Newsletter Archive

The American military’s fighting force has been primarily white and male for much of its history. But today, the force is as diverse as the country it serves. VOA went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, home of the 82nd Airborne, which calls itself the most diverse military division in the United States.

‘I love Trump.’ President Trump’s alleged use of a vulgarity to describe some Africa nations may have angered leaders on the continent, but not Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who praises Trump’s blunt honesty, and says he thinks the United States has a great president.

QUICK TAKE VIDEO: Three Silicon Valley moms are turning to technology to meet parents’ babysitting needs amidst a childcare shortage. The women started ‘Roovillage,’ which finds space-available care, similar to how you’d book dinner reservations, movies and hotel rooms. Open childcare spaces can go for as little as $5 an hour. Once they find an opening, parents book a childcare slot through the app.

Russian trolls appear to be worming their way into Spain’s Catalonia conflict. Catalan anti-independence journalists say their websites and email accounts have been systematically hacked from electronic dominions in Russia. A new report suggests the hacking efforts are likely to intensify. VOA visits the publisher of a digital magazine who recently received a Google notification that unusual activity detected in his hotmail account was traced to a location in Russia.

Imagine visiting a virtual apartment and being able feel how soft the bed is or opening a cabinet to check it out more closely. That’s going to be the next breakthrough in virtual reality. Right now the technology allows the user to enter a different world through sight and sound. But several researchers and companies are adding a third element to the virtual experience — the sense of touch.

Egypt and Ethiopia are in a power struggle over the Nile River. Ethiopia says the $5 billion hydroelectric dam it is building on the river will provide power to millions who are in desperate need of electricity. Egypt counters that the dam will disrupt the flow of water from the Nile, jeopardizing agriculture in the country. But Ethiopia just nixed a proposal to have a third party help settle the matter.