Newsletter Archive

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Divorce can be acrimonious and it looks like Brexit is no exception. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, got together recently to discuss Britain’s exit from the European Union. Since then, Juncker has said May is living in ‘another galaxy’ and a ‘parallel reality.’ The mounting tension between Brussels and London has some thinking Britain might crash out of the EU without an exit agreement — and without a crucial trade deal.

No love lost. President Trump retains strong support among those Americans who voted for him, but his hometown is another story. The president visits New York today for the first time since taking office. He’s expected to be greeted by protests which seem to underscore the urban-rural divide in America right now.

VIDEO: VOA hosted an international Town Hall for foreign students already in the United States and for those hoping to study here. Experts on the panel fielded questions from the audience at George Washington University and via social media and video from around the world. They talked about visas, financial aid and addressed concerns about cultural acceptance.

If you’re the victim of a hate crime, who are you going to call? If you live in Liberty, Missouri, the answer is: HateBusters — a group that reaches out to victims of hate crimes or discrimination. Despite the hate-filled acts he fights against, founder Ed Chasteen believes in the inherent goodness of people.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro plans to rewrite the nation’s constitution as month-long protests there continue. VOA is in Caracas, where opposition leaders are calling for the president to step down, but Maduro accuses his opponents of trying to overthrow him and says the protests, with their accompanying violence, require a government shake up.

Pirates off the coast of Somalia are not free to roam the waters and hijack ships with impunity after six reported incidents in the last two months. A European Union naval force is now patrolling the region. Its primary purpose is to make sure ships carrying food aid to drought-stricken Somalia make it to port.

‘Trump anxiety’ could play a key role in South Korea’s presidential election next week. President Trump has angered many in South Korea by demanding that Seoul pay $1 billion for the US THAAD anti-missile defense system that’s being deployed on the Korean Peninsula, his trade criticisms, and praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The ‘Trump effect’ appears to be giving the liberal candidate a boost in the polls.

China wants to create a nationwide ‘social credit system’ that would give every individual a credit score based on their financial and social histories. But there are concerns China’s scoring system could be used to repress media freedom and punish journalists who do not toe the party line.