For anyone who still believed in the impartiality of the BBC's coverage of Israel's occupation, the last few weeks, since the appointment of pro-Israeli apologists to its top jobs, must have proved an eye-opening shock.

On 17 April, the day after the BBC announced the appointment of the openly pro-Israel former editor of The Times, James Harding, as the organization's director of news and current affairs, it screened a program called Israel: Facing the Future.

The press conference held by Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry in Moscow last Wednesday was by no means ordinary. It was unlike any other on Syria, with much repetition of the need for a political solution. Russia's Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State were in apparent harmony on the issue. The two agreed that a meeting between Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin should be held "as soon as practically possible". According to Kerry, this could be before the end of May.

Speculation about the reason for such a positive turn of events leads inevitably to the establishment of a connection between the Moscow talks and Israeli raids in the heart of Damascus. Perhaps Russia and the US fear an Iranian-backed response to Israel's actions, which would also serve as a warning against international intervention in Syria.

The 2008 financial crash brought down most of the UK's banks, which were forced to turn to the government for huge cash hand-outs to avoid pulling the rest of the economy down with them. While giants Lloyds TSB and the Royal Bank of Scotland needed to be bailed out by the taxpayer, Barclays managed to avoid seeking government help.

But at what cost was the bank saved? Now, five years after the financial crisis, details are beginning to emerge about the investments that saved Barclays, specifically its dealings with Abu Dhabi.

The BBC is well-used to accusations of bias from many quarters, not least on its coverage of the Israel-Palestine issue, where it appears unable to please anyone. More than 10,000 people have signed a change.org petition demanding that a public inquiry be held into the BBC's pro-Israel bias. Four out of five Jews in Britain, an online poll reveals, believe that the national broadcaster is biased in favour of the Palestinians.