Newsletter Archive

Grounded: On Monday, VOA reported that the U.S. Air Force has too few fighter pilots to meet its needs abroad. But there’s also a second crisis that’s hitting hard at home: a shortage of the mechanics and other so-called ‘maintainers’ who keep the Air Force planes flying. Due to a series of shrinking budgets from Congress, the officer in charge of maintenance manpower tells VOA the US Air Force is ‘living on the edge.’

Fake out? Despite U.S. declarations that the assault on Raqqa, Syria, Islamic State’s self-proclaimed capital could start at any time, there’s been little movement in that direction. That’s got experts wondering if talk of an impending full-scale offensive on the city was designed to spook IS, and keep the terror group from sending reinforcements to Mosul to bolster defenses there.

VIDEO: As thousands of refugees return to Somalia from Kenya, authorities worry a lack of opportunity could make them vulnerable to recruitment by the militant group al-Shabab. The American Refugee Council is countering that threat by helping returning refugees look to the future. In the port city of Kismayo, VOA checks out the on-the-job training that helps young people rebuild their lives.

Getting to school is often a challenge for girls in poor countries. Schools can be far away, and with little money to pay for transportation costs, parents worry about the safety of their children walking to school. That’s where pedal power comes in.

VIDEO: Their milk runneth over. A new forage grass is making all of the difference for struggling dairy farmers in Kenya. When the nutritious drought-resistant Brachiaria grass is fed to cows, the animals’ milk production doubles. VOA visits Siaya, Kenya, for a firsthand look at how this new grass adds up to twice the income for farmers.

The European Union has transformed some Greek Islands into holding pens for refugees. A deal that came into effect in March prevents refugees from moving on from the Greek islands until a decision is made about their asylum status. VOA reports from the island of Chios, where tensions are rising. With the asylum process unable to keep up, and the refugees unable to move on, both residents and refugees are paying a heavy price.