Here was a plague
A sobering, finely wrought and hugely powerful narrative of the Aids epidemic in the 1980s.
A Warning From Europe: The Worst Is Yet to Come
A story about political polarisation in Poland and the warning signs for liberal democracy everywhere. The author of the piece, Ann Applebaum, is in a unique position to write the story, with Polish and American nationality, a celebrated career writing about the former Soviet Union, and a husband who was formerly Poland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Plot to Subvert an Election: Unraveling the Russia Story So Far
This piece goes back to the beginning and unpacks in meticulous detail and with great clarity, Russia’s interference with the 2016 US Election.
A giant crawling brain: the jaw-dropping world of termites
It turns out termites are absolutely fascinating creatures, and this article explains why.
Queen of Crime
A look at the life and work of Agatha Christie, a woman who can lay good claim to being the most widely read novelist in history.
The Real Heroes Are Dead
Seventeen years after 9/11, this fine piece of writing has lost none of its heartrending impact. The terrible context of the piece ties a knot in the reader’s stomach as they make their way through a love story, then war stories, to the narrative’s inevitable conclusion.
A Spy Story: Sergei Skripal Was a Little Fish. He Had a Big Enemy.
This story goes back in time to Sergei Skripal’s life in the Russian intelligence service, long before he was poisoned in Salisbury. It skilfully intersperses his story with that of the wider geopolitical climate, from the fall of the USSR to today.
An obscure Chinese firm has taken over London’s black cabs. Its next target? Beat Uber at its own game
A look behind the scenes at a formerly little known Chinese car manufacturer, now owner of Volvo, with a stake in Daimler, and full ownership of the company making London’s very own black cabs.
It happened there: how democracy died in Hungary
A detailed look at how Viktor Orbn and his Fidesz party quietly knocked out the foundations of democracy in Hungary and launched a new era of self-proclaimed “illiberal democracy”. http://bit.ly/vox-orban
How Will Police Solve Murders on Mars?
As a deep dive into the policing of Mars colonies, this piece is by definition somewhat speculative, but it is no less interesting for it.