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UK: Celebrities, Artists’ Paintings Feature in Support of School Art Festival

Headteacher Beccy Harris said the theme reflected the school vision “to help children soar on wings like eagles” (St Barnabas Primary School)
Headteacher Beccy Harris said the theme reflected the school vision “to help children soar on wings like eagles” (St Barnabas Primary School)
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UK: Celebrities, Artists’ Paintings Feature in Support of School Art Festival

Headteacher Beccy Harris said the theme reflected the school vision “to help children soar on wings like eagles” (St Barnabas Primary School)
Headteacher Beccy Harris said the theme reflected the school vision “to help children soar on wings like eagles” (St Barnabas Primary School)

St Barnabas Primary School in Oxford is hosting an exhibition bringing together bird-inspired artworks by children, local artists and well-known public figures.

Dame Joanna Lumley and Bill Bailey are among the celebrity artists whose paintings will feature in support of the school arts festival, according to BBC.

The exhibition will raise funds for the school and community projects. Artworks will be available both to purchase in person and via an online auction.

Headteacher Beccy Harris said the theme “reflects our school vision to help children soar on wings like eagles.”

The school's chair of governors Charlie Arbuthnott posted painting sets and miniature canvases to several celebrities, inviting them to share their creations.

“It all went very quiet for the first couple of weeks and then, excitedly, the first canvas arrived and we couldn't quite believe it,” Harris said, adding the first one they opened was from chef and TV star Dame Prue Leith.

Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park has sent a work he titled Red-Legged Partridge Dancing.
Actor and campaigner Lumley is taking part with Dove and comedian Bailey is the artist behind Swallows.

Harris said the pupils were “so excited” by the celebrity contributions.

The exhibition, which runs on May 16-17 and 23-25, is part of Oxford Art Weeks.

Funds raised will support projects including improving the school's deteriorating adventure playground and restoring heavily used community green space.

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Varieties

Beijing Bans Drone Possession in the City After Earlier Moves to Tighten Rules

People commute as the sun sets in Beijing on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
People commute as the sun sets in Beijing on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
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Beijing Bans Drone Possession in the City After Earlier Moves to Tighten Rules

People commute as the sun sets in Beijing on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
People commute as the sun sets in Beijing on September 12, 2026. (AFP)

Beijing is banning the possession of drones within city limits in new rules announced Sunday that further tighten its regulations on drones, which already include a May ban on sales of the devices. The ban on possession will come into effect in mid-November.

Beijing has barred unauthorized drone flights, citing security reasons, and has designated the city’s administrative area as restricted airspace.

The latest revised rules come after a fatal accident in late June when a small aircraft crashed into a Beijing skyscraper, killing the pilot and injuring 13 others.

Under regulations approved in March and which came into effect May 1, existing drone owners in Beijing had to register their devices with their real names and identities, but owners have been allowed to keep their registered drones under strict requirements.

However, according to the revised regulations approved this month, which will be effective from Nov. 15, the possession or storage of drones or key components within Beijing's city limits will also be banned. The revised rules were released Sunday by authorities.

Authorities can confiscate the drones of those who do not comply and can impose fines on individuals and companies.

Beijing authorities will be offering subsidies for existing drone owners to sell their devices at designated buyback locations, according to the state-owned newspaper Beijing Daily. Drone owners can also consider scrapping and recycling their drones with a small subsidy provided, or shipping them outside of Beijing before the new rules come into effect.

Drone users can still fly drones outdoors in other parts of the country, but real name registrations are required. Beijing, the Chinese capital, often has more stringent security rules than other parts of China.

Varieties

Around 230 Flee Croatia Island Fire

A firefighter inspects the area of a forest fire in Trebisevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, September 7, 2026. (Reuters)
A firefighter inspects the area of a forest fire in Trebisevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, September 7, 2026. (Reuters)
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Around 230 Flee Croatia Island Fire

A firefighter inspects the area of a forest fire in Trebisevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, September 7, 2026. (Reuters)
A firefighter inspects the area of a forest fire in Trebisevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, September 7, 2026. (Reuters)

Around 230 people were evacuated overnight Sunday on the Croatian Adriatic island of Brac because of a fire that has ravaged some 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres), according to authorities.

With the wildfire threatening peoples' houses after being fanned by strong winds, the authorities sounded the alarm shortly before midnight for residents and tourists in the small town of Milna and its surrounding settlements in the island's west.

"After an extremely difficult night, the situation... has noticeably improved this morning," the national firefighting command said.

Four Canadair water-bombing airplanes have been at work since the morning, while more than 220 firefighters backed by 69 vehicles have worked through the night to douse the blaze, the firefighters' statement said.

Several boats from the harbormaster's office and the maritime police worked alongside private vessels to get people out of the areas near Milna threatened by the flames.

The official Hina agency reported that some 230 people had been evacuated as a result, citing firefighter commander Slavko Tucakovic.

"The firefighters saved a large number of residential buildings and helped secure the safety of tourists and local residents. Some damage was reported to facades and awnings. Two people were slightly injured," Tucakovic said.

In total, about 3,500 hectares of pine forest and scrubland were devastated by the blaze, Hina reported, citing a senior firefighter.

As with elsewhere in Europe, Croatia has seen an extremely hot and dry summer which has created tinderbox-like conditions for wildfires to rage.

Scientists have long warned that climate change driven by humanity's burning of fossil fuels is making periods of extreme heat and drought more frequent, intense and longer-lasting.

Varieties

Saudi Film Commission Participates in the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival

Saudi Film Commission Participates in the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival
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Saudi Film Commission Participates in the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival

Saudi Film Commission Participates in the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission is participating in the 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), scheduled to take place from September 10 to 20, 2026, in Toronto, Canada, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

The Commission will have a dedicated Saudi pavilion and an official delegation, joined by representatives from Film AlUla, the Red Sea International Film Festival, and the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), marking Saudi filmmaking’s presence at one of the world’s most prominent film events.

This participation reflects the Commission’s commitment to building international partnerships and creating collaboration opportunities across the film sector, contributing to the sustainable growth of Saudi Arabia’s cinema industry and strengthening the Kingdom’s position as an attractive destination for film production.

The Saudi pavilion at TIFF 2026 will showcase the Commission’s work developing the film sector and highlight the range of filming locations across the Kingdom, helping attract filmmakers and international production companies. Through this participation, the Commission also aims to strengthen engagement with international media outlets and film institutions as well as promote the Kingdom’s incentive programs and production ecosystem to industry decision-makers.

TIFF is one of the world’s leading film events and one of the most important launch platforms ahead of the awards season. Founded in 1976 in Toronto, the festival has grown into a major gathering point for filmmakers, critics, and film institutions worldwide.

Its 51st edition is expected to feature a wide international lineup of films from numerous countries, alongside the TIFF Film Market, which will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from September 10 to 16.