BERLIN (AFP) ― German authorities said Tuesday that they would order the return of several paintings to a recluse accused of hoarding hundreds of priceless artworks stolen by the Nazis.The chief prosecutor in the southern city of Augsburg, who is investigating 80-year-old Cornelius Gurlitt on charges including tax evasion, acknowledged that some of the more than 1,400 works confiscated from his home in February 2012 clearly belonged to him.“It is of key importance that works taken in connection

Korean designers discuss President Park’s two major looks -- pantsuits and hanbok

A special concert featuring the Korean folk song “Arirang” in 10 different languages will be held in Seoul next month. Hosted by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, the folk song will be performed by the school’s student choir, HUFS Choir. The event was organized to celebrate the first anniversary of the song’s registration on the UNESCO Intangible World Cultural Heritage list.The choir is scheduled to sing “Arirang” in English, Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Ara

NEW YORK (AP) ― The stars were out in force on Broadway ― and they were frantic.The coffee-fueled benefit performance of “The 24 Hour Plays” was held Monday at the American Airlines Theatre, an annual event in which two dozen actors ― this time including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, James McAvoy, Jason Biggs and Zachary Levi ― teamed up with six writers and six directors to write and rehearse a half-dozen plays over a single day. The six playwrights include David Lindsay-Abaire, Jonathan Marc Sherman,

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Andy Warhol’s artwork has always grabbed attention and sparked discussion, but one of his portraits of Farrah Fawcett is about to receive scrutiny of a different kind in a Los Angeles courtroom.The case centers on a relatively simple question: does one of Warhol’s depictions of Fawcett belong to her longtime lover, Ryan O’Neal, or should it join its twin at her alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin? To decide the case, jurors will hear testimony and see evidence focuse

MEDELLIN, Colombia (AFP) ― More than two dozen sculptures by Fernando Botero are being restored in the Colombian city of Medellin, the renowned artist’s hometown.Situated in parks or along streets, the 27 works of amply proportioned people and animals are showing signs of weather damage and vandalism.Chewing gum, graffiti, dents and scratches mar the lustrous patinas of the Colombian master’s giant bronzes.But Maria Adelaida Bohorquez, a restorer at the Museo de Antioquia, the institution that o

MOSCOW (AFP) ― Russia’s legendary Bolshoi ballet was embroiled in a new scandal Wednesday after an American ballerina accused the theatre of demanding $10,000 to allow her to dance solos.Texan Joy Womack, 19, a young dancer hired last year after graduating from Bolshoi’s dancing school, said in an interview with the Izvestia daily that she dreamt of solo roles only to be told she would have to pay a bribe in order to perform.“I found out that I have to pay $10,000 for variations, to perform in o