The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has purchased the Kirtland Temple and historic sites in Nauvoo, Illinois, along with several historical documents and artifacts from the Community of Christ for $192.5 million. The Kirtland Temple will remain a historic building open to the public, and the purchase will allow the Community of Christ to fund its missionary efforts. The acquisition includes significant items such as the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, original portraits of Joseph and Emma Smith, and the original door of Missouri’s Liberty Jail.
Community of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have announced the transfer of significant historical properties and artifacts related to the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The transaction involves land, buildings, artifacts, and documents in Kirtland, Ohio, and Nauvoo, Illinois, with the most significant items including the Kirtland Temple, the Smith Family Homestead, the Mansion House, the Nauvoo House, and the Red Brick Store. The historic sites will remain open to the public, and the two churches have a strong, respectful relationship, having collaborated on numerous historical and humanitarian projects in the past.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues his visit to Russia, where he reviewed advanced Russian weapons, including a hypersonic missile system. Meanwhile, UNESCO has added two major historical sites in Ukraine, St Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv and the medieval center of Lviv, to its list of sites in danger due to the ongoing conflict. The decision has no enforcement mechanism but could help deter Russian attacks. Russia is suspected of wanting to buy weapons from North Korea for the conflict in Ukraine, while concerns are raised about Russia stockpiling air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) that could be used against Ukrainian infrastructure targets over the winter.
A massive earthquake in Morocco has resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, widespread destruction of towns and villages, and numerous injuries. The quake, the worst in decades, has devastated isolated regions at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Rescue efforts are ongoing to reach remote affected areas, while Morocco's rich heritage of historic buildings and mosques has suffered significant damage. This earthquake is the deadliest in Morocco in over 60 years and the second deadliest in North Africa since at least 1900.
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck Marrakech, Morocco, damaging centuries-old sites in the historic Medina district. The earthquake caused the collapse of a treasured mosque in Jemaa el-Fna square, leaving only a stump of bricks. The walls surrounding the Medina and many old buildings inside were also damaged, with some collapsing entirely. However, modern parts of Marrakech were largely unaffected, and the iconic Kutubiyya mosque remained intact.
A video captured a tourist climbing into Rome's Trevi Fountain to fill her water bottle, despite signs prohibiting such behavior. When confronted by a guard, the tourist seemed unaware of her wrongdoing. This incident adds to a series of cases involving tourists breaking laws and defacing historic sites in Rome. Authorities are calling for stricter enforcement of rules against drinking and bathing in historic fountains.
Anger is growing in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa after Russian bombardment destroyed beloved historic sites, including the Transfiguration Cathedral. Odesa, with its conflicted history and cultural ties to both Ukraine and Russia, has been targeted by dozens of missiles and drones in the past week. The attacks have shattered the city's romantic past and deep roots in Ukrainian and Russian culture. Residents, like Tetiana Khlapova, who fled to Odesa to escape the war, now feel unsafe and are considering leaving the country. The recent strikes on Odesa's historic center have further fueled anger and defiance among the residents, who vow to resist Russian aggression.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Russia has already failed in its objective to erase Ukraine's independence and sovereignty, despite ongoing conflict. Ukrainian drone strikes caused a massive explosion in Russia-annexed Crimea, while Russian missiles destroyed historic sites in the Ukrainian city of Odesa. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to regain control of Crimea. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement about western Poland being a "gift from Stalin." Putin dismissed Ukraine's counteroffensive as a failure, claiming that Kyiv's military has suffered significant losses.
