This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A more than 3,000-year-old gold signet ring that was stolen from an Aegean island in World War II, crossed the Atlantic, was bought by a Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian scientist and ended up in a Swedish museum has found its way back to Greece. It was the latest in a series of coups by Greek authorities seeking the return of works plundered from the antiquities-rich country — even though an initial effort by the Swedish museum to return the ring apparently fell between the cracks of 1970s bureaucracy. The Greek culture ministry said Friday that the gold Mycenaean-era work from Rhodes, decorated with two facing sphinxes, was willingly returned by Swedish officials who provided full assistance with documenting the artifact and its provenance. Greek experts confirmed the identification, and the piece was handed over in Stockholm by Vidar Helgesen, executive … [Read more...] about After string of adventures, ancient gold ring back in Greece
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Kevin James Selling Divine Oceanfront Digs in Florida for $20M
“Kevin Can Wait” star Kevin James didn't wait long to list his Delray Beach, FL, mansion for a whopping $19.95 million. The “King of Queens” star, 57, who lords over an impressive real estate portfolio, had purchased the oceanfront home for $14 million in January 2021. Compared with the listing photos from the last time the place was on the market, very little appears to have changed—except for the price. Built in 2020, the 11,502-square-foot coastal contemporary has six bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. Highlights include porcelain and hardwood floors as well as coffered ceilings. The interiors spaces open to the terraces, and there are ocean and pool views from almost every room. The main rooms include a living room with a gas fireplace, a family room, and a dining area. French doors on this floor open to the patio. The chef's kitchen sports dual islands and flows into a windowed breakfast area. ___ Watch: Peek Inside Betty White's Beloved Oceanfront Carmel Estate ___ … [Read more...] about Kevin James Selling Divine Oceanfront Digs in Florida for $20M
UN nuclear agency chief: Fukushima transparency important
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 TOKYO (AP) — The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency stressed the importance of transparency on Friday after visiting the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, where he observed preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater that has prompted concerns inside and outside Japan. Rafael Grossi, the director general of IAEA, which is assisting Japan's plan to start releasing the wastewater into the sea next year, said his agency will help maintain transparency throughout the process. Grossi is meeting with officials to discuss the plan, which has received international attention. On Thursday he visited the Fukushima Daiichi plant, where he observed its ongoing decommissioning and preparations for the wastewater discharge. Japan’s government says disposal of the water, stored in hundreds of large tanks, is necessary for the plant's … [Read more...] about UN nuclear agency chief: Fukushima transparency important
Spain’s former king mulls 2nd visit amid swirling debate
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 14 MADRID (AP) — Spain’s former king, Juan Carlos I, is planning to visit Spain again in June, the mayor of the northwestern town hosting the former monarch said Friday, signaling that the vigorous debate sparked by the former monarch's return is unlikely to fade soon. Juan Carlos returned to the country on Thursday for his first visit since his abrupt departure nearly two years ago amid mounting financial scandals. Dozens of cheering supporters greeted the 84-year-old as he made his first public appearance on Friday in the town of Sanxenxo, where his yacht is taking part in a three-day regatta. The royal household said the former monarch would travel to Madrid on Monday to meet with his son, King Felipe VI, his wife Sofia and other members of his family, before returning to his “permanent and stable residence” in Abu … [Read more...] about Spain’s former king mulls 2nd visit amid swirling debate
Dutch leader faces pressure over old-school text messages
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The long-serving Dutch prime minister is in hot water over his low-tech cell phone. Mark Rutte is facing unusual political and public pressure after revelations that he has been deleting text messages about official matters for years. Critics accuse him of concealing state activity – but he says the messages just took up too much space in his years-old Nokia phone. Rutte survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on Thursday over the deleted text messages, but opposition parties are calling for further inquiry. Questions have also surfaced over whether his use of the old phone might have jeopardized national security. In investigating the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant discovered that Rutte had been regularly deleting texts from his Nokia 301 for years. The daily newspaper noticed messages … [Read more...] about Dutch leader faces pressure over old-school text messages
D.C. Attorney General Lets the Trump Swamp Win Again
The District of Columbia’s attorney general promised accountability for nonprofits that took advantage of the Trump administration’s era of grift. Yet after D.C.’s top prosecutor let the Trump family off easy last month for misusing donor funds, The Daily Beast has discovered yet another recent example of a gentle settlement for executives—with Trumpworld connections—accused of personally enriching themselves with charitable funds. Last year, Attorney General Karl Racine sued the corporation that nearly ruined the United States’ presence at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai. The event presented a lucrative opportunity to represent the nation at the modern World’s Fair, and the State Department initially handed it over to Pavilion USA 2020, a nonprofit started by two political players in Washington. But Racine’s office says it eventually discovered these two men misused their nonprofit to pay themselves handsomely—and dupe well-meaning investors into pouring money into a failed … [Read more...] about D.C. Attorney General Lets the Trump Swamp Win Again
Rwanda expects first 50 asylum seekers transferred from UK by end of May
Kigali, Rwanda Rwanda expects the first group of 50 asylum seekers to be transferred from Britain by the end of May, a government spokesperson has said . In April the British government announced plans to send people seeking asylum to the East African country, but earlier this month said it expected lawyers to lodge claims to prevent their removal. The British government has started to notify those who are likely to be relocated, with the first flights expected to take place in the coming months, Britain's home office said in a statement. Pitched as an attempt to disrupt the business model of people-smuggling gangs, the plan drew concerns about Rwanda's human rights record, which the British government itself noted last year. "According to the information we have, the first batch of migrants will arrive by the end of the month, but... it is the British government that knows how many will come and when they will come," Rwanda's deputy government … [Read more...] about Rwanda expects first 50 asylum seekers transferred from UK by end of May
US says ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero Rusesabagina ‘wrongly detained’
The United States has determined that Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed in the film "Hotel Rwanda" sheltering hundreds of people during the African nation's 1994 genocide, has been "wrongfully detained," the State Department said on Thursday. Rusesabagina, 67, was sentenced last September to 25 years in prison over eight terrorism charges tied to an organization opposed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame's rule. He has denied all the charges and refused to take part in the trial that he and his supporters have called a political sham. "The determination took into account the totality of the circumstances, notably the lack of fair trial guarantees during his trial. This determination does not imply any position on his innocence or guilt," a State Department spokesperson said. Rusesabagina, who was feted around the world after being portrayed by actor Don Cheadle in 2004's "Hotel Rwanda," is a vocal critic of Kagame. He is being held in a Rwandan prison. … [Read more...] about US says ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero Rusesabagina ‘wrongly detained’
Paul Rusesabagina of ‘Hotel Rwanda’ fame sentenced to 25 years on terrorism charges
(CNN) Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film 'Hotel Rwanda,' has been convicted of terrorism related charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison by a court in Kigali on Monday. Rusesabagina, who inspired the film 'Hotel Rwanda,' has been found guilty of being part of a terror group, MRCD-FLN. Along with 20 other people, he was accused of acts of terrorism . Two organized attacks, in 2018, during which nine people died, were a particular focus, according to a Rwanda government statement. Reacting to the sentence Rusesabagina's daughter, Carine Kanimba, told CNN: "It is what the family expected a guilty sentence and many years in prison. Kagame has tried to silence my father for the past 20 years and he has succeeded in silencing him for 25 years." Kanimba told CNN that all of her father's basic human rights have been violated by the Rwanda government. "We knew there would never be a fair trial for my father, and now the world knows too. If the US, Belgium … [Read more...] about Paul Rusesabagina of ‘Hotel Rwanda’ fame sentenced to 25 years on terrorism charges
S&P 500 drops into bear market territory as recession fears mount
New York (CNN Business) The S&P 500 fell into bear market territory Friday, slipping more than 20% from its record high and potentially ending the bull run that began in March 2020. The designation comes on the heels of six straight weekly losses for the index and follows months of precipitous market drops. The S&P 500 has long been considered the most accurate measure of the nation's stock performance. In the three years prior to this bear market, the index grew by 90%. Downward momentum pushed the S&P 500 further in afternoon trading, down more than 2% for the day and 20.3% from its record-high close of 4,796.46 in early January. The index's slide highlights investors' increasingly dark economic outlook—one fueled by slowing economic and earnings growth, rising inflation and the Federal Reserve's subsequent monetary tightening. Read More These conditions will likely continue until there's enough economic data to prove … [Read more...] about S&P 500 drops into bear market territory as recession fears mount