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Russia halts London art display
Russian authorities have halted a major London exhibition of French and Russian art over claims Britain has failed to guarantee the paintings' return.
Russia's culture agency said the show could not go ahead unless the British government took further steps to ensure legal protection for the paintings. British Culture Secretary James Purnell told BBC Radio 4 he would push through legislation offering better guarantees.
The exhibition had been due to open at the Royal Academy of Arts in January. Some of the art of the From Russia: French and Russian Master Paintings exhibition had been taken from private collections after the 1917 revolution.
It is thought some of the 120 works of art - which include paintings by Matisse and Van Gogh and other renowned Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works - could be seized to settle private legal claims related to the paintings.
Purnell said he had assured Russia in a letter earlier this month that the artworks were protected under the State Immunity Act of 1978. But Russia's Federal Culture and Cinematography Agency, Roskultura, said it had not
Las Vegas: Jackson family memorabilia auction
On the first day of a two-day auction of Jackson family at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, memorabilia brought in about half a million dollars, according to the president of Guernsey's auction house.
Arlan Ettinger said one of the priciest items sold was a black, military-style coat with an "M" crest that belonged to Michael Jackson. It fetched 24,000 U.S. dollars, he said. The auction, which wraps up late Thursday, displayed more than 1,100 lots, mostly costumes, documents, awards and other memorabilia. Several awards sold for similar amounts, including gold and platinum albums presented to the Jacksons for sales of "We Are the World," recorded by a group of artists known as USA for Africa. The set sold for 20,000 dollars.
Harry Potter theme park to open in 2009
A Harry Potter theme park is set to open in Universal's Islands of Adventure Theme Park in late 2009, complete with the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village, announced Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts Thursday.
Williams said the Harry Potter attraction would be like "a theme park within a theme park" spanning about 20 acres of Islands of Adventures' 85 total acres. "Warner Bros., J.K. Rowling, Universal: We're all completely committed," he said. "We're committed financially; we're committed intellectually to deliver a product that exceeds expectations."
