Newsletter Archive

‘They are throwing stones at me.’ After Mercy Philip went to police in northern Nigeria to report that her 8-year-old daughter had been allegedly assaulted by a neighbor, the girl was tormented at school and her family ridiculed by neighbors. Friends also tried to talk Anas Umar out of going to the police to report that his 7-year-old nephew had been sexually attacked on the way to school. The social stigma of child sexual abuse stops most families in the area from seeking justice and they usually end up settling for cash payments. VOA is in northern Nigeria where more families are breaking the culture of silence surrounding child sex abuse.

What’s stronger than steel? Wood. Yes, you read that right. But not just any wood. A new super-material — stronger, lighter and cheaper than steel — has emerged from scientists’ labs. Researchers have found a way to make wood three times denser and 10 times stronger.

VIDEO EXPLAINER: There were fewer deportations to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador from 2016 to 2017. But most of the 190 other countries on the deportation list saw increases. Here are the nations that saw the biggest hikes in deportations from the US.

Whitewashing history? Russia’s recent decision to ban the satirical British film ‘The Death of Stalin’ appears to have fueled divisions over the brutal dictator’s legacy. Millions of his countrymen died under Josef Stalin’s rule, which lasted from the 1930s until his death in 1953. Yet, an opinion poll last year crowned him as the country’s most outstanding historical figure.

He’s built all of the major sports structures in Atlanta, including Olympic Stadium — not to mention other notable structures such as the Morehouse College Leadership Center and Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Named one of Atlanta’s Top 25 Commercial Contractors, C. David Moody, Jr. is by all accounts a success. But for most of his life, he hid a painful secret. Moody now talks openly — and even created a blog — about being sexually abused as a child, a decision he hopes helps heal and inspire others.

It’s not secret that educational toys are popular with parents, with toys that incorporate principles of science, technology, engineering and math getting more attention recently. Toymakers are now making a play to address children’s emotional intelligence, too. The latest toys are made to cultivate both a child’s IQ and their EQ.