Relic

Japanese leader Takaichi will call on the United Nations to remove references in its charter that label Japan and Germany as enemy states, a Cold War-era designation still written into the UN Charter. The move comes after China recently invoked that classification to criticise Tokyo amid a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations, turning a largely symbolic legal relic into a point of diplomatic friction between the two Asian powers.

Keynes famously dismissed gold as a "barbarous relic," yet the metal remains central to global finance, and a new analysis argues it stands at a crossroads. The piece examines why central banks and investors continue to accumulate gold despite its obsolete monetary role, weighing its enduring appeal as a store of value against modern digital and fiat alternatives.

A dog walker on the Sunshine Coast stumbled across an 11kg unexploded WWII bomb at Wurtulla Beach overnight, prompting reports of a wartime relic dating back to 1945. Local outlets including 4MK and The Courier Mail covered the midnight discovery, with residents reacting to the surprise find on a popular beach.

Historically low water levels on the Rhine near Rees, Germany, have exposed a tank previously hidden underwater. German media report the wartime relic has emerged from the riverbed as the waterline drops, drawing attention from locals and observers of the ongoing drought on the Rhine.

The masts of the SS Richard Montgomery, the Second World War munitions ship wrecked off Sheerness in the Thames estuary, are being removed. Pictures show a crane attached to the final mast ahead of its removal from the wreck, which still holds thousands of tonnes of unstable explosives. The operation aims to reduce the risk of an accidental detonation near populated areas.

A dispute over the Marausa II, the Roman-era shipwreck found off Trapani, has taken a new turn: the regional administrative court (Tar) ruled in favour of Francesco Brascia, who had been denied a reward for discovering the wreck. The ruling reopens debate over how finds of underwater archaeological relics are recognised and compensated in Sicily.

Greece has handed back to Bulgaria the remains of medieval Tsar Samuel, centuries after they were taken, in a gesture of cultural restitution between the two neighbours. Greek officials used the occasion to argue that Britain should follow the same principle and return the Parthenon marbles held by the British Museum. The move is being read as a pointed signal in Greece's long-running campaign for the sculptures' return.

Artists are posting their Inktober work, including ink drawings labelled as part of a 2026 series using Inktense media. The posts fall under the annual Inktober tradition, in which illustrators produce one ink drawing a day throughout October, often following prompt lists and sharing results online under shared hashtags.

A Washington Post opinion column examines reports linking Russian soldiers to a fragment of a saint's hand, a relic of religious significance. The piece explores why Russian forces would be connected to such an artifact and what it says about the intertwining of religion, symbolism and the war. Details of the relic's whereabouts and the circumstances remain murky, and the column argues the episode warrants scrutiny.

A page from 2004 called 'Wood Tape', hosted on the gamesbyemail.com site, is circulating again among technology readers. Little context is available beyond the page itself and a brief discussion thread, so the nature and purpose of 'Wood Tape' remain unclear. Its revival fits a broader appetite for obscure early-internet artefacts.

A writer taking part in Writober 2026 has published a piece titled 'Relic', arguing that static websites are a relic of the past that clashes with how people actually use the modern internet. Writing about what he calls low 'object permanence' online, he says blogs and news media need better solutions than pages that sit unchanged and out of sight.

Mike Nelson, the British artist known for immersive, disorienting installations, is showing new work, and a review describes it as a waking nightmare of derelict dunes and desert island despair. Critics appear struck by its desolate, dreamlike atmosphere, with the Guardian's review framing the exhibition as an unsettling, estranging experience for visitors.

A regular link roundup published on September 30, 2026 highlights salvaged relics in a Brooklyn subway station that are described as the ghostly remains of old New York buildings. The roundup, part of the recurring 'Sepender' edition of the Pook-Emu Bee links series, points readers to a recent Ephemeral New York piece on the remnants and other curated items.

The remains of Tsar Samuel, a medieval ruler, have been returned to Bulgaria following decades of dispute with Greece. The transfer follows talks between the two countries, ending a long-running disagreement over custody of the relics. The repatriation is being seen as a symbolic step in Bulgarian-Greek relations, touching on shared history and competing claims over the legacy of the medieval Bulgarian state.

A celebrity news roundup published by The Jewish News spotlights Jeremy Garelick, Doc, and Peter Alexander, three figures drawing attention in Jewish entertainment circles. The item gathers recent updates on their careers and public appearances. Details of what each person did are limited in the notice itself, with readers directed to the full roundup for the specifics.

A New York Times opinion piece reports that Gen Z college students are showing unexpected fascination with the King James Bible. The author, a teacher, describes students drawn to its archaic language, literary grandeur and cultural weight, treating the 1611 translation as a foundational text worth reading rather than a relic.

Greece has handed back a set of priceless ancient relics, using the occasion to suggest Britain should do the same with the Parthenon marbles held by the British Museum. The move is being read as a renewed diplomatic push in Athens' long-running campaign for the sculptures' return, framing repatriation as a standard Greece itself is willing to meet.

A book arguing that the Hebrew punctuation system is a relic of a brutal colonial system has drawn sharp criticism. Critics reject the claim as historically unfounded, noting the punctuation marks were developed by Jewish scribes. The controversy is fueling debate among readers and commentators over the book's framing of language and power.

Owen Wilson, comedian Matt Rife and director Jeremy Garelick are promoting Rolling Loud: The Movie, discussing in interviews the true story behind the hip-hop festival comedy. The film is based on the real Rolling Loud music festival, and the cast and director have been explaining how real festival culture shaped the story ahead of its release.

The Russian Orthodox Church has rejected claims that Russian troops lost the relics of a medieval warrior prince during the war in Ukraine. The relics, venerated as those of a revered military saint, were reportedly unaccounted for amid the fighting. The denial has drawn attention to the intertwining of Orthodox heritage, nationalist symbolism, and the conflict, with observers questioning how such sacred artifacts are being handled or used in wartime messaging.

A house in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania still carries an unexploded Civil War artillery shell embedded in its brickwork, according to a local history feature. The relic is a leftover from the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, and the story highlights how remnants of the battle remain visible in the town's buildings more than 160 years later.