Billionaire returns US$70m in antiquities

A prominent United States art collector and billionaire philanthropist has returned 180 works of art and antiquities stolen from around the world — some from ancient Greece — that are estimated to be worth $70 million, Justice Department officials said on Monday. The move, announced by Manhattan attorney-general Cyrus Vance’s office, allows 80year-old Michael Steinhardt to avoid indictment and trial for the time being, but bans him for life from acquiring antiques on the legal art market.