London’s Old Vic Theatre said Thursday it has received 20 allegations of inappropriate behavior by its former artistic director Kevin Spacey, and acknowledged that a “cult of personality” around the Hollywood star had made it difficult for the alleged victims to come forward.

The London theater launched an investigation into Spacey last month after claims of sexual harassment emerged in the United States. Spacey, 58, led the Old Vic between 2004 and 2015.

The Old Vic said it had received 20 allegations of “a range of inappropriate behavior,” from actions that made people feel uncomfortable to “sexually inappropriate” touching.

All the alleged victims are young men, none under 18 years old. The reported incidents took place between 1995 and 2013, many of them at the Old Vic, and all but four of the alleged victims are former staff of the theater.

In all but one case the complainants say they did not report them at the time. One man says he reported an incident to his manager, who did not act on the information.

The Old Vic said it had encouraged 14 of the complainants to go to police, but could not confirm whether any had done so.

The theater said Spacey’s “star power” contributed to an atmosphere in which staff “did not feel confident that the Old Vic would take those allegations seriously, given who he was.”

“During his tenure, The Old Vic was in a unique position of having a Hollywood star at the helm around whom existed a cult of personality,” the theater said in a statement. “The investigation found that his stardom and status at The Old Vic may have prevented people, and in particular junior staff or young actors, from feeling that they could speak up or raise a hand for help.”

A two-time Academy Award winner, Spacey is one of the biggest names to lose work and standing in Hollywood since The New York Times and The New Yorker detailed sexual harassment and abuse allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein earlier this year. The reports sparked a wave of abuse and harassment allegations to surface across the industry.

Spacey has been fired from the Netflix TV series “House of Cards,” dropped by his talent agency and publicist and is being cut out of Ridley Scott’s finished film “All the Money in the World,” replaced by Christopher Plummer.

The Old Vic appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to investigate in October, as reports and rumors circulated about Spacey’s behavior while he was at the helm of the 200-year-old theater company.

Richard Miskella, a partner at Lewis Silkin who led the investigation, said the firm invited Spacey to participate in the investigation “and he didn’t respond.”

Miskella said he found no evidence that suspicion about Spacey’s behavior was common at the Old Vic. He said the company’s board of trustees was “completely shocked” by the allegations.

“There wasn’t widespread knowledge of this,” Miskella said. “Pockets of the business knew, and it didn’t get escalated.”

The Old Vic promised to improve, and said it would appoint “guardians” whom staff could contact with concerns.

Old Vic executive director Kate Varah said this was “a really dismaying time” for the theater and apologized to the victims.

“We have not slept since this came out,” she said.
…

The United States admitted close to 100,000 refugees and asylees into the country in the last fiscal year. Compared with other immigrants, refugees and asylees often need more assistance making a fresh start in the country. In Brooklyn, New York, a local restaurant is lending a helping hand in a very practical and delicious way. VOA’s Ye Yuan has more.
…

If he could travel back in time, Alejandro Sanz says he would stop and enjoy the moment when his career started taking off two decades ago.

“Maybe I would ask life for a little more consciousness during those years so I could have realized all the things that I was living without thinking about what was going to happen the next day, to live more in the moment,” Sanz said in a recent phone interview with The Associated Press.

“There is no way to stop time, but there’s a way for time to travel by your side and not always ahead of you.”

Sanz has a chance this week to savor a special moment: He’s being honored as Person of the Year at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas. A concert was scheduled Wednesday night where David Bisbal, Camila Cabello, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra, Jesse & Joy, Juanes, Mon Laferte and other Latin stars were to sing versions of his biggest hits.

On Thursday night at the 18th Latin Grammys, he was expected to go onstage to accept the honor. The show was to air on Univision (8 p.m.-11 p.m. Eastern).

Sanz, who is celebrating two decades since the “Mas” album launched him to international stardom, was named the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year 2017 for his achievements in music and his philanthropic contributions to organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Greenpeace.

“To me it is very nice to have this little milestone, because it recognizes the career but also the relevance and your commitment with society,” he said with evident excitement.

Sanz made his debut in 1991 with “Viviendo Deprisa.” He has sold more than 25 million records and has collaborated with stars such as Alicia Keys, Shakira, Destiny’s Child, Juanes, Marc Anthony and Tony Bennett. All 15 of his CDs have gone multiplatinum in Spain, Latin America or the United States. In December he’s releasing “+Es+,” a CD/DVD of the concert he gave last summer at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid for the 20th anniversary of “Mas.”

Sanz says he’s been receiving “a lot of love” since it was announced that he was selected Person of the Year.

Everybody insists that this is the most important Grammy … because it doesn’t go to one album or one song but to one artist, who is selected unanimously. So this is very beautiful, really,” he said.
…

Pakistan unveiled the remains of a 1,700-year-old sleeping Buddha image on Wednesday, part of an initiative to encourage tourism and project religious harmony in a region roiled by Islamist militancy.

A reflection of the diverse history and culture of the South Asian country, the ancient Buddhist site in Bhamala province was first discovered in 1929. Eighty-eight years on, excavations resumed and the 14-metre-(48-foot)-high Kanjur stone Buddha image was unearthed, and opposition leader Imran Kahn presided over Wednesday’s presentation.

“This is from the 3rd century AD, making it the world’s oldest sleeping Buddha remains,” Abdul Samad, director of Bhamla’s archaeology and museums department, told Reuters.

“We have discovered over 500 Buddha objects and this 48-foot-long sleeping Buddha remains,” he added.

Khan said: “It’s a question of preserving these heritage sites which are an asset for our country.”

The region was once the center of Buddhist civilization that took root under the Mauryan king Ashoka 2,300 years ago.

The presentation of the Buddha image coincided with a lockdown of major highways around the nation’s capital to contain a rightist protest against a perceived slight to Islam by members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Minority communities in Pakistan are often targeted by right-wing groups and successive governments have in the past been reluctant to embrace the country’s non-Muslim heritage.

But recent attempts to improve Pakistan’s image have included overtures to minority communities by the PML-N.

In January, then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the restoration of Hindu temples at Katas Raj in Punjab province.

Considered a conservative figure, Khan has stressed dialogue with Islamist hardliners including the Taliban but on Wednesday said the preservation of sites like Bhamala could promote religious tourism.

“It’s a world heritage site (and) because of it people can come for religious tourism and see these places,” he said.

Khan dismissed the protesters in Islamabad, seeking to project a more tolerant image of Pakistan. “It’s a very small part of what is happening in Pakistan. The majority of the population wants to see such (Buddhist) sites restored.”

Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party is hoping to make big gains at the 2018 elections as the PML-N has been increasingly embroiled in corruption investigations.

Sharif resigned as prime minister in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him for not declaring a source of income and faces trial before an anti-corruption court.
…

Egypt opened an exhibition on Wednesday to display previously unseen treasures from King Tutankhamun’s famed tomb.

At least 55 pieces of fabric decorated with gold that were found in the tomb of the pharaoh, better known as King Tut, will be exhibited in public for the first time since its discovery in 1922, said German conservator Christian Eckmann.

He said the pieces had been kept in storage at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo for some 95 years, without being restored or scientifically examined.

He said the artifacts attest to the network of social and cultural connections which have characterized the eastern Mediterranean going back to antiquity.

“Those pieces are connected to the chariots of Tutankhamun,” he said. “They were unfortunately in a very bad state of condition.”

Some depict traditional Egyptian motifs, while others feature designs that were widespread throughout the eastern Mediterranean in the second millennium B.C., he said.

Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anani inaugurated the exhibition to mark the 115th anniversary of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s near-intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The king’s mummified body was in a golden coffin surrounded by precious goods.

Tutankhamun ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. The discovery of the tomb made him Egypt’s most famous pharaoh, and inspired a wave of interest in the country’s ancient civilization.
…

A painting thought by scholars to be one of only a few by Leonardo da Vinci to have survived the half-millennium since the artist’s death is set to be auctioned Wednesday in New York, where it is guaranteed to sell for at least $100 million.

Art lovers have lined up by the thousands at special presale exhibitions in Hong Kong, San Francisco, London and New York to see the only work by the Renaissance master in private hands.

The 500-year-old oil painting depicting Christ holding a crystal orb, called “Salvator Mundi” or “Savior of the World,” is one of fewer than 20 paintings by Leonardo da Vinci known to exist, according to Christie’s, the auction house conducting the sale.

“I can hardly convey how exciting it is for those of us directly involved in its sale,” said Christie’s specialist Alan Wintermute. “The word ‘masterpiece’ barely begins to convey the rarity, importance and sublime beauty of Leonardo’s painting.”

Wintermute called it “the Holy Grail of old master paintings.” A backer of the auction has guaranteed a bid of at least $100 million (85 million euros). Experts have said it might be worth more, except for its generally poor state of preservation and lingering questions about its authenticity.

The 26-inch (66-centimeter) painting dates from around 1500 and shows Christ dressed in Renaissance-style robes, his right hand raised in blessing as his left hand holds a crystal sphere.

The painting’s history is as mysterious as Jesus’ enigmatic gaze, which invites comparison to a better-known Leonardo work, the “Mona Lisa.”

“Salvator Mundi” was owned by King Charles I of England in the mid-1600s and was auctioned by the son of the Duke of Buckingham in 1763.

It then disappeared from view until 1900, when it resurfaced and was acquired by a British collector. At the time, it was thought to be a work of a Leonardo disciple, rather than the master himself.

The painting was sold again in 1958 and then acquired in 2005, badly damaged and partly painted-over, by a consortium of art dealers who paid less than $10,000.

They restored the painting extensively and documented its authenticity as a work by Leonardo. The work’s current owner is Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, who bought it in 2013 for $127.5 million in a private sale that became the subject of a continuing lawsuit.

Christie’s says a majority of scholars believe it is a work by Leonardo, though some have questioned that determination while others have said it was so extensively restored that it is probably more akin to a copy than an original.

In New York, where no museum owns a Leonardo, art lovers lined up outside Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters on Tuesday to view “Salvator Mundi.”

Inside, Christ’s face seemed to light up the darkened gallery.

Svetla Nikolova, who is from Bulgaria but lives in New York now, called the painting “spectacular.”

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said. “It should be seen. It’s wonderful it’s in New York. I’m so lucky to be in New York at this time.”

Una Dora Copley, an artist herself, said “Salvator Mundi” was worth the hour-plus wait. “I won’t be thinking of the line,” Copley said. “I’ll just be thinking of the beautiful painting.”

The auction begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
…

The Puerto Rican rapper, who leads nominations with nine nods for his first solo album post-Calle 13 — including album, record and song of the year — admits that he felt pressured to do “something huge and great” after spending a decade with the most decorated act in the history of the Latin Grammys.

“I was very precise with every sound, with every word, with the videos, with the page. I learned a lot with this (project) and now I just wanna do some music and be relaxed, and that’s what I’m making now,” Residente said in a recent interview in New York, where he lives.

“It means a lot,” he said of the nominations. “For any artist it’s difficult to go by himself after working with (a group like) Calle 13, … so in that sense it was great for me.”

“Residente,” which came out March 31, includes 13 songs that he wrote and recorded over two years traveling around to where his ancestors hailed according to a DNA test. He started in the Russian province of Siberia, and also visited China, the Caucasus and West Africa, among other regions. He also directed a self-titled documentary on the making of the album, as well as the music videos for “Somos Anormales,” “Guerra” and “Desencuentro,” the latter of which is also nominated.

“This project was something really personal,” said the artist, born Rene Perez. “I wanted to make something huge and great for me to feel good, you know. And now that I did it, I feel that I can do really whatever I feel. … I feel more free.”

As with the music he used to make with his brother Eduardo Cabra — Calle 13’s Visitante — the album “Residente” is so eclectic that it landed him nominations in genres that include urban, alternative and tropical music.

Asked if any of the nominated pieces had a special meaning to him, he mentioned “Hijos del Cañaveral,” a best tropical song contender he wrote for Puerto Rico. But he also confided that the most special song for him on the album is one that he wrote for his son Milo, a piece he decided not to submit.

“I didn’t want to nominate this song because is for my son; I don’t know, I didn’t wanna use it for that. But I think ‘Milo’ is one of the most special songs I have in the album,” he said. “Is a great song and the music is super nice. … I made it in Africa and you can feel that I’m feeling it also while I’m singing. I like that song.”

Residente is going to perform at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas, but he didn’t want to reveal what he was doing.

“I just wanna do my best and I wanna enjoy it too. For me that’s the most important thing, to perform there and to bring something different to the table.”

The Latin Grammys air Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on Univision.
…

A former Argentine lawyer for a government-run soccer television program ran in front of a Buenos Aires train and committed suicide late Tuesday, hours after being accused in a New York court of receiving bribes, police said.

Jorge Delhon, attorney for the Futbol Para Todos (Soccer for All) program, received bribes from the end of 2011 to 2014, according to testimony by the former head of sports marketing company Torneos y Competencias, Alejandro Burzaco, as recorded in a court transcript seen by Reuters.

The driver of the train told police a man later identified as Delhon, 50, ran along the tracks in Lanus, Buenos Aires, the local police department said in a statement that called the death a suicide. The driver honked and tried to brake but the man was run over, the statement said.

Reuters was unable to reach Delhon’s family for comment or to independently confirm the death was a suicide.

Javier Saldias, a fellow former lawyer for Futbol Para Todos who told Reuters he was a friend of Delhon, said Delhon was “a model father. He loved his family.”

Paid for TV rights

Burzaco testified during a U.S. corruption trial of three former soccer officials that major media companies had paid bribes to secure television rights for soccer matches. The testimony came during the first trial to emerge from the U.S. investigation of bribery surrounding FIFA, soccer’s world governing body.

In his testimony in a Brooklyn federal court, Burzaco described bribes paid to several international soccer officials, including Julio Humberto Grondona, a former Argentine Football Association president and FIFA executive, who died in 2014.

Soccer for All, a free-to-view program created by Argentina’s former President Cristina Fernandez, brought top-flight matches into the households of a soccer-obsessed country and was emblematic of her populist policymaking.

Center-right President Mauricio Macri, a former chairman of top club Boca Juniors who took office in December 2015, made a deal with the local soccer association to rescind the contract as he moved to cut government subsidies.

In March, divisions of U.S. media companies Twenty-First Century Fox and Time Warner won a joint contract to broadcast Argentine soccer matches for five years beginning next season.
…