VOA标准英语2009年-Kurdish Election Turnout High Amid Charges

Iraq's Electoral Commission says voter turnout in Saturday's Kurdish election was high and polling went smoothly, despite allegations of irregularities by Kurdish opposition groups. The results of the election are not expected for several days. Iraq

VOA标准英语2009年-India Launches Nuclear Powered Submarine f

India has launched its first indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine capable of firing ballistic missiles. The submarine, once in service, will give the country the capability to fire nuclear weapons from sea besides land and air. The Indian na

VOA标准英语2009年-US Envoy Mitchell Launches Mideast Peace M

Senior officials from the United States are converging on Israel for talks on the Middle East conflict and Iran. U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell, left, shakes hands with Syrian President Bashar Assad, upon his arrival at the Syrian presidential p

VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton Speaks Out on North Korea, Iran

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a strong defense of Obama administration policy on North Korea and Iran during an extended interview Sunday on American television. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Secretary of State Clinton is sending

VOA标准英语2009年-Thousands Flee Fighting in Congo

The U.N. refugee agency reported thousands of Congolese have been uprooted by the latest escalation of fighting in the South Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The UNHCR said at least 35,000 people have fled from the latest s

VOA标准英语2009年-Britain Will Stick with Afghan Combat Miss

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Wednesday that his country is determined to carry on with its combat mission in Afghanistan despite a rise in casualties and skepticism in domestic opinion polls. Miliband discussed the Afghan situation

VOA标准英语2009年-Sudan to Reciprocate Prisoner Release

A Sudanese government spokesman said that Khartoum will reciprocate a move this weekend by a major Darfur rebel group to release 60 prisoners of war. Discussions between the rebel Justice and Equality Movement group and the Sudanese government have

VOA标准英语2009年-Astronaut Armstrong Remembers Historic Apo

The first man to set foot on the moon has hailed the space race of the 1950s and '60s as an example of peaceful competition between rival superpowers. Legendary U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke at Washington's Air and Space Museum Sunday on the e

VOA标准英语2009年-Somalia's al-Shabab Names 3 UN Agencies 'E

Somalia's extremist insurgent group, al-Shabab, says three U.N. agencies working with the country's U.N.-backed transitional government have been declared enemies of Islam and their operations in Somalia have been shut down. A statement released by

VOA标准英语2009年-Britain's PM Defends Afghanistan Mission

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he believes his government's mission in Afghanistan will succeed. Mr. Brown has been on the defensive amid a growing political debate at home over the rising death toll among British soldiers on the front lin

VOA标准英语2009年-Aziz Completes Military-to-Civilian Transi

A Former military leader, General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has won Mauritania's presidential election. Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, left, speaks to the press shortly after being declared the victor in the previous day's presidential election, in ce

VOA标准英语2009年-Health Reform Debate Rages in US Congress

The debate over plans to reform America's health care system is raging in the U.S. Congress, as majority Democrats and President Barack Obama defend their proposal for a sweeping overhaul, and Republicans sharpen their criticism. President Obama is

VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton Says US Open to 'Productive Partne

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States is open to a productive partnership with Burma if the military government there ends the mistreatment of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and addresses other international concerns. She spok

VOA标准英语2009年-US Senate Ends F-22 Fighter Jet Program

The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to end funding for the most sophisticated U.S. fighter jet, supporting President Barack Obama on one of the most controversial issues to come before the Congress since he took office six months ago. A 22 Jun 2009 photo

VOA标准英语2009年-Foreign Direct Investment Expected to Rebo

A new U.N. report says foreign direct investment by transnational corporations will start to recover in 2010 and rebound substantially in 2011. The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development has published the results of this year's World Investment Pr

VOA标准英语2009年-UN Runs Record Funding Shortfall

The United Nations reports it is running a record funding-shortfall of $4.8 billion for its aid operations in 16 crisis-ridden countries. The United Nations says it has received less than half of the $9.5 billion it needs to carry out it humanitaria

VOA标准英语2009年-Insecurity Hampering Aid Efforts in Somali

The UN refugee agency said security concerns are making it increasingly difficult for aid workers to gain access and provide assistance to the growing number of victims of Somalia's civil war. The UNHCR estimated more than 220,000 people have fled S

VOA标准英语2009年-Turkey Ending its Love Affair With Tobacco

The expression smoke like a Turk seems destined for the rubbish bin of history now that Turkey has introduced some of the toughest anti-smoking legislation in all of Europe. The new ban aims to curb Turkey's love affair with tobacco, which is blamed

VOA标准英语2009年-Indonesia says Burma Must Release Democrac

Indonesia's foreign minister has said Burma must release democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi if its 2010 elections are to be credible. Indonesia has been pushing for tougher action against human rights violators during meetings of the Association of S

VOA标准英语2009年-Zimbabwe Trying to Stop Rhino Poaching

Zimbabwe's wildlife conservation reputation has taken a knock in the past few years and there are fears the recent surge in the poaching of the black rhino will lead to the animal's extinction in the country. The Convention on International Trade in