North Korean government officials are, at least outwardly, very proud of their country’s accomplishments and seem to take a particular delight in one-upping the decadent, capitalist pigs in the outside world in any way possible. North Korea just can’t seem to let go of any opportunity to demonstrate that they are stronger, smarter, bigger, better … Continue reading
That Christmas chocolate you’re gorging on didn’t come from Oompa-Loompas operating magical machines inside Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory… Instead, companies like Nestle and Cadbury produce their chocolate from cocoa beans sourced from plantations in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia or the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is an appropriate place to visit a … Continue reading
Given that Salah Abdeslam, the final fugitive from the recent attacks in Paris, is hiding out somewhere in Brussels and undisclosed, but “precise” intelligence suggests extremely imminent Paris-style terrorist attacks, Brussels is presently locked down… Shops are closed. Soldiers and paramilitary police are patrolling the streets. Public transportation is shut down. People are being told … Continue reading
I’ve been profiling some of the cities and towns of Yemen for you, dear readers… However, you know that I also strive to show, as much as possible, what a place is really like aside from just the highlights. And it should not be shocking to hear that there is a lot more to Yemen … Continue reading
This interview took place on the outskirts of Grozny, Chechnya and the man that I interview below is named Shamil… I’m not going to print Shamil’s last name because I do not want to cause headaches for him by making it too easy to identify and locate him. Shamil fought in and was badly injured in … Continue reading
On October 25, 1995, two men in their late twenties – code-named Gil and Ran – left Tel Aviv on separate flights; Ran flew to Athens and Gil to Rome. At each airport they collected new British passports handed over by local sayan (assistants to the Israeli intelligence services) and then continued on to Malta … Continue reading
Karosta Prison, Latvia Photo by Eleonora Giuliani Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 