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Wednesday, 6 September 2017

UK council that sold ancient Sekhemka statue over Egypt’s objections wants to promote its cultural reputation; there’s a word for people like that…

First, you sell our cultural heritage. Now, you want to promote your own “rich and diverse heritage”? The UK’s Northampton Borough Council, which sold an ancient Egyptian statue of the scribe Sekhemka in 2014, says it wants to promote its global cultural reputation, according to BBC. The council says it wants to “come up with an ‘action plan’ to promote the town internationally,” noting that Northampton has a “rich and diverse heritage.” The council had come under fire after selling the statue for GBP 15.67 mn to an anonymous buyer to finance an extension to the town’s museum and art gallery. Egypt fiercely opposed the sale and had launched fundraising attempts to purchase the statue at the museum’s auction.

There’s a word for people like this — one we can’t use it in a family-friendly publication such as Enterprise. But The Hound can do it for us (language advisory is in effect here, folks, if the kiddies or your boss are in earshot).

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