Newsletter Archive

Seven years of war with Boko Haram are straining Nigeria’s food resources. The militants often target civilians — destroying farmland and stealing livestock. Families have fled to the cities, especially Maiduguri, where VOA visited, which is now home to more than a million displaced people, many of whom don’t have enough to eat.

Politicians don’t always mean what they say. Just ask Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark, who explain the real meaning of common words and phrases used in American politics. Here’s a hint, if a Washington politician refers to you as ‘my good friend’, he or she might dislike you.

VIDEO: There used to be plenty of oysters in New York City’s Jamaica Bay. But they vanished decades ago thanks to dredging, pollution and over-harvesting. Recycled toilets might be the key to reviving the oyster reefs.

If words don’t do the trick, maybe cold, hard cash will. The government of Bangladesh is encouraging extremists to lay down guns and renounce their radical paths. In exchange, the reformed radicals get financial and legal assistance to help smooth their reintegration back into society.

The boom years for China’s ride-hailing app industry could soon be over. City governments have rolled out new regulations that could bring the Uber-like services to a screeching halt. In China, VOA learns the restrictions are as stringent as those for taxi operators and could signal the end of the road for most online ride-hailing services.

Violent protests are raging on South African campuses, led by students demanding free university tuition in a nation driven by inequality and racial division. The government has agreed to cover the costs of a recent college tuition hike, so why are the protests continuing? In Johannesburg, VOA discovers the student movement might be competing with itself.

VIDEO: Back to the bunker? People living close to the Line of Control, the de facto border between India and Pakistan in the disputed Kashmir region, have started to unearth old bunkers that haven’t been used in decades. VOA visited the region and talked with local residents who fear their newly-built, earthquake-resistant homes could prove dangerous during shelling.