A tie adorned with a pattern of Greek flags worn by King Charles III on the opening day of Cop28 in Dubai on Thursday has raised some eyebrows in the UK.
The British monarch's choice of neckwear, which was complemented by a matching blue-and-white pocket handkerchief, has been interpreted by many in Greece as a gesture of solidarity with their cause.
The governments of Greece and the UK are currently embroiled in a diplomatic spat over ownership of the Parthenon Marbles.
On Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was due to meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss the disputed sculptures, called off the meeting hours before it was due to start. The cancellation came after Mitsotakis told the BBC the sculptures should be returned, saying that having some in London and the rest in Athens was like cutting the Mona Lisa in half.
Sunak accused the Greek leader of seeking to “grandstand” and breaking a promise not to publicly campaign for the return of the ancient sculptures, which were taken from the Parthenon in Athens two centuries ago and now reside in the British Museum.
The Greek government denies Mitsotakis agreed not to lobby for the return of the marbles during the visit, and rejected an offer to meet UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden instead.
What are the Parthenon Marbles?
Also known as Elgin Marbles, the Parthenon Marbles were originally part of the Parthenon in Athens.
Lord Elgin, a Scottish nobleman, removed them from the ancient Acropolis in 1801 and subsequently sold them to the British government in 1816.
Their removal occurred during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, a period marked by the deterioration of the Parthenon.
Lord Elgin, who was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time, obtained special permission from the sultan, which he interpreted as authorisation to dismantle and export the Marbles.
Despite controversies regarding this interpretation, the Marbles were transported to England and eventually sold to the British Museum in 1816 for £35,000 ($43, 430) after Lord Elgin ran into financial difficulties.
These sculptures have been a centrepiece of the British Museum's Greek galleries ever since, despite continuing debates and calls for their restitution to Greece.
The British Museum maintains the legality of the acquisition, while critics view the situation as emblematic of British imperialism.
The issue remains unresolved, with the British government and the museum rejecting international calls and recommendations for their return to Greece.
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.
The chair of the museum's Board of Trustees, George Osborne, accused Sunak of throwing a “hissy fit” over the antiquities and said those negotiations would continue.
Sunak brushed off the remark and said the Marbles could not be loaned unless Greece acknowledged Britain’s “lawful ownership", something the government in Athens is reluctant to do.
What does King Charles's tie have to do with this?
The British monarch is meant to be above politics, but many in Greece see his choice of tie as a sign of support.
The king’s late father, Prince Philip, was born into the Greek royal family, and Charles has deep ties to the country.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the king’s neckwear. But officials pointed out that King Charles has worn the tie before, as recently as last week.
On the opening day of Cop28, King Charles was one of the featured speakers, and he also met world leaders, including Prime Minister Sunak.
– Agencies contributed to this report
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Australia squads
ODI: Tim Paine (capt), Aaron Finch (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
T20: Aaron Finch (capt), Alex Carey (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
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RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
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%3Cp%3EThe%20Zayed%20Centre%20for%20Research%20is%20a%20partnership%20between%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%2C%20University%20College%20London%20and%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Charity%20and%20was%20made%20possible%20thanks%20to%20a%20generous%20%C2%A360%20million%20gift%20in%202014%20from%20Sheikha%20Fatima%20bint%20Mubarak%2C%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20General%20Women's%20Union%2C%20President%20of%20the%20Supreme%20Council%20for%20Motherhood%20and%20Childhood%2C%20and%20Supreme%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20Family%20Development%20Foundation.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
