EXHIBITION

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman flew to North Korea on Thursday to help train the national team and renew his friendship with the North's young leader Kim Jong Un, a visit unaffected by the recent execution of Kim's uncle in a dramatic political purge.

As major global clashes are still alive and well, nobody is ready to buy the good news of particular countries, as no positive news is sustainable in an environment of uncertainty and turbulence.

Today, I was going to write about “knowing yourself,” to continue where I left off in my last column. However, it seems that it's no use to talk in philosophical language. We are living in a time when we need to express our opinions more precisely. At least a note should be left in history's records. 

Major international news organizations have sent a letter to the leadership of the armed opposition in Syria calling for urgent action against opposition groups increasingly targeting journalists for kidnappings.

Major international news organizations sent a letter to the leadership of the armed opposition in Syria Wednesday, calling for urgent action against rebel groups increasingly targeting journalists for kidnappings.

Protesters in Thailand stormed the grounds of the national army headquarters on Friday, asking the military to support their increasingly tense campaign to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Libya's national assembly voted on Wednesday to make sharia, Islamic law, the basis of all legislation and for state institutions in a decision that may impact banking, criminal and financial laws.

TALK

It is clearer every day that the common denominator between the former and new elites in this country is nationalism. Worse, the former elites take their successors hostage through nationalism, and control their mindset. You may say that the new elite is set to follow this ideology, and indeed, the prime minister is basing his 2014 presidential strategy on nationalist discourse (and construction work); but the reformism that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) pursued in its initial years displayed strong opposition to the dogmas of Kemalist nationalism.

The Privatization Administration (ÖİB), which in 2009 canceled a tender for the National Lottery due to low bids, is opening a tender again, hoping this time to finish the sale.

Even hardened news junkies admit that the accelerating speed of the media cycle makes their heads spin. The first Gulf War, 20 years ago, introduced us to 24/7 television coverage and created a new disease, compassion fatigue.

Meteorologists warn of heavy rainstorms throughout Turkey

İSTANBUL Storms and heavy rain are expected all over the country today and tomorrow, meteorologists announced on Monday.

‘Pecasso’ painting seized

ADANA A painting bearing the signature of Picasso was seized in the southern province of Adana earlier this week.

FESTIVAL

The Hungarian National Museum in Budapest is celebrating the centennial of the famous Hungarian photojournalist Robert Capa (1913-1954) with an extraordinary tribute to his work. Its fascinating comprehensive exhibit of his black and white news photos, “Robert Capa / The Gambler” (Sept. 18-Jan. 12), gives a glimpse of a harrowing history with a dispassionate but humanistic eye.