8,000-year-old architectural plans discovered in Jordan & Saudi Arabia

Archaeologists led by Rémy Crassard have made a significant discovery of ancient construction plans, which are believed to be among the oldest created by a highly-developed civilization. The engraved stone plans, found in southeastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia, date back 9,000 years and depict human-made mega-traps known as "desert kites." These trap-like enclosures were used by Stone Age hunter-gatherer tribes to capture and slaughter migrating animals.

The discovery challenges previous assumptions about the development of architectural art and abstract thinking, as these plans predate the protohistoric period of literate civilizations. The detailed drawings on the monoliths helped ancient builders avoid mistakes in constructing the large-scale desert kites. This finding suggests that architectural art and the ability to engage in abstract thinking emerged earlier than previously believed, potentially pushing back the timeline for the mastery of art and abstract concepts by our ancestors.

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US drug shortage nears record high amid supply chain disruptions

The US is facing a record shortage of drugs to fight cancer and other life-threatening illnesses due to supply chain issues and manufacturing shutdowns, American media reported on Wednesday.

The cancer-fighting drugs are among hundreds on the shortage list, which also includes heart bypass surgery medication, antibiotics, and children’s Tylenol, the report said.

Generic forms of chemotherapy to treat lung, breast, bladder and ovarian cancers have also intensified concerns, the report added.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Professor Amanda Fader called the situation a "public health emergency" in light of the number of chemotherapy agents facing shortages, according to the report.

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800 Danish soldiers stationed in Latvia as part of NATO's advanced presence in the Baltics have been living in tents polluted with toxic fumes

The tents of Danish soldiers at Camp Valdemar were heated with diesel-powered VA-M40-type heat guns throughout the winter, which has resulted in air pollution inside the tents and around them exceeding the limits of the Danish Working Environment Authority, the Danish Defense Ministry revealed.

The ministry also admitted that the measurements were when "the weather was mild," which is why the heat guns were not turned up full blast. Therefore, there may be "significant dark numbers" associated with the test.

"It is clear that Danish soldiers must not live in tents with particle pollution. Neither when deployed nor when in training," acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in a statement. " I look at the matter very seriously, and I am waiting for us to uncover it and ensure that it does not happen again," he added.

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A plan to rebuild the city of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) will be finalized once the city is liberated

"When the city is liberated, we will make a plan," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said on the sidelines of the 14th International economic forum "Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum."

"I was there and examined the degree of destruction: there is destruction, and the city is similar to Mariupol, but to say that there is some terrible destruction, that the whole city is destroyed - no, I would not say that."

"It is quite possible to rebuild the city. We have already estimated a rough budget, and we are outlining a plan of action. When the operational situation allows, we will rebuild it," the official underscored.

The deputy prime minister added that a pool of companies willing to rebuild the city has already formed.

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Ukrainian troops are planning to break through flanks in Artemovsk (Bakhmut) to complicate the advance of Russian forces in the city

"The enemy now is deliberately trying to break through flanks to create difficult conditions for Artemovsk itself, for the guys who are in the city. Therefore, of course, exhaustive measures are being taken," Denis Pushilin, the acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), told Sputnik.

"The enemy now is deliberately trying to break through flanks to create difficult conditions for Artemovsk itself, for the guys who are in the city. Therefore, of course, exhaustive measures are being taken," he said.

Pushilin recently told Sputnik the situation on flanks in Artemovsk was improving, and that the flanks' reinforcement has already proven effective.

The official also detailed that the road between the cities of Chasov Yar and Artemovsk, which Kiev is trying to use to supply troops in Artemovsk remains complicated but under fire control of the Russian military.

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🗣 "G7 just the voice of warmongers"

📹 Sputnik spoke with an American citizen who came to Hiroshima to protest the upcoming G7 Summit.

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"The world needs a Central Asia that is stable, prosperous, harmonious, and well-connected"

Chinese President Xi Jinping made these remarks while delivering a keynote address at the China-Central Asia Summit held in the city of Xi'an, in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Noting that the world needs a stable Central Asia, Xi said the sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries must be safeguarded, the development paths independently chosen by Central Asian people must be respected, and the efforts made by the region to pursue peace, amity and tranquility must be supported.

Stressing that the world needs a prosperous Central Asia, Xi said such a Central Asia will meet the aspiration of people of different countries in the region for a better life, and inject a strong impetus into world economic recovery.

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🥴 Non-binary former Biden administration nuclear official arrested for stealing women's clothes at an airport… AGAIN

Samuel Brinton, 35, was taken into custody at his home in Rockville, Maryland. The charges relate to an alleged theft of property at Reagan National Airport that was reported to police in February, after Brinton had been arrested in Nevada and Minnesota on similar charges. 

The non-binary drag queen was fired after admitting to taking a stranger's suitcase from the luggage carousel during a work trip in Minnesota. 

Brinton faced up to 15 years total for the two alleged thefts. However, in both cases, the presiding judges ruled jail time wasn't necessary.

🤔 Will Samuel Brinton be lucky this time as well?

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It could take the US less time to train Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16s than previously thought

Citing US Air Force documents, US media reported that Ukrainian pilots could be taught to operate American-made fighter jets in substantially less time than expected previously.

"Given the current skill set demonstrated by the Ukrainian Air Force pilot ... four months is a realistic training timeline,” the documents were quoted as saying in the report.

The documents contain detailed assessments from February and March of this year at an Air Force base in Tucson, Arizona, where Ukrainian pilots with experience flying Su-27s and MiG-29s but not any experience with F16s were tested in simulators and assessed by qualified Air Force instructors.

With only a brief familiarization and no formal training, the two Ukrainian pilots were able to execute complex maneuvers in their simulated environments over the course of the assessment, the report said. Some of these maneuvers required very technical skills, including landing the aircraft after simulated engine loss and executing mock attacks.

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🇵🇰 Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan speaks to reporters inside courtroom

Khan suggested the current situation in Pakistan is the "worst" in the past 35 years, and that civil rights are infringed on, but adds that he will "fight to the end."

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📹 Russian air defense forces shot down an American MLRS HIMARS missile in the Zaporozhye region overnight

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Argentina is keen to use Russian technologies and develop mutually beneficial cooperation in nuclear, shipbuilding and aviation industries

"We would like to take advantage of the Russian technology in the field of nuclear energy. We are also keen to cooperate with Russia in shipbuilding and aircraft industries," Argentine Ambassador to Russia Eduardo Antonio Zuain told Sputnik.

The diplomat noted that Argentina sees Russia as a great partner and a friendly nation.

"Our countries have signed a strategic development agreement. Russia has high-tech technology. You are advancing in different areas and spheres and you are ready to share your technologies with others," he said.

The ambassador also recalled that Argentina was one of the largest economies in Latin America with vast natural energy resources, as well as export-oriented agriculture and animal husbandry. Despite the fact that the country has significant opportunities in some manufacturing sectors, its innovative enterprises are not developed enough and require high-end technologies, he added.

"We need to develop industry more actively, for this, we need to adopt technologies, including from Russia," the ambassador concluded.

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📹 Tornado-S MLRS crews of the Russian Armed Forces in combat action

They leave the dangerous area as quickly as possible after the strike, thanks to the crews' well-coordinated operation, and can strike again from a different firing position within a few minutes. They never work in the same spot repeatedly, and they never use the same hiding area for their vehicles.

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❗️ Moscow exports significant volumes of military products and pays attention to modernisation despite sanctions and unfair competition from the West, Vladimir Putin says, adding that Russia retains its status as one of the leaders in the global weapons and military equipment market

Satanists have filed a lawsuit alleging Chicago is barring them from saying “Hail Satan” at City Council meetings

The lawsuit says the city violated the religious group’s First Amendment rights by “excluding disfavored minority faiths” from giving an invocation at the start of City Council meetings.

More than 50 local religious groups have given invocations in front of City Council since The Satanic Temple Illinois first inquired about giving one in December 2019, said Minister of Satan Adam Vavrick, citing publicly available meeting minutes.

The Satanic Temple is a federally recognized religion with congregations across the United States and more than 14,000 members in Illinois, and Vavrick insists it should be allowed to offer prayers at the City Council just like any other religion.

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