MANILA: Filipino and US forces began their annual joint military drills on Monday, segments of which will, for the first time, take place outside of the Philippines’ territorial waters following a string of maritime clashes between Manila and Beijing in the disputed South China Sea. The exercises, known as Balikatan — Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder — … Read more
LONDON: Christie’s has announced a spring sale of “Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Rugs and Carpets,” which will be presented during a live auction at the British auction house’s London headquarters on April 25. “This season the sale offers a curated selection of 261 lots including four unique collections,” Christie’s said in … Read more
LONDON: On Nov. 16, 2022, armed police descended in force on a West London business park, home to leading international brands such as Starbucks and Danone and a sprinkling of media companies, among them CBS, Paramount and the Discovery channel. To the shock of the thousands of people who work in the dozen modern buildings, … Read more
NEW DELHI: Despite religious tensions running high in India, Sikhs and Hindus in Malerkotla district take pride in hosting iftars for their Muslim neighbors, as they support and join them in Ramadan celebrations. The district in Punjab emerged from a 15th-century state established by Sheikh Sadruddin, a leader of the Sherwani tribe from Afghanistan. A … Read more
ALULA: AlUla’s mirrored Maraya concert hall is currently hosting “More than Meets the Eye,” featuring works from private art collections in Saudi Arabia, some of which are being displayed publicly for the first time. The show includes work dating back to the 1950s up to the present day, ranging from paintings to films and installations, … Read more
RIYADH: Jeddah is set to become a significant hub for copper and zinc metals as the London Metal Exchange plans to establish a new warehouse in the city. To enhance Saudi Arabia’s position as a global alloy center, the LME is consulting to fine-tune its warehouse location framework, specifically addressing provisions related to depot operator … Read more
MAKKAH: The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has assigned specific doors in the Grand Mosque to receive Umrah pilgrims during the holy month of Ramadan this year. The doors administration, working together with the security authorities at the mosque, has opened 210 doors to prevent suffocation and … Read more
LONDON: As the sun sets over London’s Edgware Road during Ramadan, the UK capital’s famously Middle Eastern district bursts into life. On the street’s busiest stretch, just off Marble Arch, the air is thick with cardamom and cumin as Ayman Al-Zubaidi cooks up comforting chicken seelag, slow-roasted lamb haneeth and delicate, flaky samboosek, using family … Read more
LONDON: The UK government has been warned against letting Afghans who worked and fought alongside British and coalition forces be deported to Rwanda. Members of the House of Lords are debating new legislation proposed to allow asylum-seekers who arrive in the UK illegally to be removed to the East African state for processing. On Monday, … Read more
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been urged by a former government advisor to apologize to London Mayor Sadiq Khan over comments made by a suspended Conservative MP. Colin Bloom, who advised the governing Conservatives on faith matters, told the BBC that Lee Anderson’s remarks were “offensive” and “disgusting,” adding that Sunak is “not … Read more