Newsletter Archive

In this tumultuous U.S. election cycle, both the right and the left have raised questions about the American electoral system’s integrity. The debate basically breaks down this way: “Republicans are more concerned with security. Democrats are more concerned with access,” says the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Democracy Project director. That plays out in haggling over voter rolls and voter IDs. But documented cases of U.S. voter fraud are rare, experts say. VOA looks at how local election officials safeguard against rigging.

Speaking of elections, voters in Hong Kong are preparing to pick Legislative Council members. Candidates for the Sept. 4 contest had to sign loyalty pledges saying they see the island as an inalienable part of China. Edward Leung, who’d belatedly signed the one-China pledge, learned this week that he won’t be on the ballot. “Hong Kong nowadays is not a place of rule of law,” he complains. The Electoral Affairs Commission declined VOA’s interview request.

Who is running Boko Haram? Two men this week issued dueling statements claiming to run the Nigerian militant sect. The apparent leadership struggle raises concerns of an ideological split that could portend a surge in violence in the country’s northeast and in the Lake Chad region.

The pace of Syrians’ resettlement to the United States has picked up in the last three months, putting the country on track for welcoming 10,000 refugees by September’s end. To help achieve that 2016 fiscal-year goal, the State Department in February set up a “resettlement surge center” in Jordan that has substantially reduced the processing time for refugees’ interviews, medical and security screenings. Just over 8,000 arrived from last Oct. 1 through Aug. 4.

Divisions are sharpening between Islamists in Libya and the country’s struggling UN-backed unity government. U.S. airstrikes this week against Islamic State fighters holed up in the coastal town of Sirte have drawn condemnation by influential Islamists – including Libya’s grand mufti – whose support the government needs to establish its authority across the country. Interestingly, Libya’s internationally recognized prime minister requested the strikes.

Should a stockpile of U.S. nuclear missiles be moved from southern Turkey’s Incirlik air base? That question arises in light of last month’s coup attempt against the Erdogan administration as well as the site’s proximity – less than 160 kilometers or 100 miles – to the war zone in Syria. The 50 nuclear bombs lie at the ready to protect NATO members and allies. Secured in vaults behind multiple layers, the bombs also are outfitted with “permissive action links” that require an authorization code before firing. Now, those are some high-powered PALS.

Houry Gebashian, a gymnast competing in the Summer Games opening tonight in Rio, knows all about perseverance and flexibility. At 27, she has come back from an injury to test herself in the Olympics – working in five-hour practices while holding down a full-time job as a physician’s assistant in Ohio. She’ll represent her native Armenia, though she also holds U.S. citizenship.

Why are some men in Iran wearing Muslim headscarves? And why are some women in Egypt ripping them off? VOA talks to Egyptian women explaining their complex relationship with the simple scarves. Some say they appreciate the Internet campaign in which men post photos of themselves in hijabs to protest Iranian laws forcing women to be veiled. They want to choose whether they cover.

You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: You might be sharing more than Snapchats or Pokemon GO discoveries if you go online without checking your device’s or app’s privacy settings. Marketers and analysts eagerly collect your personal information. Learn why and how to put on your protective gear.