VICE NewsSeizoen 2014
Current affairs channel, producing daily documentary essays and video through its website and YouTube channel.
Where to Watch VICE News • Seizoen 2014
225 Episodes
- Rojava: Syria's Unknown WarA1
Rojava: Syria's Unknown War In September of 2013, VICE crossed the border into Syria's Kurdish region to document the YPG's counteroffensive against the jihadists, who had struck deep into rural Hassakeh in an attempt to surround and capture Ras al-Ayn. With unparalleled access to the Kurdish and Syrian Christian fighters on the frontlines, we found ourselves witnessing a bitter and almost unreported conflict within the Syrian war, where the Assad regime is a neutral spectator in a life or death struggle between jihadist-led rebels and Kurdish nationalists, pitting village against village and neighbor against neighbor. - Conflict in South Sudan: Dispatch OneA3
Conflict in South Sudan: Dispatch One Today, after two weeks of fighting in South Sudan that is believed to have killed more than 1,000 people, representatives from both the government and rebel forces met in Ethiopia to discuss the possibility of peace. But back in South Sudan, the fighting continued. Both sides hope to gain territory to strengthen their position at the bargaining table. Rebels captured the city of Bor days ago; now the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) is trying to win it back. Bor is 125 slow, painful miles from the capital city of Juba—a trip made far quicker by helicopter. And so VICE flew to the front lines with the SPLA. - Kim Dotcom: The Man Behind MegauploadA4
Kim Dotcom: The Man Behind Megaupload In October 2013, VICE News was invited to visit the infamous tech mogul and creator of Megaupload, Kim Dotcom, at his palatial property in New Zealand. Even though Kim is under house arrest—since he's at the center of history's largest copyright case—he's still able to visit a recording studio in Auckland. So check out this brand new documentary we made at Kim's mega-mansion and in the studio where our host, Tim Pool, got to lay down some backup vocals for Kim's upcoming EDM album while talking about online surveillance, file-sharing, and Kim's controversial case. - Conflict in South Sudan: Dispatch TwoA5
Conflict in South Sudan: Dispatch Two The town of Bor has already changed hands three times in South Sudan's three weeks of civil war, and whoever controls the strategically important state capital will have the upper hand in the long-awaited peace negotiations. VICE was invited to embed with South Sudanese government forces pushing north to retake Bor from the rebels, but the rebels were lying in wait for us along the road, waiting to strike back. - The Zapatista Uprising (20 Years Later)A6
The Zapatista Uprising (20 Years Later) On January 1, without warning, the EZLN released the Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle, in which the armed group declared war on the Mexican government, and demanded "jobs, land, housing, food, health, education, independence, freedom, democracy, justice, and peace." From that moment on, and during the 12 days that followed, the war between the EZLN and the Mexican Army gripped several towns and villages in Chiapas, resulting in more than 100 casualities and a still-disputed number of disappeared people. What also remains in dispute is the legacy, the impact, and the strength of the EZLN in Mexico today. - The Syrian Spillover: Lebanon (Dispatch One)A7
The Syrian Spillover: Lebanon (Dispatch One) Combat between Sunnis and Shiites in the streets of Tripoli, Lebanon is escalating as the civil war bleeds over Syria's border into its smaller neighbor. Further exacerbating the conflict, Lebanon has absorbed a reported 1.5 million Syrian refugees. In the wake of a recent spate of car bombs and the tense buildup to the Geneva II convention, VICE News reporter Robert King went to Tripoli to speak with a Sunni Sheikh about how hard the conflict is hitting the Lebanese. - Khat Power: The Latest War On DrugsA8
Khat Power: The Latest War On Drugs Khat is a chewable herbal stimulant, popular among the UK's Somali and Yemeni communities. Despite there being little or no evidence that the drug causes harm to its users, the British government is working to outlaw khat. Home Secretary Theresa May says she's worried that without a ban, the UK will become a hub for smuggling it to the US and Europe, where for the most part it is already illegal. Meanwhile, experts warn that a ban might alienate Somalis in the UK and cut off vital exports from Kenya, the UK's largest khat supplier. VICE News followed the khat trail, from the farms of Meru, central Kenya to the suburbs of west London, meeting businesspeople, users and community members all keen to have their say. With exclusive access to a London khat warehouse and khat cafes in the English capital and Nairobi, we explored the industry and the implications of a ban at home and abroad. Smugglers are happy, the youth of Kenya are not. - Warlords of TripoliA9
Warlords of TripoliThe war in Syria is dragging neighbouring Lebanon to the edge of the abyss, and nowhere is the growing chaos more stark than in the second city of Tripoli. Sunni militants aligned with the Syrian rebels frequently clash with fighters from the city's encircled Alawite minority, who support the Assad regime, in bitter street fighting the country's weak government is powerless to stop. With the rule of law no longer in effect in Tripoli, warlords like Sunni commander Ziad Allouki are now the city's real rulers, so VICE hung out with him and his fighters for a week to discover why they're fighting, and whether the country really is on the brink of civil war. - The Syrian Spillover: Lebanon (Dispatch Two)A10
The Syrian Spillover: Lebanon (Dispatch Two) The conflict in Syria continues to destabilize neighboring Lebanon. A reported 1.5 million Syrian refugees have flooded over the border, where they now face food shortages and a lack of shelter. As their frustration grows, observers fear that their camps could become breeding grounds for extremists. - Why the Sochi Olympics are the Most Expensive in HistoryA11
Why the Sochi Olympics are the Most Expensive in History The Olympics are as much about money as they are about sports. Between broadcasting rights, merchandising, sponsorships and construction of the Olympic venues themselves, there's a lot of money to be made. In the case of Russia's Winter Olympics in Sochi, there's more money to be made than ever before, especially if you're a friend of President Putin. The 2014 Winter Games have cost Russia about $50 billion, making them the most expensive in history. Corruption watchdogs say it's ordinary Russians who will end up footing the bill for this excess, not private investors as Putin has suggested. We went to Sochi to investigate the claims of corruption and kickbacks, tour some of the most expensive Olympic venues ever built, and talk to Sochi residents who have been pushed aside to make room for Putin's man-made mountains of money. - Jihad Olympics: Sochi's Terror ProblemA13
Jihad Olympics: Sochi's Terror Problem Islamic extremists in Russia want to blow up the Sochi Winter Olympics. They've already succeeded in terrorizing a city 600 miles away with three separate suicide attacks in which more than 40 people have died since the end of October. Russia's Jihadists come from loosely affiliated cells modeled on Al Qaeda whose goal is the creation of an Islamic Emirate in the southern part of the country. Their dream state would also include Sochi itself. But Russia has won high marks for making the security at the games unobtrusive and so far, effective. So security experts are warning that the Islamists could recalculate and target easier-to-hit cities around the country during the 2014 Winter Games. VICE News sent Simon Ostrovsky to the most dangerous region in Europe to find out how serious the threat to the Olympics and Russia actually is. - Ukraine BurningA14
Ukraine Burning Kiev's Euromaidan protesters began 2014 the same way they ended 2013: by rioting in the streets in an attempt to bring down their government. Key victories have already been won, with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his cabinet resigning. The demonstrators also forced the annulment of a new anti-protest law that was, ironically, the cause of much of their protesting. - Pussy Riot Gets Whipped in SochiA15
Pussy Riot Gets Whipped in Sochi In Sochi, a group of uniformed Cossacks attacked members of the protest group Pussy Riot with pepper spray and horse whips. Just moments earlier, Nadya Tolokonnikova, Masha Alyokhina, and a handful of other members headed out of a cafe toward the Sochi seaport, where they prepared to perform. As they were putting on their neon ski masks, about a dozen Cossacks descended on the group, thrashing them with whips, throwing them to the ground, and kicking them as police officers stood by. The police allowed the mini-pogrom to continue for about ten minutes. - Lebanon's Illegal Arms DealersA16
Lebanon's Illegal Arms Dealers With Lebanon's security situation worsening every day, business is booming for the country's illegal arms dealers. With a porous border with Syria next door and vast stockpiles of weapons left over from the country's civil war, anyone with enough cash can buy any weapon they want, no questions asked - so VICE News went window shopping to see what's available. - Investigating KKK Murders in the Deep South: Correspondent ConfidentialA17
Investigating KKK Murders in the Deep South: Correspondent Confidential Two young Black men were found dead in a river in Mississippi. The year was 1964, and many suspected the men died at the hands of the KKK. But this was the South in the 60s; the case was never solved. Decades later, filmmaker David Ridgen returned to Mississippi with the brother of one of the victims. What they discovered there cracked open a 40-year-old cold case and changed the course of history. - Revolution in Ukraine - A VICE News DispatchA18
Revolution in Ukraine - A VICE News Dispatch With protests in Ukraine turning deadly last week, VICE News went to Kiev's Independence Square to document the Euromaidan movement's struggle for the fate of the nation. In addition to the smoldering avenues littered with sniper fire, and protesters tending to their dead and wounded, our crew chronicled the toppling of Viktor Yanukovych. As Ukraine prepares for its future, here's a look at how the revolution unfolded. - Fighting Mexico's Knights Templar CartelA19
Fighting Mexico's Knights Templar Cartel Exactly a year ago today, February 24, 2013, in "Tierra Caliente," Michoacán, a group of farmers and businessmen in two communities organized themselves to take up arms against the Knights Templar drug cartel. Tired of the absence of the rule of law, the lack of governability, and persistent corruption, they took matters into their hands and formed what they called "autodefensa" militias in towns of Tepalcatepec and La Ruana. In January, we returned to meet the militia leaders, to find out what is happening today in the region known as the Hot Land. - Crisis in the Central African Republic: Dispatch SixA20
Crisis in the Central African Republic: Dispatch Six As the crisis in the Central African Republic escalates, VICE News returned to the capital city to cover the situation on the ground. The past few months have been extremely violent, and as time goes by, Bangui has become increasingly dangerous for the Muslim population. Robert King chronicles what Amnesty International has officially labeled "ethnic cleansing", and what locals are calling CAR's "war against Muslims". - Toxic Waste in the Windy City: PetcokeA21
Toxic Waste in the Windy City: Petcoke Last fall, black dust began to blow through residential neighborhoods on the southeast side of Chicago. Only it wasn't really dust; it was a fine black residue that clung to everything it touched, including noses and throats. Residents eventually learned that it was an oil byproduct called petroleum coke — petcoke for short — and it was being stored in massive uncovered piles at facilities owned by the Koch brothers. VICE News's Danny Gold traveled to Chicago to see what happens when clouds of toxic oil dust blow through the Windy City. - Revolution in Ukraine: Dispatch from the Presidential PalaceA22
Revolution in Ukraine: Dispatch from the Presidential Palace As protesters in central Kiev took over the parliament building on Saturday, others headed to President Yanukovych's highly controversial private estate of Mezyhrhrya, just outside the city. The estate, half the size of Monaco, cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build, much of it coming from embezzlement and corruption, and had long been in the protesters' sights. The average monthly salary for an Ukrainian citizen is around 200 Euros, so their President's opulent lifestyle was a constant slap in the face that could no longer be ignored. VICE News went along with thousands of curious Ukrainians to take a look and walk around Yanukovych's house, like a kleptocrat's version of Cribs. - Venezuela Rising: Dispatch OneA23
Venezuela Rising: Dispatch One Over the past six weeks in Venezuela, a coalition of political groups opposed to the President, Nicolas Maduro, and students angry over dramatic crime rates have taken to the streets in mass demonstrations. 13 people have died since the protests began and the Chavista government is deeply critical of the wave of demonstrations, accusing them of being a right-wing grab for power organized by bourgeois students and supported by the same political figures who attempted a coup over Hugo Chavez in 2002. Yesterday, Lilian Tintori, the wife of recently jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, lead a march to the headquarters of the National Guard. - Inside a Russian Show TrialA24
Inside a Russian Show Trial In one of Russia's most prominent trials concerning anti-Putin protesters, the authorities have shown that they will not tolerate protests against the ruling regime by sentencing seven defendants to penal colony terms, each from two-and-a-half to four years. The defendants were blamed for attacking police and inciting a riot, but rights groups have criticized the trial for being light on evidence and exceptionally heavy-handed. In Russia, less than one percent of defendants convicted of these charges are given sentences over a year in length. - Brooklyn's Volunteer Ambulance ServiceA25
Brooklyn's Volunteer Ambulance Service Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood is well past the notoriety it had in the 1980s and 1990s, when the area was neglected and crack dealers violently ruled the streets. Back then, two men began providing much needed help to their underserved community. The Bed-Stuy Volunteer Ambulance Corp was founded in 1988 by Captain James "Rocky" Robinson, an EMS tech, and Specialist Joe Perez. Rocky is still at the helm today, 26 years later, training a new generation to follow in his footsteps. With the community now much safer and better served, he has changed the BSVAC's original mission of saving lives to changing lives — helping young men and women who may not have any other options receive free training and eventually find jobs in the medical field. - Venezuela Rising: Dispatch TwoA26
Venezuela Rising: Dispatch Two VICE News continues its coverage from Caracas, where students took to the streets once again to protest President Nicolas Maduro's government and pay tribute to those killed in earlier protests. VICE News interviewed a leader of the student movement as well as the mayor of Caracas. The rally ended in more clashes — protesters threw rocks and improvised explosives, and police responded with tear gas and gun shots. - Inside the Afghan National ArmyA27
Inside the Afghan National ArmyIn Afghanistan, springtime starts with a bang as it marks the start of the "fighting season" between the Taliban and Afghan security forces. For the first time in 12 years, the Afghan National Army (ANA) has to operate without their American allies as US troops withdraw. VICE News' Gelareh Kiazand travels to Kandahar to see how the ANA, the police, and ordinary Afghans are dealing with this turning point in a very long war. - Venezuela Rising: Dispatch ThreeA28
Venezuela Rising: Dispatch Three VICE News continues its coverage of the protests in Caracas against Nicolas Maduro's government, where opposition leaders organized a massive roadblock in the center of the city. VICE News correspondent Alex Miller spoke with MP Maria Corina Machado, who demanded an end to the violence, the release of detainees, and called for the international community's attention. - Venezuela Rising: Dispatch FourA29
Venezuela Rising: Dispatch Four VICE News continues its coverage of the rising tensions in Venezuela's capital against Nicolas Maduro's government. We visit a construction site near Altamira Square, where protesters are mining the leftover materials to use as barricades and weapons. As the crisis continues, the materials that protesters are using have evolved, and it seems they will stop at nothing until they see a change in their government. - Lebanon's Hash FarmsA30
Lebanon's Hash Farms Cannabis cultivation in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley is an ancient practice that dates back to the beginning of recorded history. During the Lebanese civil war between 1975-1990, it provided funding for feuding militias and turned Lebanon into one of the world's largest hashish exporters. Today, Lebanon's feuding militias are still using drugs as a source of income. Under international pressure, the Lebanese government is cracking down on smaller Cannabis farmers while drug lords continue to act with impunity. Security forces confronting armed farmers defending their crops have lead to bloody gun battles between the warring sides. VICE News hung out with some of the farmers to learn about Lebanon's ancient hashish industry and see how crooked politicians are profiting from the chaos. - Jamaican Bud Business : Meet MedicanjaA31
Jamaican Bud Business : Meet Medicanja Jamaica's first medicinal marijuana company, Medicanja, launched this year against a backdrop of reinvigorated debate around ganja law reform among leading policymakers. The renowned Jamaican scientist Dr. Henry Lowe, a leader in THC studies for medical purposes, is running the company with the University of West Indies and the University of Technology jointly funding the facility. In addition to studying the scientific benefits of marijuana, Dr. Lowe says the company will produce CBD-based medical products, which fall under legally accepted medicinal use of the ganja plant. Lowe says the plant extract can be used to treat psychosis and severe pain, as well as mid-life crises in men. - Nightbeat NYC: News HunterA32
Nightbeat NYC: News HunterKarsten Clennel is the last of a dying breed. A freelance journalist who works the overnight shift, he prowls the streets hunting for good stories. Every night, KC heads off at 9pm with no real plan. He simply listens to various law enforcement scanners, hoping something newsworthy comes across. With no assignments commissioned, KC can work the entire night chasing stories and still be unsuccessful. If he doesn't find the right one, he doesn't get paid. Vice News spent a few nights with him chasing the scanners. Check out the last episode of Nightbeat "Brooklyn's Volunteer Ambulance Service". - Venezuela Rising: Dispatch FiveA33
Venezuela Rising: Dispatch Five Yesterday in Caracas, Venezuela, thousands of citizens gathered to mark a year since the passing of the country's late president Hugo Chavez. Despite a breakdown in relations with Panama and a poor turnout of regional leaders at the party, pro-government "Chavistas" were determined to have fun. Meanwhile, across town, protests by anti government activists continued unabated. - Topless in Times Square: FEMEN Protests Putin in NYCA34
Topless in Times Square: FEMEN Protests Putin in NYC On March 6th, members of the feminist group FEMEN demonstrated in Times Square against Russia's occupation in Ukraine. FEMEN was founded in Ukraine in 2008, and is known for elaborate demonstrations that feature nudity. The protest was one of several demonstrations that FEMEN has carried out this month throughout the world, protesting the affront to Ukrainian sovereignty posed by Russia's occupation of Crimea. "Putin is not scared of the US or EU — he is playing games," Inna Shevchenko, a member of FEMEN, told VICE News. "What he is scared of really is when people are coming and saying, 'Fuck you Putin,' and that's what we're doing right now." - Egypt Under SisiA35
Egypt Under Sisi Three years ago, millions of Egyptians took to the streets in protest against then-president Hosni Mubarak. The people's revolution was successful in its initial aim, ousting the leader from his post after an almost 30-year rule, and paved the way for the country's first ever democratic election. However, one year after Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi came to power, tens of thousands of Egyptians once again began pouring into Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand that their first democratically elected president step down from office. - Crisis in the Central African Republic: Dispatch SevenA36
Crisis in the Central African Republic: Dispatch Seven As the UN debates deploying thousands more peacekeepers to the Central African Republic, rights groups have warned that ethnic cleansing of Muslims is already well underway. Last week, after the French government voted to further keep troops in the country, CAR President Catherine Samba-Panza voiced her approval for the continuing French mission. Shortly after, French President Francois Hollande visited to show support. - Russian Pilots of the CongoA37
Russian Pilots of the Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. It covers an area the size of Western Europe, but has only 1,250 miles of paved road. Naturally, one of the only ways to travel from place to place or to transport goods across the country is by air. Many of the most daring and dangerous pilots in the DRC are Russian. VICE News travels to Goma to meet these Russian expats, and learns what it's like to be a pilot in a country where, in the sky, almost anything goes. - Venezuela Rising: Dispatch SixA38
Venezuela Rising: Dispatch Six On March 8th, thousands gathered in the center of Caracas yet again to protest the food shortages in Venezuela, which they hold the government responsible for. Significantly, the former opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski was rumored to be in attendance at the demonstration. Meanwhile, violent clashes between police and protesters in Altamira Square have become a nightly event. - Ambushed in South SudanA39
Ambushed in South SudanThe war in South Sudan began in murky circumstances in mid-December, when tribal factions within the country's army, the SPLA, began fighting each other in the center of the capital, Juba. The SPLA quickly fractured into two camps: an insurgency drawn from members of former vice president Riek Machar's Nuer tribe and troops who remained loyal to President Salva Kiir, of the Dinka tribe. Both sides have been accused of committing gross human rights abuses during the conflict. VICE News arrived in Juba and found the army desperate to dispel rumors that rebels were advancing on the capital. Soldiers were keen to take our correspondents on a trip with them into the bush to recapture the strategic city of Bor from the rebels... only the raid didn't turn out quite as they had expected. - Protests in Turkey: Dispatch 1A40
Protests in Turkey: Dispatch 1 On March 11th Berkin Elvin, a 15-year-old Turkish boy died after spending 269 days in a coma. The teenager had been buying bread in his neighborhood last June, when a tear gas canister struck his skull during a brutal police crackdown against citywide demonstrations. As news of the boy's death spread, Istanbul's streets filled with mourners and protestors shouting anti-government slogans in a massive outpouring of grief and rage against police brutality and the increasingly authoritarian government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The demonstrations, which led to violent clashes with police were the largest and angriest protests seen in Turkey since last summer. - Free Derry: The IRA Drug WarA41
Free Derry: The IRA Drug War VICE News reporter Alex Miller speaks to members of the Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD), who formed the coalition with the Real IRA, and meets supporters as young as thirteen who are being armed with petrol bombs to combat criminal gangs and intervening police. - Protests in Turkey: Dispatch 2A42
Protests in Turkey: Dispatch 2 On March 12th more than 100,000 people gathered in Istanbul to march in a funeral procession for a teenage boy killed by a police tear gas canister. The burial itself was peaceful, but, as night fell, violent clashes between police and groups of protesters broke out across the city. The latest unrest has raised tensions in a deeply divided society ahead of local elections scheduled for later this month. - Permanently Temporary: The Truth About Temp LaborA43
Permanently Temporary: The Truth About Temp LaborTemp labor is one of the fastest growing industries in the US. Increasingly, temp workers are part of a business strategy to keep costs down and profits high. From mega-retailers to mom-and-pop shops, temps are hired to do some of the hardest and most dangerous jobs. While more and more of the American workforce is comprised of temporary workers, they're largely hidden from public view. Many of these workers stay silent, often having their livelihoods threatened if they speak out. Wanting to get a glimpse of this invisible workforce, VICE News traveled across the country, scouring warehouses, temp agencies, and temp towns in search of the people, who make our world of same day delivery possible. - Syria: The Long War (Dispatch One)A44
Syria: The Long War (Dispatch One) The Syrian revolution just turned three years old, but for the past year things haven't looked good for the rebels. Attacked from behind by the renegade Al Qaeda splinter group the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, and from in front by a resurgent regime, Syria's moderate revolutionaries have been on a losing streak. But since the New Year, everything's changed, at least in the rebel-held north. ISIS is now fighting every other armed group in the country, and is abandoning its former strongholds all across northern Syria. A VICE News crew, the first western journalists in northwest Syria for months, has embedded with Syrian rebels fighting ISIS, and is following their rapid advance across Idlib province, until yesterday an ISIS stronghold. This is the only footage to come from the Syrian war's most recent and least understood turning point. - Ukraine: Defending the HomelandA45
Ukraine: Defending the Homeland Last week the Ukrainian government announced the formation of the National Guard, after it was revealed that the army only had 6,000 combat ready troops compared to Russia's 200,000. The volunteer force will bolster the under-strength military and protect Ukraine's borders after Crimea having been effectively annexed and Russian forces now building up along Ukraine's eastern border. The first to answer the call were the self defense groups who fought on the barricades during last month's revolution. So we headed down to the Maidan to hopefully tag along with them to the training grounds outside of Kiev for their induction day. - The High Cost of Deporting ParentsA46
The High Cost of Deporting Parents As Barack Obama considers ways to enforce immigration laws "more humanely," VICE News travels to Guatemala to meet a deportee named Ray Jesus, who lives apart from his American wife and 5 American children. When Ray lived in the U.S., he was the family's breadwinner. Now they rely on welfare to get by. It turns out that deporting parents costs much more than the price of a one-way ticket home. - War in the Central African RepublicA47
War in the Central African RepublicCAR has never fully recovered from France's colonial rule, and it has only known ten years of a civilian government - from 1993 to 2003 - since achieving independence in 1960. Coup after coup, often with French military involvement, has led many to refer to the country as a phantom state. The current conflict has now completely erased the rule of law and order, and left the UN and international community looking confused and impotent. In March 2013, the Séléka, a mostly Muslim rebel alliance, rose up and overthrew the corrupt government of François Bozizé, while bringing terror and chaos across the country - pillaging, killing and raping with impunity. In response, mostly Christian self-defense forces, called the anti-balaka, formed to defend CAR against Séléka attacks. Clashes grew more frequent throughout 2013 as the Séléka grew more ruthless. In December 2013, French and African troops went in to disarm the Séléka and staunch the bloodshed. - Evicting the Arab BedouinA48
Evicting the Arab Bedouin The Arab Bedouin minority of the Negev Desert faces harsh discrimination within the Arab population and within Israeli society as a whole. Last year, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to the Negev to visit the Bedouin communities as they fought the Israeli government's decision to forcibly displace them. The plan, which the United Nations labeled as "ethnic displacing," would have affected up to 40,000 Bedouins in the area. But when tensions reached a boiling point amid protests in December, the plan was placed on hold. Bedouins have been living in the Negev for centuries, and as they continue to be marginalized, they are now beginning to fight back. - Protests in Turkey: Dispatch 3A49
Protests in Turkey: Dispatch 3 On 23rd March, after a week of turbulent anti-government protests, Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, organised a massive pro-government rally on a new man-made island in Istanbul ahead of local elections this week. As many as a million of Erdogan's supporters, mostly conservative Turks, gathered on Sunday through appropriated city buses to show support for the Prime Minister, representing a country that is polarised between those wanting a secular western-looking European country and those craving a more Islamic Middle Eastern-looking one. - The Cost of Cutting America's Defense BudgetA50
The Cost of Cutting America's Defense Budget VICE News visits the factory floor of the American defense industry to learn how a twisted web of Machiavellian manufacturing strategies is keeping middle America afloat, politicians in office, and steady supply of weapons flowing to some questionable regimes. - South Africa's Illegal Gold MinesA51
South Africa's Illegal Gold Mines Everyday, hundreds of illegal gold miners, known as Zama Zamas, descend kilometers deep beneath the surface. The miners often spend weeks underground, toiling away at the country's untapped gold reserves. Observers have suggested that illegal mining is now so widespread, black-market gold arguably supports the communities once subsistent on the very same mines they worked in before they shut down. - Protests in Turkey: Dispatch 4A52
Protests in Turkey: Dispatch 4 The death of Berkin Elvan, a 15 year old boy who was put into a coma after being hit by a tear gas canister in last year's anti-government rallies, prompted large-scale scale protests in Istanbul over the past two weeks. Violence between the Turkish police and protestors was worst in Elvan's neighborhood of Okmeydan. It was there that we first encountered the Turkish government's policy of media censorship. Turkey jails the most journalists of any country in the world, and they've expanded the scope of this censorship in the week leading up to their local elections. Both Twitter and YouTube were banned this week, along with Google DNS and OpenDNS. PM Erdogan has threatened to also shut down Facebook, and there are rumors that Istanbul's internet will be blocked on election day. The bans come in response to a series of leaked audio recordings that implicate the Prime Minister in a corruption scandal serious enough to threaten his political party, the AKP, in Sunday's elections. - Inside Libya's Militias with Suroosh AlviA53
Inside Libya's Militias with Suroosh Alvi Suroosh Alvi explores Libya's militias. Libya has been plagued with violence since the 2011 revolution and death of Muammar Qaddafi. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was ousted over his inability to control the various militias operating across the country. These militias have opened fire on protesters in Tripoli, kidnapped the former prime minister, and have taken control of oil fields in the country's Eastern region. With little sign of the chaos dying down, VICE News traveled across Libya to take a look at these groups as they hold their country hostage. - Election Day in Turkey: Ballots, Watchdogs, and FraudA54
Election Day in Turkey: Ballots, Watchdogs, and Fraud After many turbulent weeks of campaigning amid protests, charges of corruption, and online censorship, election day finally arrived in Turkey. People in Istanbul had been talking about it like the season finale of some exhaustive, all-encompassing soap opera. VICE News accompanied a citizen watchdog group called Vote & Beyond as it monitored the elections. This helped us access three polling stations around the city, as well as one of the city's main election centers. What we found was a largely analog election process vulnerable to all kinds of voter fraud. A positive effect of the protests, however, is that they have inspired organizations like Vote & Beyond to combat the cheating with a new level of diligence. - Tatar Nation: The Other CrimeaA55
Tatar Nation: The Other Crimea Crimea's Tatars — who amount to 12 percent of the peninsula's 2.2 million residents — overwhelmingly boycotted the March 16th referendum for Crimea to become part of Russia. The Tatar's bad history with Russia was a major factor of their decision, as Stalin persecuted and deported them en masse from the Crimean Peninsula in 1944. After the collapse of the Soviet Union Tatars trickled back into Crimea, but their status there was always temporary. With Crimea's much-disputed status as part of Russia following the referendum, the future of the Tatars is a big question mark. VICE News' Simon Ostrovsky spent some time with Tatars in Simferopol in the week leading up to the referendum to get their side of the story. - A Bizarre Night in Thailand: Correspondent ConfidentialA57
A Bizarre Night in Thailand: Correspondent Confidential Correspondent Confidential Producer Carrie Ching traveled to Thailand in 2004 to interview ex-pat Vietnam War veterans for a story about the upcoming Bush-Kerry presidential election. The story took her to the country's raunchiest neighborhood during Thailand's New Year festival -- on what is notoriously one of the country's rowdiest days of the year. She wound up in the heart of Boyz Town, the gay red light district famous for illegal prostitution of underage boys. The interviews that day may have been about U.S. politics, but the real story -- illegal sex tourism and child prostitution -- was happening right before her eyes. - Racial Injustice in Milwaukee: Crime and PunishmentA58
Racial Injustice in Milwaukee: Crime and Punishment On December 14, 2012, a young black high school student named Corey Stingley was aggressively restrained after he tried to shoplift alcohol from a neighborhood store. Three white men held Corey to the ground, "squeezing the hell out of him," according to an eyewitness. When the police arrived, he was no longer breathing. He died two weeks later from brain injuries resulting from asphyxiation. The men who restrained him were never charged. Corey's story is painfully similar to those of young black men across the country. Did his skin color preemptively decide his fate in the American justice system? VICE News follows Corey's father, Craig, as he seeks justice in the hyper-segregated Wisconsin city of West Allis, and mourns the death of his son. - The Sunflower Revolt: Protests in TaiwanA59
The Sunflower Revolt: Protests in Taiwan The Republic of China, or Taiwan as it is better known, has been independent from mainland China for over half a century. However China claims the island as its territory and has a stated aim of re-unification. Throughout March protests gripped the streets of the capital Taipei in response to the manner a service trade agreement was being pushed through the congress. The trade agreement allows Chinese companies to invest in a host of Taiwanese industries, moving the country towards greater economic integration with China. It is seen by many as an act of commercial colonization by China and a threat to Taiwan's autonomy and democracy. On March 18th a group of students overwhelmed police and occupied the Legislative Yuan (Taiwanese Parliament). Dubbed the Sunflower Movement they remained camped in the parliament for 24 days. One of their core demands is to hold off any further trade talks between Taiwan and China, until an oversight mechanism has been implemented. - The American Jihadist: Eric Harroun In His Own WordsA60
The American Jihadist: Eric Harroun In His Own Words In July of 2013 American Eric Harroun travelled to Syria to fight against the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. He would wind up arrested by the FBI on terrorism-related charges. This is Eric's story in his own words. - The Foster Home From Hell: "Love Serve Surrender"A61
The Foster Home From Hell: "Love Serve Surrender" A VICE News exclusive investigation: Hippie guru Jay Ram was hailed as a public hero for fostering, adopting, and caring for dozens of boys that had nowhere else to go. But years later, a new picture has emerged. Several of his sons have come forward to say that he preyed on them sexually and forced them to recruit other boys to molest. VICE News has uncovered new evidence that shows that charities and child welfare agencies missed several clear warning signs, and continued to place new children in Ram's care. Until now, he has never faced justice. - Anarchy At The Ballot Box: Bangladesh RisingA62
Anarchy At The Ballot Box: Bangladesh Rising January 2014 saw Bangladesh fall into yet another vicious power struggle, with impending elections resulting in sporadic attacks, mass rioting and religiously motivated anarchy. Alongside political unrest, the interjection of fundamentalist Islamic groups has meant an already troubled nation has been left in relative turmoil. VICE News was on the streets of Dhaka in the lead up to the enforced elections, to witness democracy at its most questionable. - Life As An Illegal Immigrant in GreeceA63
Life As An Illegal Immigrant in Greece Greece has always been a gateway for immigrants searching for what they assumed would be a better life in Europe. But many of those who've crossed illegally into Greece have found that they have traded one bad situation for another. Refugees from war-torn countries like Syria and Afghanistan are finding themselves stuck in a country that is not only battling an economic crisis but is witnessing a rise in anti-immigrant violence, exemplified by the a nationalist political party known as the Golden Dawn. VICE News' Alex Miller travelled from Athens to the western port of Patras to find out what it is like to be trapped in a country you never wanted to be in in the first place. - Violence and Private Security in South AfricaA64
Violence and Private Security in South Africa The high walls, electric fences, and private security guards surrounding South Africa's residences and businesses are as inherent to the country's landscape as Table Mountain is to Cape Town. And with good reason — South Africa's 2012-2013 crime statistics were the worst in a decade, with increases in murder, attempted murder, violent armed robbery, and carjackings. Fear of crime has led to a boom in South Africa's private security industry since apartheid ended 20 years ago. The field's quick expansion is largely a result of continued social and economic inequality, increased violence, and inept police forces. VICE News traveled to South Africa's mother city Cape Town to look at the lifestyle gap between those who can and cannot afford the luxury of safety. - London's Holy Turf WarA65
London's Holy Turf War Over the last year a quasi-religious turf war has sprung up on the streets of London. Young radicalised Muslim patrols are enforcing Shariah law in the capital. In reaction, far right Christian Patrols are also taking the law into their own hands. Alex Miller meets the leaders and footsoldiers in Britain's holy street patrols, the Anjem Choudary's followers Muslim Patrol and Paul Golding of Britain First's Christian Patrol, in the same area he lives and works, to find out just how effective their operations are, and how genuine their belief is in the battle for East London's streets. - Driving Ferraris with the Thai RoyalistsA66
Driving Ferraris with the Thai Royalists As the conflict in Thailand intensifies, VICE News goes deep into the lives of the rich and powerful royalists of Bangkok, who are fighting to keep the old order from crumbling. These Bangkok elite have long aligned themselves with the most potent symbol of Thai unity — King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest ruling current monarch. The royalists' fanatical devotion to the king has long assured them the unquestionable claim to represent the country. But that's changing rapidly, and the country's political climate is inspiring PDRC leaders Nat and Victor, two young, Ferrari-driving multi-millionaires, out to the streets — and into a violent and unpredictable future. How long will they be able to hold on to power? - Al-Qaeda Hospital Massacre In YemenA67
Al-Qaeda Hospital Massacre In Yemen On December 5, 2013, in an attack that went largely underreported by the world's media, al Qaeda gunmen, dressed in government military uniform, casually slaughtered 52 innocent civilians in Sanaa, Yemen's capital. The Al-Oradi hospital sits within the same compound as the Yemeni ministry of defense, where al Qaeda alleged that drone strikes were directed from. Instead of targeting the ministry, however, the attackers killed the security guards manning the side gate of the hospital, then spent hours calmly stalking its corridors, shooting doctors, nurses, and even patients lying in their beds. In grim pictures captured by surveillance cameras, one gunman is seen approaching a group of terrified hospital staff. At first they don't flinch, and almost seem to be awaiting instructions, until the attacker reveals a hand grenade, pulls out the pin, and tosses it at them as if he were throwing a ball to a puppy. - Turkey: May Day Protests Turn ViolentA68
Turkey: May Day Protests Turn Violent IIn an effort to suppress May Day protests, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shut down all public transportation and roads around Taksim square. But clashes broke out all over the city after a reported 40,000 riot police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to crack down on protesters. - Caught Between Militants and Police: Kenya's Little MogadishuA69
Caught Between Militants and Police: Kenya's Little Mogadishu After the al Shabaab terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the horrific attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 2013, which left 67 dead, attention has focused on the neighborhood of Eastleigh. Also known as "Little Mogadishu," the Nairobi community is known for being the home to many Somali immigrants in Kenya — and is the nest of al Shabaab. It's common knowledge that al Shabaab has been running youth recruitment in "Little Mogadishu" since 2009, which has in turn spiraled the area into a police state where no one feels safe. VICE News headed to Nairobi to look at the lives of the residents of "Little Mogadishu," who are now fighting to resolve the dire state they live in. - Ousted Prime Minster Sparks New Protests: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 1)A70
Ousted Prime Minster Sparks New Protests: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 1) Thai caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine of her ministers were forced to step down Wednesday over allegations of abuse of power — which has ignited heated protests by members of the country's "Red Shirt" movement. Supporters of the ousted leader — whose brother, Thailand's former Prime Minister, was also ejected — called the move a coup and poured onto the streets of the capital. Meanwhile, the opposing anti-government movement, that for months has been calling for a new government, celebrated the victory. VICE News takes a look at these opposing rallies and the political vacuum ahead for Thailand. - Thai Protesters Occupy Government House: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 2)A71
Thai Protesters Occupy Government House: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 2) VICE News follows the PDRC protesters as they relocate their HQ to the official Government House, which shows just how much support they have within the political halls of power. This has enraged the tens of thousands of pro-government red shirts camped in the outskirts of Bangkok. The local press warns of an impending Thai-tanic. - India's Leading PM Candidate Rallies in VaranasiA72
India's Leading PM Candidate Rallies in Varanasi According to exit poll results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win the majority in parliament — which means that controversial candidate Narendra Modi will be the next prime minister. Modi is a rising force with a pro-business platform for economic growth — which many Indians support. However, he was the chief minister of Gujarat in 2002, when communal clashes killed at least 1,000 Muslims. He was tried for his role in the conflict, but was found not guilty. May 12 was the last day of voting for the elections, and on Friday India's fate will be decided. VICE News headed to Varanasi to speak with voters and workers about their nation's future. - Corruption, Cocaine and Murder in TrinidadA73
Corruption, Cocaine and Murder in Trinidad Around midnight on May 3, Dana Seetahal, a prominent attorney and former senator in Trinidad and Tobago, had just left a casino in the capital of Port of Spain when her vehicle was stopped by another car blocking the road. A van pulled up alongside and let loose a burst of gunfire, killing her in a well orchestrated hit. Her murder was one of approximately 170 that have occurred in the Caribbean nation so far this year, putting it on course for one of the highest murder rates in the world. The country saw only 93 murders in 1999. Last year, there were 407. - National Shame After Deadly Mining Disaster: Protests in Turkey (Dispatch 5)A74
National Shame After Deadly Mining Disaster: Protests in Turkey (Dispatch 5) Discontent spread across Turkey after the worst mining disaster in the country's history. On May 13, a fire tore through the Soma coal mine, killing more than 300 people and leaving scores injured. Grief in Turkey quickly turned to anger. Protesters hit the streets — furious at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his administrations' alleged role in the tragedy. The Turkish government has been criticized for its close ties to big business and for putting profit ahead of safety standards in a country with the highest rate of worker deaths in Europe. Just weeks before the tragedy, the government rejected a proposal to investigate safety standards in the coal industry. - A City Left in Ruins: The Battle for AleppoA75
A City Left in Ruins: The Battle for Aleppo Until the civil war reached it two years ago, Aleppo was Syria's largest city and the country's commercial and industrial hub. Now the ancient city lies in ruins, 70 percent of its population has fled, and those who remain live under siege. Rebel-held areas are under constant bombardment by barrel bombs — crudely improvised explosive devices that are dropped from government aircraft. As rebel and government forces struggle for total victory, VICE filmmaker Medyan Dairieh followed the volunteers of Aleppo's Civil Defense, a civilian rescue organization, who risk their lives daily as the first responders to government airstrikes in a city seemingly abandoned by the outside world. - The Fight for Ukraine: Last Days of the RevolutionA76
The Fight for Ukraine: Last Days of the Revolution February 2014, Ukraine's Euromaidan revolution against the government of Viktor Yanukovych had reached another stalemate after the violence in late January. But on the 18th, massive and fatal clashes broke out between police and protesters outside the Ukrainian parliament building, the Rada. - Thai Military Declares Coup d'État: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 3)A77
Thai Military Declares Coup d'État: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 3) Thailand's military detained former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday in the latest development of the country's unraveling political crisis. The army, which is consolidating its grip on Thailand following Thursday's coup d'état, barred 155 prominent citizens from leaving the country. - The Rise Of Sweden's Far-Left MilitantsA78
The Rise Of Sweden's Far-Left Militants Ultra-nationalist political parties scored unprecedented victories at the European elections, making the rise of the far-right in Europe impossible to ignore. Many of these groups, some of which are openly neo-Nazi, are gaining strength everywhere. In Sweden, there's been a sharp rise in political violence in the country, with crimes carried out by radical groups making headlines. However, what's unusual is that one of the most violent extremist organizations in Sweden aligns itself not with Nazism and the far-right, but with anti-fascism and the far-left. Known as the Revolutionary Front, this group of militant socialists aim to crush fascism by any means necessary. VICE News set out to try and find the Revolutionary Front, and to understand the unlikely rise of the militant far-left in Sweden. - Europe's Anti-Fascists Clash with Police in ViennaA79
Europe's Anti-Fascists Clash with Police in Vienna Right-wing nationalists of the Identitarian Movement held a rally in Vienna on May 17. Organizing themselves across social media, members of factions across Europe flooded in from France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland to join the Austrian faction to demonstrate against the EU. To combat the protest, an anti-fascist group known as Offense Against the Right also gathered in the Austrian capital. As crowds became increasingly angry, police moved in to arrest protesters and separate the two opposing factions. VICE News was there to witness the clash of Europe's new generation of extreme political movements. - Al Shabaab and the Rise of Jihad in KenyaA80
Al Shabaab and the Rise of Jihad in Kenya A series of bloody attacks has rocked Kenya since the September 2013 Westgate mall massacre in Nairobi that left 67 people dead. Curiously, some recent victims in these attacks have been Muslim sheiks that were associated with al Shabaab, the jihadi group that took credit for the deadly Westgate attack. Even more curiously, all of the high-profile sheik murders have taken place in the same area in Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city. VICE News headed to Mombasa to speak with Abubaker Shariff Ahmed, the highest profile radical sheik in Kenya, before he was assassinated in April, and to get a close-up view of those living and dying in the crosshairs of a holy war being fought on Kenya's streets. - Unrest and Opposition Over Military Rule: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 4)A81
Unrest and Opposition Over Military Rule: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 4) As Thailand's military tightens its grip on the nation, General Prayuth Chan-ocha has now received a royal endorsement — an essential piece of legitimacy — for his new position as head of the National Council for Peace and Order. Activists, politicians, students, and pro-government Red Shirt leaders continue to be detained by the junta, though it's not clear how many have been detained. Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is said to have been released, though no one has seen or heard from her yet. VICE News is on the ground in the "Land of Smiles" as the situation becomes more volatile and conflict engulfs the nation. - The Man Who Tried to Overthrow the Trinidad Government: Interview with Abu BakrA82
The Man Who Tried to Overthrow the Trinidad Government: Interview with Abu Bakr At his compound on the outskirts of Port of Spain, the man responsible for the only attempted militant Islamic overthrow of a Western government is smiling. "I've been charged with treason, I've been charged with sedition, with murder, conspiracy to murder, [stockpiling] guns...." Abu Bakr, the fiery 73-year-old leader of Jamaat al Muslimeen, rattles off the many accusations that the government of Trinidad and Tobago has leveled against him. - Police Crack Down On Protesters On Gezi Anniversary: Protests in Turkey (Dispatch 6)A83
Police Crack Down On Protesters On Gezi Anniversary: Protests in Turkey (Dispatch 6)This week, demonstrators in Istanbul attempting to commemorate the year anniversary of the deadly Gezi Park protests that rocked Turkey in May of 2013 were confronted by tens of thousands of police officers. Firing teargas and water cannons, officers dispersed the activists, who had hoped to read a statement in Istanbul's Taksim Square and lay wreathes of flowers in memory of those killed during last years' clashes. The 2013 protests were the biggest anti-government demonstrations in Turkey for decades, and the country is still living with the repercussions of the uprising and the ensuing government crackdown. VICE News was in Istanbul to follow Taksim Solidarity, a support organization for the protesters in Istanbul, during the one-year anniversary of the bloody clashes. - PTSD From Gang Violence in LAA84
PTSD From Gang Violence in LAThere's an epidemic of PTSD in American cities, and it has nothing to do with the wars being fought abroad. Homegrown violence and a sense of impunity in America's urban war zones are leaving thousands of teenagers with severe psychological trauma that stunts their emotional and cognitive development. VICE News travels to the front line of this epidemic in Los Angeles with the kids who are suffering, and the adults trying to save them from being destined for the fringes of society. - Police Militarization Meets Hacker Culture: SwattingA85
Police Militarization Meets Hacker Culture: SwattingIn recent years, a small amount of hackers and gamers have been anonymously reporting fake hostage situations, shootings, and other violent crimes designed to send elite police units, like SWAT teams, to unsuspecting people at their residences. Swatting is a dangerous and expensive prank, which is easy to pull off. Swatters are utilizing easily accessible technology to mask or even alter the ID during calls to 911 dispatchers. With SWAT teams and paramilitary gear becoming the norm across small town America, these calls have predictably chaotic results. Despite the hyper-vigilance of America's law enforcement, authorities still struggle to defend themselves from the unlikeliest of threats — tech-savvy teenagers. Police militarization meets hacker culture as VICE News investigates the dangerous crime of swatting. - VICE News Interviews Abdullah Abdullah: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 1)A86
VICE News Interviews Abdullah Abdullah: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 1) There's an eerie sense of calm to Kabul ahead of Saturday's elections, as government security forces place the city under lockdown in an attempt to neutralise any Taliban attacks before they happen. The first round of the presidential elections, back in April, were surprisingly peaceful- at least within the Kabul security bubble- but the Taliban have publicly vowed to disrupt Saturday's runoff, warning voters to stay away from polling stations. - Accusations of Fraud on Election Day: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 2)A88
Accusations of Fraud on Election Day: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 2) The final round of Afghanistan's presidential elections took place with a relatively low death toll — a quiet kind of victory for nation's fledgling democracy. Inside Kabul, the Taliban fired a few rockets harmlessly towards the northern suburbs after daybreak, as if for form's sake. But the election went ahead anyway, with small trickles of voters filing into polling centers across the capital throughout the day. - Chaos In Brazil: On The Ground At The World Cup (Dispatch 1)A89
Chaos In Brazil: On The Ground At The World Cup (Dispatch 1) In our first dispatch from the 2014 World Cup, VICE News headed to the initial match of the games to be played in Rio de Janeiro, between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina. As the game began, protesters marched towards the Maracanã stadium and gathered alongside soccer fans. But as the game heated up, so did the protests, and clashes between the police and demonstrators quickly follow. VICE News was on the scene as one man on the street -- allegedly an undercover policeman -- accosted reporters, waved a pistol around, and fired several shots. - Strange Border Kidnappings in Kosovo: Correspondent ConfidentialA90
Strange Border Kidnappings in Kosovo: Correspondent Confidential In the wake of the war in Kosovo, investigative journalist Michael Montgomery traveled to the Balkans to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Serbs. His scrutiny brought to light evidence that suggested links between a black-market crime syndicate and the upper echelon of the Kosovo Liberation Army — indicating that the end of war doesn't necessarily mean the end of war crimes. - Fighting Back Against ISIS: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 1)A91
Fighting Back Against ISIS: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 1) Last week, the extremist militant Sunni group — Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), along with other Sunni militias and former Baathist party members, seized control of large parts of Iraq, including Mosul, the nation's second largest city. In many places, the Iraqi army barely put up a flight. Soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, whether because of fear, incompetence, or internal sabotage. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have become internally displaced after fleeing the fighting or the potential for potential Iraqi air strikes. As ISIS and the other groups continued to fight their way to Baghdad, gruesome videos of brutal executions began to surface. Iraqi army units stationed near Baghdad, as well as Shiite militias, have pledged to not give up so easily. - Chaos In Brazil: On The Ground At The World Cup (Dispatch 2)A92
Chaos In Brazil: On The Ground At The World Cup (Dispatch 2) VICE News is in Brazil as the World Cup gets underway. In the second dispatch, our correspondents explore the other side of the tournament while observing a protest in Rio de Janeiro in which Brazilian security forces use tear gas and batons to arrest demonstrators. The crew then attends a press conference held by the authorities to hear their justification for the violence they have employed in order to quell dissent. - The ISIS Uprising: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 2)A93
The ISIS Uprising: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 2) As a coalition of ISIS fighters, Sunni militias, and former Baathists continues to push its way toward Baghdad, the Iraqi army and Shiite militias have fought to slow its progress. In Mosul, however, ISIS and other Sunni forces now exert total control. Confusion remains about what exactly happened there, and why Iraqi soldiers abandoned their posts so quickly. There is much speculation about the role high-ranking officers in the Iraqi army might have played, and whether or not they were involved in internal sabotage or had advance knowledge of the assault. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has already fired a number of high-ranking officers, and ordered one to be court-martialed for desertion. - Taliban Cut Off Voters' Fingers: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 3)A94
Taliban Cut Off Voters' Fingers: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 3) In our third dispatch from Afghanistan, VICE News travels to the province of Herat to see the aftereffects of the election that took place June 14. Although polling went fairly smoothly in Kabul, voters elsewhere in the country were repeatedly targeted by the Taliban; as many as 50 Afghans were killed. Others had their fingers, still black with telltale ink after voting, cut off by Taliban fighters. VICE News visited the hospital in Herat to speak with several victims being treated there. Fearing further harm, some of them agreed to speak with us only if they covered their faces and hid their identity. Despite the violence, many of the villagers remained defiant. "If I lost all the 10 fingers on my hands to vote, I'd still vote again," one 60-year-old farmer told VICE News. "Because it is our right." - Chaos in Brazil: On the Ground at the World Cup (Dispatch 3)A95
Chaos in Brazil: On the Ground at the World Cup (Dispatch 3) In our third dispatch from the World Cup, VICE News goes to a demonstration in downtown Rio led by public school teachers demanding a 20 percent pay increase as they continue to try and make their voices heard. - Aftermath of a Suicide Bombing: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 4)A96
Aftermath of a Suicide Bombing: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 4) While polling day passed smoothly in Kabul, the Taliban are still keen to show their power to strike within the capital. Early Saturday morning, a suicide bomber struck the convoy of Masoom Stanikzai, head of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, responsible for peace negotiations with the Taliban. While Stanikzai survived, the attacker and a bystander outside Kabul's Dawat University were killed, and three injured. VICE News was the only news crew allowed through the police line to witness the aftermath. - Kurds Fight for Control of Kirkuk: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 3)A97
Kurds Fight for Control of Kirkuk: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 3) VICE News spoke with Falah Mustafa Bakir, the head of foreign relations for the KRG, who said that the Kurds have no intention of giving up their control of Kirkuk. - Egyptian Election Amid Political Crisis and InsurgencyA98
Egyptian Election Amid Political Crisis and Insurgency VICE News reporter Seif Khirfan spoke to supporters of both candidates and those boycotting the election, discussed military rule, and attended a Sabahi campaign event. He then visited Cairo's Tahrir Square on results night, focal point of the revolution that removed Mubarak in 2011 and anti-Morsi protests in 2013. - Arkansas: The Worst Place to Rent in AmericaA99
Arkansas: The Worst Place to Rent in America VICE News visited Arkansas to learn more about its draconian eviction laws. From the courthouses to the porches of some of the state's poorest residents, we documented first-hand accounts from one of the country's most underreported stories. - Mexico's Immigrant Oasis: Last Stop Before the BorderA100
Mexico's Immigrant Oasis: Last Stop Before the Border The town of Altar, Sonora, is the last stop for thousands of migrants who plan to illegally cross the border that separates Mexico and the United States in search of a better life. Here, the economy revolves around migration. Along its streets we can find everything from special slippers to avoid detection by motion sensors installed in the Arizona desert, camouflage clothing to avoid being spotted by Border Patrol agents, backpacks, gloves, and even contraceptives for the women — as it is estimated that 80 percent of them will be raped during their journey. - Egyptian Activists Demonstrate Against Sexual ViolenceA101
Egyptian Activists Demonstrate Against Sexual Violence VICE News headed to a demonstration organized on June 14 by various women's rights activists, who are demanding the Egyptian state build an effective action plan to tackle the issue of sexual violence in the country. - Clashes Continue as Frontline Tension Escalates: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 4)A102
Clashes Continue as Frontline Tension Escalates: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 4) In our fourth dispatch amid the escalating crisis in Iraq, VICE News embedded with the peshmerga as they struggle to maintain control over their land, as tension in Iraq heightens between its main ethnic and religious factions. - Polish Fascists Attack London Music FestivalA103
Polish Fascists Attack London Music Festival On Saturday, June 21st, a group of 20 polish far-right nationalists from Zjednoczeni Emigranci Londyn (Emigrants United London) attacked the audience at a multicultural family event called Music Day, held in Markfield Park, North London. - Monkey Meat and the Ebola Outbreak in LiberiaA104
Monkey Meat and the Ebola Outbreak in Liberia West Africa is being plagued by a new outbreak of Ebola — a terrifying disease that causes its victims to bleed to death from the inside out. Ebola has no cure, and the latest epidemic is spreading fast. VICE News visited Liberia, where many feel the new outbreak began, borne from the bushmeat markets of Lofa. Western scientists feel that the consumption and preparation of meat from monkeys, fruit bats, and other forest animals is behind the transmission of Ebola, and possibly a new supervirus, which if left uncontrolled could kill a third of the world's population. - The Rise of British Jihadists in SyriaA105
The Rise of British Jihadists in Syria Britain's young Muslims are taking the fight against President Bashir al-Assad from UK towns to the frontlines of Syria. VICE News headed to the civil war-torn country to follow Amer Deghayes, a 20-year-old former student from Brighton, who joined the "holy war" against his father's wishes after carrying out extensive research online. We joined Amer after the death of his 18-year-old brother Abdullah, who died in a fierce battle against Assad forces in northern Syria. Undeterred by the bloody and brutal conflict, Amer's 16-year-old brother Jaffer has since met up with him in Syria. - Chinese Multimillionaire Dupes New York's HomelessA106
Chinese Multimillionaire Dupes New York's Homeless When Chinese multimillionaire Chen Guangbiao placed ads in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal announcing he would buy lunch for 1,000 disadvantaged New Yorkers before handing them each $300, the city's poor were understandably excited. That excitement would soon turn to anger. This past Wednesday, VICE News attended the circus-like event. Two hundred and fifty disadvantaged people — not the 1,000 advertised — were treated to lunch at the swanky Central Park Boathouse. And none of them were told that there would be no cash handout. When they found out, things turned ugly. - Christian City Under Siege: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 5)A107
Christian City Under Siege: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 5) Earlier this week, ISIS began an assault on the historically Assyrian Christian city of Qaraqosh in the northern Nineveh province, just east of Mosul. Kurdish peshmerga forces moved into the city to fortify it against a barrage of mortar shells. The city, though not officially located in the Kurdistan Regional Government, has become one of the disputed areas, as the Iraqi government has abandoned it and ISIS is vying for control. While the attack continued, VICE News was caught in a miles long traffic jam as many residents fled in fear with nothing but the clothes on their back. Peshmerga forces, fearing car bombs and hidden insurgents, meticulously combed through the traffic, and set up tense checkpoints, causing further chaos. We also travelled to the abandoned city of Qaraqosh to speak with residents who have remained there despite the attacks. They tell us why they've decided to stay and protect their city. - Protests Over Voting Fraud: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 5)A108
Protests Over Voting Fraud: Elections in Afghanistan (Dispatch 5) In the space of a few short days, Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah went from confident frontrunner to aggrieved underdog as his rival, Ashraf Ghani, took a surprise lead. Abdullah promptly announced that he rejected the preliminary election results and demanded the resignation of the head of the election commission, Zia-ul-Haq Amarkhail, amid accusations of ballot tampering. - America's Veteran Crisis: Abandoned At HomeA109
America's Veteran Crisis: Abandoned At Home As politicians in Washington wring their hands over the Veterans Affairs scandal, VICE News travels to Portland, Oregon, to see what it's all really about. We meet Curtis Shanley, a former Marine Corps machine-gunner, who has spent the past five years wading through red tape to get medical attention for a crippling injury he suffered while serving his country in Iraq. - Q&A with Disabled Iraq War Veteran Curtis ShanleyA110
Q&A with Disabled Iraq War Veteran Curtis Shanley On Monday, June 30 we held our first live Q&A featuring the veteran from the VICE News documentary 'Abandoned At Home' and the team that put the film together. We took questions from YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram followers via the hashtag #VAatHome - The Junta's Police State: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 5)A111
The Junta's Police State: Thailand on the Brink (Dispatch 5) VICE News spent the past few weeks with two young Bangkokians who hold different perspectives on their country's shifting politics. One is a pro-coup supporter who believes the army's move was necessary to restore order. The other is a young student activist bent on having his voice heard, even under the threat of detention. - America's Deported Veterans: La FronteraA113
America's Deported Veterans: La Frontera We went to Tijuana to meet a group of veterans who have been expelled by the U.S. Government. Héctor Barajas, a former paratrooper for the U.S. Army, has seen with his own eyes just how difficult life is for the veterans who have been expelled from their country. After living in Tijuana's El Bordo river canal, he decided to leave his addictions behind and start a shelter for deported veterans. The Bunker, as the site is known, has the capacity to host up to 5 veterans who have been deported to Tijuana. - Murder, Mayhem, and MeditationA114
Murder, Mayhem, and MeditationVICE News was granted rare access to go inside one of the most maximum-security prisons in the country, a place that's on the frontline of what could be a sea change in prison policy. Salinas Valley State Prison is home to America's most powerful prison gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia. It's a place that's projected to have more than 700 assaults this year. In an institution that houses the worst of the worst, we see how one maverick warden is trying to turn the system around by rehabilitating murderers before they get returned to the streets. - The Sloths That Could Cure Cancer: Bio-Prospecting in PanamaA115
The Sloths That Could Cure Cancer: Bio-Prospecting in Panama VICE News host Thomas Morton swings from the trees with an international team of scientists in Panama that's found a promising treatment for malaria, Chagas disease and breast cancer in the most unlikely place: The mossy fur of tree sloths. It's yet another reason to not cut down rainforests. About half of all drugs brought to market from 1997-2006 came from plants, fungi and bacteria discovered by "bio-prospectors" in nature. And we see that sloths are just one of many new and unusual frontiers for this research. - Behind the Protests in Caracas: Venezuela RisingA116
Behind the Protests in Caracas: Venezuela Rising VICE News released six dispatches from the ground and live streamed from Altamira Square, the heart of the city's unrest. In Venezuela Rising, we explain the story behind the protests, linking up with rioters, government supporters, activists, and victims of Caracas's intolerable crime wave. In an exclusive interview, we also speak to Henrique Capriles, the leader of the political opposition. - Israeli Urban WarfareA117
Israeli Urban Warfare The city has become a battlefield. As modern militaries must adapt to a landscape that often gives the upper hand to insurgents, proper training becomes more essential than ever. VICE News correspondent Alex Miller travels to Israel, home to one of the largest and most advanced urban warfare training centers in the world, to embed with a unit practicing effective urban combat tactics before employing them in the streets. - Kidnappings and Killings Spark Demonstrations in Israel: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 1)A118
Kidnappings and Killings Spark Demonstrations in Israel: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 1) VICE News is in Israel and Palestine amid the mounting tension as Israelis and Palestinians prepare for the next round of violent confrontations. In this first dispatch, we go to a protest in the mixed Israeli-Palestinian town of Acre and speak with Palestinians intent on using peaceful means to make their voices heard. - Warriors Off The Res: Aboriginal Gangs in WinnipegA119
Warriors Off The Res: Aboriginal Gangs in Winnipeg Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, Canada — and for 16 of the past 33 years, it has also been the country's murder capital. The prairie city is home to just under 800,000 people, about 10 percent of whom are Aboriginal, meaning Winnipeg boasts the largest urban Aboriginal population in Canada. Largely impoverished and facing continual discrimination, the community has given rise to violent Aboriginal street gangs. VICE News went to Winnipeg to spend time with gang members and find out why they're linked to the majority of the city's murders. - Nowhere Safe in Gaza: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 2)A120
Nowhere Safe in Gaza: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 2) The death toll in Gaza continues to grow as both the Israeli military and Palestinian militants show no signs of backing down. VICE News spent a few days in Gaza City surveying the damage and seeing how local residents were coping with the continuous barrage from the air and from the sea. - Mexican Deportees and Outsourced LaborA121
Mexican Deportees and Outsourced Labor Tijuana, Mexico, is a limbo for deportees from the United States. People keep showing up in the city while U.S. immigration policies get tougher. Between 2002 and 2012, deportations to Mexico more than doubled, from 122,058 to 306,870, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Many were deported for non-violent or relatively minor infractions. Call centers offer English-speaking deportees a chance to have a steady income in jobs-strapped Mexico. They also get to put their language skills to use. Telemarketers gain a geographically close work-force of English native-speakers, but at Mexican labor costs. VICE News traveled to Tijuana to meet a few of the thousands of deportees who were raised in the United States and are now forming new lives back in Mexico, thanks to their steady jobs at a U.S. call center. - Life Under Israel's Iron Dome: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 3)A122
Life Under Israel's Iron Dome: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 3) Hamas and other militant groups have been raining crude rockets into Israel since Operation Protective Edge launched last week -- more than 1,000 at last count. Thanks to the Israeli missile defense system known as Iron Dome, few have struck targets and there has been one confirmed Israeli casualty. But the threat of rockets remains terrifying for people across Israel, especially in the country's south, which takes the brunt of the barrage. VICE News brings you there to get a feel for life under constant attack. - The Afghan InterpretersA123
The Afghan InterpretersThe interpreters who worked alongside American and NATO forces in Afghanistan are among our bravest and most loyal allies. They played an essential role in sourcing intelligence and educating Western troops about the local culture. Now they're in danger of being abandoned. - The Price of Modernization in Panama: Dammed ForeverA124
The Price of Modernization in Panama: Dammed Forever VICE News travels to the construction site of Barro Blanco, a hydroelectric dam in the Chiriqui Province of Panama. The dam has been the subject of significant controversy for years, as the construction project threatens the local population of the Ngäbe-Buglé, an indigenous tribe of Panama. According the Ngäbe, the dam will displace thousands of local inhabitants and impacts thousands more who rely on the river for potable water and fishing. - Palestinian Father Grieves for Slain Son: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 4)A125
Palestinian Father Grieves for Slain Son: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 4) On the night of July 2, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, a 16-year old Palestinian from the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat, was abducted and killed by a group of right-wing extremist Israelis. The attack was in apparent retaliation for the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens whose bodies were discovered north of the West Bank city of Hebron two days earlier. Khdeir's autopsy showed the boy burned to death while he was still alive. His killing set off demonstrations and clashes throughout the West Bank and elsewhere, with thousands of Palestinians protesting his death. VICE News went to Shuafat to speak with a grieving father about his son's death and the latest round of events that followed it. - First-Hand Look at Israeli Ground Invasion: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 5)A126
First-Hand Look at Israeli Ground Invasion: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 5) On July 17, Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza after pummeling the strip for nearly 10 days with airstrikes and shelling. The stated goal? To cripple Hamas, destroy underground supply lines, and stop militants from firing rockets into Israel. VICE News traveled to the border of Gaza to get a first-hand look at the buildup. - Jewish Settlers in the Hamas Stronghold of Hebron: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 6)A127
Jewish Settlers in the Hamas Stronghold of Hebron: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 6) As the Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza strip continues -- and militants continue to launch crude rockets into Israel -- there's relative quiet in the other Palestinian territory, the West Bank. With the conflict focused on the Hamas-run Gaza strip, it's easy to forget the West Bank used to be one of the focal points of resistance against the state of Israel. That may still be the case, but today in the West Bank, there are no rockets being fired into Israel and few demonstrations compared to Jerusalem. Palestinian security forces, activists, and ordinary Palestinians say this could quickly change. VICE News brings you to the restive city of Hebron, which has historically supported Hamas, to find out if, how, and for how long things can stay this way. - Radical Young Israelis and the Price Tag Attacks: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 7)A128
Radical Young Israelis and the Price Tag Attacks: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 7) For a few years, a young radical group of Israeli settlers in the West Bank have committed random acts of violence and vandalization against Palestinians and their property to make them pay the price for affronting their way of life. They call themselves "Pricetaggers," and they've largely avoided prosecution by Israeli authorities. VICE News gets rare access to the young members of the Price Tag movement -- at the homecoming of Moriah Goldberg, 20, who just finished a 3-month sentence for throwing stones at Palestinians. She and her family remain proud of the act, even as the current conflict in Gaza was sparked after an all too familiar round of retributive violence. - The Worst Job In New York: Immigrant AmericaA130
The Worst Job In New York: Immigrant America Milking cows is a dirty, monotonous job, and as we found out in our latest episode of Immigrant America, it's not a job many unemployed Americans are willing to do. But for some reason the government doesn't give dairy farms a way to recruit foreign workers legally, so most feel forced to hire illegal immigrants. This makes the farms and their workers easy targets for immigration authorities looking to fill deportation quotas. We went to upstate New York to try to understand the cat and mouse game going on between dairy farms and immigration authorities. We found a lot of wasted taxpayer money, racial profiling, and a broken system that unnecessarily treats family farmers and hardworking immigrants like criminals. - The Struggle for Survival of the Roma People: Europe's Most HatedA131
The Struggle for Survival of the Roma People: Europe's Most Hated VICE News examines the so-called "Roma influx" by visiting a Roma community in northern England, then traveling to Romania to meet a group of Roma who have just been evicted from their homes and don't have the money to leave the country to seek out better lives. - Inside Gaza's Rubble: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 8)A132
Inside Gaza's Rubble: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 8) VICE News was in Gaza to see the aftermath of the bombing of Shejaiya. We visited the central morgue in Gaza City, which holds the bodies of many who were killed. We then went to see the immediate aftermath of the shelling of yet another house in the city, and later saw another shelling site where residents were still trying to uncover family members in the rubble. - The Lake That Burned Down A ForestA133
The Lake That Burned Down A ForestVICE News travels to the Dominican Republic, site of a looming environmental and economic crisis many experts believe is the result of climate change. Lake Enriquillo is the largest lake in the Caribbean — and for the past 10 years, it's been getting larger. Having already doubled in area, the lake is destroying everything in its path and displacing local residents who are being forced to take extreme measures to survive. - Young and Gay: Jamaica's Gully QueensA134
Young and Gay: Jamaica's Gully Queens In Jamaica, attacks, murder, and rape are common occurrences against LGBTI people, with little to no retribution or justice brought against those responsible. After being forced from shacks, derelict buildings, and their own families, many homeless LGBTI Jamaicans have found refuge in the storm drainage systems of Kingston — known locally as the gully. For trans girls and gay men unable or unwilling to hide their sexuality, the sense of community and relative safety the gully provides acts as a welcome sanctuary, and for many, a hope of change to come. VICE News travelled to the New Kingston area to see what LGBTI life is like in Jamaica — where just being who you are can mean living a life underground. - The Crude Gamble of Oil by Rail: Bomb TrainsA135
The Crude Gamble of Oil by Rail: Bomb Trains It’s estimated that 9 million barrels of crude oil are moving over the rail lines of North America at any given moment. Oil trains charging through Virginia, North Dakota, Alabama, and Canada’s Quebec, New Brunswick, and Alberta provinces have derailed and exploded, resulting in severe environmental damage and, in the case of Quebec, considerable human casualties. A continental oil boom and lack of pipeline infrastructure have forced unprecedented amounts of oil onto US and Canadian railroads. With 43 times more oil being hauled along US rail lines in 2013 than in 2005, communities across North America are bracing for another catastrophe. - The Gangs That Inherited Pablo Escobar's Drug Empire: Cooking with CocaineA136
The Gangs That Inherited Pablo Escobar's Drug Empire: Cooking with Cocaine In Colombia, the heirs to Pablo Escobar's drug empire are conducting business as usual — though with a somewhat lower profile. Today's Medellin drug cartels are highly structured and run much like multinational corporations. But violent gangs operating in the city's slums provide the muscle; known as combos, they’ve carved Medellin into fiefdoms, imposing invisible borders between gang territory — borders that, when ignored, often get people killed. VICE News traveled to Medellin to meet gang members — along with top cartel leaders and assassins — who revealed the inner workings of the city's modern-day cocaine industry. - Operation Protective Edge Displaces More Gazans: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 9)A137
Operation Protective Edge Displaces More Gazans: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 9) Israel’s military offensive, Operation Protective Edge, is now in its fourth week. More than 1,200 Palestinians and 50 Israelis have been killed, and the fighting shows little sign of letting up. The majority of those killed in Gaza have been civilians, with many strikes hitting schools, homes, and hospitals. About 40 percent of Gazans have been told by Israel to evacuate, but they have few if any options for where to evacuate to. In our ninth dispatch from Israel and Palestine, VICE News correspondent Danny Gold is in Gaza talking to Palestinians as they sift through the rubble of their homes, and visiting makeshift outdoor and indoor camps where displaced residents have fled. - Crimea: March of the TatarsA138
Crimea: March of the Tatars VICE News spent time with Tatars around the time of the commemoration of their exile, and found a community already under pressure from new Russian authorities. It’s unclear what their future will hold under Russian rule again, and many fear that history could repeat itself. - Mexican Oil and Drug Cartels: Cocaine & Crude with Suroosh AlviA139
Mexican Oil and Drug Cartels: Cocaine & Crude with Suroosh AlviVICE founder Suroosh Alvi travels to Mexico to see the effects of cartel oil theft firsthand. Mexico’s notoriously violent drug cartels are diversifying. Besides trafficking narcotics, extorting businesses, and brutally murdering their rivals, cartels are now at work exploiting their country’s precious number one export: oil. Every day as many as 10,000 barrels of crude oil are stolen from Mexico’s state-run oil company, Pemex, through precarious illegal taps, which are prone to deadly accidents. Pemex estimates that it loses $5 billion annually in stolen oil, some of which ends up being sold over the border in U.S. gas stations. As police fight the thieves and the cartels fight each other, the number of victims caught in the battle for the pipelines continues to climb. - Crimea: A Look Inside the New Russian TerritoryA140
Crimea: A Look Inside the New Russian Territory VICE News headed to Crimea to see how the change in rulers has gone down with the local population. Some residents welcomed Russia and the prospect of a greater economic future, while others feared losing their freedom to speak out, and did not like the idea of becoming pawns in Russia's military muscle flexing. - Back Alley Nurseries: Sex Workers of BogotáA141
Back Alley Nurseries: Sex Workers of Bogotá In a corner of Santa Fe, one of Bogotá’s seedier neighborhoods, a woman named Luz Marina runs a nursery for the children of prostitutes who work in the city’s red light district. She charges $5 to look after babies and young children while their mothers sell their bodies, often for between $15 and $30. When the mothers can’t pay, Luz Marina doesn’t make a fuss, looking after their children for free. Over the years, women have left babies with her and never returned. For all her work helping children, she receives no assistance from the local government — she does it because nobody else will. VICE News spent time with Luz Marina in Bogotá, documenting her nursery for Bogota's forgotten children. - Recovering the Dead Amid the Ceasefire: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 10)A142
Recovering the Dead Amid the Ceasefire: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 10) The residents of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, took advantage of the first day of the Egypt-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Tuesday, and began returning to their homes to find what was left after almost four weeks of war. - The New Gezi Park Protesters: Istanbul's Gentrification WarsA143
The New Gezi Park Protesters: Istanbul's Gentrification Wars VICE News travelled to Istanbul to meet the DKHP/C on its home turf, document its fierce clashes with the police on May Day, and understand what motivates these violent, self-proclaimed champions of the poor. - Hamas Defiant: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 11)A144
Hamas Defiant: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 11) VICE News correspondent Henry Langston traveled to the Rafah border gate with Egypt, where hundreds of Gazans and Egyptians alike attempted to flee. With only two bus loads making the trip each day, however, many left disappointed and were forced to return the following day. - Evicting the Unwanted: Berlin's Refugee CrisisA145
Evicting the Unwanted: Berlin's Refugee Crisis In late June, Berlin’s central Kreuzberg district became the scene of a tense standoff between a group of refugees squatting in an abandoned school and the district authorities. The refugees had moved into the school after authorities destroyed refugee camps just a few months earlier. As more and more squatters moved in, the governing Green party faced pressure to resolve a situation where hygiene was deteriorating and crime was becoming an issue. On June 24, authorities attempted to evict refugees from the school. With the refugees refusing to leave, the school and surrounding neighborhood block was besieged for eight days by riot police, protesters and press. VICE News was on the scene from day one and documented the events that would ultimately mark the climax of Germany's refugee protest. We gained access inside the school to document the situation and were also on the scene as negotiations between authorities and refugees were taking place to resolve the standoff. - Gazans Return To Shattered Homes: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 12)A146
Gazans Return To Shattered Homes: Rockets and Revenge (Dispatch 12) At 8AM on Friday August 8, the first 72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to hold expired. Almost immediately, Gaza militants fired rockets into Israel, with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) responding with missile strikes and artillery barrages. Over the next two days, militants in Gaza and the IDF traded fire that once again left civilians caught in the conflict and forced to pay the price for the breakdown of negotiations in Cairo. VICE News correspondent Henry Langston traveled to Nuseirat refugee camp, where a mosque had been hit by a missile strike, leaving three dead and another trapped in the rubble as locals were wondering why they had been targeted. - After the Flood: Mines and Mass Graves in BosniaA148
After the Flood: Mines and Mass Graves in Bosnia In May, massive floods in Bosnia unearthed previously undiscovered mass graves from the 1992-95 Balkan conflict. The waters also moved potentially thousands of landmines from known locations to... well, nobody knows for sure. VICE News traveled to northern Bosnia to tag along with the team in charge of de-mining the countryside, and met residents still reeling from the horrors of war. - Yazidi Refugees Escape Islamic State Fighters: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 6)A149
Yazidi Refugees Escape Islamic State Fighters: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 6) Members of Iraq’s Yazidis sect follow an ancient religion, which incorporates elements of Islam and indigenous beliefs. After the Islamic State overran parts of northern Iraq, tens of thousands of Yazidis were forced into the Sinjar mountain range, where Islamic State militants — who consider the Yazidi devil worshippers — surrounded them. VICE News travelled through the desert corridor to ascertain the true story of the Yazidis’ last minute escape from the Islamic State. - Shutoff: Detroit's Water WarA150
Shutoff: Detroit's Water War Earlier this year, Detroit's Water and Sewerage Department began turning off water utilities for overdue or delinquent accounts. Since April, the department has cut off the water for nearly 3,000 households per week — meaning roughly 100,000 Motor City residents are without water. Entrenched at the bottom of Detroit's current economic crisis, many of those without water are the city's poorest resident. The city’s shut-off campaign has garnered international press attention, and has been called “an affront to human rights” by representatives of the United Nations. VICE News traveled to Detroit to see first-hand how residents are dealing with the water shut-offs, speak with local government representatives about the issue, and discuss possible resolutions with activist groups. - State of Emergency: Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 1)A151
State of Emergency: Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 1) The August 9 shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri ignited protests that have become increasingly intense for over a week. Mostly minority protesters have clashed with authorities in escalating nightly demonstrations, which have led Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to declare a state of emergency and triggered the deployment of the National Guard to the St. Louis suburb. VICE News headed to Ferguson to capture the struggle between police and protesters in what has become a flashpoint for race in America. - St. Louis Police Shooting Fans the Flames: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 2)A152
St. Louis Police Shooting Fans the Flames: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 2) On August 19, Kajieme Powell, 25, was killed by police on the north side of St. Louis. Officers said that Powell was a robbery suspect and was brandishing a knife at the time he was shot. This latest police killing comes 10 days after the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown just four miles away in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown’s shooting by police officer Darren Wilson on August 9 launched a series of daily protests that have led Ferguson to become a flashpoint for racism and police brutality in America. VICE News headed from Ferguson to northern St. Louis to talk to witnesses about what happened during Powell’s shooting death, their reaction to the situation in Ferguson, and to a police officer about racism in the force. - Peshmerga Fighters Reclaim Ground from Islamic State: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 7)A153
Peshmerga Fighters Reclaim Ground from Islamic State: The Battle for Iraq (Dispatch 7) Until the US stepped in with airstrikes, the Islamic State’s rapid advances threatened the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Erbil, and seemed set to dash the Kurdish peshmerga’s reputation as fearless warriors. With American warplanes circling overhead and constantly striking Islamic State positions, the front line quickly stabilized, and the peshmerga slowly began to recover ground. Now the scene was set for battle, and the recapture of the strategic Mosul Dam. VICE News travelled with a Kurdish official to Khazer, near Mosul, and towards the front line of the fight between the Islamic State and peshmerga fighters. - Restoring Order: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 3)A154
Restoring Order: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 3) On August 20, the day before Missouri's governor recalled the National Guard from Ferguson, protesters demonstrated peacefully in the streets as the situation appeared to stabilize. VICE News interviewed Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, who has been working to ease tensions between police and demonstrators following the shooting of Michael Brown. He noted the efforts of clergy and local elders to help calm the unrest, and acknowledged that the greatest policing comes from within the community. We also spoke with David Schroeder, a former member of the National Guard who traveled to Ferguson from Indianapolis. He argued that the militarized response from local police had served only to aggravate and threaten residents, betraying a lack of training and tact — as well as a lack of accountability. - What's Actually Happening Inside Guantanamo: Blacked Out BayA155
What's Actually Happening Inside Guantanamo: Blacked Out Bay Almost 800 men have been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility since it was established in 2002. Today, fewer than 150 remain. Despite the fact that more than half of current detainees have been cleared for transfer from the base, and in spite of the executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 2009 ordering the closure of the prison within one year, there's no indication it will be shuttered anytime soon. VICE News traveled to Guantanamo to find out what the hell is going on. After a tightly controlled yet bizarre tour of the facility, we sought out a former detainee in Sarajevo and a former guard in Phoenix to get their unfiltered impressions of what life is like at Gitmo. - Local Children React to Protests: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 4)A156
Local Children React to Protests: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 4) The August 9 killing of Michael Brown — and the days of protests and police presence that followed it — transformed Ferguson, Missouri from a quiet, peaceful suburb into a flashpoint for the country’s racial tensions. It also turned the lives of local children upside down. Kids and families were a regular presence at Ferguson’s daily rallies — with some also getting caught in the middle of clashes with police. As protesters were met by SWAT teams in riot gear — with tear gas, stun grenades, and road blockades — Ferguson’s youngest were exposed to chaos and violence that, parents and community leaders say, will have a lasting impact on them. With local schools closed because of the protests, many children in Ferguson got an extra week off this summer — but it was a week filled with confusion and fear. VICE News spent an afternoon with a group of them, eating ice cream and talking about being a kid in the neighborhood during the events of the past two weeks. - Interview with a Woman Injured by the Police: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 5)A157
Interview with a Woman Injured by the Police: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 5) 25-year-old Samantha Broomfield was hit at close range when police fired tear gas on Monday night. VICE News happened to be nearby when it happened. We sat down with her a few days later in Ferguson to recap the night and talk about her community's frustration with the police's response to the protests. - Marching for Change: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 6)A158
Marching for Change: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 6) Rallies, marches, and protests continued in Ferguson and Saint Louis ahead of Michael Brown’s funeral today. VICE News spent the weekend speaking to people about what’s next for the city and the movement against police brutality and racism. On Saturday, NAACP members and supporters marched through Ferguson. On Sunday, the annual Saint Louis “Peace Fest” turned into a tribute to the slain teenager attended by community leaders, Brown’s family, and the parents of Trayvon Martin — who spoke with the crowd about ending all violence, not just that perpetrated by police. Residents and activists pledged to carry on their fight for justice beyond Brown’s burial, while the teen’s father asked the public for a day of “silence” — and no protests — today. - Rosario: Violence, Drugs and FootballA159
Rosario: Violence, Drugs and Football In Rosario, Argentina's third most populated city, slums known as villas miserias are beset with poverty and crime. As narcotics use has grown among the city's population, it has spawned a violent drug war that is little known outside of the country. Local drug dealers have managed to infiltrate the police, Rosario's economy, and its society, especially through the supporter groups, known as “barras bravas”, of the city's two football teams: Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys. And in the villas, the gangs have setup fortified kiosks, known as bunkers, where drugs are sold at plain daylight all over the city. - Exclusive: The Man Who Live-Tweeted Michael Brown's Death (Dispatch 7)A160
Exclusive: The Man Who Live-Tweeted Michael Brown's Death (Dispatch 7) On August 9, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. His death sparked two weeks of peaceful protests and some riots, as well as a massive mobilization of police and military in the St. Louis suburb. - Defending New Kurdish Borders with the PKK: The Battle For Iraq (Dispatch 8)A161
Defending New Kurdish Borders with the PKK: The Battle For Iraq (Dispatch 8) After conquering large swathes of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State is now tearing up the near century-old map of the region and drawing new boundaries. The ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq was captured by the Kurds in mid-June, in the first days of the Islamic State's advance. Outside the city, VICE NEWS interviewed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters from Turkey, Iran, and northern Iraq, who are defending the new frontier of Kurdish villages from fighters from the Islamic State-held Sunni Arab villages only a few hundred meters away. - Civil Disobedience in Pakistan: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 1)A162
Civil Disobedience in Pakistan: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 1) This month has seen the largest demonstrations against the Pakistani government in more than 20 years. Imran Khan, a professional cricket player turned politician, and popular cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri led followers in a "revolution march" from Lahore to Islamabad against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. VICE News was on the ground to witness some 200,000 people rally for democracy in Pakistan. - Paco: The Poor Man's Drug in Buenos AiresA163
Paco: The Poor Man's Drug in Buenos Aires In 2001, Argentina faced a devastating economic crisis that led to widespread unemployment and left more than 50 percent of the country living below the poverty line. Amid the devastation, a cheap and enormously addictive drug called paco — a variation of crack made from cocaine residue, baking soda, and sometimes even crushed glass and rat poison — started to take hold, especially among young people in urban barrios. Today, 13 years after the crisis, Argentina's economy is once again in trouble, and the widespread abuse of paco continues. VICE News traveled to Argentina and talked to paco manufactures and users, along with activists and government authorities, to find out why so little has been done to curb the problem, and whether a new wave of addicts is about to emerge. - The Future of Amphibious WarfareA164
The Future of Amphibious Warfare Amphibious warfare is treacherous; moving a military force from sea to land can turn mistakes into disasters. As the US military begins to focus its attention on the Asia-Pacific region, an area of increasing military tension and territorial disputes, the Marine Corps is being called upon to return to its roots in amphibious assault. VICE News visited RIMPAC, the world's largest maritime warfare exercise, to see how the Marine Corps is testing new technologies and tactics to face the new challenges of amphibious warfare and remain the world's preeminent amphibious force in the future. - Investigating a Mysterious Cholera Outbreak in Haiti: Correspondent ConfidentialA165
Investigating a Mysterious Cholera Outbreak in Haiti: Correspondent Confidential After the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010, reporter Sebastian Walker arrived in Port-au-Prince to cover the aftermath. He ended up staying for more than a year. In the midst of the chaos, a mystery disease began to spread rapidly across the country. In October, 10 months after the devastating quake, the outbreak was diagnosed as cholera. Walker and his team, hearing reports that a sewage spill might be the origin of the epidemic, went out to investigate. What follows is Walker's account of what he found. - Clashes at the Red Zone: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 2)A166
Clashes at the Red Zone: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 2) It's been three weeks since Imran Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri first called upon their supporters to march on Islamabad's high-security Red Zone, home to parliament and the offices of the Prime Minister. An estimated 50,000 people have continued to rally there, calling for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to stand down in what is now regarded as the longest-running protest in Pakistan's history. VICE News went to the Red Zone, where difficult conditions — a police blockade was creating a lack of water, food, and medical supplies — exacerbated clashes between police and protestors that resulted in five protesters being killed by live rounds, and hundreds of people injured on both sides. - Murder and Migration in Honduras: Immigrant AmericaA167
Murder and Migration in Honduras: Immigrant America Last summer, Americans were stunned by images of children and families from Central America turning themselves in at the US-Mexico border. More migrants are now coming from the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula and surrounding areas than anywhere else in Central America. The society there has yet to recover from a 2009 coup that crippled the economy and unleashed extreme levels of violence and inequality. In our latest episode of Immigrant America, VICE News traveled to San Pedro Sula — the most violent and second largest city in Honduras — to find out why so many families and young people are risking it all to migrate illegally to the US. - Yemen: A Failed StateA168
Yemen: A Failed State Since 2011, when Yemeni youths took to the streets and sparked the eventual demise of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime, the country has fallen to pieces. The new embattled government is now struggling to cope with a bevy of issues, including sectarian rivalries, CIA drone strikes, and one of al Qaeda's most sophisticated branches. It now risks presiding over the failure of one of the world's most fragile countries. In "Yemen: A Failed State," VICE News visits some of Yemen's most dangerous and hard-to-reach places and groups, including the national Army in the country's lawless East, the Houthis in Sana'a, and the Popular Committee in the South, to find out how both the government and the West's policy toward Yemen have gone wrong. - Far-Right Extremists Rally Against Immigrants: Britain's Border Wars (Dispatch 2)A169
Far-Right Extremists Rally Against Immigrants: Britain's Border Wars (Dispatch 2) In Calais, France, there are reportedly more than 1,000 migrants and refugees living in squats and makeshift camps around the city. The vast majority of them are trying to make their way to Britain. Their existence in Calais has become so desperate that approximately 80 migrants recently stormed the major port there, attempting to stowaway on a ferry to Britain. The following weekend, with an underlying anger toward the migrants, many locals attended a protest organized by a far-right group called Sauvons Calais. VICE News was at the demonstration, which featured neo-Nazi affiliated speakers, talk of extermination, and even a Nazi salute. We also went to a new migrant camp set up in an old recycling yard, where many people flocked to after police destroyed other camps in July. While the site has become a main source of anger for the far-right, its residents are hoping for a brighter future. - The Fake Abortion Clinics Of America: MisconceptionA170
The Fake Abortion Clinics Of America: Misconception Women across America who are seeking abortions are accidentally booking appointments at Crisis Pregnancy Centers — pro-life, government-funded religious centers that don't provide abortions, but instead try to talk women out of terminating their pregnancies. VICE News investigated the misleading practices used by Crisis Pregnancy Centers to draw in women with unplanned pregnancies, and the misinformation that is spread to discourage them from pursuing abortions. - Protests Intensify as Sit-In Continues: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 3)A171
Protests Intensify as Sit-In Continues: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 3) With the ‘Revolution March’ inspired sit-in being held outside Pakistan’s government offices stretching into its fifth week, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has threatened to remove what has now become an established protest camp. VICE News went to the camp, where protesters and their families have created medical, education, and hospitality facilities, all amid reports of nightly raids by police that have reportedly resulted in hundreds of arrests. Alleged heavy-handed tactics being employed by police when dealing with injured protesters has fueled further outrage, while opposition party leader Imran Kahn claims the number of protester deaths is being deliberately concealed. Refusing to back away from demands for the prime minister’s resignation, Kahn has called for a decisive protest set for September 19. - Tartan Armies: Scotland DecidesA172
Tartan Armies: Scotland Decides As Scotland decided whether or not it would sever its 307-year-old union with England, VICE News was in Glasgow, the country’s biggest city. We went to see the celebrations of the vocal Yes voters, as well as the heartbreak that struck when the overall vote left the country without its independence. Glasgow is home to some of the country's most impoverished and deprived areas — suburbs like Easterhouse, where a male's life expectancy is only 53 years old. We spent time among the urban decay, to hear the views of Scotland at its most desperate, during a time when politics both polarized and celebrated Scottish pride. - The Worst Fish in America: Asian CarpocalypseA173
The Worst Fish in America: Asian Carpocalypse VICE News traveled across Illinois to see how people are dealing with the Asian carp invasion, visiting the Redneck Fishing Tournament — where the sole mission is to catch as many carp as possible — touring a processing plant trying to monetize the fish, and then heading to Chicago, where we learned that Asian carp are a symptom of a much larger issue. - Protesters March Against Climate Change: Flood Wall StreetA174
Protesters March Against Climate Change: Flood Wall Street Following the massive People's Climate March in New York on September 22, VICE News spent a day with protesters at the Flood Wall Street direct action demonstration in lower Manhattan, where hundreds gathered to disrupt business as usual and highlight the financial sector's role in climate change. The event was also an occasion for activists with the Occupy Wall Street movement to regroup and return to the streets, three years after those protests started. On Monday, many Flood Wall Street protesters planned to block traffic and continue the disruption until being forcibly removed by police. The demonstration resulted in over 100 arrests. - Ghosts of AleppoA175
Ghosts of AleppoAleppo is Syria's largest metropolitan area and a millennia-old commercial capital. Today, however, it is a relative ghost town, threatened by regime bombing from the air and a militant offensive on the ground. For two weeks over the summer, VICE News embedded with the Islamic Front, a coalition of Islamist rebels fighting the forces of President Bashar al-Assad on one hand, and Islamic State militants on the other. From their secret tunnels beneath the ancient city to their threatened frontline outposts in Aleppo's ruined medieval centre, VICE NEWS followed the Islamic Front as, against overwhelming odds, they battled to retain control of the capital of the Syrian revolution. - Militant French Eco-Activists Protest Deforestation: Fight for the ForestA176
Militant French Eco-Activists Protest Deforestation: Fight for the Forest Deep in the tranquil Forest of Sivens in the south of France, eco-militant activists and French riot police are fighting a violent battle in woodlands being cut down to make way for a dam, which will spell the end for 41 acres of trees. The activists are armed with Molotov cocktails and gas canisters; the police are trying to protect workers as they clear the forest. The local council says that the dam will irrigate cornfields in the area, but the activists — and many locals — are against the destruction. VICE News followed the fight for the forest alongside the group of activists that have previously been hostile to any media approaches. - The Donetsk People's RepublicA177
The Donetsk People's Republic As an uneasy ceasefire continues to hold in Eastern Ukraine, VICE News returns to Donetsk with an exclusive film that follows some of the characters involved in setting up the self-proclaimed state of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). In early April 2014, pro-Russia rebels seized the regional administration building and other key institutions in Donetsk, expelling Ukrainian officials and raising their own flag. The rebellion here — and other incidents elsewhere — quickly escalated into a bloody civil war that has left over 2,000 people dead and displaced more than a million. Filmed over six weeks, this documentary follows the chaotic birth of the DPR as it tries to forge a path to independence and closer ties to Russia. - The Fight Against EbolaA178
The Fight Against Ebola The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa began in Guinea in December 2013. From there, it quickly spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Cases also appeared in Senegal and Nigeria, and there was another outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today, Liberia is at the center of the epidemic, with more than 3,000 cases of infection. About half of them have been fatal. As President Barack Obama announced that he would be sending American military personnel to West Africa to help combat the epidemic, VICE News traveled to Monrovia to spend time with those on the front lines of the outbreak. - Fortress ItaliaA179
Fortress ItaliaMilan is often the last stop for migrants trying to get out of Italy and into other parts of Europe. Milan’s central station, with its daily trains bound for the other side of the border, is a key strategic gateway out of the country. European Union immigration law prevents asylum seekers from being able to simply buy a ticket and hop on a train. The Dublin Regulation stipulates that migrants have to stay in the country where they first claimed asylum. As a result, Italy is filling up with migrants who came by boat and don't want to stay there, as the country is notoriously bad at integrating immigrants into society. - Kurds Left Helpless as Kobane Falls to Islamic State: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 1)A180
Kurds Left Helpless as Kobane Falls to Islamic State: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 1) Turkey has closed its border with Syria as Islamic State militants battle Kurdish forces in the Syrian border town of Kobane. Turkish checkpoints and tanks ensure that no one enters or exits the town, while nearby some of the 180,000 refugees who previously fled into Turkey watch helplessly as the fighting unfolds in front of them. VICE News travelled to the Turkish side of the border as US airstrikes hit Islamic State positions in Kobane. As we watched alongside Kurds from both Syria and Turkey, they talked about Turkey's lack of support for the Kurds fighting in Kobane and provided updates on the battle. - From Sex Worker to Seamstress: The High Cost of Cheap ClothesA181
From Sex Worker to Seamstress: The High Cost of Cheap Clothes Cambodia's aggressive anti-trafficking campaign is designed to rescue and rehabilitate sex workers. But many women say authorities in Cambodia are actually forcing them into a trade where conditions and pay are even worse: making clothing for Western brands. VICE founder Suroosh Alvi traveled to Phnom Penh to speak with former and current sex workers, officials, and labor organizers to investigate what is happening to those swept up in the country’s trafficking crackdown. - How China Humiliated a US President: Talking HeadsA182
How China Humiliated a US President: Talking Heads VICE News and the New York Review of Books have partnered to create Talking Heads, a series about the big issues of the day as seen by the Review's distinguished contributors. In the first episode, Orville Schell discusses his essay "China Strikes Back." He recently joined Jimmy Carter on a visit to China, where the former president received a less-than-warm welcome by the country's leaders. Carter re-established diplomatic relations between the United States and China, but how close are the two countries 35 years later? Schell explains how the snubbing reflects a dramatic shift in US-China relations. VICE News sat down with Schell to discuss the significance of the diplomatic slight against Carter, and how the US might benefit from a better understanding of the "Chinese Dream." - Life Inside Kurdish Refugee Camps: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 2)A183
Life Inside Kurdish Refugee Camps: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 2) When Islamic State jihadists launched a major offensive on the majority Kurdish town of Kobane in September, more than 180,000 people fled across the border into Turkey. Local authorities struggled to cope with the influx at first, and thousands of refugees were forced to sleep on the streets of the Turkish border town of Suruc. Now camps are being set up to provide shelter and other assistance. With the borders closed and thousands unable to leave Kobane, VICE News visited one of six refugee camps in the town to find out how refugee families — some sharing tents with up to 14 other people — are coping with leaving their homes and livelihoods behind. - Riots, Unrest, and the Umbrella Movement: Hong Kong RisingA184
Riots, Unrest, and the Umbrella Movement: Hong Kong Rising In 1997, the longtime British colony of Hong Kong was handed over to China with the understanding that it would retain relative autonomy under the concept of "one country, two systems." But last month, as part of the so-called Umbrella Revolution, Hong Kongers began vocally demanding Beijing stay out of their political affairs and grant the democracy they say they were promised with the handover. VICE News traveled to Hong Kong and embedded with the students leading the pro-democracy movement. As protestors marched through and occupied city parks and streets, police fired tear gas and became physically violent. Hong Kong, long a reliably stable world financial center, was being rocked by unrest. - Uncertain Future for Kobane Prisoners: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 3)A185
Uncertain Future for Kobane Prisoners: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 3) In mid-September, Islamic State militants launched an offensive to seize Kobane, a predominantly Kurdish town in Syria just across the border from Turkey. In the following weeks, Turkey closed its border, leaving thousands of civilians stuck inside the active war zone, trying to get past the tightly controlled crossings. VICE News visited Suruc to find out the status of the prisoners and when they would be released, only to learn they are being held indefinitely. We spoke via video chat with a prisoner who described the conditions in the facility, and visited his family to discuss their unknown destiny. - Debate Over Abortion Ban Rages On In IrelandA186
Debate Over Abortion Ban Rages On In Ireland Ireland is the only country in Europe where abortions are illegal — unless the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s life. A recent case involving a migrant who was pregnant as a result of rape and forced to have a C-section tested the limits of Ireland’s laws, and has angered the country’s pro-choice reformists, who are calling for the repeal of the country’s 8th Amendment. VICE News travelled to Dublin, where thousands of people marched through the city center, calling for real and realistic abortion access in Ireland. - Jailed for a Tweet: Interview with Nabeel RajabA187
Jailed for a Tweet: Interview with Nabeel Rajab Nabeel Rajab is a human rights activist awaiting trial in Bahrain, one of the West’s favorite dictatorships. Three years after the Arab Spring, protests there are still being violently repressed, and Rajab now faces up to three years in jail — for a tweet. VICE News spoke to him a few weeks before his latest arrest. - Young and Gay in Belgrade: Serbia's March to EqualityA188
Young and Gay in Belgrade: Serbia's March to Equality The Serbian capital of Belgrade recently held its first gay pride parade in four years. The previous march in 2010 was marred by bloody clashes between anti-pride rioters and police, leaving 150 people injured. Serbian nationalist groups amassed hundreds of their members ahead of the gay pride parade to protest LGBT rights and attempt to prevent the march. Fearing a repeat of the violence in 2010, several thousand anti-riot police and armored vehicles mobilized on the streets of the city in anticipation of this year's procession. VICE News was in Belgrade to monitor the anti-LGBT protests and meet members of Serbia's gay community who were determined to defy the intimidation and march through the streets, regardless of the risks. - Trapped Inside the War Zone: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 4)A189
Trapped Inside the War Zone: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 4) In mid-September, Islamic State militants launched an offensive to seize Kobane, a predominantly Kurdish town in Syria just across the border from Turkey. In the following weeks, Turkey closed its border, leaving thousands of civilians stuck inside the war zone and preventing Kurds in Turkey from coming to the aid of their comrades. Violent protests subsequently broke out all over Turkey as Kurds accused authorities there of supporting the Islamic State. More than 30 people have now been killed in clashes between Kurdish supporters, Turkish authorities, and Islamists. In the town of Diyarbakir, banks and public buildings have been set ablaze and destroyed. VICE News went to Diyarbakir to meet with the youth wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and discuss their involvement in the clashes. We then spoke to both the family of a young man who claim he was killed by Islamists, and to an Islamist leader. - The Ultra Orthodox vs. The IDF: Israel's Other Religious WarA190
The Ultra Orthodox vs. The IDF: Israel's Other Religious War Since Israel's inception, the Haredi — ultra-Orthodox adherents of Judaism —have been exempt from the country's military conscription laws. But their growing population, coupled with their high unemployment rate and dependence on state benefits, sparked outrage within the country's secular majority. After years of demanding that the Haredi share the responsibility of serving in the armed forces, the Israeli government passed an unprecedented law in March 2014 that requires Haredi men to serve in the military. The decision resulted in major opposition from the Ultra Orthodox community, from violent protests to religious leaders demanding that no one should comply. VICE News travels to Israel to speak with hardline members and leaders of the Ultra Orthodox community as well as soldiers in the Netzah Yehuda, the IDF's Ultra Orthodox Battalion, to get their take on the government's decision. - Night Operation with a People Smuggler: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 5)A191
Night Operation with a People Smuggler: Turkey's Border War (Dispatch 5) When Islamic State militants attacked the Syrian border town of Kobane, 180,000 civilians fled in fear to neighboring Turkey. Weeks later, the Turkish state tightened the control of its borders, limiting entry and exit. Thousands are now left in risky positions between the conflict in Kobane and the closed border. VICE News met with a smuggler who risks his life while he was on a night operation to get families away from Kobane and into Turkey, while trying to avoid Turkish authorities. - Black Dart is the U.S.' Answer to DronesA192
Black Dart is the U.S.' Answer to Drones Earlier this year, VICE News was one of the first media outlets ever granted access to the US military's annual Black Dart exercise, a decade-old joint exercise that focuses on detecting, countering, and defeating UAVs. As we watched tens of millions of dollars worth of military equipment go up against $1,000 drones, Black Dart demonstrated the way rapidly evolving drone technology is challenging the military's most basic assumptions about controlling the air. (One civilian drone maker we visited told us that the technology he has at his fingertips is outpacing some R&D efforts at big aerospace contractors.) And so Black Dart continues to encourage innovation in the effort to keep the US military one step ahead in the cat-and-mouse game between drones and drone killers. - Government Crackdown on Marijuana in the Netherlands: Amsterdam's War on WeedA193
Government Crackdown on Marijuana in the Netherlands: Amsterdam's War on Weed The Netherlands — and in particular its capital, Amsterdam — has long been thought to have some of the world's most liberal marijuana policies. But today, the country's government is clamping down on the weed industry. Police are raiding growers far more often, authorities are requiring "weed passes" to discourage marijuana tourism, and unprecedented numbers of so-called “coffeeshops” — where the sale of small amounts of marijuana is tolerated — are being forced to shut down. VICE News visited Amsterdam to see what effects the new restrictions are having. After speaking to coffeeshop owners — one of whom has to close his shop because he's technically too close to a school — we went to a weed festival and visited the home and greenhouse of Doede de Jong, one of the country's few outspoken growers. - From Grief Over Kobane To Chaos: Istanbul's Kurdish RiotsA194
From Grief Over Kobane To Chaos: Istanbul's Kurdish Riots As the battle between Kurds and Islamic State militants rages on in the Syrian border town of Kobane, Kurds in neighboring Turkey are becoming increasingly angry at the Turkish government's failure to intervene. And so protestors have taken to the streets in cities such as Ankara and Istanbul to show their support for both the Kurds fighting in Kobane and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a resistance group in Turkey classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and several other Western nations. VICE News traveled to Istanbul, where a memorial march for two fighters who died in Kobane devolved into a night of chaos. Amid clouds of police teargas, we spoke to members of a PKK youth wing as they threw Molotov cocktails and shouted support for Kurds in Turkey and Kobane. - The Coal Vote: Showdown in West Virginia's Midterm ElectionsA195
The Coal Vote: Showdown in West Virginia's Midterm Elections VICE News traveled to West Virginia's third district to cover the race between the two candidates as they fight to prove who will be coal's greatest champion, and spoke with locals about coal's outsized importance in the region. - Jailed Al Jazeera Journalist Abdullah Elshamy Speaks Out: The VICE News InterviewA196
Jailed Al Jazeera Journalist Abdullah Elshamy Speaks Out: The VICE News Interview On August 14, 2013, Al Jazeera journalist Abdullah Elshamy was arrested in Egypt. Though he was never charged, he was accused of helping the Muslim Brotherhood by writing stories that were "harmful to national security." While awaiting trial, Elshamy was transported through four jails in the country — including a maximum security facility — and put in solitary confinement. After going on a hunger strike in January that lasted 147 days, he was released on medical grounds on June 18, 2014 — 307 days after his initial arrest. VICE News Editor-in-Chief Jason Mojica interviewed Abdullah Elshamy about his experience in Egyptian prison, and his thoughts on the future of press freedom. - Anti-Fascists Rise Against Golden Dawn in GreeceA197
Anti-Fascists Rise Against Golden Dawn in Greece In September 2013, Greek authorities took the unprecedented action of arresting a number of members of the far-right political organization Golden Dawn — including its leader, Nikos Michaloliakos. In the wake of the economic crisis, Golden Dawn has risen to become Greece’s third major political party, despite regular reports linking the organization to hate crimes. The trigger for these arrests was the murder of Pavlos Fyssas a.k.a. Killah P, a rapper whose songs often carried anti-fascist sentiments. His death sparked an investigation into Golden Dawn, leading to members being charged with crimes including murder, running a criminal organization, weapons offenses, and reported assaults on immigrants. In the days surrounding the first anniversary of Fyssa's death, VICE News traveled to Greece to attend a protest in the rapper's memory and see how the events of the past year have affected Greece’s anti-fascist movement. - Afghanistan: What We're Leaving BehindA198
Afghanistan: What We're Leaving BehindAs foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan, violence is increasing. Fighting between the Afghan security forces and the Taliban is chaotic and often indiscriminate, and civilian casualties are rising, as Afghans pay the price for the West's failures. VICE News correspondent Ben Anderson visited an NGO-operated hospital in Lashkar Gah — one of only two in the Helmand province — to speak with the medical staff as they attempt to manage the ever-growing influx of patients. - The Islamic State and Hezbollah Fight For LebanonA199
The Islamic State and Hezbollah Fight For Lebanon As the Islamic State massacred its way throughout Iraq and Syria this summer, a separate battle took place in neighboring Lebanon. This summer, the Islamic State invaded the Lebanese border town of Arsal, beheading captured soldiers and unleashing waves of lethal car bombs, destabilizing the country. Hezbollah, one of the world's strongest guerrilla armies, has also become involved — either defending Lebanon, or making things worse, depending on who you ask. VICE News traveled to Lebanon to explore the battle being waged by one of the world's fiercest militant groups against one of the Middle East’s smallest and most fragile nations. - The Revolt That Never Went Away — Bahrain: An Inconvenient UprisingA200
The Revolt That Never Went Away — Bahrain: An Inconvenient Uprising Like many countries in the Middle East and beyond, Bahrain erupted with anti-authoritarian protests in 2011 when the Arab Spring took the region and many of its repressive leaders by surprise. While Arab Spring uprisings found favor with many in the West, unfortunately for the people of Bahrain, their own revolution was largely forgotten. But it never went away — for three years, near-nightly protests have been brutally quashed by militarized security forces. Earlier this year, VICE News correspondent Ben Anderson travelled to London to speak with Nabeel Rajab, the unofficial leader of Bahrain’s uprising, and then headed undercover to Bahrain, where he met activists, protestors, grieving parents, and alleged torture victims. - The Recovery That Wasn't: Two Years Since Hurricane SandyA201
The Recovery That Wasn't: Two Years Since Hurricane Sandy Two years on, tens of thousands of New Yorkers are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, some with homes that remain completely demolished. Many of these residents continue to wait on funding for construction from NYC Build it Back, the program launched by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to allocate the nearly $2 billion in received federal aid. Until recently, the program had exhibited unmanageable bureaucratic problems — as of January this year, there had been no construction under the program. VICE News spoke with those still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and investigated what’s being done to bolster New York’s coastal communities and protect the population from future storms. - Life After Qaddafi — Libya: A Broken StateA202
Life After Qaddafi — Libya: A Broken State Three years after the Libyan revolution and the subsequent downfall of its dictator Muammar Qaddafi, the country has descended further into chaos and insecurity. Rebel militias, radical Islamists and former Qaddafi commander Khalifa Haftar are among the different groups vying for power and oil wealth, creating a vacuum in which violence and militancy reign supreme. VICE News filmmaker Medyan Dairieh was in Libya in 2011 to witness the revolution. This year, he returned to follow members of the 17th February battalion, a rebel group fighting against Haftar’s forces. Dairieh witnessed first-hand how life after the Libyan revolution has devolved into lawlessness and Islamic State-linked extremism. - The Aftermath of the Attack in Santiago: The Bombs Dividing ChileA203
The Aftermath of the Attack in Santiago: The Bombs Dividing Chile Around 200 bombs have been either found or detonated in Chile over the past decade. Many of these bombs have been located in the capital city of Santiago, and have generally avoided harming innocent civilians. This changed on September 8, 2014. A bomb was detonated inside a crowded subway station, leaving 14 civilians injured. Some blamed anarchist groups, while others suspected ultra-right terrorists. In response to the threat, Chile’s government has increasingly invoked its controversial anti-terror laws, which were originally enacted during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. VICE News traveled to Chile to speak with lawyers, politicians, and civilians about the current climate following the September 8 attack, and to ask whether the government will be able to guarantee and protect the rights of its citizens as it seeks to solve the mystery of the bombings in Chile. - Militant Somalia: The Fight Against al ShabaabA204
Militant Somalia: The Fight Against al Shabaab Al Shabaab has been a threat to Somalia for almost a decade. In 2013, the group claimed responsibility for the Westgate Mall attacks in Nairobi, Kenya, where 67 people were killed. This signaled a shift in the scope of al Shabaab's tactics, which until this point had been focused within Somalia, where the group was in control of much of the country. Over the past few years, with help from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), many cities that were once al Shabaab strongholds were taken back by Somali forces. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to Somalia in the wake of AMISOM taking back the coastal city of Barawe — where Ikrima, the man believed to be behind the Westgate attacks, resided — to investigate how al Shabaab evolved from a localized threat to a regional one. - A Crime Unpunished: Bangladeshi Gang RapeA205
A Crime Unpunished: Bangladeshi Gang Rape A recent UN report revealed that one in eight men in rural Bangladesh admit to having committed rape. Although it is a crime punishable by death, there are no accurate government figures for rape in Bangladesh, largely due to social stigma and a failure by local authorities to investigate alleged crimes. VICE News correspondent Tania Rashid traveled to Sylhet and met with both perpetrators and victims of rape as well as local police to find out what is driving Bangladeshi men to rape and abuse women, and what steps the authorities are taking to put an end to it. - Residents Anxiously Await Grand Jury: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 8)A206
Residents Anxiously Await Grand Jury: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 8) In Dispatch 8, VICE News returns to Ferguson, Missouri, where the community is on edge as it awaits a grand jury decision over whether to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the August 9 shooting death of Michael Brown. VICE News meets a group of young men who live in the apartment complex where Brown was killed, visits a local gun store that has seen a sharp uptick in sales, and speaks with residents who are arming themselves in preparation for the grand jury decision. - Preparing for the Worst: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 9)A207
Preparing for the Worst: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 9) In Dispatch 9, VICE News is in Clayton, Missouri, where the grand jury has reportedly reached a decision as to whether Officer Darren Wilson should be indicted. As businesses in the area board up their stores in anticipation of the decision being announced, wine store owner Al Prince fears his store will be a major target, and is preparing for the worst. - A Fugitive and his Family: Escape to the Islamic StateA208
A Fugitive and his Family: Escape to the Islamic State VICE News spent time with Abu Rumaysah before he fled to find out more about his activities in imposing Sharia law in the UK and his views on foreign policy. We also interviewed radical preacher Anjem Choudary, who was arrested on the same charge, and spoke with him about Rumaysah’s exit from the UK. - A City Reacts: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 10)A209
A City Reacts: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 10) On November 24, St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch announced the grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown. VICE News correspondent Danny Gold was on the ground in Ferguson to cover the community's reaction to the announcement. - The Missing 43: Mexico's Disappeared StudentsA210
The Missing 43: Mexico's Disappeared StudentsVICE News travels to Guerrero, ground-zero for the protest movement that has erupted since the disappearance of the students. We meet with survivors of the Iguala police attack and parents of the missing students, accompany volunteer search parties, and watch as protests against the government and president reach boiling point. - Mining the Largest Shale Gas Reserve in the Northern Hemisphere: What the Frack?A211
Mining the Largest Shale Gas Reserve in the Northern Hemisphere: What the Frack? VICE News travels to Blackpool, Lancashire, to see the fractivists in action. The seaside resort town is at the center of a David and Goliath battle between local residents and the energy company Cuadrilla over fracking in the region, which is believed to have one of the largest shale gas reserves in the Northern Hemisphere. - How the US Created the Islamic State: Talking HeadsA212
How the US Created the Islamic State: Talking Heads In this episode of Talking Heads, Mark Danner discusses his essay "Iraq: The New War." Danner wrote this essay in mid-2003, outlining how American policy during the Iraq war effectively helped incite in many ways what was then an emerging insurgency. The occupation of Iraq post-9/11 created a broad front to which militant jihadists began to flock. The mishandling of the Iraqi army sent thousands of highly-trained, angry men into the streets with no jobs. And photos of Iraqis being tortured by American personnel at the Abu Ghraib prison provided telegenic images that helped these groups recruit from an increasingly indignant public. - Combatting America's Opioid Crisis: Heroin's AntidoteA213
Combatting America's Opioid Crisis: Heroin's Antidote VICE News went to Massachusetts to see how effective Narcan has been in stopping fatal overdoses, and uncovered the reasons why other states may have been slow to adopt similar life-saving programs. - The Night After the Decision: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 11)A214
The Night After the Decision: State of Emergency - Ferguson, Missouri (Dispatch 11) In Dispatch 11, Vice News roamed the streets of Ferguson the day after widespread arson and looting occurred in response to the announcement, as the evening begins with a stand-off between protesters and police outside the Ferguson Police Department — now heavily guarded by National Guard troops. - Greece's Young AnarchistsA215
Greece's Young AnarchistsVICE News attended this year’s demonstration, in which protesters were met with an unprecedented level of police brutality. Greek riot police used tear gas, flash bangs, and batons against protesters till the early hours, in what appeared to be a complete crackdown on any form of civil disobedience. - Bahrain: More BloodshedA216
Bahrain: More Bloodshed Earlier this year, VICE News correspondent Ben Anderson traveled to Bahrain undercover to document the ongoing protests there. Bahrainis — inspired by the Arab Spring — have been taking to the streets every night for almost four years, calling for democracy. One of the people Ben interviewed was Yousif Badah. His son, Ali Badah, was killed while protesting three years ago, when a police SUV repeatedly ran into him, pinning him against a wall. On the third anniversary of his son's death, Yousif and others held a vigil for Ali. That vigil turned into a march, and was similarly met with police violence, this time resulting in injury to Yousif himself. - A Body is Identified: Mexico's Disappeared Students (Dispatch 1)A217
A Body is Identified: Mexico's Disappeared Students (Dispatch 1) On December 7, Mexico's Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam confirmed that human remains found in a river in Cocula, Guerrero, were those of Alexander Mora, one of the missing 43 Ayotzinapa students. In our first dispatch about the case that has electrified Mexico, VICE News spoke with parents of the missing students, who are reluctant to accept the identification of one set of remains as evidence of a massacre of the other 42 students, as they continue to demand answers. - The Architect of the CIA's Enhanced Interrogation Program, James MitchellA218
The Architect of the CIA's Enhanced Interrogation Program, James Mitchell The Senate Intelligence Committee has released a blistering, 500-page report on the CIA’s controversial detention and interrogation program, a document that committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein said represents the most significant oversight effort in the history of the US Senate. The $40 million, five-year study concluded that CIA officials exaggerated the value of the intelligence they gleaned from dozens of “high-value detainees” held at black site prisons, where they were subjected to so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as sleep deprivation and waterboarding. Mitchell has a signed a non-disclosure agreement with the CIA and was unable to discuss his alleged role in the agency's enhanced interrogation program, but VICE News met up with him in suburban Florida to discuss the Senate's report and one of the darkest chapters of the war on terror. This is the first time Mitchell has ever appeared on camera. - An Uncertain Future for Myanmar's RefugeesA219
An Uncertain Future for Myanmar's Refugees In July, the Royal Thai Army announced plans to deport refugees back to Myanmar — formerly known as Burma — where, after 66 years of civil war, government forces and ethnic rebel groups are still fighting. Today, around 130,000 refugees from the conflict live in Thailand, in 10 encampments along the border with Myanmar. The camps have been safe havens for generations of Burmese too afraid to return to their war-torn homeland. Many evacuees come from poverty-stricken areas, littered with land mines. In some cases, the areas have been staging grounds for armed resistance, and human rights activists say that mass repatriation could bring insecurity to the border region. - Shutting Down Pakistan: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 4)A220
Shutting Down Pakistan: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 4) After more than 100 days of ongoing protests in Pakistan, Imran Khan, the leader of the country's opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), has called on his supporters to "shut down" every major city. Khan promises to have the country on lockdown by December 18 in an effort to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office unless his government allows an independent commission to audit the 2013 election results, which Khan insists are fraudulent. VICE News was at a recent PTI protest in Faisalabad, a major industrial center, as tensions escalated and clashes broke out between Khan's followers and pro-government supporters. - Anti-Islamist Riots in Germany: Hooligans Against SalafistsA221
Anti-Islamist Riots in Germany: Hooligans Against Salafists Demonstrations held by the far-right group Hooligans against Salafists — also known as HoGeSa — have recently gained momentum in Germany, as they organize marches in cities across the country. While the group claims to be protesting against Islamist extremism, the movement is widely accused of harnessing Islamophobia as a means of spreading racism. VICE News followed the Hooligans against Salafists movement from its first full-blown demonstration-turned-riot in Cologne, which was attended by 4,800 people. We also met with Islamic campaigner Sven Lau, who recently rose to infamy by starting a “Sharia Police,” and has consequently been used as a prominent example of the “Islamic invasion” of Germany by the HoGeSa movement. - Dismemberment and Displacement in BuenaventuraA222
Dismemberment and Displacement in BuenaventuraThe coastal city of Buenaventura is Colombia's most violent city. There, two rival gangs — La Empresa and Los Urabeños, both successors of paramilitary groups — fight for control, with the city's 400,000 residents caught in the middle. According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch, more than 50,000 of Buenaventura's residents have been forced to flee their homes since 2011 out of fear of extortion, death threats, or forced gang recruitment. Adding to the pervasive fear are accounts of mutilated body parts found washed up along nearby shores — discards from the grimly-named "chopping houses," where victims are dismembered alive. VICE News traveled to Buenaventura to meet with security forces, government officials, crime reporters, gang members, and victims, to try to understand why this city on Colombia's Pacific coast has became so violent, and what's being done about it. - The Shut Down Continues: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 5)A224
The Shut Down Continues: The March on Islamabad (Dispatch 5) As the Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar continues to rock Pakistan, VICE News filmed the final days of opposition leader Imran Khan's continuing struggle against the government. As the leader of the country's opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), Khan had called for a series of demonstrations and city-wide shut downs to protest against the legitimacy of the 2013 election of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Having previously rallied in the industrial city of Faisalabad on December 8, his next target was Karachi, leading up to a proposed nationwide shutdown that was called for on December 18 and which, due to recent events, has been abandoned. - Islamist Militants on Israel's Doorstep: The War Next DoorA225
Islamist Militants on Israel's Doorstep: The War Next DoorIn August, al Nusra Front jihadists took control of Syria’s side of the border crossing with Israel and kidnapped over 40 United Nations peacekeepers — who have since been released. But al Nusra Front, an al Qaeda-affiliate, isn’t Israel’s only threat from Syria. President Bashar al-Assad’s military, in a possible effort to bait Israel into its civil war to shore up Arab sympathies, has been lobbing mortars across the border. Just a few weeks ago, the Israeli military shot down a Syrian plane flying over the Golan Heights — the first time it has done so since the 1980s. VICE News travels to Israel’s “quiet border” in the Golan Heights, where members of al Nusra Front are now a visible threat.