In a pristine patch of Lebanon's north coast, a rare marine visitor has fuelled opposition to a seafront development, in a country where unchecked construction has obstructed access to beaches. Residents of Amchit say a Mediterranean monk seal sometimes visits the area, taking refuge in the crystal-blue waters of a sea-cave accessible only by wading or paddling between low rocks to reach a tiny, sheltered cove.
In the midst of Britain’s deliberations on handling and integrating radical Islamists, as well as analyzing the “confessions” of those involved in terrorist bombings to determine whether they were extracted under torture or not, Algeria stood as an indisputable witness to a protracted and violent period, commencing in the early 1990s, ultimately being known as the “Black Decade.”
Over the years, these two men in the picture above have symbolized the transformation of the British capital into a stronghold for Islamic extremists in the 1990s. The first one, Abu Hamza al-Masri (on the right in the picture), is currently serving a life sentence in the US after being convicted of terrorism. As for the other man, a Syrian called Omar Bakri, he too was imprisoned for years in Lebanon on terrorism charges. He was released from prison in March of last year.
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With fairs cancelled and galleries shuttered over the past year, London’s art market has been a shadow of its former self. Will the city see high footfall again, or are virtual viewings and diminished sales here to stay? Below art dealers Stephen Ongpin and Thomas Dane and François Chantala reflect on what’s to come.
Stephen Ongpin
The art market in London is a many-splendoured thing. I know this from my own experience of it, both as a gallerist specialising in Old Master, 19th-century and modern drawings for more than 30 years, and as chairman of London Art Week (LAW), a dealer-led event which features many of the capital’s leading galleries and auction houses, and highlights the very best of what the city can offer in the world of pre-contemporary art. Although it may come as a surprise to the national press, who seem to regard the ‘art market’ as being solely about contemporary art, London supports a thriving ecosystem of gallerie
Regular and very long lorry queues at the port of Dover are inevitable in the next few months, as drivers will have to deal with new paperwork when transporting works to Europe Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images
Red tape and border congestion are among the biggest worries for the art trade as the UK’s Brexit transition period comes to an end, according to a straw poll conducted by
The Art Newspaper this month. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced 24 December that a trade deal had been agreed days before the transition ends on 31 December.