Whisky, war crimes, and the law: Howard Morrison on justice and power

Had the pleasure of hearing Judge Howard Morrison speak at the University of Greenwich. He’s sharp, direct, and very funny. A man who has stepped between armed factions, drafted laws with a stroke of the pen (literally), and taught Radovan Karadžić how to cross-examine witnesses. He describes himself as a “fully qualified grumpy old man.” Hard to argue.

Just one more turn: When Boris Yeltsin played Civilization

In 1995, a Russian tabloid ran a story about the video game habits of politicians. The findings were predictable—many professed a fondness for Tetris, one member of parliament was rumoured to play arcades, and most claimed they were far too busy for such frivolities. But the real prize came at the end: an unnamed Kremlin source mentioned that, in his rare spare moments, President Yeltsin liked to play Civilization.