voa	Russia to Spend $730 Billion on New Weaponry July 06, 2011 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced his government plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on weapons modernization by 2020. In his address to parliament earlier this year, ...

voa	Retirement Surge Raises Financial Worries In ... July 06, 2011 The cost of pensions and medical care for retired people is rising sharply in the United States and in some other nations where the elderly are a growing percentage of the population. As ...

voa	Libya Looks Toward Talks, But Quick Results ... July 06, 2011 There are reports of talks between representatives of the Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and members of the opposition that have been fighting to oust him since February. There is skepticism about ...

voa	Atlantis Astronauts Arrive, Tourists Follow ... July 06, 2011 The astronauts who make up the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis have arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center - and tourists who are eager to witness the historic final shuttle launch are not far ...

voa	Gay Marriage Fight Sparks US Debate Over ... July 06, 2011 Rhode Island on Saturday adopted a law legalizing same-sex civil unions.  The week before, New York became the sixth American state to allow the marriage of two men or two women. ...

voa	US Woman’s Afghan Experience Inspires Novel July 05, 2011 Over her 27-year career as a U.S. diplomat, Patricia McArdle served in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe. But it was her last assignment in Afghanistan that inspired her to write ...

voa	Urban Farm Prospers in Downtown Area July 05, 2011 Ninety year old Charlie Koiner cares for a small plot of land just a few blocks from a busy downtown near Washington DC. He has been growing fruits and vegetables here since this suburb was mostly ...

voa	Juba Bustling Ahead of South Sudan Independence July 04, 2011 South Sudan is set to become the world’s newest country on July 9, with Juba as its capital. Until relatively recently, Juba was a small outpost, but it is now one of Africa’s ...

voa	Sanitation Pioneer Offers ... July 02, 2011 Soon after it gained independence, modern India outlawed discrimination against so-called "untouchables," the lowest of the social classifications outlined in Hindu ...

voa	Libyan Rebel Strategy Depends on Outside ... July 02, 2011 The admission by French officials that they have supplied weapons to rebels in western Libya could help explain the opposition’s recent territorial gain. The advance has been one of the few ...

voa	Underwater Robots Compete in NASA Astronaut ... July 01, 2011 Last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico drew attention to the use of underwater robots, more properly called remote-controlled vehicles, that served as the eyes and hands of operators above ...

voa	The Future of Ethanol Fuel July 01, 2011 U.S. lawmakers recently voted to end subsidies on ethanol.  Though the legislation is still pending, it has re-started the conversation on whether or not ethanol is ...

voa	People of Southern Sudan Face Bleak Future ... July 01, 2011 Southern Sudan becomes the world’s newest country on July 9. After more than 20 years of civil war, followed by a half decade of uncertain peace, the new country is starting virtually from ...

voa	Global Study: Growing Pentecostal Churches ... July 01, 2011 Religion scholars say the fastest-growing form of Christianity is Pentecostalism, with its exuberant worship and belief in the so-called gifts of the Spirit, including speaking in tongues and ...

voa	Growth of Women’s Football Continues July 01, 2011 The sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup is being played in Germany through July 17.  Worldwide, some 26 million girls and women now play football ((soccer)) and those numbers are growing every year.  ...

voa	Crisis Mapping Helps with Disaster Relief July 01, 2011 After devastating natural disasters, mobile phone networks, satellites and other computer software are often used to help to pinpoint where help is needed the most.  They are crucial for the ...

voa	Gates Gets Medal of Freedom, Steps Down as US ... June 30, 2011 U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday awarded retiring Defense Secretary Robert Gates the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  The award came during a military tribute to Gates on his final day in ...

voa	Gates Ends Tour That Spanned Two ... June 30, 2011 Robert Gates steps down as U.S. Defense Secretary on Thursday after more than four years of service under two presidents of different political parties. He has overseen military surges in both ...

voa	Chinese, Young and Old, Sing Communist ... June 30, 2011 As China’s ruling Communist Party prepares to celebrate its 90th anniversary (July 1), many Chinese are literally singing the party's praises as its membership rolls reach a new high. ...

voa	Atlantis Crew Ready for Final Shuttle Mission June 30, 2011 The end of an era is near.  The U.S. space shuttles - the complex workhorses of the U.S. space program - are being retired so NASA can focus on developing spacecraft that can travel beyond ...