Palestine-Israeli talks: Abu Mazen’s failed gamble

On July 19, 2013, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the resumption of talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The announcement did not come from Jerusalem or Ramallah, but from the Jordanian capital Amman, which has become the US State Department’s front line in the region. In the present tour, Kerry did not … Continue reading →

Michael Wood reviews Cleopatra: August 8, 2013

Age cannot wither her, but it doesn’t improve her much either. Not when she is Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. Age seems simply to have left her alone, as it often does with movie actors. But then the chance of time travel is very real, especially since a restored print of the film is now showing … Continue reading →

Youtube: Impact of fuel scarcity on Gaza medical sector

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Sandy Denny – more “first time ever” goodies

• Painting by Marion Appleton for the original album sleeve. I’ve received the following official announcement of a deluxe 2-CD release of Fairport Convention‘s Rising for the Moon  (originally released June 1975), with never-before-released bonus tracks: UMC is pleased to announce a new deluxe edition of Fairport Convention’s 1975 album, Rising For The Moon, which marked the only … Continue reading →

July 23 2013: BCB Swing Easy

Spot the (un)deliberate mistake in the track cover art above! (Small prize for anyone who points it out in a comment.) Continue reading →