Newsletter Archive

Jasmine Sibulo was in labor when she left an under-equipped hospital in Venezuela for a safer border hospital in neighboring Colombia. About 85 percent of medicines are in short supply in Venezuela and at least 13,000 doctors have left the country. VOA is in Cucuta, Colombia, where the foreign ministry estimates that roughly 600,000 Venezuelans have arrived in the country, straining the health system. With stocks of medicine depleted, infectious diseases such as malaria and measles are spreading.

What if an algorithm could be used to help prevent future massacres? The suspect in the Valentine’s Day high school killings in Florida apparently used social media to signal his intent to hurt people. Nikolas Cruz’s digital footprint raises the question of whether the deaths could have been prevented if someone had been paying attention to his postings. Can artificial intelligence be used to sift through social media in an effort to prevent crime?

Some had been stranded for years. After years in Libya, about a dozen Somali migrants were returned to their home country over the weekend. Some fell to their knees, crying, others placed their foreheads to the ground in prayer and some chanted the Somalia national anthem. Many ended up stuck in Libya on their way to Europe where they hoped to build better futures for themselves. Instead, the returned migrants say they faced abuse, fear and horror in Libya.

VIDEO: Models in head-covering hijabs and toe-touching abayas walked the runway at one of the fashion world’s most elite events — New York Fashion Week. They showcased a collection by an Indonesian designer who believes modest clothes are ready for the runway.

What’s in a name? Greece and Macedonia have been feuding over who gets to use the name since Macedonia’s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Many Greeks say allowing the neighboring country to use the name Macedonia implies a claim on the Greek territory also known as Macedonia — a key province in Alexander the Great’s ancient empire. As a result of the dispute, Greece has blocked Macedonian efforts to join the EU and NATO, but after 27 years, there could be a breakthrough.

Black Panther is more than a movie, it’s a cultural moment. The Marvel movie featuring a black superhero grossed close to $400 million globally over the holiday weekend, making it a certified Hollywood blockbuster. At a screening of the movie in Chicago, one parent said the film’s appeal is simple, ‘It’s a vision of black people in power, and of black people having control over their own destiny.’

Realizing that it takes more than math and science skills for students in Africa to land a job after graduation, school officials are considering revamping their lesson plans to incorporate soft skills and professional training. The aim is to help close the unemployment gap by equipping students to become better communicators, problem solvers and global citizens. In Senegal, VOA joins students taking a lesson in work readiness.