A primer on international intrigue, elite squads of hit men and at least one wig

I spent some time this weekend catching up on accounts of the wild goings-on surrounding the murder of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai last month. Today, the Times delivers this detailed primer, meaning you don't have to.

I urge a read as this is certainly one of the stories of the year. Very eye-opening. Although I have to point out that the world-wide trend of cutting copy editors (that's sub editor in British) can even be seen here. The story is marred by a typo.

If you are trying to save time though, don't get caught up in the comments as I did. One of my favourites: "Basically, all I'm saying is can you do your dirty work without placing British and Irish people in jeopardy as a result?" followed closely by "Call when you need the dogs to locate your dead."