VOA标准英语2009-Opening of Confederations Cup Celebrated in

The Confederations Cup is underway in South Africa, after an opening ceremony at Johannesburg's Ellis Park Stadium. In the opening match, South Africa played to a scoreless tie with Iraq. It was a cool, sunny afternoon in Johannesburg, as South Afri

VOA标准英语2009-Iran's Ahmedinejad Addresses Supporters as O

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed thousands of flag-waving supporters at a victory rally to celebrate being officially proclaimed winner of Friday's election, despite widespread accusations of fraud. Supporters of Iranian President Mah

VOA标准英语2009-US Withholds Judgment on Iran Election Resul

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says he is withholding judgment on Iran's presidential election, as protests continue in Tehran over election results showing a landslide re-election victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Vice President Joe Biden,

VOA标准英语2009-Israel's PM Says He Would Accept a Demilitar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he would accept a Palestinian state as long as it has no military force and recognizes Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. His remarks came in a major policy speech late Sunday in which he

VOA标准英语2009-Severe Weather Pattern Threatens Asia-Pacifi

Climatologists are warning that an El Nino weather pattern, which can spark severe floods, forest fires and droughts, could develop in the coming weeks across the Asia-Pacific region. Heavy early morning fog hangs over Sydney Harbor Bridge, 04 Jun 2

VOA标准英语2009-Iranians Vote Absentee in London

They might be thousands of kilometers from home, but Iranians living in the United Kingdom are still taking part in their country's presidential election. A queue of people wait to vote outside the Iranian Consulate in London as protesters wave bann

VOA标准英语2009-India Reacts Calmly to Flu Pandemic Alert

India's government health officials say despite the designation of a global pandemic for the H1N1 virus there is no cause for alarm in the world's second most populous country. India has confirmed 16 cases of swine flu in humans and there have been

VOA标准英语2009-India Proposes to Phase Troops Out of Towns

India says it plans to phase out troops deployed in counter-insurgency operations in parts of India-controlled Kashmir, leaving them to battle insurgents in border areas. India's home minister reviewed security during a two day visit to the restive

VOA标准英语2009-S. African Officials Outline Extensive Secur

South African officials have assured the public that extensive security measures have been put in place to provide security during the football (soccer) Confederations Cup which kicks off on Sunday. Police officers and citizens cross a street in fro

VOA标准英语2009-NATO Agrees to Restructuring of Military Com

NATO ministers meeting in the Belgian capital have thrown their weight behind a U.S. plan to reorganize the military command in Afghanistan, to better handle an influx of new troops. A general view of NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, 12

VOA标准英语2009-Anti-Taliban Islamic Scholar Among Those Kil

Suicide bombers struck two cities in Pakistan within minutes of each other Friday, killing at least five people and wounding more than 100. Among the dead is a prominent Islamic scholar who openly supported the military campaign against Taliban mili

VOA标准英语2009-Obama Says Iran's 'Robust' Election Debate H

President Barack Obama said Friday he's hopeful the robust political debate in Iran in connection with its presidential election will advance prospects for U.S.-Iranian engagement. Administration officials say plans to engage Tehran will go forward

VOA标准英语2009-West Bank Jewish Settlements Pose Obstacle t

Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank - home to about 300,000 Israelis - are a crucial issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and one that threatens to derail prospects for peace. U.S. President Barack Obama, in his speech to the Muslim wo

VOA标准英语2009-Guinea-Bissau Election Campaign Enters Final

Presidential candidates in Guinea-Bissau are campaigning hard across the country ahead of Sunday's vote. Eleven candidates are running to succeed long-time President Joao Bernardo Vieira, who was killed in March. Crowds cheer at rally for ruling par

VOA标准英语2009-US Embassy in Sudan Warns of Terror Threat

The U.S. embassy in Sudan is warning of a threat by Islamist extremists to attack the Sudanese government as well as Western interests. A statement on the U.S. embassy website warned that a post on a radical Islamist website threatened an attack on

VOA标准英语2009-Suicide Bombings Increase in Somalia

Last week, a top Somali government minister was killed in a suicide bombing claimed by al-Shabab militants opposed to the government. It was the latest of about a dozen al-Shabab-related suicide attacks that have rocked Somalia for the past three ye

VOA标准英语2009-OECD Looks for Global Economic Growth in 201

The Paris-based Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development has offered its most positive forecast in months on the world economy, saying 2010 is likely to usher in modest growth. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development di

VOA标准英语2009-Iran's Supreme Leader: Nation Will Not Yield

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says he is not prepared to back down, under pressure, over Iran's disputed June 12 presidential election. Scattered reports also say that Iranian riot police have fired teargas to disperse a planned oppos

VOA标准英语2009-Refugees Leave Chad for US

A group of 11 refugees left the Chadian capital N'Djamena by air on Sunday to be resettled in the United States. The group is comprised of seven urban refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, three urban Sudanese refugees and one person f

VOA标准英语2009-Insurgent Court in Somalia Delays Amputation

A court under the control of a Somali Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab has ordered four young men suspected of stealing guns and mobile phones to have a hand and a leg amputated, but the punishment was postphoned. An al-Shabab spokesman told the A