Kneecap delivers pro-Palestine message at Coachella
Updated 21 April 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Irish band Kneecap took to the stage at the second week of the Coachella music festival in California to shine a light on Israel’s war against Palestine.
“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” read a projection during the hip-hop trio’s performance. “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.”
"The Palestinians have nowhere to go. It's their home, and they're bombing it from the sky. If you're not calling it a genocide, what are you calling it?" said Kneecap rapper Moglai Bap, who was wearing a keffiyeh.
The musician went on to lead the audience in a "free, free Palestine" chant.
Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week achieves $133 million
Updated 06 December 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Auction house Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week, which wrapped up on Friday night, achieved $133 million in sales, according to the auction house.
The series of auctions included jewelry, rare timepieces, collectors’ cars and real estate from RM Sotheby’s, and Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions, alongside a museum-quality exhibition of international fine art.
A waterfront estate in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat was sold for $20.1 million. (Supplied)
Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions opened the final evening, with a waterfront estate in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat achieving $20.1 million. The sale of Jane Birkin’s Le Voyageur, a one-of-a-kind black Hermes Birkin owned by the actress, soared to $2.9 million (est. $240,000-$440,000) after a bidding battle lasting more than 10 minutes. It is now the second most valuable handbag sold at auction, surpassed by the original Hermes Birkin created for Birkin in 1985, which achieved a record-breaking $10.1 million earlier this year.
Jane Birkin with her Le Voyageur bag. (Supplied)
Leading the sale of jewellery and watches was the first complete set of the Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000, which achieved $11.9 million, becoming the second most valuable watch sold at Sotheby’s. Meanwhile, The Desert Rose, the largest Fancy Vivid Orangy Pink diamond in the world, climbed to $8.8 million (est. $5-$7 million) following an almost 20-minute bidding battle among five collectors.
The Desert Rose is the largest Fancy Vivid Orangy Pink diamond in the world. (Supplied)
Participants hailed from 35 countries, with nearly a quarter of buyers from the UAE, according to Sotheby’s.
