Newsletter Archive

U.S. Democrats will formally name Hillary Clinton their nominee this week, making her the first woman standard bearer of a major political party. At least 63 nations have had a female head of state or government in the last 50 years, but Americans have never elected a women president. Would a ‘Madam President’ make any difference?

It’s an interesting political year for the LGBT community. First, Republican Donald Trump pledged to protect the community in his acceptance speech at last week’s GOP convention. And, before Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks on Thursday, the first openly transgender person ever to address a national convention will take the stage.

Politicians talk a lot about illegal immigration and drug trafficking along the U.S. border with Mexico border, but we don’t hear much about Mexicans’ contributions to the local economy in border towns. In Arizona, for example, Mexican citizens who drive over to Tucson to shop, and for other services, spend about a billion dollars each year.

Japan enjoys one of the lowest violent crime rates in the developed world, but its peace was shattered early Tuesday when a knife-wielding attacker broke into a facility for disabled people, killing 19 residents and wounding dozens more. The nation was shocked by the worst mass killing there since World War II.

Lamborghinis, Land Rovers, pricey rooftop restaurants and glass and concrete towers glinted in the sun are all part of Kurdistan’s landscape. Yet, despite this picture of prosperity, the regional government is broke. VOA went to Irbil, Iraq, to find out why.

After Turkey’s failed coup, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency and is purging his opponents. In Istanbul, VOA explores whether these latest developments leave Erdogan freer to push an Islamic agenda, posing a potential threat to the future of Turkey’s secular society.

Skyrocketing rents in Silicon Valley have forced many art and performance spaces to close, making it harder for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talents. A California entrepreneur came up with a way to fill that void, hooking artists up with people willing to host events in their spaces, be it a backyard, living room, bookstore or cafe.

It’s not quite raining beer in Amsterdam, but close. In parts of Europe, June was one of the wettest months on record in over a century. A group of entrepreneurs came up with a unique plan for all that excess liquid. VOA was on hand to watch as they turned rainwater into beer.