JEDDAH: “Despacito” star Zuleyka Rivera is no stranger to going viral on the Internet. The Miss Universe 2006 who starred in the most viewed YouTube video ever is in the news again as photos from her visit last year to Egypt have become a hit on social media, according to the news portal Bitajarod.
The pictures circulating on social media show Rivera visiting several destinations in Egypt, including the Great Pyramid and Sphinx, Abu Simble Temple, and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, in an attempt to promote and revive Egyptian tourism. There were also photos of Aswan and Luxor streets, and others from the inside of the Mohammed Ali Mosque. Rivera was also spotted on a horse and a camel in front of the Pyramids.
It is clear that Rivera’s photos during the visit were taken by a professional photographer.
At the age of 18, the Puerto Rican model won the coveted title of Miss Universe 2006, and went on to study acting in New York City, eventually nabbing roles in popular Mexican soap operas. She now hosts Spanish-language daytime talk shows “Un Nuevo Dia” (Telemundo) and “Despierta America” (Univision).
Rivera was also in the news lately after confessing in an interview that she too has been the victim of sexual harassment. “That’s why I left a specific country that I’m not going to name,” she said when asked about recent sexual misconduct scandals that have rocked Hollywood. “I left because I believe in me, in my talent, as far as I have come and what I have coming.”
‘Despacito’ girl Zuleyka Rivera’s Egypt photos go viral
‘Despacito’ girl Zuleyka Rivera’s Egypt photos go viral
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
