VOA标准英语 South Africans Prepare to Vote as Election Campaign

South Africans are preparing to vote Wednesday in national and provincial elections. Candidates are making last-minute appeals to voters. South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission Chairman Brigalia Bam said her organization is expecting a turn

VOA标准英语 Zimbabwe Political Prisoners Put Back Under Guard

Last Friday, Zimbabwe's remaining three political prisoners were released on bail. Two remained in the hospital nursing injuries sustained after they were detained late last year. But they are now back under armed prison guard at the hospital. Three

VOA标准英语 Gang Violence Turns Deadly in Central Kenya

Kenyan police say at least 29 people have died after members of a criminal gang clashed with residents of a village in central Kenya. The incident is the latest sign of tensions between the Mungiki gang and communities in the area. A woman mourns th

VOA标准英语 US Getting More Afghan Help to Reduce Civilian Casua

A senior U.S. defense official says American forces in Afghanistan are working more closely with the Afghan military to try to reduce civilian casualties. Gen. Petraeus (L), and Defense Undersecretary for Policy Flournoy testify on Capitol Hill, 01

VOA标准英语 Obama To Meet With Mideast Leaders

U.S. President Barack Obama is stepping up his personal involvement in the Middle East peace process. He has invited regional leaders to the White House for individual talks in the coming weeks. The invitations are going out to the leaders of Israel

VOA标准英语 US Treasury Secretary Says Confidence Returning to C

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has defended the Obama administration's program to rescue financially troubled banks. Secretary Geithner spoke before a congressional panel overseeing the massive bailout. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner

VOA标准英语 G8 Agriculture Ministers Conclude Summit on Food Sta

Agriculture ministers from the major industrialized nations called on Monday for increased agriculture production as a way to combat world hunger. At the end of a 3-day meeting in northern Italy, G-8 ministers also took a first step toward fighting

VOA标准英语 Top UN Nuclear Official Optimistic About North Korea

The head of the United Nation's nuclear watchdog agency says he believes the international community's nuclear disagreements with North Korea and Iran can be resolved through dialogue, not confrontation. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei in Beijing, 20 A

VOA标准英语 South Africa's National Poll to Be Contested by 26 P

In South Africa's election Wednesday, 26 parties will field national candidates with several more choosing only to contest the provincial polls. President of S. Africa's ruling party African National Congress, Jacob Zuma If South Africa's current pa

VOA标准英语 Obama Tells Cabinet to Cut Spending

U.S. President Barack Obama has instructed his Cabinet to cut $100 million in federal spending during the next 90 days, a largely symbolic move designed to draw attention to cost cutting in Washington. President Barack Obama speaks to the media afte

VOA标准英语 White House Defends Obama-Chavez Meeting

A handshake at last weekend's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago is continuing to stir controversy in Washington. Critics say President Barack Obama made a big mistake in greeting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. President Barack Obama,

VOA标准英语 New Report: Asia Stocks on 'Tentative Recovery'

Stocks in Asia reached a three-month high this week, injecting fresh hopes among investors of an early turnaround in the global financial crisis. A new report by the Asian Development Bank says, although Asia's stock markets are showing signs of sta

VOA标准英语 Former Russian Oil Tycoon Could Face More Jail Time

Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has pleaded not guilty to a new set of charges that could add 22 years to the sentence he is already serving. Human rights activists say the imprisonment of Khodorkovsky, who was once Russia's wealthies

VOA标准英语 US Defends Boycott of Racism Conference

The Obama administration on Monday defended its decision not to attend the United Nations Conference on racism in Geneva, which included in its opening session a sharp rhetorical attack on Israel by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Human right

VOA标准英语 South African Parties Hold Final Rallies Before Wedn

Political parties in South Africa have held their final rallies as the nation prepares for national and provincial elections on Wednesday. As South Africa's electoral campaign entered its final days, more than 100,000 people filled two sports stadiu

VOA标准英语 Obama Wraps Up Summit with Call for Partnership

President Barack Obama has hailed a renewed spirit of cooperation in the Americas, one in which the United States is an equal partner that listens to its neighbors. Speaking at the conclusion of the fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobag

VOA标准英语 Obama, Mexican President Discuss Drug Trafficking, B

President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon have pledged to work together to fight drug trafficking, border violence, environmental dangers and other shared challenges. The two leaders met at the country's presidential residence. Pr

VOA标准英语 Clinton Welcomes 'Overture' From Cuban Leader

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday said U.S. policy toward Cuba's communist government, which features a decades-old economic blockade, has failed and she is calling Raul Castro's offer of talks with Washington on the full range issues betwee

VOA标准英语 Rescued Ship Captain Returns Home to US After Somali

The U.S. shipping captain who was held hostage for five days by Somali pirates has returned homeand received a hero's welcome in the small Northeastern state of Vermont. Captain Richard Phillips (right) arrives in US after his rescued from pirates.

VOA标准英语 Russia Ends Counterterrorism Operation in Chechnya

Russia has ended its decade-long counterterrorism operation in Chechnya, an undertaking that led to broad restrictions on civil liberties in the war-torn Caucasus republic. The move could lead to the withdrawal of 20,000 Russian police and serviceme