The Pilot Who Stole a Secret Soviet Fighter Jet
The story of the Soviet fighter pilot who defected in 1976 in a new supersonic fighter jet that no one outside the Soviet military had ever before set eyes upon.
Second Life was Just the Beginning
Second Life was perhaps the first virtual world to enter mainstream discourse. Its founder thinks new virtual reality technologies are its successor, and destined for mass adoption. http://www.bit.ly/wired-secondlife
Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom To Be Murdered
The dark and unsettling story of a case of suspected Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome that had tragic consequences.
Brexit: How a Fringe Idea Took Hold Of the Tory Party
Matthew d’Ancona looks at the behind the scenes dynamics that have led to the referendum on leaving the EU.
The Trafficker
One from the New Yorker archives (2010), this is the story of one of the world’s leading arms dealers. Monzer al-Kassar was a man who lived up to many stereotypes of his profession – speaking many languages, piloting his own private jet, and running a fleet of Mercedes to get about town.
The art of stealing
The story of the surprisingly lo-fi robbery of Rotterdam’s Kunsthal, resulting in the theft of millions of dollars worth of art, including works by Monet, Gauguin, Picasso, and Matisse.
How to spot a perfect fake: the world’s top art forgery detective
As the prices commanded by landmark works and artists rise ever higher, so too does the sophistication of forgeries being produced to dupe collectors and institutions. A tip: it’s apparently far easier to copy a Modigliani than a Leonardo – at a recent exhibition of his work, 20 out of the 21 works on display were found to be counterfeits. This piece profiles the man said to be the very best in the field of science-led authentication.
A Saudi Prince’s Quest to Remake the Middle East
A detailed and deftly drawn profile of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The story deals with his rapid rise to power, his manoeuvrings in regional politics, and his apparently extensive backroom diplomacy with the Trump administration and the United Arab Emirates.
Who Gets A Happily Ever After In 2018?
A look at how the romance fiction genreÕs politics are evolving in the era of #MeToo and Trump.
What Happens When the Government Uses Facebook as a Weapon?
This piece profiles Maria Ressa, a Filipina journalist taking on President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime by examining its sophisticated use of social media to crack down on dissent. This work has apparently caused the regime’s bots and supporters to turn their attention to her. Her own detailed primer outlining the techniques she asserts are used by the regime is well worth a read too.