Lagoona Mall, Fifty One East host Emir Cup

Chinese Chequers THE options for using diplomacy to talk sense to North Korea are limited. China is the only nation with influence over its bellicose neighbour, so the United States and the rest of the world look to Beijing to restrain Pyongyang when the nuclear-armed nation acts up. When China won't go so far as closing its border with North Korea to trade, or restricting the oil shipments North Korea and its military rely on, the rest of the world blames Beijing for enabling Pyongyang to continue its incendiary threats. But the view from Beijing is more complicated. The Chinese leadership wants something in return for putting pressure ...

The Man At The Piano ON Monday evening, a small, vibrant arts organisation, The New York Festival of Song (Nyfos), which I've long treasured, will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with a gala concert. The show is scheduled to include Joseph Kaiser, the opera singer; Judy Kaye, the Broadway actress; and William Bolcom, the composer. But the real star of the show will be the man accompanying most of those performers on the piano: Steven Blier. By evening's end, we will have listened to a programme he devised, read an introduction he wrote and heard lyrics he translated. We will have laughed at his jokes and listened to him speak engagingly about the context of the songs we are hearing - something he does with great verve. And, not least, we will have heard him play some of the most beautiful piano ...