The New Zealand Herald is bringing back some of the best stories of 2020 from our premium syndicators, including The New York Times, Financial Times and The Times of London.
Today we look at sexual harassment within the wine industry, the monkeys taking over the gaps left by tourists, the race to make a Covid-19 vaccine, the culture of bullying and harassment within Victoria's Secret and how penguins could help us understand climate change.
The wine world's most elite circlehas a sexual harassment problem
Master sommelier is the most prestigious title in American wine, and those who earn it instantly join the ranks of the highest-paid and most influential members of the profession.
Only 155 people have achieved the honour since the 1997 founding of the Americas chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers, the examining body that confers the title on those who survive its gruelling, years long qualification process. Of those, 131 are men.
Many young women join the court's programme of mentorship and education in the hope of avoiding the sexist hazing that is notorious in the wine industry.
Working their way through introductory, certified, advanced and master sommelier levels, candidates pay for all classes, tastings and testing. Photo / Annie Mulligan, The New York Times
These monkeys were once revered. Now they are taking over
Lopburi, Thailand, a onetime capital of a Siamese kingdom and a repository of ancient architecture, is a city under siege. Crab-eating macaques, a Southeast Asian species with piercing eyes and curious natures, have spilled out of the temples where they were once revered and taken over the heart of the old town.
The monkeys were once a draw for tourists and pilgrims who would feed them. But with few recent visitors, the monkeys are getting hungry — and aggressive.
There are least 8,400 monkeys in the area with the most concentrated in a few city blocks. Photo / Adam Dean, The New York Times
How a David and a Goliath sprinted ahead in the vaccine race
Few corporate competitions have unfolded with so much at stake and such a complex backdrop. At play were not just commercial rivalries and scientific challenges but an ambitious plan to put the federal government in the middle of the effort and, most vexingly, the often toxic political atmosphere created by President Donald Trump. Betting that a vaccine would secure his re-election, he waged both public and private campaigns to speed the process.
Stéphane Bancel, Moderna's chief executive and Dr Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer. Photo / Cody O'Loughlin and Bryan Derballa, The New York Times
'Angels' in hell: The culture of misogyny inside Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret defined femininity for millions of women. Its catalogue and fashion shows were popular touchstones. For models, landing a spot as an "Angel" all but guaranteed international stardom.
But inside the company, two powerful men presided over an entrenched culture of misogyny, bullying and harassment, according to interviews with more than 30 current and former executives, employees, contractors and models, as well as court filings and other documents.
Barbara Palvin, Yasmin Wijnaldum, Winnie Harlow, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Alexina Graham walk the runway during the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Photo / AP
Why penguins may help us predict the impact of climate change
Climate change is the most likely factor behind the decline in penguin numbers. The Antarctic Peninsula is the fastest-warming part of the continent. It has heated up by about 3C since 1950, and, in February, a record high of 18.3C was recorded at Esperanza Base. The pace of change on the peninsula — which is warming more than three times faster than the rest of the planet — means the animal populations there are in the middle of a rapid transformation. Some species are thriving, while others are at risk of extinction.
