Heritage

Chess World Grieves Loss of US Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky

The chess world has been plunged into mourning following the sudden death of prominent US grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, aged 29. Governing body the International Chess Federation (FIDE) remembered Naroditsky, who was also a chess commentator and streamer, as someone "whose influence extended far beyond the chessboard." Fellow grandmaster and ...

Legendary Hollywood Illustrator Drew Struzan Dies at 78

Hollywood illustrator Drew Struzan, the man behind legendary film posters for hit films such as E.T., Star Wars and Indiana Jones, has died at the age of 78, prompting a flood of tributes. Struzan was a favorite of directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and his drawing style came to symbolize the posters of Hollywood's late 1970s and 1980s ...

From Paris to Lagos: Exhibition Celebrates Fela Kuti’s Musical Legacy

The "King of Afrobeat", "Black President", activist and legendary musician Fela Kuti has returned to his hometown and Nigeria's cultural capital Lagos through a landmark exhibition that celebrates his life and legacy and opens Monday. The Afrobeat Rebellion exhibition, organized by the French Embassy and the Kuti family, builds on one held in ...

Hollywood Mourns Icon Diane Keaton After Her Passing at 79

Fellow actors and directors who worked with Diane Keaton recalled her life and work after the family of the American actor announced her death Saturday. Keaton, who was 79, appeared in eight Woody Allen movies, winning an Oscar for her role in Annie Hall, and also starred in The Godfather films. Woody Allen ‘upset’ Woody Allen, 89, “is ...

Diane Keaton, Hollywood Legend and Woody Allen’s Muse, Dies at 79

American actress Diane Keaton, who won an Oscar in 1978 for her role in Annie Hall, has died in California at the age of 79, a family spokesperson told People magazine on Saturday. No further details about the circumstances of her death were immediately released, the magazine said. Diane Keaton made her Hollywood debut in 1970 with Lovers and ...

Italian Luxury Faces Turmoil as Armani Era Closes

The first Milan Fashion Week without Giorgio Armani marks the end of an era in Italian luxury, at a time when houses across the sector are already in transition. After defending his independence throughout his life, the legendary designer, who died this month aged 91, entrusted his heirs with the task of selling his group. He cited French ...

Ivory Coast Launches Major Art Space in Historic Coastal Town

A new contemporary art museum has opened in Ivory Coast's UNESCO-listed beachside town of Grand-Bassam in a building that is a remnant of its colonial past. Twenty-eight artists from nine African countries feature in the inaugural exhibition of paintings, sculpture, photography and design at La Maison de l'art (The House of Art). The former post ...

From Survival to Revival: The World’s Last Beetling Mill Eyes a Bright Future

The noise is deafening and the work can be lonely, but to William Smyth, who toils in the world's last commercial linen "beetling" mill, his job is unique. "There's nothing modern about it, I'm doing the same now as they were doing 100 years and more ago," said Smyth, 59, at the mill in Northern Ireland in a village some 45 miles (70 kilometers) ...

France Confirms Loan of Bayeux Tapestry to British Museum Amid Conservation Concerns

French President Emmanuel Macron's office stressed Monday that the planned loan of the nearly 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry to Britain next year was a surmountable challenge following expert outcry over the diplomatic gesture. Several heritage advisors have argued that the extremely fragile 11th-century masterpiece depicting the Norman conquest ...

Notre-Dame’s Twin Towers Reopen: A New Chapter in Parisian Heritage

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday reopened the two great medieval towers of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris for public visits, one of the final steps in its immense reconstruction following a devastating fire. The inauguration of the restored towers by Macron, who has spearheaded reconstruction efforts since the April 15, 2019 fire, ...

Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh’s Gold Bracelet Melted, Sold Cheaply

Egyptian police said on Thursday they arrested a museum employee and three alleged accomplices after a priceless ancient gold bracelet was stolen from Cairo's Egyptian Museum, sold for about $4,000, and then melted down. The 3,000-year-old bracelet, a gold band adorned with lapis lazuli beads, dated back to the reign of Amenemope, a pharaoh of ...

Sagrada Familia to Complete Tallest Tower by 2026 for Gaudí Centenary

Barcelona's Sagrada Familia basilica expects to complete its tallest tower in time for the 2026 centenary of the death of its architect Antoni Gaudi, organizers said on Thursday. The construction board has invited Pope Leo XIV to preside over a solemn mass on June 10, marking 100 years since the architect's death after being struck by a ...