homework:

It's 10:00 Universal Time. Here is the news from the Voice of America.

I'm Carmen English from the VOA News Center in Washington.

Thousands of Iraqis marched through the streets of two Shiite holy cities today in an anti-American protest to mark the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to US forces. Men, women and children carrying Iraqi flags marched through Najaf and the neighboring city of Kufa, shouting slogans, hailing radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and demanding that US forces leave Iraq. Sadr urged Iraqis Sunday to protest the American presence and demanded that Iraqi security forces stop cooperating with the US military. Sadr, who led two uprisings against US forces in 2004, is believed to be living in exile in Iran. His supporters deny he left the country to avoid the security crackdown in Baghdad. The threat of car bombing attacks prompted authorities to impose a 24-hour vehicle ban in Baghdad from five AM Monday.

The fierce debate in Washington over funding US troops in Iraq continues. VOA's Michael Bowman reports.

One week before the Pentagon says it will run short of money to continue military operations in Iraq, a standoff continues between the White House and the opposition-controlled Congress over funding for the troops. Democrats like the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin, want to provide the money but with a major condition attached.

We are not going to vote to cut funding, period. But what we should do and what we are going to do is continue to press the president to put some pressure on the Iraqi leaders to reach a political settlement.

Levin spoke on ABC's this week television program. Both houses of the Democratically-controlled Congress have passed emergency spending bills that provide money to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan but set dates for withdrawing US forces from Iraq. President Bush says he will veto any bill that sets a timetable for a troop pullout which he maintains would assure defeat in Iraq and embolden terrorists across the globe. Michael Bowman, VOA news, Washington.

East Timorese are voting for a new president in an election, many hope, it will bring stability to the young nation after a year bloodshed. Thousands of people lined up before dawn today to choose among eight candidates to replace President Xanana Gusmao who plans to run for Prime Minister later this year. Just over a half million people are eligible to vote.

Official results from Benin's legislative election show the coalition of President Thomas Yayi Boni has won control of parliament. The election is viewed as a test for President Yayi who was elected a year ago on promises to fight corruption and improve the economy.

Israeli and Palestinian officials are reporting progress on a possible prisoner swap. More news from Robert Berger in Jerusalem.

Palestinian militants have handed over a list of hundreds of prisoners they want released in exchange for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He was abducted more than nine months ago in a cross border raid by gunmen from the Islamic militant group Hamas and is being held in the Gaza Strip. Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad says Shalit could be released in a week if Israel meets the group's demands. Hamas is demanding the release of top militants including Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti, who was sentenced to five life terms for planning deadly attacks against Israelis. The head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmed Saadat, is also on the list. Israeli officials are playing down Palestinian claims of an imminent deal. As one Israeli cabinet minister put it, there is still a long way to go. Robert Berger for VOA news, Jerusalem.

In other news this hour, around one thousand people gathered in Thailand's capital Bangkok Sunday to demand the resignation of the country's military government. Police say the protestors led by supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra held the rally. Members of Thailand's military overthrew Shinawatra's government in a bloodless coup last September.

Those are the top stories this hour. In Washington, I'm Carmen English, VOA news. More news on the Internet at voanews.com.

抢了个SOFA，谢谢楼主了哈