by admin | May 25, 2021 | News
London : Collectors and connoisseurs of Islamic and Indian art are in for a treat as medieval historical artefacts dating between the 9th and the 19th centuries will be on auction at Christie’s London on Thursday.
Illustrations from an early “Baburnama”, gilded manuscripts of the Quran, a 17th century painting of Hindu goddess Bagalamukhi, and a pigment-on-paper work showing Mughal emp`eror Jahangir on a lion-hunt, will be some of the works that will go under the hammer at the day-long auction titled “Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds”.
Many cover a geographical area stretching from India in the east to Al-Andalus in modern Spain in the west, Christie’s said in a statement.
On offer will be an illustration by artist Haydar Kashmiri from an early “Baburnama” — an autobiographical account of Babur (1483-1530), who founded the Mughal empire in the Indian subcontinent in 1526.
The illustration shows a battlefield, but interpreters are divided about which war it depicts, with many pointing to the Battle of Kandahar, Christie’s said.
Another striking work on sale would be a painting of the Hindu goddess Bagalamukhi, dating back to 1630s, attributed to Mughal court artist Payag.
This painting of the deity, believed to be among the 10 avatars of Devi that runs parallel to those of Hindu god Vishnu, holds importance as its provenance relates to Mughal patronage.
The auction focussing on Islamic art also showcases gold illuminated manuscripts of the Quran, with carefully preserved parchments also holding some of the earliest forms of calligraphy.
Also on offer are many iconographical paintings relating to Islamic and Indian mythology and court life, including one where the fourth Mughal emperor Jahangir is seen brandishing his sword in front of a lion in a jungle hunt.
The auction, housing many more artefacts, is preceded by an exhibition at Christie’s London, that started on Saturday.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
London : WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had his hopes of freedom dashed on Tuesday when a judge in London upheld a warrant for his arrest on a charge of skipping bail.
The 46-year-old Australian has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 fearing arrest if he leaves the building, potentially paving the way for him to be extradited to the US, reports Xinhua.
Senior District Judge Emma Arbuthnot delivered her ruling on Tuesday at Westminster magistrates court in London stating it is in the public interest to pursue him for failing to surrender to his bail.
“I find arrest is a proportionate response even though Assange has restricted his own freedom for a number of years,” she was quoted as saying.
“Defendants on bail up and down the country, and requested persons facing extradition, come to court to face the consequences of their own choices. He should have the courage to do the same. He appears to consider himself above the normal rules of law and wants justice only if it goes in his favor,” added the judge.
Assange moved into the embassy originally to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was wanted for questioning over an allegation of a sexual assault which he has always denied.
The Metropolitan Police hold the warrant for his arrest if he steps outside the compound even though the Swedish authorities have now dropped their investigation against him.
Assange’s barrister Mark Summers argued that arresting him was no longer proportionate or in the public interest, saying the years Assange has spent inside the embassy were adequate, if not severe punishment for his actions.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
London : The London City Airport has been closed after a Second World War-era bomb was found nearby in the Thames River, the authorities announced on Monday.
The airport will be shut all Monday and all flights cancelled, affecting up to 16,000 passengers, the BBC quoted an airport spokeswoman as saying.
The bomb was discovered at on Sunday morning at the George V Dock during pre-planned work at the airport in east London, the Met Police said.
The airport was shut at 10 p.m., and the Met said that it was working with the Royal Navy to remove the device.
Passengers have been asked not to travel to the airport as the terminal is closed and to contact their airline, the BBC reported.
Airport CEO Robert Sinclair apologised and said: “I recognise this is causing inconvenience for our passengers, and in particular some of our local residents.
“The airport is cooperating fully with the Met Police and Royal Navy and working hard to safely remove the device and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
Airlines using London City Airport include British Airways, Flybe, CityJet, KLM and Lufthansa, with flights to domestic and European city destinations.
The Met Police said a 214-metre exclusion zone had been set up and properties inside were evacuated.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
London, (IANS) London is projected to grow almost twice as fast as the rest of England over the next 10 years, the government’s National Statistics Office (ONS) reported on Wednesday.
As well as Britain’s capital city, the east of England and the southeast regions are also all projected to grow at a faster rate than the rest of the country, Xinhua cited ONS as reporting.
London is projected to grow the fastest (13.7 percent), followed by the east of England (8.9 percent) and the southeast (8. 1 percent) over the 10 year period to mid-2024.
These figures compare with the projected growth for England of 7.5 percent over the same time period.
England’s northeast region is projected to grow at the slowest rate, by 3.1 percent over 10 years.
It is predicted by ONS that the population of England will grow by 4.1 million by mid-2024.
The population projections take the 2014 mid-year population estimates, which were published in 2015, as their starting point.
London’s population is expected to increase by mid-2024 to 9,708,000, an increase over 10 years of almost 1,170,000.
The projected change in population in towns and cities ranges from a fall of 4.3 percent in Barrow-in-Furness, in northwest England, to a growth of 25.1 percent in the London borough of Tower Hamlets over the 10 years to mid-2024.
ONS also said the population of people aged 65 and over is projected to grow at the fastest rate compared with other age groups in every region of England.
The new statistics show the number of local authorities in England where more than a quarter of the population are aged 65 and over is projected to increase from 28 out of 326 towns and cities in mid-2014 to 84 areas in mid-2024.
Statistics expert Suzie Dunsmith, from the ONS Population Projections Unit, said: “All regions of England are projected to see an increase in their population size over the next decade, with London, the east of England and southeast projected to grow faster than the country as a whole.”
“The population is also aging with all regions, seeing a faster growth in those aged 65 and over than in younger age groups.”
An ONS spokesman on Wednesday said: “The primary purpose of the projections is to provide an estimate of the future size and age structure of the population for regions, local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups in England.”
“These are used as a common framework for informing local-level policy and planning in a number of different fields as they are produced in a consistent way,” he said.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
London, (IINA) – British Prime Minister David Cameron has apologized on Wednesday to a London-based Muslim preacher for his remarks that the preacher supports ISIS, Anadolu Agency reported.
Cameron had claimed during a parliamentary debate that Suliman Gani, an imam from the south London suburb of Tooting, was a supporter of the extremist group based in Syria and Iraq.
He made comments as part of Conservative Party campaign that Labour’s successful mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan had connections to radical and extremist Muslims.
However, Gani firmly rejected any sympathies for ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), and Cameron’s office issued a clarification saying the prime minister had wanted to suggest Gani supported “an” Islamic state.
According to Sky News, a statement said: “In reference to the Prime Minister’s comments on Suliman Gani, the Prime Minister was referring to reports that he supports an Islamic state.
“The Prime Minister is clear this does not mean Gani supports the organization ISIS, and he apologizes to him for any misunderstanding”.
Gani had demanded a formal apology from the British premier for labeling him an ISIS supporter. Last month he told Anadolu Agency he was shocked by Cameron’s allegations, which he described as racist and Islamophobic.
