Wednesday, October 24, 2018

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Top IS leader killed in Somalia

Top IS leader killed in Somalia
BBC World Service
The BBC has learnt that the second-in-command of the Islamic State group in Somalia has been killed in the capital, Mogadishu.
Mahad Moallim, who is on a US sanctions list, was shot dead by gunmen who are also believed to be members of IS.
Correspondents say it is possible that the killing was related to a power struggle amongst the jihadists as the leader of the group is reported to be in poor health.
IS is thought to have between 400 and 500 fighters and is most active in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.
The militant group, also known as Daish, is an arch rival of the jihadist group al-Shabab.

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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Joachim Ronneberg: Norwegian who thwarted Nazi nuclear plan dies

Black Sea ship: 'World's oldest intact wreck' found

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45951132
A Greek merchant ship dating back more than 2,400 years has been found lying on its side off the Bulgarian coast.
The 23m (75ft) wreck, found in the Black Sea by an Anglo-Bulgarian team, is being hailed as officially the world's oldest known intact shipwreck.
The researchers were stunned to find the merchant vessel closely resembled in design a ship that decorated ancient Greek wine vases.
The rudder, rowing benches and even the contents of its hold remain intact.
"It's like another world," Helen Farr from the expedition told the BBC.
"It's when the ROV [remote operated vehicle] drops down through the water column and you see this ship appear in the light at the bottom so perfectly preserved it feels like you step back in time."
The reason the trading vessel, dating back to around 400 BC, has remained in such good condition for so long is that the water is anoxic, or free of oxygen. Lying more than 2,000m below the surface, it is also beyond the reach of modern divers.
"It's preserved, it's safe," she added. "It's not deteriorating and it's unlikely to attract hunters."
The vessel was one of many tracking between the Mediterranean and Greek colonies on the Black Sea coast.
Stamnos (vase) depicting Odysseus tied to the mast listening to the songs of the Sirens, Greece. Ancient Greek. c 480 BC. Athens.Image copyrightWERNER FORMAN/GETTY IMAGES
Image captionThe Anglo-Bulgarian team believe the Black Sea wreck dates back to the Fourth Century BC, perhaps 100 years after the Siren Vase was painted
The team used two underwater robotic explorers to map out a 3-D image of the ship and they took a sample to carbon-date its age.
The vessel is similar in style to that depicted by the so-called Siren Painter on the Siren Vase in the British Museum. Dating back to around 480 BC, the vase shows Odysseus strapped to the mast as his ship sails past three mythical sea nymphs whose tune was thought to drive sailors to their deaths.
As yet the ship's cargo remains unknown and the team say they need more funding if they are to return to the site.
Media captionDozens of shipwrecks in the Aegean reveal a new story about ancient seafarers.
"As archaeologists we're interested in what it can tell us about technology, trade and movements in the area."
Over the course of three years the academic expedition found 67 wrecks including Roman trading ships and a 17th Century Cossack trading fleet

Khashoggi murder 'planned days in advance" - Turkey's Erdogan

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45949742

Breaking News image
The killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was planned days in advance, the Turkish president says, addressing MPs from his ruling party.
He said Turkey had strong evidence Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated and "savage" murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.
He also called for the suspects to be tried in Istanbul.
He also demanded Saudi Arabia provide answers about where Khashoggi's body was and who ordered the operation.

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