VIDEO: August marks the 400th anniversary of the landing of the first enslaved Africans in the U.S. state of Virginia. Their arrival was the start of what would become one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history, 224 years of slavery. VOA reports from where the first slaves landed.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On August 12, 1982, the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High debuts in U.S. theaters. The coming-of-age movie, written by Cameron Crowe, documents the lives of several high schoolers in the early1980s, and was seen by many as a throwaway teen comedy, with famed film critic Roger Ebert panning it. Despite the criticism, the film launched the careers of several A-list stars, including Sean Penn as well as Nicolas Cage and Forest Whitaker. The film has become a cult classic, as it captured universal aspects of American teenagers’ lives. In 2005, it was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Talks with North Korea are stalled yet again. Pyongyang has ramped up its ballistic missile launches. And in the United States, the leading contender to challenge President Donald Trump is threatening a tougher approach toward Kim Jong Un.

VIDEO: One of the unintended consequences of Venezuela’s economic collapse is that many women aren’t able to afford basic health services. Even things like sanitary napkins are now increasingly out of reach for many economically strapped women.

A key U.S. lawmaker is warning China against harsh reprisals on pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, thousands of whom occupied the territory’s international airport this week, forcing the cancellation of all flights.

VIDEO: Russia’s growing number of political rallies are drawing many young people who, until now, had largely ignored politics. Reporting from Moscow, VOA finds a lack of economic opportunities and recent images of police brutality against demonstrators are driving young people to join the protests.