The Guardian Articles

On the outskirts of the Druze village of Majdal Shams, high in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a gate in the fence leads to the supposedly demilitarised buffer zone on the Syrian side. Known as “the Shouting Hill”, local Druze villagers have long gathered here to shout messages – sometimes even …

When Hayyan Maqsoud, the director of Syria’s postal service, returned to work on Tuesday, the first thing he did was remove the portraits of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, and his father, Hafez al-Assad, from the walls of his Damascus office.

“Finally we can breathe,” said Maqsoud, the lifelong civil …

The UK competition watchdog has launched an investigation into several British roofing and construction services companies over allegations they “illegally colluded to rig bids” to win contracts for repairing schools.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it suspected that the companies, including building contractors and technical advisers, had worked …

Iran’s supreme leader has claimed the US and Israel acted as the command centre that engineered the downfall of Syria’s former president, Bashar al-Assad, and the ousting of Iran from the country.

He also claimed Iranian intelligence had sent warnings to the Assad government about a possible attack for three …

Train passengers visiting family and friends over Christmas could have their journeys disrupted by crew shortages, especially on parts of the railway network subject to engineering works, the rail minister has warned.

Peter Hendy told MPs that the government is concerned about staffing at train operators over the festive period …

Ding Liren held on for a high-wire draw with Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju on Wednesday in the penultimate 13th game of their world championship showdown, leaving the match knotted at 6½-all with one scheduled contest remaining.

The 32-year-old defending champion appeared visibly shaken at the board after leaving himself less …

With less than six months to go before the election, it is time to be alert to the numbers and phrases used by politicians, especially when they are trying to tell you that you will be better off under their policies. On this score it is best to pay particular …

An 18-year-old man from London has been sentenced to one year in a Dubai jail for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, a campaign group has said.

Marcus Fakana, of Tottenham, “feels abandoned by the British government and Keir Starmer”, Detained in Dubai said.

Radha Stirling, the group’s …

The rate of US inflation barely moved in November, the last piece of major economic news before the Federal Reserve weighs whether to cut interest rates for the third time this year at its meeting next week.

Prices rose 2.7% in November compared with a year before, according to consumer …

Unrest set off by silencing of cleric

By

Ian Traynor

The seeds of popular revolt that appear to be taking root across Romania were sown last Thursday in the north-western town of Timisoara when President Nicolae Ceaușescu’s security forces moved to evict the …