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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Person of Interest 2016 Longlist
A delightfully caustic rundown of (in)famous people that have had a big impact this year – it manages to avoid some of the obvious choices and links to further reading on each entrant.
Where oil rigs go to die
A piece tracing the final journeys of oil rigs destined for ship breaking yards.
The Wetsuitman
Two bodies – one found in Norway, the other in the Netherlands, and both wearing Tribord wetsuits. The police were unable to identify them. This article, from Norwegian tabloid Dagbladet, tells their story. The translation is ever so slightly clunky in places, but this is a truly gripping and eye-opening view of how a global crisis affects people on an individual level.
Ruffled Feathers
The story of the conservation efforts dedicated to preserving the majestic whooping crane, and the unlawful killing of two of their flock.