When Rio Tinto Met China’s Iron Hand
The story of how the mining giant got badly burnt when they came up against the Chinese government.
The New Passport-Poor
Is a passport a tool of individual freedom or state restriction and regulation? This piece looks to answer that question and examines the history of identity documentation.
Gangster’s paradise: how organised crime took over Russia
A piece examining the criminal organisations operating in Russia and how they have evolved during Vladimir Putin’s time in office.
How to Fix Facebook – Before It Fixes Us
This piece has been doing the rounds in technology circles because of the unique profile of its author – a Facebook investor and mentor to Mark Zuckerberg. Having observed Facebook’s impact on US Elections and the UK EU Referendum, he issues a clarion call for reform.
The Last of the Iron Lungs
A profile of three of the last polio sufferers in the US using an iron lung. The piece examines what life is like spent in one of these contraptions, used in a medical context for nearly 100 years.
Art by algorithm
An article looking at the impact of computational advances on art and aesthetics, and the potential for a future of bland, algorithmically-driven perfection. The piece also considers a more appealing path for art, exemplified by changes in chess since Gary Kasparov was defeated by the Deep Blue supercomputer, where human and computer now unite to elevate and evolve the game into something altogether different.
Steve Bannon, Unrepentant
The piece that may have precipitated Steve Bannon’s dismissal from Donald Trump’s White House – a Scaramucci-style candid call to a journalist – on the record.
How An Entire Nation Became Russia’s Test Lab for Cyberwar
A piece examining the extent of Russian cyber warfare in the Ukraine.
Women aren’t meant to talk about miscarriage. But I’ve never been able to keep a secret The Guardian
A fine piece of writing about the author’s experience of miscarriage.
The Meaning of Allahu Akbar
A phrase many have heard, but perhaps fewer understand. The author writes about what it means to her in this lyrical piece.