SARAB

Fashion houses' charitable foundations, from Fondazione Dries Van Noten to Lee Alexander McQueen's Sarabande, are increasingly funding artists, exhibitions and residencies, giving designers a growing influence over the contemporary art world. ELLE reports that these foundations are quietly becoming significant patrons, supporting emerging talent and blurring the line between fashion and art patronage.

The band SARAB has released a new album paying homage to victims of the wars in Syria and Gaza. The tribute puts civilian suffering in both conflicts at the centre of the record's themes, drawing attention from regional and international media covering Middle East current affairs.

The Romanian Orthodox Church has elected a new head of its Metropolis of Bessarabia, the church's structure in the Republic of Moldova. Further details about the newly elected metropolitan and the circumstances of the vote were not immediately available. The appointment is notable given the metropolis's role in Orthodox affairs between Romania and Moldova, and religious communities in the region are following the leadership change closely.