The Hellish ‘Game’ That Migrants Are Risking Their Lives to Play
VICE World News meets people stuck in freezing conditions on the Bosnia and Herzegovina-Croatia border, where they say police are kicking them around ‘like a football.’
Global Conflicts
White South African Mercenaries Are Indiscriminately Killing People in Mozambique
An Amnesty International report released today alleges civilian killings by these mercenaries as part of the growing war in Mozambique.
“They Started Burning the Homes”: Ethiopians Say Their Towns Are Being Razed in Ethnic Cleansing Campaign
Survivor testimony and satellite imagery in Ethiopia’s Tigray region provide evidence of wide-ranging destruction by Eritrean soldiers.
Iraq Is Getting Ready for the Pope With ‘Happy Vibes’
Blast walls in Baghdad are getting a fresh lick of paint as Iraqis prepare to welcome Pope Francis for his first overseas trip of the COVID-era.
Extremism
Germany Is Going To Spy on Its Largest Far-Right Party
The AfD, the largest opposition party in Germany, has been designated a right-wing extremist entity, allowing the country’s domestic security service to place it under surveillance.
Stash of Illegal Weapons Found on Suspected Far-Right German Soldier
The German military is fighting a hidden battle against secret extremist soldiers.
Spain Has Removed the Last Public Statue of Dictator Franco
Strangely enough, everyone can still remember who the brutal dictator was.
Politics
For Biden, Venezuela’s Socialist Strongman is Still An Outcast
The U.S President just promised to maintain the status quo on the regime of President Nicolás Maduro.
Argentina and Bolivia Are Done With the 'Looting' IMF
Bolivia has returned “irregular” credit to the institution, and Argentina has launched a criminal investigation into a massive 2018 loan.
Trump Isn’t Magically President Again, But QAnon Is OK With That
The prediction that Trump would take office again on March 4 didn’t come true. “True believers” supposedly knew it was false anyway.
Climate
Banning the Sale of Wild Meat Might Actually Make Pandemics More Likely
Conservationists have advocated a ban to prevent future pandemics and protect biodiversity. A new study suggests it might do the exact opposite.
How a Botched Tribal Election Could Ruin the Colombian Jungle
The Arhuaco tribe fears that a new leader, wrongly elected, could be an enabler for mining projects on its lands.
Trump’s Border Wall Is Threatening Endangered Species
The region has long been a critical migration route for species like ocelots and black bears, as well as a focus of binational efforts to restore endangered jaguars, Mexican wolves, and bison.
Privacy
More Muslim Apps Worked with X-Mode, Which Sold Data to Military Contractors
Five more apps, including Qibla Compass, which has over 5 million downloads, had a relationship with X-Mode according to technical tests.
Leaked Location Data Shows Another Muslim Prayer App Tracking Users
Salaat First has more than ten million downloads and sold location data to Predicio, which is linked to a U.S. contractor which works with ICE.
Meet Flipper, the Tamagotchi You Feed by Hacking Stuff
A group of hackers created the handheld device and its adorable dolphin resident to make hacking more accessible to the masses.
Drugs
The Very Messy Story of a Celebrity Nightclub Gone Wrong
A dispute between the owners of The Scotch of St. James has exposed the shady world behind London’s A-list nightspots.
Study Reveals More People are Using Psychedelics to Self-Treat Mental Health
The numbers indicate a growing movement of people unwilling to wait for LSD and psilocybin to be legalised.
Women and Men Self-Medicate With Psychedelics for Different Reasons
And other findings from the Global Drug Survey's latest study.
Coronavirus
Some Canadian Pastors Are Waging a Holy War Against COVID-19 Lockdowns
An Albertan pastor has been in police custody for over two weeks because he won't accept bail conditions that would require him to preach to a limited crowd, and churches are leaping to his defence.
Britain's Anti-Migrant Rules Are Risking People's Lives
People without British citizenship have been hit the hardest by job losses during the pandemic, and they often do not have any option of state support.
Criminals Are Profiting From a Major Oxygen Shortage in Mexico City
Many desperate for tanks to keep loved ones suffering from COVID-19 at home alive are turning to the black market to buy oxygen, where it is overpriced and risky to buy.
Hong Kong
China Wants to Rewrite Hong Kong’s Election Rules to Eliminate Dissent
China is taking aim at the last vestiges of Hong Kong’s democracy.
Why This Is Not the End of Hong Kong, According to Jailed Activists
Facing lengthy prison time, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists struck a defiant tone.
The Signs and Symbols of Asia’s New Democracy Movement
As Southeast Asian countries sink further into authoritarianism, young people are fighting back with coded language.
Black Lives Matter
Brazil’s Biggest Metro Could Get Facial Recognition Cameras That Reinforce Racist Policing
Facial recognition cameras commit minimal errors in recognizing the faces of white men, but they misidentified black women up to nearly 35 percent of the time, according to a recent study.
What It’s Like Being Black, Japanese, and Constantly Stopped By Police For No Reason
A filmed police encounter ignited a conversation about racism in Japan. And then nothing happened.
Belize's Female Police Officers Finally Win Their Right to Rock Dreadlocks
The ruling could have important implications for other racial discrimination cases over hairstyles in Afro-Caribbean nations across the region.