Agents Recover Stolen 500-Year-Old Copy of Columbus Letter
Federal agents in Delaware have recovered a more than 500-year-old copy of a letter penned by Christopher Columbus that vanished from an Italian library decades ago.
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Arts
Suing Amazon
Amazon.com has been sued three times in Seattle Federal Court, accused of selling pirated downloads of the music of Harold Arlen, Harry Warren and Ray Henderson, and failing to pay the copyright holders.
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Venetian Islands Revamp Traditions to Counter Depopulation
The Venetian island of Burano’s charms are rooted in its fishing legacy: the colorful fishermen’s cottages, the traditional butter cookies that kept fishermen going at sea and the delicate lace hand-stitched by their women.
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German Court May Reject Appeal to Remove Anti-Semitic Relic
A court in eastern Germany indicated Tuesday that it will likely reject a Jewish man’s bid to force the removal of an ugly remnant of centuries of anti-Semitism from a church where Martin Luther once preached.
Read morePainting Found in Italian Gallery’s Walls Verified as Klimt
Art experts have confirmed that a stolen painting discovered hidden inside an Italian art gallery’s walls is Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of a Lady,” Italian prosecutors said Friday.
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Dutch Art Sleuth Finds Rare Stolen Copy of ‘Prince of Persian Poets’
A stolen 15th-century book by the famed Persian poet Hafez has been recovered by a Dutch art detective after an international “race against time” that drew the alleged interest of Iran’s secret service.
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Oldest Image of Venice Discovered Dating Back to 14th Century
A Renaissance historian has unearthed the oldest known image of Venice dating from the 14th century, showing how even then the city of canals gripped the imagination of visitors.
Read moreChristopher Tolkien, Son of ‘Lord of the Rings’ Author, 95
Christopher Tolkien, the son of J.R.R. Tolkien, who edited and helped publish many of his father’s works, has died at 95, the Tolkien Society said.
Read moreCopyright
Francesca Gregorini sued Apple, M. Night Shyamalan, et al. in federal court, claiming the Apple TV+ series “Servant” is a wholesale ripoff of her 2013 feature film, “The Truth About Emanuel.”
Read moreMusic Publishing
Music producer/arranger Michael Stokes sued Universal Music Group and six other music publishers in federal court, claiming they “effectively stole” his music after he suffered an incapacitating stroke in 2010.
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Brazil Judge Orders Netflix to Remove Film With Gay Jesus
A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered Netflix to stop showing a Christmas special that some called blasphemous for depicting Jesus as a gay man and which prompted a gasoline bomb attack on the satirists behind the program.
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‘Preschool Picasso’ Shakes Up German Art World
Mikail Akar doesn’t flinch as the cameras click around him. Born in 2012, the German artistic prodigy has spent half his life in the limelight.
Read moreOops!
TV actor Bradford Roublow sued CBS Broadcasting and Danni Productions for fraudulent inducement and failure to warn in St. Bernard Parish Court, claiming he was arrested at gunpoint while acting in the show “NCIS: New Orleans,” because police thought he was pulling a real armed robbery.
Read moreGreensboro Ballet
The Greensboro (N.C.) Ballet owes its former executive director $79,668 in back wages, and the former director of its ballet school $7,546, they claim in Guilford County Court.
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Sonny Mehta, Visionary Head of Alfred A. Knopf, Dies at 77
Sonny Mehta, the urbane and astute head of Alfred A. Knopf who guided one of the book world’s most esteemed imprints to new heights through a blend of prize-winning literature and blockbusters, has died at 77.
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Famed Songwriter Jerry Herman Dies at 88
Tony Award-winning composer Jerry Herman, who wrote the music and lyrics for such classic shows as “Mame,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “La Cage aux Folles,” died Thursday. He was 88.
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Notre Dame Rector Says Cathedral Might Not Be Saved
The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile there’s a “50% chance” the structure might not be saved, because scaffolding installed before this year’s fire is threatening the vaults of the Gothic monument.
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Counterculture Hero Baba Ram Dass Dies at 88
Baba Ram Dass, the 1960s counterculture spiritual leader who took LSD and traveled to India in quest of enlightenment, returning to share it with Americans, has died. He was 88.
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JK Rowling Slammed for Transgender Comments
“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling is facing widespread criticism from the transgender community and other activists after tweeting support for a researcher who lost her job for stating that people cannot change their biological sex.
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E-Book Resales Run Afoul of Copyright Law, EU Court Rules
E-books are not physical objects and therefore cannot be resold in Europe without the consent of the author, the European Court of Justice held Thursday.
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