The Guardian·Thursday, December 18, 2025

The Guardian - Thursday, December 18, 2025

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Morocco accused of ‘horrific’ abuse of detained gen Z protesters

As country prepares to host Africa Cup of Nations, families and rights groups tell of police brutality, with hundreds still held The arbitrary detention of hundreds of gen Z protesters in Morocco and alleged “horrific” beatings have been condemned by human rights groups, as the country prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday. A wave of youth-led demonstrations swept across Morocco in late September and early October – the biggest since the 2011 Arab spring – in protest at underfunde

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Five key moments in the assault on the rights of women and girls in 2025

Since Trump’s second term began in January, global healthcare, especially for sexual and reproductive health, has been under constant attack This time last year, women’s rights organisations were bracing themselves for a second Trump term. Few were prepared for the chaos that would be unleashed in January. The volume and speed of executive orders coming out of the White House were seen as a deliberate tactic to overwhelm and create panic. In many ways it worked – there was confusion, anger and e

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South Africa in talks with Russia over men ‘tricked’ into fighting in Ukraine

Government says it received distress calls, as daughter of ex-president Jacob Zuma accused of luring men to frontline South Africa’s government is in talks with Russia to bring home 17 South African men fighting for Russia in Ukraine, after the men were allegedly tricked on to the frontlines of the war by a daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has been accused in multiple lawsuits of luring the 17 South African and two Botswanan men to Russia in July, by

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Libya looks to its past to build a new future as national museum reopens

It is hoped the institution can help foster new bonds in a fractured nation, but such optimism will be a stretch for some It was a night at the museum like no other. As the staccato sound of firecrackers and explosions rang out across Martyr’s Square in the heart of Tripoli, for once it was not Libya’s militias battling it out for a larger stake in the country’s oil economy, but a huge firework display celebrating the reopening of one of the finest museums in the Mediterranean. The National Muse

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Ghanaian students at UK universities face deportation amid funding crisis

Group asks Keir Starmer for help to persuade Ghanaian government to pay backlog of tuition fees and living allowances Students from Ghana at UK universities say they are in danger of being deported after being stranded by their own government without promised scholarships or tuition fee payments. The group representing more than 100 doctoral students has petitioned Downing Street and Keir Starmer asking for help to persuade the Ghanaian government to pay the backlog of tuition fees and living al

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Brazilian president vows to veto bill cutting Jair Bolsonaro’s prison term

Lula acknowledges his decision to uphold 27-year sentence could be overridden by conservative lawmakers Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has promised to veto a bill passed by congress to reduce the prison term of Jair Bolsonaro, the former president who was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for masterminding an attempted coup to overturn the 2022 elections. Lawmakers passed the bill late on Wednesday after it was approved last week by the lower house. On Thursday, Brazil’s

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Canada’s population drop reflects souring of attitudes to immigration

A country known for welcoming newcomers has reversed policy as immigration becomes increasingly a partisan issue Canada sees large drop in population amid international students crackdown Standing in Canada’s House of Commons in 2023, the then-prime minister, Justin Trudeau, gave an impassioned speech on the value of welcoming newcomers. “Canadians know that immigration is one of our greatest assets. It helps us compete,” he said. “If we want to boost our economic success significantly, we nee

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US strike on alleged drug boat in Pacific kills four, as Trump accuses Venezuela of taking ‘our oil’

Hegseth announcement comes day after Trump blockades all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela The US military carried out a lethal strike on a vessel it said was engaged in drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific, according to the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, as Trump further ratcheted up pressure on Venezuela, accusing the country of taking US oil. On Wednesday Hegseth said the “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel engaged in “narco-trafficking operations” had killed four peo

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Canada sees large drop in population amid international students crackdown

Population fell by 0.2% in third quarter – and the only other quarterly decline on record was attributed to Covid limits Canada experienced one of its largest drops in population in the most recent quarter, the result of a crackdown on international students. The drop marks a dramatic turnaround for a country that has long pegged its economic growth to immigration. New estimates released on Wednesday by Statistics Canada showed that Canada’s population fell by 0.2% in the third quarter to stand

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Scientists log rare case of female polar bear adopting cub: ‘They’re really good moms’

Canadian researchers tracking bear known as X33991 noticed she had gained a second cub who likely needed help Scientists in Canada have documented a rare case of female polar bear adopting a new cub, in an episode of “curious behaviour” that highlights the complex relationships among the apex Arctic predators. Polar Bears International, a non-profit conservation group, said on Wednesday that when they first placed a GPS collar on a female polar bear in the spring, she had one young cub. But when

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