The Russian delegation will participate in a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE in Skopje, after Bulgaria, as promised to North Macedonia, opened the airspace for the Russian Federation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, quoted by TASS and BTA.
“Now it seems that Macedonia has invited us to the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE. Bulgaria seems to have promised Macedonia to open its airspace. If it works out, we will be there,” the minister said, speaking at the Primakovski readings forum.
From November 29 to December 1, Skopje will host the OSCE summit, which the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia and OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bujar Osmani described as “the biggest event in the history of North Macedonia”.
76 delegations of OSCE member states and OSCE partners are expected to arrive in Skopje, represented mainly by foreign ministers.
Bulgaria allows Sergey Lavrov’s plane to pass through Bulgarian airspace. This was reported to TASS by the ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mitrofanova. She specifies that a positive response was received to Moscow’s note about the foreign minister’s plane flying over to go to the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in the OSCE meeting in Skopje.
“A positive response was received to our note about the passage of Lavrov’s plane through the airspace of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria officially informed us that the flight in the sky above the country for our minister is permitted,” Mitrofanova told TASS. Earlier, Lavrov himself stated that the Russian delegation will take part in the OSCE meeting in Skopje if Bulgaria opens its airspace for the flight of the delegation of the Russian Federation.
Before the permission was given by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission stated that the flight of the Russian foreign minister did not violate the sanctions of the European Union.
Photo: H. E. Eleonora Mitrofanova, ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria
By Hasanboy Burhanov – Founder of the political opposition movement Free Uzbekistan
Manipulating the mass consciousness of Muslims
Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who considers himself “a great defender of Palestinians and Islam in the international arena,” speaking at a meeting of his party’s Parliamentary Group on Wednesday, November 15, said, “I clearly state this: Israel is a terrorist state. If Israel continues massacres, it will be condemned around the world as a terrorist state” ( https://www.iletisim.gov.tr/turkce/haberler/detay/cumhurbaskani-erdogan-ak-parti-tbmm-grup-toplantisinda-konustu-15-11-23 ).
During the hour-long emotional speech, Erdogan pledged to continue to defend the militant group Hamas, saying it was the political party chosen by the Palestinians.
On the same day, Emine Erdogan, the wife of the Turkish President, while speaking at the “One Heart for Palestine” summit in Istanbul, pointed out the religious dimention of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: “I wonder how you will explain to Prophet Ibrahim that you killed more than 4,000 children for the sake of your twisted ideology?” (https://tccb.gov.tr/haberler/410/150196/emine-erdogan-filistin-icin-tek-yurek-zirvesi-ne-katildi ).
Apparently Emine Khanum does not believe that every human being will be held accountable for his deeds before Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgement. Otherwise, she and her husband would not manipulate the religious feelings of Turkish citizens for their own selfish purposes.
At the same time, the presidential couple does not mention that the Palestinian paramilitary groups, of which there are a couple of dozen according to various estimates, are divided along two ideological lines: Marxist-Leninist and Shiite. The extreme left-wing paramilitary groups are supported by China and other states with communist ideology, while the Shiite militants are supported by Iran. Members of Hamas, despite their adherence to the Sunni school of belief, have long been funded and coordinated by Iran and Russia.
And the most important thing that the Turkish “defenders of Islam” do not voice is that Iran, together with Putin’s regime, is pursuing a deliberate policy of Shiitisation of the Sunni population not only in the Middle East but also in Central Asia.
If we call things by their names, those people who call on the Islamic world to support and join the Palestinian militants to participate in a worldwide “jihad” against Israel, wish for the destruction of Sunni Muslims and the establishment of communist dictatorships in the world.
Erdogan’s “jihad” against Assad
Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Recep Erdogan has repeatedly threatened Bashar al-Assad on his Twitter account and through the press, calling him a terrorist.
– “Now they are talking about figures of 600 (thousand), but no. In my opinion, about 1 million people have been killed in Syria. This death toll is still continuing” – 29.11.2016 (https://www.bbc.com/turkce/38145760 ).
During these years, there have been relentless calls from the territories of Russia and Turkey for Muslims in neighbouring countries to do their religious duty and take part in the “jihad” against the Assad regime in Syria. Tens of thousands of naive Muslims from Turkey and the CIS countries, having become hostages of false propaganda, died in a foreign country for the ambitions of hypocritical politicians.
But times have changed, President of Turkey Recep Erdogan has forgotten his threats, he no longer wants to hold Bashar al-Assad accountable for the massacres of the Syrian people. He doesn’t mind sitting at the same table with a tyrant who has drowned hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians in blood.
The heads of the relevant ministries of Turkey and Syria have already met in Moscow on several occasions to discuss the normalisation of Syrian-Turkish relations. On November 11 this year, Recep Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad met in Riyadh, attending the joint Summit of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which was dedicated to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
As of March 2023, the death toll in Syria’s civil war is estimated at 913,000.
Ignoring the calls of the lying jihadists, the Muslims of the Central Asian countries should concentrate all their strength and capabilities to fight Putin’s viceroys, who are promoting the revival of the USSR-2 project.
Illustrative Photo by Pixabay:https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-section-of-man-against-sky-247851/
Source: Political Opposition Movement “Erkin O’zbekiston” (Free Uzbekistan), Dusseldorf, Germany
A metal becomes more valuable than oil and gold. Its mining is literally rearranging the world’s economic forces. Lithium.
With the rapid development of electronics, lithium has become no less important – it is the main element of any battery. For 30 years, its demand has grown manifold, and economists consider this metal a key component of future technologies.
We need more and more lithium
At the end of the 20th century, lithium was practically not used in industry, so its extraction was in a small volume – about 5 thousand tons per year. But in 1991, Sony’s lithium-ion rechargeable battery turned things around, writes money.bg.
The battery was successful in many ways. It was light, cheap to manufacture, and charged quickly. And most importantly, the memory effect – the loss of capacity over time – was almost absent.
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) and lithium-polymer (Li-pol) batteries are quickly becoming leaders in production, and the demand for lithium is increasing manifold. This was fueled by the booming production of smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.
As a result, lithium production in 1995 reached 10 thousand tons, in 2010 – 28 thousand, and today more than 86 thousand tons are produced annually. In the last 30 years, the demand for this metal has increased tenfold! But as time has shown, this is only the beginning.
Development of electric transport
In addition to the development of mobile devices and other gadgets in the world, the electric vehicle market is growing rapidly. However, electric transport for many years could not solve 2 problems: the complexity of charging and power reserve due to the small capacity of batteries.
For more than 100 years, only public transport traveled with electric traction – trolleybuses, trams, electric trains, metro. However, with the advent of new batteries, electric cars got a chance to compete with gasoline and diesel cars.
They pollute the environment less, and most importantly, are more economical to use: costs are on average 40-60% less than the price of a tank of gasoline. Due to the lack of technology and high production costs, they are 1.5-2 times more expensive than conventional cars. However, this difference decreases over time.
There are already over 1.5 billion cars in the world, of which about 1% run on electricity. The potential market is huge, more and more people switch to electric cars every year: if 10 years ago there were not even 500 thousand cars on the planet, then in 2021 there were already 2 million of them. According to experts, in 5 years this number will grow at least 6 times.
In addition, European countries announced the gradual abandonment of the production of cars with internal combustion engines. This is planned to be fully completed by 2030.
This reality and the announced plans have dramatically increased the consumption of lithium raw materials (primarily lithium carbonate). If in 2000 the world needed 68 thousand tons, then in 2019 this indicator already exceeds 315 thousand tons – consumption has increased by 4.5 times.
Rising demand for batteries has affected prices. Lithium carbonate in 2004 cost $ 2 thousand per ton, then 2 years ago – $ 6.5 thousand, in 2021 – $ 17 thousand. At peak times, the price even reached $70 thousand. In short, the market growth is huge.
Who will be the leader in lithium production?
Currently, more than 90% of the world production of lithium compounds falls on Australia, China and the “lithium triangle” – Chile and Argentina. But given the rapid growth of the industry and the steady increase in demand for lithium, it is not surprising that everyone remembered its production and the possible profits.
The United States, the world’s number one economy, is worried about China’s leadership and is therefore increasingly talking about developing its own deposits. The US has 9.1 million tons of lithium reserves, and there is currently only one deposit where industrial production is taking place – this is the Silver Peak mine.
Another potential deposit is Tucker Pass, located in Nevada, which together with the first mine. It could quickly put the US among the leaders in lithium production.
There is less prospective potential in Russia. The only field operating since the time of the USSR in Zavittsk in the 1990s was conserved. A new recovery technology is now being developed which, if successful, could be applied to a closed mine and restore it.
In general, reserves in the Russian Federation are small, estimated at 1 million tons. For comparison, in China there are reserves in the volume of 5.1 million tons, in Australia – 7.3 million tons, in Argentina – 19 million tons.
Rosatom announced the development of deposits in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions. According to the plan, by 2030 local production will be able to cover the needs of the country. How it will turn out in practice is difficult to predict, writes on the site dzen.ru.
However, Latin America, namely Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, could benefit the most from the growth of the lithium market. On their territory there are more than half of all known world reserves of this metal. The first 2 countries are already among the leaders in lithium production.
If they can build the transport infrastructure and attract international investors, they will literally get rich. Rosatom, by the way, also considers local fields with potential for development.
So, the lithium market is growing and is a profitable investment. In the near future, all countries will be fighting for it, hoping to become the leader in production and get their share of the profits.
According to the Russian Minister of Transport Vitaly Saveliev, 76 Russian planes have been confiscated as a result of the sanctions imposed because of the invasion of Ukraine, “TVP World” reported.
Saveliev expressed his surprise at the sudden decision to confiscate these planes, which were in a warehouse for technical storage, in the process of maintenance abroad, about to perform flights or already ordered and about to be put into service. After the outbreak of hostilities, they were not repatriated to Russia..
Currently, Russia’s aircraft fleet numbers 1,302 aircraft, 1,167 of which are intended for passenger purposes.
Before the start of the conflict, many of the Russian passenger planes were registered in foreign countries and leased to Russian airlines.
Bermuda and Ireland, where a significant number of these planes were registered, revoked the airworthiness certificates of many of them in response to the invasion of Ukraine, effectively blocking nearly $10 billion worth of them in Russia.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a law allowing leased foreign aircraft to be registered in Russia, making it harder for countries to repossess them.
In March 2022, Saveliev reported that almost 800 aircraft had been transferred to the national registry.
However, this means that the aircraft does not receive software upgrades from the manufacturer. Maintenance, servicing and inspection to company standards are also affected.
Russia is trying to circumvent sanctions and find ways of replacing Western-made parts and equipment to keep its aeronautics industry in business.
The Russian transport minister also mentioned that Russian airlines have resumed flights to 11 countries that have guaranteed not to confiscate their planes. He explained that negotiations for compensation for these planes and their purchase had been hampered by “the ban and the lack of desire on the part of foreign countries”. Sevliev stressed that due to the lack of these aircraft, Russia will be left without a viable aviation fleet.
These structures, scattered across Iran, functioned as primitive refrigerators
In the waterless expanses of the Persian desert, an amazing and ingenious ancient technology was discovered, known as yakhchāl, which means “ice pit” in Persian. Yakhchāl (Persian: کلکر; yakh meaning “ice” and chāl meaning “pit”) is an ancient type of evaporative cooler. By 400 BC, Persian engineers had mastered the technique of using yakhchāl to create ice in the winter and store it in the summer in the desert
It reveals our ancestors’ sophisticated approach to ice production and dates back to 400 BC. These structures, scattered across Iran, functioned as primitive refrigerators, using a cooling system designed to store ice year-round. The yachts had a distinctive domed shape that housed a huge underground storage area. Constructed of thick, heat-resistant materials, the yachts used an overhead evaporative cooling system.
Working in harmony with the natural climate, cold air enters through the inlets at the base, while the conical design helps expel the remaining heat through the openings at the top. The process of ice production began with shallow lakes filled nightly by freshwater channels. Protected from the sun’s rays by shading walls, the lakes froze during winter nights.
The collected ice was then transferred to a yahchal made of local materials such as adobe, clay, egg white, goat fur, lemon juice and waterproof mortar. These remarkable structures played a vital role in preserving food, drink and possibly cooling the buildings during the hot summer months. Today, 129 yakhchals remain as a historical reminder of ancient Persian ingenuity.
Tournai: a weekend of relaxation and discovery in Belgium
Located in Belgium, Tournai is a town full of charm which offers a multitude of activities for a weekend of relaxation and discovery. Whether you are a history, culture or nature lover, Tournai will seduce you with its exceptional heritage and picturesque landscapes.
The first stop on your visit to Tournai should be the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this Gothic cathedral is a true architectural masterpiece. Don’t forget to admire its five bell towers, which are the emblematic symbols of the city. Inside, you’ll be amazed by the beautiful stained glass windows and detailed carvings. The cathedral is also known for housing the famous Tournai Treasure, a collection of religious objects dating from the Middle Ages.
After discovering the cathedral, stroll through the picturesque streets of the old town. You will be charmed by the medieval architecture and the half-timbered houses that line the cobbled streets. Don’t miss the Grand-Place, where you can admire the town hall, a magnificent building dating from the 17th century. Take the opportunity to stop at one of the many cafés and restaurants on the square, where you can taste local specialties, such as waffles or mussels and fries.
If you are an art lover, be sure to visit the Tournai Museum of Fine Arts. This museum houses an impressive collection of works of art, ranging from 15th century Flemish painting to contemporary art. There you can admire paintings by great masters such as Rubens, Van Dyck and Bruegel.
After exploring the city, take time to relax and enjoy the surrounding nature. Tournai is surrounded by magnificent landscapes, perfect for walks in nature. The Jardin de la Reine park is an ideal place to relax and recharge your batteries. You can admire French gardens, ponds and a wide variety of trees and plants. If you are a cycling enthusiast, you can also take one of the many cycle paths that cross the region.
If you still have time, don’t miss a visit to the Tournai belfry. This emblematic building of the city offers a panoramic view of Tournai and its surroundings. Don’t hesitate to climb the 257 steps to enjoy a breathtaking view. You can also learn more about the city’s history from the exhibitions inside the Belfry.
In conclusion, a weekend in Tournai is an unforgettable experience. Whether you are a history, culture or nature lover, this Belgian city will seduce you with its exceptional heritage and picturesque landscapes. So don’t wait any longer, plan your getaway to Tournai and let yourself be charmed by this unique destination.
On what would be her 84th birthday this November 26th, we celebrate Tina Turner, the iconic “Queen of Rock.” Born in 1939 as Anna Mae Bullock, she soared to fame with hits like “Proud Mary” and “Nutbush City Limits.” Despite a challenging marriage, she made a triumphant comeback with her 1984 solo album “Private Dancer,” featuring classics such as “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”
Turner’s vibrant performances and roles in films like “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” showcased her versatility. Her biopic, “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” further cemented her status as a music and cultural icon. After a successful farewell tour in 2008-2009 and embracing Swiss citizenship in 2013, Turner retired, leaving behind a legacy of over 200 million albums sold and a lasting impact on rock music. Today, we remember her enduring spirit and groundbreaking career.
Most celebrated vocalist in modern music history
Tina Turner is one of the most celebrated vocalists in modern music history. Since first stepping into the spotlight in the late 1950s, her legendary career has spanned over 6 decades and seen the Queen of Rock n’ Roll redefine what it means to be a powerful woman in music. Though she endured incredible hardships early in her career, Tina emerged triumphant as a survivor and pioneering solo artist. Her diverse musical legacy and ability to continually evolve her sound has inspired countless artists in R&B, rock, pop and soul.
Early Days: Discovering Her Voice
Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 in Nutbush, Tennessee where her passion for singing took hold at an early age. She grew up singing in her local church choir where she discovered her booming vocal abilities. Inspired by artists like Mahalia Jackson and Bessie Smith, young Tina Turner sang wherever she could around her hometown, absorbing the blues, R&B, gospel and country that permeated the southern musical landscape. Her early singing experiences in the church gave Tina control over her impressive vocal range and laid the foundation for the raw, emotional delivery she would become renowned for.
In the mid 1950s, the teenage Tina attended a rhythm and blues concert by musician Ike Turner and was awestruck by his band’s performance. When the singer never showed up for their gig, Tina jumped onstage to belt out a B.B. King tune that caught Ike’s attention. He was instantly taken with the 16 year old’s commanding stage presence and powerful voice and soon after recruited her to front his band as a background vocalist. After Tina recorded what would become her first commercial vocal on the song “Box Top” in 1958, Ike changed her name to Tina Turner and made her lead singer of his group which later became The Ike & Tina Turner Revue.
The Ike & Tina Turner Revue: Spectacular Highs & Tragic Lows
The newly christened Ike & Tina Turner Revue began touring relentlessly throughout the southern “chitlin circuit” in the late 1950s, gaining notoriety for their electrifying stage performances. Tina’s fiery confidence, sexuality and vocal bombast perfectly complemented Ike’s funky blues arrangements and the duo were gaining a reputation as a must-see live band by 1961.
The Revue finally achieved breakthrough pop chart success in 1962 when Tina’s soulful vocals turned their version of the song “A Fool In Love” into a Grammy-nominated hit and a staple on black radio stations across America. More R&B hits penned by Ike cemented Tina Turner as a star and pushed the Revue’s popularity to new heights throughout the 60s. Tina’s diversity as a vocalist shone through on soulful ballads like “I Idolize You” then on funk-rock tracks like “Bold Soul Sister.”
Tina’s mammoth voice and dazzling stage presence pushed the Revue into the mainstream spotlight when their high-octane version of “Proud Mary” peaked at #4 in 1971 and won the duo their first and only Grammy. They became a sensation touring across the country, even opening for the Rolling Stones in 1969 at the peak of the British band’s fame. Over 20 years, Ike and Tina Turner churned out hit after gritty R&B hit including classics like “River Deep, Mountain High” and “Nutbush City Limits” that still sound as fiery today thanks largely to Tina’s gale-force vocals.
Behind the scenes, however, Tina endured over a decade of horrific abuse at the hands of her husband and musical partner Ike. Though likely unbeknownst to fans enraptured by their immaculate onstage chemistry at the time, Tina endured regular beatings, humiliation and control by Ike who targeted both her and backup singers in his band.
After years of living under Ike’s domineering shadow, Tina Turner finally found the resolve to break free from her toxic musical partnership and marriage. On July 2, 1976, Tina fled with only 36 cents and a gas station credit card, embarking on her second act as a solo artist. When the Revue’s popularity rapidly declined without Tina’s show-stopping presence, it only reinforced that her iconic voice and stage magnetism were the true engines behind their success.
Queen of Rock Tina Turner: Her Triumphant Solo Comeback
After separating from Ike, Tina worked tirelessly to rebuild her musical career from scratch, determined never to be under a man’s control again. Though she struggled through lawsuits and finances, Tina Turner channelled her newfound independence into rebranding her sound. Moving beyond her R&B roots, her distinctive vocals now evoked a resilient woman harnessing the full power of rock’s repetitive rhythms and searing guitar solos in a cathartic fashion.
Tina memorably announced she was back by opening for bands like The Rolling Stones and AC/DC in front of massive crowds. After years out of the spotlight however, music executives remained skeptical that the aging singer could make her own comeback. After one record company dropped her, Tina signed to Capitol Records in 1983, determined to redefine her image through music and companion music videos.
Her solo breakthrough arrived in 1984 with the release of her fifth album, Private Dancer. Bolstered by MTV-ready music videos that dramatized her comeback story, the album spawned endless pop and rock hits globalizing Tina’s unique sound. The assertive female empowerment anthem, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” became Tina’s first and only #1 single and won Record of the Year. “Better Be Good To Me” peaked at #5 while her sultry take on “Let’s Stay Together” cracked the Top 10 a decade after she first recorded the song.
At 45 years old, the Private Dancer album scored Tina 4 Grammys and remains her masterpiece – a seamless fusion of rock guitars and synth pop production with gritty R&B vocals chronicling a resilient woman emerging from life’s wreckage. Almost overnight, her astronomical success turned Tina into an international icon at the forefront of 1980s pop.
Tina rode her hot streak into 1985’s Grammy-nominated album Break Every Rule then found herself in demand from Hollywood, recording movie soundtrack hits like “We Don’t Need Another Hero” from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and the James Bond theme song “Goldeneye” in 1995. She filled massive stadium tours with elaborate productions through the late 1990s before executing her final triumphant world tour at 68 years old in 2008.
Over 50 years, Tina Turner’s legendary catalog of music demonstrated rare staying power that reflected her own evolution from R&B starlet to resilient Queen of Rock. Though her iconic vocal abilities were centered around baring pain and vulnerability, Tina’s diverse music radiated empowerment and perseverance that has inspired generations.
Her Monumental Musical Influence
Tina Turner made an indelible impact across the musical landscape starting from her days as Ike’s female foil in the 1960s through her rebirth as rock royalty in the 1980s. Her fiery brand of rhythm & blues laid the groundwork for 60’s soul while her liberating comeback atop MTV-pop epitomized the boundless potential of black female artists.
Early in her career, Tina’s soulful dynamism on tour made her a role model for a generation of young black vocalists including Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston who marveled at her resilience against unimaginable adversity. Tina carried herself with a brash confidence that flew in the face of social conventions and inspired bold new artists like Janet Jackson and Beyonce to channel their inner divas.
As she transitioned to rock in her solo work, Tina opened the door for black women to conquer the mainstream music industry on their own terms. She paved the way for successive generations of biracial artists like Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys and Halle Bailey who fused R&B excellence with pop dominance. Even today, artists like Jazmine Sullivan and H.E.R. look to Tina’s silver-lined vocal delivery as they bare their souls against moody production.
Now in her 80s, Tina Turner’s brilliance and influence across the musical spectrum is unimpeachable. Though known for her melancholy love songs, Tina’s career epitomized perseverance that inspired women everywhere. Whether belting out soulful laments from her days with Ike or roaring over pop-synths in the 1980s, her legendary voice conjures a resilient woman overcoming unimaginable adversity – and doing so while setting the standard across multiple genres. Even today, she remains The Queen of Rock n’ Roll.
In early November, a Czech archaeological expedition from Charles University in Prague has discovered the tomb of the royal scribe Jheuti Em Hat during excavations at the Abu Sir necropolis outside Cairo, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Monuments announced.
The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mustafa Waziri, explained that this part of the burial complex houses the memorials of high dignitaries and generals from the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Dynasties of Ancient Egypt.
According to him, the significance of the discovery comes from the fact that the life of this royal scribe was completely unknown until now. Abu Sir’s study sheds light on historical changes during the turbulent 5th and 6th centuries BCE.
The director of the Czech mission, Marcel Barta, explained that the tomb was built in the shape of a well ending in the burial chamber of royal scribe Jheuti Em Hat.
He said that although the upper part of the tomb was not found intact, the burial chamber contains many rich hieroglyphic scenes and writings. The ceiling shows the journey of the sun across the firmament in its morning and evening boats, accompanied by hymns about sunrise and sunset. The burial chamber can be accessed via a small horizontal passage below the well, which is about three meters long, he noted.
The religious texts and images on the walls of the stone sarcophagus were intended to ensure Jheuti Em Hat’s smooth transition to eternal life.
The deputy director of the Czech mission Mohamed Majed, uncovered the sarcophagus of royal scribe, adding that its is made of stone and decorated with hieroglyphic texts and depictions of gods from outside and inside.
The upper side of the coffin cover and its longer sides are decorated with different texts from the Book of the Dead, including images of gods that protect the deceased.
The shorter sides of the cover bear images of the goddesses “Isis and Nephthys” accompanied by texts of protection for the deceased.
“As for the external sides of the coffin, they are decorated with excerpts from the coffin and pyramid texts, which are a partial repetition of the spells that already appeared on the walls of the burial chamber,” he said, adding, “At the bottom of the inner wall of the coffin, the goddess “Immutet” is depicted, the goddess of the West, and the inner sides contain what are called the Canopic spells, recited by this goddess and the god of the earth (Geb).”
“All of these religious and magical texts were intended to ensure the smooth entry of the deceased into eternal life.”
Anthropological studies of his mummy indicate that he died young, around 25 years old. Signs of deformities that may be related to his work were found, such as wear and tear on the spine from prolonged sitting and severe bone fragility.
The Abu Sir complex is located 4.5 kilometers from the Saqqara Necropolis. The largest collection of papyri to date has been discovered there. Archaeologists have not found any burial objects as the tomb was looted, probably in the 5th century AD.
fine gold ingots and nuggets on a wet golden background
National Bank of Romania (NBR) Governor Mugur Icerescu recalled this week that 107 years have passed since Romania’s First World War gold treasure was sent for safekeeping to Moscow, which Bucharest claims it has not yet fully recovered. Moscow, for its part, denies having any obligations to Bucharest.
The issue of the “hijacked” treasure has been a sensitive topic in the relations between Romania and Russia for years, and since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the issue has effectively been “frozen”, Romanian media note.
“We have set ourselves the goal of organizing a number of events to confirm, especially internationally, that Romania has a fully valid historical and legal claim to its gold deposit evacuated to Moscow in 1916-1917 “, the governor of the central bank said during a symposium on Monday, as quoted by the Hotnews site.
Digi 24 TV stated on this occasion that “the NBR launched an international lobby for the treasure stolen by the Russians”.
This is Romania’s oldest legal dispute and truly unique in the world, Hotnews commented, noting that no other country had appropriated another country’s property entrusted to it for safekeeping.
Entering the First World War on the side of the Entente in August 1916, Romania soon faced an extremely difficult situation as a result of the battles on two fronts – both in Transylvania and on the Danube, Hotnews reminds.
Therefore, already in September 1916, the National Bank of Romania took the first measures to evacuate its gold treasure to a safe place. The Russian Empire, which at that time was an ally of the Kingdom of Romania, was considered such a safe place.
The Romanian government and the representatives of the National Bank of Romania sign with a representative of the Russian Empire in Iași (where, due to the advance of the Central Powers troops, all the institutions of the Romanian state have been temporarily relocated) a convention specifying the conditions for the first transport of Romanian gold to Moscow .
According to the document, the Romanian valuables are “under the guarantee of the Russian government regarding the security of the transport, the security of the deposit, as well as the return to Romania,” the news site said.
“This year, in December, marks the 107th anniversary of the evacuation to Moscow of the treasure of Romania. Since 1991, the National Bank of Romania has consistently implemented a strategy to present to public opinion at home and abroad the problem of the treasure sent to Moscow and then confiscated by the Soviet Union,” Mugur Icerescu also stated.
He said the first step would be to support Romanian MEP Eugene Tomac’s efforts to educate MEPs and bring international attention to the gold reserve issue.
In April of this year, the leader of the People’s Movement (PND) party stated during a debate in the European Parliament that “the entire treasure of Romania continues to be in Russia, and Moscow has repeatedly refused to return it to Romania”, reports the website News.ro .
“The entire treasure of Romania has been held illegally in Moscow for more than a century. Transported in 41 wagons, it contains over 91 tons of gold, the majority of which is jewelry and rare coins, as well as 2.4 tons of gold bullion from the NBR reserve. The total value is over 5 billion euros,” he said at a plenary session of the EP.
The value of the entire deposit made by the National Bank of Romania in Moscow amounts to 321,580,456 golden lei, Digi 24 TV noted.
The treasure also includes Queen Maria’s jewels valued at 7,000,000 gold lei, valuable works of art including paintings by famous Romanian artists such as Nicolae Grigorescu, jewelry, old books and miniatures, icons and other religious objects.
In information on this topic, the TASS agency writes that during the October Revolution of 1917 and the civil war, some of the treasures kept in the Kremlin, including the Romanian ones, were taken out of Moscow.
Various hypotheses have been presented in the historical literature about their further fate, but none of them has been definitively confirmed, the agency said.
Later, after the end of World War II and Romania’s entry into the socialist bloc, some of the confiscated gold was returned. The Soviet Union also agrees not to demand from Romania reparations in the amount of 300 million dollars, which Romania must pay to the USSR under the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947, reminds Lenta.ru.
The Romanian edition of “Newsweek” indicates that Romania is getting back part of the treasure in two tranches. The first was on June 16, 1935, when 17 freight cars loaded with 1,443 crates arrived at the Bucharest station. They came from Moscow by order of the USSR government, which decided to return part of the valuables stored in the Kremlin. A second such transport was carried out in 1956 as a “gesture of goodwill on the part of the Russian comrades”, the publication states. In both cases, however, the returned values did not include the gold deposited by the NBR, the central bank’s official website noted.
In February 2022, shortly before the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the then Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, said that Romania wanted to resume negotiations with Moscow to return the gold treasure, which has been the cause of friction between the two countries for decades, writes the edition “Balkan Insight”.
“A right of claim of Romania more than a century old. This is not our first action along these lines. (…) Therefore, our main concern, at the National Bank of Romania, is to make public the documents we have on this matter. I am referring to the original documents collected in the special file that has been kept in the NBR governor’s safe since 1922. The “Treasure” file was passed from hand to hand from one governor to another since 1922, including during the communist period. So I also received it – as proof of the determination of the National Bank of Romania to get back the property that belongs to it”, stated the governor of the central bank, Mugur Isrescu.
At the moment, any discussion about the Romanian treasure is closed, and Russia and Romania have stopped all dialogue after the war in Ukraine, notes “Newsweek”. The last discussions on the topic were four years ago.
“Since November 2019, we have not met with the Russian side, the last meeting was in Moscow according to the principle of alternating seats. The meeting scheduled for 2020 in Romania did not take place due to the pandemic,” Prof. d- r Ioan Bolovan, Corresponding Member of the Romanian Academy, who is leading the negotiations with Russia.
“I have not received any response to my proposal in 2021 to resume meetings,” says the professor.
They reiterated calls for access to all parts of the war-shattered enclave where the death toll inched towards 15,000 and many displaced people were sleeping in the streets.
UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva that the hope regarding the agreement between Israel and Hamas announced earlier this week is “that the pause is respected, that it enables us to reach the people who need us and that it will be extended into an actual humanitarian ceasefire in the long run”.
Besides the 96-hour humanitarian pause in fighting, the agreement, which was facilitated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, stipulates the release of hostages taken during the Hamas terror attack on Israel on 7 October as well as of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.
“We hope the agreement… will bring respite to the people of Gaza and Israel and some relief to the hostages and detainees who will be released, and to their families,” Mr. Laerke said.
The OCHA spokesperson underscored the “volatile, intense situation” unfolding in the first hours of the truce, stressing that “the pipeline is quite long for relief and parts of it – a lot of it in fact – is beyond our control and has to do with verification of the consignments”.
Speaking of the urgency to reach people in need “wherever they are”, he highlighted the pressing need for access to northern Gaza “where the damage and humanitarian needs are the greatest” and which has long been cut off from the south of the enclave and from aid by Israeli military operations.
More hospital evacuations planned
Joining his voice to hopes for the pause to extend into a sustained ceasefire, UN health agency (WHO) spokesperson Christian Lindmeier highlighted the plight of patients and health workers trapped in north Gaza’s hospitals and said that planning and efforts towards further evacuations, notably from the Indonesia and Al-Ahli hospitals, are under way.
On Wednesday, in a joint effort between UN agencies and humanitarian partner organisation the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) 151 wounded and sick people, their family members and medical workers were evacuated from Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City and transported in an ambulance and bus convoy to the south.
Mr. Lindmeier said that WHO is “extremely concerned about the safety of the estimated 100 patients and health workers” remaining at the hospital.
Out of 24 hospitals operating in the north prior to the war, 22 are either out of service or unable to admit new patients, while of the 11 medical facilities in the south, eight are functional. WHO said that of those, only one has the capacity to treat critical trauma cases or perform complex surgery.
Fuel for rescue operations
In the run-up to the Friday 7 am truce start time OCHA noted an increase in bombardments and violent clashes, saying that Israeli strikes from air, land and sea intensified across most of Gaza, “alongside ground battles with Palestinian armed groups in the north, Jabalia in particular”, and that many casualties were reported.
As the death toll in the enclave passed 14,800 as of Thursday evening, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office quoted by OCHA, thousands of people are estimated to be trapped under the ruins of their houses.
As part of the humanitarian scale-up OCHA’s Jens Laerke insisted on the need to get more fuel into the Strip to “operate machinery to get people out of the rubble”, given massive infrastructure damage and building collapse.
OCHA reported that 68,383 litres of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt on Thursday, following an Israeli decision from 18 November to “allow the daily entry of small amounts of fuel for essential humanitarian operations”. The UN Office said last week that some 200,000 litres of fuel per day were needed.
Mr. Laerke stressed that the fuel that goes into Gaza is “in UN custody at all times” and is being distributed by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
‘Bare minimum’
Over 1.7 million people in Gaza are estimated to be internally displaced and about one million of them are staying in more than 150 UNRWA shelters across the Strip.
Shelters in the south, where people were forced to flee by Israeli military operations, are many times over capacity and OCHA said that most displaced men and older boys are sleeping in the open, in school yards or in the streets nearby.
In a statement on Thursday, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini stressed that people in Gaza “deserve to sleep without being anxious about whether they will make it through the night”.
“This is the bare minimum anyone should be able to have,” he insisted.
