VOA标准英语2009年-Major Powers Call for Nuclear Talks With I

Major world powers meeting on Wednesday in Germany have urged Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear program before the U.N. General Assembly opens its new session in New York later this month. Iran's top nuclear negotiator said earlier thi

VOA标准英语2009年-Landmine Survivors Still not Getting Help

A new report finds survivors of landmines and other explosive remnants of war continue to suffer discrimination and general neglect from the governments that promised to assist them. The so-called Voices from the Ground report is issued by Handicap

VOA标准英语2009年-US to Base Drones in Seychelles to Fight P

The United States is planning to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles in the Seychelles islands in the coming weeks to combat piracy. The use of land-based drones is a new approach to deter ship hijackings in the region. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper takes off f

VOA标准英语2009年-World Watches as New Japanese Leader Prepa

For now there remain more questions than answers about how the government of Japan's new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, will shape its foreign policy. There have been some indications he will seek to forge closer relations with East Asia, and possi

VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Faces Political Challenges on Health

President Barack Obama faces a major political test in the weeks ahead as opinion polls show fading public support for his top two priorities - health care reform and the war in Afghanistan. President Obama (file photo) Health care reform remains Pr

VOA标准英语2009年-International Envoys Pledge Continued Supp

Senior international envoys vowed continued strong support for Afghanistan during strategy talks in Paris on Wednesday. This comes amid rising violence in Afghanistan and on the heels of the country's controversial elections. L-R, US Envoy Richard H

VOA标准英语2009年-North, South Korea Normalize Cross-Border

South and North Korea have resumed traffic across their tense border to a jointly run industrial zone, renewing hopes for the project's viability. The move reflects a thaw in tensions after recent diplomatic moves between the two Koreas. South Korea

VOA标准英语2009年-Death Toll Continues to Mount in Gulf of A

The United Nations refugee agency reports 16 people have drowned in the Gulf of Aden over the weekend in two separate incidents involving smuggling boats sailing from Somalia. The UNHCR says these tragedies are continuing to mount. Bossasso Beach in

VOA标准英语2009年-Gabon Awaits Presidential Results

Three presidential candidates in Gabon all say they expect to be named the winner when counting Sunday's vote is completed. Final results are expected Wednesday. Electoral Commission President Rene Aboghe Ella says he will meet with candidates early

VOA标准英语2009年-Kenyans Furious Over Re-Appointment of Ant

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki re-appointed the controversial head of the country's anti-corruption commission on Monday, bypassing both an advisory board and Parliament in a move critics are calling illegal. The anti-corruption czar has been heavily

VOA标准英语2009年-New Process Uses Algae to Produce Alternat

Researchers around the world are trying to find alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels, which are finite and might not be available in sufficient quantities in coming decades to meet the growing world demand for energy. In addition, burning fossi

VOA标准英语2009年-EU says Europe Emerging from Recession

The European Union says it is emerging from a recession driven by the global economic downturn, but the recovery will be shaky and slow. The EU economic outlook for 2009 is far from upbeat. Overall, the bloc's economy will shrink by four percent in

VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Launches Revived Campaign for Financ

U.S. President Barack Obama is pushing for new regulations on the American financial services sector, warning industry leaders there can be no return to the abuses of the past. The president made the case for reform in a speech in the heart of New Y

VOA标准英语2009年-Green Revolution Hero Norman Borlaug dies

American agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug died at his home in Dallas, Texas Saturday at the age of 95. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work to stop world hunger. Known around the world as the father of the Green Revolution, his eff

VOA标准英语2009年-Liberia Converting Old Rubber Trees to Ele

Work begins this month on a new, environmentally-friendly power plant in Liberia that will use old rubber trees to generate electricity. It is part of a plan to make Liberia the world's first sustainable biomass-driven economy. Natural rubber has an

VOA标准英语2009年-IOM Helps Thousands of Afghan Returnees an

The International Organization for Migration is running an 18-month project to help reintegrate thousands of returnees, internally displaced and other vulnerable groups in western Afghanistan. IOM says it is particularly critical to provide shelter

VOA标准英语2009年-Slovakia, Hungary Agree to Tackle Extremis

The Prime Ministers of Hungary and Slovakia have agreed to tackle extremism as part of efforts to overcome their countries' worst diplomatic crisis in years. They made the announcement following a meeting at the Hungarian-Slovak border Thursday. Bot

VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Marks September 11 Anniversary In Wa

U.S. President Barack Obama has marked the eighth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States by reaffirming his determination to defeat terrorism. The president laid a wreath in memory of those who died on that day's attack o

VOA标准英语2009年-N. Korea Softens Economic Demands on South

North Korea has withdrawn its insistence on massive wage increases from South Korea at a jointly-run factory zone in the North. The move is widely seen as part of a broader charm offensive by Pyongyang, but comes as South Korea remains angry at a fl

VOA标准英语2009年-Netanyahu Reaches Out to Settlers Ahead of

Under pressure from the United States to halt settlement expansion, Israel's leader is trying to calm the fears of one of his most important constituents: Jewish residents of the West Bank. Benjamin Netanyahu (file photo) Israeli Prime Minister Benj