History booksReviewThis epic account of Ottoman decline and the birth of modern Turkey is a tour de force of accessible scholarship By the end of 1918, after four increasingly grim years of warfare, revolution was in the air across Europe. Thrones wobbled; rulers abdicated. In the space of months, the great, centuries-old dynasties of the Romanovs, Habsburgs and Hohenzollerns were all toppled from power. At the eastern edge of the continent lay the vast, ancient empire that the Ottoman sultans had built up since the 14th century.

Native Americans This article is more than 7 years oldUrban Outfitters settles with Navajo Nation after illegally using tribe's nameThis article is more than 7 years oldTribe and fashion company reached an undisclosed settlement after the store used the Navajo name for a line that included underwear, jewelry and flasks Urban Outfitters reached a settlement with the Navajo Nation after illegally using the tribe’s name for a collection that included “Navajo hipster panties” and a “Navajo print flask”.

Israel-Gaza war This article is more than 2 months oldWinter rains bring further suffering to besieged people in GazaThis article is more than 2 months oldRain and cold will lead to further increase in waterborne diseases, bacterial infections and diarrhoea in children, says WHO The winter rains have finally arrived in Gaza, bringing new challenges for the besieged exclave’s 2.3 million people who have already suffered through six weeks of war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

US televisionObituaryActor James Avery, Fresh Prince's Uncle Philip, dies in CaliforniaTV and film performer dies at 68 of complications from open-heart surgery, publicist says James Avery, the bulky character actor who laid down the law as Uncle Phil in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has died. Avery's publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told the Associated Press that Avery died Tuesday in Glendale, California, following complications from open heart surgery. He was 68.

Samuel BeckettReviewJermyn Street theatre, London'It is a text written to come out of the dark," said Samuel Beckett of this radio play first broadcast by the BBC in 1957. But, although not conceived for the stage, it adapts perfectly to it in Trevor Nunn's production, which retains Beckett's orchestrated sound effects while giving the actors motion and visibility. And, in the case of Eileen Atkins as Beckett's heroine, it allows us not merely to hear but also to see a great piece of acting.