At previous summits, the United States set forth an ambitious and still unattained goal: forging a vast, hemisphere-wide free-trade zone.

VOA: standard.2009.04.15

However,the zone encountered problems when North Korea became upset with the conservative policies of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

VOA: standard.2009.09.11

China has also been angered by U.S.Naval operations inside its 320-kilometer economic zone, leading to some confrontations between American and Chinese ships.

VOA: standard.2009.10.27

The strength of the European currency has been under pressure since Greece's financial problems were revealed, with concern the problem could spread to other euro-zone countries.

VOA: standard.2010.03.01

U.N.Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes visited the conflict zone,Friday, during a three-day visit to Yemen, inspecting one of five refugee camps in the north of the country.

VOA: standard.2009.10.11

Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara says the army is now less than a kilometer away from a safe zone, which was set up to protect civilians inside rebel-controlled territory.

VOA: standard.2009.03.17

The army has been accused of shelling inside the "no-fire zone,"

VOA: standard.2009.04.06

The authorities have declared large stretches of normally white-sand beaches along the popular surf region of the Sunshine Coast a disaster zone, as well as Moreton and Bribie islands, which are national parks.

VOA: standard.2009.03.13

The government's outright rejection for a truce with Tamil Tiger rebels came a day after the European Union said the situation of civilians trapped in the war zone is dangerous and called for a cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid into the region.

VOA: standard.2009.03.17

Since last year's inauguration of conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak who North Korea calls a "traitor" North Korea has restricted access to the zone, detained a South Korean executive for more than two months without trial, and cancelled all of the contracts governing rent and wages.

VOA: standard.2009.06.05