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2015 has had perhaps more than its share of tragedy, but there were also many acts of kindness and generosity. VOA was fortunate enough to meet a few people who are giving back to their communities. Here are the highlights.
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Europe in 2015 faced its most severe migration crisis in centuries as an estimated one million people, mostly Muslims, fled war in Syria and poverty in other countries of the Middle East and Africa for western European nations. With another three million people expected in 2016, the mass migration has raised questions about the future of Europe. VOA Europe Correspondent Luis Ramirez reports.
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Washington’s historic Congressional Cemetery has adopted a new method of weeding – which is both cost-effective and environmentally sensitive. The new workforce does not care about salaries, benefits or holidays. And it provides a sustainable way of eliminating weeds, as well as adding fertilization as a by-product. VOA’s Yiyi Yang and Joseph Mok give us a closer look. Lin Yang narrates their report.
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2015 was a tough year for the Chinese economy, which saw its slowest growth in nearly 25 years. Next year looks much the same. The world’s second largest economy has long relied heavily on its massive workforce, and for the country’s more than 250 million migrant workers, the uncertainty is growing. VOA’s Bill Ide has more from Beijing.
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Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, we have used antibiotics against a host of infections. But now, doctors are finding more and more bacteria are resistant to even the strongest antibiotics available. VOA's Carol Pearson reports that medical practice as we know it will change drastically unless changes are made in antibiotic use in hospitals and by private practitioners.
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After more than two years of tough negotiations with world powers, Iran says it is close to meeting the requirements of a nuclear agreement that would bring it relief from crippling international nuclear-related sanctions. It remains unclear if Iran has made enough progress for the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency to verify its compliance in January, but there are also conflicting views on the eventual impact of a sanctions-free Iran. VOA State Department Correspondent Pam Dockins has more.
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Rapid, unplanned growth in many urban areas of the developing world has people, livestock and wildlife living in close proximity with inadequate sanitary services. Researchers wonder what new germs might emerge in these environments that could launch the next epidemic. A project is underway that aims to shed light on how microbes move through the slums of Nairobi. VOA’s Steve Baragona reports.
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Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were seemingly on a roller coaster ride in 2015 as they struggled to arrange long-anticipated Taliban peace talks to end the war in Afghanistan. VOA's Ayesha Tanzeem takes a look at some of the highs and the lows, and at what to expect next year.
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Children in Kenya with intellectual disabilities are often seen as the result of witchcraft, so getting the attention and services they need is a difficult task. But Catholic Relief Services is working with Special Olympics in the Nairobi slum of Kawangware to provide activities and a support system to these children and their parents. Jill Craig has more from Nairobi.
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For the first time, a Malawian band has been nominated for a Grammy Award, and it's not just any band. It's a group from the Zomba maximum-security prison. Its project, "I Have No Everything Here," was recorded in prison in January and has been nominated for the Best World Music Album. VOA's Lameck Masina reports.
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After 50 years of military rule in Myanmar, also known as Burma, one of the many challenges facing Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy when it takes power next year will be the country’s rampant child labor problem. Daniel de Carteret and Simon Lewis report for VOA from Yangon on the steep challenge in getting kids out of the workplace and into schools.
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The Osiri mine in western Kenya is home to about 3,000 small-scale miners who risk their lives in search for gold. The operations are largely unregulated, and miners use toxic mercury to extract the gold despite the known health risks.
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Despite Joseph Stalin’s responsibility for the deaths of millions, the former Soviet leader's controversial legacy is getting a boost in President Vladimir Putin’s Russia, where he is increasingly praised as a strong leader who brought unity, empire and victory to Russia. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports from Moscow.
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Traffic. It's a universal problem for Africa's mushrooming urban centers. Uganda is trying a new approach. For the first time in three decades, passenger trains are once again chugging in and out of the Kampala train station, but this time they are bringing in commuters from a suburb outside the capital.
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Earlier this month, the Islamic State terror group issued a song in Mandarin, calling on Chinese Muslims to ‘awaken’ and ‘die on the battlefield’ — and prompting China to call for more cooperation against extremism. Henry Ridgwell looks at the Islamic State's threat to China — and Beijing’s likely response.