Algerian Former Police Chief Convicted of Money Laundering

Former police chief Abdelghani Hamel (AFP)
Former police chief Abdelghani Hamel (AFP)
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Algerian Former Police Chief Convicted of Money Laundering

Former police chief Abdelghani Hamel (AFP)
Former police chief Abdelghani Hamel (AFP)

Former police chief Major General Abdelghani Hamel was sentenced to four years in prison over money laundering charges.

During the trial in Blida Court, the Public Prosecution charged Hamel with “laundering money that a terrorist organization has benefited from”, and the misuse of police budget funds.

The investigations also revealed that Hamel was linked to extremist groups.

Former Algiers’ police chief Noureddine Berrashdi was also convicted in the same case.

Last May, Algiers’ misdemeanor court sentenced Hamel to 15 years in prison in a corruption case, as prosecutors pursued him on charges, including money laundering and illicit wealth.

Hamel and his family are accused of owning real estate and shops in coastal areas, and his three sons have been sentenced to several years in prison.

Hamel was one of the most prominent figures of the regime of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. He has been suggested to succeed Bouteflika who was unfit to rule due to illness.

Meanwhile, the leader of Rally for Culture and Democracy, Mohcine Belabbas, said that the gendarmerie informed him that he was wanted for interrogation on Sunday.

Algiers’ Attorney General issued a statement, stating that the gendarmerie launched an investigation into the death of a Moroccan citizen in a construction site of Belabbas’ house in the southern suburb of the capital.

Investigations have revealed the deceased was working without a permit. Circumstances of his death are still unknown.

The statement also confirmed that the project manager did not obtain the needed building permits, in violation of urban development regulations.

Legally, it is not possible to pursue Belabbas given his parliamentary immunity, but the Justice Minister can lift it if the prosecution proved he committed a crime.

Observers believe that Belabbas’ issues with the authorities began after he described the presidential elections which Abdelmajid Tebboune won, as a “coup”.

The Interior Ministry sent a letter to the Rally warning it against hosting periodic meetings of Democratic Alternative Forces, formed of five opposition parties, which is deemed illegal by the authorities.

Belabbas issued a statement saying the Ministry was asking the Rally to abandon its political activities, warning that it could dissolve the party otherwise. He claimed the correspondence was leaked by the Interior Ministry through the media arms of the "political police."

The government’s warnings are considered a violation of the constitution and the laws that rule political activity of any legitimate party, added Belabbas.

He added that Rally for Culture and Democracy is first and foremost an intellectual movement and a community project that thousands of Algerians believe in.



Ukraine Receives $1.5 Bln Funding Tranche Under World Bank Program

A view shows residential buildings damaged during a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the city of Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine March 29, 2024. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
A view shows residential buildings damaged during a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the city of Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine March 29, 2024. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
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Ukraine Receives $1.5 Bln Funding Tranche Under World Bank Program

A view shows residential buildings damaged during a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the city of Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine March 29, 2024. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
A view shows residential buildings damaged during a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the city of Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine March 29, 2024. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS

Ukraine has received a $1.5 billion tranche of funding under a World Bank program, the country's prime minister said on Friday.

"984 million dollars come from Japan and 516 million dollars from the UK. The funds will cover budget spending for social and humanitarian needs and reconstruction," Denys Shmyhal said on X.

In December, Ukraine received $1.34 billion under the World Bank's public expenditures for administrative capacity endurance in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian finance ministry said in a statement the financing consisted of a $1.086 billion loan from the World Bank, $190 million grant from Norway, $50 million grant from the United States and $20 million grant from Switzerland.

The ministry said the funds would be used to partially compensate for non-security and defense-related expenditures of the Ukrainian state budget, including old-age social payments and payments to employees of the state emergency service.


Lebanon: Hezbollah Launches Two Attacks on Israeli Outposts in Shebaa Farms

People inspect the damage at the site of an airstrike in Habbariyah, southern Lebanon, 27 March 2024. (EPA)
People inspect the damage at the site of an airstrike in Habbariyah, southern Lebanon, 27 March 2024. (EPA)
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Lebanon: Hezbollah Launches Two Attacks on Israeli Outposts in Shebaa Farms

People inspect the damage at the site of an airstrike in Habbariyah, southern Lebanon, 27 March 2024. (EPA)
People inspect the damage at the site of an airstrike in Habbariyah, southern Lebanon, 27 March 2024. (EPA)

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it carried out two attacks on Friday on an Israeli military outpost in the Shebaa Farms in “support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”.
On its account on Telegram, Hezbollah said its militants inflicted “direct” missile hits on the Zebdine barracks. It also said that three of its members were killed in Israeli strikes in South Lebanon.
On Thursday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said nine members of Hezbollah and the Amal party were killed in Israeli shelling that targeted the towns of Naqoura and Tayr Harfa in the south.
Seven people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Al-Habbariyah in southern Lebanon early on Wednesday, before Israel announced that 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon on the town of Kiryat Shmona in the north, resulting in one casualty, according to the Arab World Press agency.
Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire across Lebanon's southern border in parallel with the Gaza war. More than 270 Hezbollah fighters and 50 civilians - including medics, civilians and journalists, have been killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon. About a dozen Israeli troops and half as many civilians have been killed in northern Israel.


Hijab Wearing Players in Women’s NCAA Tournament Hope to Inspire Others

Diaba Konate #23 of the UC Irvine Anteaters dribbles against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first quarter in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at McCarthey Athletic Center on March 23, 2024 in Spokane, Washington. (Getty Images/AFP)
Diaba Konate #23 of the UC Irvine Anteaters dribbles against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first quarter in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at McCarthey Athletic Center on March 23, 2024 in Spokane, Washington. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Hijab Wearing Players in Women’s NCAA Tournament Hope to Inspire Others

Diaba Konate #23 of the UC Irvine Anteaters dribbles against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first quarter in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at McCarthey Athletic Center on March 23, 2024 in Spokane, Washington. (Getty Images/AFP)
Diaba Konate #23 of the UC Irvine Anteaters dribbles against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first quarter in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at McCarthey Athletic Center on March 23, 2024 in Spokane, Washington. (Getty Images/AFP)

N.C. State's Jannah Eissa and UC Irvine's Diaba Konate are leaving a big impact off the court, bringing visibility and inspiration to Muslim women by wearing hjiabs while they play.

They aren't the first women to do it in NCAA Tournament play, but with record viewership and attendance they are certainly getting noticed.

“Representation really matters,” said Konate whose team lost in the first round of the tournament to Gonzaga. “Just having people, young Muslim women wearing the hijab, we’re not there yet. Just seeing us play, I think it makes me really happy because I used to have people that I was looking up to. Now having people that look up to me makes me happy.”

Konate admires Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, who made NCAA history by being the first to wear a hijab in college basketball when she played for Memphis a decade ago. Abdul-Qaadir was instrumental in getting FIBA to overturn its own ban on headgear in 2017.

Konate started 31 of the team’s 32 games, averaging 7.5 points and nearly four assists. She moved to the US from France after receiving a scholarship from Idaho State. She transferred to UC Irvine as a junior.

She’d love for a chance to play in a hijab at home in France, where she won two medals playing on their youth teams, but as of now the French Federation of Basketball prohibits the wearing of “any equipment with a religious or political connotation”.

“Being French and hosting the Olympics, it really hurts to not be able to be ourselves,” said Konate, who first started wearing the hijab in 2020. “Hopefully, it changes.”

Eissa and Konate have never met, but are aware of each other.

“I just know there’s another woman wearing a hijab,” Eissa said. “I just saw a post about two days ago. I was so happy there are other people.”

Eissa, who turned 18 in February was a walk-on at N.C. State, joining the team after trying out in September. Even though she didn't play much this season — appearing in 11 games and hitting one 3-pointer — her impact is definitely being felt.

Earlier this season a group of young Muslim girls came to her game. They ended up coming a few more times to support her.

“I’d love to say I was a role model to them. Never thought I could be a role model for someone I didn’t know,” said Eissa, who grew up in Cairo before coming to N.C. State. “Never knew one person could make such an impact. They were so young girls and girls my age looking up to me and I was so happy.”

Eissa chose N.C. State because her dad got his PhD from the school and her two older sisters go there.

She said that even when she was having a bad day or an off day, she'd remember her young fans and it would make her happy.

“If they see someone giving them hope, I’m happy that I’m the person to give it to them," Eissa said. “I want to make it as far as I can for the image of women in hijabs.”


Murray Pulls Out of Monte Carlo, Munich Due to Ankle Injury

 Andy Murray, of Great Britain, celebrates winning a game against Tomas Machac, of Czech Republic, in their men's third round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Andy Murray, of Great Britain, celebrates winning a game against Tomas Machac, of Czech Republic, in their men's third round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
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Murray Pulls Out of Monte Carlo, Munich Due to Ankle Injury

 Andy Murray, of Great Britain, celebrates winning a game against Tomas Machac, of Czech Republic, in their men's third round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Andy Murray, of Great Britain, celebrates winning a game against Tomas Machac, of Czech Republic, in their men's third round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)

Andy Murray will miss the Monte Carlo Masters and Munich Open next month as he recovers from a severe ankle injury sustained during his exit from the Miami Open, the Briton's team announced on Friday.

The 36-year-old rolled his ankle in the deciding set of his 5-7 7-5 7-6(5) defeat by Czech Tomas Machac in southern Florida last Sunday and had said that he would be out for an "extended period" on the sidelines with ruptured ligaments.

"Following consultation with his team and medical experts, Andy Murray has taken the decision to miss the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters and BMW Open Munich," a statement from his team read.

"At this stage, it is still not clear how long Andy will be out of action, and he is continuing to review options with his medical team.

"Obviously this is disappointing news for Andy and he has reiterated his desire to get back on court as soon as possible."

Former world number one and three-times Grand Slam champion Murray, who returned after hip resurfacing surgery in 2019, had previously said he did not plan to "play much past this summer" but hoped to compete at another Olympics.

He had also said he hoped to play at the French Open, which starts at Roland Garros on May 26.

Wimbledon, where Murray has twice been champion, will begin on July 1 and the Paris Games get underway later that month.

The Monte Carlo Masters will be held April 7-14, and the Munich Open April 15-21.


32,623 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Offensive Since Oct. 7

A Palestinian man inspects the rubble in a house, following Israeli bombardment, in the Maghazi camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on March 29, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
A Palestinian man inspects the rubble in a house, following Israeli bombardment, in the Maghazi camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on March 29, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
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32,623 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Offensive Since Oct. 7

A Palestinian man inspects the rubble in a house, following Israeli bombardment, in the Maghazi camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on March 29, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
A Palestinian man inspects the rubble in a house, following Israeli bombardment, in the Maghazi camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on March 29, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

At least 32,623 Palestinians have been killed and 75,092 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said on Friday.

The top United Nations court on Thursday ordered Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including opening more land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into the war-ravaged enclave.

The International Court of Justice issued two new so-called provisional measures in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of acts of genocide in its military campaign launched after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

Israel denies it is committing genocide and accused South Africa of trying to “undermine Israel's inherent right and obligation to defend its citizens.”

The court also ordered Israel to immediately ensure that its military does not take action that could that could harm Palestinians' rights under the Genocide Convention, including by preventing the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
It told Israel to report back in a month on its implementation of the orders.


Pro-Palestinian Protesters Interrupt Biden, Obama, Clinton at $25 Million New York Fundraiser

Protestors, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, attend a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, on the day of a fundraising event for US President Joe Biden with him and former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, March 28, 2024. (Reuters)
Protestors, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, attend a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, on the day of a fundraising event for US President Joe Biden with him and former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, March 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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Pro-Palestinian Protesters Interrupt Biden, Obama, Clinton at $25 Million New York Fundraiser

Protestors, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, attend a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, on the day of a fundraising event for US President Joe Biden with him and former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, March 28, 2024. (Reuters)
Protestors, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, attend a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, on the day of a fundraising event for US President Joe Biden with him and former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in New York City, US, March 28, 2024. (Reuters)

President Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, headlined a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton on Thursday, offering a robust defense of the White House's handling of the Gaza crisis as protesters interrupted the event.

Biden, who traveled with Obama on Air Force One to New York, took part in a discussion with Clinton moderated by "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in front of thousands of guests. Organizers say the event raised more than $25 million for Biden's US reelection campaign.

But the fundraiser was punctuated by several protests inside the massive auditorium, with attendees rising at several different moments to shout over the discussion, referencing Biden's backing of Israel in the Hamas war that has killed more than 30,000 people in Gaza.

"Shame on you, Joe Biden!" one yelled.

Obama and Clinton offered a presidential perspective of the Gaza crisis that stressed the political realities of being in the White House.

A president needs to be able to support Israel at the same time as fighting for Palestinians to have more access to food, medical supplies and a future state, they said.

"It's a lonely seat," Obama said. "One of the realities of the presidency is that the world has a lot of joy and beauty, but it also has a lot of tragedy and cruelty."

People "understandably, oftentimes, want to feel a certain purity in terms of how those decisions are made," he said. "But a president doesn't have that luxury."

When a protestor inside the theater interrupted Obama, the former president snapped back: "You can't just talk and not listen...That's what the other side does."

The pair of former presidents also defended Biden's handling of the economy, which gets low ratings in national polls.

Clinton said Biden's economic numbers have significantly outpaced Trump's administration.

"I believe in keeping score," Clinton said. "He's been good for America" and deserves another term.

Before the event, the three leaders' motorcade passed hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, another sign that some young voters and other progressives who voted for Biden in 2020 are furious about his staunch backing of Israel in its response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

LIZZO, $500,000 TICKETS

The event included musicians Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele performing. Some high-paying attendees had their pictures with the three presidents taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Former President Donald Trump, Biden's Republican challenger in November's election, was in the New York area on Thursday as well, attending a wake for a slain New York City policeman.

Biden, 81, has faced concerns about his age and fitness for a second four-year term. Recent Reuters/Ipsos polls show his approval rating at 40% and in a tight race with Trump, 77, ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

The show of support from Biden's predecessors was meant to demonstrate party unity and project fundraising strength.

Tickets for Thursday's Biden event cost between $250 and $500,000, according to a Democrat familiar with the planning. More than 5,000 people were expected to attend.

Biden's high-profile allies are seeking to shore up his support despite opinion polls showing tepid enthusiasm for the president and in contrast to a Republican Party where many major figures oppose Trump.

Biden showed flashes of humor at the event. He referenced President Harry Truman's advice that if you wanted a friend in Washington, get a dog. Biden quipped that he got one and it bit a Secret Service agent. The president's dog Commander left the White House last year after a series of biting incidents.

The event closed with each of the men donning aviator sunglasses, Bidens trademark.

"Dark Brandon is real," Biden bellowed, referencing a meme about himself.

TRUMP IN LONG ISLAND

Earlier on Long Island, east of New York, Trump attended a wake for Jonathan Diller, the policeman who was gunned down during a routine traffic stop earlier this week in the city.

"These things can't happen. We need law and order," Trump, surrounded by mourning uniformed officers, told reporters gathered outside a funeral home in Massapequa.

Trump has sought to make supporting police a focal point of his campaign, while criticizing law enforcement that targets him.

He faces four criminal trials for his efforts to undermine the 2020 election, his mishandling of classified documents and his involvement in a "hush money" scheme involving a porn star. He was fined hundreds of millions of dollars for overstating his net worth to lenders. He says he is innocent.

Biden has been routinely outraising Trump and is taking in more money than his rival in big donations and small donations under $200. Biden's reelection effort raised more than $53 million in February and $10 million in the 24 hours following his March 7 address to Congress.

Trump aims to raise $33 million in an April 6 fundraiser, a source familiar with the Republican's plans told Reuters.

A Trump campaign adviser said on Thursday the candidate won't be able to match Biden's totals, blaming the disparity on the Democrat's "billionaire" supporters and painting a picture of a Trump campaign fueled by grassroots, working-class supporters.


5 Dead, Over 100 Hospitalized from Recalled Japanese Health Supplements

A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
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5 Dead, Over 100 Hospitalized from Recalled Japanese Health Supplements

A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)

In the week since a line of Japanese health supplements began being recalled, five people have died and more than 100 people were hospitalized as of Friday.
Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. came under fire for not going public quickly with problems known internally as early as January. The first public announcement came March 22, The Associated Press reported.
Company officials said 114 people were being treated in hospitals after taking products, including Benikoji Choleste Help meant to lower cholesterol, that contain an ingredient called benikoji, a red species of mold. Earlier in the week, the number of deaths stood at two people.
Some people developed kidney problems after taking the supplements, but the exact cause was still under investigation in cooperation with government laboratories, according to the manufacturer.
“We apologize deeply,” President Akihiro Kobayashi told reporters Friday, bowing for a long time to emphasize the apology alongside three other top company officials.
He expressed remorse to those who have died and have been sickened, and to their families. He also apologized for the troubles caused to the entire health food industry and the medical profession, adding that the company was working to prevent further damage and improve crisis management.
The company’s products have been recalled — as have dozens of other products that contain benikoji, including miso paste, crackers and a vinegar dressing. Japan's health ministry put up a list on its official site of all the recalled products, including some that use benikoji for food coloring.
The ministry warned the deaths could keep growing. The supplements could be bought at drug stores without a prescription from a doctor, and some may have been purchased or exported before the recall, including by tourists who may not be aware of the health risks, AP reported.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical had been selling benikoji products for years, with a million packages sold over the past three fiscal years, but a problem crept up with the supplements produced in 2023. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said it produced 18.5 tons of benikoji last year.
Some analysts blame the recent deregulation initiatives, which simplified and sped up approval for health products to spur economic growth.


British Museum Names Nicholas Cullinan Its New Director as It Tries to Get over a Rocky Patch

Visitors walk outside the British Museum in Bloomsbury, London, Friday, June 26, 2015. (AP)
Visitors walk outside the British Museum in Bloomsbury, London, Friday, June 26, 2015. (AP)
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British Museum Names Nicholas Cullinan Its New Director as It Tries to Get over a Rocky Patch

Visitors walk outside the British Museum in Bloomsbury, London, Friday, June 26, 2015. (AP)
Visitors walk outside the British Museum in Bloomsbury, London, Friday, June 26, 2015. (AP)

The British Museum on Thursday appointed National Portrait Gallery chief Nicholas Cullinan as its new director, as the 265-year-old institution grapples with the apparent theft of hundreds of artifacts and growing international scrutiny of its collection.

Previous director Hartwig Fischer resigned in August after the museum disclosed that more than 1,800 items were missing in an apparent case of insider theft. Many of the items had been offered for sale online.

Mark Jones, former head of the Victoria and Albert Museum, has served as interim director since then. Cullinan will replace him in the summer.

Cullinan has been director of the National Portrait Gallery since 2015, overseeing a major refurbishment of the building beside London’s Trafalgar Square. He has previously worked at Tate Modern in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

His appointment was approved by the British Museum’s trustees and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Cullinan said it was an honor to become director of “one of the greatest museums in the world.”

He said he looked forward to leading the institution through “the most significant transformations, both architectural and intellectual, happening in any museum globally, to continue making the British Museum the most engaged and collaborative it can be.”

The museum fired a longstanding curator, Paul Higgs, over the missing items, and is suing him at the High Court. Lawyers for the museum say Higgs “abused his position of trust” to steal ancient gems, gold jewelry and other pieces from storerooms over the course of a decade.

Higgs, who worked in the museum’s Greece and Rome department for more than two decades, denies the allegations and intends to dispute the museum’s legal claim.

Police are also investigating, but no one has been charged.

The 18th-century museum in central London’s Bloomsbury district is one of Britain’s biggest tourist attractions, visited by 6 million people a year. They come to see a collection that ranges from Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek statues to Viking hoards, scrolls bearing 12th-century Chinese poetry and masks created by the Indigenous peoples of Canada.

The museum faces growing pressure over items taken from other countries during the period of the British Empire -– especially the Parthenon Marbles, 2,500-year-old sculptures that were taken from Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Lord Elgin.

Greece has campaigned for decades for the marbles to be returned. The British Museum is banned by law from giving the sculptures back to Greece, but its leaders have held talks with Greek officials about a compromise, such as a long-term loan.

Those efforts suffered a setback in November, when a diplomatic spat erupted over the marbles, and Prime Minister Sunak abruptly canceled a planned meeting with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

British Museum Chairman George Osborne said that with Cullinan’s appointment, the institution was entering “a new chapter in the long story of the British Museum with confidence, and back on the front foot.”


‘Oppenheimer’ Director Christopher Nolan, Wife Emma Thomas to Get British Knighthood and Damehood

Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 10, 2024. (Reuters)
Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 10, 2024. (Reuters)
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‘Oppenheimer’ Director Christopher Nolan, Wife Emma Thomas to Get British Knighthood and Damehood

Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 10, 2024. (Reuters)
Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 10, 2024. (Reuters)

The Oscar-winning director of “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan, and his wife and producer Emma Thomas, will receive a knighthood and damehood for their services to film, according to a statement on Thursday from the UK government.

Their recognition comes after their biopic about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb,” swept the awards season, notably at the Academy Awards earlier this month, where the movie won seven Oscars, including best film and best director.

Nolan, 53, had previously been nominated for “Memento,” “Inception” and “Dunkirk.”

News of their honors was a bit of a surprise, because they are usually handed out twice in the year, once to mark the new year and then on the birthday of King Charles III, who confers the honors. They are sometimes awarded after special achievements, often related to sports and the arts.

The honors are formally awarded at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, often by the UK monarch in person. However, the king is currently not undertaking any royal duties, because he is undergoing treatment for cancer.

Born in London to a British father and American mother, Nolan met his future wife, Thomas, 53, while they both attended University College London. They have four children and run a production company, Syncopy, which has been behind many of their blockbusters.

When Nolan was presented with the British Film Institute Fellowship earlier this year for being “one of the world’s most innovative and influential film directors,” he credited his wife.

He said he never felt alone making films as Thomas “always saw things the same way I did in terms of the importance of the medium.”

Addressing the audience at this year’s Academy Awards, Nolan noted cinema is just over a century old.

“Imagine being there 100 years into painting or theater,” said Nolan, who shared the best-picture award with his wife and producer. “We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”


Erdogan to Visit US in May, Turkish Ministers Meet US Delegation

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Erdogan to Visit US in May, Turkish Ministers Meet US Delegation

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Türkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan will visit the United States on May 9, a Turkish security official said on Friday, setting the stage for his first White House meeting during the Biden Administration.

The Washington visit would be Erdogan's first since 2019 when he met then-president Donald Trump, with whom he enjoyed good personal ties.

Since President Joe Biden's 2020 election, Ankara has sought another face-to-face meeting.

Ties between the NATO allies, long strained by differences on a range of issues, have thawed since Ankara ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid in January, following a 20-month delay that had caused frustration in Washington.

Yet strains persist, including over northern Syria, where US forces are allied with Kurdish militants that Ankara deems terrorists. Washington has also pressed Ankara to do more to halt goods transiting to Russia that it says are used in Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.

The official did not provide any further information on the visit, but said Türkiye's top intelligence official Ibrahim Kalin will meet with members of the US House of Representatives for talks on the planned visit and other bilateral issues.

On Thursday and Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Guler also met the US delegation.

There was no immediate comment from Washington or the US Embassy in Ankara on the visit.