A recent rise in the overthrow of governments on the African continent prompts a closer look at the phenomenon.
Infographic available in English Published in February 2022
The number of people from China seeking asylum worldwide has risen sharply in the past decade, according to the U.N.
Collection available in English, Indonesian Published in December 2021
Crime in Mexico’s most dangerous states can be fatal — for the reporters covering it, that is. The country’s federal safety net isn’t always enough to help.
Story available in English, Spanish Published in November 2021
Civil war has displaced many in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and there is no end in sight to their misery. VOA’s Heather Murdock travels to the largely cut-off conflict zone, as well as refugee camps in neighboring Sudan, to bring the story of a complex political situation and the growing humanitarian disaster.
Story available in English, Afaan Oromoo, Amharic, Tigrigna Published in October 2021
An original series documenting the gigantic fishing operation of the Chinese fleet west of the Galapagos marine reserve in Ecuador. They fish for months without returning to port, and the number of species they extract from the ocean is unknown. In Galapagos they fear for the future of one of the best preserved marine ecosystems on the planet.
Story available in Spanish Published in October 2021
Louisiana is facing climate threats both acute and chronic, from the battering of more intense storms to the creeping erosion of rising sea levels. State demographic data are already showing people leaving the coast for higher ground. As part of an in-depth exploration of climate migration worldwide, VOA traveled to Louisiana to document the impacts of a devastating year of natural disasters on the state’s Gulf of Mexico coast.
Story available in English Published in October 2021
Rebuilding Ground Zero from 10 Buildings and a Plaza lost on 9/11.
Infographic available in English, Albanian, Chinese, Georgian, Indonesian, Khmer, Vietnamese Published in September 2021
As the United States prepares to pull the last of its troops from Afghanistan by the end of August, the journey the U.S. has taken from the beginning of its longest war is coming to a close.
Infographic available in English, Dari, Indonesian, Khmer, Pashto, Spanish, Vietnamese Published in July 2021
There are 206 National Olympic Committees that can participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (in 2021). Some of their flags are very recognizable, some have changed in the recent years, and others may be very unfamiliar to you.
Infographic available in English, French, Vietnamese, Russian Published in July 2021
Assassins are killing Afghan journalists and forcing others to quit. The planned US pullout could make things worse.
Story available in English Published in April 2021
Turkey has long been considered a safe haven for Uyghurs, a Turkic and Muslim minority group that has faced religious persecution in China for more than a century. But as Turkish-Chinese relations grow stronger, many Uyghurs in Istanbul are afraid the protection they enjoy in Turkey could wane.
Story available in English, Indonesian, Kurdish, Spanish, Turkish, Uyghur(Arabic), Uyghur(Cyrillic), Uyghur(Latin), Uzbek Published in March 2021
The United States has more guns than people. Few issues are more divisive than gun violence and the right to bear arms. Yet there may be more common ground than initially appears. In a five part series, VOA's Deepak Dobhal profiles gun owners, people affected by gun violence, and a scholar who sees the contradictions and, perhaps, a way forward.
Collection available in English Published in September 2020
Journalists who've reported on repressive regimes sometimes have no choice but to flee for their safety. But exile is no shield for loved ones back home. The threat of family reprisals puts journalists in a fraught corner.
Collection available in English Published in September 2020
The faces of those who championed the movement for the women’s right to vote in the U.S.
Story available in English Published in July 2020
For most children, it is the stuff of nightmares. For many Syrian refugee children, it was real and it lives in their memories. The trauma of the Syrian war is so great that a group of doctors describe it as “Human Devastation Syndrome.”
Story available in English Published in June 2020
Families flee their homes to save their lives but they can't outrun the coronavirus. A Syrian father describes trying to bring his family into Greece at the start of the pandemic.
Story available in English Published in April 2020
Who commits public mass shootings? What motivates them to kill? With the help of a landmark database, VOA examines the social, psychological, emotional and environmental factors that contributed to the 167 mass shootings that have occurred in the U.S. since 1966.
Infographic available in English Published in February 2020
Every year, some 20,000 young foreigners come to the United States on special visas to work as live-in child care providers known as au pairs. It’s a cultural exchange program that gets good reviews from most host families and au pairs — but not all. Labor groups say au pairs are underpaid and exploited by a system that delivers a bargain for families. And when disputes arise, au pairs can be easily expelled and replaced.
Collection available in English Published in February 2020
The complaint helped trigger a congressional inquiry in September, resulting in President Trump’s impeachment on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Explore an annotated version of the complaint based on witness testimony.
Infographic available in English Published in December 2019
Explore Giuliani’s key Ukrainian American and Eastern European associates, including some whose names have surfaced in reporting of the impeachment inquiry.
Infographic available in English Published in November 2019
Black children are disproportionately represented in the U.S. child welfare system and are often adopted into white families. What challenges do these parents and kids encounter when forming a transracial family? What do adoptees think about immersion in homes, schools and communities with little racial diversity? Follow their stories.
Story available in English, French Published in November 2019
A young Iraqi woman let her passion for books lead her to rebuild a library in Mosul, book by book, after Islamic State’s rule over the city ended.
Story available in English Published in November 2019
Former Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker released dozens of text messages between top State Department officials handling European and Ukrainian affairs. Explore the text messages and a timeline of the impeachment inquiry.
Infographic available in English Published in October 2019
A new documentary from VOA News explores a town torn between victims of Islamic State and families of IS members, and coming to terms with the past.
Story available in English Published in August 2019
The Democratic candidates running for president have a range of experiences. Here's how the candidates’ experiences stack up against U.S. presidents throughout history.
Infographic available in English Published in August 2019
What does a child bride bring to a marriage — a dowry, social status, domestic labor, business connections? What is her value to two families, the one she leaves and the one she joins? And what is the cost to the girl? Watch videos of girls around the world describing their experiences and explore maps showing how common child marriage is.
Collection available in English, Russian, Kurdish (RTL), Kurdish (LTR) Published in July 2019
The next U.S. presidential election isn't until November 2020, but there is already a fast-growing field of Democrats eager to contend for their party’s presidential nomination next year. Here is a list of those who have formally entered the race for the White House.
Infographic available in English Published in March 2019
On Valentine's Day 2018, an expelled student walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and opened fire with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. Fourteen teenagers and three coaches died. Parkland students and parents decided school shootings must end. They channeled grief into action, launching a campaign to halt school violence. America's gun-rights activists responded in a ringing national debate.
Collection available in English Published in February 2019
Robert Mueller’s investigation has turned up extensive evidence of Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential campaign. Filter a timeline of key events, and explore how the indictments suggest a possible connection between Trump campaign associates and Russian interference.
Infographic available in English, Spanish Published in December 2018
In the 2018 midterm elections Muslim Americans saw an opportunity to push back against anti-Muslim rhetoric and discrimination— and they seized it. Now, the first two Muslim women ever are headed to Congress.
Infographic available in English Published in November 2018
Journalists from VOA’s Africa Division and Mandarin Service examine poaching in Africa, the multinational criminal syndicates behind it, and the efforts to reduce demand for tusks and horns in Asian countries where they are sold. Featuring three documentaries, and a graphic novel based on interviews with a smuggler and a former poacher.
Collection available in English, Chinese Published in August 2018
The U.S. opioid epidemic rages on. The latest official estimates say 72,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2017. Most of the toll – two-thirds – involves pain pills, heroin, and the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl. This series follows Americans in three cities – Miami, Philadelphia, and Nashville, N.C. – where lives and neighborhoods have been transformed by drug abuse.
Story available in English Published in August 2018
Having dissolved the main opposition party, Cambodia’s ruling party faces certain victory in a July 29 national election even as its crackdown on dissent continues. This multipart series features profiles of voters, politicians and the communities looking ahead to the election.
Collection available in English, Khmer Published in July 2018
Explore a map highlighting VOA’s coverage of refugees around the world.
Infographic available in English Published in June 2018
The Ebola outbreak in Congo has been closely tracked and, so far, well-contained, in stark contrast to the 2014 West Africa outbreak that killed thousands of people.
Story available in English, French, Kinyarwanda, Swahili Published in June 2018
Mouctar Diallo came to New York City from Guinea seeking a life “for the better.” Then he entered the bruising world of Sanitation Salvage.
Story available in English Published in June 2018
Photos of Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine in traditional embroidery.
Infographic available in Ukrainian Published in May 2018
China is investing more than $1 trillion in roads, bridges, railways, ports, and power plants in more than 70 countries — a bold strategy to steer global commerce its way and reclaim its Silk Road heritage. Produced in partnership with RFE/RL, RFA, Martí Noticias and Alhurra.
Collection available in English Published in May 2018
Ethiopia has a new prime minister and a reshuffled cabinet. It’s closed a notorious prison and released high-profile prisoners. Will deeper changes follow, or is it business as usual for the country’s powerful ruling coalition?
Story available in English, Afaan Oromoo Published in April 2018
Six teenagers from across the political spectrum are running for governor of Kansas. Listen to them describe their hopes and motivations for running.
Story available in English Published in March 2018
When Raqqa, the Islamic State stronghold, began to fall, some devoted to the cause fled, trying to distance themselves from ISIS. Among them is Aysha, who married an ISIS fighter. Here is her story told in graphic novel format.
Story available in English Published in March 2018
The front lines of climate change run through the rapidly warming Arctic. Meet the scientists looking for clues of what to expect from a warming world.
Collection available in English Published in January 2018
Over 70% of Silicon Valley founders come from outside the United States; yet, only a fraction are from Africa.
Infographic available in English Published in January 2018
From the travel ban to DACA to the scaling back of refugee admissions, there were big changes in U.S. immigration policy this year.
Collection available in English Published in December 2017
In November 2017, an unprecedented series of events changed the course of Zimbabwe’s history leading to longtime leader Robert Mugabe ceding power at 93. What happens next will depend on a complex web of connections that has given Zimbabwe its first new leader in 37 years.
Story available in English, Ndebele Published in November 2017
How a Milwaukee cleric’s advice changed the course of an FBI sting.
Story available in English, Turkish, Uzbek Published in November 2017
Despite being mired in conflict and nearly a decade of suffering, not all is lost in Nigeria.
Infographic available in English, French, Hausa Published in November 2017
Decades ago, electrification transformed rural America. Could high-speed internet do the same for rural communities in Nebraska today?
Story available in English Published in September 2017
Free speech activist tells VOA deadly Charlottesville events threw everything into chaos
Story available in English Published in August 2017
A Vietnamese-Dutch millionaire is suing the Vietnamese government for seizing his properties in the 1990s.
Collection available in Vietnamese Published in August 2017
There have been a series of embarrassing leaks of private conversations between President Trump and foreign leaders. Here's a graphic explaining how phone calls between POTUS and foreign leaders have traditionally been handled and kept private.
Infographic available in English Published in August 2017
For generations, rural Americans have moved to the city. We spoke with young adults bucking that trend.
Story available in English Published in August 2017
The Trump administration has acted aggressively on the President's signature campaign promise, cutting back on immigration in the name of national security. This timeline documents how illegal immigrants have been rounded up in greater numbers, visas have been curtailed and a border wall is in the works.
Infographic available in English Published in August 2017
VOA analyzes problems caused by radicalization of traditionally peaceful Bosnian Muslims in this largely secular society.
Story available in Bosnian Published in June 2017
Will the Iraqi government do any better in the aftermath of victory than its foes, or will another extremist force – be it tribal, ethnic, or sectarian – once again gain the upper hand. This collection of stories profiles the people who lived under the Islamic State, the battle to reclaim Mosul and looks ahead to the future.
Collection available in English, Indonesian, Mandarin, Turkish Published in June 2017
VOA reporters traveled to a stretch of rural counties along the upper Mississippi River that switched from supporting Democrat Barack Obama in 2012 to backing Republican Donald Trump in 2016. They spoke to farmers and carpenters, factory workers and retirees in these working and middle class communities.
Collection available in English, Albanian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Khmer, Pashto, Russian, Swahili, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, Urdu, Uzbek Published in May 2017
Several potential conflicts have surfaced since President Trump’s inauguration. Prominent examples – and the White House rebuttals – are summarized in this interactive map.
Infographic available in English Published in April 2017
This project highlights VOA reporting from across the continent and features original analysis, graphics and videos about the ongoing crisis in Nigeria, South Sudan and Somalia.
Collection available in English Published in April 2017
The internet crackles with potential. But in many countries, online freedoms are stifled by state censorship, surveillance, disinformation and economic inequality. This collection brings together reports from China, Russia, Cuba, Somalia and the Middle East, showing how the struggle for internet freedom plays out in the lives of ordinary citizens. Produced in partnership with RFE/RL, RFA, Martí Noticias and Alhurra.
Collection available in English Published in March 2017
In Nigeria's Kaduna state, conflicts between Christian farmers and Muslim cattle herders fuels deadly attacks
Story available in English Published in February 2017
Boko Haram is known for secrecy and carefully hides the identities of members and their whereabouts. VOA obtained 18 hours of uncut videos in which the group recorded scenes of its own brutality. The images testify to the devastating suffering Nigerians endured under the terrorist organization.
Collection available in English, French, Hausa, Indonesian, Somali, Swahili Published in February 2017
What was it like to attend President Trump's inauguration? Experience it by following our interactive map! #voainaug
Infographic available in English Published in January 2017
On Inauguration Day, the newly sworn-in president delivers a speech outlining his intentions during his term in office. With this interactive graphic, explore the history of U.S. presidential inaugural addresses, compare how frequently specific words are used, and look for trends in the language.
Infographic available in English Published in January 2017
VOA goes inside Mosul to reveal the world IS built as it comes crashing down.
Story available in English Published in January 2017
President Barack Obama began his first term in 2009 with the Nobel Peace Prize for his support of multilateral diplomacy, nuclear disarmament and combating climate change. Can President-elect Donald Trump roll back some of Obama’s key accomplishments?
Story available in English Published in January 2017
One-third of global maritime traffic. An estimated $5 trillion in annual trade. Six claimant nations. One body of water. And that’s just on the surface. This project features original analysis, reporting, maps and timelines detailing the rival claims to the South China Sea.
Collection available in English, Cantonese, Indonesian, Khmer, Lao, Mandarin, Vietnamese Published in December 2016
The epidemic that spread in West Africa from 2013-2016 is the most severe since the Ebola virus was first identified in 1976.
Story available in French Published in December 2016
Residents of Flint have had no access to drinking water for three years since the discovery of lead poisoning.
Story available in French Published in December 2016
A young Turk’s transformation from astronomer to Islamic State fighter
Story available in English, Albanian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Bosnian, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Georgian, Hausa, Indonesian, Khmer, Kurmanji Kurdish, Macedonian, Pashto, Russian, Somali, Sorani Kurdish, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek Published in December 2016
Two years after a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black man, a shattered Missouri community struggles to come together
Collection available in English Published in December 2016
Kenya battles heroin use at the coast
Story available in English Published in October 2016
Over the past 227 years, most U.S. presidents have been white, male, and Protestant. Filter and sort the U.S. presidents by party, age, race, gender, religion and facial hair.
Infographic available in English, Cantonese, Indonesian, Khmer, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese Published in October 2016
A state-by-state look at U.S. Presidential election results from George Washington to Donald Trump. Explore how political parties rise and fall through the centuries.
Infographic available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Lao, Spanish, Vietnamese Published in October 2016
Every U.S. presidential election provides an opportunity for millions of newly eligible voters to make their voices count. This collection presents six first-time voters from across the political spectrum explaining how they'll make their choice.
Collection available in English Published in October 2016
A generation of refugees comes of political age in the American South.
Story available in English Published in October 2016
Trump, Clinton give plenty of fodder for political cartoonists in the US and around the world
Story available in English Published in September 2016
The violence of Egypt's Arab Spring cut across political and religious lines. So did the grief.
Story available in English Published in August 2016
A humanitarian nightmare looms as hundreds of thousands are set to escape an offensive against Islamic State
Story available in English Published in August 2016
How many Olympic flags can you identify?
Infographic available in English Published in August 2016
In Maryland, first responders prepare for a day they hope never comes: the call to respond to an active shooter situation
Story available in English Published in July 2016
On a spring weekend in central Tennessee, residents talk Trump while a group of suit-wearing white separatists meets in a forest.
Story available in English Published in June 2016
The arrest and death of 25-year old Freddie Gray, an African American man who suffered fatal injuries while in police custody, sparked some of the worst violence since the 1960's. The unrest exposed some of Baltimore's social and economic hardships.
Story available in English Published in April 2016
After a century in New England, the country's first Arab families keep tradition and faith close to home.
Story available in English Published in April 2016
Criminal justice reform advocates help released prisoners stay out of jail by giving them the keys to build successful lives.
Story available in English Published in April 2016
About 130,000 Africans tried to reach Europe, through Libya to Italy in 2015 alone to escape poverty. Follow their deadly journey.
Story available in English, Afaan Oromoo, Amharic, French, Hausa, Somali, Swahili, Tigrigna Published in February 2016
All Over the Map, Part 2: Children of refugees from around the world seek sanctuary in the most unlikely place: a soccer field in Phoenix, Arizona.
Story available in English Published in January 2016
In 1801, the United States was very young and much smaller. The Louisiana Purchase, Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark helped the United States expand its territory.
Story available in Learning English Published in December 2015
All Over the Map, Part 1: Generations of Vietnamese refugees, who have built their lives on the Gulf of Mexico, question their future as the shrimping industry struggles.
Story available in English, Khmer, Vietnamese Published in December 2015
Africa has some of the world’s longest-serving heads of state. This interactive map and chart explores how long each sitting president has held power.
Infographic available in English, French, Swahili Published in November 2015
United Nations data say nearly 80,000 Afghans are now officially seeking asylum in Europe — the highest rate in 20 years. These are just a few of their stories.
Story available in English, Dari, Pashto Published in September 2015
Legislation safeguarding minorities’ election rights has changed country, but some see protections eroding.
Collection available in English Published in August 2015
Washington himself wrote that the Constitution gave the central government enough power to be effective, but not too much to be oppressive.
Story available in Learning English Published in July 2015
Charts showing munitions expended over five years in Afghanistan by aircraft and number of casualties resulting from aerial operations, as cataloged by UNAMA.
Infographic available in Dari, Pashto Published in July 2015
A century later, Armenians, Kurds and Turks move forward from a tormented past.
Water levels of Lake Mead and parts of the Colorado river are dropping significantly, and VOA looks into how local officials are trying to save the water.
Story available in English Published in February 2015
Online freedoms can be stifled by state censorship, surveillance and disinformation. This VOA special report uses comic book introductions to explain the tools and techniques to help circumvent online threats.
Collection available in English, Chinese, Persian, Russian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese Published in December 2014
The riches of the earth have been the boon and the bane of CAR for decades. Now they may also be leading to its disintegration.
Story available in English, French Published in December 2014
Interview and grand jury transcripts, autopsy reports and other evidence released by officials of St. Louis County.
Infographic available in English Published in November 2014
Islamic State beckons and Somali Americans again struggle with radicalization.
Story available in English, Somali Published in November 2014
Carnage and mayhem are part of the fabric of daily life in northern Nigeria, the result of a campaign of terror by the Islamist group Boko Haram.
Colonel Steve Pisanos, a 95-year-old retired United States Air Force fighter pilot dreamed of flying most of his life.