CAIRO: A limestone pharaonic painting has gone missing from Egypt’s famed Saqqara necropolis, becoming the latest artifact to disappear in a country known for its rich and lengthy history.
The painting was in the tomb of Khentika in the Saqqara necropolis outside Cairo, Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said Sunday. The mastaba tomb was found in the 1950s and hasn’t been opened since 2019.
Ismail’s statement said prosecutors were investigating the circumstances of the painting’s disappearance and didn’t give further details.
Egyptian media reported the painting exhibited the ancient Egyptian calendar that divided the year into three seasons mirroring the Nile River’s ebb and flow. It included the flooding season, Akhet, the planting season, Proyat, and the harvest season, Shomu.
The tomb dates to the sixth dynasty of the ancient Old Kingdom — roughly from around 2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C.
Cairo 24 news outlet reported that a British mission working in the tomb discovered the painting was missing in May.
The tomb is one of the few mastaba tombs of ancient Egypt to have a curse inscribed on its facade. The inscriptions warned intruders they could face divine punishment, according to British Egyptologist Harry James, who co-authored a research paper on the tomb in the 1950s.
The Saqqara site is part of a sprawling necropolis at Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis that includes the famed Giza Pyramids, the step pyramid of Djoser, as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of Memphis were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in the 1970s.
Sunday’s announcement came less than a month after an ancient pharaoh’s bracelet was stolen from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and melted for its gold.
The gold bracelet with a lapis lazuli bead belonged to Pharaoh Amenemope, who reigned about 3,000 years ago. It was stolen on Sep. 9 while officials at the museum were preparing artifacts for an exhibit in Italy. Authorities said it was taken from a restoration lab at the museum and funneled through a chain of dealers before being melted down.
A limestone pharaonic painting vanishes from the famed Saqqara necropolis in Egypt
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A limestone pharaonic painting vanishes from the famed Saqqara necropolis in Egypt
- The painting was in the tomb of Khentika in the Saqqara necropolis outside Cairo
- Prosecutors were investigating the circumstances of the painting’s disappearance
Thai coffee chains cut default sugar content in coffee and tea drinks in a new health push
- The Health Department says Thais consume 21 teaspoons of sugar daily, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended six teaspoons
- Officials warn this increases obesity and diabetes risks. A survey found iced coffee and bubble tea contain high sugar levels
BANGKOK: For many Thais, a meal doesn’t feel complete without an iced coffee or tea so sugary it could pass for dessert. The government, concerned about the health consequences, wants them to dial it back.
Starting Wednesday, nine major coffee chains across the country have pledged to cut the default sugar content in some of their drinks by half in a government initiative aimed at tackling excessive sugar consumption.
According to the Health Department, Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar per day, more than three times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of six teaspoons. Health officials warn that such high intake increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
The initiative is the first significant step to change consumers’ sugar consumption behavior, said Amporn Benjaponpitak, the director general of the department.
Pakorn Tungkasereerak, the department’s deputy, said 2025 data show that about 45 percent of Thais aged 15 and older are obese, while 10 percent of the population has diabetes.
A survey by the Bureau of Nutrition found that a 22-ounce (650-milliliter) iced coffee contains an average of nine teaspoons of sugar, while a 10-ounce (300-milliliter) serving of bubble milk tea — an iced milk tea with tapioca pearls known as boba — can contain as much as 12 teaspoons.
Sirinya Kuiklang, an office worker, said she approves of the changes. She already orders her drinks at just 25 percent of the standard sugar level, but she is aware that many others consume too much sugar.
“It’s good for Thai people,” she said.
Another office worker, Porwares Tantikanpanit, said he has enjoyed his non-coffee beverages at their current sugar levels but is willing to adjust if shops reduce the sweetness.
However, putting the policy into practice may prove challenging. Officials have said each brand can apply the initiative as they see fit.
Some customers have expressed confusion in response to social media posts promoting the initiative, asking how to order drinks with the level of sweetness that they prefer. Several brands said that the reduction applies only to certain menu items.
