VOA标准英语2009年-Libel Remains A Criminal Offense in Si

Supreme Court upholds criminal libel act, says law poses no immediate danger to journalists Fid Thompson | Freetown 28 December 2009 Sierra Leone's Supreme Court recently threw out a case aiming to repeal the country's criminal libel law, under which

VOA标准英语2009年-Sugary Soft Drinks Raise Risk of Diabe

Researcher correlates even moderate amounts of sweet beverages with greater likelihood of developing gestational diabetes Rose Hoban | Washington, DC 21 December 2009 Soft drinks have become a staple of diets in both wealthy and poorer countries. Now

VOA标准英语2009年-India Satisfied with Copenhagen Summit

India says it is satisfied with outcome of the recent climate summit at Copenhagen, which did not spell out specific targets for reducing carbon emissions. India is hailing the united position adopted by big developing countries at the summit. Anjana

VOA标准英语2009年-Iran's President Derides Obama and US

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has again sharply criticized US in what political analysts say is bid to regain legitimacy Edward Yeranian | Cairo 22 December 2009 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (File) Middle East nations would not let t

VOA标准英语2009年-5 Ethiopians Sentenced to Death

33 other people sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to assassinate public officials and topple the government Peter Heinlein | Addis Ababa 22 December 2009 The overall problem in the country is political and the solution is basically political

VOA标准英语2009年-Senate Democrats Unite to Advance Key

The Senate has voted by 60 to 40 to close debate on landmark health care reform legislation backed by U.S. President Barack Obama and fiercely opposed by Republican lawmakers. Now, the divided chamber appears to be heading towards a vote to pass the

VOA标准英语2009年-Winter Weather Slams US Retailers

U.S. retailers hope to recoup sales that were lost due to heavy snowfall that has paralyzed much of the eastern portion of the country for the past three days. Michael Bowman | Washington 21 December 2009 Photo: AP Woman and her children shop at Targ

VOA标准英语2009年-Film Follows Musician with Kidney Dise

Faiza Elmasry | Washington, DC 21 December 2009 Photo: http://dtourmovie.com Music is a challenge and joy for Pat Spurgeon A new documentary about a man's search for a living kidney donor combines medical drama and rock music. Pat Spurgeon is the dru

VOA标准英语2009年-After Rocky Year, Evangelicals Ponder

Criticized as materialistic, often hypocritical, some look inward Ted Landphair | Washington, DC 21 December 2009 Photo: Carol M. Highsmith One-fourth of U.S. adults not just Christians, all adults identify themselves as evangelicals. And evangelical

VOA标准英语2009年-London Museum Unveils Medieval, Renais

Rachel Smalley | London 21 December 2009 One of the exhibits at the Victoria and Albert Museum London's Victoria and Albert Museum claims to be the world's greatest museum of art and design. With artifacts dating back 3000 years, it has a collection

VOA标准英语2009年-Thailand Tourism Recovers From 2004 Ts

Tourists have returned to Thailand's beaches but, the resort island faces political strife and the global financial crisis. Daniel Schearf | Phuket, Thailand 21 December 2009 Today, the Thailand's beaches show evidence that the tourists have returned

VOA标准英语2009年-Swift, Aldean, Chesney Dominated Count

Although overall album sales dipped almost nine percent in 2009, one Country star in particular didn't contribute to that slowdown. Here's a look back on the year in Country music, and the remarkable success of Taylor Swift. Mary Morningstar | Washin

VOA标准英语2009年-Malaysian Opposition Pledges to End Bi

Major rifts within the opposition have been cited as the biggest factor likely to thwart efforts by their leader Anwar Ibrahim to win control of government at the next election. Luke Hunt | Kota Kinabalu 20 December 2009 Major rifts within the opposi

VOA标准英语2009年-Iranian Cleric's Funeral Turns Into An

The political opposition in Iran says hundreds of thousands of people turned out for the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. The dissident cleric, who died Sunday at the age of 87, had been a spiritual guide for opponents of the governm

VOA标准英语2009年-North Korea Threatens to Open Fire in

North Korea has warned South Korean military and fishing boats to stay clear of a disputed maritime area, or risk being fired on. Kurt Achin | Seoul 21 December 2009 Photo: AP S. Korean fishing boat passes by South Korean Navy's floating base near we

VOA标准英语2009年-Madagascar Political Crisis Deepens

The political crisis in Madagascar has deepened, after transitional government head Andry Rajoelina backed out of power-sharing negotiations and named a former military officer as prime minister. Opposition groups have rejected the move and say they

VOA标准英语2009年-Maoist-led Protests Intensify in Nepal

In Nepal, Maoists have intensified protests as a 6-month long standoff with the government shows no signs of ending. The political impasse threatens a historic peace pact which ended a violent Maoist-led insurgency, and brought them into the politica

VOA标准英语2009年-Comoros Election Returns Show Ruling C

Preliminary returns from Sunday's elections in the Comoros indicate the president's ruling coalition is heading for a landslide victory that could extend his rule. But some opposition leaders say voting was marked by irregularities. Scott Bobb | Joha

VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Administration: Iran to Face 'Co

The Obama administration says Iran will face consequences from an increasingly-united global community if it continues to rebuff multilateral efforts to ensure the peaceful application of its nuclear program. Michael Bowman | Washington 20 December 2

VOA标准英语2009年-First Winter Cold Snap of the Season G

Tom Rivers | London 20 December 2009 Photo: AP Photo A pair of Shetland ponies are seen at Anfield Plain, England, 20 Dec 2009 Blizzard conditions have descended upon a wide section of Europe. While snow has brought smiles to the faces of children wh