VOA常速英语2007-Former Soviet Union Launched Space Age 50 Years

By Peter Fedynsky Moscow 03 October 2007 October 4th marks 50 years since the former Soviet Union hurled humanity's first object into Earth orbit. It was a small round device known as Sputnik -- Russian for satellite -- with four antennas and a trans

VOA常速英语2007-Thailand Border Bracing for New Burmese Refugees

By Chad Bouchard Mae Sot, Thailand 03 October 2007 Communities along Thailand's border with Burma are closely watching for signs of a new wave of refugees following violence in Rangoon over the past week. As Chad Bouchard reports from the Thai border

VOA常速英语2007-German Chancellor in Ethiopia for First Leg of A

By Nick Wadhams Nairobi 03 October 2007 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has arrived in Ethiopia for the first leg of an Africa visit in which she will focus on strengthening business ties, addressing the AIDS pandemic and touring development projects

VOA常速英语2007-Baghdad Attack Wounds Poland's Ambassador to Ira

By Jim Randle Irbil, Iraq 03 October 2007 An attack on a diplomatic convoy in Baghdad has injured Poland's ambassador to Iraq and killedthree other people. VOA's Jim Randle reports from Irbil in northern Iraq. Explosions wounded the Polish ambassador

VOA常速英语2007-UN says No Evidence Army, Rebel Groups Ally in E

By Noel King Kigali 03 October 2007 Conflicting reports are emerging from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo regarding an alleged alliance between Congo's army and outlaw Hutu and Mayi Mayi militias, aimed at purging a rebellion by dissident genera

VOA常速英语2007-Kenya's Slum Kids Get Their Own TV Show

By Nick Wadhams Nairobi 03 October 2007 Nairobi is home to some of the world's biggest slums, and more than half of its 3 million people live in them. Many in the slums don't even have electricity, so it was quite an event recently when a white scree

VOA常速英语2007-Killings Renew Accusations of Niger Government A

By Phuong Tran Dakar 03 October 2007 In Niger, rebels and government officials continue to trade accusations about an attack earlier this week that killed about a dozen people. Army officers say they killed rebel fighters, while human rights activist

VOA常速英语2007-Critics Say British PM Fails to Protect Asylum S

By Tendai Maphosa London 03 October 2007 British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently stepped up his criticism of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe for his dictatorial rule and human rights abuses. The British government also repeatedly condemns oth

VOA常速英语2007-US Sending Team to North Korea to Oversee Reacto

By David Gollust State Department 03 October 2007 The Bush administration says U.S. experts will go to North Korea next week to oversee the disabling of that country's reactor complex under the six-party nuclear agreement announced by China Wednesday

VOA常速英语2007-Jerusalem Summit Focuses on Palestinian Statehoo

By Robert Berger Jerusalem 03 October 2007 Israeli and Palestinian leaders have met in a fresh effort to advance the peace process. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, there is cautious optimism on both sides. Israeli Prime Minister

VOA常速英语2007-Leaders of North, South Korea Decide Against Ext

By Kurt Achin Seoul 03 October 2007 South Korean officials say a summit between the leaders of North and South Korea will wrap up as scheduled, despite an extension offer by the North Korean leader. It remains unclear whether the two made any concret

VOA常速英语2007-US House of Representatives Calls for Iraq Withd

By Dan Robinson Capitol Hill 03 October 2007 The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a resolution to require President Bush to give Congress a plan to withdraw troops from Iraq. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, the measure which had bipartisan supp

VOA常速英语2007-US Commander Hails Decreased Violence in Iraq

By Cindy Saine Washington 02 October 2007 The U.S. commander of the multi-national corps in Iraq says violence in the country has decreased consistently over the past three months. As VOA's Cindy Saine reports from Washington, Lieutenant General Raym

VOA常速英语2007-UN Says Attempts to Undermine Darfur Peace Proce

By Margaret Besheer United Nations 02 October 2007 The U.N. Security Council has condemned an attack on African Union peacekeepers in the Darfur region of Sudan, saying any attempt to undermine the peace process is unacceptable. The attack killed at

VOA常速英语2007-US Endorses Plan For Disabling North Korean Nucl

By David Gollust State Department 02 October 2007 The United States said Tuesday it has approved a draft six-nation accord under which North Korea will declare and disable its nuclear programs by the end of the year in exchange for aid and diplomatic

VOA常速英语2007-Baby Boomers Make Plans for Retirement

By Priscilla Huff Washington 02 October 2007 The United States is well-known for its youth-obsessed culture, but in reality there is a huge generation of so-called baby boomers --Americans born after World War Two. They number some 80 million people

VOA常速英语2007-Pentagon Hopes Successful Missile Test Boosts Su

By Meredith Buel Washington 02 October 2007 The Pentagon says a recent successful test of the nation's missile defense system could boost support for the controversial project, which is designed to protect America from missiles fired by countries suc

VOA常速英语2007-Bush Meets Iraq's President

By Scott Stearns White House 02 October 2007 President Bush welcomed Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to the Oval Office to discuss a stable future for the turbulent country. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story. White House Spokes

VOA常速英语2007-Native Americans, Visitors Celebrate Return of S

By Mike O'Sullivan Central Washington State 02 October 2007 Each year, salmon head upriver to their spawning grounds in the Columbia River basin in the northwestern U.S. state of Washington. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the event has inspired a festival

VOA常速英语2007-Ecuador's President Pushes for Leftist Reforms

By Brian Wagner Miami 02 October 2007 Ecuador's leftist President Rafael Correa is promising to move quickly on government reforms following Sunday's vote that apparently gave his supporters a majority in a special assembly to rewrite the country's c