The mutual defence pact started with 12 nations and now has 32 members. But does bigger mean safer? Military officers attend a ceremony in Albania for the inauguration of an international tactical air base, NATO’s first in the Western Balkan region, 4 March 2024. (AP...
A fleet of Russian warships in Havana in June revived memories of the 1962 face off between Kennedy and Kruschev that had the world holding its breath. People watch the Russian Navy Admiral Gorshkov frigate arrive at the port of Havana, Cuba, 12 June 2024. A fleet of...
The rule of law applies when enemies commit crimes. For national allies, the same crime isn’t necessarily a crime. Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu against a backdrop of a court. (Illustration by News Decoder) Is there a rule of law for the United States...
It’s been 34 years since the Soviet Union controlled Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. But the Ukraine conflict has people thinking: Are we ready for war? Two photos show Jelgava, Latvia. On the left is Jelgava before World War Two (Credit: The Archive of Jelgava...
In Russia, international press credentials don’t keep journalists out of prison. But how to stop Vladimir Putin from using arrests to spur prisoner swaps? Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, left, stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the First...
Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revived dormant fears of a catastrophic nuclear war. Russian RS-24 Yars ballistic missile rolls in Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, 9 May...
Millions in Russia mourn the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny but few do so openly. In Russia, grieving is an act of political defiance. A man holds a poster reading “Freedom for Seva Korolev and all political prisoners” as he comes to pay tribute...
For decades nations of the world abided by some basic international rules. What happens when this international order breaks down? Someone erases three rules for the world on a chalkboard. (Photo illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced exclusively for...
Vladimir Putin has held power in Russia since before the turn of the millennium. Political opponents haven’t had a chance against him. Is that still true? Yekaterina Duntsova, second right, submits her documents as a presidential candidate for the upcoming...
There is an evolving global consensus that some acts of violence in warfare are not acceptable. But how in the world can we enforce that? Headquarters of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. This article was produced exclusively for News...
Headlines about today’s international conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine paint atrocious pictures of war crimes and violent attacks. Are these actions sanctioned in the eyes of international humanitarian law? Correspondent and political science professor Daniel Warner of the Graduate Institute in Geneva gives an overview.
Exercise: Using this summary document from the Red Cross, print out 30-40 articles from the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. Cut each article out separately. Then, prepare a large board/poster for sorting and pasting the articles, divided into four sections: civilians, prisoners of war, wounded/sick, critical infrastructure. Have students read through each article and sort them within the four categories. As they learn more about the Conventions, you may consider bringing in current headlines to evaluate whether or not today’s conflicts have abided by these international humanitarian laws. Note: Consider creating 4-5 sets of article texts and sorting posters if you have a large class, or create a digital version via Google Slides.