At Lebanon's national music conservatory, pianos collect dust and classrooms sit empty, making the institution another casualty of an economic collapse that has crippled the public sector and hampered education.

Toufic Kerbage, 65, watched the value of his pay packet and pension evaporate after the Lebanese economy began melting down in 2019, taking the local currency and people's savings with it.

King Charles III has been crowned at Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony steeped in ancient ritual and brimming with bling at a time when the monarchy is striving to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain.

At a coronation with displays of royal power straight out of the Middle Ages, Charles was given an orb, a sword and scepter and had the solid gold, bejeweled St. Edward's Crown placed atop his head as he sat upon a 700-year-old oak chair.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea hosted an evening with the Lebanese and global fashion designer and businessman Elie Saab, as part of the U.S. Embassy’s “Meet the Artist” series, which highlights established Lebanese talents from all artistic backgrounds.

The event served as a window into Elie Saab’s inspiration for building a global brand and highlighted his vision for Lebanon’s future.

Law enforcement officials across Europe arrested 60 people last year in a crackdown that retrieved over 11,000 trafficked artworks and artifacts including ancient books, sculptures and coins, Interpol said Thursday.

As part of an annual operation codenamed Pandora VII, forces led by Spain's Guardia Civil police swooped on the art criminals from September 13 to 24 last year in a slew of European nations, the international police cooperation body said.

Pope Francis on Wednesday greeted the foreign envoy of the Russian Orthodox Church, just days after revealing a secret "mission" was under way to try to put an end to the war in Ukraine.

Metropolitan Anthony attended Francis' weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square and then greeted Francis at the end. He presented the pope with an icon, which Francis blessed. Anthony was later seen being led off the stage by one of Francis' aides.

Museums in Austria and Greece are discussing the potential return to Athens of two ancient Greek sculptures, a move which could have a knock-on effect for the world's thorniest cultural heritage dispute: the fate of the British Museum's Parthenon Sculptures.

The talks announced by Austria's foreign minister on Tuesday concern two small pieces of the 2,500-year-old marble works from the Acropolis. The sculptures are now held in Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum.

The United Nations announced Tuesday night that its premier prize for press freedom has been awarded to three imprisoned Iranian female journalists "for their commitment to truth and accountability."

The winners are Niloufar Hamedi who broke the news that 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died last September while being held by the morality police for wearing her headscarf too loosely, and Elaheh Mohammadi who wrote about her funeral.

"My mum doesn't agree with what I do here: at home, we don't eat like this," laughs Alan Geaam, the first Lebanese chef to earn a Michelin star in Paris.

The self-taught chef believes that promoting Lebanon's culinary riches means combining them with some of "the elegance and refinement" of French cuisine.

The long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, "The Covenant of Water," is Oprah Winfrey's latest book club pick.

"The Covenant of Water," published Tuesday, is Verghese's first work of fiction since his million-selling "Cutting for Stone" came out in 2009. Verghese's current book is a multigenerational saga set in India from 1900-1977.

The 2023 Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom Award was presented Tuesday to independent Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr for its “extraordinary commitment to high-quality independent journalism,” the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said.

“The newspaper continued to report, amidst a takedown of their website and legal threats to its reporters. This award signals Canada and the UK’s enduring commitment to supporting free and independent journalism,” the FCDO said in a statement.