Black Sea news stories on Newser

John the Baptist Found—in Bulgaria

Jane Yager — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:12:22 CDT

Archaeologists excavating the site of a 5th-century monastery on a Black Sea island claim they've found remains of John the Baptist. A reliquary found last week at the site on Sveti Ivan contains fragments of a skull, a hand, and a tooth. Archaeologists cite a Greek inscription on the reliquary...

Massive River Discovered on Sea Floor

Jane Yager — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 06:13:00 CDT

Scientists have discovered a river whose flow is 10 times mightier than the largest river in Europe on the floor of the Black Sea, proving that previously mysterious channels visible on ocean floors are in fact formed by underwater rivers.The Black Sea river, the first-ever still-flowing underground channel to...

Ukrainian Pols Hurl Eggs in Messy Brawl

Rob Quinn — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:30:00 CDT

Ukrainian lawmakers opposed to a naval deal with Russia made their objections known with eggs, smoke bombs, and fists in the country's parliament today. Dozens of politicians and aides scuffled over a huge Ukrainian flag in the center of the chamber as the parliament ratified a deal extending Russia's lease...

Cool and Weird Places to Swim

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:51:46 CDT

If you love swimming but tire of the ordinary and the chlorine-scented, consider these "unusual or cool places" uncovered by WebUrbanist: The Dead Sea : Lie back and read a good book in the world's saltiest body of water, which will likely keep you afloat while delivering "an awesome sensation."

Apartment Blast Kills 19 in Ukraine

Ambreen Ali — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:10:30 CST

Rescuers could hear cell phones ringing in the rubble as they pulled bodies from an apartment building in southern Ukraine that collapsed after an explosion last night, Reuters reports. At least 19 people are dead and 24 missing after the blast, likely caused by oxygen stored in the basement. All...

Russia Keeps Troops in Poti

Harry Kimball — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:35:50 CDT

Russia says it will continue to patrol the key Black Sea port of Poti despite Western demands that it pull back to pre-conflict positions, Reuters reports. A Russian general said troops will continue "peacekeeping" operations there even though the city falls outside the perimeter agreed upon in the recent cease-fire.

Turks Find Hitler's 'Lost Fleet'

Caroline Zimmerman — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:25:00 CST

Three World War II U-boats, known as "Hitler's lost fleet," have been discovered off the Turkish coast, the Telegraph reports. A Turkish team combined archival research with sailor interviews and sonar technology to find the wreckage, part of the six-boat fleet that dogged Russian ships in the Black Sea under...

Noah's Flood Transformed Agriculture

Sam Gale Rosen — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:33:45 CST

The real-life inspiration for the biblical flood may have been responsible for the widespread adoption of agriculture in Europe, according to a new study. About 8,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age, ice sheets melted, causing massive flooding in the Black Sea basin. That forced...

Troops Join Black Sea Cleanup

Lucas Laursen — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:52:47 CST

Russian authorities have brought in troops to help with oil cleanup on the Black Sea. At least 20 sailors are listed as missing and 3 bodies washed up since a storm hit dozens of ships Saturday. Efforts to pump oil from a sunken oil tanker that's already leaked 1.3...