VOA标准英语2011-Obama to Speak at Arizona Memorial Servic

President Barack Obama will go to Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday to speak at a memorial service for those killed in Saturday's shootings. The president will try to help the nation deal with the rampage, which left six people dead and a U.S. congresswoman

VOA标准英语2011-Basque's ETA Announces Permanent Ceasefir

The Basque separatist group ETA has declared a permanent ceasefire. The group has waged a violent campaign to form an independent state in northern Spain and southwest France. A video posted on the website of Basque newspaper Gara shows masked people

VOA标准英语2011-France Blames Al-Qaida for Killings of Fr

French Defense Minister Alain Juppe traveled Monday to the West African nation of Niger for talks with authorities following the killing of two French hostages. The incident underscores growing concern that France is a key target of Islamist extremis

VOA标准英语2011-New Research Focuses on Genetic Clues to

New medical research into a possible cure for Parkinson's disease is focusing on finding biomarkers in patients so that doctors can start treatment early before tremors and other symptoms start. Actor Michael J. Fox's recent commitment of $40 million

VOA标准英语2011-Liberia Green Lights Camp to Shelter Ivor

Liberia's government has given the go-ahead to build a refugee camp for the 22,000 Ivorians who have already fled the violent, political crisis in Ivory Coast. The head of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission says the country

VOA标准英语2011-New Book Explores Secret Ancient History

Rock and roll evolved in the United States and gained popularity in the post World War II era. However, a new book by Christopher Knowles proposes that this genre of music is part of the wider human story, dating back to ancient cultures, 2,000, 4,00

VOA标准英语2011-Voting Continues in South Sudanese Refere

Southern Sudanese officials say at least 30 people have died in clashes along the border with northern Sudan as the second day concluded in the region's week-long referendum on independence. Election officials say voter turnout was 20 percent on Sund

VOA标准英语2011-Will Washington, Moscow Discuss Short-Ran

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty recently ratified by the U.S. Senate deals only with long-range nuclear weapons. Tactical nuclear weapons are often every bit as lethal as the strategic nuclear warheads, but they are designed to be delivered o

VOA标准英语2011-US Lawmaker Remains in Critical Condition

A U.S. Congresswoman is in critical condition and six people are dead after a gunman opened fire in an Arizona parking lot where Representative Gabrielle Giffords was meeting with constituents. The dead include a federal judge. More than a dozen peop

VOA标准英语2011-Obama: Tax Cuts Compromise to Help Grow U

U.S. President Barack Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday to outline the benefits of a tax cut package he signed into law in December. President Obama says the tax cut compromise reached with Republicans will help grow the U.S.

VOA标准英语2011-Living Life Fueled by Power of Courage

Whether it is losing a loved one or a job, facing foreclosure or serious illness, people need courage to face what life throws in their path on a daily basis. To explore what courage is and how it can help people transform their lives, authors Nina L

VOA标准英语2011-Ivory Coast Incumbent President Rejects C

The government of Ivory Coast's incumbent president is rejecting calls for more U.N. peacekeepers, saying the entire force should leave the country because it is violating its neutrality. The head of U.N. peacekeeping wants as many as 2,000 additiona

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