But Wednesday,the U.S.Senate joined the House in refusing the president's request for $80 million to close Guantanamo, saying he must first come up with a concrete plan to deal with the remaining 240 detainees.

VOA: standard.2009.05.21

The level of violence is up. I worry a great deal about the overarching impact of the global financial crisis on not just Afghanistan or Pakistan, but all of us in our ability to resource this in the future.

VOA: standard.2009.03.31

U.S.President Barack Obama has already outlined Washington's new strategy, to deal strategically with Afghanistan and Pakistan together, to focus on both military and civilian development efforts and to step up diplomacy by bringing in neighboring countries as part of the solution.

VOA: standard.2009.04.03

So we have to come up with some kind of a global deal." Analysts say there is no internationally recognized authority at the border of Gaza and whatever steps are taken to provide security will have to involve the Palestinian Authority reconciling or at least cooperating with Hamas.

VOA: standard.2010.06.10