ROME - Leonard Cohen was probably one of the few artists who never felt intimidated by Bob Dylan. The New Yorker interview – “Leonard Cohen Makes It Darker”, published on 17 October 2016 – shows the extent of the mutual respect that existed between Cohen and Dylan. Before and after the Nobel Prize announcement they were both exchanging heartfelt pleasantries about the quality of their respective work.

ROME – Marymount International School of Rome are set to launch a pre-school in September 2018. It will be the first in the institution’s history.

 Marymount is a private, Roman Catholic, English-speaking, non-profit, co-educational institution that aims to further the mission of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM). 

 The addition of this pre-school, which will be a programme tailored for 2-year-olds, will create the opportunity for even younger students to learn through play.

RAGUSA – A judge in Sicily has ordered the release of Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms following a lengthy detention in Catania under suspicion of assisting illegal migration, officials said on Tuesday.

 The rescue vessel came into conflict with the Libyan Coast Guard last month having successfully saved over 200 migrants, who they refused hand over to the Libyans. A fierce, drawn out clash between the pair eventually resulted in the delivery of the migrants on board to Sicily, where the boat was impounded for investigation.

FLORENCE – The first showing of Director  Annemarie Jacir's powerful movie "Wajib" about a Palestinian family in Nazareth spearheaded this year's edition of the Middle East film festival in the Tuscan capital.