Archive for April, 2016
Where is Dabiq and why is it so special?
April 15th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Media reports suggest that Syrian Government forces are close to retaking the ISIS-occupied town of Dabiq in north-west Syria close to the Turkish border, but ISIS is putting up a strong resistance. Before the war, this was a small town which had a population of only just over 3,000, so what makes it so special? […]
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
How to be a good listener
April 15th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
You might think that listening is easy; after all, we are kind of doing it all the time. But really listening is a skill that often has to be learned. As I revive my Friday tradition of blogging on my life skills advice, I venture to offer this guidance on “How To Be A Good […]
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A review of the “Batman v Superman” movie
April 14th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
At last, I’ve managed to see the blockbuster film “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice”. It’s not as good as I had hoped but not as bad as many critics have suggested – and it’s doing well enough at the box office. You can read my review here.
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How do you tell the story of black America in one museum?
April 13th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
In November, I’ll be making my ninth visit to the United States. The main reason will be for Vee and me to celebrate Thanksgiving with special American friends Mike and Laura. Thanksgiving is an event we have seen in so many American movies and television programmes but it is something we have never witnessed, so […]
Posted in American current affairs | Comments (0)
A review of the new children’s movie “Zootropolis” and why all adults should see it
April 12th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Some the best movies of recent years – think of “Frozen”, “Big Hero 6” or “Inside Out” – have been made for children, but thankfully I have a granddaughter (now five) who gives me the excuse to see them. The latest success is the wonderful “Zootropolis” which I have reviewed here. If you don’t have […]
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A wonderful weekend with our granddaughter Catrin
April 11th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Regular readers of NightHawk will know that I have a granddaughter called Catrin whom I used to see every week for the first four and a half years of her life. But then, last summer, her parents moved to Nairobi and so I see her much more rarely these days. I’ve been over there twice […]
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The Panama Papers story has been over a century in the making
April 10th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
It is amazing that the Panama Papers were leaked almost a year ago but the story was only broken when journalists had done the necessary research. Originally an anonymous hacker handed the files to journalists on “Süddeutsche Zeitung” who shared the information with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Then 400 reporters working in 80 […]
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“Mexico: What Everyone Needs To Know”
April 9th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
This is the title of the book that I read during our recent two-week holiday in Mexico. We visited six archaeological sites of pre-Hispanic civilisations, but I also wanted to learn about the contemporary issues facing Mexico and this book addresses those issues. You can read my review here.
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A short guide to the Mexican political system
April 9th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Over the years, I have written a series of short guides to various political systems, starting with those of the UK and the US. During the primary race in the States, my guide to the American system is being viewed by around 350 a day I have just returned from a two-week visit to Mexico […]
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An account of our recent visit to Mexico
April 9th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
If you are a regular visitor to NighHawk, you will have seen a total of 15 postings written during our recent two-week holiday in Mexico. I have now brought all these postings together into a single narrative which you can read here.
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