Monocle Radio Podcast (October 18, 2024): What does the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar mean for the war? Then: we turn to Mozambique as the ruling Frelimo party claims victory in contested presidential elections.
Plus: we report from Art Basel Paris and check out Cathay Pacific’s new business class ‘Aria Suite’.
Although Yahya Sinwar was a major target of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the soldiers who killed the militant chief had not expected to run across him, Israeli officials said.
The killing of Hamas’s leader may allow Israel to claim victory and agree to a cease-fire, and new Hamas leadership could be more open to compromise. But neither side is likely to immediately change course.
Sotheby’s (October 17, 2024): Presented in partnership with Celine, Sotheby’s Paris is proud to feature the Impressionist masterpiece “Le jardin de Pissarro,
Quai du Pothuis à Pontoise,” painted by Paul Gauguin in 1881, as one of the highlight lots in the upcoming Modernités sale. This painting is emblematic of the early years of Gauguin’s artistic journey. During 1879-1881, Gauguin became a regular visitor of Camille Pissarro, whom he fondly referred to as his “dear Professor.” He often joined Pissarro in Pontoise, where Pissarro had settled. It was under Pissarro’s mentorship that Gauguin began his career as a painter and mastered essential techniques.
These years were crucial to Gauguin’s artistic development, and this painting, depicting Pissarro’s house and garden, serves as a heartfelt tribute from student to master. The presence of two self-portraits by Gauguin on the reverse side makes this piece truly unique. Painted very early in his career, this dual-sided work already demonstrates a striking modernity. Gauguin’s style, even at this early stage, was ahead of its time and hinted at the innovations he would bring to art in the years to come. This painting is a bold assertion of the artist’s emerging identity.
Monocle Radio Podcast (October 17, 2024): We examine Kyiv’s latest diplomatic push with its Western allies, as Volodymyr Zelensky presents his ‘victory plan’ to parliament in Ukraine. Then: a first for the EU as it hosts leaders from the Gulf nations.
Plus: Sweden’s plans to grow its military, retail news, a dispatch from the Frankfurt Book Fair and a meeting with the cast and writer of hit series ‘The Turkish Detective’.
After two assassination attempts and amid threats from Iran, Donald Trump relies for his safety on the same agencies that he has long assailed as part of a hostile deep state.
Never before has a presidential nominee openly suggested turning the military on Americans simply because they oppose his candidacy. With voting underway, Donald Trump has turned to dark vows of retribution.
London Review of Books (LRB) – October 16 , 2024: The latest issue features Bee Wilson – Bad Samaritan; Sheila Fitzpatrick – Learning to Love the Dissidents and Adam Shatz – Israel’s Forever War…
To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement by Benjamin Nathans
By Michael Wood
At the Movies: ‘Megalopolis’
Believe Nothing until It Is Officially Denied: Claud Cockburn and the Invention of Guerrilla Journalism by Patrick Cockburn
After Nasrallah
Short Cuts: Reading J.D. Vance
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious