CAIRO: Egyptian authorities today [May 26] found a shipment of diamonds, reportedly worth more than 170,000 dollars in the wreckage of the Pakistani airliner which crashed near Cairo last Thursday, the Middle East News Agency said here. The diamonds had been concealed in a transistor radio belonging to one of the victims of the crash — a German jeweller named Victor Hoffman. The jewels were found after an Indian business associate of Mr Hoffman notified the authorities of their existence following his arrival in Cairo on Monday. Egyptian authorities have seized the jewels pending an inquiry.

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies from Lewiston, Maine], Champion Mohammad Ali Clay smashed his way into the record books when he knocked out Sonny Liston in the first minute of the first round of their scheduled 15-round world heavyweight title fight here last night. Previous fastest knockout in the world heavyweight championship history was one minute, 28 seconds by Tommy Burns against Jim Roche in Dublin in 1908. It was 23-year-old Clay’s first title defence.

The end came with surprising suddenness with Mohammad Ali Clay’s first real punch of the fight. He got in a fast right-left combination as Liston moved forward and the challenger dropped heavily to the canvas. Clay stood over him, taunting and shouting as referee Jersy Joe Walcott, former world champion, tried to move him away. Dashing to the side of the ring, Clay shouted at the crowd: “Where’s Floyd Patterson?” The crowd booed. “Easiest day I ever had,” the jubilant Clay shouted after his 21st consecutive win. “Fix, fix, fix”, roared the crowd.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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