VICE News
Season 2013
Current affairs channel, producing daily documentary essays and video through its website and YouTube channel.
Where to Watch VICE News • Season 2013
28 Episodes
- Sudan's Forgotten WarriorsE2
Sudan's Forgotten Warriors In the summer of 2012, VICE correspondent Aris Roussinos travelled to Sudan's Blue Nile region where he spent a month making friends, playing checkers, and getting bombed with the guys from SPLA-N (Sudan People's Liberation Movement)—a group of rebels that fight to keep President Omar al-Bashir from turning Sudan into an Arab Islamist state. - Mali – France Vs. JihadE3
Mali – France Vs. Jihad Back in February, the only way to reach the city of Gao in northern Mali was to hitch a ride with the French convoys that rolled through the desert every few days. Along the way, a VICE production crew made friends with some French soldiers and chatted with them about what they thought about this grueling campaign as well as the greatest threat they face: homemade bombs, a.k.a. IEDs. - Resistance in the West BankE5
Resistance in the West Bank We traveled to the largest refugee camp in the West Bank to meet some of the Palestinian youth, and to find out if the Palestinian Authority's commitment to non-violent struggle against the occupying Israelis was a national consensus. While there, we experienced the extremes of violent and non-violent protests, from hunger strikers to jihadists. - The 2011 Tottenham RiotsE6
The 2011 Tottenham Riots On August 6th 2011, people gathered in Tottenham, London, to protest the police shooting of a local man, Mark Duggan. The protest devolved into a city-wide spate of riots, looting and arson. This is the story of the first terrifying hours and how one small protest turned into a national crisis. - Bomb Blast BajaurE7
Bomb Blast BajaurOn April 20, a female suicide bomber attacked a hospital in Khar, one of the largest towns in Pakistan's Bajaur region. Four people were killed. When we visited Bajaur six months earlier, the army had recently eradicated the Taliban and were eager to show us that life in the region was back to normal. They even gave us a tour of the very same hospital that was bombed a few days ago. - Canada's War on WeedE8
Canada's War on Weed With a reported value of over six billion dollars, it's no secret that marijuana in British Columbia is big business. However, due to the recent legalization of weed in Washington and Colorado, the draconian crime laws pushed forward by the Canadian Conservative government's omnibus crime bill, and recent changes to medical marijuana regulations, the entire industry is suddenly facing an identity crisis. VICE Canada went west to talk to the people directly affected by these recent events: from the legalization activists and the large and small scale growers, to the illegal traffickers and law enforcement, we talked to the people on the front lines of the battle for control over one of Canada's most undervalued resource. - This Is What Winning Looks LikeE9
This Is What Winning Looks Like"This Is What Winning Looks Like" is a disturbing new documentary about the ineptitude, drug abuse, sexual misconduct, and corruption of the Afghan security forces as well as the reduced role of US Marines due to the troop withdrawal. In part one, we see just how chaotic and hopeless the situation is in Sangin, one of the most violent towns in Afghanistan. - Sisa: Cocaine of the PoorE10
Sisa: Cocaine of the PoorGreece's infamous new drug, sisa, is basically meth and filler ingredients like battery acid, engine oil, shampoo, and cooking salt. The majority of its users are poor, often homeless, city dwellers reeling from the psychological and physical impacts of a country in the grip of economic collapse. - The KKK vs. the Crips vs. Memphis City CouncilE11
The KKK vs. the Crips vs. Memphis City CouncilIn Memphis's Forrest Park, there's a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the most infamous and powerful racists in American history. Lately it's been at the center of the city's often shaky race relations. In part 1, we meet the KKK members who plan to rally in support of Nathan Bedford Forrest and the local gang members who have a different idea in mind. - Turkey's Civil Revolt: Istanbul RisingE12
Turkey's Civil Revolt: Istanbul Rising On Friday, May 31, Turkish riot police fired tear gas and pepper spray into a peaceful protest held to save Gezi Park, one of the last green areas in central Istanbul. This set off the biggest civil uprising in the history of the Turkish Republic, calling for Prime Minister Erdogan's resignation. The unrest has spread like wildfire to more than 60 cities where protests are still ongoing. We landed in Istanbul the day it all kicked off. - Ground Zero: Turkey - The Protesters of Gezi ParkE13
Ground Zero: Turkey - The Protesters of Gezi Park Journalist Tim Pool recently joined the VICE editorial staff to cover breaking news, and his first assignment was to fly down to Istanbul and do a live stream of the protests against the construction of a mall in Gezi Park and Prime Minister Erdogan's Islamist policies. Tim also produced this documentary about the uprising, which includes interviews with protesters on the ground as well info about the failure of the Turkish media to properly give a shit about the situation. - Colombia's Hidden KillersE14
Colombia's Hidden KillersThe Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, was founded five decades ago as a Marxist people's army fighting against capitalist imperialism and Colombia's often-brutal government. And they've been fighting a protracted bloody war ever since. In recent years, FARC has devolved into a guerrilla force that threatens the very people it originally sought to protect. Why? Because in order to secure their dwindling territory and lucrative coca fields, FARC has buried thousands of land mines in civilian areas. Since 1990, there have been over 10,000 land mine victims in Colombia, the second-most in the world behind Afghanistan. - Egypt After MorsE15
Egypt After MorsOn June 30, exactly one year after Egyptians voted for Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi to become their first-ever democratically elected president, millions of protesters filled central Cairo and town squares across Egypt demanding his dismissal. The Defense Minister, General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, promptly issued Morsi with a 48-hour deadline to heed the protesters' demands or face military intervention. Was this another Egyptian revolution, a military coup or—as some feared—the beginning of a civil war? With the clock to the army's deadline ticking down and the whole country poised to see what would happen next, VICE went to Cairo to find out. - Israel's Killer RobotsE16
Israel's Killer Robots Israel is the world's biggest exporter of military drones, used around the world for everything from surveillance to precision rocket attacks on speeding cars in remote locales. Israel's drone program hasn't stirred as much controversy as its American counterpart, but not because their targeted killings are any less fatal. VICE sent Simon Ostrovsky to a drone testing airfield in Israel to find out what their latest eye-in-the-sky can see. - Julian Assange Talks Chelsea Manning and the Media in Rare InterviewE17
Julian Assange Talks Chelsea Manning and the Media in Rare Interview In the buildup to Julian Assange's run for the Australian senate, VICE was invited to the Ecuadorian embassy in London for a rare in-person interview. Our visit coincided with the conviction of Chelsea (then Bradley) Manning, the young US Army private whose alleged espionage put WikiLeaks on the map. Assange spoke to us about political payback, his plans for freeing the most famous whistle-blower in history, and why the world needs a WikiLeaks political party. - Burned Alive in BulgariaE18
Burned Alive in Bulgaria "It's not every day that you meet someone who has set himself on fire. One reason for this is because it's pretty much the most awful and insane thing imaginable. Another reason is that people who light themselves ablaze usually die soon afterward. Surprisingly, it's not always the burns that kill them. Often, flames will enter a self-immolator's lungs through his mouth, causing him to asphyxiate..." - Egypt After Morsi with Gigi IbrahimE19
Egypt After Morsi with Gigi Ibrahim On June 30, Egypt erupted in civil protests in opposition to President Mohammed Morsi and his aggressive consolidation of power. The military threw its weight behind the grass-roots movement, ultimately forcing Morsi out of office on July 3 and arresting some of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist organization that backed him. The fighting that started between the military and Muslim Brotherhood rapidly turned into divisive clashes between Egyptian citizens. The battles in the streets have left so many dead and wounded that families are having trouble claiming and burrying their loved ones. To get an understanding of what is happening in Cairo, VICE linked up with activist Gigi Ibrahim for a grand tour of the chaos. - Public Transportation Riots in São PauloE20
Public Transportation Riots in São PauloBack in October 2012, we covered a protest staged by the Free Pass Movement (abbreviated as MPL in Portuguese) for the National Free Fare Fight Day in São Paulo, Brazil. Earlier this year, we aired a documentary about the first round of demonstrations, where the MPL warned it was going to bring São Paulo to a halt. Demonstrations this past June started up again after the bus fare went up R$ 0.20 (eight cents) in the city. For a protest called by the MPL on June 6, 2013, thousands of people joined in. Things got out of control after the police reacted to demonstrators who blocked the 23 de Maio Avenue, a major highway in the city. Not really understanding what had happened, a lot of people called the whole movement a group of punks; "vandals" and "troublemakers" were the most common adjectives used to describe the MPL. Trying to use the publicity to become stronger and pressure even more the state and city administrations, the MPL promptly called for a another demonstration. - Ghost Rapes of BoliviaE21
Ghost Rapes of BoliviaFor a while, the residents of Manitoba Colony thought demons were raping the town's women. There was no other explanation. No way of explaining how a woman could wake up with blood and semen stains smeared across her sheets and no memory of the previous night. No way of explaining how another went to sleep clothed, only to wake up naked and covered by dirty fingerprints all over her body. No way to understand how another could dream of a man forcing himself onto her in a field—and then wake up the next morning with grass in her hair. - British Nationals Fight with al Qaeda in SyriaE22
British Nationals Fight with al Qaeda in Syria VICE NEWS exclusive footage and interviews with British nationals fighting with al Qaeda in Syria. The film also shines a light on the communication difficulties that arise when radicalised extremists from Britain, France, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo and Turkey, among other countries, get together to fight on the front line. - Crisis in the Central African Republic: Dispatch ThreeE25
Crisis in the Central African Republic: Dispatch ThreeWe ran across dirt roads, pausing every so often to seek shelter behind mud-brick walls and giant tree trunks as the sounds of heavy machine guns echoed all around. We couldn't tell where the bullets were coming from, or whether the main roads were safe. Behind us in the creeping dark, two critically injured men lay bleeding in the back of our pickup truck. We'd had to abandon it, and them, as the firing drew closer. - Terminal InsecurityE26
Terminal Insecurity The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is supposed to prevent passengers from slipping anything that could be used as a weapon past its multiple layers of security personnel, scanning devices, and explosive-detecting swabs. Trouble is, there are a slew of items that you can purchase just past the security checkpoint that can be turned into a makeshift arsenal. Evan Booth, a computer programmer and self-styled security researcher has crafted a wide range of explosive, incendiary, and projectile-launching devices made from seemingly innocuous items. VICE's Tim Pool traveled to North Carolina to meet with Evan and get a demonstration of how the massive and costly infrastructure of the TSA may be little more than a security blanket. - Crisis in the Central African Republic: Dispatch FourE27
Crisis in the Central African Republic: Dispatch FourOn Christmas Eve, Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga gave a sermon in the Central African Republic's capital city of Bangui. He discussed the need for reconciliation and forgiveness, but the country's leaders are incapable of stopping—or unwilling to stop—the violence, even as the country spirals deeper into the abyss due to an endless series of revenge killings between Christians and Muslims. Two nights later, I took refuge in what had probably been a Bangui flophouse in better times. Gunfire cracked in the distance, bullets zipped by, and explosions shook the windows as I sat there in the darkness. At the time, no one seemed to know who was fighting, most people were in hiding, and everyone was scared. A French military helicopter circled overhead while I frantically gathered my belongings in case I needed to move in the middle of the night. - Bolivia's Child LaborersE28
Bolivia's Child Laborers In 1936, George Orwell visited a coal mine in Grimethorpe, England. "The place is like... my own mental picture of hell," he wrote of the experience. "Most of the things one imagines in hell are there—heat, noise, confusion, darkness, foul air, and, above all, unbearably cramped space." Orwell was a lanky guy, 6'3" or 6'2", and I am too, so I was reminded of his comparison recently while crawling through a tunnel as dank and dark as a medieval sewer, nearly a mile underground in one of the oldest active mines in Latin America, the Cerro Rico in Potosí, Bolivia. The chutes were so narrow that I couldn't have turned around—or turned back—even if I'd wanted to.