Guardian Headlines
Guardian Headlines
Wed, 02 Jul 2025 15:00:05 GMT
Unusual burial of man, thought to have been a potter, in sealed vessel may have helped DNA survive past four millennia
A man whose bones were shaped by a lifetime of hard labour more than 4,500 years ago has become the first ancient Egyptian to have his entire genetic code read and analysed by scientists.
The skeleton of the man, who lived at the dawn of the Age of the Pyramids, was recovered in 1902 from a sealed pottery vessel in a rock-cut tomb in Nuwayrat, 165 miles south of Cairo, and has been held in a museum since.
Continue reading...Mon, 30 Jun 2025 04:00:11 GMT
Tšolo Thakeli had long campaigned on youth joblessness, but a post questioning Sam Maketane’s promises on work creation landed him in prison
It took a single video complaining about Lesotho’s unemployment rate to turn Tšolo Thakeli into the prime minister’s enemy. Within a day of posting there were armed police at his door.
It was Father’s Day, and the 31-year-old father of two was in his pyjamas when they arrived. He had no idea his post would land him in trouble; after all, he had campaigned for a long time, under different governments, for action on jobs for young people.
Continue reading...Sun, 29 Jun 2025 04:00:43 GMT
Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire vow to hold authorities accountable as repression intensifies before October elections
Two east African activists say they plan to sue Tanzania’s government for illegal detention and torture during a visit in support of an opposition politician in May.
Boniface Mwangi, from Kenya, and Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan, sent shock waves around the region earlier this month when they gave an emotional press conference in which they alleged they had been sexually assaulted and, in Atuhaire’s case, smeared in excrement after their detention in Dar es Salaam. “[The authorities] take you through sexual torture,” Mwangi said at the time.
Continue reading...Fri, 27 Jun 2025 19:37:44 GMT
Agreement aims to end decades-old conflict rooted in the 1994 Rwandan genocide but critics have described it as vague and opaque
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have signed a peace deal in Washington to end fighting in eastern DRC, although questions remain over what the agreement means and who stands to benefit – with Donald Trump using the occasion to boast that the US had secured lucrative mineral rights.
At a ceremony with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington, the two African countries’ foreign ministers signed the agreement pledging to implement a 2024 deal that would see Rwandan troops withdraw from eastern Congo within 90 days.
Continue reading...Fri, 27 Jun 2025 13:44:34 GMT
In first assessment since pandemic in 2020, World Bank urges other countries to step up support
Extreme poverty is accelerating in 39 countries affected by war and conflict, leaving more than a billion people to go hungry, according to the World Bank.
Civil wars and confrontations between nations, mostly in Africa, have set back economic growth and reduced the incomes of more than a billion people, “driving up extreme poverty faster than anywhere else”, the Washington-based body said.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 01:03:41 GMT
New court documents allege physical and psychological torture at Cecot in one of first looks at conditions in prison
Kilmar Ábrego García, the Maryland man who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador and detained in one of that country’s most notorious prisons, was physically and psychologically tortured during the three months he spent in Salvadorian custody, according to new court documents filed Wednesday.
While being held at the so-called Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) in El Salvador, Ábrego García and 20 other men “were forced to kneel from approximately 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM”, according to the court papers filed by his lawyers in the federal district court in Maryland.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 20:42:42 GMT
President exceeded his authority and his proclamation of an ‘invasion’ at southern border is unlawful, court rules
A federal court has ruled that Donald Trump’s proclamation of an “invasion” at the US-Mexico border is unlawful, saying that the president had exceeded his authority in suspending the right to apply for asylum at the southern border.
As part of his crackdown on immigration, Trump abruptly closed the southern border to tens of thousands of people who had been waiting to cross into the US legally and apply for asylum, signing a proclamation on the day of his inauguration that directed officials to take action to “repel, repatriate, or remove any alien engaged in the invasion across the southern border of the United States”.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 17:05:39 GMT
Program mirrors earlier successful mission to fight new world screwworm fly, whose larvae can infest living tissue
The US government is preparing to breed billions of flies and dump them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas to fight a flesh-eating maggot.
That sounds like the plot of a horror movie, but it is part of the government’s plans for protecting the US from a bug that could devastate its beef industry, decimate wildlife and even kill household pets. This weird science has worked well before.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:00:02 GMT
Video shared on social media shows drone attacks, which some say have helped pacify gangs inflicting violence on Port-au-Prince
Warning: this story contains footage that readers might find distressing
The earth beneath Jimmy Antoine’s apartment shuddered and for a split second he feared another natural disaster had struck, like the 2010 cataclysm that brought Port-au-Prince to its knees.
“The ground shook like it does during an earthquake. You tremble like everything might collapse,” said the 23-year-old trainee mechanic, recalling how he and his panicked neighbours raced out on to the street.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:31:25 GMT
Homeland security secretary attempting to end legal status for approximately 521,000 Haitian immigrants
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end temporary deportation protections and work permits for approximately 521,000 Haitian immigrants before the program’s scheduled expiration date.
Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded Joe Biden’s extension of temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians through 3 February. It called for the program to end on 3 August, and last week pushed back that date to 2 September.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:49:25 GMT
Lee Jae-myung shows no sign of grandeur, cutting very different figure to impeached predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol
South Korea’s president, Lee Jae-myung, has given his first big press conference, a month after winning an election in a country shaken by a brief declaration of martial law imposed by his now-impeached predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol.
Everything about the event seemed designed to signal a break from the defensive, isolated style of previous Yoon administration.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:51:35 GMT
Thirty-one people who were on the ferry travelling from Java have so far been rescued, Indonesia police say
At least four people have died and dozens are missing after a ferry carrying 65 people sank on its way to the Indonesian resort island of Bali, according to local police.
The vessel sank before midnight on Wednesday in the Bali Strait as it sailed to a port in the north of the famous holiday island, departing from Banyuwangi, a town on Indonesia’s main island of Java, the local search and rescue agency in Surabaya said in a statement.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 01:42:03 GMT
No major damage has been reported in the Tokara island chain, Japan’s meteorological agency says
More than 900 earthquakes have shaken a remote island chain in southern Japan in the past two weeks, according to the country’s weather agency, leaving residents unable to sleep and fearful of what might come next.
Although no major damage has been reported, the Japan Meteorological Agency has acknowledged that it does not know when the quakes would end.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:14:16 GMT
Comments from Simon Case come as UK defence review highlights Chinese military exercises around Taiwan as driver of global instability
The former head of the UK’s civil service has described the Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a “dictator” and said Donald Trump had put “helpful pressure” on Europe to increase defence spending.
Simon Case, who served as the cabinet secretary until December, when he stepped down on health grounds, said China had sent a clear message to “prepare for serious conflict” in Taiwan.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 12:45:13 GMT
Spiritual leader challenges Beijing in video statement released in run-up to 90th birthday celebrations
The Dalai Lama has declared in a direct challenge to China that the centuries-old spiritual institution bearing his name will continue after his death and that only his inner circle, not Beijing, will have the authority to identify his successor.
In a video message played on Wednesday during prayer celebrations ahead of his 90th birthday this weekend, the 14th Dalai Lama said the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which manages his affairs, would oversee the search for his reincarnation.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 10:24:40 GMT
Exclusive: One midwife said staff were ‘so relieved that the cuts had been paused’ and that they hoped a fair roster could be negotiated
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
Management at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Sydney will pause its cuts to staffing levels across its women and babies unit, just days after staff protested the changes.
On Tuesday, dozens of midwives and other clinical staff held a snap rally outside RPA, one of the city’s major tertiary hospitals, claiming that management’s decision to reduce the number of midwives rostered on to the birthing unit risked the lives of mothers and babies.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:43:47 GMT
Jason Clare to introduce powers to expand spot checks and cut off funding for childcare operators that fail to meet safety standards, as Greens call for independent watchdog
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
The federal government will fast-track legislation in the next sitting week to cut funding to childcare centres that fail to meet safety standards, after shocking allegations of sexual abuse by a worker in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
It comes as the Victorian government announced the former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and senior bureaucrat Pamela White had been appointed to lead an urgent review of childcare safety.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:37:48 GMT
Using the right words gives children the language to ask questions and tell a trusted adult if something feels wrong
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
Hearing about alleged child abuse in trusted places such as childcare centres is every parent’s worst nightmare.
So how can we talk to our kids about it and help them stay safe?
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:15:35 GMT
Dry and sunny Friday forecast gives residents and SES volunteers chance to assess damage after vigorous coastal low wreaks havoc on east coast
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
After days of torrential rain and damaging winds, a break in the wild weather has provided a much-needed reprieve for residents of New South Wales.
A “vigorous coastal low” wreaked havoc on Australia’s east coast this week, drenching catchments, leaving thousands without power, causing flight cancellations and fuelling dangerous ocean swells with waves as high as 13 metres.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:04:28 GMT
Childcare company that employed Joshua Dale Brown is reviewing records to determine whether 26-year-old had additional contact with children and infants
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
A childcare company that hired alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown is reviewing its records to determine whether he had any additional contact with infants and children during his employment.
Police on Tuesday announced the 26-year-old childcare worker had been charged with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims, aged between five months and two years old.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 10:49:32 GMT
Wildfires have been reported in Greece, Turkey, Spain and Germany as Europe’s heatwave continues
in Italy
Due to the climate emergency, Italian seas have reached temperatures above 20C even at depths of 40 metres, according to a report released on Wednesday by Greenpeace.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:46:21 GMT
It is understood that Jota and his brother were travelling in a car that came off a road in the province of Zamora
The Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has been killed in a car accident in Spain. He was 28, a father of three young children and had married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, less than two weeks ago.
Liverpool said they were devastated and tributes were paid by Portugal’s prime minister and the country’s football federation. It is understood that Jota and his brother, 26-year-old André, who was also killed, were travelling in a car that came off a road in the province of Zamora. André was a professional footballer with the second-tier Portuguese club Penafiel.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:44:00 GMT
Novelist and husband suspected of helping to sell bullion taken decades ago from ship that sank off Brittany in 1746
An 80-year-old US novelist and her husband are among several people facing a possible trial in France over the illegal sale of gold bars plundered from an 18th-century shipwreck after French prosecutors requested that the case go to court.
Eleonor “Gay” Courter and her husband, Philip, 82, have been accused of helping to sell the bullion online for a French diver who stole it decades ago. They have denied knowledge of any wrongdoing.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 04:00:19 GMT
Legislators from the Freedom party, which presents itself as the voice of ordinary people, top the parliamentary rich list
Austrians have poured scorn on far-right MPs for topping the list of highest earners in the country’s parliament, accusing the purported champions of the working class of hypocrisy over their lucrative side hustles.
A report based on mandatory income declarations for 2024 revealed this week that MPs from the anti-immigration Freedom party (FPÖ), which came in first in the September general election, to be cashing in most with supplementary earnings.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:18:13 GMT
Spokesperson Sean Parnell confirms defence department reviewing shipments may not affect only Ukraine
The Pentagon has said that it is reviewing weapons deliveries to allies around the world as reports grow of concerns over dwindling stockpiles of crucial munitions including anti-air missiles.
The announcement came after the White House confirmed that it was limiting deliveries of weapons to Ukraine to “put America’s interests first following a Department of Defense review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries around the globe”.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 10:35:28 GMT
‘The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is apocalyptic,’ UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese said
We have more on France’s stance on Iran sanctions.
AFP reports that France said it would decide whether to reimpose sanctions against Iran depending on whether Tehran released two French detainees charged with spying for Israel.
Freeing Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris is an absolute priority for us. We have always told our interlocutors from the Iranian regime that any decisions on sanctions will be conditional on resolving this issue.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 02:00:16 GMT
After 12 days of bombing by Israel and the US last month, opinions vary about the extent of the damage caused to Iran’s nuclear facilities. Patrick Wintour and Rouzbeh Parsi explain why and what could happen next
When the 12-day war against Iran was launched, Israel said it was because the Islamic Republic was on the verge of developing a nuclear bomb. US intelligence reports from earlier in the year told a different story. Now the war is over and confusion remains – has Iran’s nuclear programme been destroyed?
The Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, tells Michael Safi what we know – and why we don’t know more – about what the conflict actually achieved. While Rouzbeh Parsi, a historian who studies Iran’s nuclear programme explains why the ambiguity around Iran’s intentions are partly a deliberate strategy. Yet, he says, it is one that has been a dangerous gamble for the country – and one which seems to have cost them dearly. What will the Iranian regime do next? Could it abandon its programme or will it decide to race towards making a bomb?
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 17:50:37 GMT
Exclusive: Experts say use of heavy munition in Monday’s strike that killed dozens may constitute a war crime
The Israeli military used a 500lb (230kg) bomb – a powerful and indiscriminate weapon that generates a massive blast wave and scatters shrapnel over a wide area – when it attacked a target in a crowded beachfront cafe in Gaza on Monday, evidence seen by the Guardian has revealed.
Experts in international law said the use of such a munition despite the known presence of many unprotected civilians, including children, women and elderly people, was almost certainly unlawful and may constitute a war crime.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 16:23:59 GMT
Hamas says it is reviewing US truce proposal, but it is unclear what terms Israel has agreed to
Donald Trump has claimed that Israel is ready to agree to a peace deal with Hamas as he seeks to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza war that has claimed almost 60,000 lives, but it is unclear what conditions specifically Israel has agreed to.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday night, the US president wrote: “Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.”
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 16:18:28 GMT
Marwan al-Sultan, a renowned cardiologist and director of the Indonesian hospital, is the 70th healthcare worker to be killed by Israeli attacks in the past 50 days, says Palestinian medical organisation
An Israeli airstrike has killed one of Gaza’s most senior doctors in a “catastrophic” loss to the already decimated healthcare system. A number of family members were reported to have been killed alongside him.
Dr Marwan al-Sultan, a renowned and highly experienced cardiologist and director of the Indonesian hospital in the Gaza Strip, is the 70th healthcare worker to be killed by Israeli attacks in the last 50 days, according to Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW), a Palestinian medical organisation.
Continue reading...Mon, 30 Jun 2025 18:48:03 GMT
Fashion house acknowledges work of traditional artisans after accusations of cultural appropriation
Prada has acknowledged that its new leather sandal design was inspired by India’s famous Kolhapuri “chappals” – handcrafted shoes known for their toe-loop design – after facing criticism over its failure to credit the footwear’s origins.
“We acknowledge the sandals … are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage,” Lorenzo Bertelli, the corporate social responsibility chief at the Italian fashion house, said in a letter to the Maharashtra chamber of commerce.
Continue reading...Sat, 28 Jun 2025 13:55:06 GMT
Family dies in Swat River, with witnesses saying they waited to be rescued for more than an hour
At least 32 people have been killed in Pakistan in recent flash flooding caused by heavy rains, including a family of tourists who died after being swept away by flood waters while apparently awaiting rescue.
Videos of the family stranded on a small piece of land as the raging Swat River in northern Pakistan swept them away were shared widely on social media, prompting anger towards the provincial government as witnesses said the family waited helplessly for more than an hour.
Continue reading...Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:05:27 GMT
Pakistani government had credited US president with ‘pivotal leadership’ in its ceasefire negotiations with India
Donald Trump’s intervention into the Iran-Israel war, and brokering then announcing a ceasefire, has drawn a heated debate in Pakistan – where the government had formally nominated the US president for the Nobel peace prize as the US military was making its final preparations for a strike that threatened all-out war in the Middle East.
A statement in the early hours of Saturday local time – shortly before US B-2 bombers left the Whiteman air force base in Missouri and headed to Iran – had credited Trump for a “legacy of pragmatic diplomacy” and “pivotal leadership” for ensuring Pakistan’s ceasefire with India in a conflict that had begun with the killing of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April.
Continue reading...Sat, 21 Jun 2025 10:52:06 GMT
Islamabad says US president helped resolve India conflict but critic says ‘Israel’s sugar daddy in Gaza’ not candidate for any prize
Pakistan has said it will recommend Donald Trump for the Nobel peace prize for his work in helping to resolve the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.
The move, announced on Saturday, came as the US president mulls joining Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Continue reading...Thu, 19 Jun 2025 22:24:07 GMT
Army chief’s effusive welcome in Washington hints at strategic recalibration amid Middle East turmoil
After years in the diplomatic deep freeze, US-Pakistan ties appear to be quickly thawing, with Donald Trump’s effusive welcome for Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, signalling a possible major reset.
Once snubbed so badly that former prime minister Imran Khan had to board an ordinary airport shuttle after arriving in the US rather than being whisked off in a limousine, Pakistan is now enjoying top-level access in Washington, including a White House lunch for Munir on Wednesday and meetings with top national security officials.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 10:34:31 GMT
PM says only possible to transform the NHS due to decisions taken by chancellor, and denies the pressure is too much for her
Streeting says he has to go to the Commons to make a statement to MPs.
But first he introduces Rachel Reeves, saying that she has put an extra £29bn into the NHS.
It is thanks to her leadership that we’ve seen interest rates in our country fall four times. It’s thanks to her leadership that we see wages finally rising faster than the cost of living. And it’s thanks to her leadership we have the fastest growing economy in the G7.
If Australia can effectively serve communities living in the remote outback, we can meet the needs of people living in rural England.
If community health teams can go door to door to prevent ill health in Brazil, we can do the same in Bradford.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 09:51:36 GMT
Alex Baldock says prices would increase further, as chain posts 37% rise in profits
The boss of Currys, the UK’s biggest electrical goods retailer, has urged the government not to increases taxes on retailers this year, saying it would damage investment and force prices to rise.
Alex Baldock, the retailer’s chief executive, said: “We urge government not to make a further contribution to the tax burden as that would further dampen investment and increase prices in an inflationary way.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 09:36:42 GMT
ORR rebuffs bids from three companies, saying additional services would increase risk of delays and cancellations
Sir Richard Branson’s hopes of returning Virgin trains to the west coast mainline have been dashed after the UK rail regulator rejected its application amid concerns over delays and cancelled journeys.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has rebuffed three applications for the route, which connects London to Glasgow and serves big cities including Birmingham. Virgin, East Coast Trains (known as Lumo) and Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) all lost their bids.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 09:36:12 GMT
Health secretary says the drugs are the ‘talk of the House of Commons tea rooms’ as he vows to widen access to jabs
Weight loss injections are the “talk of the House of Commons tea rooms” and widely used by MPs, the health secretary has said as he pledged to widen public access to them.
Speaking as the government launches a 10-year-plan for the NHS, Wes Streeting said access to weight loss injections such as Ozempic and Mounjaro should be “based on need and not the ability to pay”.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:19:59 GMT
Keir Starmer says Downing Street should have engaged more with Labour MPs and repeats support for Rachel Reeves
Keir Starmer has admitted No 10 “didn’t get the process right” in handling the government’s controversial welfare bill and says he shoulders the blame.
Looking to repair some of the damage done by Labour’s 11th hour climbdown on the central plank of its welfare changes, Starmer said the government would reflect on its mistakes.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 10:38:14 GMT
Only four Republicans need to side with Democrats to block legislation
Donald Trump on Tuesday toured “Alligator Alcatraz”, a controversial new migrant detention jail in the remote Florida Everglades, and celebrated the harsh conditions that people sent there would experience.
The president was chaperoned by Florida’s hard-right governor, Ron DeSantis, who hailed the tented camp on mosquito-infested land 50 miles west of Miami as an example for other states that supported Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:40:15 GMT
Key rule finally approved at 4am in Washington DC after lawmakers objected to provisions and cost
Donald Trump’s signature tax-and-spending bill has passed a procedural step in the US House of Representatives, paving the way for the possible passage of the legislation later in the day.
The House speaker, Mike Johnson, is determined to pass the bill as soon as possible but had been frustrated by lawmakers – Democrats but also a handful of Republicans – who object to its provisions and overall cost. Overnight, they had blocked the House from approving a rule that was necessary to begin debate on the measure and set the stage for its passage.
Continue reading...Thu, 03 Jul 2025 01:04:19 GMT
Jury finds music mogul not guilty on most serious charges but judge denies request for bail
A New York Jury has found Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty of two counts and not guilty on three counts, following a closely watched seven-week federal trial marked by emotional and graphic testimony.
The mixed verdict saw Combs being found not guilty of the biggest charge, racketeering conspiracy, not guilty of the sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura or the sex trafficking of “Jane”, and guilty of both the transportation to engage in prostitution related to Casandra Ventura and the transportation to engage in prostitution related to “Jane”.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:32:08 GMT
Sean Parnell repeats Trump claim that key sites were destroyed, based on ‘assessments inside the department’
The Pentagon has collected intelligence material that suggests Iran’s nuclear program was set back roughly one to two years as a result of the US strikes on three key facilities last month, the chief spokesperson at the defense department said at a news conference on Wednesday.
The spokesperson, Sean Parnell, repeated Donald Trump’s claim that Iran’s key nuclear sites had been completely destroyed, although he did not offer further details on the origin of the assessments beyond saying it came from inside the defense department.
Continue reading...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:12:10 GMT
This blog is now closed. You can find our full report and reactions from outside the court here:
The foreperson will now read the verdict.
The jury is in the courtroom and the foreperson has given the verdict form to the court deputy.
Continue reading...