NEW YORK: A new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York seeks to recreate some of the grandeur of the Versailles royal palace in France. At first, the idea was to create a book based on the accounts of people who visited the palace, such as diplomats and nobles. But Danielle Kisluk-Grosheide,…

NEW YORK CITY: A Pakistani-American sculptor brings dark times, science fiction and a desire to provoke to New York’s famed Metropolitan Museum of Art for this year’s rooftop installation overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Huma Bhabha’s “We Come in Peace” depicts a towering 12-foot, five-headed figure weighing 1.5 tons and an 18-foot long prostrate figure covered…

NEW YORK: A Pakistani-American sculptor brings dark times, science fiction and a desire to provoke to New York’s famed Metropolitan Museum of Art for this year’s rooftop installation overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Huma Bhabha’s “We Come in Peace” depicts a towering 12-foot (3.6-meter), five-headed figure weighing 1.5 tons and an 18-foot long prostrate figure covered…

NEW YORK: An elderly man died late Saturday after a blaze erupted on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York which also injured four firefighters, officials said. The New York Police Department said the 67-year-old man was found “unconscious and unresponsive” when officers arrived at the scene of the fire. The man was…

NEW YORK: Body of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Ayaz Soomro will be flown to Pakistan on March 22. His funeral prayers have been offered in New York, United States. Soomro’s funeral prayers for his eternal peace were offered at Makki Mosque, New York. “Body of my brother will be brought to Pakistan on March…

NEW YORK: Pop superstar Madonna announced that she will direct a biopic about Michaela DePrince, a war orphan from Sierra Leone who overcame overwhelming odds to become a successful ballerina. “Taking Flight,” taken from the name of DePrince’s 2014 autobiography, will be the musical icon’s third time as a feature film director after “Filth and…

NEW YORK: A US restaurant worker inspired by Osama bin Laden was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for wounding 31 people in a 2016 New York bombing, branded “extremely dangerous” by a federal judge. Afghan-born Ahmad Khan Rahimi, 30, told the court that he became radicalized after being “harassed” by the FBI and “singled…

NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Vanessa was taken to a New York hospital Monday as a precaution after a “suspicious package” containing unidentified powder was mailed to the family home, police said. Donald Trump Jr, an outspoken defender of his father and who was the intended recipient of the letter, called the incident…

NEW YORK: Marvel Studios brought “Black Panther” fever to New York Fashion Week, inviting designers to showcase clothes inspired by the iconic movie, already winning rave reviews ahead of its Friday release in the United States. More than a thousand people packed the Welcome to Wakanda presentation in the West Village that featured the work…

NEW YORK: New York’s attorney general sued the Weinstein Company and Harvey Weinstein on Sunday alleging years of sexual harassment and misconduct by the movie producer, in a move that could jeopardize talks on a potential sale of the studio, reported Reuters. Weinstein, co-founder of the Miramax studio, was one of Hollywood’s most influential men…

NEW YORK: Braving freezing temperatures, Kashmiris and Pakistanis, who were joined by Sikhs, Monday staged a demonstration in New York’s Times Square denouncing Indian atrocities in Kashmir and calling on the United Nations to honour its pledge to grant the Kashmiris their right of self-determination. Raising vociferous anti-India slogans and waving placards, a large number…

NEW YORK: Pakistani singer Salman Ahmad sang John Lennon’s famous song Imagine in front of a packed theatre with the Broadway All Stars and producer Neil Berg, on Sunday.  Salman Ahmad was invited as the special guest to perform John Lennon’s celebrated song in front of a packed crowd at the Broadway. Neil Berg & his company…

NEW YORK: Canada’s Alessia Cara, who rose from making YouTube videos in her bedroom to becoming a socially conscious pop singer, on Sunday won the Grammy for Best New Artist. The 21-year-old from suburban Toronto won the closely watched award in a field that included fellow young singer Khalid, with whom she collaborated on the…

NEW YORK: Rapper Kendrick Lamar and pop superstar Lady Gaga opened the Grammy Awards on Sunday with immediate if understated political touches. With a US flag in the backdrop, Lamar launched into a fierce rap at New York’s Madison Square Garden, on a stage full of dancers clad in camouflage. The number then transformed into…

NEW YORK: The National on Sunday won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for “Sleep Well Beast,” an intricately recorded album built from the band’s walls of dark sound. It was the first Grammy for the indie rock band, in a field that included fellow critical favorites including LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire. “Sleep…

NEW YORK: Bruno Mars on Sunday won the Grammy for Record of the Year for his party anthem “24K Magic,” the first time the funk revivalist has won the US industry’s award for top song on his own. “24K Magic” is the title track of the Hawaiian-born singer’s third album, which revives his mix of…

NEW YORK: Retro R&B star Bruno Mars was the surprise big winner Sunday at the Grammy Awards, with a clean sweep of the top awards including Album, Record and Song of the Year, and six overall. “24K Magic” — the Hawaii-born artist’s third studio album, which generated hits including the title track — won for…

NEW YORK: Pop singer Kesha delivered a powerful statement on behalf of women’s equality at the Grammys on Sunday as she led a fierce performance of “Praying,” her own account of abuse, with A-list back-up from a chorus of stars. Her face intense and her voice building in ferocity, Kesha brought the crowd at Madison…

NEW YORK: “That’s What I Like,” the steamy ode by Bruno Mars to making love in high style, on Sunday won the Grammy for Song of the Year. Mars shared his fourth award of the night, which recognizes songwriting, with co-writers Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy and Philip Lawrence and his production team The Stereotypes. The…

NEW YORK: The request was for a Van Gogh to adorn the walls of the president and first lady’s private residence in the White House. The answer? No — but how about a fully functioning, 18-karat gold toilet instead? While it’s customary for US presidents to borrow works of art during their time in office,…

NEW YORK: Could Oprah Winfrey run for president and beat Donald Trump? The United States was ablaze Monday with speculation that the billionaire talk show queen might be nurturing White House ambitions after an impassioned Golden Globes speech. Winfrey had barely heralded a “new day” following a sexual harassment watershed, before calls snowballed for one…