CAIRO: Egypt is trying to halt an auction of a 3,000-year-old stone sculpture of the famed boy pharaoh Tutankhamun at Christie’s in London.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement late on Monday saying Egypt demands the auction house provide documents proving the artifact’s ownership. It says Egypt has also reached out to British authorities and the UN culture and education agency to stop the sale.
Christie’s didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The statue — a brown quartzite head depicting King Tut — is scheduled to be auctioned off in July and could generate more than $5 million.
King Tut ruled Egypt from 1332 to 1323 B.C. His tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter in Luxor.
Egypt is trying to bring home antiquities it considers state property.
Egypt demands Christie’s halt auction of King Tut statue
Egypt demands Christie’s halt auction of King Tut statue
Malala Yousafzai vows support for Gaza after backlash over Broadway musical
- Yousafzai was criticized in Pakistan for co-producing a play with Hillary Clinton who supports Israel’s Gaza campaign
- The Nobel laureate says ‘we do not need to see more dead bodies’ to understand the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza
LAHORE: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on Thursday condemned Israel and reaffirmed her support for Palestinians in Gaza, after a backlash in her native Pakistan over a Broadway musical she co-produced with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Yousafzai, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, has been condemned by some for partnering with Clinton, an outspoken supporter of Israel’s war against Hamas.
The musical, titled “Suffs,” depicts the American women’s suffrage campaign for the right to vote in the 20th century and has been playing in New York since last week.
“I want there to be no confusion about my support for the people of Gaza,” Yousafzai wrote on X, the former Twitter. “We do not need to see more dead bodies, bombed schools and starving children to understand that a ceasefire is urgent and necessary.”
She added: “I have and will continue to condemn the Israeli government for its violations of international law and war crimes.”
Pakistan has seen many fiercely emotional pro-Palestinian protests since the war in Gaza began last October.
Yousafzai’s “theatre collaboration with Hillary Clinton – who stands for America’s unequivocal support for genocide of Palestinians – is a huge blow to her credibility as a human rights activist,” popular Pakistani columnist Mehr Tarar wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday.
“I consider it utterly tragic.”
Whilst Clinton has backed a military campaign to remove Hamas and rejected demands for a ceasefire, she has also explicitly called for protections for Palestinian civilians.
Yousafzai has publicly condemned the civilian casualties and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The New York Times reported the 26-year-old wore a red-and-black pin to the “Suffs” premier last Thursday, signifying her support for a ceasefire.
But author and academic Nida Kirmani said on X that Yousafzai’s decision to partner with Clinton was “maddening and heartbreaking at the same time. What an utter disappointment.”
The war began with an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of around 1,170 people, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Hamas militants also abducted 250 people and Israel estimates 129 of them remain in Gaza, including 34 who the military says are dead.
Clinton served as America’s top diplomat during former president Barack Obama’s administration, which oversaw a campaign of drone strikes targeting Taliban militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan’s borderlands.
Yousafzai earned her Nobel Peace Prize after being shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban as she pushed for girls’ education as a teenager in 2012.
However, the drone war killed and maimed scores of civilians in Yousafzai’s home region, spurring more online criticism of the youngest Nobel Laureate, who earned the prize at 17.
Yousafzai is often viewed with suspicion in Pakistan, where critics accuse her of pushing a Western feminist and liberal political agenda on the conservative country.
As airplane makers struggle to meet demand, Morocco wants to become a manufacturing hub
- The North African kingdom is among a list of countries vying for contracts with plane makers looking to speed up production to meet demand
- Many companies eye Morocco as a source for comparatively cheap labor and workers with an expanding pool of skilled workers
CASABLANCA, Morocco: Moroccan officials want to turn the country into an aviation hub, luring investors aiming to spread out their supply chains to more nations with available and affordable workers.
The North African kingdom is among a longer list of countries vying for contracts with big manufacturers looking to speed up production and deliver more planes to meet demand. Companies like Boeing and Airbus — as well as the manufacturers that build their components — are outsourcing design, production and maintenance to countries from Mexico to Thailand.
In Morocco, efforts to grow the country’s $2 billion-a-year aerospace industry are part of a years-long push to transform the largely agrarian economy through subsidizing manufacturers of planes, trains and automobiles. Officials hope it dovetails with efforts to grow Moroccan airlines, including the state-owned Royal Air Maroc.
“The needs are huge and we are in a very good position,” said Hamid Abbou, the airline’s CEO. “Most of the big suppliers in Europe are struggling to get people to work in this industry. We don’t have that issue.”
Despite hopes among its cheerleaders, the air travel industry faces headwinds. When demand rebounded after much air traffic stopped during the pandemic, manufacturers faced challenges building enough planes to meet demand from airlines. For Boeing, delays caused by supply chain issues were compounded by high-profile emergencies and deadly crashes that further curtailed deliveries.
From eastern Europe to southeast Asia, new levels of demand have forced manufacturers to seek out new locations to build and repair parts.
Safran Aircraft Engines, a French manufacturer, sends engines for Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s to a repair plant outside of Casablanca every six to eight years and then sends them back to airlines from countries including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The company is among 130 in the sector active in Morocco, where parts ranging from wings to fuselages are produced in an industry that employs 42% women — a proportion that industry lobbyists say is larger than its European and North American manufacturing industry counterparts.
Though many companies eye Morocco as a source for comparatively cheap labor, the industry and government have worked to train skilled workers at IMA, an institute for aeronautics professions in Casablanca.
At an event celebrating Safran’s 25-year partnership with Royal Air Maroc, Safran CEO Jean-Paul Alary said he hoped Morocco’s aviation industry would continue to expand, particularly as industrywide demand increases and companies face labor shortages in Europe.
“It’s the access to well-qualified talent that’s been well-trained,” Alary said of Morocco. “They are the key players for achieving our goals.”
Rwanda’s Hope Hostel once housed young genocide survivors. Now it’s ready for migrants from Britain
KIGALI, Rwanda: Rwanda says it’s ready to receive migrants from the United Kingdom after British Parliament this week approved a long-stalled and controversial bill seeking to stem the tide of people crossing the English Channel in small boats by deporting some of them to the East African country.
There is even a place ready and waiting for the migrants — a refurbished Hope Hostel in the vibrant upscale neighborhood of Kagugu, an area of the Rwandan capital of Kigali that is home to many expats and several international schools.
The hostel once housed college students whose parents died in the 1994 genocide, this African nation’s most horrific period in history when an estimated 800,000 Tutsi were killed by extremist Hutu in massacres that lasted over 100 days.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged the deportation flights would begin in July but has refused to provide details or say about how many people would be deported.
Rwanda government’s deputy spokesperson Alain Mukuralinda told The Associated Press on Tuesday that authorities here have been planning for the migrants’ arrival for two years.
“Even if they arrive now or tomorrow, all arrangements are in place,” he said.
The plan was long held up in British courts and by opposition from human rights activists who say it is illegal and inhumane. It envisages deporting to Rwanda some of those who enter the UK illegally and migrant advocates have vowed to continue to fight against the plan.
The measure is also meant to be a deterrent to migrants who risk their lives in leaky, inflatable boats in hopes that they will be able to claim asylum once they reach Britain. The UK also signed a new treaty with Rwanda to beef up protections for migrants, and adopted new legislation declaring Rwanda to be a safe country.
“The Rwanda critics and the UK judges who earlier said Rwanda is not a safe country have been proven wrong,” Mukuralinda said. “Rwanda is safe.”
The management at the four-story Hope Hostel says the facility is ready and can accommodate 100 people at full capacity. The government says it will serve as a transit center and that more accommodations would be made available as needed.
Thousands of migrants arrive in Britain every year.
After they arrive from Britain, the migrants will be shown to their rooms to rest, after which they will be offered food and given some orientation points about Kigali and Rwanda, said hostel manager Ismael Bakina.
Tents will be set up within the hostel’s compound for processing their documentation and for various briefings. The site is equipped with security cameras, visible across the compound.
Within the compound are also entertainment places, a mini-soccer field, a basketball and a volleyball court as well as a red-carpeted prayer room. For those who want to light up, “there is even a smoking room,” Bakina explained.
Meals will be prepared in the hostel’s main kitchen but provisions are also being made for those who want to prepare their own meals, he said. The migrants will be free to walk outside the hostel and even visit the nearby Kigali city center.
“We will have different translators, according to (their) languages,” Bakina added, saying they include English and Arabic.
The government has said the migrants will have their papers processed within the first three months. Those who want to remain in Rwanda will be allowed to do so while authorities will also assist those who wish to return to their home countries.
While in Rwanda, migrants who obtain legal status — presumably for Britain — will also be processed, authorities have said, though it’s unclear what that means exactly.
For those who choose to stay, Mukurilinda said Rwanda’s government will bear full financial and other responsibilities for five years, after which they will be considered integrated into the society.
At that point, they can start managing on their own.
Atalanta beat 10-man Fiorentina 4-1 to reach Italian Cup final vs. Juventus
- The decisive goal by Ademola Lookman in stoppage time was initially ruled offside. Then the goal was awarded following a VAR review
- The final is scheduled for May 15 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome
BERGAMO, Italy: Atalanta advanced to the Italian Cup final with a 4-1 win over 10-man Fiorentina on Wednesday to set up a meeting with Juventus for the trophy.
The decisive goal by Ademola Lookman in stoppage time was initially ruled offside. Then the goal was awarded following a VAR review.
Teun Koopmeiners, Gianluca Scamacca and Mario Pasalic also scored for Atalanta, while Lucas Martinez Quarta scored for Fiorentina, whO had Nikola Milenkovic sent off early in the second half for a foul on Scamacca.
Atalanta advanced on 4-2 aggregate after Fiorentina won the opening leg 1-0.
Juventus eliminated Lazio on Tuesday.
The final is scheduled for May 15 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Atalanta also face Marseille in the Europa League semifinals as coach Gian Piero Gasperini — who was suspended Wednesday — chases the first trophy of his career. Atalanta eliminated Liverpool in the quarterfinals.
Atalanta’s only top-level trophy was the Italian Cup in 1963.
The aggregate was level at 2-2 when Lookman was whistled for offside after finishing off a counterattack. The crowd at the Gewiss Stadium went wild when the referee pointed to the center circle to award the goal after a video review.
Then Pasalic sealed it for Atalanta.
Earlier, Scamacca scored with an acrobatic overhead goal.
Fiorentina face Club Brugge in the Europa Conference League semifinals.
Mbappe stars in win over Lorient but PSG’s title party delayed by Monaco victory
- Defending champion PSG can clinch their record-extending 12th French league title at home on Saturday against Le Havre
- Marseille’s European hopes took a hit after a 2-2 draw with fifth-place Nice
LORIENT, France: Paris Saint-Germain will have to wait at least a few more days to try to clinch the French league title.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice and provided an assist in a 4-1 win over Lorient on Wednesday, but there were no celebrations because second-place Monaco beat Lille 1-0 later in the evening.
The lead atop the standings is 11 points with four games remaining. Defending champion PSG can clinch their record-extending 12th French league title at home on Saturday against Le Havre.
PSG remain on course for a treble of trophies in Mbappe’s final season with the club, as they will play Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semifinals and face Lyon in the French Cup final next month.
In a match between the most prolific attack and the most porous defense in the league, PSG winger Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring in the 19th minute in Lorient, a sleepy seaport in Brittany.
Mbappe doubled the lead by nonchalantly flicking a cross from Nuno Mendes into the far corner in the 22nd.
The France forward set up the third goal by dribbling past Nathaniel Adjei to square the ball back to Dembele, who tapped into an empty net.
Mbappe sealed the win in the 90th with a curler into the far corner to solidify his spot as the top scorer in the league by raising his tally to 26 goals.
“We had a good game, we were serious, we deserve the three points,” Dembele told Amazon Prime. “Now we must finish the job to be champions as quickly as possible.”
Relegation-threatened Lorient scored a consolation goal with a powerful header from Mohamed Bamba off a cross from Benjamin Mendy in the 73rd.
Gianluigi Donnarumma prevented a nervy finish by saving a low strike from Lorient substitute Panos Katseris in the 80th.
PSG coach Luis Enrique fielded a makeshift team that included academy players Senny Mayulu and Yoram Zague. Managing his players’ minutes, Luis Enrique even left Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Bradley Barcola and Warren Zaire-Emery out of the matchday squad.
PSG have only lost one league game this season, and that was in September.
Monaco won a fourth straight game to go six points clear of fourth-place Lille and move closer to an automatic Champions League spot.
France midfielder Youssouf Fofana won the ball in midfield and scored the lone goal with a low drive from the edge of the box in the 61st.
Lille trail third-place Brest by a point and still occupies the spot for the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
Also Wednesday, Marseille’s European hopes took a hit after a 2-2 draw with fifth-place Nice.
Nigeria forward Terem Moffi put Nice ahead in the 13th after goalkeeper Pau Lopez came off his line and missed the ball.
Marseille right back Jonathan Clauss leveled the game with a powerful strike from the edge of the box in the 31st.
Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave Marseille the lead with a penalty in the 56th after Mohamed-Ali Cho had fouled Leonardo Balerdi.
But Nice left back Melvin Bard equalized with a low diagonal shot in the 72nd.
Marseille leapfrogged Lyon into eighth place, five points off the last European spot.
Those three games were rescheduled to help PSG, Marseille and Lille prepare for European games.
