Newsletter Archive

Same name. Different countries. Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Mexico, have been separated by a border fence for a century, but they’re united by a relaxed, vibrant culture and mutual business interests. VOA visits both sides of the border and learns area residents worry their fruitful relationship could change if U.S. immigration policy changes drastically.

VIDEO: American viewpoint: Immigration continues to be a flashpoint of Donald Trump’s young presidency. It’s no surprise that Americans have widely diverse views on the subject. We travel to Wisconsin — where 1 in 12 residents is Latino or Asian, and migrants make up more than 40 percent of all dairy employees — and ask trucker Todd Schmitz what he thinks.

The CIA is in ‘full damage assessment mode’ after the online whistleblower organization WikiLeaks published thousands of pages of what it described as ‘the entire hacking capacity’ of the U.S. intelligence agency. Some former intelligence officials worry that even if the documents prove to be real, it’s the political fallout that could cause the most damage.

It’s been eight years since President George W. Bush left Washington after President Barack Obama’s inauguration, and he’s rarely looked back. In an interview with VOA, the 43rd president reveals why he mostly avoids the public arena and what motivates him to briefly re-enter the spotlight.

Kosovo intends to convert that country’s lightly armed security forces into a full-fledged national army. It’s a development that’s likely to anger neighboring Serbia. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. VOA is in Kosovo as President Hashim Thaci braces for possible internal opposition from parliament’s ethnic Serb minority, which could face intense pressure from Belgrade to oppose the move.

A full decade after being deployed, African Union peacekeepers are still the main source of protection for the government and the Somali capital. The pressure is on for newly elected President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to strengthen Somalia’s army, especially since the contributing countries are talking about bringing their forces home, leaving Somalia to deal with its enemies, including the al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab.

VIDEO: South Africa has allowed women to become professional boxers for a decade now, but only a few dozen have. While the fighters don’t lack talent, they do struggle for opportunities and recognition. In Johannesburg, VOA meets female boxers who struggle for workplace equality while battling for their place in the ring.

Score one for a free media in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The only strong media voice that’s critical of the government scored a victory this week when a court blocked move to place Georgia’s largest independent television station in the hands of station’s former co-owner, a businessman who is viewed as a close ally of the government.