VOA标准英语2013--More Afghans Seek Asylum as Troops Prepare to Withdraw

More Afghans Seek Asylum as Troops Prepare to Withdraw Afghan asylum seekers arrive in Indonesia, thousands of kilometers short of their goal for a new life in Australia. Last year authorities in Canberra reported the number of arriving asylum seeker

VOA标准英语2013--Cyprus Banks Reopen, Bailout Negotiations Continue

Cyprus Banks Reopen, Bailout Negotiations Continue Depositors formed long lines on the sidewalks and streets outside their banks long before the doors were unlocked at noon, local time - anxiously awaiting access to their accounts. The banks were sch

VOA标准英语2013--Christians Worldwide Prepare for Easter

Christians Worldwide Prepare for Easter The pontiff will lead the Easter Vigil service late Saturday and deliver his holiday address and traditional blessing on Sunday. Christians from all over the world have flocked to Italy during the Holy Week wit

VOA标准英语2013--African Leaders Discuss Democracy, Investment with Obama

African Leaders Discuss Democracy, Investment with Obama It was in front of a crowd of hundreds that leaders of Malawi, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Cape Verde spoke about the big gains their countries have made in the last few years. For the president

VOA标准英语2013--Gary Allan's 'Set You Free' Focuses on Hope

Gary Allan's 'Set You Free' Focuses on Hope Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain) is the lead single from Set You Free. The million-selling song became the California natives fastest-rising chart hit to date, and his fourth to top the Country list. Allan sa

VOA标准英语2013--Washington Week: Focus on U.S. Immigration Reform

Washington Week: Focus on U.S. Immigration Reform President Barack Obama says foreign-born workers have always contributed to Americas economic prowess. The promise we see in those who come from all over the world is one of our greatest strengths. It

VOA标准英语2013--Gao Residents Rebuild, after Islamist Occupation

Gao Residents Rebuild, after Islamist Occupation An everyday scene that would have been unthinkable just four months ago under the Islamist militant sect MUJAO. And certainly not in Gao. MUJAO anointed the Sharia Square; it's where they whipped peopl

VOA标准英语2013--Bombings, Intimidation Mar Run-up to Pakistan Elections

Bombings, Intimidation Mar Run-up to Pakistan Elections Militants are hitting early election rallies hard in Pakistan. The victims of one blast: supporters of the secular Awami National Party. The Taliban has threatened the largely secular parties of

VOA标准英语2013--Britain Says Goodbye to Former PM Thatcher

Britain Says Goodbye to Former PM Thatcher Her casket was carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage through the center of London, as people crowded the sidewalks to pay their respects. It was escorted by military units, and all along the route security w

VOA标准英语2013--Capriles Calls Off Protests in Venezuela to Avoid Violence

Capriles Calls Off Protests in Venezuela to Avoid Violence In Caracas's Bolivar Plaza, supporters of President Maduro held an event to celebrate his victory. But there were few supporters of opposition leader Henrique Capriles out in Caracas. He is d

VOA标准英语2013--Train Connects North, South of ‘Africa’s Giant’ Nigeria

Train Connects North, South of Africas Giant Nigeria The train departs from Lagos - Nigerias largest city - every Friday at noon, or thereabouts. When we arrive at the station at 9 a.m., the ticket lines already are thick. When the journey begins, pa

VOA标准英语2013--New York City Studies Response to Rising Seas

New York City Studies Response to Rising Seas When Hurricane Sandy struck last October, New York got a taste of what its future could be. One Brooklyn youngster, Jerry Gonzalez, was in the midst of it. The water was up to half of the door, and then w

VOA标准英语2013--US Gun Control Advocates Disappointed by Vote

US Gun Control Advocates Disappointed by Vote At the White House Wednesday, with parents of the school shooting victims alongside, President Obama pledged to keep fighting for gun control. So all and all, this is a pretty shameful day for Washington.

VOA标准英语2013--Egyptian Women Reject Blame for Upsurge in Sexual Harrassment

Egyptian Women Reject Blame for Upsurge in Sexual Harrassment Post-revolution, the number of women reporting sexual harassment and violence has skyrocketed. So, too, it appears, has the tendency to blame women for the assaults against them. Psycholog

VOA标准英语2013--Violence Overwhelms Pakistan's Largest City

Violence Overwhelms Pakistan's Largest City Suspected militants threw a grenade at Pakistan's paramilitary Ranger forces in Karachi in early April, killing four. It was just another attack in what has become Pakistan's most violent city. Roughly 20 m

VOA标准英语2013--Kerry Meets Abbas in New Bid to Revive Peace Talks

Kerry Meets Abbas in New Bid to Revive Peace Talks Kerry held one-on-one talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday in Ramallah. The two agreed to continue working together to find the best path to peace, but made no official statements

VOA标准英语2013--Washington Week: Focus on Economic, Fiscal Matters

Washington Week: Focus on Economic, Fiscal Matters President Obama wants to shrink the deficit and promote economic growth. For years, an argument in Washington has raged between reducing our deficits at all costs, and making the investments we need

VOA标准英语2013--Dietary Changes Help Lower Blood Pressure

Dietary Changes Help Lower Blood Pressure Sunday, April 7, is World Health Day, and this years theme is high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. The World Health Organization has recommended reducing salt or sodium intake to lower the risk of

VOA标准英语2013--Economic Hard Times Increase Immigration Tensions in Europe

Economic Hard Times Increase Immigration Tensions in Europe Amid Romes many architectural splendors sits an unassuming doorway. It leads to a counseling center for immigrants, run by the Catholic Church. These people, some from the European Union and

VOA标准英语2013--Florida Bluesman JJ Grey Heads Home with 'This River'

Florida Bluesman JJ Grey Heads Home with 'This River' Grey is a natural storyteller. His songs are inspired by people he grew up with and the rural swamplands of his childhood home near Jacksonville, Florida. His new album is named for a prominent fe