Global Security

people in a line

Dominican Republic closes border with Haiti over water rights dispute

​​​​​​​Tensions have escalated between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The neighboring countries are now in a serious dispute over water rights. The Dominican government sealed the border and stopped issuing visas to all Haitian citizens until the dispute is resolved. 

Dominican Republic closes border with Haiti over water rights dispute
people in line with signs

Victims of Guatemalan military seek justice for war crimes 

Victims of Guatemalan military seek justice for war crimes 
Left to right: Streets are flooded in Kherson, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 7, 2023 after the walls of the Kakhovka dam collapsed; Screen shot form video; Vehicles on fire at an oil depot after missiles struck the facility in an area controlled by Russian-bac

VIDEO: The environmental impact of the war in Ukraine

VIDEO: The environmental impact of the war in Ukraine
sign

Delhi is rolling out the welcome mat as leaders arrive for the G20 summit in India

Delhi is rolling out the welcome mat as leaders arrive for the G20 summit in India
man performing

‘We don’t have this past anymore’: Ukrainian artist revives Kyiv’s prewar soundscape

‘We don’t have this past anymore’: Ukrainian artist revives Kyiv’s prewar soundscape
man holding weapon

In Haiti, pastor leads followers into gunfire

At least seven people are dead after a protest led by a pastor marched through a gang-controlled suburb of the capital. 

In Haiti, pastor leads followers into gunfire
event gathering

In Kyrgyzstan, a fight to keep alive the memory of a century-old rebellion against Russia

​​​​​In 1916, Russian announced a draft to enlist Native peoples in modern-day Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to support Russia in World War I. The Russians killed thousands of people who resisted, and some 100,000 more people died trying to flee to China. More than a century later the episode is still difficult to talk about because of efforts by Russia to erase it from the history books. 

In Kyrgyzstan, a fight to keep alive the memory of a century-old rebellion against Russia
gathering of schoolchildren

New Russian high school history textbook blames West for war in Ukraine

This coming school year, high school students in Russia will receive new history textbooks. They offer a rewritten rendition of Russian history that reflects the Kremlin’s narrative about the war in Ukraine. The textbooks are part of a wider effort by the state to tighten control over the flow of information.

New Russian high school history textbook blames West for war in Ukraine
grain facility in Ukraine

US Amb to UN: ‘We’re hopeful’ the Black Sea Grain Initiative can be revived

Since Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July, its troops have been attacking Ukraine’s ports, destroying 220,000 metric tons of grain in the past week alone. But US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the grain deal could be brought back to life.  

US Amb to UN: ‘We’re hopeful’ the Black Sea Grain Initiative can be revived
woman by basement

Flooding from Ukraine’s ‘Hero River’ may be a silver lining of war

​​​​​​​ In order to prevent Russian troops from advancing toward Kyiv, Ukrainian forces destroyed a dam on the Irpin River early on in the war. The flooding, as it turned out, created new wetland areas. Some conservationists hope to see the wetlands stay. Even residents whose cellars remain flooded are glad the water came and the Russian troops did not. 

Flooding from Ukraine’s ‘Hero River’ may be a silver lining of war
protest

Colombia starts ceasefire with nation's oldest rebel group 

A six-month ceasefire between the Colombian government and the rebel group known as the National Liberation Army began this month. Support for the truce, and ongoing peace talks, could depend on whether the group ceases attacks on civilians that include kidnappings and extortion. 

Colombia starts ceasefire with nation's oldest rebel group 
farmer

Farmland off-limits in Ukraine due to mines

Ukraine is now considered the most heavily mined country in the world. Nearly 1,000 civilians have been killed or injured by landmines and unexploded ordnances since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. And about a third of the country needs to be cleared of these explosives. Much of that land is farmland.

Farmland off-limits in Ukraine due to mines
damage to street

A coalition of Ukrainians is documenting environmental crimes 

The Ukrainian government is doing an unusually thorough job of documenting environmental damages being caused by Russian attacks. Their primary goal, according to the Ministry of the Environment, is to eventually win compensation for these damages.

A coalition of Ukrainians is documenting environmental crimes 
woman

The Liberian women who took on their traffickers and won

Liberia has been on and off the State Department's human trafficking watch list for years. In this desperately poor country, people accept jobs from agents to work as domestic servants in other countries. Usually, they are trapped, earning little money and subject to abuse. But several hundred Liberian women used social media to escape their traffickers in 2022.

The Liberian women who took on their traffickers and won
man in front of sign

Gang shootings in Sweden are on the rise. But local communities and former gang members are fighting back.

Sweden’s gun homicide rate is 2 1/2 times higher than the European average and 75% to 80% of deadly shootings remain unsolved. But local communities and former gang members are working together to find answers and fight back.

Gang shootings in Sweden are on the rise. But local communities and former gang members are fighting back.