South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
In Pompeii’s ashes, remains of 2 dead men tell a story
ROME — Skeletal remains of what are believed to have been a rich man and his male slave attempting to escape death from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago have been discovered in Pompeii, officials at the archaeological park in Italy said Saturday.
Parts of the skulls and bones of the two men were found during excavation of the ruins from what was once an elegant villa with a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea on the outskirts of the ancient Roman city destroyed by the volcano eruption in 79 A.D. It’s the same area where a stable with the remains of three harnessed horses were excavated in 2017.
Pompeii officials said the men apparently escaped the initial fall of ash from Mount Vesuvius then succumbed to a powerful volcanic blast that took place the next morning. The later blast “apparently invaded the area from many points, surrounding and burying the victims in ash,” Pompeii officials said in a statement.
The remains of the two victims, lying next to each other on their backs, were found in a layer of gray ash at least 61⁄ feet deep, they
2 said.
Judging by cranial bones and teeth, one of the men was young, likely aged 18 to
25, with compressed discs in his spinal column. That finding led archaeologists to hypothesize that he was a young man who did manual labor, like that of a slave.
The other man had a robust bone structure, especially in his chest area, and died with his hands on his chest and his legs bent and spread apart. He was estimated to have been between 30 and 40 years old, Pompeii officials said. Fragments of white paint were found near the man’s face, probably remnants of a collapsed upper wall, the officials said.
Both skeletons were found in a side room along an underground corridor, or passageway, known in ancient Roman times as a cryptoporticus, which led to to the upper level of the villa.
Carson recovering: Housing Secretary Ben Carson is crediting unapproved, experimental treatments with saving his life after he became “desperately ill” following his infection with the coronavirus.
There is no medical evidence that the treatments Carson cited worked.
A retired neurosurgeon, Carson said Friday that he believes he’s now “out of the woods.” He disclosed that his wife, Candy, also had COVID-19, the disease the coronavirus causes. Carson tested positive this month.
Most people recover from the disease, which has killed more than 255,000 Americans and sickened over 12 million, including President Donald Trump and members of his family.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Carson said he was “extremely sick” but saw “dramatic improvement” after taking a botanical treatment derived from the oleander plant. Carson said he has underlying medical conditions, which he did not specify.
Carson said Trump “cleared me for the monoclonal antibody therapy that he had previously received, which I am convinced saved my life.”
The White House declined comment Saturday The Department of Housing and Urban Development also declined to comment.
Bubble postponed: Singapore and Hong Kong on Saturday postponed the start of an air travel bubble meant to boost tourism for both cities, amid a spike in coronavirus infections in Hong Kong.
The travel bubble, originally slated to begin Sunday, will be delayed by at least two weeks, Hong Kong’s minister of commerce and economic development, Edward Yau, said at a news conference.
The arrangement is meant to allow travelers between the two cities to travel without having to serve a quarantine as long as they complete coronavirus tests before and after arriving at their destinations, and fly on designated flights.
Hong Kong reported 43 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, including 13 untraceable local infections.
ThouFrench protests:
sands of people took to the streets in Paris and other French cities Saturday at the urging of civil liberties campaigners and journalist groups to protest a proposed security law they say would impinge on freedom of information and media rights.
Pending legislation in France’s parliament would create a new criminal offense for publishing images of police officers with intent to cause them harm. Offenders would face a maximum penalty of up to one year in prison and a $53,000 fine.
The government says the proposal is intended to protect police officers from online calls for violence. Critics fear that, if enacted, the measure would endanger journalists and other observers who take videos of officers at work, especially during violent demonstrations.
UK-Canada trade deal:
The U.K. signed an interim trade deal with Canada on Saturday, the second major agreement the country has reached as negotiators hurry to cement trading relationships in preparation for life outside the European Union.
While Britain formally withdrew from the EU in January, it continues to trade with other countries under the bloc’s umbrella during a transition period that is scheduled to end Dec. 31. Without a series of new bilateral agreements, trade with countries around the world may be hampered by barriers such as tariffs and increased paperwork.
The U.K. government says the stopgap agreement paves the way for future negotiations on a new tail or-made U. K.-Canada trade deal.
The U.K.’s deal with Canada comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday he plans to end an England-wide lockdown as scheduled on Dec. 2 and to announce a return to regional restrictions as statistics show coronavirus infections have stabilized.
Not so In-N-Out: The grand opening of an In-N
Out Burger joint in Colorado sparked massive traffic jams, parking lot brawls, and a wait for food lasting, in some instances, up to 14 hours.
Food fans flocked to the new restaurants on Friday, eager for their chance to order from iconic California-based fast-food chain. By the time afternoon rolled around however, authorities estimated the line for food in Aurora stretched more than a mile long.
“IN-n-Out burger is now at a TWELVE HOUR WAIT. I repeat TWELVE HOURS,” the Aurora Police Department tweeted at one point.
Some customers exited in their vehicles and began to fight. A video reportedly taken on the scene shows a group of people swinging their fists at each other until they’re separated by other customers.
In-N-Out has earned a cult following over more than 70 years in business. The chain has locations in only six other states: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, and Oregon.