VOA标准英语2009-Afghan Corruption Concerns US Policy Planner

By Gary Thomas Washington, D.C 17 November 2009 Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has been roundly criticized in the international community for presiding over a corrupt government. A new report reinforces the perception of widespread corruption in

VOA标准英语2009-EU to Train Somali Security Forces

By Lisa Bryant Paris 17 November 2009 The European Union plans to train hundreds of Somali security forces and possibly expand its anti-piracy mission off Somalia's coast in an effort to bring stability to the war-torn Horn of Africa nation. The agr

VOA标准英语2009-EU says it is Not Time to Recognize Palestin

By Lisa Bryant Paris 17 November 2009 The European Union has followed the United States in saying it is not ready to recognize Palestinian statehood, after Palestinian leaders declared they would seek that status at the United Nations. Swedish Forei

VOA标准英语2009-Western Sahara Activist Sent Back to Canary

By Scott Stearns Dakar 17 November 2009 Aminatou Haidar talks about Western Sahara during an interview with AP in Washington (2006 file photo) Human rights officials say Morocco has expelled one of the leading independence campaigners for the disput

VOA标准英语2009-NATO Chief Confident Afghanistan Will Have M

By Jennifer Glasse London 17 November 2009 NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, 16 Nov 2009 The NATO secretary-general says he is confident the United States and other NATO allies will send more troops to Afghanistan, where insurgent attack

VOA标准英语2009-Bangkok Faces Grim Future as Waters Rise

By Ron Corben Bangkok 17 November 2009 Monsoonal floods in Bangkok, Thailand Built along the banks of the Chao Praya river as it nears the ocean, Bangkok has long been vulnerable to flooding. Poor urban planning and careless expansion have made the

VOA标准英语2009-Britain Offers to Hold Summit on Afghanistan

By Jennifer Glasse London 17 November 2009 Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown (file photo) British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday that he would like to host a summit next year to chart a timetable for the handover of security in various

VOA标准英语2009-World Leaders Agree to Boost Aid for Agricul

By Robert Raffaele Washington 16 November 2009 World leaders at a U.N. summit on food security in Rome are vowing to take urgent action to eliminate global hunger. But they did not agree in their final declaration to a U.N. request for $44 billion a

VOA标准英语2009-Czech Republic Marks 'Velvet Revolution' Ann

By Stefan Bos Budapest 17 November 2009 Former Czech President Vaclav Havel (background center) attends a group of people lighting candles and laying flowers as they commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in Prague, Czech Republic

VOA标准英语2009-US Weekly Jobless Claims Drop More Than Expe

Mil Arcega | Washington 25 November 2009 Shoppers in a U.S. store The number of newly laid-off U.S. workers filing claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week. A report Wednesday from the Labor Department shows 466,000 workers

VOA标准英语2009-Europeans Upbeat Over Obama's Climate Change

European leaders, environmentalists hail as good news President Obama's decision to attend at least part of December's climate summit in Copenhagen Liza Bryant | Paris 26 November 2009 European Union flags wave in the wind outside EU headquarters in

VOA标准英语2009-North Korea Finds Latest Ally: South Korean

North Korea has experienced chronic food shortages for about two decades, mainly due to the government's political isolation and mismanagement. Belts in the North have tightened even further since South Korea's president stopped sending large amount

VOA标准英语2009-UN Begins Inquiry Into Guinea Violence

UN investigators are in Conakry to find out what happened when 157 people were killed protesting the expected presidential candidacy of military ruler Captain Moussa Camara on September 28 Scott Stearns | Dakar 26 November 2009 Bodies of people kill

VOA标准英语2009-Mumbai Marks Anniversary of Last Year's Terr

One year after ten Pakistani gunmen attacked India's financial capital, many say they still feel vulnerable Mumbai 26 November 2009 A man waves an Indian flag outside the Taj Mahal hotel, one of the sites of Mumbai terror attacks, on the first anniv

VOA标准英语2009-Palestinians Reject Israeli Settlement Offer

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says peace talks cannot resume until Israel also halts settlement activity in East Jerusalem. His comments come a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed a 10-month halt for ne

VOA标准英语2009-Namibia Prepares for National Elections

Some 1 million registered voters are expected to take part in Namibia's 5th general election since independence nearly 20 years ago Scott Bobb | Johannesburg 26 November 2009 Workers prepare an election banner for the Rally for Democracy Progress op

VOA标准英语2009-Cars in Russia Measured by People Power, Not

The Russian Parliament recently made a rare legislative reversal -- withdrawing a tax increase on cars just days after approving it. Peter Fedynsky | Moscow 25 November 2009 A big increase in the number of new drivers in Russia has led to traffic ja

VOA标准英语2009-President Obama Pardons Thanksgiving Turkey

President jokes that turkey had his daughters, Sasha and Malia, to thank for the pardon because, in his words, I was planning to eat this sucker. VOA News 25 November 2009 President Barack Obama's daughter Sasha reaches to pet 'Courage' the turkey d

VOA标准英语2009-Europeans Shun Swine Flu Vaccine as Deaths F

A European medical society has expressed alarm at the widespread opposition in Europe against the swine flu vaccine. Meanwhile, experts say the number of deaths in Europe from the H1N1 virus are doubling every two weeks. Lisa Bryant | Paris 25 Novem

VOA标准英语2009-Lamb Sellers Busy as Eid Holiday Nears

The Muslim Eid al Adha or Feast of Sacrifice holiday is celebrated with the slaughter of an animal, which is then shared with the poor. Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo 25 November 2009 Lambs for sale ahead of Eid in Cairo's City of the Dead, Cairo, Egypt,