Newsletter Archive

VIDEO: Drought has killed about 80 percent of Somaliland’s livestock, even camels that can go months without a sip of water. Now, the lack of rain and lack of help is beginning to take human lives as well. VOA travels to the Sool region of Somaliland to meet a mother who has already lost two daughters and worries about the fate of her surviving children.

President Donald Trump is learning how hard it is to govern while trying to please both moderate and conservative Republicans as his administration renews efforts to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. Adding to Trump’s quandary is the fact that any move to engage Democrats could upset some Republicans.

EXPLAINER: President Trump has complained about the trade imbalance between the United States and China, the US’s largest trading partner, for a long time. Beginning today, Trump hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Florida resort for a two-day summit. The two are likely to discuss the trade disparity between the two nations. This quick explainer gives you a good idea why the US/China trade deficit is a key issue for the American president.

Can do-gooders still make big money? There are some US corporations that take pride in being a certified B corp — a for-profit company that behaves more like a nonprofit, tackling global issues such as pollution and income disparity through everyday business practices. And if you think doing good has to take a back seat to making money, think again. A number of certified B corps are multi-million-dollar brands that you’ve heard of.

Cave shelter. When it rains in Haiti’s southwestern peninsula, Roland Despeines retreats to a mountain cave. That’s where he and scores of other Haitians wait out storms ever since October 4, when a deadly hurricane tore up their homes and upended their lives.

In Cambodia, hit-and-run drivers, petty thieves, suspected sorcerers and others are frequently subjected to mob justice. A sense that the police and government aren’t doing enough to punish wrongdoing has led ordinary citizens to take matters into the own hands with civilian vigilante-style justice.

Russia’s subway bombing, reportedly the work of a suspected Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen, renews concerns about worldwide terrorism associated with the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan. Analysts say the landlocked state of six million people has proven to be a breeding ground for terrorists who have joined Islamic State and other militant groups on the battlegrounds of Iraq and Syria. So why are extremist groups active in Kyrgyzstan?

It looks like piracy is making a comeback along the coast of Somalia. Gunmen hijacked two ships within a 48-hour period this week and took them to an area known as a pirate haven. In addition to the Somali pirates, here’s who else could be involved.