VOA标准英语 Young Voters Important in South African Election

Nearly one third of South Africa's 23 million registered voters are younger than 30-years-old and of those, about two million are first time voters. There is much speculation about the impact of these young voters. The 2009 election is the first in

VOA标准英语 Drug Smugglers Found Guilty in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has convicted 15 men of trying to smuggle nearly 700 kilograms of cocaine through the country's airport. Justice Nicolas Browne Marke found all 15 men guilty of conspiracy to import a prohibited drug without lawful authority. Two Colomb

VOA标准英语 Cambodian Spiders Under Threat

Giant spiders might not look appetizing, but in Cambodia they are considered a delicacy. First eaten by starving refugees during the Khmer Rouge era in the late 1970s, they are now a popular snack in Cambodia. They are so popular their numbers are n

VOA标准英语 Foreign Backpackers Flock to Australia to Escape Glo

Officials in Australia say more young foreigners looking to escape recession in other parts of the world could be heading for the country this year on working holidays. The number of skilled travelers from Britain and Germany applying for working ho

VOA标准英语 South Africa Celebrates Freedom Day After Successful

South Africans are celebrating the 15th anniversary of the end of apartheid, as well as the conclusion of successful national elections, which were swept by the ruling African National Congress. A group of traditional clad Zulu women participate in

VOA标准英语 Australia Urged to Boost Military Commitment in Afgh

Australian forces in Afghanistan are urging the government in Canberra to send more combat advisers to the troubled country despite waning public support for the war. The International Security Assistance Force wants more Australian personnel to tra

VOA标准英语 Military Offensive in Pakistan Threatens Swat Peace

Thousands of people in northwest Pakistan are fleeing a renewed offensive by Pakistani forces against Taliban militants. With the army saying it has killed more than 45 militants since the operation began Sunday, the fighting casts further doubt on

VOA标准英语 Sri Lanka Pledges to Stop Shelling, Air Strikes of T

The Sri Lankan government says although major combat operations against the remaining Tamil Tiger rebels have ended, a military sweep continues to bring about a total defeat of the quarter-century old insurgency. But the Liberation Tigers of Tamil E

VOA标准英语 Ethiopia Arrests 35 Suspects in Alleged Coup Plot

Ethiopian authorities have arrested 35 people suspected of involvement in a plot to overthrow the government. Those arrested are said to be followers of an exiled opposition leader living in the United States. Government spokesman Ermias Legesse say

VOA标准英语 IMF Steering Committee Boosts Lending Agency's Resou

The 24 nations that comprise the International Monetary Fund's policy-making committee agreed Saturday to an immediate $250 billion increase in the lending agency's resources. The decision is in line with the recommendation made by world leaders at

VOA标准英语 Sri Lanka Rejects Tamil Tiger Ceasefire

Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels, on the verge of total military defeat, have declared a cease-fire. But the military immediately rejected it, saying surrender to Sri Lankan forces is the only option. The development comes as the top U.N. humanitarian offic

VOA标准英语 Israel Rejects Preconditions for Talks with Syria

Israel's new government is offering to resume peace negotiations with Syria. But it wants to change the ground rules. Israel' Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Jerusalem (File) Israel's ultra-nationalist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said h

VOA标准英语 World Bank to Boost Lending in Response to Economic

The major high income and developing countries that set policy for the 185 member-nation World Bank agreed in Washington on Sunday that the bank should boost its lending to help poor countries adversely affected by the global economic slowdown. From

VOA标准英语 WHO, US Declare Swine Flu Emergencies

The World Health Organization is expressing concern about a possible swine flu pandemic as the number of confirmed cases rises in the United States and Mexico - and new cases have been reported in Canada. The Obama administration declared a public h

VOA标准英语 Obama Outreach Weighed in Mideast

U.S. President Barack Obama has made dialogue with the Middle East a priority in his early months in office. As the Obama administration approaches the 100 day mark, regional leaders are assessing the result. US President Barack Obama with Jordan's

VOA标准英语 Clinton Assures Support for Lebanon

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made an unannounced stop in Lebanon. Clinton expressed hope that Lebanon's June parliamentary elections will be free and fair. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Lebanon, on the heels of he

VOA标准英语 Pakistani Forces Deploy in New Region Infiltrated by

Militants in Pakistan have ambushed paramilitary forces who were being rushed to a region near the capital that was recently overrun by Taliban forces from the nearby Swat valley. Witnesses say gunmen in Buner district, killed at least one of the pa

VOA标准英语 US Doctors, Airlines Monitoring for Swine Flu

U.S. health officials are increasing surveillance measures at doctors' offices and international borders to guard against the spread of swine flu. Washington also has begun dispersing medicine from a federal stockpile. Secretary of State Hillary Rod

VOA标准英语 Politicians Question Police Misconduct Charges at G-

The head of Britain's Independent Police Complaints Commission was questioned Tuesday by a host of politicians in parliament regarding the much criticized security tactics employed during London's G-20 summit earlier this month. British police in ri

VOA标准英语 Legal Ambiguity in Pakistan Emboldens Militants, Wor

The Pakistani government's recent approval of Islamic courts in parts of the country's northwest was aimed at bringing peace to a region that had long suffered from clashes between Taliban fighters and the military. But the agreement's legal ambigui