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☆ FACTBOX-The Parthenon Sculptures at Centre of Row Between Britain, Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Greece has repeatedly asked for their permanent return to Athens, while Britain and the museum have refused to do so. They were transported to Britain and bought by the British Museum in 1816, and are exhibited as a prized part of its collection in London. The sculptures at the British Museum make up about half of a 160-metre frieze which adorned the Parthenon temple on the rocky Acropolis hill in Athens. The trustees have said they would consider a loan to Greece if Greece acknowledges the British Museum's ownership of the sculptures, which Greek governments have refused in the past. The British Museum in January 2023 called for a new Parthenon Partnership with Greece and said discussions were ongoing.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Kyriakos, Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin, Athena, Elgin, Oscar, Melina Mercouri, Mitsotakis, Fagan, Artemis, Pope Francis, Renee Maltezou, Alison Williams, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Britain's, British Museum, Elgin Marbles, British, Elgin, Athens Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Athens, Britain, British, London, Ottoman Empire, BRITISH, Italy, Vatican

REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS/LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused his British counterpart Rishi Sunak of cancelling a scheduled meeting in London on Tuesday in a diplomatic row over the status of the Parthenon Sculptures. "I express my annoyance that the British Prime Minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place," Mitsotakis said in a statement. "Greece's positions on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was available to meet Mitsotakis to discuss these issues instead, Sunak's office said. A law prevents the British museum from removing objects from the collection apart from in certain circumstances, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan.

Persons: Louisa Gouliamaki, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, George Osborne, Mona Lisa, Sunak, Oliver Dowden, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Renee Maltezou, Angus MacSwan, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, British Museum, British, BBC, Financial, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, LONDON, London, Ottoman Empire, Mitsotakis

For the past two years, Greece’s government has conducted delicate negotiations with the British Museum over the future of the Parthenon marbles, the ancient Greek antiquities brought to Britain in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin. Now, Britain’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, appears to be throwing cold water on those discussions. On Monday evening, Mr. Sunak abruptly canceled a planned wide-ranging meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, which had been scheduled for Tuesday. Mr. Mitsotakis said on the BBC television program that sculptures had been stolen and needed to be reunified in Athens. Mr. Mitsotakis has made similar comments throughout his terms in office, and Mr. Sunak has also repeatedly stated he would not change British law to allow the sculptures, sometimes known as the Elgin Marbles, to leave the British Museum permanently.

Persons: Lord Elgin, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, ”, Mona Lisa Organizations: British Museum, BBC, Acropolis Museum, Elgin Marbles Locations: Britain, Greece, Athens, “, London

☆ Greece PM Laments Lack of Progress With UK on Parthenon Sculptures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Talks over a possible return of the British Museum's Parthenon Sculptures to Athens are not advancing quickly enough, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday as he prepared to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week. Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 metres of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece. "We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi Sunak, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, we've, George Osborne, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, William Schomberg, Lefteris Papadimas, David Goodman Organizations: British, Elgin, BBC, Museum, Labour Party, Financial Locations: Athens, Ottoman Empire, Greece, British

☆ Greece PM laments lack of progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 metres of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece. "We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi Sunak, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, we've, George Osborne, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, William Schomberg, Lefteris Papadimas, David Goodman Organizations: Elgin, British Museum, REUTERS, British, BBC, Museum, Labour Party, Financial, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Athens, Ottoman Empire, Greece, British

☆ Conservators restore 17th-century portrait of noblewoman to remove cosmetic touch-ups
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

English Heritage, an organization that manages more than 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites in England, has discovered that a portrait dating back almost four centuries was later altered to “improve” the subject’s appearance. The portrait before the added changes were removed by the conservation team English HeritageConservators have now revealed the true face of noblewoman Diana Cecil, after spending hours removing changes to her features. Cecil (1596–1654), was the great-granddaughter of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, one of Elizabeth I’s closest friends and advisers. The restored version of the portrait will go on display in London from November 30. Christopher Ison//English HeritageAccording to English Heritage, Cecil was “one of the great beauties of the age” but the full-length painting was found to have undergone some cosmetic alterations since it was painted in the 17th century.

Persons: London CNN —, Diana Cecil, Cecil, William Cecil, Lord Burghley, Elizabeth I’s, Christopher Ison, “, Conservators, Cornelius Johnson, Alice Tate, sweeten, Diana, Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin Organizations: London CNN, English Heritage, Kenwood House, Heritage, Harte Locations: England, London

☆ Parthenon sculptures were once elegantly painted with ‘Egyptian blue’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But they weren’t always that way, according to a new study, which found the famous 2,500-year-old Parthenon sculptures were colorful, painted with floral patterns and other elaborate designs. Researchers found microscopic traces of paint by using infrared light that is absorbed by the blue paint and appears on camera as a glowing white (right). By illuminating the sculptures with the red light, a pigment known as “Egyptian blue” absorbs the light and appears on camera as a glowing white. “Egyptian blue” was a popular pigment of its time that was made using calcium, copper and silicon, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry. Verri said he hopes that further imaging will soon be developed to find other colors present on the sculptures.

Persons: Giovanni Verri, ” Verri, “ It’s, Lord Elgin, Verri, Dione, Aphrodite, Kekrops, Demeter, Persephone, Dione ,, ”, Michael Cosmopoulos, Louis, William Wootton, conservators Organizations: CNN, British, —, King’s College London, Art Institute of Chicago, British Museum, Royal Society of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Acropolis Museum Locations: Greece, Athens, Ottoman Empire, Verri

☆ British Museum appoints new interim director after theft crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Mark Jones was appointed as the new interim director at the British Museum on Wednesday as the institution seeks to restore its reputation following the theft of about 2,000 artifacts from its collection. Jones replaces German art historian Hartwig Fischer after he stepped down last month over failings in the investigation into the theft of artifacts at the museum. Jones, who previously held roles as director of the National Museums of Scotland and the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), was appointed following approval by the British government. The British Museum houses the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles. The British Museum initially said it had carried out a thorough investigation, but a follow-up probe found the first response to be insufficient, Osborne said last month.

Persons: Mark Jones, ” Jones, Jones, Hartwig Fischer, Stone, Toby Melville, Sir Mark Jones, George Osborne, Osborne Organizations: Reuters, British Museum, Museum, National Museums of, Victoria & Albert Museum, Elgin, British Locations: London, National Museums of Scotland, British, Danish

☆ British Museum seeks recovery of some 2,000 stolen items
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An employee poses as he views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Around 2,000 artefacts including gold jewellery and gems had been stolen from the British Museum over a long period of time, but recovery efforts were already under way, the museum's chair George Osborne said on Saturday. Museum director Hartwig Fischer said on Friday he would step down after admitting to failings in its investigation into the theft of items from its collection. A "forensic" inquiry was being conducted to find out what had been stolen, Osborne said. "We've already started to recover some of the stolen items," he added, without giving any details of what had been recovered or how.

Persons: Toby Melville, George Osborne, Stone, Hartwig Fischer, Osborne, we're, I'm, Paul Sandle, David Holmes Organizations: Elgin, British Museum, REUTERS, BBC, Police, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ Kobe Bryant: Los Angeles Lakers announce date for NBA legend’s statue unveiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Ben Morse | David Close | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Vanessa Bryant, the late Kobe Bryant’s wife, announced the date on Thursday when the Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue honoring the former NBA superstar. “As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker,” Bryant said while sitting in front of the now iconic jersey numbers in a video posted at 8:24 a.m. on Thursday morning. “Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels. The Lakers also said the statue “is the first in a series of physical tributes to honor his legacy.”“Kobe Bryant was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time, and one of the most iconic individuals in the history of Los Angeles,” Jeanie Buss, Los Angeles Lakers Governor, said. Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star over his legendary career during which he won five NBA titles.

Persons: Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s, Bryant, Kobe, ” Bryant, Gianna Maria Onore Bryant, Kobe Bryant, ” Jeanie Buss, Chick Hearn, Kareem Abdul, Jabbar, Earvin, ” Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West Organizations: CNN, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Los Angeles Laker, Lakers, City of, Star Plaza, Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles Lakers Governor, Elgin Baylor Locations: Kobe, City, City of Angels, Los Angeles, Calabasas , California

☆ Lakers announce plans to honor Kobe Bryant with bronze statue
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former NBA star Kobe Bryant, CEO of Kobe Inc, speaks at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 3, 2016. Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - A bronze statue honoring late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant will be unveiled outside the team's arena in February, the NBA club announced on Thursday with his widow Vanessa. "As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker," Vanessa said in a video on the team's social media accounts. The Lakers said Bryant participated in the initial planning of the anticipated statue that will be the first in a series of physical tributes to honor his legacy. "Kobe Bryant was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time, and one of the most iconic individuals in the history of Los Angeles," said Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

Persons: Kobe Bryant, Lucy Nicholson, Vanessa, Gianna, Kobe, Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul, Jabbar, Earvin, Johnson, Jerry West, Chick Hearn, Jeanie Buss, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: NBA, Kobe Inc, Milken Institute Global Conference, REUTERS, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe, Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Laker, City of, Laker, Elgin Baylor, of Fame, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, City, City of Angels, Los Angeles, Kobe, Toronto

☆ Lung transplant successful in two people with organs on wrong side of their bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Deer was added to the lung transplant list, but he faced an additional hurdle. Courtesy Northwestern MedicineThe genetic condition, called situs inversus, affects about 1 in every 10,000 people, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But having yet another rare condition that ends up causing enough lung damage that someone would need a lung transplant is even rarer,” Bharat said. Complicated surgeryLike Deer, Vega was put on the lung transplant waiting list, and like Deer, needed individualized treatment. Laura Brown/Courtesy Northwestern MedicineJust reattaching blood vessels created in utero for a left lung to openings on a “normal” right lung, for example, was especially difficult.

Persons: Dennis, Deer, ”, Ankit Bharat, Bharat, Yahaira Vega, situs, ” Bharat, Vega, “, Laura Brown, Vega —, Norvell Tolbert, ‘, ’, ” Deer, Gesturing Organizations: CNN, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern, Cleveland Clinic, Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, “, Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic, Memorial Hospital Locations: Cook, Illinois, Chicago, Elgin , Illinois

☆ The top 19 metro areas where real-estate demand is heating up, signaling home-value increases — and 20 where it's slowing the most — according to Redfin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A second metric the firm uses is the difference in weighted compete score, which measures the direction the market is trending in. It's based on a year-over-year change in the overall compete score. A good way to look at the data is by considering both the overall score and the changing score. Marr says investors should pay more attention to the difference in the compete score, and specifically, areas that are facing steep increases versus declines. Below is a list of June's year-over-year difference in weighted compete score listed from lowest to highest positive change and the overall weighted compete score.

Persons: Taylor Marr, Marr, it's Organizations: MLS, Boston Locations: East, Redfin, It's, Lake County , Illinois, Chicago, Austin, Nashville, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Montgomery County, Columbus, Baltimore, Elgin, IL, Louis, Camden, NJ, Akron, York, NY, Providence, RI, Madison, WI, Haven, Newark , NJ, Bridgeport, County, Hartford, Milwaukee, Cincinnati

☆ How Will the Greek Election Affect the Parthenon Marbles?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Since November 2021, Greece’s prime minister and the British Museum have been holding back-room talks about the potential return of at least some of the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of antique treasures that once decorated the famed pillared temple in Athens. The collection, which includes statues of Greek gods and carved friezes, was taken from Greece in the early 1800s by Lord Elgin, a British aristocrat. The prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has met several times with George Osborne, a former chancellor of the Exchequer who is now chairman of the British Museum.. The rapport between Mitsotakis and Osborne has widely been seen as one reason the talks have progressed so far. But on Sunday, Greece holds an election and the talks have been postponed until the result of the vote is clear.

☆ Kayla Unbehaun: Mother accused of abducting her daughter 6 years ago in Illinois has turned herself in, local authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jean Casarez Laura Dolan Alisha Ebrahimji | Jean Casarez | Laura Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Heather Unbehaun, the mother of now 15-year-old Kayla Unbehaun, is being held at the Kane County Adult Justice Center in Illinois without bond on an abduction charge, according to the jail. She bonded out Tuesday morning and was released, Asheville Police Department spokesperson Samantha Booth told CNN on Tuesday. When Iserka went to pick up his daughter the next day, he was told Unbehaun took her on a camping trip and Unbehaun and Kayla never returned, Vojta told CNN. Heather Unbehaun, the woman accused of abducting her daughter from a suburb of Illinois six years ago, is due in court on Wednesday morning. The child’s parents shared custody of her until Iserka filed for full custody after Unbehaun moved to Georgia with Kayla, according to Vojta.

☆ Austria says talks underway on returning Parthenon marbles to Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna has a tiny collection of marbles - just two fragments from the Parthenon's northern frieze. But Greece hopes that with each agreement to return pieces to Athens there will be growing "positive momentum" in talks on returning pieces being kept elsewhere. "I am very hopeful that the talks can move on very quickly and the marbles will be on display in Athens." Dendias said the talks were important in the context of discussions about bigger collections, particularly that the British Museum in London. "The regional government of Sicily in 2022 and Pope Francis in 2023 returned to Greece part of the Parthenon sculptures so this will be the third one and this for us is of huge, huge importance," Dendias said.

☆ 2 Texas cheerleaders were shot in a Texas supermarket parking lot after one opened the door to the wrong vehicle. A suspect is under arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Tina Burnside | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Authorities have arrested the man they say shot two teenage cheerleaders after one said she mistook the suspect’s vehicle as her own in a supermarket parking lot near Texas’ capital – at least the third incident this week in which young people who’d made an apparent mistake were met with gunfire. Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr., 25, was taken into custody early Tuesday, the Elgin Police Department said in a news release later that morning. Officers responding just after midnight Tuesday to an H-E-B supermarket parking lot found two people in a vehicle who’d been struck by bullets, police said, citing preliminary reports. The supermarket manager witnessed the incident, and police have surveillance footage from the parking lot, could see the license plate on the suspect’s car and later observed him at his home, police said, according to a probable cause affidavit. Pedro Tello was still wearing the clothing that was observed by Elgin Detectives in the surveillance footage,” the affidavit states.

☆ UK PM Sunak rules out law change for return of Parthenon marbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN DIEGO, March 13 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ruled out changing a law which prohibits the British Museum handing the Parthenon marbles permanently back to Greece. Sunak is unlikely to break with the stances of his two predecessors who were both against any kind of loan of the marbles to Greece. "The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations. "We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it."

☆ Parthenon Marbles return possible without ownership accord, campaigners say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - The return of the British Museum's Parthenon Marbles to Greece is possible even if the two sides cannot come to an agreement over who owns the sculptures, a campaign group working to resolve the long-standing dispute said on Sunday. Greece has asked for others to imitate the Vatican Museums after they agreed this month to return three 2,500-year-old pieces of the Parthenon. London and Athens are in talks over the Parthenon Sculptures held by the British Museum. The Parthenon Project, which has been backed by British politicians from different parties, said the British Museum's Parthenon collection could be returned to Greece under a long-term cultural partnership agreement. That would mean the arrangement sidesteps the requirement for a change in the law to allow the British Museum to dispose of its artefacts.

☆ Parthenon marbles could be seen both in London and Athens, museum chair says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The UK is working on a new arrangement with Greece through which the Parthenon Sculptures could be seen both in London and in Athens, British Museum chair George Osborne said on Thursday, describing it as a win-win situation. Osborne, a former finance minister, reiterated that the museum was having constructive talks with the Greek government about the marbles which have been a source of dispute between the two European countries for centuries. "But I think there is a way forward where these sculptures, the Elgin Marbles, the Parthenon Sculptures, could be seen both in London and in Athens, and that will be a win-win for Greece and for us." "If we wanted to send all the Elgin Marbles back then that would require an act of parliament, and that would be beyond my authority," he said. "But what the museum can do is try and form a new relationship with Greece."

☆ Greek PM dashes hopes of swift return of Parthenon marbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Renee Maltezou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ATHENS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday dismissed reports of an imminent repatriation of the Parthenon sculptures known in Britain as the Elgin marbles. Greece has accused Lord Elgin of theft and does not recognise the British Museum as owner of the sculptures. [1/3] A man looks at the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of stone objects, inscriptions and sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, on show at the British Museum in London October 16, 2014. The British Museum has always rejected returning the parts in its collection, which include about half of the 160 metre (525 ft) frieze that adorned the Parthenon. Many countries have pressured British institutions to return looted artefacts, especially given that the British Museum only displays about 1% of its collection.

☆ British Museum says in 'constructive' discussions over Parthenon marbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A man looks at the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of stone objects, inscriptions and sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, on show at the British Museum in London October 16, 2014. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File PhotoLONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The British Museum said on Wednesday it was holding "constructive discussions" with Greece over the Parthenon Sculptures amid renewed speculation that the 2,500-year-old marbles could soon be returned to Athens. "We've said publicly, we're actively seeking a new Parthenon partnership with our friends in Greece and as we enter a new year constructive discussions are ongoing," the British Museum said in a statement. A spokesperson for the Greek government said there had not been any further discussions with British government officials recently, but its request for the return of the sculptures was ongoing. "The government with professionalism and full respect for all the parameters of this issue will continue to pursue the best possible result, aiming at the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures."

☆ The Vatican is returning Parthenon sculptures to the Greek Orthodox Church as a 'donation' more than 200 years after they were stolen from the country. But other European museums with pieces of the an
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Vatican will return three Parthenon fragments to the Greek Orthodox Church as a "donation." The Vatican Museum has kept the fragments since 1803, when Greece says they were stolen. For years, Greece has sought to regain Parthenon marbles from The Vatican and British Museums. Elgin sold the relics to the Vatican Museum in 1803 and additional fragments to the British Museum in 1816. The British Museum did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Pope Francis orders return of Parthenon sculptures to Greece
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has decided to return to Greece three 2,500-year-old pieces of the Parthenon that have been in the papal collections of the Vatican Museums for more than a century. The pieces are being returned to Greece as London and Athens continue an artistic tug of war over the so-called Elgin Marbles. Greece has repeatedly called for the permanent return from the British Museum of the 2,500-year-old sculptures, which British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in the early 19th century when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Greece's then-ruler. Earlier this month a Greek newspaper reported that a deal to return the marbles to Greece was close, but the Greek government said it was not imminent. In March, the United Nations' cultural agency UNESCO urged Greece and Britain to reach a settlement.

☆ Greece, Britain discussing Parthenon Sculptures return but deal not close, Athens says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Renee Maltezou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ATHENS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Greek government on Monday quashed local media reports that a deal with Britain over the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens was imminent but said the two sides were in talks on the long-running dispute. The museum, custodian of the sculptures known in Britain as the Elgin Marbles, also reiterated it would not dismantle its collection. Last week, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that there was "progress" and a sense of "momentum" in talks with Britain to reunite the sculptures in Greece. Citing a British official, Greece's ANT1 TV said on Sunday that the only way to return the sculptures to Greece without violating British law was "if the British Museum opened a kind of annex in Greece". In March, the United Nations' cultural agency UNESCO urged Greece and Britain to reach a settlement on the issue.

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