Finders of gold train appear on Polish TV
WARSAW, Poland – Two men appeared on Polish TV Friday saying they are the finders of a Nazi train said to be laden with gold – a claim that came as the Polish military inspected the alleged site in southwestern Poland.
Identifying themselves as Andreas Richter and Piotr Koper, the men appeared on TVP.INFO. Contacted by The Associated Press by phone, Richter confirmed he had found the train.
Authorities in the southwestern city of Walbrzych said last month that two men had contacted them through lawyers claiming they had found an armored train that possibly contains valuables and weapons. The report sparked a gold rush around Walbrzych, where tales have circulated since World War II that the Nazis hid a train full of gold from the Soviet Army in early 1945.
Thailand replaces shrine’s centerpiece
BANGKOK – Thai authorities unveiled the restored centerpiece Friday of the Erawan Shrine, in the latest bid to boost confidence among Bangkok’s tourism and business communities almost three weeks after a deadly bombing that left 20 dead.
In the past week, police have arrested two people and identified seven more believed to be part of a network that carried out the Aug. 17 blast, which also injured more than 120 people. They have intentionally avoided calling it an act of terrorism for fear of hurting Thailand’s image.
“The most important issue for the country’s image is to restore confidence about safety,” Minister of Culture Vira Rojpojchanarat told reporters at Friday’s ceremony. He said it was intended to “create confidence and raise the morale of (Thai) people and tourists.”
The ministry’s Fine Arts Department repaired 12 areas of the shrine’s gleaming golden statue of the Hindu god Brahma.
Islamic State destroys more Palmyra tombs
DAMASCUS, Syria – Islamic State militants destroyed three ancient tower tombs in the central city of Palmyra in the last few days, a Syrian government official said Friday.
Tower tombs, built on high grounds, are a unique feature of the Roman-era caravan city.
Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of the Antiquities and Museums Department in Damascus, said Friday the militants destroyed the tower tombs, including the Elahbel tower that dates back to A.D. 103, 10 days earlier. Abdulkarim said his information was based on witness accounts and satellite images provided by the Boston-based American Schools of Oriental Research.
In a report issued Thursday, the ASOR Syrian Heritage initiative said the IS group has destroyed seven tower tombs since the end of June over two phases. The last round of destruction occurred between Aug. 27 and Sept. 2, including the destruction of the Tower of Elahbel, the most prominent example of Palmyra’s distinct funerary monuments. The tower tombs of Iamliku and Atenaten were destroyed earlier.
Associated Press
