The Guardian·Wednesday, January 7, 2026

The Guardian - Wednesday, January 7, 2026

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

Anthony Joshua’s driver charged with dangerous driving after fatal crash in Nigeria

British boxer was injured in collision that killed his personal trainer Latif Ayodele and strength coach Sina Ghami Nigerian police have charged Anthony Joshua’s driver with causing death by dangerous driving after a fatal crash that killed two people. Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was also charged with driving without a valid driving licence and “driving without due care and attention, causing bodily harm and damage to property”. He is due to appear in court on 20 January. Continue reading...

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Cremation pyre in Africa thought to be world’s oldest containing adult remains

9,500-year-old pyre uncovered in Malawi offers rare insight into rituals of ancient African hunter-gatherer groups A cremation pyre built about 9,500 years ago has been discovered in Africa, offering a fresh glimpse into the complexity of ancient hunter-gatherer communities. Researchers say the pyre, discovered in a rock shelter at the foot of Mount Hora in northern Malawi, is thought to be the oldest in the world to contain adult remains, the oldest confirmed intentional cremation in Africa, an

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US ‘adapt, shrink or die’ terms for $2bn aid pot will mean UN bowing down to Washington, say experts

Afghanistan and Yemen excluded from list of 17 priority countries chosen by Trump administration to receive aid laden with demands The $2bn (£1.5bn) of aid the US pledged this week may have been hailed as “bold and ambitious” by the UN but could be the “nail in the coffin” in changing to a shrunken, less flexible aid system dominated by Washington’s political priorities, aid experts fear. After a year of deep cuts in aid budgets by the US and European countries, the announcement of new money for

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Guinea’s junta chief elected president after opposition boycott

Mamady Doumbouya reneged on promise not to stand and hand west African country back to civilian rule The head of Guinea’s junta, Mamady Doumbouya, who had pledged not to run for office after seizing power four years ago, has been elected president after the country’s electoral commission said he had secured a sweeping majority of the vote. Doumbouya, 41, faced eight rivals for the presidency but the main opposition leaders were barred from running and had urged a boycott of the vote held over th

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Tensions between Saudis and Emiratis over future of Yemen reach boiling point

Dispute has potential to create civil war in south of Yemen and spill over into neighbouring countries Tensions between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia over the future of Yemen and the imminent possibility of the declaration of an independent southern state have reached boiling point with Saudi Arabia in effect accusing the UAE of threatening its future security. The dispute has the potential to create a civil war within the south of Yemen and also spill over into other disputes includ

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Noem says ‘act of domestic terrorism’ spurred fatal Minneapolis shooting; mayor sharply tells ICE to ‘get out’ – live

Mayor Jacob Frey called the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for the killing of a woman during an immigration operation ‘bullshit’ Minnesota woman fatally shot by ICE agent during raid, video shows Miranda Bryant, the Guardian’s Nordic correspondent, also has written this handy explainer on why Donald Trump is renewing calls for a takeover of Greenland: Continue reading...

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US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in Atlantic after two-week pursuit

US European Command says it boarded the Marinera over alleged sanctions violations, a move that risks confrontation with Moscow Europe live – latest updates The US has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean in a high-stakes operation that could risk confrontation with the Kremlin after Moscow reportedly dispatched a submarine to safeguard the vessel. US European Command said on Wednesday that it had boarded the Marinera over alleged sanctions violations, bringing to an end a

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US reportedly warns Maduro ally Diosdado Cabello he could be next

Interior minister told he must back acting president, while Marco Rubio lays out three-point plan for Venezuela The Trump administration has reportedly put Venezuela’s hardline interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, on notice that he could be next to fall if he does not support the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, who has been in power since Nicolás Maduro was seized on Saturday. Reuters reported that US officials were “especially concerned” that Cabello, long seen by many as the regime’s real N

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US attack on Venezuela will decide direction of South America’s vast mineral wealth

Outcome of aggression will determine whether rare earths and other resources drive energy transition – or strengthen US military power and oil interests The US’s first overt attack on an Amazon nation last weekend is a new phase in its extractivist rivalry with China. The outcome will decide whether the vast mineral wealth of South America is directed towards a 21st-century energy transition or a buildup of military power to defend 20th-century fossil fuel interests. Although this onslaught was

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Venezuela to continue supplying oil to US ‘indefinitely’, White House says

US to remove some sanctions to allow it to keep selling country’s supplies after laying claim to blockaded crude US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker after two-week pursuit Explainer: why so much interest in a rusty tanker in the Atlantic? The US plans to control Venezuela’s oil sales “indefinitely” after laying claim to 50m barrels of blockaded crude and seizing a Russian oil tanker linked to the South American country. The White House already plans to sell up to $3bn (£2.2bn) worth of Venez

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