Cairo court jails former Italian honorary consul for smuggling artefacts from Egypt

A Cairo criminal court sentenced Ladislav Otakar Skakal, Italy’s former honorary consul in Luxor, to 15 years in jail in absentia for attempting to smuggle artefacts out of Egypt,AFP reports. The prosecution alleges he was assisted by Raouf Ghali, the brother of Mubarak-era finance minister Youssef Boutrous Ghali, and a verdict is expected in his case next month. Egypt has requested that Interpol issue a red notice for Skakal.