UNESCO board backs Egyptian for chief after US row / Photo: JOEL SAGET - AFP
-
Galloway accuser could not foresee publishing-sector fallout, lawyer argues
-
No. 22 UCLA defeats No. 5 Arizona 84-75 despite Kharchenkov's 38 points
-
New York City Center revives In the Heights as a timely community story
-
Vessel operator seeks witnesses after Vancouver grounding
-
Godzilla Minus Zero shifts focus toward postwar human drama
-
US Air Force deploys F-16 fighters to remote Aleutian base for readiness drill
-
Mehbooba Mufti urges dialogue and renewed Central Asia links for Kashmir
-
Bezos grant helps Seattle nonprofit move thousands of families toward housing
-
Seacliff Healthcare Seeks Specialist GP in Thirroul
-
Shrini Srivastava joins crew of Varanasi-Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper service
-
US stocks fall before midterm Election Day as technology shares weaken
-
Nearly Half of Australian Workers Overqualified, Survey Finds
-
BLS Polymers makes strong market debut at ₹248 per share
-
RBI eases export-declaration compliance for individual service exporters
-
Petrol and diesel prices remain broadly steady across major Indian cities
-
India proposes more import entry points for drugs and medical devices
-
Reliance shares remain in focus after near-12% surge
-
Derek Tierney Outlines Ten-Year Strategy for National Digital Health System
-
2026 Arizona Midterms: Key Races, Ballot Measures, and Voter Deadlines
-
NBC’s Steve Kornacki Reveals Tech Habits Ahead of Midterm Elections
-
Coal India prepares possible $1 billion Mahanadi Coalfields listing
-
India and Israel oppose UN draft on regional conventional arms control
-
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa Share Emotional Farewell After 'DWTS' Elimination
-
BLS Polymers shares open 65.3% above IPO price
-
US Buildings Threatened by Wildfires Could Triple by 2060
-
Capital-markets shares rally as Motilal Oswal and Angel One lead gains
-
Why Pregnancy Cost Estimates Fail: A Family’s $9,000 Surprise
-
Latino Voters Defy ICE Fears, Turn Out in Record Numbers for Midterms
-
US Strikes Iranian Targets in Strait of Hormuz Ahead of Midterms
-
ITC shares rise as analysts anticipate gradual cigarette-business recovery
-
Brodeur’s Overtime Goal Secures Bethlehem’s Second Consecutive Sectional Title
-
Reliance rally puts historical one-year return pattern in focus
-
Rare 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda 426 Hemi Listed for $400,000
-
Kuwait edges Oman 1-0 in veterans Gulf Cup in Doha
-
The Digital Burden: Why Instant Messaging Feels Like a Full-Time Job
-
Saudi Aramco quarterly profit climbs 34.6% amid elevated oil prices
-
Alberta Tabled Controversial Riding Boundary Maps Amid Gerrymandering Accusations
-
Washington reports movement in Iran negotiations aimed at preventing escalation
-
Hong Kong court set to sentence activist Joshua Wong in security case
-
Korea’s Labor Share of GDP Hits Record Low Amid Semiconductor Boom
-
Australia raises benchmark rate to highest level in 18 years
-
littlefish and Halo Dot Partner to Replace Payment Terminals with SoftPOS
-
'The Remarried Empress' Cast Discusses Bringing Fantasy Royal Drama to Life
-
Kuwait inspectors destroy 115 kilograms of unverified meat in Farwaniya
-
Asian stocks retreat as AI worries outweigh steep oil-price drop
-
Egypt Accelerates Construction of 341km Sinai Railway Linking Arish and Taba
-
Hamad International Airport stages emergency drills during WATAN 2026
-
John Schneider Admits Owes Millions in 'Dukes of Hazzard' Divorce Battle
-
Global failure to punish attacks leaves journalists at continuing risk
-
Philippine Authorities Report Progress in Thomas Markle Sr. Child Pornography Probe
UNESCO board backs Egyptian for chief after US row
UNESCO executives voted Monday to make an Egyptian ex-antiquities minister the UN culture body's next leader, as it grapples with accusations of pro-Israel bias that prompted the United States to say it would quit the organisation.
The board voted to appoint Khaled el-Enany, Egypt's former antiquities and tourism minister, to replace French director-general Audrey Azoulay after her two four-year terms in office.
The United States did not take part in the vote, having announced its future withdrawal from the organisation, which is best known for designating world-famous heritage sites.
Enany, 54, has said he would seek to bring back the United States -- which contributes eight percent of UNESCO's overall funding -- into the organisation.
"The current challenge is the budget. That is going to be the priority of all of us," he told reporters after the vote.
He said he would strive for "technical" deliberations in UNESCO "rather than the politicisation of the organisation".
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a statement speaking of a "historic success" for his country and wishing Enany the best for his "noble mission".
- US funding blow -
The United States announced in June that it would leave UNESCO, claiming it was biased against Israel and promoted "divisive" causes.
That move, set to take effect at the end of 2026, will deal a major blow to the agency's finances.
Only two candidates were in the running for the top job, after a Mexican contender backed out in August.
Enany faced off against the Republic of Congo's Firmin Edouard Matoko, who had served as UNESCO's de facto foreign minister until March.
Enany oversaw antiquities, and later also tourism, from 2016 to 2022 under Sisi.
Since announcing his bid more than two years ago, he claimed to have visited 65 countries, meeting 400 people over 30 months on the campaign trail.
If his nomination is confirmed, he will take office on November 14 as UNESCO's first director-general from an Arab country and the second from an African nation, after Senegal's Amadou Mahtar Mbow, who served from 1974 to 1987.
Enany won 55 of the 57 votes cast, said the board's chair, Vera Lacoeuilhe.
The organisation's general assembly must now ratify his appointment during its meeting in Uzbekistan on November 6.
The body has never gone against a recommendation by the executive board, which is made up of representatives from 58 of the 194 member states.
B.Torres--AT
