Newsletter Archive

For many Hong Kongers, the Chinese parliament’s approval of a plan to impose controversial national security laws will cause some hard decisions. Fearing a sweeping erosion of the city’s rule of law will soon start affecting their lives, many people quickly sold stocks, converted savings into U.S. dollars and seriously inquired into emigration.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday he said was aimed at reining in social media platforms. The president said his action is meant to “protect and uphold the free speech rights of the American people.” However, some analysts doubt it will survive legal scrutiny.

VIDEO: For most people, bringing a child to work at a hospital would seem a poor choice during the COVID-19 pandemic. But many expectant mothers in the medical field have little choice if they are to keep working. VOA brings us the story of a pregnant doctor in California who is caring for patients with COVID-19 and her unborn baby.

VIDEO: Lockdowns during the COVID pandemic have led to renewed interest in hobbies, as people look for pastimes in their time of isolation. As VOA reports, there’s a resurgence in amateur or “ham” radio, a hobby that connects people from all walks of life, wherever they are in the world.

VIDEO: In northern Hungary, one of the European Union’s poorest regions, many Roma who live with hardship in the best of times are facing hunger as the coronavirus brings the economy to a halt. VOA reports from the town of Ózd, northeast of Budapest.