Venezuelan man saved from collapsed mall eight days after earthquakes 02. July 2026 (19:24) Security guard Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, 43, initially told rescuers not to tell his wife in case he did not surviveA 43-year-old security guard who survived last week’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela thanks to a pocket of air in his workstation cabin has been pulled from the collapsed basement of a shopping centre amid huge cheers from international rescue teams.Hernán Alberto Gil Flores had been trapped for eight days under the rubble of the Galerías Playa Grande in the hard-hit coastal port city of La Guaira since the back-to-back quakes struck. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man accused of ordering Daphne Caruana Galizia murder paid hitmen’s legal fees, court hears 02. July 2026 (19:21) Yorgen Fenech said to have spent €400,000 on fees for men convicted of car bombing that killed investigative journalistA businessman accused of commissioning the murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia spent more than €400,000 (£343,000) on legal fees for the hitmen convicted of her killing, prosecutors claim.Yorgen Fenech, the 44-year-old heir to one of Malta’s largest fortunes, arrived in court for the second day of his trial on Thursday in an unmarked armoured police vehicle. He is on house arrest having pledged a record bail estimated at €50m. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Truly international’ network of drug-facilitated rape uncovered by UK crime agency 02. July 2026 (19:05) NCA says offenders arrange to sexually assault and film victims via online networks with crimes often taking place in trusting relationshipsCriminal investigators in the UK say they have uncovered a “truly international network” of organised drug-facilitated sexual assault in which victims are sedated before being raped and sexually assaulted.The National Crime Agency [NCA] has said online networks, “many as yet unidentified by law enforcement”, were allowing offenders to arrange to rape and abuse victims or arrange for sexual assaults to be filmed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Outrage over ‘cruel’ Florida move to ban undocumented students from college 02. July 2026 (18:56) Critics condemn decision by education board aligned with hard-right Ron DeSantis to block access to college systemImmigration advocates in Florida have decried a “cruel and harmful” new rule by education officials aligned with hard-right Republican governor Ron DeSantis to ban undocumented students from state colleges and universities.The Florida board of education voted on Tuesday to bar access to its 28 state-funded institutions to anybody not a US citizen or “lawfully present” in the country. It follows Florida’s move last year to strip discounted in-state tuition rates for certain immigrant students. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canadian boy dies of rabies after waking to find bat on his face 02. July 2026 (18:29) Eleven-year-old developed symptoms 19 days after encounter in Ontario in ‘exceedingly rare’ caseDoctors in Canada say a child who awoke to find a bat resting on his nose and mouth while visiting an Ontario cottage later died of rabies, in an “exceedingly rare case” that highlights the need for better public awareness.In a report published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, infectious disease physicians confirmed that the 11-year-old boy died from rabies, a fatality they said probably could have been prevented with greater awareness of how the virus is transmitted. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Women from minority backgrounds in UK less likely to receive epidurals, research finds 02. July 2026 (18:03) Exclusive: Guardian analysis exposes evidence of racial inequalities in pain relief offered across healthcare‘The epidural failed and no one believed me’How the ethnicity pain gap follows people from birth to deathWomen from Black and Asian backgrounds are less likely than their white counterparts to receive an epidural while giving birth, research has revealed.The findings, based on data collected from more than 2.7 million births in the UK, prompted experts to raise the alarm about an “ethnicity pain gap” that means people of colour are more likely to be deprived of adequate pain relief within medical settings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Two teenage boys detained for rape as court of appeal overrules ‘lenient’ sentences 02. July 2026 (17:54) First judge found to have erred by giving 15-year-olds youth rehabilitation orders for rape of two girls in HampshireTwo 15-year-old boys who were spared custody for raping two girls have been sentenced to four years’ detention after the court of appeal ruled their sentences were “unduly lenient”.After a national outcry, the attorney general, Richard Hermer, referred the case to the court to consider whether the sentences given to three boys – identified only as X, Y and Z – were too light. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer considers letting pubs stay open for England v Mexico match after backlash 02. July 2026 (17:46) Government seeks workaround after licensing rules threaten to force pubs to shut before World Cup tie finishesWorld Cup live – latest updatesUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer is exploring ways to keep pubs open into the early hours of Monday after facing backlash over strict licensing rules that would force many venues to close during England’s next World Cup game.The team’s win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday night booked a last-16 tie against Mexico that is due to run until at least 3am UK time. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Novice climber rescued after surviving 1,500ft fall down California mountain 02. July 2026 (17:33) The woman, 31, suffered some injuries but was found alert and in good spirits on Mount Shasta, officials saidA novice climber was rescued after surviving a 1,500ft fall down California’s Mount Shasta on Sunday, officials said.The woman, 31, was attempting to ascend the mountain along the Left of Heart variation of the popular Avalanche Gulch route alongside two other novice climbers at an elevation of about 13,000ft when she fell. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
AOC endorses progressive Democrat in closely watched Michigan race for US Senate seat 02. July 2026 (17:26) El-Sayed, backed by Bernie Sanders, leads polls ahead of Haley Stevens and Mallory McMorrow in primaryAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez has thrown her support behind Abdul El-Sayed, the doctor and progressive Democrat seeking the party’s nomination in Michigan’s closely watched US Senate race.In an interview with the New York Times, Ocasio-Cortez – an influential congresswoman on the left of the Democratic party – endorsed El-Sayed, a former public health director. “Despite our ideological differences and whatever disagreements there are in the party, every single one of us sees this moment as existential,” she said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
