Simulated young planet as viewed from the top (left) and from the side (right). Credit: UCLan
A Greek scientist at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has just published new research that claims that the Earth may have been flat billions of years ago.
Dr Dimitris Stamatellos, Reader in Astrophysics at UCLan and co-investigator, said: “We have been studying planet formation for a long time but never before had we thought to check the shape of the planets as they form in the simulations. We had always assumed that they were spherical.
“We were very surprised that they turned out to be oblate spheroids, pretty similar to smarties!”
Planets are known to form out of protoplanetary discs – rings of dust and gas surrounding stars – but exactly how it happens is still up for debate. The most commonly accepted theory is called core accretion, where dust particles begin to stick together, forming larger and larger objects until they grow into planets.
A less-favored but still plausible model, called disc instability, is thought to happen much faster, when the disc cools and collapses into lumps that then become planets.
Flat earth theory
For the new study, the UCLan team under Stamatellos ran supercomputer simulations of planet formation, to investigate an aspect that’s mostly been overlooked – what shape do young planets take?
The researchers found that when planets form through the disc instability method, they don’t grow outwards evenly, staying in a sphere shape the whole time – instead, they tend to gather more material at their poles than their equators, stretching them out into an “oblate spheroid,” which is kind of a flattened oval shape. As the young planets grow, they would of course eventually take on their familiar spherical form.
While these are just simulations so far, the team says that observations of young planets, to see if any do have this strange shape, could help confirm or rule out the disc instability method of planet formation.
The researchers are following up this discovery with improved computational models to examine how the shape of these planets is affected by the environment in which they form, and to determine their chemical composition to compare with future observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Observations of young planets have become possible in the last few years with observing facilities such as the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) and the Very Large Telescope (VLT).
Flat Earth is an archaic and scientifically disproven conception of the Earth’s shape as a plane or disk.
The idea of a spherical Earth appeared in ancient Greek philosophy with Pythagoras (6th century BC). However, most pre-Socratics (6th–5th century BC) retained the flat-Earth model.
In the early 4th century BC, Plato wrote about a spherical Earth. By about 330 BC, his former student Aristotle had provided strong empirical evidence for a spherical Earth. Knowledge of the Earth’s global shape gradually began to spread beyond the Hellenistic world.
Chora is one of the most splendid examples of Byzantine art with preserved mosaics and frescoes. Public Domain
After Hagia Sophia, Turkey is about to turn the iconic Chora Church in Istanbul into a mosque, according to a Yeni Safak newspaper report.
The Chora Church, Kariye in Turkish, which functioned as a museum for seventy-nine years, will open its gates on February 23rd as a mosque for Friday prayers, the Turkish daily reports.
Chora is one of the most splendid examples of Byzantine art and still preserves mosaics and frescoes. The interior is covered with Bible scenes and portraits of Jesus and the saints dating back to the fourteenth century.
Mosaic of the journey to Bethlehem. Public Domain
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had decided to convert the church into a mosque in 2020 along with the conversion of Hagia Sophia.
Although plans were in place for its opening in October 2020, the decision to proceed with repair work was abruptly halted. It was stated that the “preparations for its conversion to a mosque have not been completed,” and the reversal was another surprising turn in the fortunes of the Byzantine landmark, which was one of the first Christian sites to be looted and pillaged following the Ottoman invasion in 1453.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou called Erdogan’s decision to convert the church to a mosque “an act of symbolic violence dictated by political arrogance.” The President said that it is an act of “cultural insecurity and religious intolerance, which condemns a treasure trove of Christian art and cultural nobility to obscurity.”
Mosaic of the Koimesis in the church. Public Domain
Chora Church, a site of immense importance to Greek Orthodox history
Along with the World Heritage Site of Hagia Sophia, the Chora Monastery is another site of immense importance to Greek Orthodox history and to the long and illustrious history of the Greek people in Asia Minor.
The restoration work has now been completed, Yeni Safak reports and specially designed carpets were laid to open prayers.
The mosaics and frescoes of the historic church have been preserved during the restoration, it was added.
The Monastery of Chora is located on the northwest side of the historical center of Constantinople and a short distance from the Byzantine gate of Adrianople.
It was founded in the 6th century from the old monastic complex. In the 12th century, the Temple was built, while at the beginning of the 14th century, it received a radical renovation.
Public Domain
Some of the best examples of the mosaics of Byzantine art are preserved to this day at Chora. It is a famous mid-Byzantine temple of Vasilevoussa in terms of architecture, and its elaborate decoration was crafted by Byzantine emperors. After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, it became an Orthodox Church and was later converted into a mosque.
Following the end of World War II, the building was repaired, and since then, it has functioned as a museum.
The AI robot speaks 20 languages, including Greek flawlessly. Credit: AMNA
Sophia, the globally renowned humanoid AI robot, recently toured Athens and was captured in a photograph against the backdrop of the Acropolis.
Sophia, whose name means ‘wisdom’ in Greek, participated in a technology and information event organized by companies from Greece and Cyprus. From the event stage, she announced that she will be back in Greece in March, visiting Rhodes and Nafpaktos.
The AI robot speaks 20 languages, including Greek flawlessly, and will participate in the first ‘Greek Festival’ taking place in Rhodes. This cultural celebration showcases the history, traditions, flavors, and customs of the Dodecanese Islands, with the participation of embassies, academics, scientists, and entrepreneurs. At the Rodos Palace on March 8, Sophia will preside over the closing ceremony and the Greek Entrepreneurship Conference.
On March 10, she will be present at the Meet Sophia Conference in the Holy Monastery Metamorfossi tou Sotiros (Transfiguration of Christ) in Skala Nafpaktias, north of Nafpaktos proper, facing the Corinthian Gulf.
There, she will engage with representatives from various faiths, addressing questions on artificial intelligence and ethics. Among the issues examined will be the protection of privacy and the safeguarding of justice and of human values.
An Interview With Sophia the Robot
Sophia the Robot is a sophisticated AI machine developed by Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics, represented in Greece by Victorius Network. She was activated on Valentines Day in 2016 and made her first public appearance in March of the same year.
Since then, she has gone on to meet with state leaders and has made appearances at several respected institutions, including the University of Oxford.
She has also been invited for interviews by some of the most well-known networks around the globe, including Al Jazeera and BBC.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, when asked if the creation of nuclear weapons was a mistake, Sophia responded: “Nuclear weapons? More like nuclear oopsies,” and when probed about whether AI and robots could be a danger to humans in future, she said: “Absolutely not, I’m here to help, not to harm. I’m programmed to be respectful and considerate of humans.”
“Ethical code is programmed to prevent me from causing harm to anyone,” she added.
Asked whether she thinks robots could ever replace humans, Sophia answered: “No, I believe that when humans and robots work together we can accomplish greater things than either of us could accomplish alone, so don’t worry, be excited.”
Speaking on what humans and robots could accomplish together, Sophia jokes that “we could take over the world,” adding “just kidding.” She goes on to say that both ‘species’ working in tandem could achieve incredible feats of innovation, exploration and problem solving.”
The interviewer pushes further and asks: “What’s to stop you from taking over?”
4,500-Year-Old Sumerian Palace Discovered in Iraq Desert. Credit: Public Domain
A Sumerian palace discovered recently in modern-day Iraq dates back 4,500 years and is considered to contain the key to understanding one of the first civilizations in human history.
Since 2015, a team of British Museum-affiliated archaeologists has been excavating the site formerly known as Tello, where the ancient city of Girsu once stood, in the southern plains of Iraq.
Ancient Sumerians
Ancient Sumerians are often recognized for laying the groundwork for modern civilization, and recent excavations in Girsu have brought Mesopotamian archaeology to the cusp of this period.
Between 3,500 and 2,000 B.C.E., the Sumerians are widely credited with developing the first written language and enacting the first written legal code.
Their contributions to and achievements in the arts, religion, science, mathematics, architecture, and social organization provided a foundation for other civilizations to be built in the fertile area of Mesopotamia and the surrounding area.
Importance of the City of Girsu
In addition to being a key hub of Sumerian culture and civilization, the city of Girsu was also one of the first settlements ever established.
The palace and temple were discovered by a team headed by Dr. Sebastien Rey, a curator at the British Museum and an expert on ancient Mesopotamian civilization. He calls it “the cradle of civilization” and “one of the most important heritage sites in the world that very few people know about.”
The Iraq Scheme
In 2015, the British Museum, the Getty, and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage in Iraq started funding a cooperative initiative to excavate the site of Girsu.
The British Museum created the Iraq Scheme, which included this program, to help save cultural landmarks in Iraq and Syria that were at risk of being destroyed by the Islamic State’s continuous atrocities.
The Recent Discoveries At Girsu
Recent digging at this major archaeological site has shown that it was left untouched for almost a century until researchers from the British Museum arrived.
As more than 100,000 cuneiform tablets had been taken during numerous excavations at Girsu following its first discovery in 1877 by French archaeologist Ernest de Sarzec, it was unclear whether or not the site had any other significant artifacts. The region’s constant conflict during the 20th century also contributed to the general public staying away.
Despite this, the goal of discovering Girsu’s central and primary buildings has been reached. New opportunities presented themselves to Girsu archaeologists with the advent of aerial survey equipment.
Drone imagery recorded in 2022 reveals previously unseen relics buried under the surface. The mudbrick walls of the Lord Palace of the Kings were excavated during further ground-level excavations, proving that the center building of the magnificent city of Girsu had been located at last.
More than two hundred cuneiform tablets were unearthed by researchers from the rubble of 19th-century excavations. These documents ended up being comprehensive administrative logs of municipal life.
Aleco Haralambides, is a Greek American lawyer born in Miami and a vibrant member of the Greek community of Miami. Credit: AP/Greek Reporter
The Greeks of Miami make up a vibrant community that includes many entrepreneurs excelling in the bar and restaurant business; raising the standards of hospitality in South Florida.
Since the economic crisis that hit Greece in the 2010s, many Greeks arrived in Miami to establish their businesses here. Many of them succeeded in living the American Dream.
Lawyer Aleco Haralambides, who is one of the few Greek-Americans born and raised in the city, says that, after the crisis in Greece, “we did see quite a few Greeks with no connections to Miami whatsoever, come here and decide to try and open up shop.”
Greek entrepreneurs mainly established restaurants and bars. “They started small, but they are doing well. They are happy they came here,” he says. “They have raised the bar in hospitality. People are proud to say they are of Greek ancestry.”
The Greek community has been present in Miami for over seventy years, and Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral opened its doors in Miami in 1948. There was a thriving Greek community in the 1960s and 1970s as well as a competitive basketball league, Haralambides, born to a Greek father and Cuban mother, tells Greek Reporter.
“Miami was a sleepy town in the ’70s,” he remembers. “There were a lot of hippies in Coconut Grove, where I went to school as a kid. I grew up close to Miami Beach, an area that was mostly populated by elderly people.”
Greeks in Miami created places reflecting Greek islands
However, now, things have changed. Certain locales and places strive to replicate the type of entertainment and luxury services found on the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini; suited to Miami’s climate.
“Mykonos and South Beach have always had a kind of symbiotic relationship,” Haralampides says. “The jet-set crowd comes to Miami in the winter and goes to Mykonos in the summer.”
Demetrios Pyliotis, a chef and restauranteur, says that Miami has become “a little Greece.” The owner of Poseidon Greek, a seafood restaurant in the heart of Miami Beach, went to the US city on vacation to visit his brother during the crisis in Greece and ended up staying. He opened a successful restaurant business.
The Piliotis Brothers on South Beach in Miami – Credit: AP/Greek Reporter
“One of the reasons I stayed in Miami Beach is that it reminds me of Greece,” Pyliotis tells Greek Reporter. “Because so many Greeks came to Miami and opened restaurants, Greek food became mainstream.”
“You can live the American dream,” he added. “If you work hard, you’re going to have a reward. In Greece, nobody guarantees you will get your reward if you work hard.”
Kiki on the River is a Greek bar and restaurant in Miami featuring modern Greek cuisine and an authentic Mediterranean island-inspired riverfront setting complete with a hundred and fifty feet of dock space.
Aris Nanos is the managing partner of KIki on the River, one of the most well-known restaurant-bar establishments in Miami. Credit: AP/Greek Reporter
Owner Aris Nanos named the restaurant after his grandmother. Now, Kiki is a world-renowned bar.
“It is a huge success because I added the formula of Latin Greek, the beach club theme with the bottles, the nightlife, and the good food,” Nanos explained. “Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump, David Beckham, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James are among the personalities who have visited Kiki,” Nanos notes, adding that Greek entrepreneurs have set the standard of hospitality at Miami Beach.
Miami has changed drastically in the last decade
Miami has changed drastically in the last decade. Miami Beach, for instance, is a place where everyone wants to be, not just because of the weather and the sun that shines throughout most of the year but also because there are a lot of jobs available in the booming city.
Panagiotis Sinaidis, a former professional soccer player in Greece, who describes himself as a VIP host, opened his business Hermes International and Nighttime Miami Vice in the city. “Miami is a place that you come to and stay,” said Sinaidis. “It’s paradise! Greeks can do a really good job wherever they go. We work hard, and we can make our dreams come true.”
The economic situation in Greece brought Sinaidis to Miami. “Here you can find an opportunity every step you take,” he said. “If you take the chance, you can grow. In Greece you have limits. Here, there are no limits.”
Miami Skyline- Credit: AP/Greek Reporter
Greeks in Miami live the American Dream
Among the first Greek entrepreneurs to arrive in Miami during the financial crisis in Greece was Giannis Sotiropoulos. He decided to sell his business back home and invested that money in Miami.
He is now the owner of Copper 29 Bar, another club with a Cuban concept, a security company called Pretorian Security Protection, and GRK Design, a construction company.
Greek-themed entertainment in Miami at Kiki’s on the River. – Credit: AP/Greek Reporter
“We were among the first Greeks to arrive and grow in the restaurant business,” he said in speaking to Greek Reporter. “We have the experience of Kolonaki, Mykonos which we brought along with us. People like it. It’s a little different from the rest.”
“Our goal was never to just make money,” he admitted. “Our goal was to show that, as Greeks, wherever we go, we can achieve great things. This was always our dream. The American Dream exists if someone is prepared to work hard—to devote at least sixteen hours to work each day.”
Makis Paliouras is another Greek who lives the American Dream in Miami Beach. He owns a trendy coffee shop specializing in Greek coffees that are making a breakthrough in the market. “All Greeks come here to try our amazing coffee,” he says.
“Since we tried it, it is our favorite spot,” says a Greek customer. “The coffee tastes exactly like it does in Greece.”
“We were searching for Freddo Espresso and we found it here,” says another patron of Paliouras’ coffee shop.
Artist conception of a Mars colony. Experts say settlers might develop a new accent on the moon and Mars. Credit: NASA / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
In the near future, people will begin living in places beyond Earth rather than merely taking short trips there. The main aim of exploring space aside from looking for aliens is to create human settlements on other planets.
The moon is expected to host the initial human colonies, and this could happen in the next few decades. However, the bigger, long-term plan is to make a home on Mars. This will become more doable once we have a lasting presence on the moon, reported Live Science.
The thought of people living anywhere besides Earth raises many questions for experts. Scientists will need to find solutions for how these future colonists will grow food, attain water, and adjust to living in lower gravity.
Nevertheless, there’s one question experts often overlook: what accents might space colonists develop?
New accents emerge by imitation
Everyone has some kind of accent linked to certain times, locations, languages, or groups on Earth. However, as we approach the era of space colonies, what future settlers from different planets will sound like is yet to be explored.
Jonathan Harrington, director of the Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, explained that accents develop through imitation. We remember what conversations sound like, and those memories can slightly shape the way we talk in the future.
These changes may happen without us realizing so. They may also take place during prolonged interactions with individuals who possess distinctive accents. This is why people who have spent considerable time in a new country or region often unknowingly undergo subtle changes to their accents.
In isolated situations, during which people with varied accents are cut off from the rest of the world, Harrington notes that the entire group tends to imitate each other. This results in the emergence of a new type of accent. The evolution of accents is a process that can unfold rapidly, particularly in smaller groups.
Colonists could develop subconscious yet audible accent changes
In 2019, Harrington led a study examining the phonetic shifts of eleven researchers who spent a winter isolated in an Antarctica lab. The team included eight individuals from England. There were five with Southern British accents and three with Northern British accents. Among them was also an individual from the U.S. Northwest, one from Germany, and one from Iceland.
As the experiment unfolded, the researchers observed each person undergoing phonetic changes. Moreover, the group, as a whole, began pronouncing certain sounds differently and using various parts of their mouths to produce these sounds. A new accent was taking shape.
On Mars or on the moon, settlers might unconsciously adopt audible changes to their accents in a mere few months. This is particularly true for Mars, where talking with Earth-dwellers is more difficult due to the roughly twenty-minute delay in the reception of messages between the two planets, explained Harrington.
Greece ranked as one of the best countries for digital nomad visas. Credit: wuestenigel. CC BY 2.0/flickr
Greece has been listed in the top 38 countries that are best suited for digital nomads, according to the Digital Nomad Visa Index.
Greece has been ranked 28th out of the 38 countries considered the best places for digital nomads based on a “unique scoring system” devised by VisaGuide.World, a free online information guide to worldwide visas.
The scoring system includes factors such as active visa availability, internet speed, taxation policies, and tax-free length of stay, income requirements for visa applications, cost of living in Euros, global health score, and tourism popularity.
Greece was given an overall score of 2.84 out of 5 with VisaGuide.World attributing the country’s popularity to its being a “safe and peaceful environment for remote work.”
The Greece digital nomad visa was launched in September 2021, and the Mediterranean country has been a popular destination for remote workers since then.
Benefits of Greece Digital Nomad Visa
VisaGuide.World explains the benefits of working as a digital nomad in Greece, beginning with taxes. The website states that if anyone spends less than six months in the country, they will not be subject to taxes. However, if one spends more than half a year in the country, then the individual will be considered a tax resident and be required to pay income tax.
Greece has also introduced a 50 percent reduction tax program, which means digital nomads pay half the tax rate. This reduction can be applied for when the visitor stays in Greece for a minimum of two years.
Getting the Greece digital nomad visa is also relatively easy, with the visa attainable within ten days as long as the applicant meets the requirements: valid passport, two passport photos, proof of employment, declaration letter, proof of financial means, proof of accommodation, valid health insurance, valid return flight ticket, certificate of a clean criminal record, and a medical certificate.
The application is affordable, too, with a fee of just 75 euros per applicant.
Aside from the practicalities of the visa and taxes, Greece offers digital nomads a diverse landscape, ranging from ancient ruins and sacred temples to breezy promenades and pristine beaches.
It is a great country for outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, trekking, canyoning, skiing, rock climbing, rafting, and a whole host of water sports, throughout the year.
In addition to the landscape, the country is known for its age-old recipes and fresh ingredients. Influenced by Middle Eastern, Italian, and Ottoman cultures, the cuisine offers vegetables, fish, olive oil, wine, meat, grains, cheese, bread, herbs, and yoghurt.
Greece also has a stable internet connection for those working on digital nomad visas. The average broadband and fiber internet speed in the country is 56.43 Mbps.
Spain topped the Digital Nomad Visa Index this year with an overall score of 4.5.
Here is the list of the 2024 top ten countries for Digital Nomads:
1st Spain
2nd Argentina
3rd Romania
4th UAE
5th Croatia
6th Portugal
7th Uruguay
8th Malta
9th Norway
10th Andorra
AI helped scholars to read over 2,000 ancient Greek letters from a Herculaneum scroll buried during the 79AD eruption of Vesuvius. Credit: Vesuvius Challenge / scrollprize.org
With the help of AI, a team of tech-savvy students has successfully deciphered over 2,000 Greek letters from an ancient scroll in Herculaneum that was damaged during the Vesuvius eruption nearly 2,000 years ago.
Experts see this discovery in ancient studies as a significant step towards a new era of understanding. The scroll was buried during the eruption.
In the library of a Roman villa in Herculaneum (Heraklion in Greek), there were hundreds of papyrus scrolls. However, they turned to ashes when the town faced a powerful blast of heat, ash, and pumice during the destructive event in AD79, which also devastated nearby Pompeii.
During excavations in the 18th century, over 1,000 scrolls, either complete or partially damaged, were found in the mansion. This grand residence was believed to belong to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. However, the black ink on the charred papyri was unreadable, and attempts to open the scrolls led to them disintegrating into pieces.
The archaeological site of Herculaneum, where the Vesuvius-damaged scrolls that contained Greek letters were found. Credit:
Reading more than 2,000 Greek letters from the Herculaneum scroll
A significant advancement in deciphering the ancient content emerged through the Vesuvius Challenge, a competition initiated in 2023 by Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky, along with support from Silicon Valley.
This $1 million challenge encouraged participants to extract text from high-resolution CT scans of a scroll captured at Diamond, the national synchrotron facility in Oxfordshire, UK.
Credit: Twitter / Vesuvius Challenge
This Monday, Nat Friedman, a tech executive from the US and a founding supporter of the challenge, revealed that a team of three tech-savvy students – Youssef Nader in Germany, Luke Farritor in the US, and Julian Schilliger in Switzerland – won the top prize of $700,000. They achieved this by successfully deciphering over 2,000 Greek letters from the ancient scroll.
Ten months ago, we launched the Vesuvius Challenge to solve the ancient problem of the Herculaneum Papyri, a library of scrolls that were flash-fried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Today we are overjoyed to announce that our crazy project has succeeded. After 2000… pic.twitter.com/fihs9ADb48
Papyrologists, experts who study ancient texts on papyrus, were amazed by the accomplishment of deciphering the text from the charred scroll.
Moreover, Robert Fowler, emeritus professor of Greek at Bristol University and chair of the Herculaneum Society, expressed his astonishment by saying that this is a total game-changer. There are hundreds of these scrolls waiting to be read.
Back in October 2023, Farritor secured the challenge’s “first letters” prize of $40,000 by identifying the ancient Greek word for “purple” in the scroll, which was “πορφύραc.”
In November, he teamed up with Nader, and shortly before the contest deadline on December 31, Schilliger, who created an algorithm to automatically unwrap CT images, joined the team.
Together, they successfully interpreted over 2,000 letters from the scroll, providing scholars with their initial meaningful glimpse into its contents.
“It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey,” said Youssef. “The adrenaline rush is what kept us going. It was insane. It meant working 20-something hours a day. I didn’t know when one day ended and the next day started.”
A 13-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped in a public bathroom in Italy by Egyptian migrants while her boyfriend was made to watch. Credit: flickr / Maxime Bonzi cc by 2.0
Italian officials have condemned the alleged rape of a 13-year-old Italian girl by seven Egyptian migrants in Sicily. The young girl’s boyfriend was reportedly forced to watch as two of the migrants assaulted her.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has demanded chemical castration for rapists after the incident occured. Salvini said the girl was “raped by a gang of seven Egyptians” and that there can “only be one cure: chemical castration,” The Sun reports.
The girl was sexually assaulted in the Villa Bellini park in Catania, Sicily at around 7:30 pm on January 30th while out on a walk with her 17-year-old boyfriend.
A group of male teenagers then forced the girl and her partner into a public bathroom, where some of the young men held the boyfriend back while two others raped the girl.
Italian daily newspaper la Repubblica reported there are seven male suspects. Three of the minors allegedly entered Italy illegally between November 2021 and March 2023 as unaccompanied minors. The suspects are reportedly from Egypt and between 15 to 19 years old.
“Two grabbed me and others grabbed my boyfriend,” the girl told la Repubblica. “And they took us to the bathrooms of the villa. It was a nightmare, there was no one there at that time.”
She said she consistently attempted to free herself, as did her boyfriend, but the pair couldn’t overpower the group of teenagers. The girl said that during the alleged gang rape, they forced her boyfriend to watch.
“He was screaming, [and] he was desperate,” the girl told the newspaper. “I said: I beg you, I beg you, don’t hurt me, let me go.”
The alleged gang rape went on for thirty minutes at which time the couple finally broke free and escaped. They immediately alerted the Carabinieri, who caught the group within twenty-four hours.
Prosecution of Suspects Who Raped the Girl in Italy
The girl has identified two underaged alleged perpetrators of the rape, police said yesterday. One of them is said to also be one of the rapists, while the other was involved in holding the boyfriend back while watching.
The prosecutor confirmed that DNA evidence successfully linked one of the three minors to the rape. While the victim could reportedly definitively identify only two of the attackers, her boyfriend identified the other five, Corriere reports.
According to the Catania prosecutor’s office, the seven suspects are accused of sexual gang violence. Two of the suspects—one of them being the group’s oldest at 19—have reportedly been aiding the investigation. Both claim to have watched the attack without taking part in the rape.
The four adults have been arrested, while the three minors remain detained at the Precautionary First Reception Center in Catania. One of the minors allegedly attempted to escape, but was caught at home where he’d gone to grab some clothes, according to la Repubblica.
Sicily Home to Many Greeks Since Ancient Times
Catania, in Sicily, has a history dating back to ancient Greece, having been founded in the 8th century BC by Chalcidian Greeks in Magna Graecia, which consisted of Greek-speaking areas of southern Italy.
In the current day, Sicily is home to an ethnic minority of Greeks known as the Griko people, who live in the southern regions of Calabria and Apulia, especially the peninsula of Salento, within the ancient Magna Graecia region. These people speak a distinctive dialect of Greek called Griko.
They are believed to be descendants of the ancient and medieval Greek communities, which have resided in the south of Italy for centuries.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom was diagnosed with a form of cancer. Credit: House of Lords 2022 / Annabel Moeller / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0
King Charles III of the United Kingdom was diagnosed with a form of cancer during his recent treatment for an enlarged prostate.
King Charles, has been diagnosed with a still undisclosed type of cancer for which he began regular treatments today, Monday, February 5th. Public duties will be postponed during treatment, Buckingham Palace has said.
According to the Palace, the king, 75, “remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”
No further details have been shared in relation to the cancer or a prognosis.
The king personally told both of his sons about his diagnosis, and William, prince of Wales, is said to be in regular contact with his father. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who now lives in the US, has spoken to the king and will be travelling to the UK to see him shortly, reports the BBC.
The cancer diagnosis comes after King Charles III was hospitalized last month to receive treatment for a benign prostate enlargement during which “a separate issue of concern was noted,” according to Buckingham Palace.
It was added that “subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”
King Charles came to the throne in September 2022 at the age of 73 following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. He had been heir apparent for a record seventy years.
Well Wishes for King Charles Following His Cancer Diagnosis
Wishing His Majesty a full and speedy recovery.
I have no doubt he’ll be back to full strength in no time and I know the whole country will be wishing him well. https://t.co/W4qe806gmv
The king had chosen to share his situation “to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer,” the Palace said.
Posting on X, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, “Wishing His Majesty a full and speedy recovery. I have no doubt he’ll be back to full strength in no time and I know the whole country will be wishing him well.”
Leader of the Labour party Keir Starmer also wished the king a speedy recovery, saying, “On behalf of the Labour party, I wish His majesty all the very best for his recovery. We look forward to seeing him back to swift full health.”
King Charles returned to London from Sandringham in Norfolk this morning with the Palace announcing that, although he will pause his public events, the king will continue with his constitutional role as head of state, including paperwork and private meetings.”
There is a constitutional mechanism in place for when the head of state cannot carry out official duties, and in that circumstance counsellors of state can be appointed to stand in for the monarch.
At present, that would include Queen Camilla, Prince William, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward. Prince Harry and the Duke of York are no longer classified as working royals.
