Latest news with #Rome
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Erotic mosaic stolen by Nazi captain in second world war returned to Pompeii
An erotic mosaic panel stolen from Pompeii by a German Nazi captain during the second world war has been returned to the site of the ancient Roman ruins. The relic, which depicts a pair of lovers and dates from between the middle of the last century BC and the first century AD, had been among the heirlooms of a deceased German citizen who received the mosaic as a gift from a Wehrmacht captain responsible for the German military supply chain in Italy during the war. The presence of the mosaic in Germany only came to light after the relatives of the deceased contacted Italy's Carabinieri cultural heritage protection squad in Rome and asked how to return it to the Italian state. After the unit established the authenticity of the artwork, which is thought to have adorned the floor of a bedroom in a Pompeii home, its repatriation was arranged by the Italian consulate in Stuttgart. The mosaic will temporarily be kept at the Pompeii Antiquarium, a museum that houses relics found during excavations at the site, pending further studies. 'Every looted artefact that returns is a wound that heals, so we express our gratitude to the protection unit for the work they have done,' said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii archaeological park. 'The wound lies not so much in the material value of the work but in its historical value, a value that is severely compromised by the illicit trafficking of antiquities.' The exact provenance of the mosaic is unknown and may never be known, added Zuchtriegel. 'But we will conduct further studies and archaeometric analyses to ascertain its authenticity and to reconstruct is history to the extent possible.' Since its establishment in 1969, the specialist police squad has retrieved more than 3m artworks and relics stolen from Italian cultural sites. In 2021, six fragments of wall frescoes looted from the ruins of ancient Roman villas in Stabiae, a historical site close to the main Pompeii archaeological park, were returned. The relics had been taken in illegal excavations in the 1970s and exported. They were traced during a broader investigation into the illicit trafficking of archaeological objects in 2020 and discovered to have been bought by American, Swiss and English antique dealers in the 1990s. There have also been several cases of tourists stealing relics from Pompeii, only to repent after many years and return the items alongside a letter of apology. In 2020, a Canadian woman sent back pilfered Pompeii fragments, claiming the items were cursed and had caused her years of bad luck. Pompeii was buried in volcanic ash after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79 and lay buried until the 16th century.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Christian Bale poses with BOTH his kids in rare family photo with wife Sibi
Christian Bale and his wife Sandra 'Sibi' Blažić have protectively shielded their two children from the spotlight, since the birth of their daughter back in 2005. Although the Hollywood couple are rarely seen out together, apart from the occasional red carpet, the actor, 51, and spouse, 55, made a rare exception while attending the Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Moda couture show and dinner on Monday. While dressed in coordinating all-black ensembles, Bale, Blažić and their children Emmeline 'Luka', 20, and Joseph, 10, smiled for a photo with designer Domenico Dolce. The group were pictured at the Fori Imperiali, Via Sacra site in Rome, Italy. For the occasion, Luka, who walked the Alta Moda runway back in 2021, wore a black, sleeveless slip dress and her blonde locks in a sleek bun. Her mom rocked a similar ensemble with lace sleeves and a long cross necklace. Bale, who shaved his head for his role in The Bride earlier this year, looked handsome in a black tailored suit. While arriving to the fashion show earlier in the day, the Batman held onto his wife's hand as their youngest walked by their side. The lovebirds famously met through actress Winona Ryder while she and Bale were working on Little Women in 1994 and Sibi was Winona's assistant at the time. The two hit it if off, eloped to Las Vegas in 2000. Sibi has received two SAG Award nominations for performing on the stunt teams of the two-time Golden Globe winner's films Ford v Ferrari (2019) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Their daughter portrayed Infinity Conez Vendor in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Le Mans Flower Girl in Ford v Ferrari (2019) thanks to the connections of her darling daddy. Last year, reports surfaced that Bale was working on building a village to house siblings being fostered so they don't get separated by the system. Bale, 50, has been working on his California village since the birth of his daughter in 2005 when he was 'stunned and mad' to discover how many children were in care in the state. The actor, who had is big break at age 12 in Empire of the Sun, plans to build 12 houses and two studio apartments and a 7,000-square-foot community center. Bale intends for the two studio apartments to help foster children transition into independent living as they age into adulthood. Famous for his roles in American Psycho and Christopher Nolan's Batman series, Bale plans to complete the construction of his community by 2025. The project has an estimated cost of $22 million and is situated next to a park in Palmdale, around 60 miles away from Los Angeles. Bale is the co-founder of an organization called Together California, which is coordinating the development. The organization's project is being developed under the leadership of executive director Tim McCormick and Bale's co-founder, UCLA's Dr. Eric Esrailian. He called the village, which is the first of its kind in the state, 'something absolutely new, totally transformative and something completely needed.' At an event in Antelope Valley yesterday, Bale stood with his wife, Sibi, and a group of elected officials and tight-knit supporters to break ground on the plan. He presented the blueprint of the project, which has a single aim - to keep siblings in the foster system together under one roof. 'Imagine the absolute pain and the trauma of losing your parents or being torn from your parents, and then losing your brothers and sisters on top of that, that's no way to treat kids,' Bale said at the event. 'And so, we will be the hub for that. I hope that this village will be the first of many, and I hope that people, Californians and Angelenos, know to come join us in opening our eyes to what's happening right under our noses. 'These are our children, and we must help our children.' The Oscar winner was technically born in Haverfordwest, Wales, but he became a naturalized US citizen in 2014, and he's lived in LA as far back as 1992. Christian first found fame at age 13 starring as British upper middle class schoolboy James 'Jim' Graham who's locked up in a Chinese internment camp in Steven Spielberg's 1987 war film, Empire of the Sun.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Actress, 73, Stuns in Flowing Black Tunic
Legendary Actress, 73, Stuns in Flowing Black Tunic originally appeared on Parade. Isabella Rossellini is flowing into Rome in style. The legendary model and film actress, 73, who recently made waves with her incredible role in Conclave, was spotted outside the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda fashion show at Foro Romano in Rome wearing a flowing black tunic adorned with beautiful gemstones. The daughter of Ingrid Bergman and RobertoRossellini, Rossellini's trademark dark hair featured platinum streaks. As always, she paired it with a deep red lip. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 While the iconic stunner is known for her work in front of the camera, many people are unfamiliar with her work as an animal behaviorist. For over 20 years, Rossellini has raised future service dogs that will go on to assist people ranging from veterans with PTSD to those living with a visual impairment, PEOPLE previously reported. "I always had dogs, cats, hamsters, and little birds," Rossellini told PEOPLE. "As I grew older, and I was working less as a model and actress, I went back to university and finished my Masters in Ethology, which is the science of animal behavior." You'll find a variety of pups at Rossellini's house, in addition to the dog Rossellini looks after for the Guide Dog Foundation. There's Darcy, who is trained as an acrobat, and Pinocchio, a rescue dog Rossellini found on the street, the piece Actress, 73, Stuns in Flowing Black Tunic first appeared on Parade on Jul 15, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Vogue
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Dakota Johnson Sees Your Boat and Tote—and Raises You a Personalized Celine Bag
After embracing boho beachwear on a trip to Ibiza, Dakota Johnson has headed straight to Rome, where she traded her bikinis for summer-in-the-city staples as part of her European jaunt. Today, the actor swanned around the Italian capital dressed in a cropped black racer back tank top and a white ankle-length skirt. Always an expert accessorizer, Johnson elevated her neutral look with some extra flourishes. It seems that she—like Margot Robbie—can't get enough of her Alaïa mesh flats, which she also wore for a Spanish seaside excursion earlier this month. Photo: Backgrid She added a touch of glamour with her jewelry—including a one-of-a-kind gold and emerald lariat necklace from New York jeweler Ophelia Eve—and a pair of gold-embellished cat-eye sunglasses. The actor clearly holds an affinity for one-of-one pieces, as evidenced by her bag. She carried a Celine Triomphe clutch monogrammed with her name in a cursive script. While the monogrammed L.L. Bean Boat and Tote is perfect for a beach day, Dakota Johnson's zip-up crossbody is far more appropriate for a day spent strolling around Rome. And—let's be honest—it's pretty fabulous, too.
Al Mayadeen
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
EU advances Ukraine membership talks, EU President says
Ukraine is moving closer to full membership in the European Union, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Kiev is ready to open the first negotiating cluster of the accession process. Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome on Thursday, von der Leyen stated, "Ukraine stands ready to proceed with the next step on the accession path. Ukraine is delivering on its reforms, now we must too. Because the accession process is based on merit and Ukraine merits moving forward. The Commission is very clear: Ukraine is ready to open Cluster 1, the Fundamentals cluster." Cluster 1, which focuses on core EU values including the rule of law, democratic governance, judicial reform, and public administration, is widely considered the most politically significant of the six clusters in the EU accession framework. The Commission's endorsement follows the successful completion of screening for Clusters 1, 2 (Internal Market), and 6 (External Relations), suggesting a broader momentum behind Ukraine's integration path. Ukraine submitted its EU membership application in February 2022, shortly after the start of the Russian special military operation, and received candidate status just four months later. Accession negotiations formally opened in June 2024. The process, though long and technically demanding, has moved at an unusually rapid pace due to the geopolitical urgency and Ukraine's demonstrated reform progress. Ukraine's pro-EU orientation was constitutionally enshrined in 2019, affirming both EU and NATO membership as strategic national goals. That commitment has only deepened in the wake of the war. Still, Ukraine's progress is facing political resistance from within the Union. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a vocal critic of EU support for Kiev, reiterated his opposition on July 1: "Ukraine should not join the EU through an accelerated procedure, given that Montenegro had been waiting for 15 years to access the bloc." Orbán has invoked a recent Hungarian referendum and suggested that Ukraine's accession could draw Europe deeper into conflict. Read more: EU military spending hits critical economic limit, Russia warns Despite internal divisions, EU officials and several member states are determined to move forward. Denmark, which assumed the EU Council presidency this month, has pledged to prioritize Ukraine's membership talks and explore procedural solutions to circumvent veto threats. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has outlined a plan to open up to three clusters by mid-2025 and the remainder by the end of the year. Russia, for its part, has consistently warned against Ukraine's NATO ambitions but has taken a more measured stance on EU membership. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that while EU integration is Ukraine's sovereign choice, the militarization of that relationship would be unacceptable. Former President Dmitry Medvedev went further, describing the EU as an "enemy" and warning that Ukraine's accession poses real dangers to Russia's security. As the EU presses forward, critics argue it is ignoring the broader regional consequences of inflaming tensions and undermining the prospect for peace.
