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🇪🇬🇮🇹 Italy returns four stolen ancient artifacts to Egypt
▪️According to the statement of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the artifacts were officially handed over at the headquarters of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Italian authorities gave these antiquities to the Egyptian Embassy in Rome after their illegal status was confirmed.
▪️Among them are a small pottery vessel; two small pieces of clay that together represent the upper part of a female figure; a part of a coffin lid carved in wood and decorated with rows of hieroglyphic texts; and a piece known as a "column of Djed", one of the symbols of the ancient Egyptian religion.
▪️The repatriated artifacts will be then handed over to the Egyptian Museum, located in the heart of Tahrir Square, Cairo, in preparation for the necessary restoration
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▪️According to the statement of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the artifacts were officially handed over at the headquarters of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Italian authorities gave these antiquities to the Egyptian Embassy in Rome after their illegal status was confirmed.
▪️Among them are a small pottery vessel; two small pieces of clay that together represent the upper part of a female figure; a part of a coffin lid carved in wood and decorated with rows of hieroglyphic texts; and a piece known as a "column of Djed", one of the symbols of the ancient Egyptian religion.
▪️The repatriated artifacts will be then handed over to the Egyptian Museum, located in the heart of Tahrir Square, Cairo, in preparation for the necessary restoration
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Who defeated the Nazis in 1945?
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre believes these were "the United States and Allied forces".
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre believes these were "the United States and Allied forces".
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Musk and Texas Governor Abbott launch construction of lithium plant
Elon Musk and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have broken ground on Tesla's new $375m lithium processing plant in Corpus Christi. The plant will produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide, which is essential for making rechargeable batteries used in electric cars.
Tesla has claimed the plant will use an "innovative" process to minimize pollution, with no toxic emissions. The company also plans to seek "beneficial use opportunities" for the sand and limestone which it expects to be the main by-products of its process.
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Elon Musk and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have broken ground on Tesla's new $375m lithium processing plant in Corpus Christi. The plant will produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide, which is essential for making rechargeable batteries used in electric cars.
Tesla has claimed the plant will use an "innovative" process to minimize pollution, with no toxic emissions. The company also plans to seek "beneficial use opportunities" for the sand and limestone which it expects to be the main by-products of its process.
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🔺 Unrest in Pakistan: former PM Imran Khan was arrested, prompting clashes between his supporters and police
🔺 ”A war has been unleashed against Russia but Moscow will tackle it,” President Vladimir Putin
🔺 Is the US economy on the verge of collapse? Almost 190 US banks are at risk of bankruptcy while inflation is rising
The Critical Hour will cover these and more stories! Tune in to Radio Sputnik at 6pm EST|3pm PST|12am CET via the website or app
📻 Also in the United States at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM
🔺 ”A war has been unleashed against Russia but Moscow will tackle it,” President Vladimir Putin
🔺 Is the US economy on the verge of collapse? Almost 190 US banks are at risk of bankruptcy while inflation is rising
The Critical Hour will cover these and more stories! Tune in to Radio Sputnik at 6pm EST|3pm PST|12am CET via the website or app
📻 Also in the United States at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM
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Instant karma? An ATGM crew of the Russian Army has destroyed a Ukrainian firing point that shelled civilians on May 9
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Tech giants hope to 'get away with anything' amid AI scare - Steve Wozniak
Legendary Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak – known in Silicon Valley as Woz – fears that AI can be used by "bad actors" to make disinformation campaigns more credible.
"AI is so intelligent it's open to the bad players, the ones that want to trick you about who they are," he told a British news broadcaster.
While Wozniak does not believe that AI will ever replace humans since it lacks emotions, he acknowledged that sometimes machine-generated text may sound intelligent enough to be used for mass scamming campaigns – and that's why, according to Wozniak, the new industry needs to be regulated.
However, the Apple co-founder doubts that any strict legislation will be adopted, since Big Tech companies have vast financial resources to lobby their interests and "the forces that drive for money usually win out."
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Legendary Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak – known in Silicon Valley as Woz – fears that AI can be used by "bad actors" to make disinformation campaigns more credible.
"AI is so intelligent it's open to the bad players, the ones that want to trick you about who they are," he told a British news broadcaster.
While Wozniak does not believe that AI will ever replace humans since it lacks emotions, he acknowledged that sometimes machine-generated text may sound intelligent enough to be used for mass scamming campaigns – and that's why, according to Wozniak, the new industry needs to be regulated.
However, the Apple co-founder doubts that any strict legislation will be adopted, since Big Tech companies have vast financial resources to lobby their interests and "the forces that drive for money usually win out."
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French gov't presents plan to counter tax evasion by super-rich, corporations
The French government is planning to crack down on tax evasion by tightening control over wealthy corporations and entrepreneurs. The plan involves increasing controls by 25% by 2027 and conducting biannual audits of the 100 largest companies by market cap. The government also intends to increase penalties for tax dodging and establish a tax intelligence service to counter international tax crimes.
To achieve this, 1,500 tax professionals will be hired by 2027. The government hopes to restore the French Treasury and has already received a record amount of €14.6 billion in 2022 as a result of previous actions against tax evasion.
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The French government is planning to crack down on tax evasion by tightening control over wealthy corporations and entrepreneurs. The plan involves increasing controls by 25% by 2027 and conducting biannual audits of the 100 largest companies by market cap. The government also intends to increase penalties for tax dodging and establish a tax intelligence service to counter international tax crimes.
To achieve this, 1,500 tax professionals will be hired by 2027. The government hopes to restore the French Treasury and has already received a record amount of €14.6 billion in 2022 as a result of previous actions against tax evasion.
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Biden revokes COVID-19 vaccination requirement for air travel
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday revoked his own proclamation from October 25, 2021, that introduced a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for international air travel.
"Considering the progress that we have made, and based on the latest guidance from our public health experts, I have determined that we no longer need the international air travel restrictions that I imposed in October 2021," the new proclamation said.
According to Biden, COVID-19 cases and deaths are at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic, while the United States now has tools to detect and respond to the potential emergence of a new variant of high consequence.
The proclamation will come into effect at 12:01 EST (16:01 GMT) on May 12.
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US President Joe Biden on Tuesday revoked his own proclamation from October 25, 2021, that introduced a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for international air travel.
"Considering the progress that we have made, and based on the latest guidance from our public health experts, I have determined that we no longer need the international air travel restrictions that I imposed in October 2021," the new proclamation said.
According to Biden, COVID-19 cases and deaths are at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic, while the United States now has tools to detect and respond to the potential emergence of a new variant of high consequence.
The proclamation will come into effect at 12:01 EST (16:01 GMT) on May 12.
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US sanctions son of Mexican drug kingpin 'El Chapo' Guzman
The US sanctioned Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, as part of an effort to disrupt the Sinaloa Cartel's trafficking network of illicit fentanyl, the US Treasury Department said on Tuesday.
"Today, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Joaquin Guzman Lopez - a son of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Loera and the fourth member of Los Chapitos - as well as three Sinaloa Cartel members and two Mexico-based entities pursuant to Executive Order 14059. Those sanctioned today are part of a Sinaloa Cartel network overseen by Los Chapitos and responsible for a significant portion of the illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States," the Treasury said in a press release.
Guzman Lopez, according to the Treasury, is responsible for overseeing different aspects of the Sinaloa Cartel's vast drug trafficking network.
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The US sanctioned Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, as part of an effort to disrupt the Sinaloa Cartel's trafficking network of illicit fentanyl, the US Treasury Department said on Tuesday.
"Today, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Joaquin Guzman Lopez - a son of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Loera and the fourth member of Los Chapitos - as well as three Sinaloa Cartel members and two Mexico-based entities pursuant to Executive Order 14059. Those sanctioned today are part of a Sinaloa Cartel network overseen by Los Chapitos and responsible for a significant portion of the illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States," the Treasury said in a press release.
Guzman Lopez, according to the Treasury, is responsible for overseeing different aspects of the Sinaloa Cartel's vast drug trafficking network.
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Syria's return to Arab League shows US Gulf allies tired of 'regime change'
Syria's readmission to the Arab League after 11 years of pariah status is seen as a failure of the US doctrine of regime change, according to investigative journalist Christopher Helali.
The move shows waning US power in the Middle East and is part of ongoing geopolitical shifts in the region, he said. The conflict has turned in Syria's favor with help from Russia, Iraq, Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Helali noted growing discontent among Arab states over the conflict's progression and its unwanted effects, adding that for a peace plan to succeed, foreign troops including those from the US must leave Syrian territory and the plan must be Syrian-led.
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Syria's readmission to the Arab League after 11 years of pariah status is seen as a failure of the US doctrine of regime change, according to investigative journalist Christopher Helali.
The move shows waning US power in the Middle East and is part of ongoing geopolitical shifts in the region, he said. The conflict has turned in Syria's favor with help from Russia, Iraq, Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Helali noted growing discontent among Arab states over the conflict's progression and its unwanted effects, adding that for a peace plan to succeed, foreign troops including those from the US must leave Syrian territory and the plan must be Syrian-led.
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There are delays with the inspection of ships under the Black Sea grain deal, talks are underway
Earlier, the UN reported that in May the number of inspections of vessels participating in the Black Sea Grain Initiative decreased to an average of 2.9 per day (in April, the average figure was 4 inspections per day). In particular, no inspections were carried out on Sunday and Monday.
"Yes, there are such problems... But we are holding talks with the parties. Of course, they are not always easy, but they are ongoing," a source familiar with the negotiations said.
Russia, Ukraine, Turkiye and the UN reached an agreement on July 22, 2022 to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships carrying food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. On March 18, 2023, Russia extended the deal for 60 days, until May 18.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative is an integral part of a package agreement. The second part - the Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years - envisions the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers, the reconnection of Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, the resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services, the restoration of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and a number of other measures. Moscow says this part of the package agreement has not been implemented yet.
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Earlier, the UN reported that in May the number of inspections of vessels participating in the Black Sea Grain Initiative decreased to an average of 2.9 per day (in April, the average figure was 4 inspections per day). In particular, no inspections were carried out on Sunday and Monday.
"Yes, there are such problems... But we are holding talks with the parties. Of course, they are not always easy, but they are ongoing," a source familiar with the negotiations said.
Russia, Ukraine, Turkiye and the UN reached an agreement on July 22, 2022 to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships carrying food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. On March 18, 2023, Russia extended the deal for 60 days, until May 18.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative is an integral part of a package agreement. The second part - the Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years - envisions the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers, the reconnection of Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, the resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services, the restoration of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and a number of other measures. Moscow says this part of the package agreement has not been implemented yet.
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Joe Biden said he might skip his visit to Japan to attend the summit of the Group of Seven (G7) in Hiroshima next week if the debt ceiling is not raised by the time he is supposed to leave
"I’m still committed, but obviously this is the single most important thing on the agenda," the president told journalists after his meeting with congressional leaders on the debt ceiling.
The president added, however, that it was "not likely" his trip would be canceled, but it was possible.
"If somehow we got down to the wire and we still hadn’t resolved this, and the due date was a matter of when I was supposed to be away, I would not go," Biden said. "I would stay until this gets finished."
Earlier, Biden met with congressional leaders at the White House to negotiate raising the US debt limit to avoid a possible default in June. Following the meeting, Biden said it was productive and the United States reiterated claims that the US would not default on its debt obligations.
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"I’m still committed, but obviously this is the single most important thing on the agenda," the president told journalists after his meeting with congressional leaders on the debt ceiling.
The president added, however, that it was "not likely" his trip would be canceled, but it was possible.
"If somehow we got down to the wire and we still hadn’t resolved this, and the due date was a matter of when I was supposed to be away, I would not go," Biden said. "I would stay until this gets finished."
Earlier, Biden met with congressional leaders at the White House to negotiate raising the US debt limit to avoid a possible default in June. Following the meeting, Biden said it was productive and the United States reiterated claims that the US would not default on its debt obligations.
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The Roman Catholic archdiocese in Baltimore may be sued over allegations that priests and other church personnel sexually abused hundreds of individuals
"The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore will be named in a series of civil actions collectively alleging that hundreds of individuals were sexually abused by clergy, seminarians, deacons, and employees of the church," Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump’s law firm said.
The lawsuit follows release of a report developed by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office in April that detailed the widespread sexual abuse that allegedly occurred over an 80-year span, committed by priests, deacons and other church leaders who held positions of authority in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The more than 450-page report identified 156 priests, seminarians, Catholic teachers and deacons in the Archdiocese who allegedly sexually abused and physically tortured more than 600 victims.
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"The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore will be named in a series of civil actions collectively alleging that hundreds of individuals were sexually abused by clergy, seminarians, deacons, and employees of the church," Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump’s law firm said.
The lawsuit follows release of a report developed by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office in April that detailed the widespread sexual abuse that allegedly occurred over an 80-year span, committed by priests, deacons and other church leaders who held positions of authority in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The more than 450-page report identified 156 priests, seminarians, Catholic teachers and deacons in the Archdiocese who allegedly sexually abused and physically tortured more than 600 victims.
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A Norwegian girl has found a prehistoric dagger made by Stone Age people, while playing by her school
An 8-year-old Norwegian girl has found an unexpected treasure, while playing by her school in Vestland County in the western part of the country. The gray-brown find turned out to be a prehistoric dagger made by Stone Age people some 3,700 years ago.
"I was going to pick up a piece of glass, but then the stone was there," Elise later told local media.
Elise showed the find to her teacher, who concluded that the 12-centimeter tool looked rather ancient and summoned archeologists from Vestland County Council to examine the artefact.
Based on its style, the dagger likely dates to the New Stone Age, or the Neolithic, when prehistoric humans began to shape stone tools and use domesticated plants and animals, build permanent villages and develop crafts.
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An 8-year-old Norwegian girl has found an unexpected treasure, while playing by her school in Vestland County in the western part of the country. The gray-brown find turned out to be a prehistoric dagger made by Stone Age people some 3,700 years ago.
"I was going to pick up a piece of glass, but then the stone was there," Elise later told local media.
Elise showed the find to her teacher, who concluded that the 12-centimeter tool looked rather ancient and summoned archeologists from Vestland County Council to examine the artefact.
Based on its style, the dagger likely dates to the New Stone Age, or the Neolithic, when prehistoric humans began to shape stone tools and use domesticated plants and animals, build permanent villages and develop crafts.
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Elon Musk has announced the introduction of voice and video chats on Twitter
US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Wednesday announced that Twitter would soon introduce voice and video chats, which would allow the platform's users to contact people anywhere without providing their phone number.
"Coming soon will be voice and video chat from your handle to anyone on this platform, so you can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number," Musk tweeted.
In October 2022, Elon Musk finalized the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, a US company founded in 2006, and headquartered in San Francisco, California. Following the takeover, Musk sparked a significant amount of controversy with his policy changes on the social media platform.
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US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Wednesday announced that Twitter would soon introduce voice and video chats, which would allow the platform's users to contact people anywhere without providing their phone number.
"Coming soon will be voice and video chat from your handle to anyone on this platform, so you can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number," Musk tweeted.
In October 2022, Elon Musk finalized the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, a US company founded in 2006, and headquartered in San Francisco, California. Following the takeover, Musk sparked a significant amount of controversy with his policy changes on the social media platform.
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CIA allegedly solicited signatures for the 2020 letter from 51 intelligence officials falsely claiming that emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop were Russian disinformation
The House Judiciary Committee’s 65-page “interim” report, a copy of which was seen by a US media outlet, will be published today.
The document, noscriptd “The Hunter Biden Statement: How Senior Intelligence Community Officials and the Biden Campaign Worked to Mislead American Voters,” claims, in particular, that the intel officials’ letter “was a political operation to help elect” Democrat Joe Biden in November 2022.
The report alleges that a CIA employee “may have helped in the effort to solicit signatures for the [officials’] statement” and accuses former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the CIA Mike Morell and the Biden campaign of conspiring to swiftly get the letter approved.
“One signer of the statement, former CIA analyst David Cariens, disclosed to the Committees that a CIA employee affiliated with the agency’s Prepublication Classification Review Board (PCRB) informed him of the existence of the statement and asked if he would sign it. The Committees have requested additional material from the CIA, which has ignored the request to date,” the report purportedly reads.
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The House Judiciary Committee’s 65-page “interim” report, a copy of which was seen by a US media outlet, will be published today.
The document, noscriptd “The Hunter Biden Statement: How Senior Intelligence Community Officials and the Biden Campaign Worked to Mislead American Voters,” claims, in particular, that the intel officials’ letter “was a political operation to help elect” Democrat Joe Biden in November 2022.
The report alleges that a CIA employee “may have helped in the effort to solicit signatures for the [officials’] statement” and accuses former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the CIA Mike Morell and the Biden campaign of conspiring to swiftly get the letter approved.
“One signer of the statement, former CIA analyst David Cariens, disclosed to the Committees that a CIA employee affiliated with the agency’s Prepublication Classification Review Board (PCRB) informed him of the existence of the statement and asked if he would sign it. The Committees have requested additional material from the CIA, which has ignored the request to date,” the report purportedly reads.
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