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This Happened

This Happened — May 23: A Modern Mafia Assassination

Giovanni Falcone was assassinated on this day in 1992 by the Sicilian Mafia. Falcone, his wife, and three police officers were killed in a bomb attack of their car as it was driving on a highway near the city of Palermo.

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Who was Giovanni Falcone?

Giovanni Falcone was an Italian judge and prosecutor known for his work fighting organized crime in Italy. He was born in Palermo, Italy in 1939.

Who was responsible for the assassination of Giovanni Falcone?

The assassination of Giovanni Falcone was carried out by the Sicilian Mafia, also known as Cosa Nostra. The bombing was orchestrated by the boss of the Corleonesi Mafia clan, Salvatore Riina, with a bomb triggered underneath a highway near the town of Capaci just as Falcone's car was passing.

How did the assassination of Giovanni Falcone impact Italy?

The assassination of Giovanni Falcone was a shock to the Italian people and sparked a nationwide crackdown on organized crime. It also led to the creation of the National Anti-Mafia Directorate, a government agency dedicated to fighting organized crime in Italy.

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food / travel

British Museum Privilege? Behold The Treasures Others Are Returning To Rightful Owners

The simmering UK-Greece dispute over the Elgin Marbles shines a light on the worldwide efforts to push Western powers, often with colonial pasts, to give back looted artistic and historical artifacts.

Photo of a visitor looking at the Elgin marbles also known as the Parthenon marbles, at the British Museum

The Elgin marbles, also known as the Parthenon marbles, at the British Museum

Spencer Hooker, Valeria Berghinz and Michelle Courtois

"If I told you [to] cut the Mona Lisa in half... do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting?"

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the BBC earlier this week when asked about why the legendary Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, should be returned to Greece in their entirety.

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The treasures, which are part of the frieze of the Parthenon temple in Athens, have been at the heart of a dispute between Greece and the United Kingdom since a British diplomat snatched them in the 19th century. They are on display at the British Museum in London.

Following the BBC interview, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak canceled a planned meeting with his Greek counterpart, which was to take place on Tuesday during Mitsotakis’s trip to London.

While the United Kingdom, and the British Museum in particular, continues to balk at the return of looted cultural artifacts, other Western powers — often with a colonial past — have been busy in recent years giving artifacts back to the country of origin.

Here's a look at some of the most notable cases around the world:

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