The Syrian refugee crisis, Greece's debt saga and brutal attacks by militants from the self-declared Islamic State are just a few of the complex topics that have dominated international headlines this year. Throughout 2015, journalists have tried to make sense of these events by writing deep dives that explore those stories. Some of their pieces have distilled global crises by looking at the experiences of individuals, while others have taken stripped them of their international context and then used them to ask universal questions. All of them exhibit impressive, time-consuming effort by writers, editors and artists to create stories that matter. Here are our favorite longreads on world affairs this year. EXTREME CITY _By Michael Specter_ A look at the vast inequality that has emerged in oil-rich Angola, where wealthy elites can spend $1,000 on a single bag of groceries while half of the country lives on less than $2 a day. THE MIXED-UP BROTHERS OF BOGOTÁ _By Susan Dominus_ An unbelievable story from Colombia details the divergent paths of two sets of identical twins that each had a brother switched at birth and raised by another family. The unlikely event separates the twins into vastly different economic classes, and the article examines the immense ramifications of the hospital's mistake. A THOUSAND MILES IN THEIR SHOES _By Sophia Jones_ The WorldPost's Sophia Jones and Syrian-American Journalist Hiba Dlewati spent weeks traveling with refugees as they journeyed into Europe, across seven countries. Jones' account of the refugees' path and those who help along the way is an in-depth look at one of the defining crises of 2015. THE DESERT BLUES _By Joshua Hammer_ The story of two friends who built a pillar of Mali's internationally renowned music scene called the Festival in the Desert, and how the nation's turbulent politics tore them apart. The festival has been canceled for the past three years, in part due to the violent Islamist insurgency that one of the two friends is helping to lead. THE AVENGER _By Patrick Radden Keefe_ In 1988, the bombing of a Pan Am aircraft over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed 270 people. Patrick Radden Keefe profiles fellow journalist and brother of one of the victims, Ken Dornstein, who has spent much of his life obsessively dedicated to finding who was really behind the bombing. Dornstein's amazing three-part documentary that followed the release of the article is a must-watch. WHAT ISIS REALLY WANTS _By Graeme Wood_ The most-read article in _The Atlantic_'s history caused intense debate this year after it assessed the apocalyptic beliefs of Islamic State militants, and discussed the group's relation to Islam. THE DRONE PAPERS _By The Intercept Staff_ An eight-part series based on secret documents leaked to The Intercept that offers a stark look at the realities of drone warfare. The articles range from detailed descriptions of how targets are chosen for drone strikes to the human cost of such operations. THE DEADLY BUSINESS OF HUMAN SMUGGLING _By Der Spiegel Staff_ The refugee crisis in Europe is rife with human smugglers who illegally transport people across borders and into the continent. Der Spiegel examines the dangerous underground economy of human smuggling and those who profit off it. AMERICA'S BEST ALLIES AGAINST ISIS ARE INSPIRED BY A BRONX-BORN LIBERTARIAN SOCIALIST _By Akbar Shahid Ahmed_ Syria's Kurds are one of the key actors in the attempt defeat and degrade the Islamic State. As Kurds seek to control and govern territory of their own, they are taking inspiration from an unlikely source: a Bronx-born, Vermont-based philosopher who has been dead for over a decade. WHAT THEY MISSED: THE ANTI-TERROR RAID THAT ASKED ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS _By Joshua Hersh_ A nuanced report on a deadly raid in Belgium that took place 10 months before the terror attacks in Paris, and on Brussels' immigrant neighborhood of Molenbeek where the attackers grew up. ISIS AND THE LONELY YOUNG AMERICAN _By Rukmini Callimachi_ The sad story of an isolated 23-year-old woman in rural United States and the predatory Islamic State members who attempted to recruit her. FIVE HOSTAGES _By Lawrence Wright_ A behind-the-scenes account of how media power player David Bradley led a largely doomed attempt to rescue five hostages held in Syria, and how their families coped with the tragedy. THE BELIEVER _By Will McCants_ A profile of Islamic State militant leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by one of the top experts studying the group. The rise of Baghdadi from a stoic young soccer fan to a powerful fanatic is the most complete picture of the reclusive terrorist figure to date. THE OUTLAW OCEAN _By Ian Urbina_ A sprawling five-part investigative report on the varying human rights abuses and crimes committed at sea. The articles detail illicit practices ranging from slavery in the fishing industry to murders that go unreported. THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT BRITISH PUB _By Tom Lamont_ An examination of the changing face of London through one of its iconic institutions: the local pub. ISIS WOMEN AND ENFORCERS IN SYRIA RECOUNT COLLABORATION, ANGUISH AND ESCAPE _By Azadeh Moaveni_ In a rarely heard side of the conflict in Syria, women who formerly worked with ISIS speak about their past and contemplate their future. HOW THE RED CROSS RAISED HALF A BILLION DOLLARS FOR HAITI AND BUILT SIX HOMES _By Justin Elliot and Laura Silverman_ A stirring indictment of misused international aid and how good intentions can go wrong when it comes to development. DISPLACED IN THE DR _By Rachel Nolan_ Hundreds of thousands of people were suddenly made stateless in the Dominican Republic after the nation changed its immigration laws. This story is an extensive look at the brutal humanitarian fallout of that decision. THE AGENCY _By Adrian Chen_ A fascinating plunge into the bizarre world of paid Russian Internet trolls, and their surprising reach into the real world. THE GREEK WARRIOR _By Ian Parker_ A profile of Yanis Varoufakis, who rose from obscurity to become one of the central figures in Greece's debt crisis and a controversial political figure across Europe. THE MYTH OF THE ETHICAL SHOPPER _By Michael Hobbes_ Hobbes' piece takes aim at the persistent myths around how people can ethically buy consumer goods without contributing to sweatshops and other labor abuses. Through detailed analysis and illustrative examples, the piece makes a strong argument that it's time to re-evaluate how activism works. _ALSO ON HUFFPOST:_ -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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