Israeli prime minister says he accepts apology from Putin

President Vladimir Putin reportedly apologized for recent comments made by Russia’s foreign minister about the Holocaust. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Israeli prime minister says he accepts apology from Putin [Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, May 1, 2022.] Credit: Menahem Kahana/Pool photo via AP Israel Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said that he’s [accepted an apology]( from Russian President Vladimir Putin over recent comments made by Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, about the Holocaust. A Russian statement about the discussion, however, did not mention an apology. Lavrov had said in a news interview that Adolf Hitler had Jewish roots and that Ukraine could still have Nazi elements even if some people, like the country’s president, are Jewish. The move prompted the [summoning of the Russian ambassador](. Israel has been trying to walk a fine line between Ukraine and Russia amid the war, given that it still needs Russian support for its security needs in the Middle East. China The Olympic Council of Asia announced on Friday that this year's [Asian Games in China will be postponed]( over concerns about the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19. The event was scheduled to take place in Hangzhou in September, but the country is facing a resurgence in infections — its largest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. A new date has not yet been set for the event, but the OCA says that it’s being discussed. Meanwhile, the [Asian Youth Games]( set for December have been canceled. Beijing hosted the Winter Olympics in February and the Paralympics in March under strict coronavirus restrictions. Major cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, have recently been under stringent lockdowns and part of widespread testing campaigns. The Vatican Cardinal Angelo Becciu has testified that Pope Francis [authorized spending up to around $1 million]( to free a nun who was kidnapped by insurgents linked to al-Qaeda in Mali in 2017. The testimony also disclosed an approval to hire a British security firm to find Gloria Cecilia Narvaez, originally from Colombia. The revelation raises serious security concerns, given that ransom payments can encourage further kidnappings. It’s unknown how much, or if any, money was actually sent. Becciu was formerly one of Francis’s top advisers. He withheld his testimony from the Vatican tribunal for nearly two years, but spoke up in his own defense when the pontiff released him from [a confidentiality requirement](, after prosecutors accused a co-defendant of Becciu’s of embezzling around half of the amount. Becciu is one of 10 people accused in a Vatican financial fraud trial. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Radio Haiti finds a new home with a trilingual archive at Duke University]( [A broadcast studio at Radio Haiti.]( Credit: Courtesy of Radio Haiti Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University Radio Haiti was shut down shortly after journalist Jean Dominique's assassination in 2000. Now, a trove of audio material has found new life with [an archival collection]( at Duke University, available in French, Haitian Creole and English. [EU proposes oil ban after bloc’s largest economy drops opposition]( [A train passes by Republika Power Plant in town of Pernik, Bulgaria, April 21, 2022. The only nuclear power plant, generating over a third of Bulgaria’s electricity, runs on uranium from Russia.]( Credit: Valentina Petrova/AP Germany has now been able to slash its dependence on Russian oil since the war in Ukraine started in February. But Hungary and Slovakia — still [heavily reliant]( on Russian oil — continue to oppose the deal. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take An ancient Roman artifact — for just 35 bucks! A bust that was sold in 2018 at a Goodwill store in Austin, Texas, has turned out to be an approximately 2,000-year-old relic. Shopper Laura Young bought the 52-pound marble bust for her home and has had it in her living room for more than three years. But she's now agreed to help return it to the Bavarian government in Germany. How it ended up in Texas remains unknown, but a likely theory is that it was taken by an American soldier after the Bavarian king’s villa in Germany was bombed by Allied forces in World War II. This week, it's on display at the San Antonio Museum of Art. [Screenshot of The New York Times tweet]( Credit: Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- [In case you missed it from The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.