VOA标准英语 Economists Complain About Big US Banks Receiving Tax

Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Simon Johnson said Wednesday that the biggest U.S. banks are too powerful and exert too much influence over the government. Johnson told an audience at Washington's School of Advanced International

VOA标准英语 Obama: US Moving Toward High-Speed Railways

President Barack Obama wants the United States to join other industrialized countries in having an extensive high-speed rail system. The president has unveiled his plan to accelerate the development of high-speed rail in the U.S. President Obama, ac

VOA标准英语 Turkey Begins Dig for Missing Kurds

State prosecutors in Turkey have ordered the excavation of several sites around Turkey that they say may hold Kurdish victims of state death squads from the 1980s and 1990s, a step ahead in efforts to force the country's security establishment to co

VOA标准英语 Mauritania's Military Ruler Steps Down to Run for Pr

Mauritania's military ruler has stepped down to stand as a candidate for president in June elections. The civilian president who was toppled in last August's coup wants Mauritanians to boycott that vote. Mauritania's military ruler Gen. Mohamed Ould

VOA标准英语 Ethiopia's Opposition Holds First Rally Since 2005

Supporters of imprisoned Ethiopian political leader Birtukan Mideksa have marched in the streets of Addis Ababa to demand her release. The march was the first officially sanctioned political demonstration since the violent protests of 2005. A carefu

VOA标准英语 India Completes First Phase of Voting in National El

At least 18 people were killed as India's voters cast ballots in the first part of a five-stage election in the world's largest democracy. More than 2.5 million security officers were on duty in the 15 Indian states and two territories where balloti

VOA标准英语 Foreign Donors Pledge $5.2 Billion in Aid for Pakist

International donors meeting in Japan have pledged more than $5 billion to help the Pakistani government shore up its shaky economy and shrink the pool of militant recruits. President Asif Zardari said the world continues to underestimate the threat

VOA标准英语 Medvedev Outlines Path to Better US-Russian Ties

The U.S. and Russia presidents are scheduled to meet for the first time Wednesday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in London. The new Kremlin leader comes to the meeting with a record of policy initiatives that have swung between belligerent threa

VOA标准英语 Italy Pushes For Steps to End Illegal Immigration Pr

Italian officials are pressing for steps to prevent a repeat of the tragedy involving hundreds of migrants from Africa who are missing and believed to have drowned in the Mediterranean over the weekend. The migrants were cramped in un-seaworthy vess

VOA标准英语 ADB Predicts Sluggish Growth for Developing Asia

A new report predicts developing Asia's economic growth will slow by almost half this year, but the Asian Development Bank forecasts that the region will rebound in 2010. Developing Asian economies are likely to grow by an average of 3.4 percent in

VOA标准英语 Southern Africa Floods Affect Hundreds of Thousands

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported excessive rainfall is causing havoc with the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in seven Southern African countries. People take the high road to p

VOA标准英语 Obama Urges Sudan to Allow Aid Groups to Return

U.S. President Barack Obama is urging Sudan's government to let recently expelled humanitarian aid groups return to the country. Mr. Obama is sending an envoy to Khartoum this week to make his case. President Barack Obama meets with the US Envoy for

VOA标准英语 Hundreds of Migrants Feared Drowned Off Libyan Coast

The International Organization for Migration says it believes more than 300 African migrants, possibly as many as 500, drowned after their boats sank off the coast of Libya. Libyan officials say 21 people are confirmed dead and about 20 others have

VOA标准英语 Indian PM to Discuss Taliban with Obama

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to tell President Barack Obama there is no difference between good and bad Taliban when they meet this week on the G20 sidelines. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (file) India's prime minister wil

VOA标准英语 British Troops End Mission in Basra, Hand Over to US

British forces turned over command of military operations in the southern Iraqi city of Basra to US troops on Sunday. A truck bomb that exploded Tuesday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, however, indicates that the military situation in many plac

VOA标准英语 Clinton Calls US-Iranian Meeting 'Promising'

Senior U.S. and Iranian leaders met Tuesday on the sidelines of an international conference in The Hague aimed at re-energizing international commitments for war-torn Afghanistan. Participants agreed to boost security and development in the central

VOA标准英语 Obama Calls for Strong Message of Unity Ahead of G20

U.S. President Barack Obama is on his way to London, to start his first overseas trip as president. Mr. Obama's eight-day visit to Europe may be as ambitious as his domestic agenda. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at Andrews Air

VOA标准英语 Clinton Calls for Increased Aid for Afghanistan

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging the international community to provide more security and development aid to Afghanistan. Mrs. Clinton spoke at the start of a day-long conference about Afghanistan in The Hague. US Secretary of State

VOA标准英语 Amid Scuffles and Shouts, South Korea-US Trade Deal

A trade liberalization deal between South Korea and the United States has come a step closer to fruition. South Korean lawmakers passed the measure through a committee, over the shouts and scuffles of those opposing it. Opposition lawmaker Chun Jung

VOA标准英语 Russia Hails First Obama-Medvedev Meeting

Russia says strategic stability, international security, non-proliferation, and cooperation against emerging threats are among the interests Moscow shares with the United States. The Kremlin is also offering a positive assessment of Wednesday's meet