Voice of America (VOA) is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio and TV and the Internet outside of the U.S. in 43 languages. VOA produces about 1,500 hours of news and feature programming each week for an estimated global audience of 123 million people, "to promote freedom and democracy and to enhance understanding through multimedia communication of accurate, objective, and balanced news, information and other programming about America and the world to audiences overseas." Its day-to-day operations are supported by the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB).

A 1976 law signed by President Gerald Ford requires VOA to "serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news." The VOA Charter states: "VOA news will be accurate, objective and comprehensive." However, the service has been criticized as an instrument of American propaganda.

Paula Fernandes de Souza (born August 28, 1984) is a Brazilian sertanejo and country singer.

Born in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, she lived in a farm in Serra do Cipó with her parents and her younger brother. Paula Fernandes started singing when she was eight years-old, releasing her first album two years later. Her second album, named Ana Rayo, was released in 1995, and was inspired by the Ana Raio e Zé Trovão telenovela. Paula Fernandes went to the college to study Geography in Belo Horizonte when she was 18 years-old, singing in bars during that time. She recorded one of the theme songs of Rede Globo's telenovela América, named Ave Maria Natureza, releasing the album Canções do Vento Sul soon after that. Paula Fernandes was nominated as Best Popular Singer in the Prêmio Tim de Música Brasileira award for that album. The song Jeito do Mato, from her album Pássaro de Fogo was the theme music of the telenovela Paraíso, and her version of Ivete Sangalo's song Quando a Chuva Passar was the main theme music of the telenovela Escrito nas Estrelas. Paula Fernandes released her first DVD in October 2010, and participated in two Rede Globo special shows, which were the Roberto Carlos' end of the year show, broadcast on December 25, 2010, and Show da Virada, broadcast during the New Year's Day, on December 31, 2010. Her live album, Paula Fernandes - Ao Vivo, released in 2011, placed in the 2011 top sellers albums, selling 2,000,000 copies.