Murder in Hampstead: did a secret trial put the wrong man in jail?
A look at the contentious circumstances surrounding a murder case that went to a secret trial and put a long-time MI6 informant in jail.
Aliens in our midst
Whilst we look for alien life on other planets, this piece examines ctenophores – creatures closer to home that are “profoundly different from any other animal on Earth” – so much so in fact that they may be on an entirely different evolutionary path to their planetary cohabitants.
Angela Merkel: The Chancellor Next Door
A profile that makes rather a lot from a seemingly brief conversation with the German Chancellor, weaving in insights and anecdotes from interviews with others that know her and played a part in her ascent
The Bounty Hunter of Wall Street
A profile of a man who makes a lots of money identifying and exposing financial chicanery.
Oscar-Zero: Notes from a Nuclear Tourist
A detailed tour of a Minuteman III Launch Control Center and the missileers tasked with ‘turning the key’ in the event of nuclear war.
Libor scandal: the bankers who fixed the world’s most important number
A look deep inside the Libor scandal that reads like a Hollywood clich of corporate malfeasance.
Fractured Lands: How the Arab World Came Apart
This extraordinary piece, spanning the Iraq War right up to the present day, takes up an entire issue of New York Times magazine and is the result of 18 months of reporting.
Federalist 10
James Madison, 4th President of the United States, wrote this essay on how to mitigate the “mischiefs of faction” in government in 1787. He noted the need to find balance – “In the first place, it is to be remarked that, however small the republic may be, the representatives must be raised to a certain number, in order to guard against the cabals of a few; and that, however large it may be, they must be limited to a certain number, in order to guard against the confusion of a multitude.” http://www.bit.ly/yale-madison
How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions
This story of how an inside man perpetrated a huge fraud on McDonald’s multi-million dollar Monopoly sweepstake is made for cinema. It in fact appears likely to make it to the big screen, as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are reported to have started work on a film version.