Newsletter Archive

Authorities in Iraq are trying to sort out the children that Islamic State left behind — their orphans, the orphans of their victims, abandoned children of sex slaves, and children of foreign fighters. While none of the small children born of, or raised by IS, are considered a threat to society, officials worry they’ll be stigmatized nonetheless. VOA is in Mosul where aid workers are determined to shield the youngest orphans from their painful beginnings.

A smart car that does pretty much everything, including take your blood pressure is one of the hits of CES, known as the ‘Super Bowl’ of tech conferences. From smart mirrors to smart shoes, entrepreneurs and companies are coming up with new ideas for adding sensors and connectivity to most everyday items. But is there a market for smart everything?

Hair has special spiritual and cultural significance for most North American indigenous peoples. While traditions and styles vary from tribe to tribe —whether worn long, braided or bound in a knot — most North American indigenous peoples see hair as a source of strength and power. But sometimes indigenous boys are teased about their long hair, which prompted one father to launch a social movement called Boys with Braids.

The police shooting death of Alfred Olango in California was one of several captured on video in 2016, a year when anger over police killings, particularly of black men, rose to new heights. But the 38-year-old’s case stood out — his status as a Ugandan refugee brought international attention not only to the issue of race, but also raised questions about how police react to people with psychiatric problems.

Getting people to vote isn’t always easy, as elections workers in Cameroon are discovering. VOA went along as they moved from shop to shop at a busy Yaounde market trying to convince potential voters to have their names registered on electoral lists. But voter apathy, Boko Haram threats and tensions in its two English-speaking regions are all getting in the way of getting out the vote.

India’s Supreme Court says it will review a British-era law that criminalizes homosexuality, adding that no one should have to live in fear due to sexual orientation. Conservative religious groups, Hindu, Muslim and Christian, which believe that homosexuality violates public morality, are not in favor of overturning the law. Activists say a strong law protecting gay rights will help change attitudes in a country where the subject of homosexuality is largely taboo.