Newsletter Archive

For such a young continent, Africa sure has some old leaders. All 10 of the world’s nations with the youngest populations are in Africa, but at least eight African leaders have been in office for two decades and their average age is 72. Some linger because they’re viewed  as ‘fathers of the nation’ after having led struggles for independence. There’s also a willingness on the part of many leaders to use violence to quash dissent. As a result, millions of African youth have known only one leader, which doesn’t exactly inspire them to enter public service.

VIDEO: Whenever Barack Obama or any U.S. president leaves the White House, the Beast goes with them. The Beast is the custom vehicle that transports the leader of the free world anywhere he needs to go. Check out the most luxurious command bunker on wheels.

The year 2016 was an exciting one for science and space exploration. Scientists discovered Albert Einstein was right about gravitational waves that move through space. They also got wind of an earth-like planet next door.

It was quite a year for the world of technology, too. There were a number of personal technological advances, including the rise of digital assistants. Meanwhile, Facebook gave us more reaction options, and one smartphone literally became too hot to handle.

Rohingya Muslim villagers in Myanmar’s Rakhine state are living in fear of retaliation after telling reporters of the abuse they’ve allegedly suffered at the hands of the Myanmar military and Buddhist militias. A man who spoke to the reporters, who were brought in by the government, was found dead the next day, while a woman who told reporters she’d been raped fled to Bangladesh after fearing for her life.

QUICK TAKE VIDEO: Two young Yazidi brothers who were Islamic State captives for more than a year are sharing their experiences after walking for 10 days to reach a refugee camp in Mosul, Iraq. Amir and Ahmed described being forced to follow Islamic practices, watch beheading and suicide attack videos, and learn to use explosive belts.

Ordinary working Indians are dealing cash shortages so severe that many are not receiving their work wages. The government banned banned high-value currency notes six weeks ago in hopes of flushing out hoards of illegal cash. But that’s left laborers who are used to receiving their wages in cash — and who don’t have bank accounts — with few ways to get the money they’ve earned.