Season 1 of this thriller on Netflix grabbed my attention. A young woman from Oslo holidaying in the Sinai is taken hostage and the terror begins. The film provides stunning visuals of Jerusalem, surrounding deserts and the disputed territories. Is the story based on reality? Make your own decision. The movement from recognisable historic events and fiction delivers a chilling insight into the lives of those who call the region their home, and the complex issues that plague t

Sunset over Gerroa's Crooked River last Sunday triggered the words of William Stanley Braithwaite's poem. Out of the sunset's red Into the blushing sea, The winds of day drop dead And dreams come home to me. — The sea is still,— and apart Is a stillness in my heart. The night comes up the beach, The dark steals over all, Though silence has no speech I hear the sea-dreams call To my heart; — and in reply It answers with a sigh. (photo courtesy Kent Ladkin)

Dear Sir, I’m interested to know (a) your personal view and (b) what your party is committed to in respect of court actions against Bernard Collaery, Witness K, David McBride and Richard Boyle, who are being prosecuted for telling the truth about the East Timor government offices bugging, war crimes in Afghanistan and the Tax Office’s harmful debt recovery practices, respectively. They are men of integrity who should not be jailed. Our system of open justice is under threat.

The opening scene is a sinister metaphor for a dark period in Argentina’s history – the fearsome junta of the 70ies. Kaddish, under the cover of darkness is removing Jewish names from headstones in a forgotten cemetery in Buenos Aires. The ‘erasing’ – the ‘disappearing’ continues as a growing evil in a government that breeds corruption. The author, Nathan Englander demands patience as he often, cleverly creates confusion, only to suddenly adjust the focus, revealing clarity t