VOA标准英语2011-Beirut Bids Farewell to Iconic Cafe

This week, Beirut said goodbye to an almost century-old coffee house that survived civil war, regime changes and countless political crises. Activists say it was one of more than a thousand historical landmarks that have disappeared from the city's l

VOA标准英语2011-Liberia a Long Way From Winning War on Dr

Liberia's Drug Enforcement Agency says it lacks the financial and logistical support to adequately crack down on illegal drug trafficking. Agency officials say the country's weak drug laws are compounding the problem. According to Liberia's Drug Enfo

VOA标准英语2011-SPLM To Split, Remain in Northern Sudan A

If southern Sudan chooses independence in Sunday's referendum, the country of Sudan will not be the only thing splitting in two. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), currently the ruling party in the south and a primary opposition party in

VOA标准英语2011-Pollution Might Cloud Minds of Older Men

New research finds a link between vehicle emissions and cognitive function in older people. People who live in polluted cities can see the grit and dirt produced from vehicle engines but some of the most damaging emissions are only now starting to be

VOA标准英语2011-Virginia Coptic Church Marks Christmas Ev

Coptic Christians in the United States began their Christmas holiday Thursday night with an extra measure of police protection, following new anti-Christian threats by Mideast Islamist groups. At the St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Fairfax, Virgin

VOA标准英语2011-New Congress Reads US Constitution, Cuts

The new Republican-led House of Representatives held a symbolic reading of the U.S. Constitution on the floor of its chamber on day two of the 112th Congress. Afterwards, the House turned to more mundane matters and voted to cut its own operating bud

VOA标准英语2011-Pakistan Governor’s Assassination Under

The killing of the governor of Pakistan's most populous province has highlighted the ongoing clash in Pakistani society between secularism and religious radicalism. Some of that radicalism is fueled by resentment against a privileged and often secula

VOA标准英语2011-Sudan Report Finds Oil Transparency Key t

More transparency is needed over Sudan oil revenues, according to the environmental rights group Global Witness. The distribution of resources in Sudan is a hot issue as the country prepares for a referendum on dividing the country between north and

VOA标准英语2011-Traditional Afghan Farming Gets Modern Tw

In Afghanistan, the vast majority of the population relies on agriculture for its livelihood. Three decades of war have not changed the central importance of farming in this country, only its difficulty. Afghanistan's U.S.-educated Minister of Agricu

VOA标准英语2011-Meals on Wheels Delivers Food, Companions

Many elderly and disabled Americans are isolated by frailty, illness and at this time of year, in the northern states, extreme cold weather. Many also suffer from malnutrition. A non-profit program called Meals on Wheels provides and delivers more th

VOA标准英语2011-Multi-Millon-Dollar Iraqi Sports Complex

The Asian Cup football (soccer) tournament kicks off in Doha, Qatar, Friday, January 7, with defending champion Iraq to play North Korea, Iran and the United Arab Emiterates in Group-D play. Iraqi football fans are also looking forward to 2013, when

VOA标准英语2011-Pakistan Governor's Assassination Highlig

The assassination of the governor of Pakistan's Punjab province was a shock, coming as it did in the middle of a political crisis for the government. Analysts believe it will have no direct major effect on the central government's precarious stabilit

VOA标准英语2011-'The King’s Speech,' 'True Grit' Lead O

The King's Speech, a historical film about the British royal family, leads Oscar nominations for this year. The period drama earned 12 nominations for the prestigious film awards, including for best picture. Other top contenders include the Western-t

VOA标准英语2011-Clown 'Doctors' Fan Out to US Hospitals

Professional clown Michael Christensen doesn't just confine his act to the Big Apple Circus he co-founded. He also brings laughter to a place that is often badly in need of it: pediatric hospitals across the country. Christensen's national organizati

VOA标准英语2011-Disparate Group Makes Remarkable

The controversial account of a remarkable escape from a Siberian prison camp during World War II is the inspiration for a new film directed and co-written by six-time Oscar nominee Peter Weir. Here's a look at The Way Back . I have to get back. Go ov

VOA标准英语2011-Doing the Right Thing Can Help You Succee

Doing the right thing can help individuals and institutions succeed. But knowing what that right thing is, is not easy. In Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing, authors Barry Schwartz and Kenneth Sharp explain that it's possible to d

VOA标准英语2011-Tunisians React to New Media Options

Tunisians are savoring new media freedoms announced a week ago by the country's caretaker government following the toppling of autocratic president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. However, for the Al-Kitab bookstore in downtown Tunis, the fight for free ex

VOA标准英语2011-Power Shift Detailed in North Korean Part

North Korea has revised the charter of its only political party, apparently to ensure a smooth transition of power from father to son in the reclusive communist state. VOA correspondent Steve Herman has obtained a copy of the document, which has not

VOA标准英语2011-Obama to Deliver Second State of the Unio

President Barack Obama delivers his second State of the Union Address to the nation on Tuesday, before a joint session of the U.S. Congress. President Barack Obama will face a dramatically altered balance of power in the House of Representatives when

VOA标准英语2011-International Community Expresses Concern

The United States and the European Union are among those appealing for calm in Albania, after at least three people were killed and dozens were injured in anti-government protests in the capital Tirana. Albania's Prime Minister Sali Berisha says he w