- voa常速英语:Britain Will Stick with Afghan Combat Mission, says...2009-07-30
- 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 and related issues with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here in Washington.
- [VOA标准英语]Asia's IPO Market Awakens2009-07-29
- More companies in Asia are lining up to tap the stock markets for capital for the first time since the financial crunch late last year. Experts say the recent surge in stock prices is bringing in investors.
- [VOA标准英语]US Defense Secretary Meets With Iraqi Officials in Baghdad2009-07-29
- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad Tuesday, amid concerns about ongoing violence and internal quarrels between the central government and Kurdish leaders in the north. The planned U.S. pullout by the end of 2011 and Iraq's desire to buy U.S. weapons were also on the agenda.
- [VOA标准英语]Trial of Burma's Democracy Leader Concludes; Verdict Expected Friday2009-07-29
- The trial of Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has concluded, and the verdict is to be announced Friday. Despite an international outcry over the trial, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is expected to be found guilty and sentenced to up to five years in prison.
- [VOA标准英语]Senate Panel Debates What to Do with Guantanamo Detainees2009-07-29
- The Senate Judiciary Committee has held a hearing on what to do with detainees at Guantanamo Bay when U.S. President Barack Obama closes the prison next January. Republican members of the committee argued the detainees should be tried in military commissions due to national security concerns.
- [VOA标准英语]US Policy on Sudan, Darfur Under Microscope on Capitol Hill2009-07-29
- U.S. policy toward Sudan and international efforts to devise a lasting and effective solution to the situation in Darfur are receiving attention from the Congress this week. Two House of Representatives committees and one Senate panel are looking at Sudan, as well as U.S. support for international peacekeeping.
- [VOA标准英语]Obama Urges US Seniors to Support Health Care Reform2009-07-29
- The president took his campaign for health care reform to the headquarters of the American Association of Retired Persons, a powerful organization representing the interests of Americans over the age of 50.
- [VOA标准英语]Analysts: Hugo Chavez Remains Strong as Venezuelan Economy Stagnates2009-07-29
- Earlier this year, Hugo Chavez boasted that, thanks to his leadership, Venezuela had insulated itself from the global financial crisis and the worldwide economic slowdown.
- [VOA标准英语]South Sudan Switches Strategy on Disputed Oil field2009-07-29
- South Sudan has issued a new argument to support its claim on a major oil field given to the North as part of the Abyei ruling last week at The Hague. Disputing the North's possession of the oil field, the South says the prized land is still part of a separate southern region.
- [VOA标准英语]Observers say Guinea-Bissau Vote Met International Standards2009-07-29
- Electoral observers from the European Union say Sunday's vote in Guinea-Bissau met international standards for democratic elections. It was a vote to replace long-time leader Joao Bernardo Vieira, who was killed by mutinous troops five months ago.
- [VOA标准英语]Group Seeks British Records Involving Alleged Rendition Flight2009-07-29
- Pakistani Mohammed Saad Iqbal Madni says he was visiting relatives in Indonesia when he was detained. The 31-year-old claims he was handcuffed and hooded, and put on a so-called rendition flight to Egypt that he and others believe refueled for 30 minutes on the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
- [VOA标准英语]Tajikistan Considers Russian Language Ban2009-07-29
- Tajikistan is considering a bill that would prohibit the use of Russian by government agencies in the former Soviet republic. Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon is urging lawmakers in the Central Asian country to speed passage of the measure, which some people in Russia view as a hostile act.
- [VOA标准英语]US, Israeli Officials Make Progress in Dispute Over Settlements2009-07-29
- U.S. Middle East Special Envoy George Mitchell and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say they have made progress in their dispute over Jewish settlements. Mitchell has left Israel after a visit aimed at getting Israelis and Palestinians to restart negotiations.
- voa常速英语讲解:英国人权组织要求政府公布移交逃犯录像2009-07-29
- A British human rights organization has begun legal action aimed at gaining the release of British government records regarding a rendition flight involving an individual who allegedly was flown via the British territory of Diego Garcia.
- [VOA标准英语]Zimbabwe Finance Minister Receives Threatening Letter2009-07-28
- Zimbabwe Finance Minister Tendai Biti, a top official for the Movement for Democratic Change, says he has received a threatening letter with a bullet inside.
- [VOA标准英语]Somali Government Forces say Insurgents Pushed from Strategic City2009-07-28
- Forces loyal to Somalia's embattled government say they have pushed out Islamist insurgents from the strategic capital of Beledweyne in the central Hiran region. But the insurgents claim they made a tactical retreat and have not been defeated. Controlling Beledweyne has long been a vital goal for the Somali government.
- [VOA标准英语]Philippine President Says She Will Not Extend Term2009-07-28
- Philippine President Gloria Arroyo says she has no desire to extend her term past next May. Mrs. Arroyo made the comments during her final state of the nation address before the Philippine Congress.
- [VOA标准英语]Jump in US Home Sales Reported2009-07-28
- America's battered housing industry is showing signs of life, according to new U.S. government statistics.
- [VOA标准英语]North Korea Ready for 'Specific' US-Only Talks2009-07-28
- North Korea says it may be ready to talk again, but not in the six-nation format it has taken part in over the last five years. This time, Pyongyang says it will only talk with the United States. The United States is rejecting North Korea's offer to hold one-on-one talks on its nuclear weapons program.
- [VOA标准英语]Gordon Brown Labels Latest Afghanistan Offensive a Success2009-07-28
- Prime Minister Gordon Brown has hailed the British offensive in Afghanistan's Helmand province a success. But that call is getting a mixed reception as the British public grows weary of the country's involvement there.
- [VOA标准英语]Obama Opens High-Level US-China Talks2009-07-28
- U.S. President Barack Obama is calling for a new era of cooperation between the United States and China. Mr. Obama says despite their differences, there are key areas where the two countries can and must work together.
- [VOA标准英语]Iran Protests Subside, but Internal Squabbles Continue2009-07-28
- The street protests in Iran have faded in the face of the government's security crackdown. But the political squabbles and bickering continue. Internal feuds that were once kept behind closed doors have erupted into the open, providing a rare glimpse of political tensions in the Islamic Republic.
- [VOA标准英语]Gates: US Wants Iran Answer on Nuclear Talks by September2009-07-28
- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has told visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates no option is off the table as Israel prepares a possible strike against Iran's suspected nuclear facilities.
- [VOA标准英语]US Peace Envoy in Egypt in Effort to Revive Arab-Israeli Talks2009-07-28
- Special U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell is in Egypt as part of a push to resume Arab-Israeli peace talks.
- voa常速英语:美国房屋销量开始上涨2009-07-28
- U.S. home sales recorded the largest monthly increase in more than eight years, rising 11 percent in June, according to the Commerce Department. It was the third consecutive month of rising sales.