies denouncing the government and telling their supporters to change the country through voting. Most analysts agree that the dem

VOA常速英语2007-Third Party Presidential Candidates Can Affect E

By Jeffrey Young Washington 05 October 2007 While political parties in the United States other than the Democratic and Republican have fielded presidential candidates for years, they have never won the White House. VOA's Jeffrey Young explores how th

VOA常速英语2007-Bush Says America Does Not Torture

By Scott Stearns White House 05 October 2007 President Bush is defending his administration against reports that it authorized harsher techniques to interrogate suspected terrorists than it has previously acknowledged. VOA White House correspondent S

VOA常速英语2007-House Approves Bill Making Iraq Contractors Subj

By Dan Robinson Capitol Hill 04 October 2007 Acting amid continuing controversy over a recent incident involving Blackwater, the largest American private security contractor in Iraq, the U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved legis

VOA常速英语2007-UN Reports Call for Changes in Structure of Khme

By Rory Byrne Phnom Penh 05 October 2007 A United Nations agency says the U.N. should pull out of the special tribunal set up to try leaders of Cambodia's genocidal Khmer Rouge government unless reforms are made. Separately, two United Nations expert

VOA常速英语2007-Congress, State Department in Conflict Over Iraq

By Dan Robinson Capitol Hill 04 October 2007 A key Democratic lawmaker says the State Department risks an escalating confrontation with his committee over the issue of U.S. government assessments of Iraqi anti-corruption efforts. VOA's Dan Robinson r

VOA常速英语2007-Rice to Shuttle Between Israelis, Palestinians

By David Gollust Washington 04 October 2007 U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begins a trip to Russia and the Middle East next week that will include five days of shuttling among Israeli and Palestinian officials. She will lay groundwork for t

VOA常速英语2007-White House Says US Does Not Torture

By Scott Stearns White House 04 October 2007 The Bush administration is defending itself against reports that it authorized harsher techniques to interrogate suspected terrorists than it has previously acknowledged. VOA White House Correspondent Scot

VOA常速英语2007-John Lennon's Music to Help Darfur

By Mandy Clark London 04 October 2007 The human rights group Amnesty International has teamed up with John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, to raise awareness and money for the victims of the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan. Ono was recently on hand

VOA常速英语2007-Liberia Says World Trade Must Benefit Poor

By Lisa Schlein Geneva 04 October 2007 Talks to open up world trade hold the key to prosperity for poor countries, Liberia's Foreign Minister said on Thursday. The minister made her remarks at a forum on globalization at the World Trade Organization

VOA常速英语2007-Rights Groups Call for Strong Support for AU/UN

By Cindy Saine Washington 04 October 2007 The U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus held a hearing Thursday on the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force to be deployed to Sudan's Darfur region. Several members of Congress and a numbe

VOA常速英语2007-Muslim Somali Workers Say They Lost Jobs for Pra

By Kane Farabaugh Grand Island, Nebraska 04 October 2007 Last December, JBS Swift and Company -- the world's second largest processor of beef and pork -- temporarily suspended operations when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided pla