Newsletter Archive

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Want to see what the U.S. population will look like the future?  Go to Houston.  The Texas city’s ability to attract immigrants has made it the most diverse metropolitan area in the country, according to one research group.  And the trend for populations now called “minorities” outpacing the growth of whites is happening nationwide, putting the U.S. on track for a future without a single majority ethnic group.

In his first public interview, a high-ranking official who defected from North Korea told VOA that the purges and executions – some of which they were forced to watch – drove his family to flee the isolated nation.  Ri Jong Ho, a leader in some of North Korea’s trade and economic departments, also predicted that trade sanctions “will erode the North Korean regime’s grip on power.”

Islamic State fighters in Raqqa, Syria have learned that any time a large group of them gathers or mobilizes for an attack, bombs rain down from coalition aircraft.  So they’ve switched to sending suicide squads of six or seven fighters to try to slow the advance of U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

Thailand appears poised to take a chance on legalizing casinos to boost its already booming tourism industry and take advantage of the resulting tax revenue.  Researchers say that a group of underground casinos operating in Thailand prior to the 2014 coup were raking in as much as $5.6 annually.

Thousands of Indians took to the streets to protest a wave of anti-Muslim violence, and vigilante attacks on people suspected of eating or smuggling beef.  There is concern that efforts by India’s government to protect cows, which are revered by Hindus, has led to polarization.  Some have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of doing little to reign in violence targeting Muslims and lower caste Hindus.

Declaring open season on those associated with the illegal drug trade and moving for closer relations with China – in spite of an ongoing dispute over territory in the South China Sea – made Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte a target of fierce international criticism.  But after a year in office, the 72-year-old former mayor of Manila remains very popular among his countrymen.